I'm just getting around to adding books I read in 2006, so my memory is all I have to rely on -- at that time I just kept a list of books and authors. I've read most or all of the Jane Lawless series and I think I was a little underwhelmed by this one, although I always enjoy the Minneapolis setting and the character of Cordelia. ( )

In this outing of the Jane Lawless series, Hart provides the most intimate look at Jane's private life prior to the death of her lover Christine. It's been a decade since Christine's death and Jane is trying to build a new relationship. In that process she decides to go through Christine's things and is surprised to find some items, including the Iron Girl, that tie Christine with a long ago brutal triple homicide. Jane decides to investigate what happened and the book deftly goes back and forth from Christine's involvement with murdered family and the present day Jane's investigation. Interestingly, we find out several things that Jane never discovers about the murders and the victims, although of course she does find out who the killer is. There is a related subplot involving a woman who is Christine's doppelganger that is involving and interesting. In my opinion, this is the most engaging and heartfelt installment in the Lawless series and it greatly advances our knowledge of who Jane is and what Christine meant to her.

The pace of this book is just right and the plot is engrossing. The characters are three dimensional and you feel for them, even if sometimes that feeling is disgust and loathing. There is a sense of satisfaction at the conclusion of this book. I really enjoyed it and I recommend it. ( )

A promising new relationship gives Jane Lawless, Minneapolis restaurateur and occasional sleuth, the courage to finally deal with the boxed-up possessions of her long-dead lover, Christine, in this shrewd and consistently entertaining whodunit. Real estate agent Christine's last clients belonged to the wealthy, eccentric Simoneau family, three of whose members were murdered just before her death. After interviewing the convicted killer, Jane is convinced of his innocence and even more curious about Christine's involvement. She finds more than a few skeletons in the closet when she seeks answers from the pair of bickering survivors still inhabiting the decaying Simoneau family mansion. Meanwhile, Jane offers her trust and support to a young photography student who's a doppelganger for Christine. The photographer's timely appearance is all too coincidental for the suspicious Cordelia, Jane's best friend, who adds her sharp tongue, audacious fashion sense and investigative assistance. Cordelia's sometimes overzealous protectiveness comes in handy when the long-hidden true killer surfaces. Hart (An Intimate Ghost, etc.) delivers vivid, off-the-beaten-track characters and enough clues and layers of intrigue to keep the pages turning. (Publisher's Weekly)