Customer Reviews

Smoke Screen (Antiquarian Book Mysteries)

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

 

 

I'm really enjoying myself working my way through the Dido Hoare books. What an absolute gem of a series! Dido, Barnabas (her retired Oxford don father) and Eddie (her assistant) are a wonderful team and great fun to read about.

Dido Hoare, antiquarian book dealer, can hardly believe her luck when she is offered the opportunity to buy Clare Templeton Forbes's (otherwise known as Her Majesty) book collection. And in spite of the warnings both from another book dealer and her father, Dido eagerly makes her way to Oxford to peruse the collection and make an offer. She is surprised and thrilled to find amongst the collection of 19th century books, a comprehensive collection of Orrin Forbes first editions. Orrin Forbes was a minor American modernist poet and Clare's ex-lover. Realising that she is out of her league here, Dido suggests that Clare get hold of one of the more prestigious auction houses to handle these rare books. But Clare refuses, claiming that she needs the money now so that she can move form her falling apart Oxford home into something more modern. (She also wants everyting done quietly and without her daughter's knowledge.) Dido is leery. There seems to be something suspicious afoot but she has no idea what. And Dido fears she's being manipulated by Clare but is not sure to what end. And then Clare shows her a manuscript of Forbes's missing canto, and wishes to know if Dido will buy it. Extracting from this rather sticky situation, Dido pays a few books and leaves. That very night, Clare dies apparently from having set her bed afire from a lighted cigarette. And the next morning, Dido finds the missing Forbes manuscript in a box of books she bought just as the police arrive to search her premises in search of said manuscript. It turns out that Clare was murdered. Dido feels as if she's being set up -- but is it for murder or theft? With her reputation as a legitimate dealer on the line, Dido plunges in to discover who planted the missing canto on her and who murderd Clare and uncovers quite abit more than she bargained for.

"Smoke Screen" was a roller-coaster of a read. I was fairly glued to the pages as I read along, following Dido's every move as she tried to work out what was happening to her and who was fitting her up and for what. The novel unfolded smoothly and briskly. And Marianne MacDonald's prose style made this book all the more enjoyable and fun. So, if you're lloking for a good biblio-mystery, look no further -- "Smoke Screen" is just the ticket, and is just the thing to curl up enjoy on a rainy day.

Dido Hoare is an engaging heroine, with her protective retired father, her squalling baby, and her bookshop. The premise here is a fun one, pivoting on the provenance of a valuable book collection that includes original work by a modern American poet. But MacDonald does a poor job of setting up the mystery. Most readers should have it worked out by halfway through, yet Dido insists on ignoring red-flag clues that MacDonald dangles in front of her every few pages. It's a fun read, but a predictable one.

I have only read one other book in this series, but I really like the character of Dido. Coping with the day-to-day tribulations of single motherhood and running her own business, Dido is a believable, engaging heroine who can't resist getting involved in an intriguing mystery. I'm a big fan of Grafton and Paretsky, but it's refreshing to get immersed in the low-keyed world of an English bookseller who just happens to have adventures fall into her lap. And Kinsey and V.I. never have to worry about getting back in time for the babysitter. I did enjoy Ghostwalk a bit more, but while you might quickly figure out the mysteries behind the action here, Smoke Screen is still a fun ride.

The only reason I gave this three stars was because I liked the character Dido and her father Barnabas. The other characters were two dimensional at best and the mystery was non-existent. Everybody has one book in a series that falls flat, so I will try another to see if the characterization and the mystery get better.

Dido was warned, but the idea of acquiring a horde of books from Clare Templeton Forbes is too alluring to pass. Dido puts her reputation on the line to discover why Mrs. Forbes was helped to die after her books had been sold.
Anyone who has ever packed and unpacked a collection of books will feel this story in every muscle, especially when Dido ends up with a valuable manuscript of an American poet she didn't purchase and the police on her doorstep.
This third in the series lacks a little something, maybe because the cast of potential murders is too small to spread the guilt around. Fans of this quiet series, as we are will come back for more visits with Dido, Barnabas and Ernie a jewel of a computer repairman.
Nash Black, author of "Sins of the Fathers" and "Travelers."

Good insight into the perils and tribulations of a single mother with a witty, protective dad and then, with all of that she solves a rather unique and interesting crime. With a "locked door" scene no less. My interest in the antique book world led me to read it, my interest in the author and her books will lead me to the rest of her works.