July 4, 2011
At the start of Ernst's entertaining second Chloe Ellefson mystery set in 1982 Wisconsin (after 2010's Old World Murder), a call to the Eagle, Wis., police department sends officers racing toward a woman who has calmly announced her plans to commit suicideâinformation so detailed that when they find her dead body on a forest trail minutes later, the minor discrepancies suggest foul play. The victim is identified as Bonnie Sabatola, the sister of Dellyn Burke, a gardener of historical plants who works with Chloe at an outdoor ethnic museum. Dellyn recently inherited her parents' antique-filled farmhouse after they died in a car crash. At the farmhouse, Dellyn turns up info about the massive Eagle Diamond, discovered by early area settlers that was later stolen and never recovered. Chloe wonders whether Bonnie's death could be related to the missing diamond. Greed, passion, skill, and luck all figure in this surprise-filled outing.