A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry is a wonderful cozy mystery, only Berry's second book! Kate Hamilton is in Suffolk, England, ostensibly visiting her daughter, Christine, who is an intern at a local castle, but also to pursue her romance with Detective Inspector Thomas Mallory, who she had met in Scotland previously. Kate is also an antiques dealer so she is on the lookout for good deals for her shop back home. It is while on a commercial tour of the castle and its grounds that a young boy discovers a body on the edge of the lake. It is Tabitha, the young female intern who is preparing the exhibit of special items dating back to the 13th century that are part of the castle's history.

It is difficult to go on without spoilers, suffice it to say, this is a lovely novel, encompassing both past and present, England and America, young romance and old. Kate is only 46 but is a widow who had been married to an older man. She is a mother to two, and as most mothers, it is difficult for her to watch her children make mistakes or be in pain. She is young enough that her beau, Tom, has a mother who is less than keen on the budding romance, and pulls out no stops to destroy it. Entertaining to watch, not as much fun to be in the middle of. There are many entertaining peripheral characters, full of personality. This appears to be a pretty authentic representation of life in a village in Suffolk, in the current day (sans murder). It is a thoroughly entertaining read and I can't wait for more. I recommend it to all cozy aficionados.

I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #alegacyofmurder

I categorize this as a cozy mystery
I did not read the first book in the series and maybe if I had I would have been less critical but Christine was really getting on my nerves with her childish antics.
I can understand her feelings about her mother having a boy friend. Many people have gotten the same reaction from their adult children but to attack violently the woman her boyfriend is cheating with is not something I would expect from a young adult attending University. The book does have a lot of good qualities. It show the love between Kate and her mother. The caring attitude Kate has for her children. The problems encountered with a new relationship when adult children are involved. You get to know a lot of interesting characters. The book does have a lot of unexpected happenings and I didn't see the end coming till I was almost finished. The book all together is a fast and enjoyable read.

On a two week visit to England to spend some time with her daughter, Christina, Kate Hamilton finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. But this one is really personal...her daughter is one of the suspects, and the Detective Inspector in charge of the case is the other person she hopes to spend time with. This was an enjoyable cozy mystery read, with several suspects, and misleading alibis for Kate to untangle. I enjoyed her interactions with Ivor, a local antiquities dealer, as well as with Lady Barbara, the current resident of Finchley Hall and owner of the Hoard, famed treasure trove. The story moved along at a nice pace, though there were times that I had trouble keeping up with some of the characters. And although I have not read the first book in this series, it was easy to get acquainted with the main character. I will definitely check out the next book in this series, to see what trouble Kate gets into next. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book received through NetGalley, but all opinions are strictly my own.

I truly enjoyed this one! I liked the characters and the setting. A good mystery! I just bought the first book too!

Kate, an antiques dealer, is in the UK visiting her daughter Christine (and, ahem DI Tom Mallory) for Christmas. Christine's working as an intern at Finchley, which seems wonderful until, sadly, another intern is found murdered! There are two strands in this nicely written cozy - Kate and Tom trying to solve the murder and Kate dealing with both antiques and her daughter, whose latest boyfriend, Tristan, is not one Kate likes. There's a mildly complicated plot involving a missing ruby and Lady Barbara's son who was accused of murder years ago. No spoilers but not everyone is who they seem to be. This is the second in a series (don't worry- fine as a standalone) and it's a nice expansion of Kate and Tom's relationship. She's a good character- mature and more thoughtful than some cozy heroines. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The second in the Kate Hamilton Mystery series by Connie Berry has antique dealer Kate Hamilton travelling to England for a Christmas visit with her daughter, Christine, who is working as an intern on a hundreds year old estate. Christine makes arrangements for Kate to have an empty room in an area where most interns lived, which gives her proximity to the action. Almost immediately there is a murder, the death of another intern who was working as curator for a huge exhibit that is being mounted as a fundraiser for the upkeep of the estate.
As the murder is being investigated, the owner of the estate, Lady Barbara asks Kate to fill in for the murdered girl and complete the creation of the exhibit. At the same time, Kate’s visit to England is designed to allow her to spend some time with Tom, a police Chief Inspector whom she met on a trip to Ireland. Tom gets called in to investigate this initial murder and a second one later in the book which implicates Christine.
Although the relationship between Kate and Tom, the Chief Inspector, began in the first book, the author does a good job of providing enough information so it isn’t necessary to have read that book first. However, if you are a reader who likes to experience relationships between characters from the outset, you might want to read all the books in order.
The book is well plotted and moves at a good pace. There are some charming secondary characters who are introduced, as well as further development of Kate’s relationships with both Christine and Tom. The book does stand alone in that there is a murderer who is unmasked and brought to justice within this book.
While I solved this mystery prior to the end of the book, that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the entire book. This is a good, cozy series that will likely appeal to many cozy readers who enjoy good character development. There is enough interest in secondary relationships to encourage the reader to pick up the next book without feeling obligated just to get the solution to this current murder. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Digital Read copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’m looking forward to continuing to explore this series.

