Publishers Weekly
01/23/2023
Set in 1926, Agatha winner Neubauer’s diverting fourth Jane Wunderly mystery (after 2022’s Danger on the Atlantic) takes Jane home to Boston. There she learns that her father—“a professor of history, with a specialized interest in the Ottoman Empire”—to whom she was planning to introduce her fiancé, Redvers, has taken out a large bank loan and fled to Istanbul in search of an ancient artifact, the heart of Sultan Sulieman the Magnificent. Jane and Redvers embark on a voyage to Istanbul, where she hopes to locate her father and ensure that he returns the money to the bank, but their task proves far from simple. In Istanbul, instead of her father, the pair encounter a host of unsavory characters. When her father’s translator and confidant is killed in an elevator in their hotel, Jane realizes she could be in grave danger. The action builds to a satisfying resolution as Jane and Redvers follow clues that lead them to Budapest, Hungary. Suspenseful twists and turns more than compensate for a culprit astute readers may pinpoint early on. This fast-paced, adventure-filled mystery should win Neubauer new fans. Agent: Ann Collette, Rees Literary. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Praise for the Jane Wunderly Mysteries:
“The winning team of the smart, compassionate Jane and the resourceful Redvers is guaranteed to please series fans and draw in some new ones.” —Publishers Weekly on Danger on the Atlantic
“You’ll be forgiven if the music from Titanic plays in your head while you explore a gorgeous ocean liner and watch Jane and Redvers solve an intriguing mystery.” —Criminal Element on Danger on the Atlantic
“This is a fun historical mystery that will make you want to visit a different 20s!” —The Parkersburg News on Danger on the Atlantic
“Because Jane is a modern woman, she uses her own smarts and her own skills to eventually solve the crime and nab the culprit. Jane is faced with starting to come to terms with her own past and beginning to look ahead to a future. She’s also American, so this reader is wondering if she’s headed back stateside in the next installment. I can’t wait to find out.” —Mystery Scene on Murder at Wedgefield Manor
“Neubauer’s sophomore effort is just as sparkling as her debut, filled with dashing adventure, a classic mystery, 1920s glamor, and a touch of romance. Murder at Wedgefield Manor once again updates a classic formula for contemporary audiences. And did I remember to say it was dashing?” —Daniel Goldin, Boswell Books Company (Milwaukee, WI) on Murder at Wedgefield Manor
“Neubauer’s sprightly follow-up…The country house intrigue and an unconventional chase reap rewards. Readers will look forward to further cases of the intrepid Jane and the mysterious Mr. Redvers.” —Publishers Weekly on Murder at Wedgefield Manor
“A retro whodunit with a comfy cast and a nifty solution.” —Kirkus Reviews on Murder at Wedgefield Manor
“Stunning revelations, romance, adventure, and intrigue abound in this multilayered, delightfully entertaining whodunit. Neubauer’s debut dazzles, with a smart plot, remarkable scenery, and skilled execution.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW on Murder at the Mena House
“Jane is a feisty heroine, the setting is enticingly depicted, and there are several intriguing subplots. Fans of Agatha Christie will enjoy this homage.” —Booklist on Murder at the Mena House
“Neubauer’s promising debut…[Readers] will be eager for the next installment.” —Publishers Weekly on Murder at the Mena House
"Engaging...A very good start to a new historical mystery series." —Mystery Scene on Murder at the Mena House
“A roaring Twenties adventure.” —Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine on Murder at the Mena House
“A welcome vacation…Erica Ruth Neubauer could whisk you off to a swanky Egyptian resort in the 1920s with plenty of cocktails and a mysterious handsome stranger.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Murder at the Mena House
“Fans of Elizabeth Peter are going to want to get in on the ground floor of Erica Ruth Neubauer’s Jane Wunderly mysteries.” —Jess Lourey in CrimeReads on Murder at the Mena House
“Murder at the Mena House reflects a much more glamorous and gentler age of sleuthing, when the detective wore a tuxedo instead of a trench coat and his lovely companion didn’t merely sit around and wait to be rescued from the villain’s clutches.” —New York Journal of Books on Murder at the Mena House
