A Vase of Mistaken Identity (Thea James Mystery Series, Book 1) [Paperback]

Cathy Elliott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2006

When Thea James discovers a puzzling list inside a vintage vase, she finds four names on the list . . . including her own! Follow this small-town antique dealer as she becomes a relentless detective on the trail of a killer in this page-turner mystery. Guaranteed fiction! (20061102)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you're looking for a delicious suspense mystery with quirky, realistic characters and a page-turning plot, don't miss Elliott's A Vase of Mistaken Identity." (Gloria Mareschal livinglightnews.org )

"Cathy Elliott's debut novel is a delightfully entertaining read, in the genre of 'cozy mystery.' Her characters are quirky and humorous, and several times I found myself laughting out loud at her protagonist's crazy antics and self-talk. I could relate with amusement to moments such as when the police investigate a break-in at Thea's cottage, and she allows them to believe her home was ransacked rather than admit to a case of bad housekeeping! Elliott's heroine is so very humanoshe endears herself to the reader from the very first page, and you can't help but admire Thea's bumbling bravery as she searches for answers to the mysteries she finds herself embroiled inothe one unfolding in Larkindale and the mystery of God's love unfolding in her own rebellious heart. The townsfolk are three-dimentional characters that really come to life; full of quirks and whimsy that help them to stay with you long after the story has ended. The novel even includes instructions for making the same quilt that Thea makes in between playing detective. A thoroughly enjoyable and light-hearted read and I very much hope that we hear more from the wonderful town of Larkindale and its unforgettable characters." (Rachel Koopmans CB Reviews )

"A Vase of Mistaken Identity is a classic cozy mystery. Thea is a delightful heroine and follows clues in a logical manner. But the nice thing is her realness. I leave clean laundry piles out on occasion and have been known to chase down my cat in my slippers. I love her kindness toward the homeless guy too. The setting is quaint, I would love to visit her shop!" (Linda Mae Baldwin The Road to Romance )

From the Back Cover

Murder in Larkindale?

Thea James, proprietress of James & Company Antique Emporium, never thought murder would come to her small, surviving Gold Rush town of Larkindale. But when the Larkindale Lamplight reports the discovery of a body during the renovation of Larkin Lake Resort, Thea is caught up in the mystery.

Her world is further frenzied when she acquires a vintage vase from the town’s only homeless person. Thea finds a puzzling list tucked inside with four names written in a faded scrawl: two childhood friends from a summer camp, her sister Rosie, and . . . herself!

When the first woman on the list ends up in a coma and another mysteriously disappears, Thea knows she must save herself and her sister from harm. Her attempt to eliminate the vicious threat on their lives propels Thea to places she never wanted to visit.

Will she discover the connection before tragedy strikes?

“If you like a little cozy with your mystery, you will LOVE Cathy Elliott’s new novel, A Vase of Mistaken Identity. Her sense of humor is . . . killer, in only good ways, of course. This book is absolutely charming. I loved it!”

—Roxanne Henke
Author of After Anne and the Coming Home to Brewster series

“A perfect rainy-day read. You’ll want to curl up with a cup of tea as you enter this cozy small-town mystery full of quirky characters, witty asides and a plucky, messy, and very-real heroine named Thea! A delightful debut.”

—Laura Jensen Walker
Author of Dreaming in Black & White and Dreaming in Technicolor

Cathy Elliott is a Library Information Technician at a community college in Northern California. A woman of many interests, Cathy is an antique collector, a quilter, a musician, an ardent reader, and a mom. In her spare time, she loves to write and share chapters with her friends at a local hangout.

(20061020)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Publications; 1st edition (April 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825425379
• ISBN-13: 978-0825425370
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,065,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good cozy mystery, June 6, 2006

By 

Barbara Warren - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Vase of Mistaken Identity (Thea James Mystery Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

Thea James is the proprietress of the James and Company Antique Emporium in the small town of Larkindale, California. Larkindale is a quiet, peaceful place, until a skeleton is discovered burried at the base of a chimney at the Larkindale Lake Resort

Picker Pete, the town's homless man and scavenger, brings Thea a lovely Roseville vase. Thea buys the vase and then discovers a yellowed roll of paper inside, with the names of two of her friends, her sister,Rosie, and of Thea, herself. From the condition of the paper, it was obviously written a long time ago, but why was it in the vase? Hattie, one of the names on the list is seriously injured in a fall. Molly, another name, disappears, and that leaves Thea and Rosie. As if matters weren't complicated enough, Cole Mason, the gorgeous man from Thea's past is back in town, and she is a lot more aware of him than she likes. Can Cole and Thea discover the mystery killer before he strikes again?
Cathy Elliot uses humor and a quirky bunch of characters to make this cozy a very entertaining read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Truly zany, but not very scary..., July 31, 2006

By 

Michelle Sutton (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Vase of Mistaken Identity (Thea James Mystery Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

The heroine, Thea, in A Vase of Mistaken Identity is probably the quirkiest character I've ever come across in a novel. Her equally antiquated name really fits her personality. She did some really bizarre things in the story, and her family were all pretty strange, too. Especially her grandmother. What a hoot! Some of the things grandma said in front of Thea made the heroine want to slide under the proverbial table more than once. LOL! Anyway, at first the story sucked me in. I even snorted a few times, like when Thea was at the car wash. I felt bad for the poor dear, especially when the person she least wanted to see her looking a mess was at her relatives' home for dinner. The author did a bang-up job with that scene. I was there! However, I'm not much of a cozy mystery reader, so I don't know how things should pan out exactly in regards to the plot. Some of the metaphors seemed over-the-top, and others were perfect! A few bunny trails took me off the path and made me set the book down a few times. When I picked it up a few days later and the action rekindled, I found myself riveted until things slowed down again. I think this is the first truly cozy mystery I've enjoyed. My favorite lines were...Or perhaps Thea had better build up the walls around her heart that had begun to crumble in the last few days. She could sense her inner child gathering rocks. Is that a creative line or what? Anyway, this story was fun and a few times had me desperately wanting to find out what the deal was regarding the vase. Then it dragged a bit, then picked up again, etc., etc... Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Initially I thought the book should have ended earlier, but then the last few pages made me change my mind. I smell another book percolating in the series, and the ending whetted my appetite for another zany mystery courtesy of Thea James, amateur sleuth extraordinnaire. :) The diner scene at the end was a bit too corny for my tastes, but overall I enjoyed this story enough to recommend it. So if you want to read about some very zany people and snicker at their antics, you will want to read this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific in every way, April 6, 2007

By 

Mary H. Lesser "doc lesser" (Valdese, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: A Vase of Mistaken Identity (Thea James Mystery Series, Book 1) (Paperback)

This is a great story with memorable characters, a great sense of place, and a likeable main character, Thea James. The mystery finds Thea as she is recovering from a great personal loss and struggling along her faith journey. Unlike many mysteries, how Thea comes to be involved, how the events unfold, and the ultimate resolution are really plausible and don't seem contrived. I loved Thea's strength, chuckled at her clumsiness, and groaned at her puns. This is a book that you won't be able to put down. You'll want to see how it ends and you'll hate that it's ending all at the same time. I hope Cathy Elliott writes another book soon!