Murder at the Hacienda - A Santa Fe Revival Mystery by Amanda Allen Hardcover

Book Synopsis

Former New York darling turned amateur sleuth Madeline Vaughn-Alwin finds herself trapped in the beautiful hacienda of the Luhan family with a killer at Christmas!

Newly engaged Maddie is hoping for a quiet Christmas filled with fun and festivity with her gorgeous husband-to-be Dr David Cole, but the moment she bumps into old friend Katrina Wilton, Maddie's Christmas plans are thoroughly destroyed. Katrina is now married to the dashing, yet troubled veteran Alfonso Luhan, son of the infamous local landowner, Don Victor Luhan, and is celebrating Christmas at the family hacienda, Los Pineros - Katrina insists that Maddie and David simply must join them.

However, Maddie and David quickly find that things in the Luhan family are far from merry . . . Don Victor casts a cruel and overbearing hand over his ailing wife Isabella and their four children - all with their own secrets and eccentricities. So when Maddie stumbles across Don Victor's brutally murdered body early one morning, snow turned crimson around the ghastly scene, she cannot believe she has once again been thrown into a murder mystery!

As a snowstorm rages, and everyone is trapped inside the idyllic manor house, Maddie must act fast to solve a very tricky family affair and bring the murderer to justice before Christmas.

Review Quotes

A satisfying read for Maddie fans; it's also a good bet to give fans of Jessica Fellowes' The Mitford Murders (2018)-- "Booklist on A Moment in Crime"

Allen perfectly captures the serene enchantment of Santa Fe. Her gutsy heroine has plenty to work with in a mystery that keeps you guessing to the end-- "Kirkus Reviews on A Moment in Crime"

Allen's re-creation of 1920s language, dress, and clashing norms helps create an immersive whodunit, and Maddie is sure to become a beloved heroine-- "Booklist on Santa Fe Mourning"

Auspicious . . . Readers will want to see more of the appealing Maddie, whose next adventure is hinted at in the epilogue-- "Publishers Weekly on Santa Fe Mourning"

Colorful, playful, and engaging, with a likable heroine and a flamboyant cast of supporting characters-- "Booklist on Death Comes to Santa Fe"

Engrossing . . . With evocative descriptions and captivating historical detail, Amanda Allen paints a vivid picture of post-WWI Santa Fe and weaves a mystery that is sure to keep you guessing until the end!-- "Ashley Weaver, author of the Edgar Finalist Murder at the Brightwell on Santa Fe Mourning"

Maddie is a winning heroine, and the period details will appeal to those enamored of 1920s speakeasies-- "Publishers Weekly on Death Comes to Santa Fe"

Readers will appreciate Allen's likable group of characters, acute attention to historical details, and cameos of such real-life celebrities as poet Alice Henderson and her artist husband, William Henderson. Fans will be eager for Maddie's next adventure-- "Publishers Weekly on A Moment in Crime"

Santa Fe, a place of beauty and artistic inspiration, provides the perfect backdrop for the sympathetic sleuth-- "Kirkus Reviews on Death Comes to Santa Fe"

Spoiled NY Flapper meets the Wild West - what could be more delightful?-- "Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author"