Glow of Death

Well-defined characters compensate for the overly complicated plot of Cleland’s 11th mystery featuring Rocky Point, N.H., antique dealer Josie Prescott (after 2015’s Ornaments of Death). At the waterfront mansion of businessman Edwin Towson, Josie informs Edwin and his wife, Ava, that the Tiffany lamp he asked her to appraise is genuine and might fetch as much as $1.5 million at auction. Things get complex quickly when there’s a murder at the Towson mansion, though the woman lying dead on the kitchen floor is the not the person Josie met earlier. More shocks follow when it appears that someone also impersonated Edwin and details about the Towsons’ troubled marriage begin to emerge. Josie, angry about being conned, digs deep for clues with the aid of Rocky Point’s police chief Ellis Hunter and reporter Wes Smith. Suspects include the real Edwin Towson and Ava’s sister. Cozy fans won’t mind that Josie’s efforts lead to the unmasking of some unlikely scammers. Agent: Cristina Concepcion, Don Congdon Associates. (Nov.)