How can one pass up a mystery where one of the main characters name is Death? I enjoyed the humor of everyone asking if the sleuths knew there was a body buried in the rose garden at the house they were thinking of buying. I also liked that there was more than one mystery in the book.

Wren and Death (pronounced Deeth) are engaged and house hunting. They are also busy with their work at the auction house and as a private investigator, respectively. It is a surprise to both of them when their current assignments intersect and then quickly become dangerous. And in case they weren't busy enough, Wren's parents are visiting for Thanksgiving (and to give Death the parental once over).
Death and the Viking's Daughter is a fast paced, well written cozy mystery.

Ex-Marine private eye Death (prounounced "Deeth") Bogart and auctioneer Wren Morgan are ready to move in together, settle down and get married. So in between working, they're house-hunting when they can, and Wren thinks she's found the perfect home for the two of them. Perfect - except for the body buried in the rosebushes...

But it is nearing Thanksgiving, and Wren has a job to do; and it means cataloging the contents of an abandoned old supper club which will be auctioned off by her employers, the Keystone Brothers. While in the process of doing so, she hears what sounds like a call for help, and finds two of the Keystones' grandchildren with a man who has apparently suffered a heart attack.

It turns out the man was struck suddenly when he saw the apparition of his missing daughter in the boat house on the supper club property. The young girl disappeared many years ago in the 70's and Niels Larsen has never given up hope that he will find his daughter Ingrid alive.

While the present owner of the home explains away the presence of "Bob," the unknown man buried there, Wren's natural curiosity takes over and she wants to know more about him. Of course, she goes right to her friend and employers, the Keystones, who seem to know something about everything going on in East Bledsoe. She also wants to know more about the missing girl when ragged clothing stained with what appears to be blood is found in the boat house.

Meanwhile, Death has been hired to find out how an oil painting, protected 24/7 at a gallery, was able to be replaced with a forgery. What makes it so odd is that the painting wasn't even very valuable in a monetary form, but had sentimental value for the owner.

To make things more complicated, Wren, having informed her parents of her engagement, expects them to be happy and supportive; but her mother has serious misgivings - especially while overhearing a potentially sensitive conversation by Death's ex-wife Madeline. It makes her suspicious of the man her daughter's chosen to wed, and she's not happy about the situation at all.

But it isn't until several random facts seem to tie everything together that makes an already confusing situation even more complicated; but the real mystery is how to find the proof to permanently connect it all...

This is the fourth book in the Auction Block Mysteries, following Death and the Gravedigger's Angel. Once again, Ms. Ross has enacted for us another intriguing mystery; this time centering around stolen artwork, invaluable artifacts, and the disappearance of an historical reenactor. She has intertwined the stories seamlessly, so that each one, while at first seeming to have no connection to the next, is linked softly and almost imperceptibly. By the time the fragments are pieced together, the story has come to a logical conclusion that shows the author has a talent for taking multiple story lines and uniting them as one.

I enjoyed this book no end, and loved the interaction between the characters, showing us the love and protection that Wren and Death feel for each other, both willing to do whatever it takes to keep the other safe. There is no saccharine behavior between the two; but the love is still felt, still palpable and real. It does take a while to warm up to Wren's mother Emily; but I liked her father much more quickly; he seemed that while a quiet man, he watched for signs and listened, while her mother was completely opposite. However, many marriages are built on this and quite happy indeed.

The story behind the disappearance of Ingrid was a tad more interesting to me, although I, too, wondered why anyone would want what seemed to be others' mere junk. When all is said and done, we may never know how far people will go to achieve their ends; and that one's idea of right and wrong can be convoluted in someone's mind.

When the book was finished I found myself sorry it had ended so soon, as I enjoy spending time in the company of this group of friends and family. Everything came together nicely, and I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

Fully Scooby! Not partial or half but full. This murder mystery was amazing light and humorous with just the right amount of sadness. The two individual tales in the story come together with a fun, Full Scooby Doo twist. Having not read previous books in this series and I think Ms. Ross has done a wonderful job introducing a new reader to the main characters, their back stories, and how their relationship works without a lot of retelling. The author did a great job describing the scenery, whether it was the woods, the viking ship, or the portrait painting, the reader is transported there. Any reader who enjoys a cozy mystery with some romance and humor will definitely be entertained by this book.

Smartly written cozy with lots of surprises

Loretta Ross has done a good job with this, the fourth book in the Auction Block Mystery series. When I started reading the book I hadn't realized this book was part of the series. I think reading the first 3 might have enhanced my experience but I enjoyed the characters and the relationship between Wren and Death and their family and friends. The plot had a number of mysteries going on and that made the ultimate resolution made for a very satisfying ending.
I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Love this series... cozy mystery featuring an auctioneer and her PI fiance. Really enjoy the different places they get to for auctions, and location details. Characters are well developed and really enjoyable. Hoping for many more in this series!

A page turner. I really liked this book: it is well written, no hole in the plot or rushed closure. I never read a Loretta Ross' book before but I will go and look for the other ones in this serie.
Many thanks to the publisher

4 stars

Wren Morgan and her fiancée Death Bogart are house hunting. They find one they really like. When telling people they are interested in the house, everyone says the same thing, “You know there’s a body buried in the garden?” This is very amusing.

Next to the place where Wren and her auction company are conducting and auction is a Viking re-enactment camp. One of its members thinks he spots his long lost daughter at the river. He falls and injures himself. Wren takes an interest in the disappearance of the daughter.

At the same time, private eye Death takes on a case of a years-old forgery of an artwork that was just discovered. Upon speaking with friends, Death learns that there were a few other forgeries of items that were not worth a lot monetarily but of a great sentimental value for its owners. Death solves the forged painting case quickly and efficiently. Death gets called back into the forgery case. It seems the guys who stole the painting were anonymously hired and the owner wants to know who they are. Death follows the clues and come to a conclusion. He knows who the suspect and thief is.

Death and Wren have taken an interest in the unidentified skeleton found in the woods. Death goes to the sheriff’s office to see the reconstruction of the face and look at the file. This is the “Bob” that is buried in the garden. After investigating and making some connections, Death puts together who the skeleton victim was and the circumstances of how he came to be in the woods. An arrest is made and a daughter is found.

I like the way the book is written with a tongue-in-cheek humor. It is very well written and plotted. It was written in a linear fashion and with a slow and easy manner. It is a very good book and I truly enjoyed it. This is my first Loretta Ross novel, but it won’t be my last. I immediately went to Amazon to have a look at her other books.

I want to thank NetGalley and Midnight Ink for forwarding to me a copy of this delightful book to read and enjoy.

I enjoyed the interaction between Wren and her parent's and the relationship they formed with Death and Randy. The funniest part ways Eric and Wren's father that was hilarious. This mystery was solid and well written the Keystones are such an enjoyment and wonderful addition to this series. Each book is wonderfully written with well developed story-line and character development