Prose and Cons

October 1, 2021
When a guesthouse's former owner invites herself to stay along with a couple of unwelcome relatives, the new owner has a feeling that something is off. Although Bella Jordan runs the Valley View Manor guesthouse in Lily Dale, New York, Pandora Feeney still feels a certain possessiveness as its former owner, and she hasn't been able to mention to her dear Auntie Eudora and Eudora's gentleman friend, Nigel, that the house is no longer hers. In inviting herself and her guests into the home Bella shares with her young son, Max, and their two cats, Chance and Spidey, Pandora can't imagine there'll be problems. After all, who isn't eager for genteel company? Even though she's too nice to complain, however, that's not how Bella experiences the visit. Eudora and Nigel are high-maintenance guests, and Pandora won't even let her charge them. Soon enough, Pandora's not even sure she's enjoying their company herself. Something about Eudora and Nigel seems off, but she can't put her finger on what it is. Perhaps Bella could help articulate what's going on, maybe with the help of Lily Dale's resident presence, Spirit. But Bella's distracted by the time she's been spending with Drew Bailey and her guilt over moving on from the recent death of her husband, Sam. Plus, Bella's got to keep Max out of trouble, a task that would be much easier without the influence of Max's neighbor and friend, Jiffy. Can Bella and Pandora figure out why their guests are so suspicious before readers find out why they should be worried? Just the thing for those willing to wait till the closing chapters for anything to happen.

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October 11, 2021
In Staub’s good-natured fourth Lily Dale mystery (after 2017’s Dead of Winter), widow Bella Jordan, the manager of Valley View Manor, a guesthouse in Lily Dale, N.Y., “the world’s largest center for the religion of Spiritualism,” has to deal with some unusual guests. One morning, Bella’s neighbor, haughty Pandora Feeney, charges into the Victorian manor demanding free accommodations for her Auntie Eudora and Eudora’s traveling companion, Nigel, who will be arriving by ship from England the next day. As the former mistress of Valley View, Pandora maintains a proprietary interest in the place, though she lost it years ago in a messy divorce. Soon the ever-obliging Bella is pretending to be Pandora’s servant in order to allow the woman to save face in front of demanding Eudora and smarmy Nigel. Meanwhile, there’s been a murder at sea. The investigation takes a back seat to musings about Pandora’s bad marriage, the love stories of other Lily Dale inhabitants, and Bella’s quiet interest in the local vet. Cozy fans will enjoy the company of Bella and crew. Agent: Laura Blake Peterson, Curtis Brown.