Peril at Pennington Manor: An Avery Ayers Antique Mystery

In Mary Higgins Clark Award finalist Gardner’s winning sequel to 2021’s Ruby Red Herring, Nicholas Pennington IV, the Duke of Valle Charme, a small European kingdom, hires antique experts Avery Ayers and her father, William, to appraise and catalog his collection at Pennington Manor, his Hudson Valley mansion, before he sells the place. Soon after Avery and William arrive at the manor, a valuable pocket watch disappears, and the duke’s housekeeper, Suzanne Vick, falls to her death from the roof. The police, including Det. Art Smith, suspect it’s a murder made to look like an accident or suicide, a theory supported by Suzanne’s predecessor having died under mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, Avery notices that some of the duke’s jewels have been replaced by fakes. The stakes rise after the duke is injured in a riding accident, and the attraction between Art and Avery adds some romantic heat as they seek to identify a killer who seems to know the Pennington estate well. Well-drawn colorful characters match the suspenseful whodunit plot. Cozy fans will be more than satisfied. Agent: Frances Black, Literary Counsel. (June)