I've never thought of myself as a critical reader of mysteries; a lot of them are fine and that's all I require them to be. But I might need to revise that opinion, because once again I caught myself wanting to roll my eyes over and over again. I did not enjoy this pastiche. So many eye rolls. Criminal waste of a dark and stormy night. ( )

3.5 stars. Pretty solid mystery though more soap opera. Nothing new but still a good story. ( )

Shana has recently returned to work after being abducted and is given a case to investigate the disappearance and murder of a wealthy man and heir to a company. The entire Sinclair family is gathered on a secluded island. Jasper, the favored grandson, has evidently been stabbed, but he is missing. Everyone in the house is suspect.
Shana and her partner, Tim, work their way through the family members and others as they break down the facts of the case to determine the killer.
Very good start to a new series. ( )

Over a year passed since then NYPD police detective Shana Merchant almost became the fourth victim of a serial killer befriending lonely women. Now engaged to the man she met when he counseled her in the months after the tragedy, she relocates with him to upstate New York. Against his advice, she takes a job with the police. A Nor'easter begins to bear down on the region, and she must go to a private island on which a missing persons case (and likely a murder) occurred. She heads out with fellow officer Tim who knew her fiancee growing up. They find an elderly matriarch, a servant, and members of her family along with a couple other guests present. The missing man's bed contains much blood, but some oddities puzzle the investigators at first. Shana begins interviewing them one by one while Tim keeps the others together. Shana's flawed character makes her an interesting investigator. I like her fellow investigator Tim and her mostly absent boss "Mac." This first installment shines, and I look forward to reading or listening to future ones. I listened to the audio version. The narrator was acceptable but not outstanding. ( )

A Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert is a 2020 Berkley publication.

Fantastic locked room mystery with a dark edge!

The premise for this novel sounded good- just the kind of mystery I like. But I was in for a huge surprise when this book turned out to be one of my favorite mysteries of the year so far!

Shana Merchant has moved to upstate New York, to her fiance’s hometown, after a traumatic close call with a serial killer, while working as a detective with the NYPD.

Now working in a smaller territory, with her partner, Tim Wellington, a call comes in that a man has gone missing on a private island. Upon arrival, Shana and Tim find blood on the scene and are welcomed by the wealthy and nervous, Sinclair family. Yet, Tim is not really alarmed, suspecting a runaway case. But Shana thinks there is something far more sinister going on and that the Sinclair family may have a lot to answer for.

As Shauna works to uncover the truth, she also begins to face some hard truths in her own life...

It was a dark and stormy night...

No, this setup never grows old for me. As a pure mystery lover, locked room mysteries are my favorite- if they are done right.

Despite the comparisons to Agatha Christie, which are hard to ignore, this book is much edgier and atmospheric. Once I started it, I did not want to put in down. Everyone is a suspect- and I do mean everyone- which means the only person Shauna can depend on is herself. But, after her experience in New York, her confidence has taken a huge hit.

Even Shauna's fiance is less than supportive or encouraging, continually pushing for her dependence on him, rather than on herself, planting seeds of doubt. But she must rise to the occasion, and I enjoyed watching her character development, becoming stronger and wiser, while gradually revealing a complexity that was not evident at first.

The pacing is spot on, the suspense taut, and guessing game works the way a great mystery should- by keeping me guessing and on my toes! A few surprise revelations don't hurt either- and this book just happens to have a nice little last minute addition that will leave you wanting more, and eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!!

5 stars! ( )