So Faux, So Good

The joy in reading "So Faux, So Good" is getting to experience the heroine's life. She's a smart, clever, wealthy antique shop dealer with a cat and many friends, both male and female. Her world is auctions, beautiful antiques, attending to her cat, having talks or outings or fun times with other clever, successful antique shop owners. Her mother gives her fabulous, expensive presents, lives her own life, and doesn't request or nag--and certainly entertains. She has a gorgeous, slightly jealous boyfriend, good jewelry, and kids who actually listen to her and obey her orders when she interacts with them (rarely). She manages to get rooms when none are available, cars when none are available, and to win competitive auctions. Her friends all want to come to her parties and go on trips with her. Men she doesn't even want are attracted to her and offer her special treatment. In other words, the fun of the novel is experiencing the fantasy of such a beautiful life, that of America's version of the local squire or his lady: a wealthy local business owner who has an important position in the community and lives the American dream. The murder and art fraud just add to the ambiance--this is the American version of a British cozy. If you value excellent plot and character development, this isn't the novel for you. This novel is for sitting down with a cup of tea, your cat, and your beautiful throw to enjoy "me time," savoring the pleasure of momentarily sharing the good life with the heroine. Even better, the killer is difficult to predict, and there are some good laughs along the way.

What a delight! When Abby finds someone is selling reproductions as the real thing, her sleuthing takes her to Hernia, PA. Abby meets Magdalena - the main character from her Penn/Dutch mysteries. I couldn't wait till she got there. The book is fun reading all the way thru, with Ms. Myers staying on top of her trademark humor. However, a couple things are bothersome. A look-alike for Abby is added into this book, which was better suited to save for another book - it seemed like too many coincidences in the story, having that plus Hernia. The handling of Greg Washburn does not make a lot of sense and makes us like Abby less, which is not good for series writing. This book also made me wonder if the editor was on vacation. Quite a few typos, which were distracting. Still it gets high points for the entertaining read that it is. I hope Abby and Magdalena meet again some day.

Author Tamar Myers hits her stride in this 4th. book of the Den of Antiquity series. Her heroine, Abigail Timberlake, is about to be married to a handsome detective. Her mother delivers a wedding present to her on her way to join a convent. Abby's joy turns to concern when she sees that the tea set she has just received is identical to one she purchased at an auction as a one-of-a-kind, expensive silver set. Her concern is deepened when her engagement announcement is found in the pocket of a dead man in Pennsylvania. Abby decides that she must investigate this situation up close and personal, so she and her three dearest friends drive to Pennsylvania to look into the matter and hopefully to puchase some antiques and quilts. Their culture shock at being "north of the Line" is very amusing as is the interaction of these roommates who were not made in heaven. The plot has the usual twists and turns and the guilty party is truly a surprise!

Abigail Timberlake's life seems to be going right. Her antique shop, the Den of Antiquity, is thriving. Her wedding to drop-dead gorgeous police detective Greg Washburn is two months away, and she has managed to outbid the other Charlotte antique dealers for a rare, one-of-a-kind silver English tea service. Her satisfaction turns to horror when her mother, on her way to join a convent, presents her with an early wedding gift - a rare, one-of-a-kind silver English tea service exactly like the one Abby just obtained. To make matters worse, Greg suspects Abby's been up to something: Billy Ray Teschel, a car wreck victim in Pennsylvania, has their engagement announcement, with Abby's pretty picture, tucked safely in his wallet. Abby gathers a few friends and heads north of the Mason-Dixon Line to clear her name, restore her virtue, find the source of the fake silver and maybe buy a couple of Amish quilts along the way. Readers of Tamar Myers' novels will be thrilled at her latest offering. Filled with the eccentric characters and humorous moments that Myers is known for, "So Faux, So Good" is her best mystery yet. Particularly fun is the way she merges her two series. While in Pennsylvania, Abby meets Magdalena Yoder, innkeeper to the stars and heroine of Myers' PennDutch series. Even though Abby tries to put one over on Magdalena in order to get a room at the famous PennDutch Inn, Magdalena takes pity on her and helps Abby with her search for the evil Teschel family, who may be involved in something more serious than fake antiques. "So Faux, So Good" is a well-plotted, fast moving story, and you'll want to read it in one sitting. Myers' tales are absorbing and delightful, sweeping the reader along on a rip tide of action. It's the perfect book for a muggy summer afternoon. When it's too hot to move, immerse yourself in Abby's world. It might not cool you off, but you won't mind the heat nearly as much!