The aspect of a murder in a swiss chalet in the mountains during a storm brings to mind the texture of an Agatha Christie novel with the aspect of those being capable of such an act being brought together by the lives that build them. "Swiss Vendetta" [Tracee DeHahn/Minotaur/365pgs] begins with a woman's body being found on the edge of a prominent estate. The lead investigator Agnes Luthi along with the blue blood family of the estate in question, various servants, a handful of authorities, various guests and an older statesman in an adjoining mansion, all have parts to play in various ways. The aspect of motivations but also tenets of class are important balance points to be sure but they are based in belief in many ways of the characters and what they believe is their due. Vladimir Arsnov is an important character here because his perspective, especially through his betrothed's diaries or would be parables in his escape from Russia during World War II and then in his joining of the French Resistance.

These lessons or temperaments of human behavior have an undeniable power (yet they are long winded at many points). It is this melding of emotional resonance that allows the more analytical Luthi to balance her investigation even though this is one of her first forays into this kind of homicide (having previously been in financial crimes). The different psychological structure of many of the characters, primarily the estate-owning Pellotons, offer conflicting or perhaps inundated reasons for acting the way they do. But then Luhti has her own demons in a way that she has to come to terms of without begetting her own authority but also turning her back on certain elements of her own life that she herself might be wrong about. Ultimately the progressions come back to perspective of events and secrets that are only uncovered with different characters coming into play. This gives the twisting of the plot points stakes while not understating the eventual climax which takes all these elements into account while wrapping up various necessary strands. Luhti is about the human condition while not losing it in herself. That is the beauty of the story in its uncontrived nuance. We are creatures of habit but sometimes we don't see the connections unfolding right in front of us. B

By Tim Wassberg

Inspector Agnes Lüthi is trying to put the tragic past behind her and move on for the sake of her children and her career. She decides to take a position with the violent crimes division and her first case will make find her treading lightly as she deals with the powerful and aristocratic Vallotton family while at the same time dealing with the storm of the century which is crippling the surroundings.

Agnes goes to Château Vallotton to investigate the death of a young woman who was there to evaluate some of the family heirlooms on behalf of an auction house. When Agnes arrives she finds several things that immediately tell her this young woman was murdered but who could have possibly done this to her and why?

The snow is not letting up and the family members all seem to have secrets that Agnes must delicately reveal. She is herself is cut off from the police force as all communication is lost and the roads are impassable. She longs to speak with her children fearing that they need her more than ever being the only parent they have now after the suicide of her husband.

The story gets more complicated when a young ward to one of the residents of the Château Vallotton goes missing. As Frances looks for the young child she also begins to find more clues into the death of of the young woman.

If you like locked-room mysteries this is one for you. I loved the atmosphere of surrounded by all that snow and with all those rooms and doors to look through for clues. I thought Agnes was an strong character and would like to see her find more comfort as she tries to get past her husband’s death. All in all, a mystery series I’d like to continue to follow.

An interesting protagonist helps raise this golden-age style mystery to impressive heights, with a unique setting.

What a fun murder mystery! I loved the idea of a murder that takes place in Switzerland during a terrible snow storm in a remote villa. The setting was great, the cast of suspects and storylines were wonderful, and I especially liked the cultural nuances between the Swiss (both in who was being investigated, and her blended family) and the American detective. Really fun read and I would certainly read more from this author.

Something in the description immediately evokes an "Agatha Christie" like vibe, and I am a total sucker for that, as Agatha Christie was my first author-love. The story provided well-defined characters, a beautiful Swiss setting, and a cozy Chateau murder mystery. The plot was subtle and well-written, neither pushing you forward nor plodding in its pacing...the story unfolds in a very natural way. Each character has a purpose and a voice, and the murder is solved in a very organic way (no over-the-top clever discoveries...which is what ruins a mystery for me). I really enjoyed following a female detective...very reminiscent of Jane Marple. I look forward to more adventures for Agnes Luthi.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Agnes, who has recently suffered a devastating tragedy in her own life, newly transferred to Violent crimes, receives her first case. A young woman, working to an auction house, sent to catalog the family treasure, is found murders on a bench outside the chateau. The chateau belong to the Vallotons, an aristocratic family, the chateau itself situated on a lake in Switzerland.

