Death Duties: A Port Silva Mystery    by Janet LaPierre Order:  USA  Can Perseverance Press, 2004 (2004) Paperback      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth The Mackellars – mother Patience and daughter Verity – characters in Janet LaPierre's latest book Death Duties, quickly became my next door neighbors. As I read of their exploits, I felt a part of the book, almost as if I was there with them as they investigated a thirty year-old molestation charge. Christina Larson asked the private investigating team of Patience and Verity to clear her grandfather's name of what she considers a lie. Rocks are overturned and obnoxious creatures crawl out. Patience is approached by another woman to find her long-lost niece. Pieces of a puzzle begin to fit neatly together and the pace quickens. Death Duties is tightly written by a master of prose - and dialogue. The setting, the California coast, is impeccably described. I can finally see the draw for people to want to live there. Action leaps from one page to the next. Suspense rears its head. There's a love angle with an unusual twist – or maybe not that unusual. It is hard to describe how comfortable I felt between the covers of this book - as though a friend was telling me the story in her own words. Death Duties is a story to read, savor, and recommend to your friends. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews