30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sheer silken delight, June 17, 2001
Barbara Michaels is at her best in this enjoyable mystery, weaving together all the elements that have made her novels in both pseudonyms so very popular.
The book opens as Karen Nevitt arrives at her Georgetown uncle and aunt's house, as they are leaving on vacation. Karen has just been dumped by her husband of ten years, who is marrying his svelte, efficient, pretty teenage secretary. Karen, who is twenty nine, somewhat overweight, and has been stuck in a doormat routine for many years, feels ashamed to meet the friends (and former boyfriends) who are still in Georgetown. She tries to avoid her old boyfriend Mark (who warned her against marrying her husband), but ends up befriending his sister Cheryl.
She takes a small job looking after a friend's antique shop, but soon becomes sucked into the world of vintage clothing. A distant relative allows her to purchase an assortment of old valuable dresses, and soon old ladies are selling their dresses, veils, and slips to Karen. Soon she and Cheryl are starting their own business, with some very rare items. Additionally, Mark and a handsome cop are both becoming quite attentive.
But someone is after an item among Karen's newly-bought things. One of the crumpled old dresses hides more than mold and dust, a secret that someone is willing to kill to keep hidden.
This book is enjoyable on levels other than just a ripping good murder mystery. It also shows Karen's evolution from a dull housewife with low self-esteem and a stagnant marriage, to an independent woman with newly-found courage and a rising business. Her relationship with her husband starkly contrasts with Mark's, as one is mindless and unemotional and the other is smart and respectful. It can also be seen as Karen's evolution into a more assured person, as she learns to "fight back."
Karen and Cheryl are excellent foils for each other, with enough similarities to make then sisters in all but blood, but different enough that they are not redundant. Mark is vintage Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels: Funny, sweet, sexy, attractive, with just enough crabbiness to make him real. There are also the two socialites, snotty Shreve and dead-eyed Miriam. A couple of creepy widows. And, of course, the rotten little dog Alexander who takes a bite out of any available legs.
This is an immensely enjoyable book, one of my favorite mysteries. I strongly urge anyone to read it.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Romantic Suspense by the Master, February 6, 2001
Perhaps my favorite thing about Barbara Michaels (aka Elizabeth Peters) is her ability to teach as she entertains. She's so sly about this, readers barely realize they are getting mini-lessons with each book. In the instance of "Shattered Silk" we learn about vintage clothing. And the lesson is so entertaining and interesting, we're more likely to soak up the info than if someone handed us a text reference. While Karen Nevitt is house-sitting for her aunt and uncle in Georgetown (and recooping from her broken marriage) she goes to work for an old not-quite-so- friendly friend at an antique shop. Her imagination comes to life in this setting, and knowing her aunt and her aunt's friends have a wealth of vintage clothing, begins to toss around the idea of establishing a shop of her own. And in the midst of acquiring merchandise, she also acquires something of unimaginable importance to someone, and this person will stop at nothing to get it back. The suspense keeps building to an unexpected ending, and with this cast of characters, you're never short on suspects. (On another note: if you've read Michael's "Ammie, Come Home" or "Stitches in Time" you'll recognize some familiar characters. Read "Ammie" the "Shattered" then "Stitches". And could it be that the young man from "Shattered" who goes with Mrs. Mac to Borneo be one of the main characters in "Stitches"?)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is my favorite Barbara Michaels., August 26, 1998
Barbara Michaels books are like peanuts, you can't stop once you start, but Shattered Silk is still the best. Michaels attention to detail when dealing with antique clothing just adds to the delightful story. However, the best element of this book is her character development. I was delighted to become reacquainted with some characters from previous books. It was like getting a letter from a friend I haven't heard from in a long time.
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