- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (July 20 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312622821
- ISBN-13: 978-0312622824
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 15.3 x 2.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 181 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #283,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Duncan...is a born storyteller whose ability to create appealing characters, evoke a strong sense of place, and fashion a clever plot are accompanied by another gift: a faculty for writing flawlessly smooth prose. 'A Brush With Death' is a close encounter with talent."--Richmond Times-Dispatch
"Duncan writes so well about the lives of people in a small village in Wales that the reader becomes immersed in their daily trials and tribulations. The follow-up to the award-winning The Cold Light of Mourning is sure to appeal to fans of M.C. Beaton and Agatha Christie."--Library Journal
"Duncan’s second is every bit as delightful as her debut...a smoothly written classic English mystery right up there with the best."--Kirkus Reviews
"Duncan spends time developing the personal lives of her appealing main and secondary characters, and it is their relationships that provide much of the novel's appeal, along with the well-realized Welsh setting and the many details about running a small business. Readers who enjoy the English village cozy mysteries of Dorothy Cannell and Nancy Atherton will want to take a look at this series."--Booklist
Product Description
When Penny Brannigan inherits a charming, old-fashioned cottage in the North Wales town of Llanelen, she soon realizes she has come into more than what real estate agents like to describe as a desirable period property: She’s also acquired memories, mystery, and an unsolved, decades-old crime.
As Penny sorts through the belongings of her benefactor, a deceased teacher, she comes upon a packet of letters from a promising young Liverpool artist, A. Jones, who was killed in an accident in 1970. An artist herself, Penny sets out to discover who killed this painter, and is helped by a small group of townsfolk, including her business partner, Victoria Hopkirk. While at a retrospective art exhibition in Liverpool, Penny recognizes what she believes to be a watercolor painted by Jones. But it is attributed to another artist, leading her to suspect that art theft was at the heart of the case, and that Jones’s death was no accident.
In her eagerly awaited sequel Duncan wonderfully revisits the bustling Welsh town and vibrant characters introduced in The Cold Light of Mourning. With its lyrical prose and tantalizing puzzle, this new mystery is a treat on many levels.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Brush With Death, Oct 16 2010
By Karen Thomas "mystery lover" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (Hardcover)
This is a terrific story, and it's such a treat to find a new British cozy series set in Wales--they are few and far between. I had read Ms. Duncan's 1st book in this series, The Cold Light of Mourning, and liked it enough to buy it for my local public library. Her 2nd effort is even better. The story of Penny Brannigan and her friends and co-workers in the north Wales village and her efforts to solve a crime from 30-odd years ago is first-rate. The pace and flow of the story are just right, and the little touches that identify the time and place are great. I'm so pleased to have discovered this author and look forward to many more in the series. Unlike many, Penny is a lady "of a certain age", and her sense of right and justice is not only filled with determination, but with a good dose of common sense, a dash of humor, and an endearing sensitivity. The local detective, the village vicar and his wife, the local busy-body, and Penny's practical business partner all add layers of depth to this enjoyable series. Very highly recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
new cozy mystery, Aug 13 2010
By Luci Zahray - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (Hardcover)
Elizabeth Duncan's new mystery Brush With Death is delightful, a twenty-first century Agatha Christie. Penny Brannigan inherited a cottage at the end of her first adventure Cold Light of Mourning. While investigating the history of a painting she had always admired she encounters a mystery involving the painter. In solving the mystery Penny learns about the early life of her friend the cottage's original owner.Luci Zahray
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
As Great as the first!, Nov 21 2010
By Misha - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (Hardcover)
A Brush With Death is as engaging as the first book in the Penny Brannigan series(The Cold Light of Mourning). Its the perfect cozy mystery to lose yourself in.Apart from the whole mystery angle, there is depth to the novel too. The author has dealt with certain relevant social issues. Underneath the cloak of respectability, lie so many secrets - the author has captured that so well.The characters are very realistic Moreover the book captures the social changes that the world has undergone in the last so many years. So many things that are considered "normal" or acceptable weren't so before.
I loved the intricate description of the town and its people. I actually could imagine and hear every character as the author described them.
Penny is so loveable.I couldn't help but warm up to her, like in the first book.She's an independent , kind woman who is also a very good friend.Her feelings about the loss of her friend were so touching.
Elizabeth J.Duncan reminds me a lot of the first mystery author I read-Agatha Christie. This is one of the main reasons I like the series so much.
This charming book will keep you engrossed all throughout.
I think this book can be read as a stand-alone too, if you haven't read the first part.
Overall:
Fast-paced and enjoyable with some relevant underlying themes.
Recommended?
Yes! To all mystery lovers.
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