Meg and her friend travel to a remote mansion to secure period pieces for a TV series set in the 1930s. It was a former mental asylum and the site of a decades old murder. It’s not long before history repeats itself, though, and after a long night trapped in an ancient elevator, Meg discovers a body in the basement, the victim killed in the same macabre way. Of course, Meg has to find out who the murderer is before another person falls victim to the same fate. It’s a well plotted tale, with its dark setting and mysterious characters. Power failures, dastardly doctors, and wild accusations all add to the charm of this delightful mystery. Just keep the lights on and stay out of elevators while you read this tale! ( )

Manor of Dying by Kathleen Bridge is the fourth A Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery. Meg Barrett along with her friend, Elle Warner are heading to Shelter Island where Nightingale Manor resides. A production company is going to film the pilot of the 1930s mini-series Mr. & Mrs. Winslow at what was once an old sanitorium. Meg and Elle have been hired to help select pieces for the set as well as inventory the items. Nightingale Manor has an attic filled with period furniture that they can utilize plus belongings from the former sanitorium residents. Meg did a little research before their departure. She discovered that Dr. Nightingale’s grandfather ran the manor as a sanitorium and in the 1950s an actress was murdered by her friend which resulted in the facility being shut down. Meg, Elle and Felicity (the set designer) are taking the elevator to the ground floor to make the last ferry of the day when the power goes out. Twenty hours later when the power is restored, the elevator descends to the basement. When the doors open, the threesome see Dr. Blake Nightingale, the current owner, on a gurney with an ice pick in his heart. The killer recreated the 1950s murder of the actress. The suspect list is limited to those who were stranded in the manor during the storm. Meg believes there is a reason the guilty party recreated the old killing. So, Meg begins looking into the suspects backgrounds to see if she can find any connections. She will need to watch her back, because someone is unhappy with Meg’s sleuthing. Can Meg unravel the clues in time, or will she end up in a perilous position?

Manor of Dying can be read alone if you have not read the previous three books in A Hamptons Home & Garden Mystery series. The author provided the backgrounds on the main characters plus we are told about the last three cases. The characters are developed and relatable. Kathleen Bridge is a descriptive writer which will allow readers to visualize the scenes and the characters. However, it does slow down the pace of the story. I enjoyed the information on various decorating styles and the descriptions of the beautiful antiques. I wanted some of the lovely pieces stored in the attic of Nightingale Manor. The mystery was interesting in the way it tied to the past murder. I liked how Meg found various clues to the old case while digging into Dr. Nightingale’s murder. I wish it had been a little more challenging to identify Dr. Nightingale’s killer. The story highlights how women were treated in psychiatric facilities in the past plus the horrible procedures they suffered in an attempt to “cure” them. Meg is missing her boyfriend, Cole with the holidays approaching. They get to spend so little time together. Patrick Seaton, though, continues to be thrown in her path and she cannot help but think about a future with him. We will have to wait and see what happens. Manor of Dying has vintage fashions, a beach poet, a creepy sanitorium basement, two adorable Scottie dogs, an iced cosmetic surgeon, and one curious interior decorator. ( )

cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, women-sleuths, friendship *****

Good friends Meg and Elle have similar taste and interests and now get to indulge themselves by choosing the furniture and things for the sets for a new miniseries filmed in their area. The building being used is a 1930s mansion on an island nearby. But it's December and that means lots of snow and using the ferry. It also meant a power outage while being stuck in the elderly household elevator. Which meant that they didn't get to know who committed the murder. Let the sleuthing begin!
The plot holds interest, lots of red herrings and twists, convincing suspects, and a much earlier murder to be reexamined. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )