The Bilbao Looking Glass by Charlotte MacLeod
In ten words or less: Annoying old woman bumped off; too many suspects to list.

Review: When Sarah Kelling visits her summer home after a long absence, she finds a precious antique looking glass in the hall. It doesn't belong to her, and no one else but a trusted caretaker has a key. Her friend--soon to be fiance--art investigator Max Bittersohn--calls the police, only to be accused of stealing the piece. When Sarah and Max aattend a party at a neighbor's house, one of the hosts is killer, a spiteful gossip whose death is little mourned. Again, Max is accused of the crime. Even though Max's family is from the area, he's not one of the yacht club elite. Sarah and Max team up to exonerate him of the crime, with the help of both his and her relatives.
Why bother? MacLeod is the master of the clever, cozy mystery.

The Silver Ghost by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Which eccentric relative or friend committed murder at Renaissance Revel?

Review: Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn attend the Renaissance Revel of Sarah's family friends, Bill and Abigail Billingsgate. During the festivities, one of the Billingsgate's employees is killed, and Sarah's Aunt Appie goes missing. The Billingsgate's valuable antique cars have been going missing, and Sarah and Max investigate. The local police are incompetent, and the couple must interview the eccentric collection of Kelling relatives in attendance.

Why bother? MacLeod's description of the Revel alone is worth reading the book. Who knew Morris dancing could be so funny? Sarah and Max are a pair of level headed thinkers among the assortment of odd ducks that are Sarah's old monied family.

The Balloon Man by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Body found beneath hot air balloon; Max and Sarah investigate.

Review: Sarah Kelling Bittersohn is planning a huge wedding for her husband's nephew at their North Shore estate. The wedding goes off without a hitch--except for the hot air balloon landing on the caterer's tent, and the squashed corpse found beneath it.

The balloon belongs to the neighbors across the road, and nobody knows who the corpse was. When the long lost--and extremely valuable--Kelling rubies appear during the wedding, Max Bittersohn leaves to investigate, but doesn't return.

Why bother? When Max disappears, it's up to Sarah to recruit family members to search for him, and to identify the body found on their lawn. More action than usual in a MacLeod mystery, but still delightful, as both the Kelling and Bittersohn families united to save one of their own.

BOOK REVIEW

The Silver Ghost by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Which eccentric relative or friend committed murder at Renaissance Revel?

Review: Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn attend the Renaissance Revel of Sarah's family friends, Bill and Abigail Billingsgate. During the festivities, one of the Billingsgate's employees is killed, and Sarah's Aunt Appie goes missing. The Billingsgate's valuable antique cars have been going missing, and Sarah and Max investigate. The local police are incompetent, and the couple must interview the eccentric collection of Kelling relatives in attendance.

Why bother? MacLeod's description of the Revel alone is worth reading the book. Who knew Morris dancing could be so funny? Sarah and Max are a pair of level headed thinkers among the assortment of odd ducks that are Sarah's old monied family.