Craig, Daniel Edward: Murder at Graverly Manor

Midnight Ink © 2009, 368 pages

Murder at Graverly Manor is the third book in Daniel Edward Craig's 5-Star Mystery series, featuring hotelier Trevor Lambert. Trevor, between jobs and back in his hometown of Vancouver, Canada, comes across a Victorian mansion turned bed and breakfast with a for sale sign in its yard. Intent on buying the creepy house, Trevor agrees to the bizarre demand of its current proprietress, Lady Graverly, that he live and work at the inn for a month while she decides if he's worthy of the property. It's not a thoroughly pleasant prospect: the allegedly haunted manor is saddled with a violent history. Rumors abound that Lady Graverly's husband, not seen for fifty years, was involved in the disappearance of a chambermaid. There are weird noises at night, the staff are hostile or incompetent, and Lady Graverly herself, who is alternately sweet and scary, is less than forthcoming about her plans for Trevor.

I really enjoyed this book. It's cleverly plotted and well-written. But I most appreciated it as an entree into a different world: Craig himself has worked in the hotel industry--he was Vice President of Opus Hotels in Canada--and his experience subtly informs Trevor's character. My only complaint about the book is that there's a sort of information dump early on, as the author summarizes what we've missed (or forgotten) in the first two books in the series. This might work for readers familiar with the earlier books, but not having them read them myself I found the information rushed and poorly incorporated into the current story. A minor negative, though, in an otherwise very pleasurable read.