Fans of this series will not be disappointed with this latest book. The descriptions of the glamorous 1930s and their wealthy lifestyles are delightful to read. The Saltzburg setting and beautiful houses are wonderful. This book is a great holiday light read.

What I love about this series are the glamorous settings and interesting people in Art Deco - ish places and a life style which WW2 quashed. The places are so well described that you are there with Atalanta and her friends, and yet there is a loneliness about her which makes you aware that life isn't always about money. This story really has you wondering who the murderer is and there are plenty of red herrings to confuse you. This is such a good series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery, Mystery Thriller
Violence Level: Low-Medium (Yes, there's a body but I didn't think it was too graphic.)
Spice Level: Nothing on the page
Readability: You don't have to read these in order, but the relationships will feel deeper and more complex if you do.

Atalanta is one of my favorite detectives. Her adventures are set in an interesting time period, and I love seeing Europe through her eyes at this time. LAST DANCE IN SALZBURG lived up to my expectations. And I happen to like Raoul as a character—we have car racing in my family, so that might factor into this. Racing in the 30s was a different beast than what it's like today, but still incredibly dangerous.

Relationships are strained, there are family secrets, lies, distrust, and dancing (as per the title). I'm in love with dancing in books—this one is a treat because we get waltzing and ballet! My one complaint were the number of characters whose name started with the letter R! Why? Just why do this and make it hard for me to keep track. I also loved how this mystery centered around missing jewels; it reminded me of some of the old Sherlock Holmes cases.

Is the mystery tricky enough for reading sleuths? I thought it was. There is one clue that is the tipping point for Atalanta.

I highly recommend this book and series.

Happy reading!

Last Dance in Salzburg was a delightful read! While I didn’t know going into the book that this was the fourth in its series, I found it quite easy to jump in and understand many of the character’s backstories. I know I’d have gotten more out of them by reading the first three, but not much is lost in starting here.

The story follows Atalanta as she receives a mysterious invitation to a birthday party in Salzburg to learn about a mystery solved by her grandfather ten years prior. While investigating the wrongful imprisonment of a household servant, the mystery evolves to solving a murder!

The storyline felt a little slow for the first third, but quickly picks up once you meet the family in Salzburg. I truly did not see the ending coming, and flew through the last 25% of the book. I will for sure be going back to read the first books in this series to truly appreciate the character development shown in book 4! I loved Salzburg as the setting and this book was beautifully driven by excellent character development across the board. Thanks again to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC!


Loved getting to travel literature-ally to one of my favorite cities!

I really enjoyed this latest instalment from Vivian. I like the main character and I enjoyed seeing her solve the case. Another wonderful location, the descriptions are excellent and contribute to the atmosphere. I have read the previous books, but it’s okay if you haven’t as it’s a stand alone case. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries. Thank you #netgalley

I thought this worked well as a mystery novel, it had that historical feel that I was looking for. The concept worked well overall and was invested in what was going on with the characters. Vivian Conroy is able to create a unique story and I enjoyed how good the characters were written.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Last Dance in Salzburg is the latest book to follow the exploits of Atalanta who inherited her grandfather's investigation agency and all of his money, despite the fact that he was estranged from her father. This lack of knowing her grandfather is weighing heavily on Atalanta throughout this book and influences her actions. She agrees to visit Raoul in Munich to visit the Christmas markets while he waits for word of a race on an icy lake. Atalanta has an ulterior motive in that she received an invitation to a party hosted by her grandfather's old school friend; the invitation includes a hand-written note indicating that her grandfather sent an innocent man to prison for stealing jewels 10 years prior. When she arrives, she finds no shortage of possible suspects including her host and his family. During the actual party, the wrongfully accused, recently released from prison, turns up dead and Atalanta herself is a suspect. She finds herself trying to prove not only her own innocence, but that of an 18-year-old girl. I liked the mystery in this one as well as Atalanta's continuing quest to figure out exactly who she is as well as come to terms with the fact that she'll never be able to know her grandfather in the way she would like to. I look forward to future titles in the series.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter..

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review

An invitation to Salzburg brings Miss Ashford to clss with a jewel thief. Whp knew a ballet invite could turn into murder in this picturesque setting. You will enter a world of the 1920’s where things are not all what it seems. Indulge in thid fun cozy read.

Another charming addition to this series. Miss Ashford is torn between visiting the man she might live and looking into a case her grandfather might have bungled. In the end she decides to do both, and while it seems that nothing is working out as she wished, in the end everything comes together as it should.

This was a delightful mix of intrigue, romantic angst, looking back, wishing things had been different, finding oneself, deciding what is most important in your life, and history. Quite a mixture, huh? And, I didn't even mention that murder is involved. Actually, let me back up. It begins with a mysterious invite to attend a ballet in Salzburg. It's to honor both an 18th birthday celebration and anniversary of a jewel heist of a sapphire necklace at the same location. The invitation is sent to Atalanta's late grandfather, Clarence Ashford, but she is intrigued enough by the wording to be determined to attend in his place.

Just as she might be wavering, handsome, flirtatious Raoul appears and agrees to go with her. I'm not going to detail the plot other than to say that initially much of it seems focused on Atalanta's romantic yearnings for Raoul, a famous race car driver. We get a peek into his childhood this go-round, one that helps explain his determination not to become seriously involved with Atalanta. In any case, who murdered the man just released from prison for the theft of the sapphire necklace. It's all wrapped up in the past, of course, meaning Atalanta has two cases to solve to her satisfaction. There are also a host of potential suspects for the murder Alalanta stumbles across while chasing after....oh, I think I'll leave that for you to find out. It's all part of the overall mixed bag of themes mentioned. Alalanta, whose name means "huntress", is caught between yearning for a dance with Raoul and finding a murderer, not to mention protecting her late grandfather's reputation. An impulsive young ballerina eloping with her somewhat older beau complicates things.

Bottom line, I liked Atalanta and despite her frustration with Raoul, came away with more respect for him than in the past. Respect and a sense of sadness at his personal baggage. His comment about how a passion become an obsession was telling of his own parent's relationship. Even the stuffy upper crust characters largely came across sympathetically. Renard, who was her grandfather's butler, while admitting even he doesn't know the full truth of the stolen sapphire case her grandfather investigated, plays a vital role this go-round. I've barely touched the surface here but if you like stories set in fabulous setting that are quite character driven, you'll like this once you settle into the slower pace. Thanks #HarperCollinsUK - #OneMoreChapter for allowing me to take a virtual time travel trip back to November 1930 to catch up early with the complicated, intriguing Atalanta.