Grace to the Finish (A Manor House Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th and Last in the Series
Setting – North Carolina
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery (June 27, 2017)
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425281635
Kindle ASIN: B01M0ODZPA
Now that Grace Wheaton has officially been named heir to Bennett Marshfield’s fortune, her usually busy schedule has become a juggling act. In addition to her duties at Marshfield Manor, she’s bankrolling her roommates’ refurbished wine shop, Amethyst Cellars. Grace is excited to check out the rustic space with Bruce and Scott. But that excitement turns to dismay when they stumble upon the body of the banker involved with the sale.
Grace wants to get to the bottom of this mystery quickly so that her friends’ new venture isn’t overshadowed by an unsolved murder, but she’s got even more to balance when her troubled sister, Liza, is released from prison early. Liza’s first stop is Marshfield Manor and her first priority is grabbing a bite of Bennett’s fortune for herself. Grace has to keep her greedy sister at bay and catch a killer before her new life comes crashing down around her.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Grace Wheaton is learning her new role as heir to Bennett Marshfield’s fortune. She and Bennett work together so she can become familiar with everything in his life especially Marshfield Manor. She is also the not so silent partner in her roommates wine shop, Amethyst Cellars. They have purchased a building and are just starting on their plans to not only open their wine store again but opening a restaurant in the building too. Add to that her sister, Liza, is being released from prison early and plans to stake her claim for her share of Bennett’s money immediately. As if that isn’t enough Grace, Bruce and Scott find find a dead body in their new building. So even though Frances seems to think Grace needs a new man in her life, she is going to have to solve the murder and straighten out her sister before she can even think of anything like that.
Julie Hyzy has created truly wonderful characters in this series. They are characters that are so engaging that it is easy to become involved in everything they do. Grace, Bennett and even Frances’ relationships have grown so much since the beginning. Bruce and Scott have really evolved too. Aunt Belinda and Liza bring their own craziness to this story. We learn their real backstory and more about Grace’s family in this installment and it is quite interesting.
The murder mystery is very well plotted and timely for the world today. Grace is like a dog with a bone as she tries to fit all the pieces together. A homeless man may have the final clue to help everything fall into place. A subplot to this mystery is that Joe is holding something back from Grace. She doesn’t know if she can trust him and she may just have to give up on the relationship they have been working hard to build.
I was and still am sad that the author announced earlier this month that this is the last book in the series. I understand she wants to take her writing in a different direction. She does leave everyone in a good place but not everything is complete. I would love to be at the grand reopening for Amethyst Cellars, or see how more of Marshfield Manor is opened to the public, and find out if Grace did find that forever love. I know the door is closed for now, but I can hope Julie may revisit the Manor someday in the future. If not we say goodbye to some amazing characters and are blessed by the short time we got to spend with them.
Another perfect escape from Julie Hyzy!
About Julie Hyzy
Julie Hyzy is the New York Times bestselling author of the White House Chef Mysteries and the Manor House Mysteries. She’s won the Anthony, Barry, Derringer, and Lovey Awards for her novels and short stories. Her first Manor House Mystery, Grace Under Pressure, earned a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly. Find out more about Julie Hyzy and her books on her webpage here.
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. The whole family dynamic rings so true for me. I love her mom, very opinionated, and dad, knows when to back off, the sister, a little over the top.
and 
, of the 
, work in conjunction to write this series. I enjoy their other series’ so it is not a surprise to me that enjoy their writing together as well. The know how to set the scene, create realistic characters, and put them in drama filled situations. The also know how to add the perfect amount of humor to their stories.
, the First Lady must decide who to name as executive chef when Henry retires. There’s no doubt that Henry prefers Ollie succeed him, but who else is in the running for the top job?
is the second book in the White House Chef series, but many readers pick it up mistakenly believing it to be the first in the series (meaning: they haven’t read State of the Onion). What is the number one comment/complaint I’ve received via email from this group of readers?
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that occurs near the end of the book. While there is a logical explanation for the reappearance of a formerly lost item, that explanation isn’t provided on the page. What is the item in question?
. Someone close to the persnickety fellow plays a key role in the story. What’s the character’s name and how is he related to Sargeant?
unique?
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, I’d originally suggested something else entirely – a title I thought fit the storyline nicely. Berkley disagreed. What was my suggestion?
is a great title, too.
, the ninth 
, will be the last one in the series that I write. Whether the series continues without me is anyone’s guess, but if you’re curious as to why I’m stepping away, I invite you to visit my blog 
would be the last book in this series and explained why. This is one of my very favorite series so I was sad, but after reading her post I am thankful for the nine adventures we did have with Ollie.
, earned a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly.