In Anna Fitzgerald Healy's Etiquette for Lovers and Killers, we are introduced to Billie who in 1964 is dreaming of a way out of her small Maine hometown. Billie went away to college to study linguistics but came home after the death of her parents, so now she is underemployed as a seamstress, applying to out-of-town jobs en masse. While collecting her mail one day, she receives a mysterious envelope containing a letter for another woman and an engagement ring. While pondering why she's received it, wealthy summer visitor Avery introduces himself and invites her to a party where the letter's intended recipient is murdered.
Billie feels compelled to uncover the murderer after receiving the victim's mail, and we watch her follow clues over the next year as she flirts with Avery whenever possible.
I gave this historical mystery 3.95 stars with the caveat that it is slow moving and ultimately felt like it was just too long. Sometimes Billie infuriated me, but her actions might be considered understandable by some. If like me, you are adamant about fair play in mysteries, this might not be for you, as Healy does break the rules, and I was left questioning what happened at the end.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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