Customer Reviews

Death by Diamonds (A Vintage Magic Mystery)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Madeira "Maddie" Cutler owns and operates a vintage clothing shop in Mystick Falls, Connecticut. Maddie can touch vintage items, mainly clothing, and receive visions at times. Maddie's best friend since kindergarten, Eve Meyers, still gets freaked out whenever Maddie zones out (a.k.a. is having a vision).

Maddie receives a package from a famous friend, Dominique "Dom" DeLong. It is the gorgeous seafoam gown Maddie designed for the Broadway star a decade ago. Maddie and Dom had dinner together in New York City only a few weeks ago. But last Friday night the actress collapsed during an off-Broadway musical performance. Enclosed with the gown is a note from Dom asking Maddie to use her special talents to snoop and find her killer. To make matters a bit more complicated, the priceless diamonds that Dom had been wearing in the show are missing.

Dom's son, Kyle, welcomes Maddie and Eve to New York. Turns out that Maddie is named as the executor for Dom. Kyle seems to be the only one Maddie likes or trusts. Kyle's mother told him about Maddie's psychometric visions and he has high hopes that Maddie will learn the identity of his mother's killer, if not what happened to the infamous Pierpont diamonds. There is a wide selection of suspects to choose from. Ian is the philandering ex-husband. Quinny is the catty "best friend". Lance, the leading man of the show. Ursula, Dom's understudy. Zander, Dom's personal chef. The list goes on and on.

Nick Jaconetti, Maddie's FBI boyfriend, is helping with the missing diamond investigation. They share an on-again/off-again relationship. Nick asks Detective Sergeant Lytton Werner to come act as Maddie's bodyguard because the diamond case keeps taking him away from her side. Both Nick and Lytton are interested in Maddie. She soon feels as if she is in the middle of a pheromone war. But can even these two strong lawmen keep Maddie safe?

***** FIVE STARS! Since Maddie travels to New York, the normal cast of spirits in Mystick Falls have little-to-no time in the lime light. However, the unseen spirits of Maddie's mother and Dom are around. Nick is still hot, but Lytton begins some competition with his thermonuclear kiss. To say that Annette Blair has revved up the drama and intensity would be putting it too mildly. The depicted members of a group, dubbed The Parasites, could not have been more perfect. These are the people who use the death of a celebrity to further their own careers. The author has managed to combine greedy snobs, famous leeches, and some lovable characters together to create one of the most interesting mysteries I have read this year. A magnificent story! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Early one morning, Maddie receives a package and a letter from dear friend. The letter contains Dominique's final wishes. Dom knew her life was in danger and she asks Maddie to help solve her death. When her son, Kyle, calls Maddie, she drops everything and rushes with her side with her BFF Eve and her on-again boyfriend Nick.

Nick works with the FBI. They're more interested in the missing diamonds. When he leaves to catch a potential carrier of the diamonds, he asks local sheriff Werner to keep his eye on Maddie.

Maddie and Kyle dig into this mother's death. They're attempting to weed out friends, parasites, and foes from Dom's acquaintances. It's a tough job, but they seem to be on the right track as Maddie receives a threatening phone call.

Maddie sees unique information due to her psychic ability when touching vintage clothing. She's not sharing her talent, which means she must validate each clue in order to account for her visions.

Will she be able to find the clues to stamp her theories into reality?

The third book in the Vintage Magic series continues to be a charming read with more romance, more vintage clothing, and lots of danger. I love the spark between Werner and Maddie and the now love triangle. I love how Nick's assumptions infuriate Maddie and she stands up to his notions. Most of all, I love the relationship between Maddie and Eve.

This is the third Vintage Magic Mystery, and tough I love them all, this one took it to a whole new level. In DEATH BY DIAMONDS, Annette Blair gives you a satisfying blend of everything you could want in a mystery and she leaves you wanting the next one NOW! I read DEATH BY DIAMONDS in one night, thought about it all day, and read it a second time. It's that good. Discover Broadway, and all that lurks behind the scenes, the Parasites, greed, lust, love, humor, quick minds, greed, and loyalty. THERE'S SATISFACTION PLUS TO BE FOUND IN THESE PAGES. Not to mention Madeira Cutler's usual psychic abilities and the men in her life: the FBI Special Agent, Dante Underhill, the ghost in top hat and tux for eternity, and Detective Sargent Lytton Werner. Triple yum.

