Pane of Death (Glassblowing Mysteries, No. 2)

Sarah Atwell's PANE OF DEATH provides a fine, different glassblowing mystery: this centered around a glassblower who lives in a Tucson artist's district teaching and selling wares, until she finds romance and a missing pane involve her in a murder investigation. Excelling in unusual settings and plots that go above and beyond your usual 'whodunnit', this is a highly recommended pick for any discriminating mystery library.

Congrats to the author, Sarah Atwell, for not only maintaining the high standards she established with her first book (Through a Glass, Darkly) but exceeding them even, in this new one. I loved it! Although I've seen a good many smaller-sized stained glass windows in homes, I had no idea such large ones as those in this story were available away from their original buildings! What a fascinating look at that part of the art world. The characters from the first book were mostly here, too. Bristly Matt, the police chief with whom Emmeline Dowell may or may not have something going; her computer geek brother Cam; her two trusty shop assistants Nessa and Allison, with whom Cam may or may not have something going. I was kind of hoping for Nat (the FBI agent) to appear in future books, but we'll have to wait and see on that one, I guess. I thought the mystery in this book a bit more complex than the first one, but on the other hand, there wasn't so much of Tucson in it, and not so much of the cooking, either. All in all, I found it delightful, and will now wait patiently for the next one. I'm especially appreciative of her A Brief History of Stained Glass that appeared at the end of the story. This could have been longer, in my opinion, but there are those who probably wouldn't appreciate it as much I would, so that's okay. Just please keep writing, Ms. Atwell!

Sarah Atwell has written a terrific sequel to her first glassblowing mystery. After stumbling onto another dead body, Em Dowell makes a real pain of herself when she finds herself filling the role of both suspect and sleuth. Unique characters and a spirited and witty protagonist make this book an absolutely great read. Here's hoping for a long life for this delightful cozy series!

THIS WAS A VERY GOOD BOOK; GOOD MYSTERY WITH LOTS OF SUSPENSE. KEPT ME GLUED TO IT.

This second book in the glassblowing series is a great read. I am a stained glass artist and enjoyed the descriptions of the stained glass art. The mystery is well blended with talk of glass, in my opinion this is the best in a themed cozy. Looking forward to a long continuing series.