While previewing the houses, Tori and her friend Alice Ann discover a set of bones dressed in a tuxedo. The bones have obviously been there for quite a while so Tori agrees to keep the discovery quiet until after the tour. At another house, however, Tori discovers the skeletal remains of a woman who appears to be the other half of a bridal couple.

The couple is identified as a former high school music teacher who eloped with an art teacher many years ago. But when Tori starts asking questions, she has a series of accidents that she thinks are not accidents, but attempts on her life and wonders what secrets the bones hold that someone wants her quiet all these years later.

Death, Bones and Stately Homes is a very downhome, small town mystery with the requisite cast of quirky characters. Tori does her best to fit in, but some of the locals resent her urban past and never let her forget she is an outsider. Many murders stem from an attempt to keep skeletons in the closet, though this time there are literally two skeletons in the closet and someone doesn’t want their stories told.

Tori’s natural inquisitive nature sparks her curiosity about the pair and she can’t see any harm in attempting to learn what happened to them, but someone else does and will stop at nothing to prevent Tori from learning their secrets.

Small town atmosphere, including local recipes, provides a cozy setting. The past is deftly woven with the present into a satisfying tale, and though the motive and murderer are fairly obvious, this is an enjoyable trip down memory lane with a heroine who grows more likeable with each outing.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry