A Killer Collection [Large Print] [Paperback]

J. B. Stanley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2006

Introducing amateur sleuth Molly Appleby, a sharp-witted writer for Collector's Weekly magazine. She has a keen knowledge of antiques, and a special fondness for collectibles.

And when a fellow collector is murdered, Molly quickly develops an uncanny understanding of the criminal mind.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 301 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing (June 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597222577
• ISBN-13: 978-1597222570
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,297,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A former Middle School English teacher, I've had a wide range of jobs ranging from catering to working the shirt press at a dry cleaner to being a part-time folk and outsider art dealer. I am most happy around books, food, animals, and antiques, so I combined all three of these things and became a writer of mysteries. My first series revolves around the world of antiques and collectibles and several of my characters love cats. My second series, The Supper Club mysteries, revolves around folks who are junk food addicts. Please visit my website at www.jbstanley.com for book club discussion questions and my contact information.

Thanks for supporting traditional mysteries!

Cheers, J.B.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars collector's delight!, January 31, 2006

By 

Elizabeth Slater (North Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Killer Collection: A Collectible Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Another first in a series, this story features Molly Appleby, who writes a column for Collector's Weekly magazine. Molly's first column features North Carolina's potters, a subject in which Molly's mother has expertise. We join Molly and her mother, at the beginning of the book, at a well-known potter's kiln opening, and wind up witnessing the murder of a prominent, yet widely disliked, pottery collector. We join Molly on her journey through the world of pottery and the Carolinas to sniff out the clues to the death she witnessed. I really enjoyed this cozy mystery - I thought the protagonist's profession was a good one to find different topics for more books, and I liked learning about the pottery. I currently work with a potter, and he seemed impressed with the knowledge I'd gleaned from the book, and its accuracy.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Killer" Debut, April 29, 2006

By 

mr.biblio (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Killer Collection: A Collectible Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm not much of a collector, but I was captivated by this mystery in any case. The details about the pottery were fascinating and I can't wait to order the second book. I found all of the characters extremely realistic and especially liked Clara, Molly's mother. I felt this book was loaded with suspense. I could hardly put it down and ended up reading it in two nights. Often I can deduce who the killer is by page 30. Not so with this book. Everything came together like a well-woven tapestry by the end. I also enjoyed the informative essay in the back and am officially a J.B. Stanley fan - keep 'em coming!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This grabbed my interest in the first few pages., October 13, 2006

By 

andiesenji (SoCal,USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Killer Collection: A Collectible Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

To a collector such as me, this story struck a note that made it impossible for me to put the book down until I finished it. I am a rapid reader (not a skimmer, I read every word) and finished the book in a bit over 1 1/2 hours. It left me wanting more.

I love antiques, I love odd things and old things that have survived into this century intact, and sometimes in surprisingly fine condition.

Discovering a treasure is a thrill. Discovering that someone is producing modern reproductions and passing them off as antiques is horribly disheartening. Thwarting those people is satisfying, as is thwarting thieves and cheats.

I can relate to Molly Appleby in this story, partly because of where I was born (western Kentucky) and also because of my love of the homely utility pottery pieces like the crocks and jugs made by Bauer before they moved to California. (And before they became famous for their colorful "Ringware.")

I liked the characters and found myself thinking of them as friends. I didn't mind the occasional sidetracks because that is the way real life happens, things do not always proceed from "A" to "B" to "C" because sometimes it may jump from "B" to "H" and then back to "D" and to "C."

This was not one of the "formula" mysteries that I can usually figure out in the first third of a book.

I have already read the second in the series and if anything, it is better. I look forward to many, many more. Molly, as a mystery protagonist, has "legs."