Thanks to Eugene for the excellent cover! |
Buried inside a cache of relics from Medieval England, the ghost of a
young boy knows only that he must protect these holy treasures. But as
his era recedes into history and the relics scatter hither and yon, all
he can do is rage against the collectors of the last remaining object, a
silver spoon.
Centuries later, he encounters Donna Howard, an
antique appraiser who can speak with spirits. Donna's research convinces her that a sixteenth-century skeleton recently discovered in
England is the boy's remains. Now, in order to free himself from the
spoon, the boy must confront his own murder.
The fourth novel in
the Donna Howard mystery series again brings the past into the present,
with themes of identity and choice playing out alongside the problems of
messy history and tangled human relationships. Even when the crime is
five hundred years old, Donna is determined to solve the case.
Clasp is a romance in the oldest sense of the word: adventure, medieval arguments and accessories, ne'er-do-wells, polite ghosts--as well as less polite ones.
The Donna Howard Series
Sensible Donna Howard researches the provenances of art and antiques. Unfortunately, she occasionally also stumbles across a murder that can only be solved with her unique (and sometimes regrettable) ability to see dead people from the past. Aided by opinionated friends and secretive family members (not to mention demanding significant others), Donna Howard coolly uncovers solutions to historical and contemporary mysteries, no matter how daunting or vexatious.
The books in the Donna Howard series proceed in chronological order, but each novel can be read on its own.