Sarah and Max are hosting the wedding of Max’s nephew Mike and his bride Tracy at their house by the ocean; it is a perfect day - that is, until someone somehow places the long-lost Kelling ruby parure amongst the wedding gifts, a corpse-smelling person appears in the same room but isn’t dead and, soon enough, Max goes missing. And that’s only the beginning of their troubles….This is the last of the Sarah Kelling mysteries; it is, unfortunately, marred by numerous repetitions of plots in previous books, not to mention a villain almost a carbon copy of the penultimate book in the series. It is known now that Ms. MacLeod was suffering from dementia by this time, so those gaffs are excusable, and in spite of her affliction, she was still capable of writing a ripping good yarn. I especially liked Max’s ordeal, and some of the zinging dialogue as well (for example, Aunt Mabel makes a scene by telephone, and when Max suggests that Sarah give her something or another, Sarah replies that she would not give Aunt Mabel “a pleasant look.” Ouch.) Although I’m sorry the series had to end on such a flat note, relatively speaking, I’m still very glad to have met Sarah Kelling, Max Bittersohn and their assorted friends and relatives; they have provided me with hours of enjoyment, for which I thank the author; recommended. ( )

I bought this for sale on Kindle because I like this series, particularly the twp lead characters. After reading it, I'm pretty convinced but not positive that I read this before. But I did enjoy this the second time. I like the wacky characters and I particularly like Max. There may be a few later books in the series but I'd try the library before I'd buy them. ( )

Substance: CAUTION - do NOT read this volume prior to reading the first book in the series (The Family Vault). Everything is revealed in this "sequel" to the first murder that brought Sarah and Max together. The sleuthing in this one is frenzied but ultimately minimal, and, as usual, the conclusion is not well prepared.
Style: For all its faults as a mystery, the book is enjoyable as a novel. ( )

Charlotte MacLeod's tales of plucky New England aristocrat Sarah Kelling, her Jewish art-expert husband Max Bittersohn, and her large, loony family are a reading experience that (in my experience) you either love or hate. The characters, the dialog, and the situations are amusing in the no-relation-to-reality way of 1930s movies but the mysteries are flimsy to the point of absurdity. This late entry in the series exhibits that quality more than most. Fans of the series will find it an enjoyable, if familiar, outing with old friends. Non-fans are unlikely to make it past the second chapter. ( )