Manor of Dying

 I forgot how much I enjoyed the first 3 books in this series by Kathleen Bridge.  I had begun reading her Killing by the Sea series because they were available as ebooks vs audio which is the only format my library carries the Hamptons Home and Gardens series.  Manor of Dying finds Meg and her bff, Elle, involved in the staging of a tv pilot.  The prospect of working on the show and having a steady paycheck is appealing to Meg.  It doesn't hurt that the home to be the setting has a history as a sanatorium and the site of a murder.  The intrigue becomes all too real when a modern day murder occurs while trapped during a storm.  The clues are there but don't point to the guilty party in an obvious manner so Meg continues to poke around.  

Adding to the story's complexity is the fact it is the holiday season and she keeps having her plans with her boyfriend, Cole,  waylaid by Mother Nature.  Then the romantic trope gets more interesting as she realizes her mystery sand writing poet is also the author of the manuscript.  As she spends time with him she feels herself torn between his prescence and Cole's absence.  It all makes for a New Year's Eve to remember.  I am curious to see how that storyline plays out in the next installment of the series.  

Manor of Dying by Kathleen Bridge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable read especially for fans of decorating and antiques. This book also touches on some pop culture references such as reality tv and period tv shows. The mystery is well written and the clues present but very subtle. The reveal is more about the why to explain vs the clues.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  53
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  41 
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 7 
4. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Hampton Home and Gardens #4
5. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 4
6. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
7. Color Coded #7  white
8. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #46
9. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #41
10. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #21
11. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #41
12. Craving for Cozies  Book #36
13. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #12  Shot #6
14. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
15. Pick your Poison  # 28 A book that makes you think of warm fires and cozy beds
16. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge   Apr Set on an Island- Long Island