The Tooth of Time: A Maxie and Stretch Mystery [Hardcover]

Sue Henry (Author)

Book Description

Series: Maxie and Stretch Mystery | Publication Date: April 4, 2006

Zigzagging the country in a mini-Winnie means endless adventure-and Maxie McNabb is always up for something new. So she and her dog, Stretch, head for the heat of New Mexico, where Maxie plans to learn how to weave. But everything changes for the sleepy town when a local woman attempts suicide. A casualty of her husband's mid-life crisis, she was replaced by a newer, sexier model. And to top it off, a sleazy conman has set his sights on her. Maxie may be on vacation, but she's determined to help the poor thing. With her nose for trouble, she'll leave no mesa unturned until she brings two dogs to justice-neither of whom is Stretch.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Henry's agreeable second outing for Maxie McNabb (after 2004's The Serpent's Trail), the 63-year-old Alaskan with the insatiable curiosity continues to explore the lower 48 in her "Minnie Winnie," accompanied only by her feisty mini-dachshund, Stretch. Her travels take her to Taos, N.Mex., where she meets an old friend from Alaska, makes new friends among the weavers of Taos and gets acquainted with a woman who may or may not have attempted suicide, Shirley Morgan. When Shirley disappears, Maxie finds herself in danger and flees Taos. The resilient and resourceful Maxie soon returns to Taos to face the danger and deal with a deadly and unsuspected killer. Maxie's cherished independence and her willingness to seek out new experiences alone and single should resonate with fans of cozy and atmospheric mysteries, though so far this series lacks the lovingly detailed descriptions of the environment that characterize Henry's Jessie Arnold books (Murder at Five Finger Light, etc.). (Apr.)
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From Booklist

Jessica Fletcher and Miss Marple aren't the only seniors who solve mysteries these days. Now, there's sexagenarian Maxie McNabb, an ordinary gal who travels around the country in a motor home accompanied by her dachshund, Stretch, meeting different people and seeing the sites. Taos, Maxie's current stop, affords her the opportunity to visit a local weaving shop, which, in a roundabout way, results in her opening her home to troubled Shirley Morgan. Then Shirley disappears without a word, and Maxie finds herself in possession of something Shirley left behind--. Unfortunately, somebody wants what Shirley left, and Maxie has no idea what it is. Maxie's sleuthing is more idle curiosity that actual investigation, but the laid-back approach has its own charms, and Henry give readers a grand slice of America's southwestern landscape (a far cry from the Alaskan setting of her Jessie Arnold series). Maxie is a pleasant heroine who not only acts her age but also loves her life and rises to the occasion when the occasion finally arises. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: NAL Hardcover; 1ST edition (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451217659
• ISBN-13: 978-0451217653
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,340,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful mystery., April 12, 2006

By 

ndenim (OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tooth of Time: A Maxie and Stretch Mystery (Hardcover)

The Tooth of Time caught my interest on the first page and kept it right up to the very last. I didn't want to put it down. Maxie McNabb and her mini-dachshund, Stretch, are on the road again in their Minnie Winnie RV. The descriptions of New Mexico and the character development are excellent as Maxie gets to know the folks in Taos. Along with the new friends she meets, she runs into an old friend from the first time we met Maxie in DEAD NORTH: An Alaska Mystery.

One of Maxie's first stops when she arrives in Taos is at the Weaving Southwest, a business she has shopped with in the past via mail order. One of their customers, Shirley, is in the hospital from an unsuccessful suicide attempt. While Maxie hadn't met Shirley before, she accompanies her new friend Pat, from the Weaving Southwest shop, to go to visit her. Shirley adamantly denies the suicide attempt, checks herself out of the hospital and, since Pat must return to her shop, goes home with Maxie. The mystery starts when Shirley leaves the next morning while Maxie is out having breakfast.

After Shirley's departure, Maxie's RV is broken into and searched. Stretch is 'dognapped' in an effort to get back something Shirley may have left in the RV. Maxie leaves town, but after locating what Shirley hid in the RV she returns to Taos to help Officer Herrera solve the mystery.

The Tooth of Time is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery. I think Maxie and Stretch are getting better with age as I enjoyed this newest installment even more than I did the first, THE SERPENTS TRAIL. Well done!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Trouble in Taos, April 30, 2006

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tooth of Time: A Maxie and Stretch Mystery (Hardcover)

Maxie McNabb, a twice-widowed, independent woman of 63, is back on the road in her Winnebago with her beloved dashchund dog, Stretch. While touring the Southwest, she goes to Taos, NM, where the mountain breezes are cooler than some of the other places she has visited. She goes to a yarn shop and becomes acquainted with Pat, the owner. While at the shop, she hears about Shirley Morgan, who has supposedly made an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Pat takes her to meet Shirley in the hospital, and Shirley denies having anything to do with her own carbon monoxide poisoning. Maxie invites Shirley to stay in her RV, but soon Shirley leaves without any notice. When two people are killed, Maxie becomes embroiled in the investigation, to the point that her life and property are soon threatened. Author Henry paints an interesting background with the Taos setting, much as she did with her Alaska series. Maxie's character develops further as she demonstrates her independent and feisty nature, and her relationship with her dog should please readers who are animal lovers.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable cozy, April 4, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tooth of Time: A Maxie and Stretch Mystery (Hardcover)

Twice widowed, sixty-three years old Maxie McNabb, an Alaskan resident most of her life, tours the lower forty-eight with her "Minnie-Winnie" Winnebago and her dog Stretch. After leaving Colorado (see THE SERPENTS TRAIL) she tours New Mexico before stopping in Taos where she visits the Weaving Southwest, a tapestry gallery. Maxie and owner Pat Dozier hit it off and weave a friendship.

When new resident Shirley Morgan apparently tried to commit suicide, the two women visit her as she has become a friend of Pat. Feisty Shirley insists she was not trying to kill herself with carbon monoxide poisoning though despondent that her spouse dumped her for a younger woman. Maxie begins making some inquires and soon agrees that the woman was the victim of a murder attempt with the killer adhering to the proverb if at first you don't succeed try again.

THE TOOTH OF TIME is an enjoyable cozy starring sexagenarian Alaskan (it is a Sue Henry tale, duh), who makes friends while traveling the southwest. Maxie is terrific in her latest caper as she cannot help but getting involved with what happened to Shirley. Though the mystery starts towards the middle of the strong plot as friendships are first forged, fans will want to hitch a ride with Maxie and Stretch as they find the Land of Enchantment enchanting but dangerous.

Harriet Klausner