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.
"Bell’s plethora of characters charm but can also overwhelm, challenging the reader to guess which ones play essential roles in this sleight-of-hand suspense. Readers already familiar with the earlier Annalisse sleuth mysteries will have a leg up when it comes to following Scattered Legacy’s narrative... Best of all, Annalisse’s wry interpretations of events offer laugh-out-loud moments—she is a unique detective, endowed by Bell with a distinctive snappy voice in narration and dialogue both. ...their love culminates in a climactic shocker the reader won’t forget. Both travel junkies and mystery lovers will savor Bell’s polished and witty mystery." - BOOKLIFE EDITORIAL REVIEW
"Bell’s Scattered Legacy provides a fast-moving plot with danger at every turn, though she tempers the tension nicely with humor, romance, and a satisfying international flavor. Marlene M. Bell ties together a perilous vacation, a rosary with a history, family secrets, and deep and abiding friendships with artful finesse." - BOOK EXCELLENCE EDITORIAL REVIEW
"Marlene M. Bell delivers Scattered Legacy beautifully with a slow-burning plot and clever, dialogue-driven exposition that never spoon-feeds the reader or spoils the experience for them." - 5-STAR READERS' FAVORITE REVIEW