In 1933 Hudson Valley, New York, the Great Depression has wrecked havoc on everyone symbolized by the loss of the post office; residents look through the mail sacks to pick up whatever is theirs.

Robert Brewster arrives at the station to get his mail and that of his sister Lily. Before picking up his letters, Robert and a porter help a young widow and her grandfather with their luggage. He returns to get his correspondence only to find an elderly woman sifting through the mail threatening to destroy it. He seeks the porter but finds the man dead. Not long afterward someone paints a red swastika on the shop window of the elderly newcomer. Robert worries that evil has invaded his impoverished town. Adding to his apprehension is back at the mansion of Grace and Favor, where he and Lily live, the Harbinger brothers uncovered a skeleton. Robert and Lily investigate seeking a link between two potential homicides and the defacing, but soon fear that the target is their hosts Grace and Favor.

This is more a historical tale than a mystery even though the amateur sleuths investigate the homicides and the hate crime. Fans will appreciate this fine entry in the Grace and Favor series. The story line brings vividly to life the bygone era of survival in small town New York during a bad economic period with specific examples like the revered employed police chief unable to pay his mortgage and losing his home. The inquiries are fun to follow as the siblings seek a link between murder past and crimes today, but that takes a back row seat to the deep insightful glimpse at the Great Depression.

REVIEWED BY HARRIET KLAUSNER