The Greenleaf Murders - (A Historic Homes Mystery) by R J Koreto (Paperback)

About the Book

"Young architect Wren Fontaine lands her dream job: restoring Greenleaf House, New York's finest Gilded-Age mansion, to its glory days. But old homes have old secrets: Stephen Greenleaf--heir to what's left of his family's legacy--refuses to reveal what his plans are once the renovation is completed. And still living in a corner of the home is Stephen's 90-year-old Aunt Agnes who's lost in the past, brooding over a long-forgotten scandal while watching Wren with mistrust. Wren's job becomes more complex when a shady developer who was trying to acquire Greenleaf House is found murdered. And after breaking into a sealed attic, Wren finds a skeleton stuffed in a trunk. She soon realizes the two deaths, a century apart, are strangely related. Meanwhile, a distraction of a different kind appears in the form of her client's niece, the beautiful and seductive Hadley Vanderwerf. As Wren gingerly approaches a romance, she finds that Hadley has her own secrets. Then a third murder occurs, and the introverted architect is forced to think about people, and about how ill-fated love affairs and obsessions continue to haunt the Greenleafs. In the end, Wren risks her own life to uncover a pair of murderers, separated by a century but connected by motive. She reveals an odd twist in the family tree that forever changes the lives of the Greenleafs, the people who served them, the mansion they all called home--and even Wren herself"--

Book Synopsis

Young architect Wren Fontaine lands her dream job: restoring Greenleaf House, New York's finest Gilded-Age mansion, to its glory days. But old homes have old secrets: Stephen Greenleaf-heir to what's left of his family's legacy-refuses to reveal what his plans are once the renovation is completed. And still living in a corner of the home is Stephen's 90-year-old Aunt Agnes who's lost in the past, brooding over a long-forgotten scandal while watching Wren with mistrust.

Wren's job becomes more complex when a shady developer who was trying to acquire Greenleaf House is found murdered. And after breaking into a sealed attic, Wren finds a skeleton stuffed in a trunk. She soon realizes the two deaths, a century apart, are strangely related. Meanwhile, a distraction of a different kind appears in the form of her client's niece, the beautiful and seductive Hadley Vanderwerf. As Wren gingerly approaches a romance, she finds that Hadley has her own secrets.

Then a third murder occurs, and the introverted architect is forced to think about people, and about how ill-fated love affairs and obsessions continue to haunt the Greenleafs. In the end, Wren risks her own life to uncover a pair of murderers, separated by a century but connected by motive. She reveals an odd twist in the family tree that forever changes the lives of the Greenleafs, the people who served them, the mansion they all called home-and even Wren herself.

Review Quotes

"A delightful who-done-it in which the house is as engaging as the wonderful heroine. Readers will want to get lost in these rooms and these pages." -Cate Holahan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Three Lives

"If you love houses and puzzles - which I do - you will be captivated by THE GREENLEAF MURDERS, the first in Richard Koreto's new series. Equally sure-footed in the gilded age of the mansion's heyday and the contemporary world of its decline, Koreto has woven a pretzel of a plot, introduced a charming new heroine, and whetted appetites for more grave deeds and grandeur." -Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver series

"I believe I was secretly born to be an architect, which is probably why I so enjoyed this mystery of a stately NYC mansion and its role in murders both past and present." -Lisa Black, NYT bestselling author of Every Kind of Wicked

"...Koreto weaves a story that creates the perfect tension between the beauty of the golden era and the fear of a killer in plain sight." -L.A. Chandlar, national bestselling author of the Art Deco Mystery Series

"One would think that a murder mystery featuring old homes, architecture, and rich blue bloods would be a dull read, but that's not the case with R.J. Koreto's finely-written "The Greenleaf Murders." Filled with twists and turns and sharply-drawn characters, this well-done novel is very much recommended." -Brendan DuBois, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author

"...R.J. Koreto proves himself a master craftsman throughout, with a keen eye for all the right details." -Art Taylor, Edgar Award winner, author of The Boy Detective & The Summer of '74

"Koreto weaves past and present into an engrossing tale of old and new New York. Fans of Fiona Davis will delight in this blending of history with present-day issues, proving that the more things change, the more they stay the same. An engaging heroine uses her knowledge of history to unravel a century-old family secret and solve a very recent murder as she restores a landmark home in Manhattan." -Victoria Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Murder on Pleasant Avenue