Customer Reviews

Through a Glass, Deadly (Glassblowing Mysteries, No. 1)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all, I LOVE the title - the play on I Corinthians 13:12 "for now we see through a glass, darkly..." - for it is a harbinger of things to come, both in this particular storyline and no doubt in the series as well. While Sarah Atwell's Glassblowing Mystery might at first blush appear to be a typical arts and crafts cozy, it is definitely NOT your typical cozy. This story is a bit more dark and a whole lot more suspenseful than most.

Emmeline Dowell is living an artist's dream in Tucson - she owns a fabulous old building in the Warehouse District, with a shop and studio below and her living space above. She need only walk down a flight of stairs to slip into her studio and lose herself in her art each day. Ms. Atwell does a great job of incorporating the art of glassblowing into her novel, and yet not so much so that someone who isn't interested in it at all should skip it. There is plenty here to hold the attention of any mystery lover.

Emmeline is a strong yet soft-hearted woman who often uses her art and her position as a business owner to help others. She decides to reach out to a young Irish woman, Allison McBride, who is short on cash but interested in learning the art of glassblowing. Emmeline's involvement is rewarded with a dead man in her studio and even more trouble than this reader sees coming. We also meet Chief Matthew Lundgren, of the Tucson PD, who is a top-notch cop from Em's past. At this point, this cozy morphs a bit into a police procedural, with plenty of cops, bad guys, murder, and mayhem, with the FBI tossed in for good measure.

After a LOT of suspense and much maneuvering by the main characters, the story once again takes on a more lighthearted tone and things get wrapped up rather neatly, with just enough loose ends to keep the reader waiting for the next installment. I thoroughly enjoyed the history of glassmaking that was included at the end of the novel, but the recipes just didn't belong. I love finding recipes in culinary cozies, but their inclusion here feels awkward and out of place.

All in all, this is an enjoyable, exciting read, but it's not your grandma's cozy! It is definitely more dark and has a lot more meat than the typical cozy. I'll be looking forward to book #2 in the Glassblowing Mystery series!

Time was, one read a mystery for the fun of trying to figure out whodunnit, or whytheydunnit. In the last few years, however, one can also learn about any number of useful and interesting things, all the while enjoying a cozy read. You can learn about (even if not necessarily how to do it) knitting, weaving, making candles or soap, scrapbooking or making greeting cards, running a bookshop or a bed and breakfast. Not to mention catering or running a coffee/tea shop, complete with recipes. That latter is probably my only complaint about this book--and it's a minor grumble. The recipes didn't really add anything, and they're not at all out of the ordinary, either. but -- I would still recommend the book.

Glass-blowing is an old art, and not one to be found on every street-corner. I was fascinated by all the tips and elements of the art cleverly strewn throughout the book. Each chapter begins with a definition--some of which I did know and some I'd never heard of. I enjoyed them all.

Emmeline Dowell runs a glass-blowing studio and gallery in Tucson, Arizona. She gives classes to those who would like to learn more about the process, and sells her own work, too. She's a feisty, hard-headed forty-something, single woman of the kind that can be tiresome, but the author keeps her from falling into that category. She's a warm and friendly person, which can sometimes get one into trouble, and sure enough, Em's in all kinds of hot water almost immediately.

The supporting characters are wonderful, and the travelogue about Tucson, carefully interwoven with the narrative, makes it sound like the marvelous place it no doubt is. The mystery is handled honestly. All sorts of clues abound, but one rushes right by most of them, until the `ahah!' moment arrives, and all is made clear. (Inadvertent pun. Sorry.)

Through a Glass Deadly is an impressive debut, and I'll happily anticipate the next installment.

This was a superb mystery, sharply written and populated with delightful characters. I've always loved glass, and Sarah Atwell really brought the world of glassblowing to life for me. The main character, a glassblower who owns a shop in Tucson, is fun and feisty...and doesn't hesitate to speak her mind! I am definitely looking forward to the next one in this series.

Atwell captures the world of glass blowing perfectly. I have taken glass blowing workshops and her details and description were spot on. I hope this becomes a long series, it was totally enjoyable. I enjoy mysteries set in art and craft venues, and this is one of the best.

Great!
This book looks like an action movie.
Speedy story and attractive characters were really good.
I read this book without stop.
Most of all, I love simple story line and happy ending.