Although resembling a country house mystery, there is also a strong element of the locked room mystery. The blizzard of the century has struck, soon power is out, telephone lines down, and cell phones are unable to get a signal. Very atmospheric, the cold, the intense ice and snow, closed in feelings, depending on candles and torches, fireplaces and extra clothes for heat, and of course a limited range of suspects. The chateau itself magnificent, so many rooms, cellars, ice houses and the characters varied and holding on to their pasts, their own secrets. There is much more going on then first appears and as Agnes investigates much is uncovered, not just in this family, but the connection to the chateau across the way, and the Family's past.

A very good start to a new series, plus I think this is the first mystery I have read set in Switzerland.
Well written, tightly plotted, steady pacing, and I loved how Agnes managing her own grief, still manages to stay on track and interpret the clues. I actually finished this a few days back when it was snowing here and for that kind of weather it was a perfect read.

ARC from Netgalley.

I requested this book from netgalley because:
1. I'm on foreign mystery kick
2. Switzerland? It's the most mysterious and elusive culture in Europe! What's it like, really???

I'm surprised this is the first novel by de Hahn. It's very professional: it's both literary and fast-paced, every character and detail is essential to the conclusion, and I learned quite a bit.

The main character, Agnes, is a fascinating heroine. She is just returning to work after the loss of her husband. She is still reeling bc the motivation for his suicide is unknown. She has many obstacles: a new job in violent crimes, single mother to three boys, ever-present in-laws who blame her for their son's demise, and - most interesting - she is a Swiss citizen born to American parents - a fact that marks her as a stranger among her countrymen. On her first day back at work after 3 months of grieving she is called to a wealthy castle on Lake Geneva to investigate the death of a woman found frozen on the property. What should be an open and shut case is, of course, discovered to be a murder. This is just the intro - the characters are caught between two properties in an epic snow storm. No one can enter or leave. She has 4 days to discover the murderer. It reads like Poirot and every detail is important.

Yes there are many coincidences that help her along the way - but who cares? It's well written, and I enjoyed every page. Popcorn on a cold weekend. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Swiss Vendetta: A Mystery is Tracee de Hahn’s debut novel. Inspector Agnes Luthi is with the police force in Lausanne, Switzerland. She has just transferred from financial crimes to the violent crimes unit. Agnes is trying to get away from the memories of her recently deceased husband and its associations with her former boss, Robert Carnat. A severe winter storm is blowing into the area when Agnes is called out to her first murder scene at Chateau Vallotton on the shores of Lac Leman. Agnes has extreme difficulty in getting to the location due to the storm, but she finally arrives. The body of Felicity Cowell was found near a bench outside the chateau. Felicity is dressed in a man’s coat and boots over a vintage evening dress. Felicity had been working at the chateau for the last few weeks evaluating art for the auction house she works for in London. The storm strands Agnes at Chateau Vallotton without cell phone reception and without power. Agnes tries to question the Vallotton family and their guests, but they are less than forthcoming. But, thanks to the storm, Agnes will have extra time to ferret out answers and clues to the killer’s identity. When Mimi, the six-year-old ward of Daniel Vallotton’s father, goes missing, Agnes will have to work quickly put together all the pieces to identify the perpetrator. Will she be able to catch the killer before he (or she) strikes again?

Swiss Vendetta has an interesting mystery and a unique setting. I had an extremely hard time, though, getting through this novel. It took be three attempts to finish it. The writing style is formal which makes for difficult reading. The author liked to use $10 words as my father called them (an example is imperturbability). The conversations between characters were awkward and stilted. The beginning of the book is slow as Agnes drives to the crime scene (I fell asleep twice). Then we are introduced to a litany of characters who I could not keep straight (I was finally starting to figure out who was who near the end). I wish the author had provided a pronunciation guide (it would be helpful). Agnes is a hard to character to like. It is understandable that Agnes is grieving the death of her husband, but it overpowered her (and not because of her love for him). She has two sons to consider, but Agnes is very focused on herself. We find out the circumstances surrounding the husband’s death in the second half of the book (if you can make it that far). Agnes was depressed which clouds her outlook (she bummed me out). I found some information to be repeated and there is quite a bit of speculation on Agnes’ part (since she is snowed in and lacking in evidence). The novel gets better towards the end of the book. I give Swiss Vendetta 2 out of 5 stars. Swiss Vendetta just felt flat and sorrowful.

