The indomitable Annie Szabo has lost too many friends and loved ones, so the death of Margo Spanger hits hard. Margo, Annie’s neighbor, was a cultural icon with money and fame. Maybe too much. . . She used one of her projects, a New Age circus, to fund a women’s shelter and it has ticked a few of the wrong people off.
Aided by an ex-cop and Mina’s plant medicine, Annie uncovers Margo’s past. Margo had rattled the power elite, a trapeze flier, one jealous lover, a captain of industry, a long-lost son, and an ice-blond philanthropist.
As Annie delves into their surprisingly tangled lives, one thing becomes clear—the killer is a master of disguises, and time is running out.
Reviews
“In this fine sequel to her highly praised debut, The Hummingbird Wizard, Blevins, a fifth-generation Californian, blends a wild story, wonderful wit, and great characters.” – The Library Journal
The Library Journal chose ‘The Vanished Priestess as one of the five top mysteries published in 2004.
“At the start of Blevins’s second mystery to feature resourceful Annie Szabo, the California freelance journalist finds her life turned into a three-ring circus in more ways than one.
“Her eccentric Gypsy fortune-teller mother-in-law, Madame Mina, has parked her trailer in Annie’s yard. Annie’s daughter, Abra, and Abra’s son, Joey, show up just ahead of Annie’s violent and abusive son-in-law. And her neighbor, Margo Spanger, the rich, eccentric owner-operator of a New Age circus that helps support a home for abused women, has both animal and human performers whose activities spill over into Annie’s territory. A must read.” – Publishers Weekly
“…The over-the-big-top characters keep the plot spinning, and the mystery pays off with colorful atmosphere, eventful storytelling, and dramatic finish.” — Mystery Scene
“In this unique mystery, Blevins creates a Gypsy world unlike any other depicted in mysteries before. Annie is funny, strong and, above all, she will do anything to take care of those she loves. Lively and real characters jump off the page, the mystery is well constructed, and it’s fascinating to see how Annie solves it.”–Romantic Times Book Club
“One of the most interesting writers I’ve been introduced to recently is Meredith Blevins. What sets her mysteries apart is the fabulously mixed cast of characters and a Gypsy sensibility in the writing. It’s difficult to describe, but it is there: odd thoughts, abbreviated sentences, a unique turn of phrase. There is humor in The Vanished Priestess, but she gently pokes fun at her characters’ eccentricities while letting the reader know she has a great affection for them.” – World-Herald
“This is a book for those of you who like off-the-wall characters and different settings … What follows is a story of murder, of love gone sour in more than one case, and a story of hope. Peopled with outlandish characters, this book is one of a kind, made equally captivating by a strong plot.” – Mystery News