In the Frame
Rosedale Investigations, #3
by
Lyn Farrell
The Rosedale team is back with several interesting and exciting cases to solve.
In The Frame is the 3rd book in author Lyn Farrell's mystery series featuring the good folks at Rosedale Investigations. This time, the small firm is investigating, first, a missing person, then later, a suspicious death, concurrently with the fascinating search for the provenance of a valuable painting rumored to be cursed. The cases proved exciting, and the detectives' detailed activities held my attention from start to finish.
Its recurring cast of characters, the Rosedale team, is a diverse group of individuals and over the course of the series, have developed into a close-knit "family." Besides the cases the company is being paid to investigate, certain members are going through some stressful life changes. I enjoyed all the subplots woven into this story. The bottom line is they all love each other beyond a workplace relationship and always have each other's backs.
PD is distracted and on edge as the book opens. He's reacting to a real eye-opening discovery from his past and tends to take out his anxieties on his unofficial granddaughter, Billy Jo. She is also deeply affected by these revelations, and there are some emotional moments as she tries to find her place in life and on the investigative team. Her desire for greater involvement leads to the art provenance job and places her in jeopardy.
Wayne and Lucy's impending nuptials provide some fun moments and some emotional ones as he searches for the younger sister with whom Lucy had lost touch. But I had to smile over the references early in the story about Wayne and PD getting their COVID vaccinations, and when it was revealed the needles made the groom-to-be somewhat nervous.
The investigations are continually in motion, with several interesting and exciting storylines finely meshed together. The author maintains a steady, productive pace, so there is never a dull moment for the team or the reader. There are some surprising twists and turns as the cases wend their way to resolution, though, and that had me invested in the story from the first page to the last. Although readers are recommended to begin the series with the first book, this one can stand on its own.
With its found family of engaging main characters and several solid mysteries to consider, I recommend IN THE FRAME to mystery readers who enjoy complex family dramas, stories set in the Nashville area or Erie, Pennsylvania, and especially to fans of the previous books in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.