Withdrawing Room

Great mystery, A young widow opens a boarding house in Boston, one of her boarders is murdered, another boarder has a secret, Interesting relatives, a bag lady who seems to know more than the police do. If you enjoy Agatha Christie or Mignon Eberhart you are sure to enjoy Charlotte MacLeod.

The Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn mysteries are wonderful. They've quickly become my favorite mystery series, after the Peter Whimsy books. Who could not fall in love with Sarah and Max as they move closer to admitting their feelings towards each other in this second book of the series. I like that the series introduces Max as a "friend" in the first book, as Sarah deals with the murder of her beloved husband. Throughout all the series, you see her dealing with the death, falling in love with Max, and moving to make her life her own again. Great characters. The mysteries are fun and lighthearted. Usually, as in Withdrawing Room, there's some twist that is not expected. But what makes the mysteries above average are the supporting characters, and the customs of Old-money Boston that are skillfully woven into each book. I definitely recommend these wonderful books.

Charlotte MacLeod has a talent for taking all of the ingredients of a standard cozy and cooking up a very tasty little dish. This book, which is in her Sarah Kelling series, takes a look at a Boston blue blood family on its way down. Sarah Kelling (of the Beacon Hill Kellings, has been forced to turn her historic, brownstone home into a boarding house. As a result she has a ready made bunch of entertainly eccentric suspects when one of her tenants winds up unexpectly deceased.Highly recommended for cozy fans who enjoy a spoonful of absurdity with their mystery.