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Jane Wheel #2
Dead Guy's Stuff
Fresh on the heels of Killer Stuff, Sharon Fiffer's auspicious debut, antique "picker" Jane Wheel is making a career out of going through old stuff; it seems she can't get enough of the piles of vintage clothing, kitchen utensils, Bakelite buttons and post cards she finds at estate sales across the Chicago area. What this saloon keepers' daughter loves, though, is not the items themselves but the stories they tell about the lives of their owners.
So needless to say Jane's delighted when a Saturday morning estate sale turns up a serendipitous find: a whole room packed full of 1950's saloon ephemera. As luck would have it, she's been planning to redecorate her parents' pub, still run and recently purchased outright by her folks. Piles of Bakelite darts and dice, countless advertisements from long-defunct liquor suppliers, and, most exciting of all, a bunch of old bar games, employed by untold patrons intent on whiling away the tedious moments in between the sips of so long ago. She makes a deal to buy the whole room, and can't wait to get the stuff back to her hometown.
As she's cataloging her find, however, Jane makes a gruesome discovery. Packed between the glassware and bowling trophies and old photographs she's already fallen in love with, she uncovers one highly personal, unusual and creepy collectible that she is sure the saloon keeper would have preferred to have kept to himself. It sure sparks her curiosity about the saloon owners, and when Jane gets curious nothing's going to stop her. Employing her friends Detective Bruce Oh and fellow junkhound Tim Lowry, as well as her erstwhile husband Charley, Jane sets out to lay bare the secrets of long ago, secrets that even people close to her would rather be kept quiet forever. Packed with as much intrigue and suspense as a long-buried chest in your grandmother's attic, Dead Guy's Stuff is a fantastic sophomore effort from acclaimed promising cozy writer Sharon Fiffer.
So needless to say Jane's delighted when a Saturday morning estate sale turns up a serendipitous find: a whole room packed full of 1950's saloon ephemera. As luck would have it, she's been planning to redecorate her parents' pub, still run and recently purchased outright by her folks. Piles of Bakelite darts and dice, countless advertisements from long-defunct liquor suppliers, and, most exciting of all, a bunch of old bar games, employed by untold patrons intent on whiling away the tedious moments in between the sips of so long ago. She makes a deal to buy the whole room, and can't wait to get the stuff back to her hometown.
As she's cataloging her find, however, Jane makes a gruesome discovery. Packed between the glassware and bowling trophies and old photographs she's already fallen in love with, she uncovers one highly personal, unusual and creepy collectible that she is sure the saloon keeper would have preferred to have kept to himself. It sure sparks her curiosity about the saloon owners, and when Jane gets curious nothing's going to stop her. Employing her friends Detective Bruce Oh and fellow junkhound Tim Lowry, as well as her erstwhile husband Charley, Jane sets out to lay bare the secrets of long ago, secrets that even people close to her would rather be kept quiet forever. Packed with as much intrigue and suspense as a long-buried chest in your grandmother's attic, Dead Guy's Stuff is a fantastic sophomore effort from acclaimed promising cozy writer Sharon Fiffer.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 30, 2019
2019 bk 213. I usually wait until I can find the first in a series before reading the second. This one kept finding its way into my line of sight and I couldn't wait any longer. This is set in the small towns and cities around the south side of Chicago. Jane Wheel, the main character, is a wife (separated, but not so separated), mother, antiques picker, and solver of mysteries both small and large. She is also the daughter of tavern keepers. When her parents finally purchase the building where there tavern is located, Jane decides it is time for an update to the interior. Luckily enough, while picking, she picks an entire room of gambling and tavern paraphanelia. Unluckily the room also has the hidden records that someone wants to destroy and a severed finger. This is an intense mystery - not so much because of the mystery, but because of the well written relationships between Jane and her parents, and Jane and her own family. I will look for more of Sharon Fiffer's books.
