The Weedless Widow [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Deborah Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003

Professional antiques picker and ex-FBI agent Jeff Talbot is fishing for a killer obsessed with antique lures-and who has kidnapped Jeff's wife as bait...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 335 pages
• Publisher: Chivers; large type edition edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0754073270
• ISBN-13: 978-0754073277
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fishing is not always restful --, May 27, 2003

By 

kellytwo "kellytwo" (cleveland hts, ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Weedless Widow (Antique Lover's Mysteries (Prime Crime)) (Paperback)

Ahah! Another second book that lives up to the expectations created by the first one. Deborah Morgan's first mystery novel 'Death is a Cabaret' was marvelous, I thought, and I'm delighted to say I was not one teensy bit disappointed in this one.

Jeff Talbot is a most interesting character, very real and multi-faceted, and one of the author's greatest strengths is how well she gets in his head. A former FBI agent, Jeff is now an antique 'picker' searching out delectable items for his antique dealer friends and acquaintances. His wife, Sheila is housebound, due to a severe case of agoraphobia. She's become a whiz on the web, providing valuable assistance when Jeff is out in the field.

The Weedless Widow is an antique fishing lure, appropriate to the setting of the Northwest US, in and around Seattle, where water is everywhere. Jeff and several of his pals--of varying backgrounds--have traditionally spent time at a fishing camp, doing the 'male bonding' thing, enjoying each other's company, the fishing, and good food. Until this current trip, when he discovers Bill Rhodes, the owner of The Weedless Widow and host for the weekend, lying dead on the floor of his fishing tackle and bait store, surrounded by an assortment of tropical fish. Not all the fish are dead, however, and one of the clues to the time of death is how long a certain fish can exist out of water.

There are several other esoteric-type clues, too; in a computer, for instance, or the recently-renovated home of the dead man, or the fishing regalia of the camp-mates. In addition, it seems that Bill's extensive collection of antique lures is missing, but Bill had been hot on the trail of the thief. Could this be why he was murdered? All in all, the clues are fairly distributed, and lead to the logical solution.

One of the better fictional characters I've met in recent years is the Sheriff who keeps the law and order intact. Colleen McIvers is recuperating from a bout with cancer, but doesn't let that get in her way, as she sifts through the various clues while searching for the killer.

Along the way, Sheila is kidnapped, and Jeff has to realign his priorities all the while dealing with treachery among those he thought were his best friends.

There is a webliography as well as a bibliography at the back of the book, providing information on the many sources consulted by the author during the writing of the book. It's a fabulous treat. Now, it's just wait for the next one in the series.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enthralling mystery, September 29, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: The Weedless Widow (Antique Lover's Mysteries (Prime Crime)) (Paperback)

Ex FBI agent Jeff Talbot is very content at being an antique dealer, buying "treasures" at yard sales and homes where the residents are leaving. He sells them back to collectors and stores that specialize in such items. This weekend he's leaving business behind and meeting with old friends to fish and play poker. Before Jeff reaches the cabin, he finds his friend Bill Rhodes murdered in his fish and bait shop.

Unable to forget the instincts that made him a good FBI agent, he starts questioning people including the victim's wife and mistress. He passes on the information he learns to the local sheriff and returns home to sort out some pickings, both his that he bought and Bill's fishing lures that his wife gave to Jeff on consignment. After a busy day of work he returns home to find his severely agoraphobic wife missing. Jeff's first priority is to find his wife and to do that he has to figure out if Bill's murder played a part in her disappearance, and if so, what?

Any woman who wants a man should pick one exactly like the hero of THE WEEDLESS WIDOW. He is sensitive, caring, earthy and strong-willed so anyone he cares about will know he's there for them. The mystery is enthralling, almost as much as the insider's look at a picker and an antique collector.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Hooked" on Morgan, December 22, 2002

By 

Dennis Collins (Port Austin, Mi USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Weedless Widow (Antique Lover's Mysteries (Prime Crime)) (Paperback)

Deborah Morgan doesn't miss a beat with The Weedless Widow, the follow-up to her debut novel, Death is a Cabaret. This second book, reminiscent of Ravel's Bolero, a constantly building crescendo from the opening note.

The story begins innocently enough with Jeff Talbot, ex-FBI agent turned antique picker, preparing for a relaxing weekend of fishing in a tranquil Pacific northwest stream with a few of his cronies. Jeff's expectations of a worry free vacation quickly evaporate when he stops at his favorite bait and tackle shop and finds the proprietor on the floor, brutally murdered.

Jeff does his best to stay out of the investigation and let the local sheriff handle it but he is drawn back into the case when the lady sheriff enlists his aid in order to pick his brain regarding a possible connection to some stolen antique fishing lures. The more Jeff probes the purloined fishing tackle, the more nervous the perpetrator becomes. Things get really serious for Jeff when his wife is kidnapped.

This novel has just the right mix of characters with very distinct personalities, each drawn vividly enough to make the story easy to follow. Every person plays a significant role keeping the tale quite lively and the plot flows very well at an ever accelerating pace.

Deborah Morgan has another winner here, a very pleasurable read. I'm sure that Jeff Talbot will be around for a long time.