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verityw's review against another edition
3.0
*******Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review********
This was a quite good fun, if a little complicated mystery story. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, which may explain some of my confusion but the mystery itself is interesting. I would be keen to read some of the earlier books in the series to get a better handle on who is who!
This was a quite good fun, if a little complicated mystery story. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, which may explain some of my confusion but the mystery itself is interesting. I would be keen to read some of the earlier books in the series to get a better handle on who is who!
dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This story takes us off to Italy when Image Consultant Allison Campbell takes on Elle Rose as a client. Elle lives in a castle near the Italian Dolomites and has offered Allison, Jason and Grace, Allison’s niece, a guest cottage on the property. Since Jason needs to go to Austria for his new job it seems like an ideal assignment. She never imagined the castle would be crowded with so many people all there supposedly to work with Elle’s father. A father who is apparently very ill and who is rarely seen.
Allison is dismayed by her clients behavior and unwillingness to put in the work to upgrade her image. In fact she is thinking about quitting. Then one of the guests is found dead at the bottom of a sheer cliff. The death looks suspicious and the authorities demand Allison not leave town. She decides to do a little investigating herself with Vaughan and Jamie’s help. Everything they uncover leads them in several directions but they all know there is a killer in the castle.
I must first address the setting – a castle and vast grounds that include several cottages, a spa, a pool, woods with hiking trails up and down and around the Dolomites. A picturesque place that for me would be a very hard place to leave. But then with a killer on the lost, probably not so idyllic, right now.
All the characters I loved from previous stories are back. Not everyone is in Italy though. Mia and Vaughn arrive a few days after Allison, Jason and Grace. They relationship is still a little rocky and Allison and Jason may take the plunge into marriage again. Jamie has stayed home but he uses his skills pretty well from there. I really enjoy the way the characters continue to grow in each book in this series. They are very engaging and believable.
The search for the killer was much like a closed room mystery. It has to be someone staying on the property. Between the guests and the staff there are plenty of suspects. The motive for the murder was very hard to determine and it could be connected to another recent death. Seriously at one time or another throughout the story I had then all pegged as the murderer. Heck, one of the goats could have pushed her off the cliff. It is only when some key information is discovered that things start to make sense. Tyson had us on a twisty trail to figure out this mystery and I loved it.
This trip to Italy was a Perfect Escape! You should book your trip today!
This story takes us off to Italy when Image Consultant Allison Campbell takes on Elle Rose as a client. Elle lives in a castle near the Italian Dolomites and has offered Allison, Jason and Grace, Allison’s niece, a guest cottage on the property. Since Jason needs to go to Austria for his new job it seems like an ideal assignment. She never imagined the castle would be crowded with so many people all there supposedly to work with Elle’s father. A father who is apparently very ill and who is rarely seen.
Allison is dismayed by her clients behavior and unwillingness to put in the work to upgrade her image. In fact she is thinking about quitting. Then one of the guests is found dead at the bottom of a sheer cliff. The death looks suspicious and the authorities demand Allison not leave town. She decides to do a little investigating herself with Vaughan and Jamie’s help. Everything they uncover leads them in several directions but they all know there is a killer in the castle.
I must first address the setting – a castle and vast grounds that include several cottages, a spa, a pool, woods with hiking trails up and down and around the Dolomites. A picturesque place that for me would be a very hard place to leave. But then with a killer on the lost, probably not so idyllic, right now.
All the characters I loved from previous stories are back. Not everyone is in Italy though. Mia and Vaughn arrive a few days after Allison, Jason and Grace. They relationship is still a little rocky and Allison and Jason may take the plunge into marriage again. Jamie has stayed home but he uses his skills pretty well from there. I really enjoy the way the characters continue to grow in each book in this series. They are very engaging and believable.
The search for the killer was much like a closed room mystery. It has to be someone staying on the property. Between the guests and the staff there are plenty of suspects. The motive for the murder was very hard to determine and it could be connected to another recent death. Seriously at one time or another throughout the story I had then all pegged as the murderer. Heck, one of the goats could have pushed her off the cliff. It is only when some key information is discovered that things start to make sense. Tyson had us on a twisty trail to figure out this mystery and I loved it.
This trip to Italy was a Perfect Escape! You should book your trip today!
beckmank's review against another edition
5.0
Ms. Tyson incorporates two of my favorite classic mystery styles into this cozy. The first is that of the secluded country house, setting Fatal Facade at a large (and isolated) castle in the beautiful Italian countryside. The second is the mystery itself – a “locked room” variety – in other words, the suspects are limited to those who were on the estate when the murder occurred.
While the cast is limited to those staying in the castle, there are more than enough suspects with motives to go around. I had a hunch as to whodunit, but there were so many possibilities it kept me guessing until the end. You don’t have to have read the previous installments to enjoy this latest book in the series. My favorite part was getting to know Allison and the other series regulars. I look forward to catching up on the first three books, and seeing what the future has in store for them!
See my full review at Hidden Staircase.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While the cast is limited to those staying in the castle, there are more than enough suspects with motives to go around. I had a hunch as to whodunit, but there were so many possibilities it kept me guessing until the end. You don’t have to have read the previous installments to enjoy this latest book in the series. My favorite part was getting to know Allison and the other series regulars. I look forward to catching up on the first three books, and seeing what the future has in store for them!
See my full review at Hidden Staircase.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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