Admirable first effort. Decent mystery, character, story

books:


	• Through a Glass, Deadly: A Glassblowing Mystery (Glassblowing Mysteries) Sarah Atwell Berkley, 2008 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 11 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Admirable first effort. Decent mystery, character, story

I have a "can't eat just one potato chip" addiction to cozy mysteries. I love a quirky hero or heroine with a fun cast of characters who manages to teach me about a new-to-me subject while solving a murder mystery. This one appeared to be perfect. First, I've done some stained glass and glass fusing and even a tiny bit of glassblowing; I knew an eensy bit about the subject. Plus, it takes place in Tucson (only 100 miles from Phoenix) -- not too far from my stomping grounds. (I don't know why so many cozy mysteries seem to be set in the midwest.) What fun!

And, by and large, it *is* fun. Em is a glassblower with her own studio in the Tucson arts district who gives regular classes in the subject. (Good way for the author to do exposition.) A young and nervous woman shows some interest in the subject and Em (a sucker for strays, she confesses) takes Allison under her wing. But just after she offers Allison a job, a man is killed in the glass studio... who turns out to be Allison's estranged husband.

The glassblowing info presented works, but unless you're familiar with some of the process, I'm not sure if you'd get a much out of it as I did. I could visualize what it's like to hold a ball of liquid glass at the end of a long tube (Don't Drop It!)... maybe you couldn't.

This is a first novel, and in several ways it shows. Atwell's writing can sometimes be as rough as a student driver trying to learn to drive a standard transmission. But darnit, she succeeds despite that. I liked Em, I believed in her situation (including the reason she'd get involved in trying to solve the crime), and I was perfectly willing to be carried along by the "and THEN what happened..." events.

Is this a great book? No. But I never considered putting it down, and I happily read all the way through. I would also pick up the next book in the series without a second thought. So sure -- it's worth four stars.

The only real flaw is probably the fault of the publisher rather than the author. Yes, I love the new fad of including recipes with mystery books, just like you do. But Em is a self-professed non-cook. It must have been a contractual obligation to include recipes, because we get the recipe for what she made for dinner in an early scene... composed of a boxed Mac-and-cheese mix with hot dogs. And a few others that aren't much better. This doesn't distract from the story, but it's a really silly waste of paper.

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A glittering debut

This was a superb mystery, sharply written and populated with delightful characters. I've always loved glass, and Sarah Atwell really brought the world of glassblowing to life for me. The main character, a glassblower who owns a shop in Tucson, is fun and feisty...and doesn't hesitate to speak her mind! I am definitely looking forward to the next one in this series.

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Nice! I like happy ending.

Great!
This book looks like an action movie.
Speedy story and attractive characters were really good.
I read this book without stop.
Most of all, I love simple story line and happy ending.

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Great new series

This is a fun read -- lots of interesting information about glass-blowing, intriguing characters and some great plot twists. Looking forward to the next book in this enjoyable new series!

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Glassblower Emmeline Dowell has made a home for herself among the artists of Tucson's Warehouse District. But her friendship with troubled newcomer Allison McBride takes a dangerous turn when Allison's husband turns up dead in Em's studio. Now Emmeline is involved in a murder investigation that reaches beyond the sunny Southwest. And when the killer acts again, it's up to her to pick up the shards of Allison's life before it's too late.

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