2.5**

Book four in the Manor House Mystery series has Grace and her boss and benefactor, Bennett Marshfield, traveling to Italy to visit one of Bennett’s long-term friends, the fabulously wealthy Nico Pezati. They’re puzzled by an apparent forgery among Nico’s art collection but have no time to investigate as they’re flying home the next morning. But their troubles increase on the plane; by the time they land there are two bodies on board and Grace is convinced that Bennett is a target. But WHO is trying to kill him, and WHY?

I like this series but am getting tired of Grace’s inability to keep her nose out of things that don’t concern her. I perplexed that with all her “experience” solving cases that she can’t identify the culprit earlier. (I knew the villain the moment said person appeared on the page.) And more importantly, I’m tired of her very poor choices when it comes to the men in her life.

Frances (Grace’s irascible assistant) and Ronny Tooney (wannabe private investigator) both have roles to play, though I’d like to see them more involved. Ditto Scott and Bruce, Grace’s roommates. As for Hilary … I could do without her; she’s a ridiculous caricature of a money-grubbing airhead.

I read cozy mysteries because they are fast and enjoyable. They’re my reading snack food. So I'll read more of this series, but may take a break for a while.

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Grace Takes Off is the 4th book in the A Manor House series.

Grace and Bennett Marshfield have had a very enjoyable vacation touring Europe and have stopped off in Italy to visit with an old time friend of Bennett's, Nico. While looking at the collection of valuable paintings and such, Bennett notices that a Picasso piece is a fake. But since they are leaving the next day, there is time to really look into the matter.

At the last minute they need to change their flight plans and Nico's staff has secured them seats on flight back to Charlotte. On the light back home Grace is going to the galley to thank the stewardess for her attentiveness and notices another passenger putting a drug on Bennett's meal that would have surely killed him. Then when another passenger ends up dead, Grace is really concerned about Bennett's safety.

Once back at The Manor, Grace and Bennett begin to look into just who might want to see Bennett dead. At the same time they want to find out just how much of Nico' art collection might be forgeries, as they suspect they might be connected.

Hyzy gives the reader a well plotted story and exciting story that kept me guessing till the end as to who was behind wanting Bennett out of the picture. All the recurring characters are back to help and lend support to Grace as she attempts to get to the bottom of this dilemma. I'm even appreciating Frances more in each book.

I can't wait for the next book in this wonderful series. ( )

My least favourite book of this series so far.

I've enjoyed the Manor House Mystery series to date; it's a solid cozy mystery series that takes place in North Carolina at a house-tuned-museum, along the lines of the Biltmore Estate.

Grace Takes Off, though, actually takes place in three locations. The mystery starts off in Italy, a large part of it continues on in the airplane on the way back, and it wraps up at the mansion in North Carolina. This is where, I think, the book went wrong for me, personally. Ultimately, the story ended up feeling disjoined and lacked any kind of flow.

The characters are all well-written and fleshed out (the recurring ones, anyway) and I like how more than a couple of them have evolved over the course of the series. I'm not sure what the author has in mind for Grace and Jack, but she's managed to keep me interested even though I don't have a lot of patience for a romance with too many hurdles.

As to the murder mystery itself - it was rather predictable, in that the bad guy felt obvious, but how everything connected to everything else remained nebulous until the very end.

Julie Hyzy also writes the White House Chef series and it started off slow; the first 3-4 books were 'ok' - good enough to keep me reading. But the last three books or so - WOW! - really took off and I've been hooked ever since. I'm hoping we'll see that kind of acceleration, in it's own fashion, in this series soon. ( )

http://www.girllostinabook.com/2013/09/review-grace-takes-off-by-julie-hyzy.html ( )

Grace Takes Off is the 4th book in the A Manor House series.

Grace and Bennett Marshfield have had a very enjoyable vacation touring Europe and have stopped off in Italy to visit with an old time friend of Bennett's, Nico. While looking at the collection of valuable paintings and such, Bennett notices that a Picasso piece is a fake. But since they are leaving the next day, there is time to really look into the matter.

At the last minute they need to change their flight plans and Nico's staff has secured them seats on flight back to Charlotte. On the light back home Grace is going to the galley to thank the stewardess for her attentiveness and notices another passenger putting a drug on Bennett's meal that would have surely killed him. Then when another passenger ends up dead, Grace is really concerned about Bennett's safety.

Once back at The Manor, Grace and Bennett begin to look into just who might want to see Bennett dead. At the same time they want to find out just how much of Nico' art collection might be forgeries, as they suspect they might be connected.

Hyzy gives the reader a well plotted story and exciting story that kept me guessing till the end as to who was behind wanting Bennett out of the picture. All the recurring characters are back to help and lend support to Grace as she attempts to get to the bottom of this dilemma. I'm even appreciating Frances more in each book.

I can't wait for the next book in this wonderful series. ( )