Guns and Roses: An Irish Eyes Travel Mystery Set in Colonial Williamsburg

Cannon, author of five novels (including three mysteries in the Nan Robinson series: Class Reunions Are Murder, etc.), kicks off a new series with a clever cozy that will appeal to every crime fan who's an armchair traveler. Following the death of her partner at an Austin, Tex., crime scene, former policewoman Roxanne Prescott attempts to start a new career as a guide for her aunt's upscale tour business, the Irish Eyes Travel Agency. Leading a group of well-to-do folk on a tour of Virginia's historic sites--the Guns and Roses tour, as Roxanne likes to think of it--proves to be no picnic. As the group moves from Mount Vernon south to Fredericksburg, Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg, what at first seem accidents escalate into practical jokes, malicious pranks, possible kidnapping and death. Unprepared for such trouble, Roxanne has her hands full, trying to pacify angry sightseers, prevent further accidents and discover who is seeking to jeopardize the tour and her aunt's business. Cannon deftly reveals character in a series of opening vignettes; every group member, not least Roxanne herself, is a distinct, credible individual. The author also shows a sure touch in evoking settings, in particular the restored Colonial Williamsburg. After a satisfying resolution, enough questions remain open to justify a sequel. Cannon's readers should look forward to that. (Mar.)