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stephsbookramblings's review
3.0
To Helvetica and Back: A Dangerous Type Mystery
**Disclaimer: I was given an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review**
Star City is a lovely ski resort town in Utah with a unique shopping area that is home to stores specializing in wares of a bygone era. This is where we find The Rescued Word along with Clare and her grandfather, Chester. At The Rescued Word they repair old books as well as typewriters and it is one of these antique typewriters that are at the center of concern when someone attempts to steal a typewriter that Clare is repairing for a dear friend.
I enjoyed the characters in this story and found the town and the backdrop (the book & typewriter repair) very interesting and refreshingly new. While sometimes the dialog was a bit choppy and some of the conversations had between characters were unrealistic, the overall storyline and mystery kept me guessing. I was very intrigued by the book repair and typesetting angle but also the mystery of why someone wanted an old antique typewriter and what secret it could possibly hold was very riveting.
Overall, To Helvetica and Back is a great start to what could be a very exciting and interesting cozy mystery series!
**Disclaimer: I was given an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review**
Star City is a lovely ski resort town in Utah with a unique shopping area that is home to stores specializing in wares of a bygone era. This is where we find The Rescued Word along with Clare and her grandfather, Chester. At The Rescued Word they repair old books as well as typewriters and it is one of these antique typewriters that are at the center of concern when someone attempts to steal a typewriter that Clare is repairing for a dear friend.
I enjoyed the characters in this story and found the town and the backdrop (the book & typewriter repair) very interesting and refreshingly new. While sometimes the dialog was a bit choppy and some of the conversations had between characters were unrealistic, the overall storyline and mystery kept me guessing. I was very intrigued by the book repair and typesetting angle but also the mystery of why someone wanted an old antique typewriter and what secret it could possibly hold was very riveting.
Overall, To Helvetica and Back is a great start to what could be a very exciting and interesting cozy mystery series!
bookedrightmeow's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
What I liked:
- Unique setting: combined typewriter repair and book repair shop
- An adorable cat, because I’m a sucker for any book with a cat in it
- Interesting details about the history of typewriters. I feel like typewriter aficionado Tom Hanks would enjoy those parts
- Romance subplot with a nerdy love interest who’s a geologist, who shows off his geode on their first date (not a euphemism) 🤣
- The audio narrator’s voice is smooth like butter
- A+ punny title! Helvetica and back!
What I didn’t like or was confused by:
- The main character, Clare, calls her grandfather by his first name throughout the whole book. If this was explained, then I missed it. She’s an adult, but why she is calling him by his first name? I don’t understand!
- A lot of the dialogue, especially during the romantic parts, sounds really dated to me. I actually would have guessed that the book had been written in the early 2000s or so, but I just checked and it was published in 2017 😬 I know the love interest is supposed to be geeky, but his dialogue comes across as very “how do you do fellow kids”
- While the beginning and ending of the book are strong, there’s quite a lag in the middle where I lost interest
I liked more things than I disliked, but overall just an okay read for me.
- Unique setting: combined typewriter repair and book repair shop
- An adorable cat, because I’m a sucker for any book with a cat in it
- Interesting details about the history of typewriters. I feel like typewriter aficionado Tom Hanks would enjoy those parts
- Romance subplot with a nerdy love interest who’s a geologist, who shows off his geode on their first date (not a euphemism) 🤣
- The audio narrator’s voice is smooth like butter
- A+ punny title! Helvetica and back!
What I didn’t like or was confused by:
- The main character, Clare, calls her grandfather by his first name throughout the whole book. If this was explained, then I missed it. She’s an adult, but why she is calling him by his first name? I don’t understand!
- A lot of the dialogue, especially during the romantic parts, sounds really dated to me. I actually would have guessed that the book had been written in the early 2000s or so, but I just checked and it was published in 2017 😬 I know the love interest is supposed to be geeky, but his dialogue comes across as very “how do you do fellow kids”
- While the beginning and ending of the book are strong, there’s quite a lag in the middle where I lost interest
I liked more things than I disliked, but overall just an okay read for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
jenndian's review against another edition
4.0
Great start to a new series by Paige Shelton. I enjoyed the new characters. I'm looking forward to seeing how the characters develop and change. The story line was good and interesting, but felt like the ending was abrupt and ended differently from other cozies.
moondance120's review against another edition
3.0
" The trouble is with the 'L'."
