Shadow of an Angel (Augusta Goodnight Mysteries) - Hardcover

Ballard, Mignon F.

3.81

206 ratings by Goodreads

9780312281687: Shadow of an Angel (Augusta Goodnight Mysteries)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312281684 ISBN 13: 9780312281687

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2002

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After the sudden death of her husband, Minda Hobbs returns to Angel Heights, S.C., the home of her forebears, to seek peace and purpose in her life. Instead, she finds her n'er-do-well cousin Otto as cold and stiff as yesterday's grits in the ladies' room at the historic Minerva Academy.

Shocked by her cousin's murder and still grieving over the loss of her husband, Minda has mixed emotions when she's greeted by her guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight. Shimmering with church window radiance, and smelling of strawberry jam, Augusta is a temp who's come on a double mission-to help Minda solve Otto's murder and to take care of unfinished business from an assignment in 1916.

Even though Otto could be unbearable at times, an annoying laugh is hardly cause for murder. Minda's only lead is a tiny gold pin, found wedged in a Minerva Academy bathroom stall, and its connection to a club called the Mystic Six. Together, Minda and Augusta trace the descendents of this secret society, piecing together clues that lead to a special quilt and the mystery behind Cousin Otto's unfortunate demise.

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About the Author:

Mignon F. Ballard lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina, with her husband. She is the author of the award-winning children's novel Aunt Matilda's Ghost as well as several acclaimed mysteries including Minerva Cries Murder and Raven Rock. Shadow of an Angel is the third book in her Augusta Goodnight mystery series.

From Booklist:

Minda Hobbs goes home; her husband, Jarvis, is dead, and she seeks the comfort of her family and the family homeplace, fondly called the Nut House in Angel Heights, South Carolina. The terrific first sentence clues us in to the tone: "Things got off to a rotten start when I found Cousin Otto dead in the ladies' room." Humor, gentility, and understatement are the order of the day, even regarding the angel, Augusta Goodnight, who assists Minda not only in solving the mystery but also in returning to life and its comforts after Jarvis' death. The tenuous memories of old women, among them Vesta, Minda's grandmother, tie together a sewing circle of young women before World War I, a secret society with the symbol of a star enclosed in a flower, and a mysterious quilt that seems to have disappeared. How this all relates to the current day--and Cousin Otto's death--involves family secrets and lots of herb tea and angel-made muffins. Lighter than Augusta's nondescripts. GraceAnne DeCandido
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