Customer Reviews

Ghastly Glass (Renaissance Faire Mystery)

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Jessie is a lot of fun. I really enjoyed Wicked Weaves so decided to give this one a try too.
Jessie is a college professor working on a paper about crafts during the renaissance, and she's learning them as she goes by apprenticing to different craftspeople at a renaissance village which is like an ongoing permanent faire. She's 6 foot tall, doesn't like to be called girl and can't resist a challenge.
In this book, she's apprenticed to a very cranky glassblower with a son who thinks he's a gift to all women, it's Halloween in the village, and everyone has to go along with it, dressing the part as witches or wraiths.
When Death turns up dead and strange graffiti starts turning up everywhere in the village, everybody is on edge. Then it starts to look like Jessie and her boss are being targeted by the killer, and to make matters worse, the police are threatening to shut down the village.
Jessie is a great character, she's smart and strong, but clumsy and more than a bit neurotic. Her bf, the very stable and handsome baliff of the village is trying to solve the crime, and Jessie is as well. At times, it's laugh out loud funny as Jessie winds up in one ridiculous situation after another.
It's just a great escapist cozy mystery read.

Joyce and Jim Lavene's GHASTLY GLASS provides a fine Renaissance Faire mystery including Renaissance recipes and facts as it tells of Jesse, facing a crabby boss, boyfriend problems, and a real murder affecting the man playing the Grim Reaper. A fine pick for lending libraries strong in murder mysteries.

I was really surprised at how much I loved this book. I love the renaissance theme. The new plot had the faire made up for Halloween. With pirates, zombies, ghosts and even, "Death". Jessie and her boyfriend Chase, have a full time job trying out who harmed who, in this mystery. Jessie learns all about glass blowing, which was really interesting to me. I can honestly say.. read this cozy mystery.
I really liked the characters and the crazy pirates who kept me in stitches. Banshee and all.
The first book in this series was called, "Wicked Weaves".
This book to me, was even better than the first book.
I am so glad I took a chance and read the Lavene's second mystery.
They redeemed my faith in their story ability. Kudos to them both.

Jim and Joyce Levine accomplish what few married couples can do. Each of them writes portions of their books.They do it so well that you cannot see a change of style.
In their renaissance fair series they have created a setting so vibrant that you wonder if the fair actually exists. I know Myrtle Beach, where the books are set,and still find myself thinking the setting might be real.
Unfortunately, this is not one of the better offerings in the series. The heroine and hero have finally connected,but a spark seems to be missing. Equally importantly, the authors spend so much time on the shenanigans among fair employees that the mystery itself is totally subsumed by other activities. A secondary plot does nothing to further the mystery toward its conclusion.
More unfortunately, the solution is dropped into your lap at the end of the novel. There are plenty of red herrings but no clues to lead you to the solution on your own.
On the whole,not a bad read, but the Levines can do better.

Renaissance Village in Myrtle Beach is for the first time in history is decorated to look like the Faire is Halloween. Renaissance reveler Jessie Morton is apprenticing under various master craftsmen to obtain research for her dissertation Proliferation of Renaissance Crafts in Modern Times. This year she is being trained by Roger Trent, owner and glassblower of the Glass Gryphon. She is also reunited with Chase.

The strong but gentle giant Ross plays Death and is very convincing as he looks spookily like the grim reaper. When someone kills him everyone at the faire except his killer is shocked. On his chest is a note that states "Death Will Find Thee". His brother Bart takes over the role of death. Someone is also trying to frighten Jessie. When Roger is attacked with the same message left on him as that was pinned to Ross, Jessie believes the latter's nephew stalks him. Although Henry is arrested, Jessie doubts he is the killer. Instead she believes a village resident is the culprit especially when someone else vanishes.

Jessie provides a unique look at a renaissance faire as she stumbles and tumbles into one adventure after another. Through her eyes, readers learn what happens behind the scenes and into the minds of the performers especially the revelers who relish reenactments. This is a colorful exciting amateur sleuth mystery filled with quirky characters who endear themselves to the reader as Joyce and Jim Lavene write a delightful whodunit.

Harriet Klausner

I enjoyed the earlier books by this author but was quite disappointed with this one.
It is difficult to believe that the main character is a college professor, if only an assistant, because the manner in which she behaves is strictly high school.
It appears that Jessie is trying to be a feminist but hedges her bets by being saucy, flirty, dressing sexily and remaining dependent on men or a man. She shows in one situation that she has the wherewithal to stand up to and trounce a man in "battle" but doesn't have the backbone to stand up to another who orders her around. Conflicting signals.
She also gave away part of the plot by her denigrating description of the bad guy. One instantly knew that he had to be a perp of some kind.

I love this series of books by Joyce & Jim Lavene. They are based in Myrtle Beach, SC which is a place near and dear to my heart, so that makes them really fun to read. Light and easy reading. Fun characters. If you are looking for a lighthearted,easy read then this is a great book on it's own or pick up the whole series.

This was a murder tale set at a Renaissance Village in So. Carolina. I have to say, I found myself disappointed in the book. The location was wonderful and I was excited to read the book, however, the book left me frustrated.

Jessie Morton is supposedly writing a Thesis using Renaissance crafts. This was so interesting I thought. It turned out to be Jessie having a sex romp throughout the village. I didn't find anything romantic about her encounters. I would have sued for sexual harassment, excepting you find out she has had several 'boyfriends' on previous visits.

There is a murder and it was placed very well. The Bailiff, Chase Manhattan, Jessie's boyfriend of the moment has to solve this murder of the character "Death." Ok. The problem was the sex kept jutting in and left the murder behind. It gets solved but not by the time that I was reading to finish the book.

The authors are lovely and talented writers, I'm totally confused as to why I didn't like this book. I have the next one in the series and hope it improves. I do love their other series.