Amory Ames and her handsome husband, Milo, are set to winter in Italy when an urgent summons from her cousin Laurel reroutes them to Lyonsgate, the notorious country house of the Lyons family. Seven years earlier, a houseguest froze to death in a snowstorm, and socialite Isobel Van Allen, part of the house party that weekend, wrote a thinly veiled novel soon after claiming that the death was no accident and that another guest was the murderer.
Amory and Milo are shocked to discover that the ill-fated party, including the whole Lyons family and Laurel, has been called together again (with the addition of the Ameses)--and that Isobel Van Allen has a scandalous announcement. All too quickly the drama turns deadly, as Amory literally stumbles upon a body.
Reminiscent of many of Agatha Christie's famous "house party" mysteries, A Most Novel Revenge is a clever mystery with a pair of likable protagonists. Amory and Milo's witty repartee makes the story entertaining, and although Amory briefly references her husband being shot in a previous investigation, A Most Novel Revenge can easily be read alone. However, Ashley Weaver's charming style and interesting characters are sure to send readers looking for the first two Amory Ames mysteries (Murder at the Brightwell and Death Wears a Mask). Fans of Charles Todd, Susan Elia MacNeal and Jacqueline Winspear will appreciate the portrayal of 1930s England, as will anyone who enjoys deft historical mysteries. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm