A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (Penny Brannigan Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Elizabeth J. Duncan (Author)

Book Description

Series: Penny Brannigan Mysteries | Publication Date: July 20, 2010

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Duncan's absorbing second Penny Brannigan mystery (after 2009's The Cold Light of Mourning), the Canadian ex-pat and artist has unexpectedly inherited a cottage in the village of Llanelen, Wales, from her late schoolteacher friend, Emma Teasdale. When Penny and her boyfriend, Det. Insp. Gareth Davies, discover a stash of intriguing letters inside an old dresser of Emma's, she decides to put off remodeling her new home in order to investigate Emma's past. The letters reveal Emma had a lesbian relationship in the 1960s with an up-and-coming artist, Alys Jones, who died in a hit-and-run accident in 1970. The authorities never determined who was responsible. As Penny methodically cleans the cottage rooms, she wonders why only one of Alys's paintings can be located. Feeling a strong connection to a fellow artist, Penny enlists the aid of various villagers in her quest for the truth about Alys's "accident." Some early predictability doesn't spoil the cozy fun.
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From Booklist

When cleaning out the Welsh cottage she inherited from her good friend Emma, Penny Brannigan finds letters that allude to an affair Emma had with artist Alys Jones in 1967. When Penny learns that Alys died in an unsolved hit-and-run, she decides to track down the killer. Complicating matters, Penny and her friend Victoria are in the process of buying property to expand their manicure business, and Penny’s relationship with Detective Inspector Gareth Davies seems to be cooling. 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. --Sue OBrien

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (July 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312622821
• ISBN-13: 978-0312622824
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,102,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth J Duncan's very first attempt at fiction writing, The Cold Light of Mourning, won the 2008 Malice Domestic/St. Martin's award and was published in 2009. It was nominated for an Agatha Award (USA) and Arthur Ellis Award (Canada).
Her second novel, A Brush with Death, was published in 2010.
Elizabeth lives in Toronto with her dog Dolly. Her busy life includes teaching in the public relations programs at Humber College and spending several weeks each year in North Wales.
She attends three or four major mystery conventions each year (Malice Domestic, Bouchercon, Bloody Words and Love is Murder) and is looking forward to meeting you there.
She is not a fan of Facebook, but loves Twitter and would be delighted to have you as a follower. @ElizabethDuncan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brush With Death, October 16, 2010

By 

Karen Thomas "mystery lover" (Mendocino CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (Penny Brannigan Mysteries) (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, August 13, 2010

By 

Luci Zahray (texas, usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (Penny Brannigan Mysteries) (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!, November 21, 2010

By 

Misha - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (Penny Brannigan Mysteries) (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.