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3.0 out of 5 stars
The Den of Antiquity in Charleston, May 14 2004
In this book, Abby and her husband Greg have moved to Charleston. She has opened up another Den of Antiquity shop there. Abby's mother Mozelle is also living with them. And CJ, her friend from Charlotte is visiting when the first murder occurs. This is a humourous book, and I actually enjoyed it. I've found that the later Den of Antiquity mysteries seem to be getting a little better. The plots are tighter and the humour is less forced. The book opens with Abby trying to muscle her way into the top echelon of Charleston society. When she receives a request to have tea with the leading society lady she accepts, and takes CJ with her. But no sooner do they leave after having tea with her, than the lady turns up dead - poisoned. Abby needs to find the killer before the rest of society believe she is the murderer. Throw in some antique glass and a new shop assistant that can sell ice to Eskimos, and you have the story. Abby almost gets killed, but is saved just in time - just like usual. In all honesty, I read these books for CJ. She is THE best character in the stories, and she has a big part in this one.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as Splendid as others..., July 28 2003
In the 9th book in the Abigail Timberlake mystery series by Tamar Myers, we find Abigail has moved to Charleston to be closer to her shrimp boating husband, Greg. She sets up another antique store, and with help from CJ, she begins to settle in nicely. However, she wants desperately to fit into Charleston society, and she gets invited to tea by one of society's grand dame's, Mrs. Amelia Shadbark. Mrs. Shadbark asks Abigail to broker the sale of her priceless Lalique glass collection, but after she is found dead Abigail realizes that the collection was not everything that it seemed. When Abigail finds herself as the prime suspect (having been the last one to see the victim) she sets out to prove that she may be short on height, but not on innocence. Tamar Myers writes both the Abigail Timberlake mystery series and the Pennsylvania Dutch mystery series with recipes. She tends toward witty humor and uses quite a few puns in her writing, many of which she repeats in each book. I have enjoyed many of the previous books, but am a bit tired of some of the "stale" puns that she overuses in each book (the jokes about CJ are reused too much for example). However, I enjoy cozy mysteries (mysteries with little "on-stage" violence, no overt savy, and little gore) and I enjoy those with a bit of humor. These are excellent examples of the genre and probably would be a bit too silly or trite for those that enjoy police procedurals or intense mysteries (i.e. Patricia Cornwell). If you like cozy mysteries and want a bit of a change, I would recommend giving Tamar Myers a try. The first book in this series is "Larceny and Old Lace". Enjoy! A Cozy Lover
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Splendor is Splendid, May 8 2003
This is one of the best books in Ms. Myers' "Den of Antiquity" series. When a pillar of Charleston's society invites Abby to tea and then dies, Abby tries to save her rep by finding the killer. This is the first book that shows Abby in her new home, Charleston, and as a new bride. Mom lives right in with Abby (how could we not have Mozella around?). Friends CJ and the Rob-Bobs visit. The plot is excellent and full of surprises. Additional characters are kept few, interesting and uncomplicated. Ms. Myers' humor does not seem to kick in until the last parts of the book. Again she relies on past phrases that have gotten her laughs in prior books but are now old to us. The paint shaker at the Home Depot & a sandwich short of a picnic were worn and tired phrases several books ago. Her repeated use of "wailed" can get irritating, and I don't know why she brings up "my good friend, Madgalena Yoder" (her main character from her other, Penn-Dutch, mystery series) so often. Once would have been fun. I may sound like an ungrateful reader, and I am not. She continues to be a top favorite. In spite of these flaws that keep me from giving it 5 stars, this is still one of her best. Don't miss it.
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