Once in Cornwall, Melrose meets Johnny Wells, a local young man who works in his aunt’s teashop, moonlights as a cab driver and fancies himself an amateur magician. Johnny takes life in stride, a very even person, until his aunt Chris disappears one evening. Johnny can’t believe that Chris would go off on her own without leaving word. When a young woman’ s body is discovered in Lamorna Cove, Melrose fears that the woman is Johnny’s aunt. While Melrose’s fears are not realized, he is immediately drawn into a murder case that haunts not only people in the present, but has strong roots in the past and has the potential to haunt many people for years to come.

Lamorna Wink is a tragic, gothic mystery, full of tragic people and tragic actions that lead them to commit unthinkable acts that snowball out of control in many cases. Being the fifteenth novel, the characters are much better appreciated by those who have been following Richard Jury and Melrose. New readers to the series will, however, be enchanted by the eccentric people that grace Melrose’s life and will be anxious to read more about them.

A very dark and stormy night atmosphere is very suitable for the Cornwall seaside. Even though the series leans more to the side of police procedurals, Grimes is very skillful with her characters, giving the mystery more of an English village cozy feel. Readers just discovering Melrose Plant and Richard Jury will be very pleased to learn of the many preceding books to read while they await the duo’s next outing.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry