Monument to the Dead (A Museum Mystery Book 4) by Sheila Connolly

"Sheila Connolly's Museum Mystery series is one of my favorites. The books are always solidly plotted out and the characters grow with each addition. "Monument to the Dead" is the fourth book in the series, and in this one Nell Pratt notices the obituary of one of the elderly former board members of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society, Adeline Harrison. Nell is president of the Society and always wants to know about such things so that she can send flowers or a card. Adeline was in her eighties, so Nell doesn't think much more about it. When more board members who are also elderly die, Nell starts to think it might not be just natural causes. She takes her concerns to FBI Agent James Morrison to see if the FBI is interested in taking on these cases. They are not since there is not enough evidence even though Nell has found out with the help of James and her friend Marty, that natural causes doesn't exactly fit with how these philanthropists died. Sheila Connolly can weave a great story but keep to the facts about the history of a place and historical figures that are part of the book. This one in particular has some very interesting history about Philadelphia that is essential to the plot, and I always learn a lot from her books while enjoying a good mystery..... "

작가의 다른 작품들처럼 무난한 작품이다. 이전 작품들에 비해서 죽는 사람이 많다는 점이 좀 다르다. 코지 미스터리 장르이기 때문에 잔인하거나 충격적인 장면은 거의 없다. 연속 살인마의 정체는 이전 작품을 읽은 독자라면 아마 예측이 가능하지 않을까 싶다. 하지만 초반부터 끝까지 이어지는 긴장감은 지금까지 읽은 작가의 다른 작품들에 비해서 좋은 거 같다. 'trust' 'trustee' 같은 단어들이 이 작품의 중심어다.