Guilty Pleasures: A Lina Townend Mystery

In Cutler’s intriguing third mystery featuring Kent antiques dealer Lina Townend (after February 2011’s Ring of Guilt), Lina can’t say no to the request of the local vicar, Robin Levitt, to help out at a church fete. When someone snatches an old silver snuffbox from the bric-a-brac stall and runs, Lina and Robin give chase. The thief drops the snuffbox before escaping, but Lina takes a painful spill on the churchyard gravel. Soon, Lina has to deal with more serious crimes—attacks, some of them fatal, on friends and acquaintances. Even her older mentor and business partner, Griff, gets beaten by a mysterious stranger. The police question her after a suspect caught on CCTV looks a lot like Lina herself. In the end, against Lina’s wishes, Griff consults Detective Inspector Morris, her now married ex-boyfriend, who lends some romantic interest to this enchanting mix of murder and antiques. (Oct.)