Lillian Stewart Carl The Burning Glass

The Burning Glass

Lillian Stewart Carl

Five Star, Sep 2007, $25.95

ISBN 9781594145919

Great Scot magazine sends American expatriate reporter Jean Fairbairn to do a story on ancient haunted Ferniebank Castle before the renovation to change it into a modern day conference center and spa occurs. However, to Jean the excitement is not in the story; instead she knows that former police officer Alasdair Cameron works security at the crumbling castle. They plan a fortnight of loving decadence amidst the ruins even though the legend of the place is that Isabel Sinclair, who allegedly died four centuries ago on the way to a tryst in a fire caused by her burning glass, still haunts the place

However, instead of privacy as they expected, others have plans for the castle's artifacts. Soon item go missing like Isabel's harp that played for Queen Mary and three killings follow. As the local cops bungle the case while telling Alasdair to butt out, he conducts his own serendipitous inquiry; at the same time, Jean tries to stay out of the homicide investigation after her previous experiences (see THE MURDER HOLE and THE SECRET PORTRAIT) and avoid myth-babbling renovator and da Vinci Code dreamer Ciara Macquarrie, who intimately knows Alasdair, finds herself caught in the killer's web.

Though the local dialect can become intrusive almost as much as authentic, this is a terrific Fairburn-Alasdair whodunit with whimsical hints of the paranormal adding to the fun. The story line is fast-paced as the ex cop dives into the mystery while the journalist wonders what happened to two weeks of romance. With a strong investigative plot, readers will enjoy this fine entry in what is an entertaining series.

Harriet Klausner