It’s 1926, and in the fourth of the Jane Wunderly mysteries, Jane and fiancé Redvers have returned to America to tell Jane’s professor father of their engagement. But he’s not there and the resourceful pair discover he’s gone to Istanbul in search of the lost heart of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. This Ottoman Empire relic is supposed to have mystical powers, but it had disappeared into history.

Jane and Redvers head to Istanbul where they meet up with Jane’s Aunt Millie and her beloved…and the news Jane’s father has vanished, leaving behind his luggage and little  clue to his whereabouts.

Jane and Redvers dig in and trace her father’s path, tracking him to Hungary. They follow on the Orient Express. But they aren’t the only people searching for Professor Wunderly and a dangerous showdown ensues.

Erica Ruth Neubauer takes you to the mid-1920s with great description and a clear affinity for the period. The author does not disappoint in this latest Jane Wunderly mystery and I look forward to the next in the series.

4 stars