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cariadreads's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kimdavishb's review
5.0
TO HELVETICA AND BACK by Paige Shelton, is the first book in her brand new A Dangerous Type Mystery series. Clare Henry helps her grandfather, Chester, run his almost fifty-five-year-old shop, The Rescued Word, in Star City, Utah. They repair typewriters, restore books and manuscripts along with selling wonderful stationery and pens. After one of Chester's long-time customers brings in an old black Underwood No. 5 typewriter for repair, a strange man dressed in leather enters their shop, angrily demanding they sell it to him immediately. He disappears when the police are called and when Clare examines the ancient typewriter, she finds strange numbers and letters scratched into the key bars. When "leather man" is found murdered behind their shop the very next morning, Clare wonders if it had something to do with the old typewriter.
The police officer who shows up to take a report and secure the scene is none other than Clare's cheating ex-boyfriend who just happens to be the brother of her very best friend, Jodi, who is also a police officer. Clare doesn't have an alibi since she worked half the night and then fell asleep at her desk and it doesn't take long for her ex, Creighton, to become suspicious that she might have something to do with the crime. In amongst all the upheaval a new arrival to town, geologist Seth Cassidy, manages to turn Clare's head and she finds herself on a date. Sean has an idea about what the numbers and letters on the typewriter bar keys may be but when Jodi investigates his past, finds that he's had a brush with the law and Clare worries that he may be behind the crime.
As Clare begins asking questions around town she finds that many people are hiding secrets, including her own grandfather. Jodi helps her as much as she can which leads them to seeking answers from a goat relocating motorcycle gang and a crusty old newspaper reporter. When Clare's photograph shows up on the murdered man's camera, she decides she has to find the killer quickly before she or someone in her family becomes the next victim.
There was so much to love from the very beginning of the book! From The Rescued Word being a place I could literally spend hours browsing in to the tidbits of information on old typewriters and how to repair them to the well developed characters that could become friends to the twists and turns in a well plotted mystery. Paige Shelton has written a wonderful start to her new series!
The police officer who shows up to take a report and secure the scene is none other than Clare's cheating ex-boyfriend who just happens to be the brother of her very best friend, Jodi, who is also a police officer. Clare doesn't have an alibi since she worked half the night and then fell asleep at her desk and it doesn't take long for her ex, Creighton, to become suspicious that she might have something to do with the crime. In amongst all the upheaval a new arrival to town, geologist Seth Cassidy, manages to turn Clare's head and she finds herself on a date. Sean has an idea about what the numbers and letters on the typewriter bar keys may be but when Jodi investigates his past, finds that he's had a brush with the law and Clare worries that he may be behind the crime.
As Clare begins asking questions around town she finds that many people are hiding secrets, including her own grandfather. Jodi helps her as much as she can which leads them to seeking answers from a goat relocating motorcycle gang and a crusty old newspaper reporter. When Clare's photograph shows up on the murdered man's camera, she decides she has to find the killer quickly before she or someone in her family becomes the next victim.
There was so much to love from the very beginning of the book! From The Rescued Word being a place I could literally spend hours browsing in to the tidbits of information on old typewriters and how to repair them to the well developed characters that could become friends to the twists and turns in a well plotted mystery. Paige Shelton has written a wonderful start to her new series!
lyndseylibros's review against another edition
3.0
I’m from Utah and a few generations of my family have lived in Park City (including me at one point in my childhood). So I loved reading a book set in Park/Star City. The setting was about the only thing I loved about this book and the only reason I might read the other two in the series. I can tell the author isn’t a Utah native though, NO ONE local there says “Salt Lake City” when referring to the capital, it’s always “Salt Lake.”
Clare seemed really judgmental and complained a lot, especially about her friend Jodie. Also the narrator called her Judy sometimes, I had to rewind to make sure I heard correctly.
