SCATTERED LEGACY: MURDER IN
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, high adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules a getaway trip to show Annalisse his mother’s Italian birthplace, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The key to it all might be a gifted set of rosary beads where Annalisse can use her skills for appraising artifacts to uncover the truth. She leads Alec toward answers that are unthinkable—and events that will change their futures forever.
Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Review
What do a cat, the Mafia, a medieval rosary, and the lifestyle of a rich and famous heir to a fortune all have in common? Unfortunately, murder. I love a good crime story and this is certainly a fascinating one! Bell’s two main characters are Alec, the heir to a fortune, and his fiancee’ Annalisse. They are working to clear Alec’s father’s name that has been linked to the Mafia. The journey from the Art world in New York City to Italy on a private jet is “the calm before the storm” because once they land in Italy the book is non-stop action, adventure, mystery, and romance. Bell has done a marvelous job of combining all four genres into one book.
Bell’s characters are terrific. Annaliese is very authentic as she begins to see Alec in a different light and wonders if she really knows him like she thinks she does. She is afraid of what she might find, which is always a difficult situation when one is in love. The lavish lifestyle they display adds another layer to the engaged couple’s relationship that seems to be uncomfortable for Annalisse at times, but if you are not used to it, who wouldn’t have fleeting thoughts of being overwhelmed? Alec’s mom, Generosa, is intriguing, mysterious, and secretive. The bad guys are simply as bad as it gets.
Bell has included enough historical information and details about everywhere the couple goes that you feel like you are experiencing the sights and getting the information in real-time. If you have not been to Italy, this book will make you want to go as Bell’s descriptions of the towns are certainly romantic and idyllic.
Scattered Legacy is an edge-of-your-seat read. I have not read the first two in the series but they are already on my “to read” list! It is a perfect read for anyone seeking some exotic romantic adventures in their next read.
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Julia Picks 1 
Great review! I really enjoyed the first books and can’t wait to read this new installment in the series.
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Thank you for reading an reviewing Scattered Legacy on the Lone Star Lit book tour! A wonderful early review for the third installment in the Annalisse Series. Marlene M. Bell
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