LACED: A Regan Reilly Mystery
Carol Higgins Clark
Scribner
Mystery
ISBN-10: 0743289439
ISBN-13: 9780743289436

• Read an Excerpt

Having solved the mystery of the missing wedding dresses just before their big day, Private Investigator Regan Reilly and her husband Jack, head of the Major Case Squad in New York City, want nothing more than to relax and enjoy their honeymoon in the beautiful Irish countryside. While the wedding was wonderful, a little downtime is a precious commodity. Getting away from the Big Apple surely will provide them with the peace and quiet they so desperately desire. Won't it?
 
As soon as they arrive in Ireland and get settled in at the stately Hennessy Castle in a remote village, odd things start happening. For instance, Regan spots a ghost, one she suspects may be the scorned May Reilly, maker of a beautiful lace tablecloth for which she was never paid by the family who owned the castle at the time in the early 1800s. Then a fire breaks out in the kitchen, scaring and inconveniencing guests and workers alike. During the course of the commotion caused by the mishap, May's tablecloth goes missing and an already angry ghost becomes angrier.   

It doesn't take long to discover that the missing tablecloth was stolen by a Jane and John Doe who choose to leave a calling card taunting Jack with the fact that they were able to steal this valuable antique from under his very nose. Jack and Regan have encountered this pair before and are determined to do their best to see the thieves behind bars. 

In addition to solving crime, Regan and Jack manage to connect with a few of Regan's family members, a peculiar and superstitious maid at Hennessy Castle named Margaret, an oddball dentist, a manic gym owner and another couple from America --- Brian and Sheila O'Shea --- who have a mysterious and hidden agenda all their own.

LACED, just like all the Regan Reilly mysteries, is a fast and fun read. I found this one to be even a bit more so, with the honeymoon theme, the Irish countryside and unique characters. It didn't take me long to work my way through LACED in order to experience the happy ending that Carol Higgins Clark provides.

   --- Reviewed by Amie Taylor

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