Kind of confusing that Clare’s teenage niece and the older lady with the typewriter both had similar names that started with M, Mirabelle and Marion.I thought the old woman was the one who the killer took hostage when she was driving her Jeep, but it ended up being the niece, Marion. Both names sound like they could be an old lady! Confusing. h
Clare seemed really judgmental and complained a lot, especially about her friend Jodie. Also the narrator called her Judy sometimes, I had to rewind to make sure I heard correctly.
Kind of confusing that Clare’s teenage niece and the older lady with the typewriter both had similar names that started with M, Mirabelle and Marion.
mschrock8's review
3.0
I saw the third book in this series mentioned by my friend Megan Knoll and was interested in the typeface title. Well worth researching!
"Paper was important." To me, too.
"Love you more than ink on paper.."
"Love you more than books."
" . . . as hungry as a pretty girl prepping for a pageant. Let's eat."
Bygone Alley reminded me of Harry Potter's Diagon Alley.
Chapter numbers set like typewriter keys.
Names too similar: Oren (bar), Omar (cop), Homer (newspaper).
If the Rescued Word shop was in Franklin, IN, I would be a regular customer.
Read in one evening and will continue the series.
"Paper was important." To me, too.
"Love you more than ink on paper.."
"Love you more than books."
" . . . as hungry as a pretty girl prepping for a pageant. Let's eat."
Bygone Alley reminded me of Harry Potter's Diagon Alley.
Chapter numbers set like typewriter keys.
Names too similar: Oren (bar), Omar (cop), Homer (newspaper).
If the Rescued Word shop was in Franklin, IN, I would be a regular customer.
Read in one evening and will continue the series.
littletaiko's review
4.0
Having just visited Park City, Utah, I was interested in reading a mystery set there. While the book is set in a fictional town, it is loosely based on Park City. I enjoyed the characters and the setting so even though the mystery might have been a hair weak, I’m still planning on reading the other two in the series.
Really made me want to move to Park City all over again!
Really made me want to move to Park City all over again!
zermeena's review against another edition
4.0
This book introduced an interesting group of characters. The mystery was clever and I didn't really know where it was leading. Although thinking back on it, all the clues were there - maybe I wasn't paying good attention at the time. I'll read another one and decide if I'll continue the series.
It does bother me that Clare has a male calico cat because they are very rare.
It does bother me that Clare has a male calico cat because they are very rare.
annmaries's review
4.0
3.5 stars
A fun, quick read on a sunny spring Saturday morning. Star City is obviously a very thinly-veiled reference to Park City, Utah (the town and its environs are pretty recognizable if you've ever been there, and there are many references to the skiing and even the international film festival in January).
I needed a book set in Utah for my 2019 reading challenge, and this one was perfect: not shy of, but also not obsessed with, (as the author puts it) 'the state's dominant religion'. The mystery itself wasn't overly mysterious, but the story is much more about the people in it, and I enjoyed getting to know Clare (the narrator) and her grandfather, Chester, along with her police-officer best friend Jodie and new-boyfriend-the-geologist Seth.
A fun, quick read on a sunny spring Saturday morning. Star City is obviously a very thinly-veiled reference to Park City, Utah (the town and its environs are pretty recognizable if you've ever been there, and there are many references to the skiing and even the international film festival in January).
I needed a book set in Utah for my 2019 reading challenge, and this one was perfect: not shy of, but also not obsessed with, (as the author puts it) 'the state's dominant religion'. The mystery itself wasn't overly mysterious, but the story is much more about the people in it, and I enjoyed getting to know Clare (the narrator) and her grandfather, Chester, along with her police-officer best friend Jodie and new-boyfriend-the-geologist Seth.
omgnikki's review
2.0
im so disappointed w this one. ive read a couple other series from paige shelton and i loved them but this one fell short in character & pace pretty severely imo. ive never disliked one of her heroines as much as clare annoyed the hell out of me & the pacing was all wrong 2.5/5