Shadows on a Maine Christmas

Antique Print #7

by Lea Wait

Antique print dealer Maggie Summer's back in Maine .. will she and beau Will Brewer celebrate a romantic Christmas with snow and mistletoe? Or is there something more sinister happening behind Waymouth's wreathed doors this holiday season? One of elderly Aunt Nettie's friends has trouble remembering today .. but her past secrets, and those of her friends, are all-too clear. Her memories lead to blackmail ... and then to murder. "Surprise ending ... beautifully written" ... Mysterious Women Magazine. "Intelligent and entertaining mystery .. a plot that keeps the reader guessing until the very last page" ... Suspense Magazine

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Holiday

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 26, 2014

About the author

Maine author Lea Wait writes the NYT-praised 8-book Shadows Antique Print Mystery series, the latest of which is SHADWS ON A MORNING IN MAINE, and the USA Today best-selling Mainely Needlepoint series which debuted with TWISTED THREADS in January, 2015, and was followed by THREADS OF EVIDENCE in August, 2015, THREAD AND GONE, in January, 2016, DANGLING BY A THREAD in late October, 2016, and TIGHTENING THE THREADS in March, 2017. Wait also writes acclaimed historical novels for ages 8 and up set in 19th century Maine, the latest of which, UNCERTAIN GLORY, takes place in a small northern town during the first two weeks of the Civil War. Lea's LIVING AND WRITING ON THE COAST OF MAINE, about being an author and living year 'round in Maine with a husband who's an artist also includes writing tips. Lea did her undergraduate work at Chatham College (now University) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her graduate work at New York University. While she was raising the four daughters she adopted as a single parent she worked as a manager for AT&T. Now she writes full time and speaks at schools and libraries. She loves rowing, visiting historical sites, and, of course, reading and writing. See her website,
www.leawait.com, and the blog she writes with other Maine Mystery writers, http://www.mainecrimewriters.com, friend her on FB and Goodreads, and, if you'd like to be on her email list to find out when her next book will be published, send her your email address write to her at leawait@roadrunner.com

Reviews

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started writing SHADOWS ON A MAINE CHRISTMAS I had several parallel ideas. I wanted to introduce Maine in winter (a beautiful time) to those who only know it as a summer or leaf peeping Vacationland. I knew it was time for at least a beginning resolution of the "Maggie wants to be a mother" and "Will doesn't want to be a father" issue running through the Shadows series. And I was fascinated by that horrible disease, Alzheimer's. I will never forget a young woman I knew whose mother, a war bride from the Phillipines and mother of 7 children, lost her ability to speak or understand English. She remembered her childhood. She could speak easily in Tagalong. But she could no longer communicate with her husband or children. What, I thought, would happen if the past became present ... especially if that past included secrets. (Which most of our pasts do ... although not perhaps the sort of secrets the Weymouth ladies had kept.) I hope you'll enjoy opening the doors to Weymouth's wreath-festooned doors as much as I did.

[Ronna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book free from Firstreads. This is my honest review.

This is the eight book in the Antique Print Mystery Series, but the first one that I've read. Though this story was complete in itself, I believe I would have gotten much more out of it if I had read the previous books. Maggie Summer has solved a number of mysteries, but in this book she is visiting her boyfriend, Will, in Maine, where he has moved to help care for his elderly but spunky, Aunt Nettie. Apparently, Maggie and Will don't agree with Maggie's decision to adopt a child.

When the caretaker of Aunt Nettie's friend is murdered, blackmail is suspected. Maggie and Nettie work out the clues by visiting Nettie's group of long time girlfriends. Many social issues are dealt with in this story, but perhaps focusing on a few rather than so many might have put more focus on these topics. The characters were well fleshed out though, with topics of elderly care, adoption, child abuse, mentally challenged adults, Alzheimer's, and abortion covered in the story.

I really enjoyed the inclusion of the beauty of Maine during winter, especially during Christmas, and wish there were more of this included in this story. And of course, each chapter was headed by the description of an antique print. Definitely plan to go back and read the earlier books in this series.



*******************SPOILER ALERT************SPOILER ALERT*********SPOILER ALERT*****
If you are pro-choice, this may not be a book for you.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

MAINE Christmas

It is always a delight to enter into the lives of Maggie and Will. Full of adventure,fun, and, of course, love, the reader can immerse themselves in a cozy and exciting story. I love the antique theme that is part of Maggie's and Will's story. I would love to visit the antique mall and apartment Will is envisioning for their future. Surely there is another mystery evolving that will involve these two interesting people and enable me to continue my MAINE journey with Maggie,Will and the other characters that incorporate themselves into their lives. if you have not read any of the books, start with the first one and read through them to get to and enjoy, SHADOWS ON A MAINE CHRISTMAS.

