A secret family connection helps a newly minted amateur sleuth solve a crime.Ivy Nichols, 28, has fought panic attacks ever since her mother vanished when she was a child. Having dropped out of college because of them, Ivy is living with her father, but she lies to him about the job she's taken at a hotel that was once her maternal family's mansion, not wanting to stir up bad memories for him. The owner's conceit is to operate the hotel as it would have been run in 1911, with the staff dressed in period costume and the butler, Mr. Fig, wielding an iron hand. Ivy is delighted with every bit of knowledge she can cull about her family home, from artwork to secret passages, and Mr. Fig, who favors her, is happy to oblige. Trouble commences when wealthy, obnoxious Amelia Swain and her son arrive. Their reservation had not been taken correctly, but Ivy smooths things over while listening to Amelia give dire warnings about her shellfish allergy. Ivy finds comfort and support in George, the hotel chef, who's meticulous about everything in his kitchen. When Amelia dies from an apparent allergy attack, Ivy is certain that George made no mistake, but he lands in trouble with the police and gets put on leave. Now Ivy must focus on discovering who might have wanted Amelia dead and how they accomplished it despite George's insistence that no one else was in the kitchen. Overcoming panic attacks may be the least of her problems as she learns more about her family's past and all too much about the present to suit a clever killer.This character-driven debut combines a knotty mystery with the believable real-life problems of its appealing sleuth.

Ivy Nichols, the narrator of Keown-s solid debut and series launch, takes the job of night clerk at the period-themed Hotel 1911, which was once the estate of her long-missing mother-s wealthy Chattanooga, Tenn., family, many of whom suffered from mental illness. Ivy, who-s prone to panic attacks, believes that working in the former family home may give her some insight into her own condition. As a bonus, her best friend, George Anghelescu, is the hotel-s acclaimed chef. But when a guest, the loud and unpleasant Amelia Swain, dies of an allergic reaction at dinner, the police suspect George of murder, and Ivy determines to save him from a homicide charge. Plenty of people had motive, but who had the opportunity? Was the ill-tempered Amelia actually the target, or was someone trying to ruin George? The intriguing cast of characters includes the hotel-s general manager, the upright Mr. Fig, who knows a lot more than he lets on. Readers will look forward to Ivy-s story unfolding in future installments. Keown is off to a good start. Agent: Annie Bomke, Annie Bomke Literary. (Aug.)