😉 Seriously, if you have a reading addiction habit problem passion then you know what I’m talking about. I liked the book, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.This week’s TTT topic is an easy one. I didn’t guess whodunnit until the end, and there were a few surprises thrown in there. Gilbert weaves the contemporary and historical stories together through a series of old letters, gradually revealing information that changes our perception of the situation and characters, ramping up the tension but not giving away the solution of the mystery until the end of the book. The narrator of the audiobook does an excellent job of consistently distinguishing the characters. Tess’s old friend, Axel, shows up in his guardian angel role and disappears again. Tess’s husband, Thomas, seems more confident and active in this story than in the previous one, which adds depth to their relationship. Gilbert is good at dangling red herrings in front of her readers. Various minor characters come and go, and they are all interesting. When the inevitable body is discovered, an extraordinary law man shows up to solve the problem. Her coworkers are odd, and her boss is unpredictable. Tess Spencer is working a part-time job at the beginning of this book, at an upscale spa. The author’s skill with characterization is clear from the start. I like all of them, but Nikki Jo is my favorite. Gilbert writes some of the most natural, realistic characters I have ever read, especially within the Spencer family. I wasn’t disappointed! Although it is a standalone book, I loved it as a sequel, glad to return to the Appalachian community. I read and enjoyed the first book in the Murder in the Mountains series, Miranda Warning, last year, so I had high expectations for this second one.

Even as she sifts through layers of deceit, Tess realizes too late that the killer's sights have zeroed in on her.Īn unpredictable psychological mystery replete with memorable characters, Trial by Twelve is book two in A Murder in the Mountains series. When Tess agrees to help the cunning Detective Tucker gather clues from the inside, she discovers the posh spa hides more than dead bodies. A serial killer has returned to Buckneck, West Virginia.a skilled hunter with a unique taste in prey. But when a pool installation turns up eight skeletons in the spa's back yard, Tess becomes entangled in a sleuthing job destined to go awry.Īs the investigation gets underway, someone dumps a fresh body near the excavated burial site, confirming unspeakable fears.

Tess Spencer loves her low-key job at the Crystal Mountain Spa, which allows her plenty of down-time with her one-year old daughter and lawyer husband, Thomas. Trial by Twelve is the 2015 Grace Award winner for Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Historical Suspense.

To Calm a Storm by Heather Day Gilbert