Clare Henry works with her grandfather, Chester, at The Rescued Word. The shop repairs old typewriters and restores old books. Clare discovers numbers and letters etched on the letter bars of an antique typewriter that belongs to a family friend. A stranger threatens Clare when she refuses to sell the typewriter. The following day he is found dead in the alley behind the shop.
This is an interesting first book. I really loved the information about book restoration. The inner workings of old typewriters was fascinating as well. The town of Star City sounds like a place that I would want to visit. Particularly the shops in Bygone Alley. Clare's best friend, Jodie, and ex-boyfriend, Creighton are siblings that work as police officers. They both have to step back when Clare is questioned regarding the murder of the mysterious man.
A side story of motorcyclists rescuing mountain goats adds a romantic interest for Jodie and more suspects for Clare. A geologist, Seth, pursues Clare and adds a bit more romance to the story.
The storyline involving the silver mines and ownership of land was interesting and something that I didn't know anything about. I didn't realize how important this would figure into the mystery when I first read about the silver rush at the beginning of the book.
I admit that I didn't pick up who the murderer was until Clare did. I followed a couple of red herrings and suspected an innocent character for a while.
I enjoy Ms. Shelton's other series and look forward to adding this one to my list of books to read. It's setting in Utah also helped me fulfill a spot in another challenge.
3.5 stars
Clare Henry works with her grandfather, Chester, at The Rescued Word. The shop repairs old typewriters and restores old books. Clare discovers numbers and letters etched on the letter bars of an antique typewriter that belongs to a family friend. A stranger threatens Clare when she refuses to sell the typewriter. The following day he is found dead in the alley behind the shop.
This is an interesting first book. I really loved the information about book restoration. The inner workings of old typewriters was fascinating as well. The town of Star City sounds like a place that I would want to visit. Particularly the shops in Bygone Alley. Clare's best friend, Jodie, and ex-boyfriend, Creighton are siblings that work as police officers. They both have to step back when Clare is questioned regarding the murder of the mysterious man.
A side story of motorcyclists rescuing mountain goats adds a romantic interest for Jodie and more suspects for Clare. A geologist, Seth, pursues Clare and adds a bit more romance to the story.
The storyline involving the silver mines and ownership of land was interesting and something that I didn't know anything about. I didn't realize how important this would figure into the mystery when I first read about the silver rush at the beginning of the book.
I admit that I didn't pick up who the murderer was until Clare did. I followed a couple of red herrings and suspected an innocent character for a while.
I enjoy Ms. Shelton's other series and look forward to adding this one to my list of books to read. It's setting in Utah also helped me fulfill a spot in another challenge.
3.5 stars
mrskatiefitz's review
4.0
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. The author goes to a lot of trouble to describe her setting and characters early in the story in a way which is very appealing, and the background information about Clare's family and their work restoring books and typewriters was every bit as interesting to me as the mystery itself. I also really like the relationships among the characters, particularly Clare's friendship with police officer Jodie and the warmth and affection between Clare and her grandfather, Chester. The mystery itself did feel a little thin at times, but even in its weak moments, the story is carried well by the well-developed characters and easy-to-breeze-through style. I will definitely read more cozy mysteries by this author.
rubyslippersreads's review
3.0
Cute cozy mystery featuring several of my favorite things--a clever cat, a heroine who wears glasses, vintage typewriters, and rare books. Oh , and I forgot stationery.
apoppyinthewind's review
3.0
I liked the heroine, found the typewriter/printed word focus of her career to be interesting, and generally liked the supporting cast. While I love cats, I find I'm generally not a big fan of the cat cozy mysteries so I'm kind of 'Meh' on that aspect. I might pick up the next in the series if it's at my library.
julieputty's review
3.0
Closer to 3.5. The characters didn't really stand out for me, but the writing is solid. I wondered if the author realized how rare male calico cats are.
missmelodyx's review
3.0
I'm not that fond of the main character, but am interested enough to continue the series at a later time!
irishcontessa's review
3.0
Lost a full star for several typos and a glaring copy editing mistake. Of course that's standard for PRH these days.
Otherwise a fun cozy and a solid series start. I didn't love the main character but I didn't hate her either. The secondary characters mostly felt flat and one dimensional but the setting was done quite well as was the mystery.
Otherwise a fun cozy and a solid series start. I didn't love the main character but I didn't hate her either. The secondary characters mostly felt flat and one dimensional but the setting was done quite well as was the mystery.
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