Ghost Image by Ellen Crosby

First Line: "When the old prince dies they're going to cut out his heart and bury it in a monastery in Hungary."

When freelance photojournalist Sophie Medina finds Brother Kevin Boyle dead in a corner of the gardens of a Washington, DC monastery, she is certain that her friend was murdered. Shortly before he died, Boyle told Sophie that he was being stalked, probably because he had uncovered a botanic discovery that could be worth millions of dollars. Sophie has extremely few clues to this discovery, but she is determined to find out who killed him.

Armed with nothing but a key, Sophie jumps into the middle of an international treasure hunt that begins there in Washington, DC and then leads her to the English countryside. Time is running out. Will Sophie be able to find Kevin Boyle's killer before the killer finds her?

I was very impressed with the first book in this series, Multiple Exposure, and now after reading Ghost Image, Ellen Crosby's series has become one of my favorites. Why? It's due in large part to the main character. Sophie is strong, talented, intelligent, and she doesn't panic when she's in danger-- and she can be in danger often. She thinks on her feet extremely well and seldom makes a wrong move. She's also got a first-rate support system of friends and family, although she is cursed with Evil Mother Syndrome (a bane of my reading life).

Crosby's pacing is swift and sure, and she definitely has a knack for fascinating plots. In Multiple Exposure it was Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs, this time it's a botanical plot that goes all the way back to our Founding Fathers. I loved both of them. I also loved Sophie's London holiday at the Connaught (wish I could save up for one of my own), and I soaked up the historical information about Washington, DC that the author provides.

If you're looking for a smart, sophisticated mystery series with an appealing heroine, a bit of hair-raising action, and wonderful plots, then I have one suggestion for you: Ellen Crosby's Sophie Medina novels. You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough.   

  

Ghost Image by Ellen Crosby

eISBN: 9781451659443

Scribner © 2015

eBook, 320 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #2 Sophie Medina mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley