The plot centers around a lesbian love affair that occurred in the 1960s—a fact the synopsis on the back cover deftly avoids revealing. I am a firm believer that the book synopsis provided by the publisher should accurately reflect a book’s contents for the benefit of the potential reader; this one goes out of its way to intentionally mislead its readers. On that point alone this book’s rating loses a couple of stars.

Penny is a manicurist/salon owner who is seemingly oblivious to the fact that she is losing control of her business to her recently acquired business partner & her newly acquired young assistant. Penny has just inherited a cottage from her friend, Emma. During the course of cleaning out the cottage, Penny discovers that Emma once had an affair with a young artist called Alys Jones. Alys was killed by a mysterious hit and run driver in 1970. The murder was never solved by the authorities, so Penny—who clearly has nothing better to do with her time—decides to solve the decades-old case herself.

The writing is just poor. The occasional flashbacks are unnecessary & awkward. Penny’s clichéd romance with the police detective is trite. The solution to the mystery is incredibly simplistic, and would have been easily solved by even the most incompetent of police forces at the time of the crime. The idea that the cold case was so complex it required the intervention of a ditzy manicurist is absurd. The supposed motive for the crime is equally ludicrous. Even though this is a work of fiction, its premise is so silly it just can’t be taken seriously. On all counts this is more of an agonizing read than a pleasurable one. ( )

Spa owner Penny Brannigan has just moved into the cottage that she inherited from her friend, Emma. While going through Emma's possessions, Penny discovers that Emma had been in love with a woman named Alys Jones, who was a promising painter. Alys died in a hit-and-run near Emma's home forty years ago. With the police's blessing, Penny and her friends work together to find out if Alys' death was an accident or murder.

I did not enjoy this one as much as the first book in the series as it felt as if the story never really got going. I will however, still read the next book in the series in the hope that it lives up to the first book. ( )

This book was ok. I didn't much like the relationship between the protagonist and her "best friend", Victoria. I thought this relationship was too accelerated in the first book and in this one, I found it annoying, stilted, and a bit herky-jerky. I'm not against reading a third one, if released, but I'm not going to rush out to get it on publication. ( )

A Brush with Death picks up where Cold Light of Mourning left off. We rejoin Penny Brannigan right after she has moved into her dear friend Emma's cottage (Emma died in the earlier book). While cleaning and clearing out some of Emma's belongings Penny comes across a secret Emma has kept for more than thirty years, a lesbian romance with an artist named Alys from Liverpool, England. The relationship was cut short when Emma's beloved was killed by a hit and run driver. For years the death was ruled an accident until Penny uncovers clues indicating wicked foul play. Thus begins the mystery. Most of the same characters in Cold Light of Mourning return to help Penny solve the crime. I have to admit I didn't enjoy this one as much as Cold Light of Mourning. I think it's because Duncan's main character Penny seemed to be a bit more of a busybody in this one. This one had more of a "Murder, She Wrote" feel than the other. What I appreciated the most was the continuation of a lot of details from the first book. Penny's relationships with individuals as well as her standing in the community as the place to get a manicure. Her relationship with a boyfriend grows as does her business. ( )

While moving into the cottage she inherited from her friend, Emma, Penny Brannigan discovers a decades old mystery. Penny learns that a local artist who painted a picture hanging in the cottage was killed in an unsolved hit-and-run accident. Who killed the artist and why? Penny can't feel at home in the cottage until she finds answers to these questions.

I thought this book suffered a little from sophomore slump. Nothing about it was quite as interesting as the first book in the series. The relationships between Penny and the supporting characters haven't quite gelled. Her new business partner, Victoria, keeps reminding Penny that their business suffers when Penny spends time sleuthing that should be spent working. Penny is still unsure about the future of her budding relationship with DCI Davies.

Possible spoiler: It's not really possible for readers to piece together the clues to form their own conclusions since crucial information isn't available to Penny (or to the reader) until the end of the book. Also, some readers might want to know that the historical part of the book involves a lesbian romance.

I like the location and the characters have the potential to develop into a group of people I'd like to have as friends. I'll continue with the next book in the series and hope it improves from here. ( )