Thursday, November 19, 2009

Cold Light of Mourning by Elizabeth J. Duncan

More than two and a half decades ago, Penny Brannigan left Canada to relocate in Llanelen, Wales where she opened a reasonably successful manicure shop. She recently just lost her best friend, Emma the retired school teacher for the area. Emma had been her first friend and was one of the reasons that Penny decided to settle in Llanelen. But life must go on so she continues giving her manicures and silently observing what goes around her. But when she ends up being the last one to see bride-to-be Meg Wynne Thompson the morning of her wedding to the squire's son, she is thrust into the thick of it. During her friend, Emma's, funeral something just doesn't seem right to Penny. So she contacts the local police to report her suspicions.

Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies and his lieutenant Morgan are assigned to the missing persons case but after talking to Penny determine foul play may be afoot. Penny informs Gareth about the strange client whom she now believes was not Meg but someone pretending to be the missing woman. As the police arrest the fiancé whose father suddenly dies Meg and her new friend Victoria Hopkird begin asking questions that bring them to the a startling conclusion.

This starts out as a typical cozy mystery but as the mystery progresses it gets more complicated as Penny peels the layers of the various suspects. I enjoyed this story and found it to have more depth than I originally anticipated. I'm looking forward to other books by the author whether the same series or not.