Book Review: Grace Under Pressure

 Grace Under Pressure by Julie Hyzy is the first in a series called A Manor House Mysteries. It’s what’s called a Cozy mystery. You can tell by the cover which shows what looks like an elegant tea room disrupted by a bullet hole in the window overlooking a lush green lawn. If not for the bullet hole, you’d think this a wonderful place to sip tea or coffee with friends. And it would be except…well…it’s a mystery and someone gets killed.

Grace Wheaton, second in command to the curator of Marshfield Manor, is new to the job, but quite capable of stepping up when needed, taking charge, and even solving the murder. Not that that’s an easy job, mind you. Not only is there a murder, there are unsigned letters demanding money, a stalker, and secrets about the Manor that Grace isn’t privy to. Grace is indeed under pressure to uncover the murderer before she loses her job or gets killed or both.

In a way, Grace Under Pressure had the feel of a book set in a time of quiet elegance where people did indeed sip afternoon tea and women wore long dresses and gloves. But although Marshfield Manor is quiet (normally) and elegant, this is modern day and Grace not only has to solve the murder, she has to try to get the staff to move into the computer era, while she’s still dealing with the Manor’s secrets and secrets from her own past.

This was what I would call an easy read. The characters are likeable and multi-dimensional. The story flowed well. Nowhere did I get lost in the plot. There were enough twists and surprises to keep me reading. And although the mystery is resolved in the end, there are things unfinished that would make me want to read the second in the series.

I give Grace Under Pressure by Julie Hyzy a:
Hel-o!
(my rating for a new series or author that I’m glad I read and am looking forward to reading more)

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FTC Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Kaye Publicity, but that’s not why I’m recommending it, nor did it influence my review. I reviewed it because I liked the cover, I liked the characters and the plot was interesting. Okay, I also read and reviewed Grace Under Pressure because I’ve never been any place like Marshfield Manor. It would be cool to stay in a grand mansion and have the staff cater to your whims, sit in an elegant tea room and sip from pretty tea cups and eat finger sandwiches. I don’t mean sandwiches made of fingers. Maybe sandwiches made by fingers, but not with fingers between the crustless bread, instead of cucumbers and homemade mayo, or whatever they serve in elegant manors. They probably don’t serve mayonnaise. That sounds a bit “mundane” for such a place. Oh, dangit, now I’m hungry for white bread slathered with mayo. Excuse me…