Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In Fraser's leisurely sixth Rona Parrish cozy (after 2007's Rogue in Porcelain), the freelance journalist and her artist husband, Max Allerdyce, are used to knowing little about the tenants who come and go at the four-story Georgian house next door to their own in Marsborough. But when a reserved couple, Barbara and Keith Franks, and their adult daughter, Louise, become their new neighbors, Rona is intrigued to learn from Louise that she has no memory of her prior life in Canada due to an accident. Rona soon discovers that helping Louise reclaim her past is more exciting--and perilous--than her current assignment, writing about a family-owned furniture store for Chiltern Life magazine. Fraser's cozy goes down with a mild kick, like tea laced with a dash of brandy. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Booklist Review

Freelance journalist and biographer Rona Parish just can't stay out of dangerous situations. Her last outing resulted in her witnessing a traumatic murder while she researched the owners of a ceramics firm. She's barely recovered from the ordeal when her editor suggests a nice, safe assignment profiling a local furniture merchant. But it's not her research on the furniture firm that causes trouble. It's Rona's new next-door neighbors, an elderly couple with a thirtysomething daughter who suffers from a crippling case of amnesia. When Rona befriends the young woman and tries to help her, she has no idea that she will uncover a terrible secret. Set in a British village where everyone knows everyone else, the Rona Parish series perfectly captures everyday life in the small towns of the UK and portrays the sorts of problems and issues that are faced by modern families and career women everywhere. Yet it's not just chick lit; there's enough suspense and mayhem to appeal to all but the hardest-boiled mystery fans.--Melton, Emily Copyright 2008 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

Helping out a new neighbor puts a writer in a dangerous position. Freelance writer Rona Parish is still recovering from a nasty experience she suffered while researching one of her trademark articles on old family businesses for Chiltern Life (Rogue in Porcelain, 2007). Rona and her artist husband Max, just returned from a glorious holiday in Greece, note that they have new neighbors in the rented house next door: an older couple recently returned from Canada and their sickly-looking daughter Louise. Rona plunges into an article on the Willow family and their furniture emporium and counsels her twin sister Lindsey, who's juggling three boyfriends and struggling to keep on good terms with her divorcing parents. When the reclusive Louise meets Rona, she reveals she has lost her memory in a car crash. Her parents claim all their family pictures and letters were burnt in a house fire. But Louise is beginning to doubt that the couple are her parents. Taking time to make some inquiries, Rona finds that the names and stories Louise's parents provide don't seem to match. Her research attracts the attention of a mysterious stranger who leaves messages begging her to meet him. At length, Rona's penchant for puzzle solving leads to her most dangerous adventure. Once again, Fraser tracks an appealing family whose activities sometimes overshadow the mystery but are always entertaining. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.