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Rating: 
Summary: Okay, so it's out of print...
Review: What a shame that this book is no longer readily available. It's definitely one of my favorites in the whole Pennyfoot Hotel series, and I'm a diehard fan. The mystery itself is one of the best plots in the series. Someone has been using the Pennyfoot Hotel to traffic stolen jewels, and now the body of a notorious criminal from London winds up in a coffin--but at the wrong funeral. In fact, he's nearly buried at the funeral of one Dr. McDuff, who is a friend of the protagonist, Cecily Sinclair. Cecily is the widowed owner of the Pennyfoot and now has a double interest in searching out the killer--before the malicious Inspector Cranshaw finds out about the jewel thefts and has an excuse to close down her hotel! Kingsbury has not yet fully developed several of her characters (this is the third book in the series) but she's getting there. The subplots involving the hotel servants are sweetly captivating: will Gertie and Ian get married? And what about Ethel, who's just fallen in love for the first time--with the local hero? I love all the characters in the series, especially Cecily, and her faithful, stuffy manager Baxter. This is the book in which Baxter starts to look at Cecily in a Certain Way (and we may assume he's not thinking about her as his employer in those moments)--but trouble arrives in the form of Dr. Kevin Prestwick, the handsome replacement for Dr. McDuff, who also sees Cecily with more than a little interest. It's the beginning of a very entertaining rivalry. So if you're a fan of cozy mysteries, this one is worth your special order. Highly recommended! (As if you couldn't tell.)
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