Something to Kill for [Hardcover]

Susan Holtzer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994

A rash of murders among the antique dealers of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has investigator Anneke Haagen thinking that someone has made a ""Big Score"" on the garage-sale circuit. A first novel. Winner of the 1993 Best First Malice Domestic Novel Contest.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Holtzer crafts an engaging debut from a usually harmless suburban staple: garage sales. On a Saturday morning in Michigan, members of the Ann Arbor Antiques Association are making the rounds of local garage sales when disliked dealer Joanna Westlake is found fatally bludgeoned. Fellow dealer Joyce McDonald and her friend, computer consultant Anneke Haagen, hear Joanna whisper her last words: "The Jap?" Worried that the phrase might incriminate fellow member Ellen Nakamura, the group asks Anneke, who has consulted at the police department, to follow Lt. Karl Genesco's investigation. While police suspect that Joanna was murdered for something valuable she might have bought at a sale, the subsequent murder of a talented art student, lover of another regular on the garage sale circuit, suggests other possible motives to Anneke, an attractive and independent woman in her 40s. She mentions her speculations to Genesko, who asks her to construct a computer program to sort out suspects and movements, a job complicated by the murder of another dealer. Working in tandem, Anneke and Genesko, a former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, solve the mysteries in this refreshing mix of computer lore, antiques trivia, romance and murder, winner of the publisher's 1993 Malice Domestic contest.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Anyone who loves garage sales, flea markets, and antique marts will love this mystery set in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Anneke Haagen, owner of a computer consulting business, decides to spend a Saturday morning with her friend Sheila, a local antique/collectibles dealer, when she makes the rounds of spring garage sales in quest of bargains and the "Big Score"--the diamond priced as rhinestone. Anneke is pleased when she discovers an art deco statuette at a give-away price but is less than thrilled when she and Sheila discover the body of Ellen, local collector who has been bludgeoned to death with a rock. Anneke, known to the local police through her computing work for the department, is asked by Ellen's friends to help out with the investigation. Two more, seemingly unrelated, murders occur before the annual antiques fair provides Anneke with the information necessary to pull the pieces together. With a clever plot and an excellent depiction of life in a large university town, this is an entertaining read with series potential. Look for a sequel. Stuart Miller

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 230 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312111177
• ISBN-13: 978-0312111175
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,152,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder on the garage sale circuit, July 7, 2002

By 

R. Tiedemann "Sunnye" (Bellevue, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Something To Kill For: When It Comes To Garage Sales, Finding A Treasure Can Be Murder... (Mass Market Paperback)

SOMETHING TO KILL FOR was the third winner of St. Martin Press's Malice Domestic contest. That means this is the first book published by this author.

Anneke Haagen spends a morning scouring garage sales -- she'd actually asked her friend Joyce in a moment of weakness and desperation for a change of scenery -- if she could go along. She finds a treasure and is delighted to get it for pennies. The day goes along successfully for both until they notice a fellow antiquer's car parked in an odd place. Things don't look right, so they stop to help. The woman dies, speaking one politically incorrect clue at the end.

That clue leads authorities to Anneke's friend and Anneke vows to help her. The story moves along at a lively pace. It's an amusing, entertaining read with good characterization in an intriguing setting -- perfect for those of us who love to cozy up with a cozy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First Holtzer and a Winner, April 17, 2006

By 

Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Something To Kill For: When It Comes To Garage Sales, Finding A Treasure Can Be Murder... (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked this up at the library the other day, expecting a little story to pass the time. Instead I was rewarded with a little gem of a mystery centered around...yard sales. Mrs. Avid Reader says it is truly amazing what you can learn by reading and I have to agree. I thought yard sales were for broken down couches, old tools, 10-year old shirts and gifts from Aunt Erma. Apparently though, depending on the "socio-economic" class of the neighborhood it is possible to find a diamond in the rough.

In this case, one of the yard sale buyers / antique dealers found something worth killing over and the only clue is her dying last word, JAP. Of course there is an Oriental lady with a husband (professor, who else?) who dislikes policemen viscerally. There are the playboys, those who collect Art Deco (our heroine), modern, Oriental or eclectic. Directing the investigation is Lt. Karl Genesco, former professional NFL star with the Steelers. Anneke is a software developer (semi-realistic descriptions) who does work for the police. The two meet, fall for each other and solve the crime. Nothing complex, deep or soul-searching - just a good yarn about Ann Arbor and the people who live there.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing and enjoyable., September 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Something To Kill For: When It Comes To Garage Sales, Finding A Treasure Can Be Murder... (Mass Market Paperback)

A focused plot, abundant humor, and intriguing personality. Hilarious portrayal of the garage sale scroungers is another definite strength. A lot of fun for readers who enjoy bright characters , fast-moving action and a really good plot.

No complaints here!