Charley stares up at the stag again, which definitely doesn’t match the
art deco print hanging next to it. On the sideboard beneath it there’s a
large, lidded porcelain serving bowl, another stylised art-deco affair,
and Charley moves it so it sits directly beneath the stag, but that just
makes things look even more off-centre. As she shifts it back, the lid
falls askew. There’s something inside.
It’s a square, brown parcel wrapped up with a bow. Another present, just
like the ones they found at breakfast. It must be Pan’s. Of course, Lady
Partridge was supposed to have been ‘murdered’ before breakfast, but Ali
must have arranged this gift as an extra clue - or an extra grenade to
throw into the midst of the Murder Masquerade Society. So why would
someone hide it?
Because it incriminates the killer somehow.
Her stomach churns as she lifts the box out, slides her fingers under the
box. She braces herself, knowing there could be something horrible inside,
and pulls out a square of blue cottony fabric, the size of a handkerchief
but frayed at the edges, covered in blood.
Whatever happened to the previous leader of their Murder Masquerade Society
at the last party, years ago? And could the answer to that mystery save them
from what’s happening this time around?
Official synopsis:
Now our young, privileged cast of old university friends are summoned to
the depths of Scotland for a Christmas-themed masquerade party. But all
are hiding something deep below the surface that could make or break their
careers. Charley is a struggling actress who has always been on the
periphery of this high-flying group, but has decided to reunite with her
frenemies on the promise of career help if she joins the old cast for one
last weekend.
Charley does not really miss her college days. When she’s invited to join a
reunion of some college acquaintances for another Masquerade Murder Society,
she probably would not have attended, until the woman organizing it offers
her some extra incentives. She still doesn’t expect it to be much fun, but
she also certainly doesn’t expect her life to be at risk!
The characters in the fictional script they’re there to act out are based on
the twelve days of Christmas, but one of the members of the group insists
that death was intended at every verse. When people start dying, no one is
sure where to look for answers. Is it all tied to Karl’s disappearance and
suspected death years ago? And if so, is it a continuation to whatever
happened then, or fresh revenge?
The interpretation of the twelve days’ characters and the explanations of
how their deaths fit their characters was interesting. The characters
themselves were also unique and great illustrations of the rich not really
having everything go their way—they each had their own secrets and
possible struggles that they didn’t want the rest of the group to know. It
colored everyone’s motivations and expectations in a way that deepened the
plot. Overall, this book earned 3 out of 5 stars. While the surface read a
bit like Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, the actual revealed
conclusions at the end deviated from the original.
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Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys volunteering with the local
high school theatre group. See what she’s been up to and reading lately on
her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.
GIVEAWAY:
One of my lucky readers will win a copy of The Twelve Days of Murder!
Enter via the widget below. The giveaway will end on Friday, January 19th, at 11:59pm ET, and the winner will be notified via email the next day, and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.
U.S. residents only, please.
Good luck!
The Twelve Days of Murder, by Andreina Cordani
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