Defending Angels - Mary Stanton

Defending Angels
A Beaufort & Company Mystery
Mary Stanton
Berkley Prime Crime

Mystery/Paranormal

Bree Winston-Beaufort moved to Savannah to take over her late uncle’s law practice. His offices are currently being renovated, so she’s looking for some short-term space. What she finds is an office on the first floor of a home in the middle of a cemetery for murderers. Her landlady, Lavinia, seems to know quite a bit, but isn’t talking; a condition Bree puts down to Lavinia’s age and eccentricity.

By the end of the day, Bree has rented the office, rescued a dog, and taken delivery on a shipment of letterhead from a former law professor. How could he have possibly known her new address? To top off the day, she gets a message from billionaire Benjamin Skinner, requesting her services. The thing is, Skinner died earlier that afternoon. Even stranger, it turns out he really does want to hire her, to defend him in Celestial Court.

Cozy mystery fans who appreciate a bit of ghostly whimsy will be thrilled to find this new series by Mary Stanton, who also writes under the name of Claudia Bishop. The supporting cast is full of local color, and balance out very nicely against the paranormal activities. Bree’s first brushes with the angelic realms occur at a time when she’s tired and stressed and it makes perfect sense that she brushes them off as such. As the story progresses, the reader is pulled in alongside Bree. I’m looking forward to more from Beaufort & Company.

Rating: 7
December 2008
ISBN# 978-0-425-22498-4 (paperback)