Dying
for Mercy
A
Sunrise Suspense Society Mystery
Mary
Jane Clark
William
Morrow (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-128611-7 (0061286117)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-128611-7 (9780061286117)
Publication Date: July 2009
List Price: $24.99
Synopsis (from
the publisher): When death shatters the serenity of the exclusive
moneyed enclave of Tuxedo Park, New York, Eliza Blake, cohost of the
country's premier morning television show KEY to America, is on the
scene. While attending a lavish gala at her friends' newly renovated
estate, Pentimento, Eliza's host is found dead—a grotesque
suicide that is the first act in a macabre and intricately conceived
plan to expose the sins of the past involving some of the town's most
revered citizens.
Determined to find out the truth, Eliza and her KEY News
colleagues—producer Annabelle Murphy, cameraman B.J. D'Elia,
and psychiatrist Margo Gonzalez—discover that Pentimento
holds the key. Nestled in the park's sprawling architectural
masterpieces, picturesque gardeners' cottages, and lush, rolling
landscape, the glorious mansion is actually a giant "puzzle house,"
filled with ingenious clues hidden in its fireplaces, fountains, and
frescoes that lead them from one suspicious locale to
another—and, one by one, to the victims of a fiendish killer.
As Pentimento gives up its secrets, it becomes clear that no amount of
wealth or privilege will keep the residents of Tuxedo Park safe. But
just when Eliza unearths one final surprise, she comes face-to-face
with a murderer who believes that some puzzles should never be solved.
Review:
Mary Jane Clark's latest Sunrise Suspense thriller, Dying for Mercy,
is the third entry in this series featuring Eliza Blake, co-host of the
KEY Television Morning News. Eliza Blake was also a semi-recurring
character in the author's previous series of mysteries, which also
featured members of the KEY News team.
Eliza is attending a party on the estate of Innis and Valentina
Wheelock in Tuxedo Park, New York. The gala is in honor St. Francis of
Assisi, who Innis has accepted as his own saint of redemption. The
hosts were so gracious and overjoyed in welcoming their guests that no
one suspected it was a sham. They had a secret ... an explosive secret.
After Innis explained why they were honoring St. Francis of Assisi he
left the gala festivities, disappearing through the estate's gardens
and fountains, through the aviary and into the greenhouse. There he
committed suicide in a ritualistic manner but did not leave a note
explaining his action. Innis, always a lover of puzzles, had, however,
left clues hidden throughout the house and grounds for someone to find.
When Eliza and her news team start looking through pictures that had
been taken at the estate, they notice mysterious markings and numbers
on objects and in various places. Eliza meets with Zachary Underwood,
the architect who designed the restoration of the estate, but he has no
knowledge why Innis wanted the letters and numbers. The next day,
Zachary is found dead in his office. A coincidence? Who knew Eliza had
talked with him? Eliza and her crew convene at her house to discuss
some plans of action, not realizing that her house had been bugged. By
the time they find out, Innis’s maid had been killed, as was
Zachary’s secretary. Later, while driving around the lake at
night, Eliza's car is forced off the road into a ravine, meaning she's
now a target as well. But of whom and why? Was Innis’s secret
really worth all the sorrow and death?
Dying
for Mercy is an exceptional
novel, superb in so many ways, combining the best of a manor house
mystery with a life-size puzzle, the clues to the solution of which are
in plain sight. The well-drawn characters, steady pacing, posh setting,
and intriguing plot all contribute to a very satisfying, most enjoyable
thriller.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Dying for Mercy and to Wiredset for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Dying for Mercy? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
When
Day Breaks
William Morrow (Hardcover), June 2007
ISBN-10: 0-06-128607-9 (0061286079)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-128607-0 (9780061286070)
It
Only Takes a Moment
William Morrow (Hardcover), July 2008
ISBN-10: 0-06-128609-5 (0061286095)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-128609-4 (9780061286094)
Dying for Mercy
William Morrow (Hardcover), July 2009
ISBN-10: 0-06-128611-7 (0061286117)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-128611-7 (9780061286117)
Omnimystery
keywords for Dying for Mercy
...
Location(s) referenced: New York.