“This delightful new historical mystery series highlights a charming heroine, albeit one with secrets up her sleeve, and features colorful characters, a picturesque setting, sparkling wit, and a healthy dose of suspense.” —Daniel Goldin, Boswell Books Company (Milwaukee, WI) on Murder at the Mena House
“This charming debut is perfect for fans of Tasha Alexander and Deanna Raybourn. I can't wait to see what Jane's next adventure will be!” —John McDougall, Murder by the Book Bookstore (Houston, TX)
“If you want to escape to a glamorous hotel in 1920s Egypt and solve a good, old-fashioned murder with a witty heroine, this is the book for you!” —Devin Abraham, Once Upon a Crime Books (Minneapolis, MN) on Murder at the Mena House
"With deft characterizations, an engaging plot, and the most compelling heroine I’ve found since Amelia Peabody, Erica Ruth Neubauer’s Murder at the Mena House is the best book you’ll read this year. I can’t wait for the next installment of this phenomenal series.” —Tasha Alexander, author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius on Murder at the Mena House
“What a refreshing surprise to be back on the Nile in this confident and accomplished debut. Neubauer pays proper homage to the Golden Age, but her crisp style and witty heroine ensure that Murder at the Mena House zips along in a thoroughly modern manner. I hope plucky Jane Wunderly has a long sleuthing future ahead; I, for one, am already looking forward to her next adventure.” —Catriona McPherson, author of Go To My Grave on Murder at the Mena House
“A thrilling new series!” —Victoria Thompson, national bestselling author of Murder on Union Square on Murder at the Mena House
“It’s no small feat to bring 1920s colonial Egypt to life, but Murder at the Mena House does far more than that. It’s an elegant mystery—written with wit, style, and heart—and Jane Wunderly is an unforgettable sleuth. Erica Neubauer’s debut is an absolute delight.” —Hilary Davidson, Anthony Award–winning author of Don’t Look Down on Murder at the Mena House
“Murder at the Mena House is impossible to put down. A pitch-perfect mystery, with an exotic locale, and an unforgettable main character I hope to encounter again in future books. Erica Neubauer has created one of the most impressive debut novels I’ve read.” —Alex Grecian, author of The Saint of Wolves and Butchers on Murder at the Mena House
“An exotic trip back in time to 1920s Egypt, with a cast of winning characters right out of the Golden Age of crime fiction. Murder at the Mena House is a charming adventure cum murder mystery set in a luxury hotel at the foot of the great pyramids. Gigolos, cardsharps, smugglers, rich aunts, and one achingly handsome romantic interest surround our plucky, irresistible, complex heroine, the young widow Mrs. Jane Wunderly. An auspicious start to what promises to be an exciting and compelling series.” —James W. Ziskin, Anthony and Macavity Award-winning author of the Ellie Stone mysteries on Murder at the Mena House
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-12
Neubauer moves further away from the retro whodunits of her franchise's previous installments and closer to the hidden-treasure search beloved of interwar movie serials.
The long-awaited 1926 meeting between Redvers, a fiance with a mysterious past, and Jane Wunderly’s father is put on hold by the disappearance of Prof. Henry Wunderly, who’s left behind no forwarding address, a mountain of debt that’s coming due in a matter of weeks, and no message for his daughter. Has he been the victim of foul play? Probably not; instead, the best evidence is that he’s traveled to Turkey in quest of Suleiman the Magnificent’s heart, which was separated from the rest of the sultan’s body centuries ago and is buried in an undisclosed location. Jane, frantic to mortgage back her father’s home before hungry creditors seize it, takes off in hot pursuit along with Redvers, their inquiries complicated by the interference of Millie Stanley, Henry’s wealthy sister, and her fiance, Lord Edward Hughes, who’ve followed them to Istanbul; Maral Aslanyan, the restaurateur’s daughter who turns out to be Henry’s sweetheart; and singer Katerina Semenov, an exiled Russian aristocrat who’s one of a number of unexpected acquaintances Redvers has in Istanbul. Every time the lovers seem to be closing in on Henry, he turns out to have gone still further afield—though he does begin leaving behind notes asking Jane to quit looking for him and go home. The pace is leisurely, the structure episodic, the mystery slight. Fans of the series can trust their guesses about whether Jane catches up with her father and if Henry finds that noble heart.
Globe-trotting piffle.
