Review

For fans of:  Claudia Bishop

Marshfield Manor's hosted no small number of fundraisers, but curator-slash-manager Grace Wheaton has serious reservations about the one that's currently being planned. Not only is the event being held in Marshfield's basement –a space not well suited to parties for a number of reasons, but two of the organizers, Joyce Swedburg and Leland Keay, used to be married to one another and clearly have some unresolved issues. Throw in the fact that the entertainment's being provided by a temperamental artist with whom nobody gets along, and you have the potential for disaster.

With that in mind, Grace and her staff do their best to prepare for every eventuality, and at first it looks like the affair might go off without a hitch. Then, though, Leland Keay keels over mid-party and the evening comes to a screeching halt. Keay's death is ascribed to natural causes, but that doesn't sit right with Grace, leading her to launch an investigation of her own. Can she solve Keay's murder and prevent the killer from striking again, or will her digging earn her a spot in the cemetery next to him?

Just when I think Julie Hyzy can't get any better, she goes and does just that. Grace Against the Clock is the fifth of Hyzy's Manor House Mysteries, and it's the series' strongest installment to date. Hyzy’s prose manages to be witty and stylish without calling too much attention to itself. Her dialogue rings true. Her descriptions are colorful without being cutesy. Her story moves swiftly, the tension remains high, her subplots are intriguing, and the mystery she's crafted is both clever and complex.

Hyzy's character work is nothing short of fabulous. From Grace on down to her cantankerous assistant Frances and her boss’ snobby stepdaughter Hillary, the people who populate Hyzy’s fictional universe are not only vividly sketched and fully fleshed, but the relationships they share are realistic, nuanced, and ever-changing. I particularly enjoyed watching Grace and Hillary’s shared animosity morph into something resembling friendship over the course of this tale, and can’t wait to see what the series has in store for them. And as for Grace’s love life – well, suffice it to say that Hyzy’s heroine has never been more self-assured or self-aware than we find her at the conclusion of Grace Against the Clock.

Buy this book and then clear your schedule – from the moment you crack the cover until you’ve turned the final page, you’ll only have eyes for Grace.

Reviewed by Kat