Customer Reviews

Shadows at the Fair : An Antique Print Mystery

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first in the Anique Print Mystery is an exciting beginning. Maggie Summers, recently widowed, is back selling her antique prints at the Rensselaer County Antique Fair. (Initially that's why I bought the book, because of the name of the county and the name of my town. Am I ever glad I did.) Maggie is happy to be back selling her wares to take her mind off her husband's recent death and discovery of his philandering. But soon a murder of an antique dealer and then his wife, has her searching for clues to clear a friend's nephew and to find the true murderer. The inside look at the antique fair business is interesting. Those who watch the Antique Roadshow may find this of interest.

I'm an antique dealer and a friend recommended Shadows at the Fair after it was nominated for an Agatha for "best first mystery." I'm really glad she did. It's the most enjoyable book I've read this year. The author brings the world of antiques accurately alive -- and has a great way of putting together memorable characters with unforgettable pasts and secrets, and a lot of action. I'm looking forward to reading her next book -- Shadows on the Coast of Maine!

It has been a long hard winter for Maggie Summer. Her husband died of a heart attack at the same time she learned he was having an affair with another woman. Now she is trying to get her life back on track by entering the Rensselaer County Springs Antiques Fair. She sells antique prints and knows many of the other dealers since she has been doing the shows for years.

When she arrives on the fairgrounds she learns that a dealer was poisoned at an antique fair a week ago. Security is so beefed up that all the dealers feel safe until somebody kills Harry Findley. At first the police arrest Ben, a man with Down's Syndrome. Maggie, who has known Ben for a long time, is convinced he didn't do it; the police become convinced as well when Harry's wife Susan dies under mysterious circumstances while they retained Ben. Maggie, being a curious sort, decides to do some sleuthing and almost gets killed in the process.

This is the first entry into what looks to be an intriguing series. The heroine is a likable person who has a natural talent for snooping and is not the kind of person who stands idly by when an injustice is about to occur though she starts her sleuthing after the police know Ben is innocent. Lea Wait takes readers into the world of antiquities and makes it seem so interesting that readers will want to visit their local antiques store or fair.

Harriet Klausner

Lea Wait, who also writes a well-regarded Young Adult historical series, has given us an intelligent, well-written mystery. She knows the antique print field, having been a dealer for many years, and she blends this knowledge with excellent characterization and plot development. We have a hard time figuring out not only who the murderer is, but why the murders are being committed. And will Maggie Summer, the well-delineated protagonist, be the next victim? Wait also uses the intriguing idea of prefacing each chapter with the description of an actual print from her collection that has some bearing on the chapter. She says that an antique show is like the classic mystery setting--a group of people are together in an isolated place, and suddenly one of them is murdered. Lea Wait is an author to watch, and "Shadows at the Fair" is a good beginning of what will be a series worth following.

Antiques and an antique show and a cast of shady characters ... what could be more entertaining? Really enjoyed this one ...looking forward to the next in the series!

I just found Shadows at the Fair and am really excited that Shadows on the Coast of Maine has been published, too. Maggie Summer is a great character -- not crazy or silly, although she has a sense of humor. She has a lot of intelligence and spunk, and a sense of what is fair. In Shadows at the Fair she knows it is not fair to accuse Ben of a murder just because he has Down Syndrome, so she goes to bat for him -- and uncovers one of the most unusual -- but credible! -- motives for a serial killer I've ever read. And I loved the information about antiques and antiques shows. Now I'm going to have to visit one -- and look for prints! Right after I read Lea Wait's next book.

I've waited too long to start this series by Lea Wait - featuring a part-time antique print seller and college professor Maggie Summer. Maggie travels to antique shows all around the north-eastern area of the US in between teaching semesters. When one of Maggie's fellow antique dealers dies at their latest show, Maggie struggles to prove the innocence of a friend, and herself, as well. Subtly romance is blooming for Maggie with Will Brewer, but Maggie gets distracted when another dealer dies - and she wonders, could Will be the killer? With only a weekend to solve the mystery, Maggie manages well to close the case before everyone departs for their next show. I've enjoyed the storylines, and am envious of the northern fare. I've learned bits & pieces about prints, and regret some of the book donations I've made!

This isn't a bad book but it's not great either. The heroine, Maggie is uninteresting. The plot is clever but it's carried out in a heavy handed manner. The pacing was slow, and quite dull. By page 13 I had figured out who was going to get killed and which character would be blamed for it. By the 50th page I knew who the killer was. The whole thing seemed horribly dry and stale.

Recently widowed Maggie Summer is participating in the Rensselaer County Spring Antiques Fair. She owns Shadows Antiques.

There have been some deaths of antique dealers, so everyone is on edge. Security has been hightened for the show as well.

Many of the same dealers who were at the show where John Smithson died of a poisoning last week are at this show. The dealers make the identical circuit each year and seem to know each other well. But do they really?

On opening night there is another death. The show goes on, but Maggie spends almost as much time investigating as she does selling antiques. She is determined to help prove that her friend Gussie's nephew Ben, who has Down's syndrome, is not the killer. Hardest part is trying to prove who is. She can't believe any of these people that she knows could be a killer.

I really enjoy this series. Maggie is such an enjoyable character. The interspersing of information about antiques really moves the story. I found myself having trouble putting the book down. I'm not an antiques enthusiast, but the way she weaves the story and the antiques information together really makes it interesting.

I highly recommend this book and the whole series.



Please check out www.mysteryloverscorner.com

I discovered this series mid-series, but have gone back and read all the books now. This is definitely a fun series, a combination of murder, prints and history. Maggie is a very likeable and fun character with a lot of depth for a murder mystery. Definitely a series worth reading!