Agnes Luthi, an Inspector in Switzerland, finds herself trapped in a mansion with a blizzard and a murderer. She must put aside the feelings she is still struggling with following the death of her husband, and figure out who among the many family members and guests committed the crime.

What I Liked:

I love mysteries set in isolated settings, so I was immediately drawn to this. It doesn't get much better, creepier, or more mysterious than a mansion no outsiders ever get to enter, snowed by a massive blizzard.

I also really liked that the main detective was a strong, smart, complex woman.

Anything I Didn't Like?

This book tried to do too much. There were so many characters and storylines it was hard to keep them all straight, and many plot points felt like they came out of left field because so much else was going on.

So...?

I wanted to love this book, but I just didn't. There was way too much going on, and the solution to the mystery, while interesting, just wasn't strong enough to carry the book.

I am not going to tell a lie, I totally reviewed this book for it's cover. Okay, it is the reason I picked it but I am reviewing it because I am amazed that this is the debut novel from this author. It was really well written. I felt like this was the perfect modern day msytery.

Agnes is a complex character to me. She had plenty to share, but had such a reserve (guard) that she limited her sharing. I didn't mind this as sometimes I feel characters seem to chatty about themselves. I did like that she was on the force,that was a new level of sleuthing for these books. I felt that was a modern touch. Agnes was a character that you just enjoyed, and you enjoyed the fact that she felt like a person not a character created. I also loved the first few pages, prior to the victim's death. It was drawing me in softly, and engaging me quickly. I didn't know till I was finished that I was finishing the book, the pages just turned so quickly. That is the making of a great book, when the reader doesn't have a sense of time or anything beyond the immersion of themselves with the characters.

A new mystery author for readers to love, and what I hope to be a strong series to come. I really think that this book will be for many age groups and mystery fans. I look forward to solving more mysteries with Agnes.

Agnes Luthi has just transferred over from Financial Crimes to the Violent Crimes unit and is now on her first case. A body has been found lying by a bench and is getting covered by ice from the blizzard of the century raging over the landscape. Agnes is now stuck at a chateau where the murder took place because the ice and snow has made the roads impassable and there is no phone or electricity. She is finding it difficult to get the answers she needs from those in the chateau. Agnes worries for her own safety as she begins to wonder if the crime will ever be solved.

This was a good story about a Swiss-American detective who is stranded at a chateau with the killer. The fact that it took place in Switzerland and that she was stuck with the killer made me want to read this. I found the story to be slow for most of the book. The majority of the book is Agnes and her team trying to find clues to help solve the case with little action. The last 10% of the book is where all of the action took place. It was an enjoyable plot, but I was really in the mood for a more intense story. If you decide to read this book keep in mind it is a slower paced mystery but still a decent one.

I rated this 3/5 stars.

I received this from Netgalley free in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Tracee de Hahn's debut novel is truly impressive. She did an outstanding job of combining a cast of complex characters, an isolated setting, current and historical events, and an exciting denouement into a fascinating mystery. She has given several traditional mystery devices a new twist so it's clear she is well versed in that genre. Her approach makes this book particularly appropriate for book discussion groups, and would like lead to some heated exchanges among participants. I would really enjoy seeing how Agnes handles her second case in the violent crimes division!!

The investigation in Swiss Vendetta only took four days, but it seemed much longer. This is due in part to the claustrophobic weather and the locked room angle of the story, but it's also due to a slow pace that hampers the first half of the book. It was much too soon for Lüthi to lead any sort of investigation, but once the truth surrounding her husband's death is revealed, the pace picks up and the inspector shows a fine eye for detail and for putting clues together.

The author has created a strong, atmospheric setting as well as an intriguing mystery peopled with a varied and interesting cast. From the hidden life of the dead woman to servants who have been loyal to their employers for generations, de Hahn drew me right into the lives of the old nobility who are accustomed to their treasure-filled ancient castles and mansions.

I enjoyed my visit to Lausanne and look forward to Inspector Agnes Lüthi's next case.

As the 'storm of the century' is approaching Lausanne Detective Agnes Luthi is called out to a suspicious death at Chateau Vallotton. The dead female has worked at an auction house in London and has been working at the chateau to create an inventory of the art collection. Because of the storm, Agnes can only rely on the people who are present to help solve the case, and to try to come to terms with her recent husbands' death.
I really enjoyed this, a good mystery with subplots and a good range of characters, and well written. Look forward to reading the next in the series.

