The book, first published in 2020, is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats. C.J. Archer turns back the clock to 1899 in London to solve a puzzle of a mystery when a murder of a guest of the prestigious Mayfair Hotel occurs on Christmas Eve. Settle in to uncover whodunit.

After the death of her grandmother, Cleopatra Fox must rely on her estranged mother’s relatives and move into the luxury Mayfair Hotel. On the same day of her arrival, a murdered guest throws her life and the hotel into chaos.

The New Year’s Eve Ball is fast approaching, and the guests are reluctant to attend the festivities with a murderer on the loose, which could ruin the hotel’s reputation. Cleo wants to prove herself to her new family; if catching the murderer will help keep the hotel’s reputation intact, it might also make her look favorable to her uncle and aunt. But apprehending the perpetrator proves more difficult than she thought, and Cleo blunders along the way.

Her mistakes are costly, and she regrets exposing her suspicions so early in her investigation, and wonders whether she should pursue her endeavor at all. Making up her mind, Cleo vows to find the killer before the new century begins.

Archer’s analytical approach to the murder and other crimes, going through the list of suspects, eliminating names, is logical, detailed, and relatable. His characters are quick-witted, down-to-earth, and well-developed. The storyline flows without any tension, for a mystery, even a cozy one, readers expect a level of suspense, which this book did not have. It is a fast, easy, uncomplicated 3-star read