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A Lady Never Trifles with Thieves (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "The explosion hurled me backward a good five yards..." (more)
Key Phrases: pillow slip, Won Li, Denver City, Belinda Abercrombie (more...)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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  Kindle Edition, April 23, 2003 $7.99 -- --
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first book in Ledbetter's (West of Bliss, etc.) new historical mystery series, set in 1870s Denver, explodes into action when young detective/self-proclaimed "scientist" Josephine Beckworth Sawyer blows up her tool shed with homemade nitroglycerine. Blowing things up is only Joby's hobby; she pays the bills by manning her dead father's investigative firm. But since no one will hire a female detective, she pretends he's still alive. The intrepid private eye longs for something other than marital dispute cases, and she gets her wish when she's hired to track down a robber who may also be a murderer. Joby's Confucius-spouting Chinese guardian adds a touch of comic relief, and her overprotective constable "friend" provides the promise of romance. While a hurried, unresolved ending may leave some feeling cheated, others will be appeased by the author's luxuriant descriptions of herbal teas and poisons (recipes included). In the modern mystery genre there are far more spine-chilling thrillers than heartwarming cozies, but, with its witty wordplay and lovably eccentric characters, this slim, sprightly tale beckons readers to curl up in bed, not hide under it.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review

...a very interesting look at the Wild West from a young woman's perspective....Joby is charming.... -- Deadly Pleasures

This entertaining mystery will have you guessing and second-guessing until the very end. Pure entertainment. -- Old Book Barn Gazette
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Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket (May 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743457471
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743457477
  • Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #591,170 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Suzann Ledbetter
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› Visit Amazon's Suzann Ledbetter Page
Front Cover | First Pages | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
The explosion hurled me backward a good five yards. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
pillow slip
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Won Li, Denver City, Belinda Abercrombie, Gertrude Hiss, Sam Merck, Fulton Shulteis, Jack O'Shaughnessy, Miss Sawyer, Sawyer Investigations, Hubert Abercrombie, Miz Penny, Vittorio Ciccone, Miss Belinda, Avery Whitelaw, Constable Hopkins, Joseph Beckworth Sawyer, Miss Avilla, Rocky Mountain News, Avilla Abercrombie, Mister Abercrombie, Van Buren, Aunt Ada, Blake Street, California Street, Cheesman's Drug Store
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Lady Never Trifles with Thieves
59% buy the item featured on this page:
A Lady Never Trifles with Thieves 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
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South Of Sanity (Hannah Garvey Mysteries #2) 4.9 out of 5 stars (7)
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3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable western historical mystery, May 12, 2003
In Denver City, Joby Sawyer runs a detective agency, an unheard of occupation for a female in the late nineteenth century. To hide her gender in plain sight, Joby tells her clients that she is just an agent for her father, a former Deputy US Marshall, who is away on an investigation or he is ailing. She insists her father performs all the sleuthing. In reality her indisposed dad is dead.

Joby is working on several cases involving a jewel thief, a murder, and finding proof to enable an abused wife to divorce her nasty spouse. Her only help is Chinese immigrant Won Li who thinks Joby is a lunatic especially when she tests new sleuthing ideas. As she works the cases, collecting the fee from a shyster lawyer may prove almost as difficult as solving the cases.

A LADY NEVER TRIFLES WITH THIEVES is an interesting dichotomy. The western historical mystery hooks the audience with tension yet often renders readers amused with the antics of the heroine. The story line is loaded with action while providing insight into the role of women especially through the gender nuking antics of Joby. In the final analysis, it is the cast that makes Suzann Ledbetter's tale one of the better sub-genre entries as they take the reader through a fun experience.

Harriet Klausner

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Western Mystery, February 16, 2005
After reading so many mediocre mysteries, this one was a great find! The main character Joby is spirited with out being annoying, the supporting characters are believable and likable, and the plot is well thought-out. I find it follows in the great tradition of Agatha Christie novels: suspision is cast upon many people, clues weave in and out of each other, and of course, several wrong turns and red herrings. The twist at the end makes me want to pick up the next book in this series. Good show!
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4.0 out of 5 stars USA, Post Civil War, July 14, 2009
By Lyn Reese (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
This light hearted story effectively recreates the sights and smells of Denver becoming rich from the profits of the western mines. In the deadening heat of summer, feisty young Josephine Beckworth (Joby) attempts to set herself up as an independent detective. Gender distinctions being what they are, she must pretend she is temporarily standing in for her father, who actually died on the trip West. Luckily, Joby is a real pro at dissembling and talking her way into getting the information she needs. Desperate for funds, she takes a crack at trying to uncover precious jewels from two robberies, and on her own finding way to get a cowed wife out of an abusive marriage. Oh yes, there also is a murder to be solved.

The story introduces two other interesting characters. One is her servant and mentor the educated Chinese man Wo Li; the other, a charming policeman called Jack O'Shaughnessy. The witty give and take and sexual tension between Joby and Jack makes for toe tingling reading. The author has employed the language of the time, and done a fine job providing insights into the gender roles of the time. For example, Joby has to drag around in her dark, jersey wool dress and black cloche, and ride side saddle in town in order to appear respectable. And divorce for a woman is darn hard to achieve. One does wonder at a few things. Would pineapple be available to people in Denver then, and would Jody have a cashmere sweater?

The author give us no real date for the story nor separate historical information. This is the first of the Joby Beckword series.
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