Murder’s Legacy

Author Anita Dickason has done it again! She continues her perfection of the keep-looking-over-your-shoulder trope with Murder’s Legacy, the second book in the Tori Winters Mystery series. After reading Deadly Keepsakes, the first book in the series, I didn’t think Dickason could keep that edge-of-your-seat pace going. I was wrong! Oh my, was I ever wrong! Actually, I guess you could say that I was gleefully wrong!

This new story continues the plight of Tori Winters as she settles into her new home in Granbury, Texas, and begins the process of turning her inherited historic home into a Bed and Breakfast. An accident during the remodeling process turns into the discovery of a skeleton with a bullet hole in the back of the skull. As Tori tries to find the identity of the skeleton, other “accidents” begin to happen to some of her friends and members of the construction crew. Tori finally realizes that someone is trying to stop her from identifying the remains. The question is, how far will that person actually go to stop her?

When I first started reading this story and the characters began to emerge, I felt like I was in the midst of old friends that I hadn’t heard from in a while. But then the accidents began to happen, and I started to read a bit faster and my breaks became fewer and shorter. I read the last half of the book in a single session, unable to put it down. I had to find out what was going to happen to these friends of mine. Would they be okay? I just had to know!

A writer just can’t get that kind of response from a reader without good pacing. Anita Dickason, in both of these books, has demonstrated her mastery of pacing. It’s really off the charts! It’s among the best I’ve ever read.

This second book in the series can easily stand on its own, but I was delighted with the way the author covered the events of the first book. She covered about two-thirds of the first story in a single, succinct paragraph. How nice! The remainder of the backstory was interspersed in little tidbits where appropriate, as they applied to the current story.

The structure of the story is also excellent. Most chapters cover a single day, and at the end of the chapters, as Tori is getting ready for bed, she sums up the main events of the day and sometimes hints at what will happen the following day. I really liked this methodology. It worked out very well.

Aside from the aforementioned marvelous pacing, the characters also drew me deeper into the story. I already knew most of the characters, but there were a few new ones. Some of these characters, such as Tori and Mia—Tori’s assistant—are just so well constructed and down-to-earth that I really consider them friends: fictional friends.

Author Dickason also includes some lighthearted mini-subplots to allow the reader to come up for air. I think these subplots mainly set the stage for possible romance in a future story, but there was also an ongoing debate about the perfect beverage: is it coffee or Texas sweet tea? The opinions were very strong, I can tell you.

Most authors who are good at description typically concentrate on the senses of sight, sound and smell. Dickason takes this a step further. Here’s a little snippet of reaction upon tasting a pasta dish that a character concocted: “When she forked up a bite, the creamy taste of basil, with a hint of lemon, burst in her mouth. Tori groaned with pleasure. She waved the fork in the air. ‘Oh! This recipe is a keeper.’”

I love epilogues. They usually tell the reader what happens to the characters after the story is over. Murder’s Legacy has an epilogue. The very last sentence of the epilogue seems to set the stage for book three. I can hardly wait!

I am a huge Anita Dickason fan! I loved both of the Tori Winters books immensely. This author knows her stuff! I highly recommend you read both of the books in this series.