Grace Against the Clock by Julie Hyzy

Grace Against the Clock by Julie Hyzy ISBN-13: 9780425259672 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: July 1, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
The town clock is in desperate need of repair, and a benefit to raise money to restore the beautiful timepiece is being held at Marshfield Manor. Grace Wheaton, the mansion’s curator and manager, is on hand to help the event run smoothly.

When one of the organizers collapses on stage during the festivities, Grace suspects something was going on behind the scenes. The victim never left the room, yet the murder must have happened while he was at a crowded party with no enemy in sight. Grace must track down the secrets of the past before the murderer strikes again.


My Review:
Grace Against the Clock is a cozy mystery. It's the fifth book in the series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this one didn't spoil the whodunits in the previous books.

This mystery had less involvement at the Manor and more time on the renovations on Grace's historic house. I enjoyed the characters and how Grace is growing as a person. The mystery was clue-based, but there weren't enough clues to firmly say it was one person and not another until Grace discovers the final clue. There was enough information to put whodunit on a suspect list, though. The story thrived on discovering how the murder was accomplished as much as on trying to discover whodunit.

There was no sex and no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting, well-written novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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