Kate Hamilton is an American antiques dealer living in the UK, preparing for her upcoming wedding to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory. While this should be an exciting time for her, anyone familiar with Connie Berry’s mystery series knows that is not always the case. While with a friend on their way home from a Hen Party (England’s version of a Bachelorette Party), they encounter a dead body on the ground of a cemetery. After some research, she discovers that he is the former boyfriend of her friend Vivian, and the death may be connected with a project she’s currently working with her partner at her shop. The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry is the fourth installment in the Kate Hamilton mystery series. This one intertwines a valuation of a classic art piece with a decades-old murder that may seem random at first – until Kate helps connect the dots. 

The Shadow of Memory seems to be all over the place at first. We have Kate, working with partner Ivor Tweedy to verify the authenticity of a painting completed by a Dutch painter Jan van Eyck. The group requesting the valuation is also planning to renovate the Netherfield Sanitorium (basically a mental institution) into luxury townhomes. On the other hand, she is also concerned for her friend Vivian – Will Parker, her former boyfriend and recently deceased, was holding a piece of paper with her name and address on it when he was found. Now readers are pulled along with Kate; why was Will Parker trying to reach Vivian? And should Vivian also be worried for her safety? 

More details from Vivian’s childhood reveal that her, Will, and three other teenagers stumbled across a strange and creepy murder scene in an old house – the Monkey Puzzle House. Decades ago a doctor and his wife were found dead by their children, and the incident was recorded as an accidental poisoning. The group of teenagers then collect evidence and come up with theories as to what actually happened to the couple. Fast forward to today, and Kate decides she must track the remaining members of the group to determine if Will died of natural causes, or if something more sinister is at play. How is Will Parker’s death connected to the couple’s death all those years ago? 

While three Kate Hamilton mysteries came before The Shadow of Memory, this was the first one I read. Connie Berry fantastically tells the story so that readers are not obligated to read the first three books before picking up this one. Besides that, this was an interesting premise. An antiques dealer who relies on her gut feeling when presented with old art or trinkets? She can somehow sense if something malicious occurred to previous owners or if the piece is connected to a larger picture. Which is what helped her and her partner to proceed with caution regarding the Van Eyck. 

Unfortunately, the pace was a bit slow for my taste, even though Berry’s talent for writing suspense thrillers is notable. This story was a little complex, with seemingly unrelated events occurring nearly sixty years apart somehow connected, and Kate makes the connection with the help of her fiancé and professional network. Although the pace picked up for a climactic ending, readers are rewarded a little too late. In any case, readers who enjoy suspense/thriller novels, are fascinated with antiques, or are interested in the UK on any level will do well to pick this one up. I might be curious to check out the first three in the Kate Hamilton mystery series, but I wouldn’t rush them to the top of my list. The Shadow of Memory is available May 10.