Face Down O'er the Border
A Lady Appleton Mystery
Kathy Lynn Emerson
Perseverance Press (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 1-880284-91-X (188028491X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-880284-91-9 (9781880284919)
Publication Date: September 2007
List Price: $14.95
Synopsis (from the publisher): When Catherine, Lady Glenelg, is accused of murdering her mother-in-law, Susanna must travel o'er the border to discover who really committed the crime.
Review:
Kathy Lynn Emerson contrasts the gripping events of political unrest in
1577 Scotland with a seemingly simple domestic crime in Face Down O'er the Border, the 10th mystery in the Susanna, Lady Appleton series.
Jean Ferguson, Lady Russell, daughter of the seventh baron Glenelg, and
her daughter-in-law, Catherine Russell, alone in their home, were
assumed to been having an argument at the top of the spiral staircase.
The house staff was out on errands and there were no witnesses to what
happened next. When found later at the bottom of the stairs, Jean had
blood and skin under her fingernails and Catherine’s face was
scratched. Both women appeared to be unconscious. Annabel MacReynolds,
an old friend of Catherine’s found them. Catherine was indeed
unconscious, but Jean was dead. When it became apparent that Catherine
was going to be accused and arrested for Jean’s death, Annabel
insisted Catherine leave Glenelg House, and hide out as a maid servant
in other houses until Susanna, Lady Appleton, a dear friend and amateur
sleuth, could come and try to solve the crime.
As a historical mystery, Emerson includes real people who lived and
ruled in Scotland during the time this mystery was set. Some of these
people may factor into the death of Lady Russell. Was her death an
accident? Was she killed intentionally by her daughter-in-law? Or was
she somehow involved in the political unrest in Scotland and someone
else was the killer? Though Catherine has suffered a memory loss for
the time period, during, and just after the fall, Susanna does not
believe she killed Lady Russell who appears to have died as a result of
strangulation, not the fall. It takes all of Susanna’s wit and
cunning to find the answers to where Catherine has disappeared to, and
just who killed Jean Ferguson and why.
This very interesting story involves more than just the murder and
subsequent investigation. Historical details such has how people
dressed, how they managed their homes, and even how their horses are
treated are included. The whodunit aspect is also well done, the result
being an exciting mystery until the very end.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Face Down O'er the Border and to Perseverance Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
Face Down in the Marrow-Bone Pie
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), 1997
ISBN-10: 0-312-15123-3 (0312151233)
Face Down Upon an Herbal
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), 1998
ISBN-10: 0-312-18092-6 (0312180926)
Face Down Among the Winchester Geese
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), 1999
ISBN-10: 0-312-20542-2 (0312205422)
Face Down Beneath the Eleanor Cross
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), 2000
ISBN-10: 0-312-20544-9 (0312205449)
Face Down Under the Wych Elm
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), 2000
ISBN-10: 0-312-26589-1 (0312265891)
Face Down Before the Rebel Hooves
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), 2001
ISBN-10: 0-312-28036-X (031228036X)
Face Down Across the Western Sea
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), 2003
ISBN-10: 0-312-28823-9 (0312288239)
Face Down Below the Banqueting House
Perseverance Press (Trade Paperback), 2005
ISBN-10: 1-880284-71-5 (1880284715)
Face Down Beside St. Anne's Well
Perseverance Press (Trade Paperback), 2006
ISBN-10: 1-880284-82-0 (1880284820)
Face Down O'er the Border
Perseverance Press (Trade Paperback), 2007
ISBN-10: 1-880284-91-X (188028491X)
Omnimystery keywords for Face Down O'er the Border ...
Location(s) referenced: England, Scotland.