DEATH WEARS A MASK is Book 2 in Ashley Weaver's Amory Ames Mysteries series. This 1930s era mystery sparkles with witty dialogue and a cast of quirky characters that capture the imagination. DEATH WEARS A MASK reminds me of the best of my favorite Dorothy Sayers mysteries -- with sophisticated characters and complicated puzzles. Amory Ames is a likable and determined amateur sleuth, and her errant husband Milo makes a fascinating hybrid of Lord Peter Wimsey and Nick Charles. Amory's insertion into a murder mystery makes sense, since it takes place in her high society world and because one of the official detectives has asked her for help for just that reason.

In DEATH WEARS A MASK, Amory's personal life plays a pivotal role in this mystery. Ashley Weaver does a great job of balancing the romantic strife with the mystery. I think Ashley Weaver's choice of having DEATH WEARS A MASK told strictly from Amory's point of view fits the story. Without having a window into his thoughts, Amory's husband Milo is more of an enigma, and the reader has the same doubts about him that Amory does. As a reader, I was able to see both sides of the marital conflict without having part of the story told from Milo's perspective. The romantic conflict made me empathize with Amory without finding her situation too melodramatic.

You get two compelling mysteries in DEATH WEARS A MASK -- a murder and a puzzle involving disappearing jewelry. Both mysteries are tantalizing and fun to try and figure out. Whether the two things are connected is what baffles Amory. The elegant dinner party Amory attends at the beginning of the book, with all of the cryptic clues, set the tone for DEATH WEARS A MASK. Ashley Weaver populates DEATH WEARS A MASK with shady characters, red herrings, and deliciously haute haunts where devilishly handsome gentlemen hang out. The vivid picture Ashley Weaver paints makes me feel as though I'm in the thick of things, hunting down clues and dodging romantic entanglements. A masquerade ball and a rakish viscount are more than I could hope for and add extra excitement to the plot.

In DEATH WEARS A MASK, Ashley Weaver takes Golden Age mystery elements and makes them her own with charm and wit. The steady pace and unexpected twists snare your interest and keep you captivated until the very end. This book has made me a fan and I eagerly await the next installment in this Amory Ames mystery series.

Book Summary

Amory Ames is looking forward to a tranquil period of reconnecting with reformed playboy husband Milo after an unexpected reconciliation following the murderous events at the Brightwell Hotel. Amory hopes a quiet stay at their London flat will help mend their dysfunctional relationship. However, she soon finds herself drawn into another investigation when Serena Barrington asks her to look into the disappearance of valuable jewelry snatched at a dinner party.

Unable to say no to an old family friend, Amory agrees to help lay a trap to catch the culprit at a lavish masked ball hosted by the notorious Viscount Dunmore. But when one of the illustrious party guests is murdered, Amory is pulled back into the world of detection, enlisted by old ally Detective Inspector Jones. As she works through the suspect list, she struggles to fend off the advances of the very persistent viscount even as rumors swirl about Milo and a French film star. Once again, Amory and Milo must work together to solve a mystery where nothing is as it seems, set in the heart of 1930s society London.

Death Wears a Mask is the second novel in Ashley Weaver's witty and stylish Amory and Milo Ames mystery series.