A dying invalid…a house full of treasures….a family haunted by tragedy. Deception and heartbreak stalk estate sale organizer Audrey Nealon when she accepts a lucrative new job in a posh New Jersey town. Eager to settle their mother’s estate and close the door on their elegant family home, the Eskew children hire Audrey to run an estate sale as their mother lies dying, tended by a home health … health aide. Every day Audrey works in the house, she discovers another valuable artwork and another family secret. How did the adored oldest son die? What’s wrong with the strange younger sister? Who is making off with rare books, antique silver, and vintage ball gowns? Most of all, how reliable are the dying woman’s deathbed ramblings? As Audrey uncovers more about the Eskew family’s tortured past, she begins to doubt her own perceptions of the elusive people who surround her in the house. Charm turns to deceit, compassion morphs to rage. Whom can she trust?
When a murderer strikes, Audrey’s sense of justice compels her to defend the defenseless, no matter the risk to herself. Fans of psychological suspense and psychological thrillers will enjoy this twist-ending family drama with a strong female protagonist and complex characters. Intervals of romance, antiques, and humor provide a break from the intensity. This Bitter Treasure is a top-rated thriller.
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Audrey Nealon’s Another Man’s Treasure estate clearance company is hired by the prestigious Eskew family’s elder daughter Kara, [and her remaining siblings’ -Tom and Rachel] to sell off the estate’s belongings, even before the soon-anticipated death of their mother. Although this sale is somewhat unsavory to Audrey, (and her employees, Ty and Adrienne – the latter her soon to be sister-in-law) it will bring in a great deal of commission revenue, which will help Audrey and fiance Sean’s marital home-buying plans along considerably. However events soon unfold that will make Audrey’s misgivings all too pertinent as this excellent murder-mystery by S. W. Hubbard will reveal most entertainingly!
What is ‘different’ about Rachel? What event in her teens affected her relationship with her parents so badly?
Who is the deceased elder son of the family and how did he and his pregnant wife come to die in his plane’s crash?
Why did Mr Eskew change his name in his teens? What terrible secret did he and his elder son try to hide from the rest of the family?
What ‘treasures’ does Audrey find in the Eskew house? Who’s accused of Mrs Eskew’s murder? Who is really guilty of it?
Working under pressure amid often misleading information and experiencing several unpleasant events, makes Audrey’s wedding plans and Sean’s enthusiasm for starting a family seem totally unrealistic to Audrey…but stranger things later happen that may well change her mind in the future.
I can highly recommend this charming series to fans of ‘cozy’ murder-mysteries, involving several different types of relationship, that are interesting and have engaging, fully-rounded characters in an easy-to-read format…more ‘Treasures’ please!
I read it a while ago but didn’t make any notes about it except (this was book 3) that it was confusing unless you had read the previous two books. I recall events and people kept appearing in this book with no explanation.
Just OK. I thought more clues would be found in the house itself. Instead, the estate sale manager does more suspect interviews than her cop boyfriend. There were quite a few characters but none were fleshed out very well.
The title doesn’t fit the book.