I was excited to read a new European series in a country that I don't read much about, particularly as it started off with a traditional "locked room" mystery. However, I struggled and struggled to get through it. I sort of liked Agnes, although I felt like de Hahn focused too much on one aspect of her history/personality to the detriment of others. There were a lot of other characters between the two snowed-in houses that seemed awfully flat. And then the mystery just got way too over the top. There was definite potential, but I just wasn't buying it.

BookFilter review by writer Janet Rotter: Thankfully, I did not abandon “Swiss Vendetta” after its opening two pages where a murder victim’s inner thoughts are laid out with all the breathlessness we come to expect from the silliest of bodice busters. One page later, this first venture into crime fiction by a really talented newcomer, Tracee de Hahn, blossoms almost immediately into a complex literary mystery reminiscent of the kind that were written in the nineteen-forties. De Hahn’s setting is Lausanne, Switzerland by the foot of the French Alps, which is a beautiful and evocative place to be. What more could an old-school murder buff want than a snow storm swirling around a centuries-old château, freezing a murder victim into a lump of ice and making the whole castle look like a fanciful frosted sculpture? How about a residence with hidden dungeons, narrow staircases and secret compartments? Royalty upstairs and servants downstairs? Well, you could still want Inspector Agnes Lüthi -- recently widowed and transferred by her request from financial crimes to homicide in the Lausanne police department. She is trapped by the storm at the château during her first day on the job while interviewing the resident noble family, the servants, the guests (and presumably the murderer). Lüthi has all five senses working (as well as an occasional lapsed cigarette) while she chips away at the château’s secrets to find out who murdered the young Englishwoman cataloguing the château’s art objects for an auction. This is a kinder, gentler, almost vintage mystery, very different from the police procedurals we get these days, the ones with lots of shoot-outs and violence. Lüthi is an intelligent, inductive investigator, studiously listening to her suspects pour out their stories and reworking them in her mind for inconsistencies and clues. But the moment of truth will arrive and she will act with all the forceful aggressiveness required of a homicide inspector face to face with a murderer. “Swiss Vendetta” is an excellent literary crime novel where everything seems out of place but everything will be put to right. And its engaging and brave heroine Inspector Agnes Lüthi will surely launch a promising new series. – Janet Rotter

An excellent mystery with twists and turns and a classic feel. I loved it!
Swiss Vendetta by Tracee de Hahn is one of those rare finds that delivers a compelling mystery, a likeable heroine, and a stunning setting. Set in modern day Lausanne, Switzerland, our main character is Agnes Luthi, a detective who has recently transferred into Violent Crimes following the death of her husband. On an evening with a terrible ice storm, a body is discovered on the grounds of Chateau Vallotton, and Luthi goes to investigate and soon becomes trapped at the Chateau because of the storm.
With no power and no means of communication, Luthi is at the Chateau with her former boss, Robert Carnet, who works in the Financial Crimes unit. Luthi and Carnet investigate the case.
I really loved the character of Agnes Luthi. Agnes is recovering from the death of her husband, and her husband’s death is a big plot point in the book. I appreciate mysteries that bring in our detectives personal lives into the plot; the books always feel more relatable and realistic to me. Agnes was methodical and logical in her investigation, and I enjoyed her interactions with Vladimir Arsov, a wealthy neighbor who is haunted by WWII. The character of Arsov brings a melancholy, historical aspect to the mystery, which reminded me of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series.
Along with Arsov, we have the Vallotton family: handsome Julien, the adventurous (and injured) Daniel, Daniel’s beautiful wife MC, and the strong marquise, Antoinette Vallotton de Tornay. I liked all of these characters, and even though I liked them, they were still all logical suspects. There are a few other characters around, and with everyone trapped because of the storm, this is very much a “closed circle of suspects” mystery, which is one of my favorite situations.
Swiss Vendetta was an excellent mystery, with a dash of history, and a smart plot and heroine. It’s so refreshing to read a mystery in a modern-day setting, that hints at classic mystery elements. I truly loved this mystery and can’t wait to read more from the author!

Bottom Line: Excellent, classic-style mystery.