From the Queen by Carolyn Hart, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Annie Darling is looking forward to a quiet afternoon reading in her South Carolina coastal bookstore Death on Demand, when Ellen Gallagher, owner of a local second-hand shop nearby stops by to show her a book that she received as part of an inheritance from an aunt in England. Ellen hopes that it might be worth at least the cost of having it shipped across the Atlantic. When Ellen hands over the book to Annie, she can't believe her eyes: a pristine copy of Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie. And it gets even better: the Queen of Mystery has written an inscription on the title page — "To Her Majesty, the Queen. I have the honour to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant." — together with her signature and date. Annie knows Ellen is holding a rare book in her hands, worth at least six figures, but it's too late in the day to have it appraised by a professional. Ellen gently places the book inside the pillow cover she had brought it over in, and says she'll be back tomorrow with it. But when she does return, it's to report that the book is missing, presumably stolen from her shop, in From the Queen, a bibliomystery short story by Carolyn Hart.

Readers familiar with the author's long-running series featuring Annie Darling will be right at home here with this story. But it isn't necessary to have read any of the series mysteries to enjoy this story, as introductions are quickly made upfront in a seamless, unobtrusive manner. The plot unfolds quickly — the story is only 37 pages long — but with enough time to present several suspects for consideration. It seems Ellen, upon leaving Death on Demand, told more than a few people about the book, and clearly one of them relieved her of it. The resolution to the crime is cleverly revealed, with Annie playing the role of amateur sleuth. This series of bibliomysteries, short tales about deadly books, is a most enjoyable one, and this latest entry in it makes for a strong addition to the collection.

Acknowledgment: Mysterious Press provided an eARC of From the Queen for this review.

Escape from Paris
Seventh Street Books (Trade Paperback), June 2013
ISBN-13: 9781616147938; ISBN-10: 1616147938

From the Queen

A Bibliomystery Short Story by Carolyn Hart