Dust To Dust: An Ivy Nichols Mystery

(Hardback)

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Description

A puzzling murder at a historic Beaux Arts hotel sets the stage for a mesmerizing mystery, tailor-made for fans of Louise Penny. The opulent furnishings and period theming of Hotel 1911 invite guests to experience the charm of the early 20th century. But for hotel clerk Ivy Nichols, the mansion also harbors secrets about her past and the family she never knew. When the Pittsburgh chapter of the Association for Gravestone Studies checks in for their national conference, Ivy is intrigued to learn that one of them has connections to her family. The group plans to kick off their event by touring the historic graves thought to be on the hotel grounds. But they didn't plan to find one of their fellow members strangled to death afterwards. The police point the finger at the hotel's loyal manager, Mr. Fig, since no one else could have reached the victim's room. Ivy has other ideas. She believes Mr. Fig is innocent, and desperately wants to prove it. The inexplicable appearance of strange drawings, an old book, and a wig lead Ivy to a bizarre connection between the grave-obsessed guests and the murder. And when Mr. Fig confesses a long-held secret, Ivy fears she has put herself in the sights of not only the murderer but another dangerous criminal too. Who else had the opportunity to commit the crime And is Mr. Fig all he seems to be Amidst a growing list of suspects with secrets of their own, and an unraveling riddle from her past, Ivy is in a race to catch a killer--and decipher a truth more earth-shattering than she could have imagined.

Reviews

Praise for Dust to Dust:
The secret depths of Hotel 1911 finally reveal a glimpse of the hidden past an employee has been desperately seeking.
Kirkus Reviews

"Keown has created sympathetic, realistic characters."
Library Journal

"Dust to Dust has all the trappings of a typical cozy."
New York Journal of Books


Praise for Murder at Hotel 1911:
The perfect blend of humor and villainy with lashings of southern charm. A sparkling debut!
Hannah Dennison, author of the Honeychurch Hall mysteries

An engaging mystery with a few welcome razor blades hidden under its cozy exterior. Audrey Keown has created a hotel to appeal to Downton Abbey fans."
Simon Brett, author of the Fethering mysteries

Readers will look forward to Ivys story unfolding in future installments. Keown is off to a good start.
Publishers Weekly

This character-driven debut combines a knotty mystery with the believable real-life problems of its appealing sleuth.
Kirkus Reviews

An enjoyable amateur detective yarn.
Mystery Scene

A great whodunit mystery that has a Clue flare and a charming setting, in a mystery that gives a much-needed voice to the struggles of anxiety and panic attacks.
Manhattan Book Review

Ivy is a refreshing character, as are the supporting characters around her.
Red Carpet Crash

An exciting and entertaining mystery with an eye-opening glimpse into the life of someone struggling with an anxiety disorder.
Fresh Fiction

Author Bio

Audrey Keown set her mystery series in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the place she calls home. She lost her heart to the city in the early days of its downtown revival, and its bridges, coffee shops, breweries, parks, and people are its mixtape back to her. For ten years she wrote professionally for periodicals, sharpening her storytelling skills for cutting into fiction writing. Themes of redemption and connection to history often find their way into her work. Like her protagonist, she has battled anxiety and writes about mental illness in her fiction in hopes of helping lift the stigma.