Customer Reviews

Shadows on the Ivy (Antique Print Mysteries)

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

 

 

Shadow on the Ivy is a Maggie Summer Antique Prints mystery. Set on the campus of Somerset County College, Shadow on the Ivy presents the dilemma of attempted murder of a young single parent, resident of a newly established residence for single parents at Somerset, Whitcomb House. Another successful murder of a Whitcomb House resident plunges Maggie even deeper into the mystery needing to be solved. Struggling with ongoing personal issues of loneliness, further enhanced by her recent widowhood and unwelcome knowledge that her spouse had been unfaithful to her, Maggie ponders the possibility of becoming a single parent herself. Facing two demanding careers, one teaching American History as illustrated by antique prints and cartoons, and the other selling antique prints on the antique circuit, Maggie is caught between factions in the college and private interests in the wealthy founders of Whitcomb House. When she begins to suspect the murder may take her to high places in the college hierarchy, she finds that even her job is in jeopardy. While the local police and detective are not exactly bumbling, they are finally only able to solve the mystery with the full and endangered assistance that Maggie alone can give. Throughout her efforts, Maggie maintains her email relationship with close and friend and antique colleague, Will. Will this relationship blossom into something more enduring? Will Maggie find the solution to the problems that eat her heart as well as the solution to the murder of young Tiffany? The reader is caught up in her world and eager to continue with every page and chapter.

One of the loveliest trademarks of the Maggie Summer mysteries is that each chapter is headed by an actual description of an antique engraving or print, appropriate to the subject of the chapter. Author Lea Wait educates her readers effortlessly in American History, antique prints, and art appreciation, along with masterful suspense. There is not a single false step, tone or move in the flawless narrative. Shadow on the Ivy flows and entices.

Nancy Lorraine

Reviewer

Maggie is a professor of history at Somerset County Community College, but she toils during her time off working on her antique business where she specializes in rare prints. Right now Maggie is attending a social function being given by Dorothy and Oliver Whitcomb, major contributors to the college and the moving force behind Whitcomb House, a dormitory for unwed single parents and their children. The six lively students have their fees, book and any incidentals including childcare paid for.

The six students are also at the party but Sarah becomes ill and falls into a coma; she is rushed to the hospital where the doctors discover she was poisoned. They believe there was nicotine in the spicy drink she was having. A couple of days later another student is poisoned and is found in the House by one of the children. Tiffany was wilder than Sarah was and some of the mothers believe she was blackmailing someone. The case becomes personal when Maggie's office is trashed and someone tries to break into her home. To save Whitcomb House Maggie decides to see if she can discover who the killer really is.

SHADOWS ON THE IVY is very different from the other "Antique Mystery" book because this story concentrates on the heroine's life as a professor while the other works showcased the protagonist as an antique print dealer. Thus, this novel displays a completely different side of Maggie that readers will like. Lea Wait has written an exciting and entertaining academic mystery that provides a whole different meaning to study time.

Harriet Klausner

A college dorm especially for single parents and their children - an intriguing concept. And it seems to work until someone starts poisoning some of the single moms. Maggie, of course, as advisor to the house, becomes embroiled at the center of the tragedy. Besides doing her utmost to identify the killer, Maggie attempts to work her way thru several personal dilemmas. Should she have a child? Should she get married first, or will her experiences at the dorm give her the courage to become a single mom herself? What about her relationship with Will, which doesn't seem to meet many of her emotional needs?

None of these dilemmas is solved in Shadows/Ivy, but the killer is found and 2 mothers and daughters reunited. "Cozies" tend to lack suspense, and this is no exception. Otherwise, it's an OK mystery story.

Daily free books arrive at my office from authors and publishers for review. Yet, I still purchase many for several reasons: I want to support the writers who provide us with so much pleasure, I enjoy a particular author and didn't receive the book from the publisher, and sometimes, it's just because I love the book cover and the book blurb intrigues me.

That is what happened to me as I was traveling recently. I needed a book fix and found Lea Wait's book, Shadows on the Ivy in a local Orlando bookstore. The cover was interesting and the book blurb urged me to purchase it. I wasn't disappointed.

Antique print dealer Maggie Summer is a recent widow who is a faculty advisor and teaches at the local community college. She is also the proprietor of Shadows, an antique print business.

Maggie is the faculty advisor to the single parent students who are housed in a special dormitory and are involved in a new parents program at Somerset College. When a Whitcomb House student is poisoned and another is found dead, there seems to be a direct correlation between some people's past and the present. Maggie is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery before others are hurt or perhaps lose their lives. And in digging into the mystery, her life might be in jeopardy.

After reading many other gritty and dark mysteries, I so enjoyed this cozy amateur sleuth novel. The characters are interesting, the story was intriguing and satisfactory ending left the promise of more visits with Maggie Summer and her antique print business.

Armchair Interviews says: If you want a nice, fast read, Lea Wait's Shadows on the Ivy is a good pick. We're looking into her other releases and expecting the same level of satisfaction.

I've enjoyed the earlier books in this series because I prefer escaping into the world of traditional cozy mysteries and that's what they were.

This one doesn't fit the genre. There are very young children characters put in jeopardy. (A cozy no-no). A four year old girl's mother is poisoned and she's left in the care of a group of young single parents. (Would this happen in real life? Probably not without the supervision of a Social Service). This same little kid is traumatized when she finds the body of her mother's friend. The setting is the college where the protagonist teaches rather than the usual antique show. There are few characters so not much of a mystery. We know early on that it's one of a only a few disagreeable suspects.

Maggie has no Watson. The fun of cozies is meeting again the likeable characters from earlier books. No Will Brewster, no Gussie to help within this story. Maggie withholds evidence from the police, out of character for the Maggie of the earlier books. The motive of the murder was to hide the kinky bondage sex of a wealthy college supporter who will live to endulge his proclivities another day. The only character I liked was Winslow Homer, Maggie's cat and also the only element in this book of a true cozy.

An exceptionally well written mystery. Setting is a small community college in New Jersey. Maggie Summer is a professor here during the week and is often off to her art shows on weekends for her Shadows business. There is a house set up across the campus for single parent students - 5 females and 1 male. During a cocktail party at one of the college mucky-mucky's one of the girl students passes out and goes into a coma. Maggie is the faculty advisor for this house of students. The police get involved and there is alot of behind the scenes happenings occuring. A Very Good Read.

Like a Jane Langton mystery, this book is an intellectual's mystery, packed with facts regarding Currier & Ives prints, nineteenth century depictions of African-Americans, and miscellaneous background on a variety of artists and lithographs. However, with the exception of one classroom scenario, author Lea Watt manages to blend seamlessly historical information and mystery. A classic whodunit, complete with multiple motives and false trails. Maggie Summer is a conflicted and interesting protagonist-sleuth, who I look forward getting to know better in the other books in the series.

The best so far in the Shadeows Antique Print Mystery series. Maggie Summer is an antique print dealer & college prof whose life revolves around antiques, her friend Will -- and her desire to become a mother. Single parents, adoption, college politics and suspense all merge to create a great read! If you like traditional mysteries, you'll love Shadows on the Ivy!

I liked her other two books, but as a retired academic, I often tire of mysteries set on campus. This is especially true when the villain is so obvious, not because of any weakness in her plotting, but because in "ivy" mysteries the bad guys are so often those whom most of us in the arts would choose--let me be coy here--not students, not faculty, not staff, guess who.