Lethal Legend: A Diana Spaulding Mystery (Diana Spaulding Mystery series) [Paperback]

Kathy Lynn Emerson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Diana Spaulding Mystery series | Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Diana's wedding preparations are interrupted when her fiance Ben receives an urgent plea for help from a reclusive childhood friend in the final volume of this mystery series. Working on a secretive archeological dig on Graham Somener's island off the coast of Maine, a team of men have all been poisoned. When one is murdered in a diving accident and Graham refuses to call the police, Diana and Ben fear he may have fallen under the spell of a confidence woman posing as an archeologist from the Peabody Museum. Their investigations threaten Ben’s friendship and imperil Diana’s life before the conundrum is finally solved.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Maine in 1888, Emerson's fourth and final mystery in her Diana Spaulding series (Deadlier Than the Pen, etc.) offers plenty of intrigue, eccentric characters and well-researched history. Diana's fiancé, Dr. Ben Northcote, has crossed Penobscot Bay to Keep Island, home of wealthy boyhood pal Graham Somener, to care for three men assisting on an archeological dig who've been poisoned. When Diana fails to hear from Ben, she becomes alarmed and follows him to the island, which she's warned is a dangerous place. There, while observing an excavation headed by archeologist Serena Dunbar, Diana and Ben witness a suspicious accidental death. Graham and Serena, in apparent romantic cahoots, want to hush it up to avoid publicity, and the sheriff is happy to comply. Suspecting fraud, murder and old-fashioned gold-digging, Diana and Ben investigate leads that unveil professional jealousy, revenge and more murder. Newcomers will find this period cozy works just as well as a stand-alone. (Apr.)
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Review

"Emerson's . . . final mystery in her Diana Spaulding series . . . offers plenty of intrigue, eccentric characters and well-researched history."  —Publishers Weekly

"Emerson's fourth and final tale of the sleuthing pair (No Mortal Reason, 2007, etc.) is both historically interesting and suitably mysterious."  —Kirkus Reviews

"It's always refreshing to read a period piece where the female characters do not indulge in fainting fits or heaving bosoms . . . loads of fun."  —Mystery Scene Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 233 pages
• Publisher: Pemberley Press (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977191354
• ISBN-13: 978-0977191352
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,812,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining, character driven whodunit, September 12, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lethal Legend: A Diana Spaulding Mystery (Diana Spaulding Mystery series) (Paperback)

Kathy Lynn Emerson has authored thirty-five books and numerous short stories. Her Diana Spaulding series, of which LETHAL LEGEND is the final installment, is in good company with her Face Down mysteries; romance novels; non-fiction; and young adult literature. She has also published a "how to" book entitled HOW TO WRITE KILLER HISTORICAL MYSTERIES: THE ART AND ADVENTURE OF SLEUTHING THROUGH THE PAST. She also writes under the name of Kaitlyn Dunnett. Ms. Emerson lives in Maine with her husband and three cats.

Set in 1888, the Diana Spaulding mysteries appeal on many levels, including as historical mysteries and the era of "yellow journalism," which also featured writing by William Randolph Hurst. Diana Spaulding is a reporter set to marry Dr. Ben Northcote, when his childhood buddy, Graham Somener, summons him to Somoner's island to look after a case of poison that affected four men. Diana's curiosity and a little nudge from a mysterious private eye compel her to follow her fiance to Somener's island, where a murder takes place before Diana's eyes. The wealthy Somener is set to marry an archaeologist, who could or might not be a con woman. A visit to an eminent scholar sets Diana and Ben's suspicions on fire:

"'I may be wrong,' Winthrop said, 'but I believe that's the young woman who caused such a ruckus at the Peabody Museum a few years back. I never met her myself. I was working in Nova Scotia at the time. But the name...yes, I am quite certain it was Dunbar.'

'What did she do?'

'Attempted to gain admission as a private student. Kicked up a fuss when the graduate school rejected her. Well, what do you expect? No woman has the educational background to qualify.'

'She claims to have been a student at Harvard.'"

Emerson is a knowledgeable and experienced writer, which gives LETHAL LEGEND authenticity. Emerson also writes with a romantic and prim style, which translates well to a Nineteenth Century novel. Emerson has the ability to put herself into the past, which also draws the reader into this entertaining character driven whodunit. Excellent!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer