Weeping: A Fritillary Quilter Mystery (Fritillary Quilter Mysteries) [Paperback]

Shelly Reuben (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 12, 2004 | Series: Fritillary Quilter Mysteries

Tilly Quilter a sassy, opinionated New York fire investigator knows that something's amiss when the victim's family doesn't seem at all interested in helping get to the bottom of the fatal fire.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Edgar nominee Reuben (Julian Solo) launches a new mystery series featuring a young New York insurance claims investigator who will either charm or cloy, depending on how you feel about Nancy Drew. Fritillary "Tilly" Quilter and arson expert Isaac "Ike" Blessing, who happened to probe the fire Tilly accidentally started years before as a teenage babysitter, team up to look into a suspicious claim put in by Faith Browning after her sister Dorsey dies in an apartment blaze. The pair dutifully grill a conventional circle of suspects, including a spurned suitor and a married lover, with the veteran Ike taking much of the lead while Tilly focuses on reconstructing the victim's life. Details of Tilly's temporary jobs before she discovered her calling slow the narrative, while the step-by-step arson investigation proceeds a bit ploddingly. Despite the author's own expertise as a professional fire investigator, her efforts to share the fascination for the minutiae of her craft with the reader fall short. Little suspense surrounds the fire's origin, and the murderer's identity will be unsurpr?sing to most. Tilly's crush on Ike and her naïvete make her seem more like a star-struck teenager than an independent professional. Still, Tilly has an engaging voice that will appeal particularly to younger readers who care more about character than crime.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The only unappealing part of this story is the name of the protagonist: undoubtedly one of the more annoying in the genre. But as much as her moniker might make you shudder, Fritillary Quilter herself will warm your heart. A tough, tell-it-like-it-is New Yorker, Fritillary also is humble, eager, sincere, kind, and like the butterfly she is named for, sometimes fragile. In the course of investigating her first arson case, she describes her thoughts and actions in such detail that readers will imagine they are looking over her shoulder. Faith Browning, whose sister has just died in a fire in their family home, files a quick and questionable claim with Fritillary's insurance company--but refuses to let them inspect the property. Tillary (short for Fritillary!) is sent in to investigate, along with Ike Blessing, a veteran freelance arson investigator. As Tillary and Ike take on the imperious Faith, a true picture of the night of the fire gradually takes shape. Fans of procedurals will love the step-by-step detail as Tillary puzzles out the case, but the best aspect of the story is the keen pupil-revered teacher relationship between Tillary and Ike. A triumphant series debut whose grim subject matter is overshadowed by its life-affirming heroine. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Justin, Charles & Co. (February 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932112200
• ISBN-13: 978-1932112207
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,743,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A First for Fritillary, March 16, 2004

By 

Linda Reuben (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weeping: A Fritillary Quilter Mystery (Fritillary Quilter Mysteries) (Paperback)

Who can resist the allure of darling Fritillary Quilter as she narrates her first investigation with veteran arson expert Ike Blessing, handsome, somber and unattached? Fritillary metamorphosizes from a rooky photographer to a full-fledged claims investigator under the tutelage of a host of lovable characters. Eager to please, bright as a star, and bursting with energy, Fritillary wins our heart with her spunk, humor and vulnerability. If you believe in fairies, if you believe in truth, if you believe in happy endings, you won't want to miss this suspenseful novel that defies categorization. It is a mystery; it is a love story, it is a fire investigator's primer. This is Shelly Reuben's best. You will finish this book with the words. I want more. When is the next Fritillary Quilter novel coming out!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Weeping: A Fritillary Quilter Mystery, May 24, 2004

By 

Wordnut "TN10or" (Antioch, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weeping: A Fritillary Quilter Mystery (Fritillary Quilter Mysteries) (Paperback)

A thoroughly fulfilling debut by a writer with wit and imagination. The characters are colorfully and fully drawn. The vantage point of the fire inspector is totally fresh. I look forward to more Fritillary Quilter adventures. Bravo!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Weeping, May 18, 2004

By 

Harriet Bonde (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weeping: A Fritillary Quilter Mystery (Fritillary Quilter Mysteries) (Paperback)

This was one of the most enjoyable mysteries I've read in a long, long time. Reuben's character, Tillary, was most engaging and I had to laugh so many times at this author's witty writing, and wry humor. Especially when describing her character's feelings and thoughts. I found the fire investigation details fascinating, as well, and it was the treat at the end of my day to sit down with "Weeping" and savor a good old-fashioned mystery!!!
Looking forward to the next one . . .