This was an enjoyable mystery, featuring American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton who solves a series of mysteries while visiting her daughter who is working as an intern at a stately home that is in need of repair. There's plenty on British holiday season goings as well as on the difficulties about maintaining an expensive, touristy home on a limited budget.

I understand that this is the second book in the series and I liked this one well enough to want to track down the first. I managed to get through this OK but do think that this was an instance where reading the first one first would've been beneficial to understanding what was going on.

A nice set of characters and an interesting plot. I would definitely recommend this one to friends who like British mysteries.

A Kate Hamilton Mystery #2

Kate Hamilton is back in the UK. This time our intrepid antique dealer from America is here to visit her daughter, the headstrong Christine, where she is serving an internship at Finchley Hall located in Long Barston.

With an empty room in the converted stables, Kate is happy to be here spending time with her daughter and with her boyfriend, DI Tom Mallory, whom we met in the first mystery.

Touring the rather neglected home and grounds, they find a young woman's body at the edge of the lake. Dead. And this isn't the first time a body has been found there. This particular body, however, is heading up the enormous task of inventorying the large collections that have been part of the family for generations. Including the rare ruby ring.

An odd household, to be sure, Mugg, the butler/everything else and one cook/maid/housekeeper, along with Lady Barbara. Elderly and with very poor vision, she depends on Mugg for everything. 

There were several other plotlines and the bodies are still falling, when Kate's own daughter is hauled into the station and questioned about the latest one.

I really don't want to spoil any of the fun in this book. The characters are great fun and I can't wait for Kate to be back in the UK!

Netgalley/ October 8th, 2019 by Crooked Lane Books

Kate Hamilton, an antiques dealer from Ohio, has traveled to England to spend time with her college-aged daughter, Christine, and Tom, who she met in Scotland. Her daughter is an intern at Finchley Hall, a stately home built in the 1600s, and manages to snag an intern’s apartment on the grounds thanks to Christine. When she arrives at Finchley Hall, she signs up for a tour of Finchley Hall, which includes both the home itself and the grounds. Just after the tour begins, they find a body in the estate’s lake. The body is that of an intern and is the fifth murder in the estates long history. Tom, who is a detective, asks for her insights since he believes he’s to close to home and might miss some important minutiae that Kate might catch.

This is a fast-paced well-written cozy mystery that has characters you will connect with, like Kate, and will not like, such as Kate’s over-indulged, childish daughter. Kate does not insert herself into the murder investigation, but doesn’t hesitate to ask the locals a question or two about a mysterious stranger who’s been seen on the grounds of the estate.

I was ready to toss the book across the room, figuratively speaking since I was reading on my Kindle, after umpteenth time, Kate got all squishy when Tom smiled “that half-smile” of his. Finally, though, the author let that go and I got to finish a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

While this is the second in Berry’s Kate Hamilton series, you’ll have no trouble reading this as a stand-alone so skilled was the author in giving just enough information to the new reader without boring the returning reader to tears.

If you like your mysteries cozy and well written with an interesting storyline and likable main characters, then you need to put this book at, or near, the top of your to-be-read pile.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Press and NetGalley for an eARC.

This was the second installment in the Kate Hamilton mystery series. I hadn’t read the first one so I tracked it down and read it in preparation. I’m glad I did because I felt one built on the other and the character development in A Dream of Death was beneficial.

I really enjoyed both installments and think I might have found a new series to devour. They are labeled cozies but they had a little more depth than most in the genre. They are well written, the mysteries kept me engaged and I enjoyed the different settings of both books. I appreciated Berry adding some historical background for each of the locations which added extra interest to the plot.

Kate is a great main character – she is mature, intelligent and has a great heart which makes a perfect combination. The romance with Tom is handled well - there is just enough to spark interest but is not overdone, sappy or too "sexy".

I would highly recommend the series and I’m looking forward to reading the next installment. 4 solid stars.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Death Among the Medieval Artifacts
This is a great murder mystery. There are many medieval artifacts, several romances, several deaths, lots of suspects and few solutions. This book stands alone quite well. I have read the episode just prior to this and must say that reading the books in order gives a greater depth and color to the enjoyment of reading this book. This is a great series and I can't wait to read the next. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

American antique dealer Kate Hamilton plans to spend the holiday season with her daughter Christine who is an intern at a stately, but crumbling home in Long Barton, England. In A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry, Kate has an ulterior motive and it takes the shape of handsome police Detective Inspector Tom Mallory.

Finchley Hall has been the ancestral home of Lady Barbara's family for centuries. She has scrambled to make repairs, but the crumbling house has almost outstripped her ability to raise funds. Now she is planning to display the Finchley Hoard, the legendary treasure trove stolen from the family in an uprising, but eventually returned.

A review will appear on www.MapYourMystery.com on September 27.

