Last year I read the first book in the Agnes Luthi series by Tracee de Hahn--Swiss Vendetta which I thoroughly enjoyed. A Well-Timed Murder is the second in the series.

Injured on her last case, Agnes is still on leave when she is asked by a former colleague to assist in the take-down of a criminal that she had chased in her previous job in financial crimes. Agnes and her colleague are at the premier watch and jewelry show Baselworld, where the world's most important watch and jewelry brands present their latest work. And so, as it turns out, is Julien Vallotton, who has come to ask a favor of Agnes.

https://www.swissglam.ch/2017/04/18/baselworld-2017/

Julien wants Agnes to check into the death of Guy Chavanon, whose death was listed as accidental. Guy's daughter, however, believes there is more to her father's death than an allergic reaction.

Something I never considered is how the introduction of digital time pieces affected the Swiss watch-making industry. It appears that Guy Chavanon, who had a reputation for big ideas, but little follow-through, may have finally come up with something that might revolutionize the industry. If so, and many doubt it, money and reputations would be at stake. There are also some goings-on at a distinguished boarding school attended by Guy's young son.

The setting in Switzerland is just one reason I like these books. :)

Read in November; blog review scheduled for Jan. 18, 2018.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books
Mystery/Police Procedural. Feb. 6, 2018. Print length: 352 pages.

"Swiss Made" denotes precision, attention to detail, and historical craftsmanship.

And mysteries that are tucked deftly amongst the snowy peaks of the Alps will certainly be in need of that attention to detail as well.

Just ask Inspector Agnes Luthi who has recently returned to her job in the Violent Crimes Division of Lausanne after suffering a serious knife wound to her leg. Her last case is detailed in Swiss Vendetta #1. (No worries, however. A Well-Timed Murder does just fine as a standalone.) Agnes is a recent widow with three lively sons and a mother-in-law's quips that could melt cheese into fondue.

Agnes finds herself in a field operation at the prestigeous Basel Watch and Jewelry Show. Not only is she surrounded by priceless Swiss timepieces, but Agnes is now in the midst of a hit-and-run involving a sleek Ferrari and a not-so-sleek financial criminal by the name of The Roach. He has met his fate and has been flattened under the speeding tires so like many a creature of his species.

While waiting for further instructions, Agnes is alerted to the death of a famous Swiss watchmaker while attending a function at his son's elite school. Guy Chavanon suffered from a severe life-threatening peanut allergy all his life. Although initially deemed as an accident, Agnes and her team are not so sure. Chavanon had been working on something that would serve as a major advancement in the field of watchmaking.

Who would benefit from Chavanon's death directly and who was privy to the information into his secretive work? The line forms along the mountainside like skiers waiting for the ski lift. Agnes has her work cut out for her this time. Sifting through people and the paperwork of a watchmaking genius is gonna take time with no clock-watching allowed. And like a fine Swiss watch, it's the inner workings that determine the tick and the tock.

Tracee de Hahn presents another quality mystery here with the setting in the beautiful Swiss Alps. It adds a bit of melodrama in itself as to the characters, the countryside, and Swiss police procedures. De Hahn breathes life into the character of Agnes by creating her as typically human and typically modern woman. She's forced to juggle her career, her sons, and her blossoming personal life on the edge of some of the most serious of crimes. De Hahn infuses her storylines with intelligence and an analytical nature in Agnes. This continues to work in her favor.

I am hooked on the Agnes Luthi mysteries. Time is a tickin' for the next one, Tracee de Hahn.

I received a copy of A Well-Timed Murder through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Tracee de Hahan for the opportunity.

I really enjoyed de Hahn's first book, Swiss Vendetta, and she's in top form for her second entry in the series. There are plenty of clues and a few red herrings, and if readers peace things out carefully they can solve the mystery along with Detective Luthi. I was confused about the sidestory of "The Roach" and the mysterious "most beautiful woman in the world" - villains from her days in Financial Crimes division - perhaps they will factor into book 3?

Readers will want to start with book 1 so they understand Luthi's references to her late husband and his betrayal. Also to understand the budding relationship between her and M. Vallotton (which still feels a bit awkward and forced). I want to root for her happy ending, but her husband's only been dead for 4 months and she has three children we never see and she really is a Plain Jane - why the fascination from a wealthy playboy?

Otherwise fantastic. I also enjoyed the window into the swiss watch industry - fascinating! I'll never look at quartz technology the same way again. Can't wait for book 3!

I love this mystery series. Agnes Luthi is an intriguing, likeable and effective police officer, and the Swiss setting is unique and enjoyable. Tracee de Hahn creates a fascinating mystery while also including cultural details, Swiss customs and personality traits, and information about the Swiss towns she includes. The Swiss watchmaking industry is at the heart of A Well-Timed Murder (hence the clever title), and I loved learning more about the secretive and competitive industry. Her characters are well-drawn and realistic, and the mystery at the heart of the story is well-done. I also enjoyed the relationship developing between Agnes and Julien Vallotton.

As I mentioned in one of my previous reviews, I am enamored with mysteries set in locales with which I am not very familiar: the Georges Dupin series by Jean-Luc Bannalec set in Brittany, the Foreign Affairs series by Nick Wilkshire set in numerous locales, the Detective Kubu series by Michael Stanley set in Botswana, the Baby Ganesh series by Vaseem Khan set in India, and last but certainly not least the Agnes Luthi series. Other than traveling to these various places (which I would love to do some day), there is no better way to learn about them then reading a great mystery. I certainly learned a lot about this region of Switzerland, particularly those towns focused on watchmaking.

I highly recommend this book and the previous one in the series, Swiss Vendetta. Thanks to Minotaur Books for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This is both an engrossing mystery as well as a guide to luxury watchmakers and an introduction to the Swiss landscape and culture. Swiss Inspector Agnes Luthi is about to return to work after being injured and is joining Marcel Aubry, her former partner in Financial Crimes to try and capture The Roach, who she had been chasing for several years at Basel World, a premier watch and jewelry show where, as Agnes puts it "money meets money". She sees The Roach run down by a luxury sports car, but while she is there she receives a phone call from a friend, Julian Vallotton, who had saved her life and now asks to speak with her on a matter of urgency. Julian introduces Agnes, who is now a member of the Violent Crimes section, to Christina Chavanon whose father, Guy, recently died from a peanut allergy. The death was classified as accidental but Christina is sure that he was murdered as he had recently left her a note indicating he was being followed and according to his neighbor he had been behaving erratically. Agnes also learns that Guy had been working on a new idea he described as "revolutionary" and his workshop had been broken into. As Agnes continues to investigate she finds several strands to the case. This book is a wonderful blend of police procedural with the story of Agnes' family - the recent death of her husband, her relationship with her sons and former mother in law. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.