A Collection of Lies - (A Kate Hamilton Mystery) by Connie Berry (Hardcover)

About the Book

"As Kate Hamilton and her new husband, DI Tom Mallory, honeymoon in Devon, a local history museum asks them to trace the provenance of a bloodstained dress said to belong to a Victorian lacemaker accused of murder. But matters turn deadly when a shot is fired during a fundraising gala, injuring Gideon Littlejohn. the man who donated the dress. Littlejohn is a cyber-security expert who lives and dresses as a Victorian gentleman, but everyone believes the real target of the attack to be a controversial politician intent on rooting out local corruption. This belief is overturned when Gideon is found dead in a pool of blood. But then the politician receives a death threat. When asked to assist in the investigation, Kate races to discover the truth as it becomes clear the killer isn't going to come quietly."--

Book Synopsis

In USA Today bestselling author Connie Berry's fifth Kate Hamilton mystery, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton follows bloodstained clues to discover the truth about the murder of a modern-day Victorian gentleman.

As Kate Hamilton and her new husband, DI Tom Mallory, honeymoon in Devon, a local history museum asks them to trace the provenance of a bloodstained dress said to belong to a Victorian lacemaker accused of murder. If genuine, the dress and its puzzling connections to a nineteenth-century Romani family who camped on Dartmoor will be the centerpiece of a new historic crimes exhibit--exactly Kate's kind of mystery. But matters turn deadly when a shot is fired during a fundraising gala, injuring the man who donated the dress.

The injured donor, Gideon Littlejohn, is a cybersecurity expert who lives and dresses as a Victorian gentleman, but everyone believes the real target of the attack to be another attendee--a controversial politician intent on rooting out local corruption. This belief is overturned when Gideon is found dead in a pool of blood. But then the politician receives a death threat.

Who was the real target? Who would want to kill both a man with an obsession for history and a tough-on-crime politician? When asked to assist in the investigation, Kate races to discover the truth, as it becomes clear the killer isn't going to come quietly.

Review Quotes

Praise for A Collection of Lies

2025 AGATHA AWARD NOMINEE!

"Berry's fifth Kate Hamilton novel combines a cold case and contemporary murder in an outstanding traditional mystery."
--Library Journal, starred review

"Fascinating historical research combines with modern murder in this charming page-turner."
--Kirkus Reviews

"A complex, beautifully descriptive mystery . . . Fans of Jane K. Cleland's Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries will relish this satisfying series."
--Booklist

"A multi-layered, clever, and complex mystery that blends past and present into a page-turning pleasure."
--Manhattan Book Review, five-star review

"A vivid, narrative driven, and thoroughly fun read."
--Midwest Book Review

"The fascinating mystery Berry weaves [is] icing on this delicious mysterious confection."
--Deadly Pleasures

"The mysteries are complex with clues deftly woven into the story."
--Kings River Life

"Connie Berry had me at 'Devon, ' but then added a history museum, a bloodstained dress, and an antiques dealer sleuth--and I realized I had a page-turner of a story on my hands. A Collection of Lies is a welcome addition to the traditional mystery genre. More, please."
--G. M. Malliet, Agatha Award-winning author of the DCI St. Just and the Rev. Max Tudor mysteries

"What a wonderful addition to Connie Berry's Kate Hamilton series. A Collection of Lies ticks all the boxes: an evocative English countryside setting, a deliciously twisty plot, unique and engaging characters, and elegant prose. A winner from start to finish."
--Jane K. Cleland, Agatha-award winning author of Jane Austen's Lost Letters

Praise for the Kate Hamilton Mysteries
"Suspenseful layers of intrigue and intelligent characters. Riveting . . . I couldn't put it down."
--Hannah Reed, national bestselling author of the Scottish Highland mysteries

"I'm looking forward to many more installments in this intriguing series."
--Bailey Cates, New York Times bestselling author of the Magical Bakery mysteries

"Deliciously atmospheric and beautifully written."
--Peg Cochran, USA Today bestselling author of the Cranberry Cove mysteries

"A Scottish delight that will keep you on your toes until the very end."
--Carlene O'Connor, USA Today bestselling author of the Irish Village mysteries

"Masterfully plotted with compelling characters and a setting rich in history."
--Gretchen Archer, bestselling author of the Davis Way Crime Caper series

"I can't imagine a better way to spend an afternoon."
--Molly MacRae, national bestselling author of the Highland Bookshop mysteries

"A seamlessly plotted mystery for fans of English puzzles."
--Library Journal, starred review

About the Author

Connie Berry is the author of the Kate Hamilton mysteries, set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes. Like her protagonist, Connie was raised by antiques dealers who instilled in her a passion for history, fine art, and travel. During college she studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany and St. Clare's College, Oxford, where she fell under the spell of the British Isles. In 2019 Connie won the IPPY Gold Medal for Mystery and was a finalist for the Agatha Award's Best Debut. She's a member of Mystery Writers of America and is on the board of the Guppies and her local Sisters in Crime chapter. Besides reading and writing mysteries, Connie loves history, foreign travel, cute animals, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Emmie.