A Killing in Antiques

Lucy St. Elmo Antiques #1

by Mary Moody

Treasure hunting is not for the faint of heart. Luckily, Lucy St. Elmo, owner of the Cape Cod antiques shop St. Elmo Fine Antiques, has more than enough heart. What she needs to improve are her tracking skills-or else the wrong man could be convince of a one-of-a-kind murder.

It's time for Brimfield, the largest outdoor antiques and collectibles show in all of New England. This is one event Lucy wouldn't miss for the world. Armed with determination, a keen eye, and her trusty supercart, Lucy is ready to make a killing. But she never expected there would be a killing at Brimfield! Or that the victim would be her longtime friend, well-known antiques picker Monty Rondo- strangled with a strip of lace.

While Brimfield is still buzzing with the news, Monty's partner, Silent Billy, is arrested for the crime. Lucy's certain that Billy is innocent. So while combing the market for treasures, she starts collecting clues to clear her friend's name. But she'll have to work fast to restore his reputation before a killer comes calling her name ...

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

311 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 5, 2011

About the author

Mary Moody is a Massachusetts native who has lived all over the Commonwealth. She grew up in a collecting family where she learned the pleasure of the treasure hunt. She loves writing stories about the ingenious ways people find to participate in the antiques marketplace. She has an MBA from Clark University in Worcester, and lives with her husband in the Berkshires.

Reviews

[Fred · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in a new series from a new author. One doesn't have to love antiques or collecting to enjoy this book/series. Certainly wouldn't hurt. The author provides the reader with a very insightful look at an antique fair, both from the dealer and buyers view.

Lucy St Elmo owns an antique shop in Cape Cod, MA and is heading to Brimfield for the biggest antique show in New England, to find some treasures for her shop. Before the official opening, Lucy, with her Supercart are scouring the booths for the best buys. She soon hears that Monty Rondo has been found strangled with a piece of lace. The police question his partner Silent Billy, a man of few words, about Rondo death. Once the police find out about Billy's previous history he is arrested for the murder. Lucy is sure that he had nothing to do with the murder, and knowing that Billy won't say a lot dfend himself, Lucy feels compelled to look for the murderer while she is looking for bargains. So with the help of parking attendent and first time dealer, Coylie, they head to look for the nurderer.

Moody gives the reader a cast of believable and entertaing characters and a very intersting story. Well worth the time reading.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was set mostly at the Brimfield antique shows. That was interesting especially to anyone who is a collector. The main character is an antique dealer who gets involved in a murder because she is sure the suspected killer is not the real killer. The book was an easy read.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy St. Elmo owns St. Elmo's Fine Antiques in Cape Cod. Treasure hunting is the mainstay of any antiques business and Lucy excels beyond many when it comes to finding just the perfect piece.

This week the hunt takes Lucy to Brimfield, the largest outdoor antique show in all of New England. She has her strategy all worked out, her custom made cart and money at the ready. She is ready to make a killing at this show and bring back treasures she has been dreaming about.

Lucy was not the only one with making a killing on their mind. Someone else did but they actually killed someone! Right there at Brimfield!! Worse Lucy knows the deceased. He was her long time friend, Monty Rondo. He was well known in the antique circuit as a supreme picker.

All leads pointed at his partner but there is no way Silent Billy would have hurt Monty. So Lucy has no choice, in addition to hunting for treasures, she also has to hunt down a killer. With less than a week before Brimfield closes for the season and all the suspects pack up and move on to the next big show she has to move fast to close the sale on the real killer, knowing he is truly no treasure.


First I have to tell you Brimfield is a real place. Those of you not in the New England area may not realize this.

Knowing that makes the story even better because while Mary describes the place wonderfully with her words, seeing it makes the story itself so believable.

I was drawn into this story not only by the mystery but the education about the treasure hunting in the antique world. The characters were real, eccentric and interesting. You wanted to follow them through the maze of Brimfield, weighing each as a suspect, crossing them off the list, then thinking some more and returning them to the possible suspect category. The story was like a mini treasure hunt for the reader making it very entertaining.

This is a perfect summer read. I am looking forward to learning more about antiques and Lucy and her wonderful friends and family. I can't wait to return to Cape Cod with Lucy!




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan, spent too much time being bored in the main character's head while she bored you with all sorts of information about the characters life prior to stumbling into this mystery series.


Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story. I loved the whole buying, selling and ins and outs of an antique fair. The author did a good job bringing the eccentric characters to life.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the market of all markets and Lucky of St. Elmo Antiques is prepared. Superchart as she calls it hauls her finds away to the van she has parked and arranged to move and return for more. However there is an event to put a damper on the deals, death, a murder of one of their own. Not one of the most liked in the field, he had a way of rubbing you wrong, but in the end your heart found a spot for 'Monty'. While Lucy is not, NOT going to get involved it just happens, like buying that next find when you know you really don't need it...it happens. Soon she finds not only herself but her seemingly new partner in deals and daughter in law, Monica in a deal gone wrong, or perhaps a deal to end their lives. Well if not death this market is sure to leave a mark!

A cozy mystery with antiques, junking and collecting mixed in, super for this life long junk dealer. The murder to be actually took some what of a back seat and that was just fine, the show ideas and items found were fun to hear about and the process in which these dealers do business was unique this this junk mama. The end of who dun it was good and while I had some idea of the trail there were a few surprises. Nice read, I'll be looking for more finds with Ms. Moody.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is kind of fun for those who love antiques. The problem is, it's more for true antique dealers, and those who are willing to spend big bucks to make even more big bucks ... those looking for true antiques with huge value ... and not so much for the amateurs like me who just want to find things they like. As for the mystery, there is a murder ... there is a lady who asks a few questions and is accused of getting way too involved, even though she's busy shopping for antiques and finding the best deals ... and in the end there is, sort of, a solution. It didn't seem very resolved to me, and although the lady ends up kidnapped and bashed in the head, I didn't see that she had much to do with solving the mystery. Still, it was an enjoyable read for me.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book to read and kind of learn how the antique business is done. I would love to know someone who knows the antique business like Lucy and tag along on her hunts and haunts.
I liked the setting, the characters, the premise and the mystery. Lucy getting involved was pretty seamless and it made sense. It was the death of someone she knew well and there was a lot of mystery surrounding the death as much as his life and livelihood.
Everything kept me turning the pages quickly and getting aggravated at interruptions. I am looking forward to finding more books in this series and more by this author.
Definitely recommend

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching "Flea Market Flip", I thought I would get an insight to Brimfield the place that some of flippers go to buy antiques and collectibles. I liked Lucy's supercart that she had to gather her purchases. On the first day fellow collector was found murder, strangled with a piece of lace. When Lucy found out that "Silent Billy" was being held for murder she became interested seeing what she could find out.

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has been on my shelf for a while and I decided to read it as it worked for a challenge. I learned a lot about the antique business from reading this book. The story line could have been good, but it didn't make it. The characters were boring. There was not one of them that I liked. It was tiresome hearing about the fair ad infinitum.
Not a keeper on my shelf.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book, I would consider buying more in this series. The only thing that felt off was, they kept referring to something that happened to Lucy in the past, it almost felt like there should have been a book prior to this one.

[Nan Hurley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may have turned out to be a good story, but I just could not finish this book. Way too chatty, writer tries too hard.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

An innocent but exciting week planned for buying antiques, turns deadly. Interesting and I was fascinated by the knowledge shared on gathering, collecting, and selecting items.

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Not terrible but not worth my precious reading time either.

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was predictable but I enjoyed learning about the antique world.

[Nancy Mumpton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light reading. I enjoyed it because collectibles/antiques is an interest of mine. Also, I know the area that is the setting of the book which makes it interesting to me.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Line: Most treasure hunts are fantasies.

Lucy St. Elmo, the owner of St. Elmo's Fine Antiques, looks forward to the annual Brimfield Antiques Show; it's a major source of the stock for her shop. When a friend and mentor is killed at the Brimfield show, Lucy has to stop looking for merchandise and start looking for a killer-- because she knows that the police have the wrong man in jail.

There is a lot to like in this book. Moody has a lot of information about the antiques trade to share. I loved Lucy's plan for working this huge antiques show, how she gathered her purchases, and how she stored them. All that was so interesting that I wanted to call her and ask if I could tag along next year.

The book has plenty of humor, most of it from Lucy's point of view. She seems to have a never-ending stream of children returning to the nest. Children who keep insisting that she carry a cell phone "in case of emergency." She stopped carrying one when she learned that the emergency usually consisted of an errand one of her children wanted her to perform.

Humor wasn't the only part of Moody's characterizations that had me enjoying this book. Lucy herself is someone I'd invite over for coffee (when I wasn't tagging along on her search for antiques). She has a brand-new daughter-in-law who turns out to be a welcome surprise, and although not that much is said about Lucy's husband, there are hints that their marriage might be undergoing some sort of change, which definitely keeps me interested in future books. Living and having a business on Cape Cod and working a show inland made for a lively setting.... Even the mystery kept me well occupied!

Information, setting, plot, characters-- I want more of what Lucy St. Elmo's got!

[Amelia in PDX · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first book it is interesting on beginning collecting of collections or antiques - a lot of good information there. It has a late middle aged woman or early senior aged woman as the heroine. Her husband, is one that would be driving me crazy(myself anyway) but that she seems to be crazy about - even tho to me he seems to be a bit self centered when they have in a scene (or thought)with him in it. The murderer was a little obvious (to me anyway) and the meandering was driving me a little batty. I'm not sure if this is the first book (which would be a good reason for so much meandering) and the continued mentionings of previous murder solvings, or if this is somewhere in the middle of a series. There is some mention of the adult kids and quite a bit of long term friends (sometimes almost too much so) and how she knew them and where they were in the friendship; which were ones that you speak to all year long and which were friends that were only seen as such gatherings as the Brimfield Antiques Show (think the worlds longest flea market that runs along a hwy in, I believe, Tennessee and I believe you'll get the drift of her show that she's "shopping" through a where the murder has taken place. I hope that future books will enlarge the character of Silent Billy as you get the impression that he could really go places in the future with the right person to encourage and build his confidence up.

I think that I'd like to read another of her books if this is a series to see where this might be going or where it has been.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am torn in deciding on a rating for this book. There is not much mystery in this cozy! The emphasis is really on buying, selling and collecting collectibles. Sometimes I felt like the main character, Lucy St. Elmo, owner of St. Elmo’s Fire Antiques forgot that there was a murder.

Lucy goes to a wonderful antique fair at Brimfield, Massachusetts and a longtime friend, Monty Rondo is strangled with a piece of lace. His silent partner “Silent Bill” is arrested. It is evident at the start of this book that “Silent Bill” would answers questions with the fewest words always did not have it in him to kill a bug. Lucy knows that and the reader is sure of it. When she saw Silent Bill all he said was “Help” to her when the policeman cuffed him and took him away. I was feeling sorry for Silent Bill for the lack of investigation. Lucy uses self-deprecating humor often which I enjoyed.

But, despite all that, I loved the collecting side of this book. There are tips in the back and all through the book. Also Lucy collected the same kinds of pottery that my father collected so there were frequent references to Weller and Rookwood. Her key advice to her beginner friends was only buy it if you love it, which is exactly what my father told me several times. Also I know her tips work because I have used them before. I enjoyed being in the world of collecting so much that I think that any collector would love this book.

So I am giving 4 stars because I loved this book and not 5 stars because there was not much of a mystery.

[Suspense Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brimfield Massachusetts is to antique lovers and collectors what Camelot was to King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table—the place to be. A few times a year, the town hosts the Brimfield Antiques Show, the largest outdoor antiques and collectibles show in all of New England. Massachusetts author Mary Moody has chose Brimfield as the setting for her debut mystery, “A Killing in Antiques.”
Lucy St. Elmo, owner of St. Elmo’s Fine Antiques on Cape Cod, heads to the week-long May Brimfield show to find special pieces to add to her shop’s inventory. Determined to make a killing at the show and gather up lots of goodies, Lucy’s armed with comfortable shoes, a keen eye, and her trusty supercart, which she uses to store her treasures. What she hasn’t counted on is that there would be a real killing at Brimfield – that of her longtime friend, antiques picker Monty Rondo, who’s been strangled with a strip of lace.
Monty’s long-time business partner, Silent Billy, is arrested for the crime, but Lucy’s certain he’s innocent. And decides to prove it by nosing around the show and asking questions.
“A Killing in Antiques” is a terrific mystery with likeable characters and a fast-developing plot. But what I found especially enjoyable was the inside peek at the Brimfield Antique Show itself. A great start to what I hope will be a series of adventures for Lucy and her pals.

Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Moving Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars really. It took me almost two months to read this as I set it aside for quite a while. Readers are introduced to Lucy St. Elmo, who is an antiques dealer, but also has a husband and five children. One of her fellower dealers, Monty, is murdered at the Brimfield Antique Show. While I liked Lucy's character, I thought she was too blunt at times and knew that the killer would go after her because she was too obvious. I liked the addition of her daughter-in-law, Monica, and I also liked Mr. Hogarth, her mentor of sorts. I thought the story needed more flow. This story took way too long to set up, and all the action came in the last few chapters. I do feel like I have a better understanding of the antique business, but there was too much of it for the reader to fully understand the antique and their values. The ending was abrupt, and I had figured out the killer quite early. I'm not sure if I will keep reading this series or not. It will depend on the concept of the next book I suppose.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to the "Lucy St. Elmo Antiques" mystery series and I really enjoyed the book. The mystery was complete in itself, although, it did frequently refer to past episodes with a bullet in the sleuth, Lucy's, hip.

Lucy is a wife, mother of 5, mother-in-law and owner of a high-end antique store. The book is told from her viewpoint and was very realistic. The dialog in her thoughts and with other characters was authentic and not overdone. I like Lucy.

I found myself interested in 'Pickle Castors' and had to stop the book in order to learn about them on the computer with my husband. We spent a delightful hour learning about Victorian dinner settings and then I returned to the book, where I learned more.

The murder was performed in an unique method and caught my interest also. I had a 'sense' as to whom performed the dastardly deed but was not certain until 'reveal' time. I loved the reveal and capture scene. It was action filled and I was pleased by the participants involved.

I'm sold on this series and see I will have to catch up with it.

[Kwoomac · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars not because of any literary merit but because it's about stuff I like. It's a mystery (!) that involves an antiquer from Cape Cod (!), who is at the Brimfield Antiques and Collectibles Show (!) when she solves a murder (!). I am particularly happy that at no point did the protagonist do anything ditsy or foolhardy. She never went anyplace alone, or entered a dark room, or tried to follow the murderer... This always drives me crazy. Not a brilliant plot, I knew who the killer was pretty early on, but that's okay. No red herrings, which I take as the author respecting my intelligence. a quick summer read. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like antiques and want to know the inside tricks of the trade, this might be a good book to read. The mystery itself isn't all that great, but there's plenty of detail about how dealers work and gather their inventory.

Personally, I could never be a dealer because it basically demands that you take advantage of ignorance to get a bargain. Lucy, the main character, has no problem with it, though, because it's part of the job. Apparently, it's routine to rip people off and have huge mark ups on "treasures" one finds.

Might make for a great business practice, but it left me a little cold to the character.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antique dealer Lucy (not Arnez, though you have to wonder) is attending her favorite open air show, Brimfield, when she's shocked to learn that a good friend has been found murdered. She's even more upset to learn his notoriously taciturn assistant is the chief suspect. It's true that Lucy has promised her husband not to meddle in police matters, but surely nosing around a little to help Billy won't hurt--especially if she can avoid mentioning it. Lucy enlists stray helpers and long-time friends in the investigation, certain all along that she's staying on the outskirts of the crime and perfectly safe--until someone knocks her over the head.

[Celia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a very strange book. It's the first in a series but references past events like it's book number 4. There is no introduction to the main character at all. Then you're thrown into her problems with her husband (no explaination given), her problems with her super weird "best friend" (talks like a crazy person) and critical family. She came across as controlling and bossy but with no redeeming qualities to balance it out. I will not read anymore of this series.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting for this Cozy Mystery is fun. It's set at the Brimfield Antiques show which is near Sturbridge MA. The lead character is also tied to Boston and Cape Cod. For me, the local setting was fun as the descriptions of some of the places were real to me. However, there was not much of a plot. There was a lot of rushing around at the event which, while providing background, was boring.

[Kelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book. I skimmed most of the end just to satisfy my need to know who the murderer was, but honestly I didn't care too much. I don't think I'll read anything by the author.

[Sandybear76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed a glossary for some of the terms the antiques dealers used. I thin that there are other books in this series but this is the first one I have read. I kept waiting for Lucy's friend in antiques was Monty's killer but it wasn't Natalie. I learned a bit about antiques.

[Jennifer A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

a kind of interesting description of the Brimfield antiques show (which I would love to attend someday) but I really didn't feel like I got to know the characters very well; the description of the characters and their interaction felt kind of superficial. I'm not sure if I'll read another one.