|
Outstanding Praise for Jane Cleland's KILLER KEEPSAKES I raced through KILLER KEEPSAKES and really loved it - thanks for a great read....smart and interesting and entertaining." Well-developed main and secondary characters, a vividly described small-town
setting, and lots of details on authenticating and appraising antiques add to this fourth in a series. A good
investment for mystery fans who cherish antiques and collectibles. "Another agreeable cozy studded with appraisals and antiques lore.” Kirkus Reviews “Cleland's fun, fast-paced story has realistic characters, an original plot and a solidly constructed mystery. She provides an intriguing glimpse into the world of antiques and collectibles." Romantic Times “Absorbing” and “ingenious” Publishers Weekly Fans of intelligent traditional mysteries who also also enjoy Antiques Roadshow will appreciate. Library Journal |
|||
This is the fourth installment in the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series. Cleland weaves lots of information on antique appraisals in between the sleuthing and the twists and turns of the story. Because this series is still relatively new, the reader does not have to be familiar with Josie and the other characters to follow along. This is a good page-turning cozy to settle back in a comfy chair and escape in for a few hours.  Mystery Scene Magazine, Spring, 2009 This twisty nail biter brings the reader instantly into the story. From page one until the mystery is solved, it will be hard to put the book down. Who would have thought that being an antiques dealer could be so dangerous? Join Josie and her team of appraisers and associates investigate the disappearance of their co-worker, whom they realize they know little about before the local authorities. Nicci Little, Charlotte Literature Examiner .... As Josie will eventually find out, the story of what has happened to Gretchen - and why a dead man was found in her home - is very timely - one everyone will recognize as both tragic and difficult. And, yes, I realize that sentence was very cryptic but I can’t say more without spoiling the plot which I don’t want to do!
Rating: 5 Cats (Note: 5 cats is the highest possible rating in Kate's system)I love this series. I liked it from the first book but Cleland has gotten better with each new book and really hits her stride in this one. I can’t wait for the next! The Lawyer, for Kate's Mystery News/ Kate's Mystery Bookstore What I really liked about this book was the detail about running an antique business/auction house. I wonder if other librarians had the same reaction to it that I did-which is that I was so impressed by the librarian research that the antiques people did to try to discover provenance (or, you know, clues to find a killer.) It was all so neatly tied together. ...I liked this and will definitely look for another Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery. Sarah's Book Journal Blog |
||||
|
I love the characters and settings of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries. Josie and all the people working with her are such a great group. The plots are so well-written. The characters are three-dimensional and I often forget this is fiction. I learn a lot from each book in this series. And I love the New Hampshire setting. While Josie often gets herself into some jams, she is a very smart woman and always finds a way to get out of these tight spots.
I highly recommend this series and book. Mystery Lovers Corner New York Times best selling author of LETHAL LEGACY. As I've come to expect from Cleland, the writing in Killer Keepsakes breathes life into the plot, the setting, the characters. Sometimes it even steals color right out of a character's cheeks: "She looked petrified, as if she were losing ground in a race against the devil." And Cleland doesn't need to be verbose, in a simple sentence like "I was in-my-bones upset" the message comes across loud and clear. Jensbookthought.blogspot.com KILLER KEEPSAKES is the fourth installment in the highly acclaimed Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries. With each page, Cleland uses her expertise to create a superb storyline filled with lively characters and suspenseful drama. Entertaining and insightful…KILLER KEEPSAKES is Cleland at her best. Jennifer Vido http://jennifervido.com/ http://freshfiction.com/ I really appreciate the quality the plotting (well-paced) and writing (flawless) in this series. I get impatient with mysteries in which the first crime happens much more than 50 pages into the story. Give me an author who introduces the first murder before page 10 and I’m happy. In Killer Keepsakes, the first body is discovered at the end of very short Chapter 1! Diana http://www.cozylibrary.com/ Each of her books is better than its predecessor, and "Killer Keepsakes" provides not only a smart puzzle with a surprising twist but also a rumination on friendship. And Cleland's discussions of antiques aren't tutorials -- they punch the plot along. Entertaining and educational, thought-provoking and thorough, this is a series that captivates, even if you don't know a Queen Anne highboy from a Depression-glass highball set. JAY STRAFFORD RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH Cleland’s latest mystery is much more polished than previous ones. Readers could pick this one up, without having read previous ones, and easily catch up with the characters. This is a fascinating missing person case. Cleland skillfully intertwines the day-to-day workings of the antiques business into the mystery story to bring Josie to life as a working woman. Killer Keepsakes is a keeper. Lesa Holstine Mystery News, April/May, 2009 www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com Sarah Weinman shares her favorite classics — old and new — in true crime and mystery: For antiques, appraise Jane Cleland’s four-book series, recently continuing with Killer Keepsakes. Women On the Web http://www.wowowow.com/ "Cleland lets us into the world of antiques, and makes me yearn for illustrations. I'd also like some recipes of dishes she talks about. This is a smooth, polished series that makes me wish I had deep pockets and a much larger house." Deadly Pleasures Magazine Note to readers: There are several series on the market dealing with antiques. I find the Josie Prescott mysteries to be the best. While sprinkling scenes with the antique business throughout the book, I don't feel like I'm in school being taught a lesson. When Cleland has an associate working on appraisals of something like dolls, the reader is given the important factors in making an appraisal of that item. But almost always, that work is part of a bigger scene, not just thrown in to show off the author's knowledge. It serves a purpose in the story somehow. In this book [KILLER KEEPSAKES] there was an ongoing effort to trace a belt buckle and the provenance of a vase. Both of these things were very connected to the mystery. KILLER KEEPSAKES is a great entry in this well written series. ...The good guys work together in Jane Cleland's fictional world to solve the puzzle. The fun, for readers, is in picking up clues placed carefully throughout the story — like eggs in a hunt. Some clues lie out in the open, others are tucked away in drawers. Readers follow Josie's logic and leaps of intuition.... “I thoroughly enjoyed Killer Keepsakes. The characters were fun (love the newspaper reporter), the plot was good (there was only one time when my belief system was suspended for the sake of the story) and the information about antiques was fascinating. Armchair Interviews says: Killer Keepsakes is a fun, cozy mystery. Read Cleland’s other books: Antiques to Die For, Deadly Appraisal and Consigned to Death.” Andrea Sisco Armchair Interviews |
||||
| © 2005— Jane K. Cleland | Page Last updated |
Top |