The Embroidered Corpse

Great storytelling

Belinda Lawrence and Hazel Whitby head off on Castle Howard Antiques Fair on a shopping trip for Hazel's antiques shop. In the pub it is suggested to the ladies that if they would like to see antiques, they should visit Kidbrooke House. They meet a very charming older gentleman who tells them of the history of the house and while touring the house Belinda sees a piece of tapestry in a cracked frame that catches her attention. She offers to buy it, but the the gent says that nothing it going to be sold from the house until the family dies out.

As they are leaving Kidbrooke House Belinda sees a couple of monks arguing with the old gentleman. The next day she reads an article in the paper about the old gentleman's murder, replicating the death of a medievael king on the tapestry.

She and Hazel go to the auction at Kidbrooke House and Belinda can't find the tapestry to bid on. Hazel buys some pieces to supply her second shop and they set off home. Belinda is convinced that she has spotted one of the monks at the auction. While unpacking Hazel's purchases at the shop Belinda finds the tapestry in a Jacobean cabinet and Hazel gives it to her as a gift.

Hazel's shop is broken into, Belinda sees the same monk on several more occasions and another murder in the same manner as the first seem to point to something important about the tapestry. The tale is an adventure of historic proportions.

This is the second in the Belinda Lawrence series and it is as finely written as the first. The tidbits of historical information and legend are a delight to devour while reading a finely tuned mystery. The characters continue to grow and I look forward to seeing more of them.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in English history and an appetite for a good mystery.

Embroidered Corpse

Buying antiques has its dangerous moments as Belinda and Hazel learn after a trip to buy some furniture from the estate of a man who was recently murdered. They soon receive a visit from a mysterious couple and Hazel's antique shop is broken into. The question is what were the thieves looking for and why did they scratch up a fine table in the store? Is this related to a piece of old tapestry Belinda found in a drawer? How did the thieves know the women had it? Is there a connection between the strange couple and the thieves? What relationship does the death of the vicar have to the tapestry and a religious group founded by the mysterious couple? Why do the members of the group look like thugs instead of people who have found religion? And why does Belinda keep seeing them wherever she goes? These questions, a kidnapping, more deaths, and deceit all follow the trail of the origin of the piece of tapestry and its significance. It ultimately leads to a church that existed at the time of William the Conqueror as shown by the tapestry. A story with lots of action and mysterious happenings to keep you reading and guessing. Join Belinda as she decides to visit the religious community and meet its members. Just how religious are they? Talented author Brian Kavanagh uses history to fashion a new type of mystery, combining clues from the days of the Norman invasion to murders in our own time. Join Belinda as she tries to figure out how it all connects. I'm pleased to recommend this fresh look at one of the oldest motives for murder to any mystery or fiction fan. A tale worth the time to read. Enjoy. I did. Review by Anne K. Edwards 09/24/06 Mystery Fiction.

Embroidered Corpse

Having read this author's first book, I was delighted to discover that the characters created there, continue and develop in this second mystery. On finding a piece of tapestry Belinda and her associates are involved in an exciting mystery that tests their skills and also carries the reader on an exciting adventure. Wonderful characters inhabit this story, from the delightful village Vicar, to the mysterious couple who run a religious group. Set in the South of England there are thrills aplenty and some humour to make this mystery an enjoyable and entertaining read.

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