This is the second book in the author's "Kate Hamilton Mystery Series." I have read the previous book and found it very enjoyable . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this second in series. My opinion is my own. I highly recommend this series.

In this next in series Kate has traveled to the charming ancient English village of Long Barston for the Christmas Holidays. Her daughter Christine is a intern at a Medieval hall where four murders have occurred. When her daughter finds herself under suspicion Kate must step in to help solve the murders and save her daughter.

This had a wonderful setting of a mysterious ancient ruin and a great sleuth that kept me guessing to the end. I loved the likable charcters, the fast paced mystery and the multi layered plot.. This is a enjoyable mystery series and I look forward to the next in series.

This was a fun, cute cozy mystery! I love the theme throughout, and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

An interesting story at Christmastime in a village in England. Kate Hamilton an antique dealer from the States who is there to visit with her daughter, Christine. She finds herself getting involved with murders and helping to prepare for a showing of the antiquities of Finchley Hall. Lady Barbara is going blind and needs all of the help she can get. Can Kate help and can she solve the crimes? Great English story.

An interesting look at the traditions of the British and maintaining the history of an inherited home. The all too human emotions of jealousy, loyalty, love, phobias and more play important roles in the story. I am eager to read the next one in this series.

A good story, good setting and interesting mystery. Tho did Kate ever find any goodies for her shop? I liked the twist at the end, thought Kate's daughter was awful and the romance floundering. An enjoyable read.

“Finding one body could be considered bad luck. Finding two within the space of thirty days was beginning to look like destiny.”—most honest words ever spoken by a cozy mystery’s heroine from A Legacy of Murder.

Widow Kate is back in England collecting antiques for her shop in Ohio. While there, she stops at stately Finchley Hall to visit her daughter, Christine, who is interning there. Of course, she also agrees to have dinner with new beau, Detective Inspector Tom. Unfortunately, her first call to Tom is to report finding another intern, Tabitha, dead, an apparent victim of suicide. When the coroner rules it murder, Tom asks for Kate’s outsider viewpoint to assist him with solving the case.

A Legacy of Murder is a sweet cozy mystery with a perfect balance of mystery and romance. With a forty-six year old widow as the heroine, it should appeal to older readers as well as antique lovers. The characters are well-defined and the mystery is just difficult enough for a light read on a windy fall night. 4 stars!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The second entry in Berry's mystery series featuring Kate Hamilton is set in the English town of Long Barston where Kate is visiting her daughter Christine and her new love interest, Tom Mallory, a detective inspector with the Suffolk police. During a tour of Finchley Hall, where Christine is currently doing an internship, the tour group finds the body of a young woman in the lake, The body turns out to be Tabitha King, a fellow intern who was in charge of the soon to be unveiled exhibit on the Finchley treasure known as the Hoarde. The Hoarde was set to be exhibited in 1996 however events were postponed after the death of the museum curator. With her passion and experience with antiques, Kate offers to take over where Tabitha left off with the Hoarde exhibit however she soon finds discrepancies, ones she believes Tabitha was also aware of before her death. As Kate tries to piece the mystery together, she also has to contend with her daughter's prickly personality, a suspicious stranger lurking around the estate, as well as a rash of thefts occurring at neighboring estates. Kate can't help but wonder if the murder that occurred in 1996, has any relevance to the current murder. Lady Finchley-Fforde's son disappeared soon after the previous murder, a coincidence Kate is quick to notice. As Christmas edges ever closer, Kate desperately seeks out clues to solve the murder so she can spend the holidays with her mother.
Although I have not read the first in the series, I was able to follow along without missing any relevant details. The story was a great mix of history, regency period romance and crime mystery without feeling overdone. The characters were varied and the small town at Christmas setting added an extra layer of warmth to help offset some of the more sinister events in the story. The murder was well paced with plenty of clues spread out across the story however the real delight was in the blossoming romance between Kate and DI Mallory. I do hope there are further adventures featuring Kate as I look forward to what the future holds for her and Tom. I highly recommend this series for fans of English cozy mysteries as well as fans of Sheila Connolly.

I love English countryside mysteries and this one was perfect. The mystery had all the cozy countryside elements - a gorgeous manor setting, wintry weather, hidden treasure, intrigue and a mystery with red herrings. The main character, Kate Hamilton, is an antiques expert, vacationing in England and visiting her daughter who is an intern at the manor. She soon who finds herself in the middle of historical intrigue and past and present day murder.

The book was fast-paced and kept my interest, so much so that I did not want to put it down and I read the book in two sittings. Kate is a likable character who has been through the loss of her husband and is rebuilding her life. She is independent, stubborn and exceedingly kind. Her headstrong daughter Christine, a twenty-something intern was a bit of a handful. The romance between Kate and Inspector Tom Mallory did not overshadow the mystery, but added to the story. The supporting characters were charming, and uniquely British. My favorite was Ivor, an elderly antique dealer who Kate befriends.

The is a perfect book to curl up with and read while having a cup of tea. I'm looking forward to the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of the book.