Mysteries in order are A VEILED DECEPTION, LARCENY AND LACE, DEATH BY DIAMONDS & SKIRTING THE GRAVE next spring.

While you're waiting, don't miss her urban fantasies: NAKED DRAGON and BEDEVILED ANGEL, not to mention her delightful witches, all six.

This is the first Vintage Magic Mystery I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fun, the characters were well written and the story was good. Can't wait to take the earlier titles for run while I'm waiting, ever so impatiently for the next new title.

Well done Annette Blair, you've created some very likeable and fun characters. I've already passed the book along to my mystery loving chain of friends.

This book is a good read as a stand-alone and a great follow-up to Blair's previous books. The magic element fits in nicely with the vintage clothes and a sexy ghost waiting for his now aged love is a great touch. Some of the situations seem a bit contrived but overall, a great way to spend a lazy weekend curled up with a good book,

"Mad, Sweetie, I always wanted you to have this. I hoped some day to give it to you myself. If you have it, I'm dead. Use your talents wisely. Love, Dom," reads the note tucked inside a package that vintage clothing store owner Maderia "Mad" Cutler receives from actress and friend Dominique "Dom" DeLong. Determined to find out who is responsible for Dom's murder -- for Dom is, indeed, dead -- and to help Dom's son, Kyle, get through the ordeal of his mother's death, Mad takes off for the scene of the crime, New York City.

The third entry in Blair's Vintage Magic Mysteries finds Mad in New York for much of the novel. There, she uncovers plenty of murder suspects: Dom's current understudy; Dom's ex-husband, who may well inherit the business they jointly own; a jealous rival; Dom's personal chef, who wanted her to set him up in his own restaurant; Dom's toy boy; and just about anyone who knew about the missing diamonds Dom wore on stage.

Mad's best friend Eve Meyers clad in steampunk fashions, Mad's on-again-off-again lover sexy FBI agent Nick Jaconetti, and Detective Lytton "the Weiner" Werner, Mad's antagonistic (or is he?) grade school classmate help solve the mystery.

Dante, the resident ghost in the first two books, Chakra, Mad's cat, and Mad's father and "aunt" Fiona make brief appeances.

Mad's "talent", having psychic visions while touching or wearing other's clothing, is prominently featured and adds interest and a unique touch to the series. Also a plus are Blair's descriptions of vintage fashions and the fashion quotes that preceed each chapter. The result is an entertaining, light mystery that is a quick read.

The upscale clothing store Vintage Magic is located in Mystic Falls, Connecticut. The shop is owned by a very special individual Madeira Coulter. Unique in many ways, what stands out is her psychic skills; especially psychometry in which she touches clothing and receives visions of the person who wore them. That talent allows her to solve mysteries; she hopes it will also enable her to identify who killed her close friend Broadway star Dominique DeLong.

Dominique had faith in Maddie when she delivered the dress Madeira designed for he r that contains h faux jewelry on it. A note accompanied the dress stating if the dress was delivered to Maddie she was dead. The cause of death was peanuts, which makes Maddie more certain her friend was murdered because Dominique was highly allergic to them and would not even touch a peanut. Also missing when Don died is the diamonds r she was to wear for an off-Broadway show. Whoever stole the diamonds believes they were on the gown she gave to Maddie. She plans to find out who killed Dom and the man she loved before the killer murders her..

Annette Blair has the magical touch when it comes to entertaining joie de vivre paranormal amateur sleuth who-done- its. The mystery is cleverly constructed making it very difficult to figure out who the culprit as there are so many suspect including Parasite hanger-ons enviously trying to improve personal status through connections. Maddy is unsure where to begin beyond using her psychic skills starting with touching and wearing the gown to induce visions, Readers will relish the latest Vintage Magic whodunit (see A Veiled Deception and Larceny and Lace).

Harriet Klausner

I love her books. They have a sense of humor, style and a good mystery.

Another great light-hearted story from Annette Blair. Death by Diamonds is a perfect read for a rainy day or a pool-side afternoon. The story is fast-paced and fun with entertaining characters that catch your imagination. (and the descriptions of some of the vintage clothing is enough to make you salivate)

finally a series by ms. blair that is interesting, fun to read with a good plot and a nice romance. i have read a few of ms. blair's books and was not impressed. i like her breezy style, but not her penchant to fill out her thin plots with endless descriptions of sex scenes that were not the least bit erotic , but rather uncomfortable and boring. however, the vintage mystery series has all the good qualities of her writing and none of the bad. i am looking forward to the next book in the series.