March 10, 2013
When my family did a "local flavor" gift exchange for Christmas, my niece, Rebecca, who lives in Kankakee, cleverly gave me this book, set at least, in part, in Kankakee and a Monicals gift card. Though murder mystery is not a genre that I normally choose, I enjoyed the references to Kankakee, and found myself wishing that fewer names had been changed to protect the innocent. The book certainly appeals to a specific cross section of murder mystery readers -- those who enjoy picking for valuable vintage in what others consider junk. Just how many times does the word Bakelite appear in most books?
November 5, 2007
This is the 2nd in the "stuff" series by Sharon Fieffer. The mystery is a little bit more well laid out, but still not a big twisty shocker by any means. It really instills a love of old stuff and great finds from rummage sales. While reading this I was wondering in the back of my mind if there were any great sales I could go to. The protaganist, Jane Wheel, is a bakelite fan as am I, and she describes things with such tenderness it makes you feel bad about throwing anything away. This book is great for those who find a story in the things people get rid of and want to rescue that little piece of history. The plot moves along pretty quickly and the characters are endearing. Fun little chick lit mystery.
May 25, 2008
This was a fun easy read book. Nice twist on murder mystery without being to in depth or gory, definitly worth a read.
May 10, 2009
Fun escapist mystery for anyone who is addicted to rummage and estate sales.
August 7, 2017
I liked this one quite a lot. It's told from varying viewpoints rather than just the main character which tends to be the norm. I could identify with the main character's love of collectibles and antiques. She loves the hunt and discovery of items at garage and estate sales. She's still trying to discern why she loves what she collects, but she's getting there. Her family is reasonably understanding for the most part.
Jane has a good eye for detail which helps her investigate the deaths that occur throughout the book. She's a bit quirky, but a very appealing character. I could see being friends with her.
The mystery and investigating are well done, I like the setting and the characters. I look forward to finding more of this series to read.
Definite recommend
Jane has a good eye for detail which helps her investigate the deaths that occur throughout the book. She's a bit quirky, but a very appealing character. I could see being friends with her.
The mystery and investigating are well done, I like the setting and the characters. I look forward to finding more of this series to read.
Definite recommend
September 23, 2018
Collectibles picker Jane Wheel finds a treasure trove of bar memorabilia at a house sale. Just what she needs to help redecorate her family bar in Kankakee, Jane thinks. But when she gets her stuff home, she finds her parents--kindly Don and one-of-a-kind Nellie--worried about their hated ex-landlord. When the man is found dead, the police are sure it's a simple natural death, but Jane is not sure. A second death in one of his rental houses raises the stakes. There are thugs after something unnamed that the dead man hid, and they'll stop at very little to find it. Jane's old friend Tim wants her to be his partner in the antiques business, while her new friend, newly retired police detective Bruce Oh, would like her to join his consulting business.
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February 2, 2021See review of Killer Stuff for my basic thoughts. But here's a great example of Ms. Fiffer's writing, a little spiritual gem:
"September. Crack open the seal on a brand new crayon box, inhale the magical bouquet, and spill out the burnt umber and goldenrod and raw sienna and ochre -- all the colors that they wore down to a nub on Fridays in Sister Ann Elizabeth's second grade room recreating the September to October trees outside their windows. Memorize the answer to "Why did God make me?" for catechism class. Look out the window, Sister. God made me to see this." -- Sharon Fiffer, Dead Guy's Stuff, pp. 277-278. Wonderful!
"September. Crack open the seal on a brand new crayon box, inhale the magical bouquet, and spill out the burnt umber and goldenrod and raw sienna and ochre -- all the colors that they wore down to a nub on Fridays in Sister Ann Elizabeth's second grade room recreating the September to October trees outside their windows. Memorize the answer to "Why did God make me?" for catechism class. Look out the window, Sister. God made me to see this." -- Sharon Fiffer, Dead Guy's Stuff, pp. 277-278. Wonderful!
June 16, 2020
Jane's a child of two bar owners and when she runs across all the memorabilia from the Shangri La she "buys" the whole room and plans to use some of it at her parents EZWay and some at a designer house her friend Tim has organized.
She is particularly interested in the gambling boards which her father absolutely refuses to allow in this place. They hold the key to a landlord's blackmailing of the business and his death.
Great cast of characters, antiquing and junking details, and an interesting plot.
She is particularly interested in the gambling boards which her father absolutely refuses to allow in this place. They hold the key to a landlord's blackmailing of the business and his death.
Great cast of characters, antiquing and junking details, and an interesting plot.
November 28, 2017
The main character, Jane Wheel, is so angst ridden that I found her to be a total bore; and she is totally obsessed with Bakelite (considering the author mentions it almost on every page; ok, every other page). Got halfway through and finally skipped to the end to find out who killed Gus Duncan and why; not that I cared much by then.
Definitely not a keeper, but going to the used book store; so to whomever buys it, sorry I made you suffer.
Definitely not a keeper, but going to the used book store; so to whomever buys it, sorry I made you suffer.
February 6, 2023
Another entry in Jane’s experiences looking for old stuff. This time she buys a whole room full of tavern supplies. Which, naturally, leads to a dead body. Or two. A fun series and I am looking forward to more. One small problem with this series is that I keep walking around my house (we’ve been married for 40 years and have gone to a LOT of garage sales) picking up the old stuff and wondering, “Is THIS a collectible?”
September 1, 2020
Randomly picked this up from a little library and I was pleasantly surprised. It's a nice cozy with likable characters who are all a little odd. The mystery was fun and I learned a little about antiquing along the way.
March 5, 2021
This is a solid cozy mystery, and a good follow-up to the first book in the series. The characters are likeable (personally, I've gotten attached to Bruce Oh and to Nellie and Don), the plots are clever and the setting feels real. I'll definitely read the next entry in this series!
August 22, 2021
I'm going to have to look for more by this author, not so much because of the antiques angle (ugh), but because it's set in the Chicago area and Jane's family/friends are interesting. This one was about the Mob and bars.
November 10, 2025
The story was lame and the ONLY reason I finished it was because I got curious about how many times the word "bakelite" was going to be mentioned. I started highlighting every one and it was unbelievable.
February 18, 2018
Excellent light read - love all this series.
March 11, 2020
Figured out where the evidence was but not the twists of the mystery.
April 24, 2020
Eh. I was surprised about whodunnit, but I didn’t care about most of the characters.
December 25, 2020
Loved the references to all the treasures she finds.
February 1, 2021
Cute murder mystery with, fun, and funny characters.
February 20, 2021
Picked this up in the reading room of our RV park and thought it was really good. Didn't realize it was part of a series, so now I will be looking at others in the series to read!
April 20, 2025
307 pages
August 13, 2025
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
February 27, 2011
Jane Wheel gave up her day job, and now spends her time picking. When she stumbles across a basement room full of tavern paraphernalia from thirty years back, she takes it all…including a man’s finger, floating in a jar of formaldehyde. Believing somehow that the finger has a mysterious secret, Jane pushes into the past, discovering a web of secrets and lies that comes far too close to home.
I really enjoyed this book, but for the longest time I couldn’t put my finger on why. Sure, the main character spends her time engaged in activities I’ve recently come to enjoy watching on shows like American Pickers and Auction Kings. But that wasn’t it. Then, finally, it dawned on me: absolutely none of the characters in this book are typical 8-to-5 people. They’re those who serve them, or those who prey on them, or those who simply live alongside them. But none of these characters are the “average” American. There aren’t even any retired old ladies (in the sleuth department, anyway). It was such a fresh approach to the genre that it made reading all the more enjoyable.
That said, I did find Jane a little inconsistent. Sometimes, she’d figure out a clue in an snap, worthy of Adrian Monk. Other times, she’d be baffled for pages and pages on what seemed a simple deduction.
Her husband Charley and son Nick made for an interesting family dynamic, though they didn’t spend a lot of time standing out in this book. The fact that Charley and Jane start the book as separated but living in the same house was intriguing, and Charley sounded like an awesome guy. I wished there were more of him in this book.
Jane’s mother, Nellie, featured in this novel, but I found myself torn between not getting her at all and laughing at her unrealistic actions. Hilarious! But it felt that Nellie had barged in on the plot with a short story of her own, so that what happened to her wouldn’t be “too scary”.
The plot started off slowly, with nothing but Jane’s concerns about the severed finger driving it forward. The middle section provided a good balance of entertainment and suspense, though unrelated to the finger yet. By the time the finger had been proven to be relevant, I admit the plot had leaped to a new level that I wasn’t entirely enjoying. That’s because its focus had left Kankakee, where everything else had been happening. It felt as if the author was shooing in bad guys from afar because she couldn’t find a way to make them be local. Which is neither here nor there, to have local bad guys. It was the way that they were the only bit of the plot that felt out of place, that felt off.
And once again, What is it with these books? I don’t remember this annoying trend in cozies when I started reading them a couple decades back. over and over again! What. The. Heck. I didn’t know there was such a large demographic of retired, vigilante women in this country.
I enjoyed all aspects of the fund raiser house. To have it tie into the plot as well was just bonus.
The writing was enjoyable to read and flowed smoothly. There were, unfortunately, far too many errors for my enjoyment, however, and of a disturbing variety. If I were proofing a book that would represent the publishing company I worked for, and it had a single error, I’d be absolutely mortified. Come on, people. This is your job, and you're making the author look bad.
Lastly, I was puzzled by the choice to write in a fully omniscient POV. The scenes wandered from one character’s view and thoughts to another’s with the flick of a paragraph. Some included three different people, one after the other and back again. Others just led from character A to character B. I had no trouble following, but I did have trouble settling down and identifying with any of the characters because the interruptions of each other’s thoughts postponed a true feeling of knowing any one of them on their own separate terms. It was a little like reading about three amoebae rather than eight separate characters. It was a minor annoyance, but one that never went away.
I really enjoyed this book, but for the longest time I couldn’t put my finger on why. Sure, the main character spends her time engaged in activities I’ve recently come to enjoy watching on shows like American Pickers and Auction Kings. But that wasn’t it. Then, finally, it dawned on me: absolutely none of the characters in this book are typical 8-to-5 people. They’re those who serve them, or those who prey on them, or those who simply live alongside them. But none of these characters are the “average” American. There aren’t even any retired old ladies (in the sleuth department, anyway). It was such a fresh approach to the genre that it made reading all the more enjoyable.
That said, I did find Jane a little inconsistent. Sometimes, she’d figure out a clue in an snap, worthy of Adrian Monk. Other times, she’d be baffled for pages and pages on what seemed a simple deduction.
Her husband Charley and son Nick made for an interesting family dynamic, though they didn’t spend a lot of time standing out in this book. The fact that Charley and Jane start the book as separated but living in the same house was intriguing, and Charley sounded like an awesome guy. I wished there were more of him in this book.
Jane’s mother, Nellie, featured in this novel, but I found myself torn between not getting her at all and laughing at her unrealistic actions. Hilarious! But it felt that Nellie had barged in on the plot with a short story of her own, so that what happened to her wouldn’t be “too scary”.
The plot started off slowly, with nothing but Jane’s concerns about the severed finger driving it forward. The middle section provided a good balance of entertainment and suspense, though unrelated to the finger yet. By the time the finger had been proven to be relevant, I admit the plot had leaped to a new level that I wasn’t entirely enjoying. That’s because its focus had left Kankakee, where everything else had been happening. It felt as if the author was shooing in bad guys from afar because she couldn’t find a way to make them be local. Which is neither here nor there, to have local bad guys. It was the way that they were the only bit of the plot that felt out of place, that felt off.
And once again, What is it with these books? I don’t remember this annoying trend in cozies when I started reading them a couple decades back. over and over again! What. The. Heck. I didn’t know there was such a large demographic of retired, vigilante women in this country.
I enjoyed all aspects of the fund raiser house. To have it tie into the plot as well was just bonus.
The writing was enjoyable to read and flowed smoothly. There were, unfortunately, far too many errors for my enjoyment, however, and of a disturbing variety. If I were proofing a book that would represent the publishing company I worked for, and it had a single error, I’d be absolutely mortified. Come on, people. This is your job, and you're making the author look bad.
Lastly, I was puzzled by the choice to write in a fully omniscient POV. The scenes wandered from one character’s view and thoughts to another’s with the flick of a paragraph. Some included three different people, one after the other and back again. Others just led from character A to character B. I had no trouble following, but I did have trouble settling down and identifying with any of the characters because the interruptions of each other’s thoughts postponed a true feeling of knowing any one of them on their own separate terms. It was a little like reading about three amoebae rather than eight separate characters. It was a minor annoyance, but one that never went away.
March 25, 2016
Again I really enjoyed the small town setting, Jane's side kick, Tim, and semi-retired Detective Oh, as well as all the insider information on estate sales, antiques and collectibles.
I thought that how Jane made the offer for the entire contents of a room at the estate sale was a little unrealistic but that might be chalked up to Jane being still somewhat a beginner in the picker game.
On the down side, there were a few too many characters who were not always distinct enough to keep them sorted out and it was distracting when point-of-view jumped around. Jane's immature relationship with her husband that we had to put up with in book #1 is still unresolved.
My personal pet peeve: Acknowledgements were in front. I assume that it's the publisher's fault, not the author's choice, but it's like everyone coming out on stage to take a bow before the audience has seen the performance.
I thought that how Jane made the offer for the entire contents of a room at the estate sale was a little unrealistic but that might be chalked up to Jane being still somewhat a beginner in the picker game.
On the down side, there were a few too many characters who were not always distinct enough to keep them sorted out and it was distracting when point-of-view jumped around. Jane's immature relationship with her husband that we had to put up with in book #1 is still unresolved.
My personal pet peeve: Acknowledgements were in front. I assume that it's the publisher's fault, not the author's choice, but it's like everyone coming out on stage to take a bow before the audience has seen the performance.
December 26, 2012
The more books I read in Sharon Fiffer's "Stuff"series, the more I get hooked on these books! Dead Guy's Stuff is a smart, funny and satisfying must read. Fiffer's weaving of family, career and murder is impeccable and lots of fun. The story's twists and turns fills the jampacked book with surprises and revelations about life that tickle the reader's funny bone while at the same time evoking the deep "Aha" that makes reading a story so satisfying. I can't wait to start the next book so I can learn more secrets about Jane Wheel and everyone whose life she touches.
February 12, 2010
funny and a lot about collectibles- Jane Wheel buys a whole room of local tavern collctibles the Shangri-la Punch board bakelite darts old photos and discovers a connection between the Shangri-la and her parents tavenf the E-Z Inn. Time and jane are also involved in a decorating home show as a fund rasiser for their high school
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September 8, 2009i rwelly wanna read this book it seems like its a good book sop im rweady and prepared to read this book!!!!~!./..... but if anyone see this message tekll me where o xcan find this book at!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????? but right now im at my oschool libray treying to find aa goo d book so that i can readq!!!
May 19, 2018
Fun mystery about a . . . I can't remember what her original job was--turned "picker," someone who haunts estate sales, looking for antiques and collectibles. The end was rushed, but it was pretty good. You might get a little sick of hearing about Bakelite, though. :P
October 24, 2010
even better than the first in the series - this "Stuff" mystery kept me up late reading as I tryed to solve the mystery. I loved getting lost in all of the descriptions of decorating, picking and collecting that sleuth Jane Wheelergets distracted by as she solves the crime.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews