The Ivory City

Murphy's diverting latest (after Enchanted Hill) finds Grace Covington getting a taste of the good life while attending the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair with her wealthy cousins Oliver and Lillie Carter. Oliver is in love with Harriet Forbes, an actress his mother deems below their station. After Harriet is murdered at the fair, Oliver is thrown in jail, and Grace must team up with Lillie to prove his innocence by finding the killer among half a dozen suspects. Meanwhile, Grace is both drawn to and repelled by the rich, standoffish Theodore Parker. The scenes at the fair, full of attractions including ferris wheels and premature babies in incubators, are well researched, and the mystery manages to surprise at every turn. However, despite numerous threats to her life, Grace remains laughably foolhardy, and her constant volleying between desperately working to save Oliver and joyfully visiting the fair's exhibitions results in significant tonal whiplash. Still, Murphy sticks the landing with a satisfying conclusion that's feel-good without tipping into treacle. Historical whodunit fans will be pleased. (Nov.)

Murphy (Enchanted Hill) sets her new historical mystery at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, which provides a vibrant, exciting backdrop for an engaging puzzle. Grace Covington is spending the summer with her cousins Oliver and Lillie Carter in St. Louis and is looking forward to attending the much-anticipated World's Fair. As Grace's mother recently "married down," Grace knows this may be the last summer she gets to spend with her wealthier cousins, and she wants to make the most of it. As the fair gets underway, Grace starts to notice frightening undertones, within both the fair and the group of friends and acquaintances of which she's become a part. Grace keeps many secrets for her cousins and struggles to navigate all that she has been told without betraying anyone's trust. Her knowledge is put to more concrete use when Oliver is arrested for murder, and the police seem content to call the investigation done. Grace knows they have the wrong suspect, and she's determined to prove it. VERDICT Murphy's intense research helps to immerse readers in the lush setting, and Grace is an engaging amateur investigator to root for. A good pick for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Andrea Penrose.--Jane Jorgenson