MYSTERY

A Terrible Beauty: A Lady Emily Mystery

by Tasha Alexander
Minotaur: St. Martin's. Oct. 2016. 304p. ISBN 9781250058270. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250106407. M
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The 11th book in Alexander's Victorian series (after The Adventuress) sees our heroine on holiday in her beloved Greece, along with husband Colin and longtime friends Jeremy and Margaret. Emily receives the surprise of her life when her first husband shows up at their villa, as he was presumed dead years ago in Africa. Philip offers various proofs of his identity, but why has it taken him so long to make himself known? One reason could be that he's having a hard time accepting that Emily has remarried, especially since Colin was his best friend. If the situation wasn't complicated enough, add in a dead body or two and a priceless fragment of Achilles's helmet that everyone wants to get their hands on. Poor Emily!
VERDICT Descriptions of the gorgeous Santorini scenery will make readers long for their own vacation in the Greek Isles. Alexander remains a consistently good writer, allowing her characters to grow as she puts them in complicated emotional situations. A treat for longtime fans, but the title could also serve as a stand-alone for new readers. [See Prepub Alert, 4/10/16.]
Reviewed by Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib. , Oct 01, 2016
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