No Mortal Reason
Kathy Lynn Emerson
The prolific writer Kathy Lynn Emerson has published the third book in
her Diana Spaulding mystery series. In a series begun in Deadlier than
the Pen and continued in Fatal as a Fallen Woman Emerson tells the
story of Diana Spaulding and her life in 1888.
No Mortal Reason finds Diana and her fiancé Dr. Ben Northcote on
their way to Maine to be married. But on the way they stop in New York,
in the town that is home to Diana's relatives, her mother's hometown.
Due to a family dispute many years before, the relatives are not even
aware of Diana's existence. Diana comes to visit the family run inn in
hopes of a family reconciliation before her wedding. But when Ben
introduces them as husband and wife, resulting in only one room for
both of them, it complicates Diana's visit considerably. The addition
of a dead body found during the inn renovations, grandiose schemes by
her uncles to attract customers and some suspicious guests raise
Diana's reporter instincts while lowering her chances for a happy
family reunion.
The fascinating part of Emerson's series is that, as with most of her
writing, they are based in history. The book is pure fiction but her
extensive research into the place and time of her novel give it its
feeling of reality and truth. Characters are often based on real
people, settings are detailed and thoroughly researched. So even as the
characters wind their way throughout their adventures the reader feels
like they are getting a picture of our ancestors, our own history. She
is able to transport the reader into the lifestyle, mores and actions
of America in the 1880s. Her family research adds great depth to her
setting and characters.
The series has a planned culmination in book four, Lethal Legend.
For a wide variety of historical background it is strongly recommended
that readers check out Ms Emerson's web site.