Book Review: Mansions of the Dead

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

[5 stars]

Mansions of the Dead Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Sarah Stewart Taylor
Class/Genre: Mystery Woman Main Character
Series: Sweeney St. George # 2
St. Martin’s, August 2004, $23.95, 352 pp.

The Putnam family didn’t come over on the Mayflower but they did come over on the very next ship. They prospered, gained wealth, political power and prestige but the present generation has known its share of tragedy. Andrew and Kitty’s son got killed in a car crash and the driver was one of the other children but the siblings kept silent about who was driving and closed ranks against the police until they finally gave up and stopped looking to get a confession.

The youngest son Brad is found in his apartment dead, his hands tied to the bed, a plastic bag over his head and some Victorian jewelry scattered all over his nearly naked body. Curious about the jewelry the police contact Sweeney St. George, a professional in graveyard art and mourning jewelry. She had Brad in one of classes and was very fond and feels the need to aid the police in their quest for the killer. She makes a concerted effort to find out who the killer is by getting to know the all the members of the Putnam family and doing background research on the family. Her investigation leads her into the middle of a powerful family wrecked by family secrets and a member of that family who would kill to make sure the truth is never revealed.

From the very beginning readers have a feeling that one Putnam killed another but nobody will be able to figure out who it is until the author chooses to reveal the murderer’s identity. Sarah Stewart Taylor has written an exciting mystery featuring characters that are so easy to like readers hope they feel that their hunch that a Putnam is a killer is wrong. The heroine studies death rituals without being obsessed about her own mortality. She is spunky, sweet and sparkling and readers will want to read more books featuring this dynamic character.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner