The Big Steal [Large Print]

I am a huge fan of Stealing with Style, and held my breath as I began the second in the series. I was nervous that it wouldn't be as grand as the first. I am thrilled to say, though, that The Big Steal exceeded all my expectations. Main character Sterling Glass once again does not disappoint! From mystery to romance to the world of old money and what it can buy, author Emyl Jenkins takes us on a journey through the fascinating world of antiques and the people of all types who come in contact with them. As The Big Steal unfolds, Jenkins masterfully weaves together the story of three women from different generations, and explores how their worlds connect through an old Virginia manor where nothing is as it seems. I always learn so much from reading Jenkins' books--and it's such a pleasure to read a mystery these days where the quality of writing is as exceptional as the story!

Everyone loves a mystery, especially if you just fractured your ankle and need to sit awhile. Even if you have not broken your ankle, pick up The Big Steal, by Emyl Jenkins, and grab a comfy chair. Jenkins' detective story includes all the quirky characters you would hope to find; such as, the professor, Frank Fox, or Worth Merritt, elderly, well-heeled and candid. There is a burglary, an intricate fraud, drug smuggling, and counterfeiting; all wrapped around valuable antiques, a rambling old house, a long ago love story, and a modern romance as uncertain and twisting as the roads throughout western Virginia where the crime takes place. When the insurance firm of Babson & Michael want to know the value of antique pieces stolen from the massive Wynderly estate hidden in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, they hire appraiser and antique columnist, Sterling Glass. Sterling prides herself at being competent in her investigations, admitting, "Good appraisers are, by nature, detectives." Sterling does not disappoint, even when crawling around a dark and dusty cold attic searching for documents to provide clues to the theft; or being pursued by two men while driving mountainous, narrow roads on a black night. Place is deftly revealed again and again in Jenkins' narrative. First, the tangible place, the baronial homes secluded in the Virginia countryside. Second, the upper crust of society, a place often secured for generations to come. Third, Sterling is in a place where directions are distorted like pretzels and cell phones are useless. The tools of cyber space are a long way off. Jenkins has prepared a guide to popular antiques with drawings at the end of the book. In addition, she provides a question and answer clip at the beginning of each chapter regarding a particular antique that will have prominence in the chapter. If you like The Big Steal, as I did, you have only to reach for the first Sterling Glass mystery, Stealing with Style, or wait for the third. by Diana Nolan for Story Circle Book Reviews reviewing books by, for, and about women

I recently spent a delightful cross-country flight rummaging through the dusty attic of a crumbling Virginia mansion with antiques appraiser Sterling Glass. Of course, it was all in the pages of The Big Steal, the second volume in Emyl Jenkins' Sterling Glass mystery series, but I really felt as if I'd spent the evening with an old friend. Jenkins' has peopled her mysteries with a deftly-drawn cast of characters who are growing, developing, and becoming more interesting as the series moves forward. Sterling said "yes" a bit too quickly when asked to do an appraisal in Orange County. Instead of finding herself in sunny Southern California, she ended up in rural Virginia, dealing with an overly possessive curator, the varying agendas of a board of directors, and an enormous collection of antiques that isn't entirely what it seems. Add a secret room, hidden diary, and a generous dash of suspense, and you can see why I didn't want the plane to land before I finished the book! Jenkins' experience as an antiques appraiser lends depth and credibility to Sterling's experiences. Each chapter opens with a newspaper-column-style question and answer about a specific antique, from Stafforshire spaniels to slipper chairs, that provides context and helps to orient the reader in the antiques world. If you're a fan of Antiques Road Show or This Old House, Sterling Glass is the Miss Marple you've been waiting for! [This review first appeared on my blog.]

What happens when a real-life antiques appraiser decides to write a mystery novel? You get a life-like, well-developed protagonist in the form of Sterling Glass, that's what. Sterling is a southern woman (that says it all) of a certain age who solves mysteries in the course of her work. Sterling has been referred to as Miss Marple wears Prada, and that is a pretty accurate description. Emyl Jenkins's sleuth, Sterling Glass, makes her second appearance in The Big Steal and it is big! There's been a burglary at Wynderly, a Virginia mansion that has been turned into a museum. It's not clear at first what is at the bottom of things, but as Sterling meets the staff, board members and others, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. There are fake pieces scattered throughout the museum. Who is behind it? The Wynderly's (who loved to travel, but are a long time deceased) wouldn't have dealt with fakes. Or would they? As Sterling unearths Wynderly's history layer by layer, she learns some startling facts. I absolutely love Sterling Glass. She's smart, has southern charm down pat and uses facts and logic to solve the crime. Jenkins's knowledge of antiques adds greatly to the novel, but it's her well-developed characters, the twists and turns and the plot that makes her novels winners! Read Stealing with Style, the first Sterling Glass mystery and then follow up with the delightful A Big Steal. Armchair Interviews says: These books will bring you hours of entertainment.

Entertaining from the very first page, with a wonderful cast of characters, a top-notch plot and writing that is extremely well done but never gets in the way of itself. The riffs on antiques and gracious living are spot-on without being the least bit intrusive or contrived, and there's not single dull moment or slow patch. Kudos to Emyl Jenkins for a fine effort.