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gasoline_allie's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the antique fair setting and the peek into the antique print business. I found Maggie to be an interesting character with some depth. That said, I'm not sure if I will continue this series. The mystery itself didn't really pull me in.
gnull's review against another edition
4.0
Cote cozy mystery. I learned a lot about antique shows and now I'm curious about antique prints. Kept me second-guessing about who dunnit.
My only concern is that too often in books, tv, movies, any Christians are portrayed as crazy/mentally ill. These two really were nuts, but it would be nice to see an occasional level-headed gracious Christian. Just sayin'...
My only concern is that too often in books, tv, movies, any Christians are portrayed as crazy/mentally ill. These two really were nuts, but it would be nice to see an occasional level-headed gracious Christian. Just sayin'...
samirakatherine's review against another edition
2.0
A fun little cozy that I got at a used bookstore. I liked it fine, but would not recommend it. I will probably read more if the library has them, but will not bother if the library does not. It was light, with little character development, but quick and moderately entertaining if formulaic.
shakyteach's review against another edition
3.0
In typical cozy fashion, this book contains murder, a main character who decides to become a sleuth, and lots of friends to help her. However, there were several elements that weren't very cozy-like. The motive of the murder was rather demented and some of the antiquated language used for the downs-syndrome character made this book just a three-star read for me. I will read book 2 to see if those elements are a one-time occurence.
laurabb's review against another edition
3.0
A fairly predictable 90's cozy mystery. Meh. I enjoyed parts of it (mostly the antiques business and information about prints), but I don't know if I liked it enough to continue with the series. Oh, who am I kidding, I'm sure I'll read the next one at some point, but I'm not in any rush to pick it up. That's what Louise Penny books are for.
gorjessina17's review against another edition
4.0
'Shadows at the Fair' was an impulse grab at the library and that turned out to be a great read. I really enjoyed this one, mostly because I actually really liked the main character, Maggie. She almost reminded me of myself; probably because we are a similar age and I also like antiques, but she seemed to have a similar mindset to me as well.
None of the characters were super well fleshed out, but considering the length and genre of the book, the author did a nice job giving the reader enough information to work with without being overwhelming. The relationships were a little confusing, but exactly the right amount of complicated for a mystery. We learn about them as Maggie learns about them, a bit here and a bit there, so we ourselves are piecing together the puzzle alongside our heroine.
The mystery turned out really interesting too. I didn’t actually guess who the murder was until close to the end and I had no idea WHY they were killing people until they explained it to Maggie. I always love it when the author can surprise me!
The romance (because there is ALWAYS a romance in cozy mysteries) was rather downplayed in this book. I liked that. It was nice that Maggie didn’t just jump into a romance, especially with a suspect. Considering her backstory, it made perfect sense that she would want to get to know a man before deciding he was the one for her. Logic isn’t usually close at hand for cozy mystery romances, so it was a nice change.
The only thing that bothered me about this book was the repeated use of the word “retarded” and the complete dismissal most of the characters had about mentally challenged people. I can get what the author was trying to do (when you read it in context, it KIND of makes sense) but the fact that everyone except Maggie just shrugged and said “you know those kind of people are unpredictable” really, REALLY bugged me. Considering the book isn’t that old (published in 2002), I would have expected a few more open-minded people.
Overall, this was a nice, quick read. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a fun, easy mystery. I’ll likely pick up the next in the series the next time I’m at the library.
None of the characters were super well fleshed out, but considering the length and genre of the book, the author did a nice job giving the reader enough information to work with without being overwhelming. The relationships were a little confusing, but exactly the right amount of complicated for a mystery. We learn about them as Maggie learns about them, a bit here and a bit there, so we ourselves are piecing together the puzzle alongside our heroine.
The mystery turned out really interesting too. I didn’t actually guess who the murder was until close to the end and I had no idea WHY they were killing people until they explained it to Maggie. I always love it when the author can surprise me!
The romance (because there is ALWAYS a romance in cozy mysteries) was rather downplayed in this book. I liked that. It was nice that Maggie didn’t just jump into a romance, especially with a suspect. Considering her backstory, it made perfect sense that she would want to get to know a man before deciding he was the one for her. Logic isn’t usually close at hand for cozy mystery romances, so it was a nice change.
The only thing that bothered me about this book was the repeated use of the word “retarded” and the complete dismissal most of the characters had about mentally challenged people. I can get what the author was trying to do (when you read it in context, it KIND of makes sense) but the fact that everyone except Maggie just shrugged and said “you know those kind of people are unpredictable” really, REALLY bugged me. Considering the book isn’t that old (published in 2002), I would have expected a few more open-minded people.
Overall, this was a nice, quick read. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a fun, easy mystery. I’ll likely pick up the next in the series the next time I’m at the library.
moondance120's review against another edition
4.0
"Booth number and admittance card?"
Maggie Summer is surprised at the increased security at the Renssleaer County Spring Antiques Fair until she hears of the death of a dealer the week before. Maggie was just returning to the circuit after being widowed in the Winter.
This was a lovely start to the series. Antiques has always been a bit of a dreaded theme for me because i couldn't find a series that spoke to me. I do believe that I have found it.
I really enjoyed reading the tidbits of information about prints before each chapter. I thought the characters were well developed and presented in a believable manner.
I did have some issues with the use of the word "retarded" for a young man with Down Syndrome. I looked back and saw that the book was published in 2002 and realized we have come quite a ways in political correctness since then.
I had suspicions of the culprit about halfway through the book but couldn't figure out the why. The reasoning was very sad and I felt bad for the murderer.
This is a delightful series that I look forward to continuing.
Maggie Summer is surprised at the increased security at the Renssleaer County Spring Antiques Fair until she hears of the death of a dealer the week before. Maggie was just returning to the circuit after being widowed in the Winter.
This was a lovely start to the series. Antiques has always been a bit of a dreaded theme for me because i couldn't find a series that spoke to me. I do believe that I have found it.
I really enjoyed reading the tidbits of information about prints before each chapter. I thought the characters were well developed and presented in a believable manner.
I did have some issues with the use of the word "retarded" for a young man with Down Syndrome. I looked back and saw that the book was published in 2002 and realized we have come quite a ways in political correctness since then.
I had suspicions of the culprit about halfway through the book but couldn't figure out the why. The reasoning was very sad and I felt bad for the murderer.
This is a delightful series that I look forward to continuing.
julieputty's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty well done cozy, though it felt oddly short. A sleuth who isn't an idiot is a nice change!
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