Jan 28, 2023

The Greenleaf Murders | R.J. Koreto

#historichomesmystery #womensleuth #cozymystery

The Greenleaf Murders

by R.J. Koreto

January 23 - February 17, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Young architect Wren Fontaine lands her dream job: restoring Greenleaf House, New York's finest Gilded-Age mansion, to its glory days. But old homes have old secrets: Stephen Greenleaf—heir to what’s left of his family’s legacy—refuses to reveal what his plans are once the renovation is completed. And still living in a corner of the home is Stephen's 90-year-old Aunt Agnes who's lost in the past, brooding over a long-forgotten scandal while watching Wren with mistrust.

Wren's job becomes more complex when a shady developer who was trying to acquire Greenleaf House is found murdered. And after breaking into a sealed attic, Wren finds a skeleton stuffed in a trunk. She soon realizes the two deaths, a century apart, are strangely related. Meanwhile, a distraction of a different kind appears in the form of her client's niece, the beautiful and seductive Hadley Vanderwerf. As Wren gingerly approaches a romance, she finds that Hadley has her own secrets.

Then a third murder occurs, and the introverted architect is forced to think about people, and about how ill-fated love affairs and obsessions continue to haunt the Greenleafs. In the end, Wren risks her own life to uncover a pair of murderers, separated by a century but connected by motive. She reveals an odd twist in the family tree that forever changes the lives of the Greenleafs, the people who served them, the mansion they all called home—and even Wren herself.

Praise for The Greenleaf Murders:

"A delightful who-done-it in which the house is as engaging as the wonderful heroine. Readers will want to get lost in these rooms and these pages."

Cate Holahan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Three Lives

"If you love houses and puzzles - which I do - you will be captivated by THE GREENLEAF MURDERS, the first in Richard Koreto's new series. Equally sure-footed in the gilded age of the mansion's heyday and the contemporary world of its decline, Koreto has woven a pretzel of a plot, introduced a charming new heroine, and whetted appetites for more grave deeds and grandeur."

Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver series

"The Greenleaf Murders mixes a modern suspense mystery with the love of old-world mansions and iconic High Society. Buried secrets threaten a family clinging to their former glory as two murders surface, a century apart. Koreto weaves a story that creates the perfect tension between the beauty of the golden era and the fear of a killer in plain sight."

L.A. Chandlar, national best selling author of the Art Deco Mystery Series

"One would think that a murder mystery featuring old homes, architecture, and rich blue bloods would be a dull read, but that’s not the case with R.J. Koreto’s finely-written “The Greenleaf Murders.” Filled with twists and turns and sharply-drawn characters, this well-done novel is very much recommended."

Brendan DuBois, award-wining and New York Times bestselling author

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: November 2022 Number of Pages: 264 ISBN: 9781685122089 Series: Historic Homes Mysteries, #1 Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Level Best Books

My Thoughts:

I was sold on the unique plot that this new-to-me author promised via the blurb of this book. As I began reading, I felt myself getting wrapped up in the detail that Koreto offers in the pages. The intrigue of buried secrets and murders in a setting that feels all too real is what kept my attention. I grew up with a grandma who helped refinish/model old homes and she thoroughly enjoyed learning the stories behind each historic home. Like people, she said that homes had character. And she was definitely right! I loved seeing that same train of thought highlighted through Wren. Kind of brought a piece of my grandma back to me!

Wren's character is authentic, efficient, and intelligent. What she lacks in social grace is clearly highly-developed in her due diligence of her career and the efforts she puts in to the job she does. This shines bright when bringing the history of the home and murders to light. On the introvert aspect, I could easily relate to Wren!

I have to admit that I got caught up in the feel of the story that I lost track of the details that would typically lead me to solve the mystery prior to the ending. It was a welcomed feeling as I didn't feel like I was reading simply to get to the end and realize that my suspicions were confirmed.

This is one of the most detailed cozy mysteries I've read in a long time that didn't have that "corny" aspect to the story.

I received a complimentary copy for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

R.J. Koreto is the author of the Historic Home mystery series, set in modern New York City; the Lady Frances Ffolkes mystery series, set in Edwardian England; and the Alice Roosevelt mystery series, set in turn-of-the-century New York. His short stories have been published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, as well as various anthologies.

In his day job, he works as a business and financial journalist. Over the years, he’s been a magazine writer and editor, website manager, PR consultant, book author, and seaman in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Like his heroine, Lady Frances Ffolkes, he’s a graduate of Vassar College.

With his wife and daughters, he divides his time between Rockland County, N.Y., and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.