Returning to Sussex after six months in Italy, Lady Julia finds Bellmont Abbey, her family's home, full of Christmas visitors, including the newly engaged Nicholas Brisbane, the man she has dreamed about since they together solved her husband's murder (Silent in the Grave ). When the new curate is found murdered in the chapel and Lady Julia's cousin is the prime suspect, she finds herself embroiled in another investigation while encouraging the attentions of a young Italian aristocrat. Raybourn has written the perfect novel—full of family squabbles, danger, and a romance in the making—for a wintry afternoon's reading. Recommended for patrons who crave Victorian mysteries of manners. Raybourn lives in Virginia.

Fans and new readers alike will welcome this sparkling sequel to Raybourn's debut Victorian mystery, Silent in the Grave (2007). Left homeless by fire, wealthy widow Lady Julia Grey has been recuperating in Italy. With Christmas approaching, Julia returns to England, where she joins her large and eccentric family at their equally large and eccentric ancestral estate, a former monastery that retains some monkish ghosts. Nicholas Brisbane, a private enquiry agent with whom Julia has shared both a heated embrace and a stint at detection, is among the holiday houseguests, and to Julia's astonishment Brisbane is in line for a title and engaged. Then a local curate is murdered in the former church sanctuary, and a set of priceless pearls goes missing. Headstrong and clever Julia joins Brisbane in investigating the crimes, deciphering his personal situation in the process. Readers may wish for a bit more romantic development, but the complex mystery, a delightfully odd collection of characters and deft period details produce a rich and funny read. (Jan.)