What the Walls Know (A Lizzie Crane Mystery)
In October 1925, four musicians called the Troubadours have a week-long engagement at the castle home of Duncan Fox on the windswept coast of Massachusetts. They entertain guests gathered to celebrate Duncan’s 50th birthday. On the first morning, Fox’s longtime friend, Natalie Talbot, lies dead in her cozy guest bed with no signs of disturbance. A local police autopsy concludes Natalie died of a drug overdose, whereupon the police order everyone to stay. Except for the Troubadours, all the guests have an interest in seances, tarot cards, and other occult ways to divine the future. Natalie had earned a nice living using seances to comfort relatives of the dead—but made enemies, too.
The leader of the Troubadours, smart and beautiful Lizzie Crane, thinks Natalie’s death most peculiar. Was it suicide, murder, or just an accident? Lizzie and another Troubadour hear voices from their bedroom walls. Feisty Lizzie can’t help exploring the castle’s many rooms and passageways, grounds, and rocky shore. She follows her instincts to clues that put her in great danger, but also help solve the mystery.
The basic plot of acquaintances gathered, the sudden death of one or more, and the quest to find a killer is common. This rendering sets itself apart through the charming Troubadours and the setting. As the title suggests, Duncan’s castle has astounding features that fit the story well, among them an electric elevator, main gates that are opened and closed by buckets hanging down into the ocean tides, a secret sea-level dock, hidden dormitory rooms, and walls that are no mere walls. Recommended for readers wanting a cozy mystery a bit off the beaten path.
