Ellen Elizabeth Hunter. Murder at the Bellamy
Mansion. Greensboro, NC: Magnolia Mysteries, 2009.
What woman wants her honeymoon cut short?!? The
Wilkes sister–Ashley and Melanie–both experience this
unhappy turn of events. Melanie’s husband, Cam, is
called away from his seaboard honeymoon by the theatrics of
his elderly mother, whose heart conveniently acts up just as
he and Melanie are enjoying some marital bliss. For
Ashley and Jon the event that calls them back to Wilmington
is far more serious. Their company has been hired to
restore the belvedere on the Bellamy Mansion. When
their general contractor is at the mansion assessing the
condition of the windows on New Year’s Day, he is shot by a
sniper. He survives, but his shooting is just one of
the crimes or controversies focused at the mansion.
Although Ashley has the contract to work on the mansion,
Melanie becomes involved when a wealthy (and thoroughly
unlikable) foreign client wants to purchase the mansion.
Wait, the mansion is not for sale. Well, maybe it is.
It seems that liens relating to the mansion’s construction
in the 1860s have just surfaced, and a local lawyer (who
happens to be the estranged nephew of the assaulted
contractor) is hellbent on collecting on that old debt.
As in the previous novels in this series, the friends and relatives of the sisters have their parts in the action. Ashley’s ex-husband, homicide detective Nick Yost, and his partner are investigating the shooting (the fraught conversations between Ashley and Nick are possibly the best scenes in the book), and Aunt Ruby is roped into arranging the wedding of the sister’s newly-discovered half-sister, Scarlett. Wilmington itself is a character, and a nice mix of Wilmington history and more recent economic and social issues figure in the plot.
reviewed at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Libraries
Ellen Elizabeth Hunter. Murder at Wrightsville Beach. Greensboro, NC: Magnolia Mysteries, 2005.
It’s mid-August, so Ashley Wilkes succumbs to the lure of the beach. Sister Melanie has rented a large “cottage” (sleeps fourteen) at Wrightsville Beach. Ashley knows that she should stay in Wilmington and finish a 1920s house that she is restoring, but she needs a rest. Rest is just what she doesn’t get. Melanie’s rental is stocked to the roof with guests, including super-model Kelly Lauder. On a visit to the local art gallery, Ashley, Melanie, and Kelly find the owner dead, and it’s off from there. As Ashley fends off an unwanted suitor and begins to think that the killer may be after her, she worries about her husband Nick who has been hard to contact since he went on a special job for the CIA.
Hunter weaves in elements from other novels in the series, including Wilmington’s historic neighborhoods, sea turtle protection, and Ashley’s efforts to juggle her personal and professional responsibilities. Readers who enjoy these novels for the bits of area lore that they contain will be interested in the information on the use of German POWs on area farms during World War II.
reviewed at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Libraries
Review of Murder at the Bellamy Mansion
By Award-Winning author
Radine Trees Nehring
“What a stunning story! Charming characters (Ashley and Melanie are such a kick), and Binkie has been a favorite of mine since the opening of this series.
The plot kept me fascinated. It grew in intensity as I turned pages, but still kept the touch of fairy-tale magic I have come to expect in Ellen Elizabeth Hunter's novels.
The visits to real restaurants and other locations in and around Wilmington was great fun. I felt like an invisible guest at parties and events in so many charming places.
In the end the bad guys were notably punished and the good guys came out on top. I really loved the story, and I thought the well-woven plot was terrific.
I was just sorry when it was all over! Do we get a baby in the next one?”
http://www.RadinesBooks.com
Blog for readers and writers: http://radine.wordpress.com
Murder on the ICW – “Hunter sets her historical preservationist sleuth Ashley Wilkes on another agreeably diverting mission in Murder on the ICW.” -- The News & Observer (9/17/06): Click here to read “A bumper crop of N.C. mysteries”
Signing books at Pinehurst for NC Assoc. of Realtors, January 2006
Proceeds benefited Homes4NC, a non-profit foundation
“. . . writes gripping murder mysteries, all set in the Wilmington area.”
Faye Brock, Brock and Associates, Realtors, Wilmington, NC
Ellen Elizabeth Hunter, featured author at the Crystal Coast Book Festival, 2006
Murder at Wrightsville Beach - “Slip this fun read into your beach bag, and join historic preservationist Ashley Wilkes for some mystery by the sea.” –Our State Magazine, August 2005
Murder at Wrightsville Beach- "Hunter juggles her clues efficiently and delivers solid entertainment." -- Wilmington Star-News, June 2005
“The fictional sites . . . are woven in so skillfully with real places.” –Wilmington Star-News, March 2004
“You’ll enjoy the North Carolina setting as well as the exciting plot.” –Greensboro Public Libraries
“The characters are intriguing and the setting charming.” What’s New in the NC Collection, Greensboro Public Libraries
“There are a satisfying number of red herrings before all the mysteries are solved, the violence is mostly offstage, and the romance is hot but G-rated.” –North Carolina Libraries, Fall 2003
Murder on the ICW - Selected as a favorite mystery for 2006 by Wake County Public Libraries
"Hunter . . . has become well known for her local mystery writing. She is not your average mystery writer. Long interested in historic preservation and equipped with . . . a very active imagination, she combines the two with her love of mystery and humor in each book." --Barbara Hardin, Staff Writer, Lumina News, Wrightsville's Newspaper, March 25, 2004
“If you enjoy mysteries and history then Ellen Elizabeth Hunter books are a must for you! Each book is well written and the endings will take you by surprise. Everyone that I have recommended any of these books to has become a ‘faithful fan’ and they and I, look forward to the arrival of each new book. If you enjoy Sidney Sheldon or Mary Higgins Clark, then you will love each book in this series. Ellen Elizabeth Hunter is a delightful and talented author who brings pleasure to all who have the opportunity to enjoy her work.” --Joan Slaughter, Greensboro
"Ellen Elizabeth Hunter's books brought my husband and me as tourists from the Arkansas Ozarks to the wonderful coastal area she describes. Not only do I love her stories, we enjoy visiting the real places she tells us about.”
--Radine Trees Nehring, Author of the "Something to Die For" Ozarks mysteries.
Ellen Elizabeth Hunter has a gift for combining a great mystery and her knowledge of historic preservation with a terrific sense of humor! Each of her 'Murder in Wilmington' series novels leaves readers eager for the next.
--Dixie Land, Author of Serenity and Return to Serenity
"Your books are the best!" --Grace Martin, Raleigh
"Just wanted you to know that we started reading your books on Sunday and are switching off tonight. We have each finished our book, couldn't put them down. And I work full time! They are wonderful. I hope you write more."
--Mary Gregory, Richmond
“Hunter enthralls her fans with a blend of homicide, history and humor. A must read for those who like mysteries delivered with a strong plot and a light touch.” --Dorothy P. O’Neill, author of the Liz Rooney Series.
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