S.J. Parris
S.J. Parris writes about her inspiration for Heresy, which masterfully blends true events with fiction into a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Adam Haslett
A conversation with Adam Haslett, author of Union Atlantic, a deeply affecting portrait of the modern gilded age, the first decade of the twenty-first century.
Hired to assess the value of broken and missing antiques following a suspicious burglary at a Virginia manor house, intrepid appraiser and amateur sleuth Sterling Glass finds that her job is more complicated than she’d anticipated. The antiques, she realizes, are not always what they seem: some are worth tens of thousands, others are well-done replicas.
Whether the well-traveled and well-heeled couple who once owned Wynderly could have been trafficking in fakes is what Sterling must unravel from the secret rooms, hidden treasures, uncovered diaries, and convoluted trail of paperwork and provenance. As our sharp-witted heroine sifts through details doled out by the museum's curators, board members, and the town's local residents, she discovers that objects, unlike people, do not lie.
The Big Steal is a delightful mystery that enhances readers' antiques acumen and provides an easy guide to identifying the most popular styles and periods in an illustrated appendix.
Book Reviews
BookBrowse - Donna Chavez
Although we don't know whether or not protagonist Sterling Glass is a "traditionally built" woman, she does possess much of the same type of homespun, parent-inspired wit and wisdom of Alexander McCall Smith's Mma Precious Ramotswe... This generates an irresistible charm and adds depth to a character that becomes frosting on the cake of what I would call an engaging American parlor mystery. Full Review (members only, 969 words).
Publishers Weekly
An intriguing second mystery.
Library Journal
Sure to appeal to cozy readers, especially those who enjoy Jane K. Cleland's antiques series.
Kirkus Reviews
Sterling's second is more puzzle than mystery, a leisurely, genteel story packed with information sure to please antiques lovers.
Booklist
Starred Review. Real-life antiques appraiser Jenkins again imbues her sleuth, Sterling Glass, with knowledge and curiosity in equal parts, making this story as informative as it layered.
Kate Jacobs, author of The Friday Night Knitting Club The Big Steal nabs your attention with its Southern charm and keep-you-guessing mystery of missing antiques. My appraisal? Read it!
Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants
Both entertaining and enlightening... the perfect book to settle down with on a lazy afternoon.
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Masterfully blending true events with fiction, this blockbuster historical thriller delivers a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
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The Big Steal
(members only, 969 words).
Booklist
Kate Jacobs, author of The Friday Night Knitting Club
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