Death, Bones, and Stately Homes (Tori Miracle Mysteries, No. 5)

As a NYer who has transplanted to the same town where Valerie Malmont lives -- I can tell you her perceptions of life in "Lickin' Creek" are very accurate. Maybe it's because the town is nestled between two mountains that the outside world has only started to move in. Ms. Malmont's books are enjoyable, entertaining, funny and provide a perceptive insight into life in rural South Central Pennsylvania. Even the locals enjoy figuring out who the characters and places represent. If you don't believe me -- add Chambersburg PA on your next visit to Pennsylvania and see for yourself.

A quaint Pennsylvania town opens its historic houses for a charity tour, only to uncover hidden secrets it would rather keep hidden. Reporter Tori stumbles on many of these secrets, but earns the goodwill of the town through her personality. Death, Bones And Stately Homes is an intriguing and thoroughly entertaining mystery.

In the year that Tori Miracle has lived in the small town of Lickin Creek, Pennsylvania, she has tried her best to fit in but her detractors blame her for the death of their beloved congressman and the destruction of the historical house and courthouse buildings. She still has hopes of being part of the community so she volunteers to write up the brochure for the stately homes tour.For the first time, the group has managed to get permission to put Morgan Manner on the tour but when Tori and her best friend Alice Ann examine one of the outbuildings, they discover old bones covered in a tuxedo. Tori learns it is probably the body of Rodney Meellot, a high school music teacher, who eloped with the art teacher Emily Rakestraw. A few days later the remains of Emily are found in Bride's House. Tori is sure the two murderers are connected so she starts asking questions of the townsfolk and that is when the attempts on her life begin.It has been a long time since a Tori Miracle Pennsylvania Dutch mystery has been published but it has been well worth the wait. DEATH, BONES, AND STATELY HOMES is a charming cozy with many amusing and whimsical moments. Valerie S. Malmont also interweaves a social issue sub-plot into the main story line, which makes the tale even more realistic without taking away from the who-done-it. Ms Malmont is one author who never fails to deliver a fascinating story.Harriet Klausner

I've read all of Valerie Malmont's books and liked each one, but this one is the best yet. I tore through it in a single day. I thought I'd had the entire case figured out, but, as always, there was a twist at the end I just never expected. The writing is clear, concise and instantly brings to life the characters of this small town. I figure any book is just great when I am laughing out loud at the funny parts (like the description of Tori's date and his "holy roller" truck) and eagerly flipping pages to find out who the killer really is.Valerie Malmont's books are a good read, no matter what genre you favor.

Turn off cable news. Valerie Malmont's sleuth, New York writer Tori Miracle, is back with another adventure in rural Lickin Creek, PA. Things aren't going well: her blabby Anglophile landlord is home early from England, her promising romance withex-police chief Garnet Gochenauer seems finis, and worst of all her part-time job as a reporter for the local paper has been made just the teeniest bit more difficult by the suspicion of the locals that where Tori goes, trouble follows. (Upon review of Tori's history in Lickin Creek, covered in Malmont's previous books, they can probably be forgiven.)But what's Tori to do with all this time on her hands? How to repair her reputation? Why volunteer, at the urging of best friend Alice-Ann, to write the brochure for the Stately Homes Tour of course. Harmless enough, no? No. Not with Tori's bent for tripping over years old mysteries. Yes, there is a skelton. Yes, it doesn't appear to be in this state from natural causes. No, it doesn't stay put. But this little problem pales compared to the news that Tori's ambassador father and his family have disappeared during an uprising in a small African nation. And then there's the matter of the escaped convict. . .Like so many good mysteries, the mystery itself is only half of the pleasure. Read "Death, Bones, and Stately Homes" for Malmont's kindly spoof of small town life. Why, for instance, wouldn't the acting police chief be named Luscious Miller? Of course he would. And when Tori attempts to tiptoe back into the dating scene, she finds herself. . . No, I'm not going to tell you. I will tell you I laughed.For mystery fans who love the softer side of crime, "Death, Bones, and Stately Homes" is a comforting and well plotted read. There are also recipes in the back, one of Malmont's trademark gifts to her readers. So: a cast of wierd characters from small town America, slippery pie, murder. What a relief in these dark times to find yourself--just for a few short hours--more shocked over what can happen to a perfectly good pecan waffle than to the discovery of a body beneath the floorboards.