Murder on the Hour
A Penny Brannigan Mystery
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4.5 • 10 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The residents of Llanelen are brimming with excitement. Antiques Cymru, a regional take on the popular national TV show, is coming to the Welsh town and people are flocking from miles around, hoping their attic treasures turn out to be worth a fortune. On the day of filming, quiet local sheep farmer Haydn Williams brings a generations-old long-case clock for evaluation, while the woman he's always admired from afar, Catrin Bellis, turns up with a cherished handmade quilt. Will either hear surprising good news about the value of their family heirlooms? By the end of the day, Catrin turns up dead, her quilt missing.
Who could have wanted this shy, quiet woman - who had been overshadowed by her parents for her whole life - dead? Delving into Catrin's past, spa owner and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan is surprised to discover that Catrin had at least one enemy. And as Penny's romantic life heats up with a new love interest, she realizes that a mysterious document hidden in Haydn's clock could hold the key to a long-forgotten secret and a present-day murder.
Elizabeth J. Duncan's Murder on the Hour is a light-hearted traditional mystery featuring a charming heroine set in an enchanting Welsh town.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The TV show Antiques Cymru comes to the Welsh town of Llanelen in Duncan's well-paced seventh Penny Brannigan mystery (after 2015's Slated for Death). On filming and appraisal day, Catrin Bellis, a shy, quiet young woman whose parents are recently deceased, brings a family quilt to be appraised. A couple of hours later, a woman who wants to rent a room from Catrin finds her lying on her sitting room floor with her head bashed in. The quilt is missing. Penny Brannigan, the owner of the popular Llanelen Spa, inadvertently ends up working the case alongside Det. Chief Insp. Gareth Davies, who happens to be her former beau. As hidden treasures and family heirlooms are undusted and brought back into the light after years away in the shadows, the secrets of Llanelen's residents gradually emerge. Penny knows she has to act fast before the culprit gets away or someone else is hurt. Fans of small-town cozies will find a lot to like.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyable cozy mystery!
Murder on the Hour by Elizabeth J. Duncan is the seventh book in A Penny Brannigan Mystery series. The Antiques Cymru (like our Antiques Roadshow) is coming to Llanelen, North Wales. The townspeople are hunting their homes for special pieces hoping they will be picked to be on air (and that their item will be valuable). Penny Brannigan, co-owner of Llanelen Spa, was asked by Emyr Gruffydd to help organize the event. Haydn Williams has special items in his home that were made by craftsman in Wales. He has been asked to bring his John Owen clock to the show to be evaluated for the show. Half of a map is found in the clock (curious). Catrin Bellis brought a beautiful quilt to be evaluated. Catrin is just starting to blossom. Her parents were extremely religious and strict. They recently passed away so Catrin has started to make changes to her appearance. After Catrin’s quilt was appraised, the appraiser told her something in private. Later that day Catrin is found dead in her home and the quilt is missing. What did the evaluator tell Catrin about the quilt? And did someone happen to overhear them? DCI Gareth Davies and DI Bethan Morgan (new detective) are assigned the case. But you know that Penny cannot help but look into the matter, especially when she spots someone with the quilt. Read Murder on the Hour to join Penny Brannigan as she follows the clues to solve Catrin Bellis’ murder (and her chance at a new romantic interest).
I enjoyed reading Murder on the Hour. I have not read the other books in the series, but that did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel (can be read as a stand-alone book). I like the way the writer crafted the mystery. She really had me doubting my choice of killer (I like that). Murder on the Hour has good characters (I liked Florence Semble and Evelyn Lloyd) and a unique as well as beautiful setting (North Wales). Murder on the Hour had a sweet ending (who doesn’t love a good ending). I give Murder on the Hour 4.25 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I will definitely be reading the other books in A Penny Brannigan Mystery series and look forward to future novels.
I received a complimentary copy of Murder on the Hour from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.