I have a "can't eat just one potato chip" addiction to cozy mysteries. I love a quirky hero or heroine with a fun cast of characters who manages to teach me about a new-to-me subject while solving a murder mystery. This one appeared to be perfect. First, I've done some stained glass and glass fusing and even a tiny bit of glassblowing; I knew an eensy bit about the subject. Plus, it takes place in Tucson (only 100 miles from Phoenix) -- not too far from my stomping grounds. (I don't know why so many cozy mysteries seem to be set in the midwest.) What fun!

And, by and large, it *is* fun. Em is a glassblower with her own studio in the Tucson arts district who gives regular classes in the subject. (Good way for the author to do exposition.) A young and nervous woman shows some interest in the subject and Em (a sucker for strays, she confesses) takes Allison under her wing. But just after she offers Allison a job, a man is killed in the glass studio... who turns out to be Allison's estranged husband.

The glassblowing info presented works, but unless you're familiar with some of the process, I'm not sure if you'd get a much out of it as I did. I could visualize what it's like to hold a ball of liquid glass at the end of a long tube (Don't Drop It!)... maybe you couldn't.

This is a first novel, and in several ways it shows. Atwell's writing can sometimes be as rough as a student driver trying to learn to drive a standard transmission. But darnit, she succeeds despite that. I liked Em, I believed in her situation (including the reason she'd get involved in trying to solve the crime), and I was perfectly willing to be carried along by the "and THEN what happened..." events.

Is this a great book? No. But I never considered putting it down, and I happily read all the way through. I would also pick up the next book in the series without a second thought. So sure -- it's worth four stars.

The only real flaw is probably the fault of the publisher rather than the author. Yes, I love the new fad of including recipes with mystery books, just like you do. But Em is a self-professed non-cook. It must have been a contractual obligation to include recipes, because we get the recipe for what she made for dinner in an early scene... composed of a boxed Mac-and-cheese mix with hot dogs. And a few others that aren't much better. This doesn't distract from the story, but it's a really silly waste of paper.

WOW! What a fantastic author Sheila Connolly/Sarah Atwell is! I don't know exactly how I found her, but I did so through Amazon.com. THANK YOU!

The more I read, the more I wanted to read this book, the first in Atwell's Arizona-based "glassblowing" series. As always I began with the back-cover blurb. Here it is:

"Glassblower Emmeline Dowell has made a home for herself among the artists of Tucson's Warehouse District. With a weakness for taking in strays from homeless dogs to extra students, Emmeline can't help befriending troubled newcomer Allison McBride. But their friendship takes a dangerous turn Em finds Allison's husband in the studio - dead. Now Emmeline is involved in a far-reaching murder investigation. And when the killer acts again, it's up to her to pick up the shards of Allison's life before it's too late." (Interesting note: "shards" is the name of Em's shop).

A nice touch is Atwell's use of glassblowing terms as chapter head notes and a history of glass making added at the end. I wish the history had been longer!

Here is a sample of Atwell's clever prose:

"Cam drifted forward, Allison drifted sideways. They reminded me of a pinball game in slow motion. Finally they bumped into pieces of furniture and sat. Allison chose an armchair, and Cam positioned himself on the closest couch. The dogs watched the two of them in fascination, waiting to see what happened next."

Connolly/Atwell is extremely talented and extremely busy. Besides the three titles in this glassblowing series, she has written a Massachusetts-based "orchard mystery" series. The fourth title in it is due out in December. Start with:One Bad Apple (An Orchard Mystery). And, happily, Connolly has launched a third series. It takes place in Philadelphia in a museum setting. The first title is due out in October:Fundraising the Dead (A Museum Mystery),

THANK YOU Sheila Connolly!

2 areas were particularly good. First I enjoyed being inside the head of the main character whether she was debating her life with her dogs or trying to figure out clues. Next the glassblowing definitions and how they related to each chapter kept you wanting to read to find out what was going to happen.

I enjoyed this and will look for the next volume in the series. Pleasant people and character development, although I thought the second murder was a tad gratuitous.

This is a fun read -- lots of interesting information about glass-blowing, intriguing characters and some great plot twists. Looking forward to the next book in this enjoyable new series!