The Cracked Pot (Clay and Crime Mysteries, No. 2) (Paperback)

by Melissa Glazer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
When the body of a new potter with a mysterious past is found in Carolyn Emerson’s raku firing pit, she calls upon her studio’s pottery club, The Firing Squad, to dig up evidence and crack the case.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (May 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425221261
• ISBN-13: 978-0425221266
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #339,067 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 2 in The Clay and Crime Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Melissa Glazer Fires Up Another Enjoyable Cozy!, May 18, 2008

By	C. A. Hopkins (The gorgeous Rockies) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If possible, I'd give the second Clay and Crime Mystery, The Cracked Pot, four-and-a-half stars. Melissa Glazer, a.k.a. Tim Myers, uses this newest installment to better define the main characters and flesh out their personalities. Carolyn Emerson is as cranky as ever in this arts and crafts cozy, but the reader gets a much better look at her softer side as she looks after her better half, Bill, and also tries to protect her best-friend's son on several different fronts. While she is certainly abrasive, Carolyn also has several endearing qualities, not the least of which is her strong sense of right and wrong. She knows full well what it's like to be wrongfully accused and will take whatever measures necessary to see that mistakes are made right. Now that she doesn't suspect the sheriff of foul play, their relationship, while still strained, is one of grudging mutual respect and is much more believable.

This particular mystery revolves around a renowned potter who disappears on his way to Carolyn's pottery shop, Fire at Will. As it turns out, this isn't the first time this particular individual has disappeared from Maple Ridge. Carolyn and her assistant, David, are ill prepared for what happens next. After a dead body is discovered, Carolyn finds out where more than a few of the townsfolk's skeletons are buried - and she is inundated with advice to let sleeping dogs lie. With her contrary nature, however, such advice only serves to strengthen her resolve to solve the mystery - which she does, with a lot of help from her friends.

All in all, this is an enjoyable cozy with an interesting group of main characters that I'm sure we'll learn more about as the series progresses. The clay tips at the end are a welcome bonus. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the next book in this series!

I do have one small complaint - which actually has nothing to do with the author. I dislike all typos, but a typo on the back cover is an egregious mistake. I hope it's fixed prior to further printing.

Carol Ann Hopkins 5/18/2008

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too Grouchy For Me, August 28, 2008

By	Chris (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

I really want to love this series but Carolyn is just so unlikeable I find it hard to read. I'm all for cranky, but she takes it to an all new level with her sarcasm and snapping and it's just constant. It's mentioned in the book that her two sons rarely call except on birthdays and holidays...no wonder. The way she acts so utterly entitled to snoop around and meddle in the lives of everyone around here just adds to my irritation. The plot is really good, there are some twists and turns that are wonderfully suprising and the resolution was rivoting. I had no idea that Tim Myers was actually the author and I have adored all of his other series so maybe this is one that just isn't for me.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! , June 8, 2008

By	L. Gondelman "Lori's Reading Corner" (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is definitely one of my favorite cozy series! Somehow Carolyn has found herself in the middle of another murder investigation. This time it's someone that she knows, but that no one is happy to see. Carolyn is very lucky to have such a great group of friend in the "Firing Squad". Friends that have no trouble snooping to help her solve the murder. And poor Bill continues to worry about Carolyn and the trouble she seems to find. Ms. Glazer makes her characters friends you'd like to have as your own. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series - A Fatal Slip.