[Carole]

Just finished reading Lea Wait's latest Maggie book. They get better and better! I have read every one of them. So pleased that the series continues. I love "Shadows on a Maine Christmas" because Lea mentions so many places and things that are very familiar to me, living in Maine. Her cast, so to speak, is so realistic; each one is believable and has a distinct personality. I read her books well before we moved back tom Maine, when we lived in NY. This plot is intriguing; the background of women's issues timely. We lost two of our elderly family members to Alzheimer disease over the years. The author handled that very sensitively. In short, some serious issues, including murder, but also humor, a warmhearted plot, with such wonderful characters in a beautiful Maine winter setting.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maggie comes to Waymouth to spend Christmas with Will, the man she loves, to see if they can overcome the obstacles between them. He is caring for his 92-year-old great aunt Nettie; Maggie is determined to adopt, despite Will's reservations about fatherhood. But before they can discuss their situation, the caregiven for Nettie's old friend is murdered, and Nettie begins to reveal secrets from the past. Can things that happened so long ago cause a murder today? Will's friend, the short-tempered state policeman in charge of the investigation, doesn't realize that some of the shadows threaten his own family.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series about Maggie, an antique print dealer who stumbles on murder everywhere she goes. There's also an on-going plot with her boyfriend who lives in Maine while Maggie lives in New Jersey. As usual I was carried along, guessing (wrongly) about who the murderer is. This one also delves into the days when abortion wasn't legal and the choices some of the characters made at that time.

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I've read in the series so have to go back and start from the beginning. Romance, murder, crimes and Christmas all set in Maine. Could feel the cold through the vivid descriptions. Nice closure but left room for more books in the series.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be receive an early copy of this book and loved it! Highly recommended.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free. It was a very fast easy read. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

[Kaitlyn Dunnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable Christmas mystery with lots of local color. Touches on some serious topics, but not in a way that overwhelms the plot. Highly recommended.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of books. The characters seem so real they are like friends I know.

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrenaline rush !!! That is what the reader will feel when they are reading Shadows on a Maine Christmas !! Shadows on a Maine Christmas is the seventh book in Lea Wait's Antique Print Mystery series and it will blow the reader's mind !! If you are a fan of this series, which by now I seriously hope that you are, you know that when you pick up one of the books in this series, you are in for a crazy ride and Wait does not disappoint....if anything she goes way above and way beyond !!!

When you start to read Shadows on a Maine Christmas you may be a bit sad..... Main character Maggie Summer is going to Maine to spend Christmas with her love Will Brewer. Will has moved to Maine to live with his Aunt Nettie and help take care of her while Maggie has been working on getting her adoption process moving forward.....both Maggie and Will are moving in very different directions and are planning to discuss their futures over Christmas. That is why you begin reading this story feeling sad because you know in your heart that things could be ending for these two. However before they can even open presents on Christmas morning there is a murder and the local police, State Trooper Nick Strait, who is a friend of Will's, looks to Maggie to help ask questions.

There is a lot going on in this story but Wait writes it so well that it is like a smooth jazz....flowing gracefully across the pages......until, of course, when the reader gets to a certain part in the book where you cannot stop reading !! You will not want to stop....some may not be able to fight the urge.....

The Antique Print Mystery series by Wait is a powerful series. It has a powerful cast of characters and the way that Wait intertwines the story and the people and places, past and present, is an absolutely amazing talent and gift !! I could stay in this series forever !!!!

[SCH · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I didn't care for this story at all. Maggie has gone to spend Christmas in Maine with Will and his Aunt Nettie, in part to work out her relationship with Will. Of course, there is a murder. The plot line in general was interesting in that it was unique and unexpected. Secrets that Aunt Nettie and her close friends over a lifetime are revealed. Into this, smaller plot lines are woven but it was almost too many. What bothered me the most is that it feels like Maggie is becoming more and more selfish and self-absorbed. She ignores Will's feelings, still does what she wants to do no matter what anyone else and seems to think she's the only one who has any valid thoughts and ideas. I understand in these types of mysteries the role of the protagonist is to move things forward and go where others aren't willing, but Maggie just comes across as very self-centered. Not excited to read the next one.

[Janet Noonan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More comments than a review :

The first third of the book was a bit slow as far as getting into a mystery goes. It focused on the relationship of Will and Maggie. The next third was better as secrets were being uncovered and the mystery of who killed the caregiver was put in place. The last few chapters were a disappointment as the abortion discussion became a building block for the blackmail motivation. There is always the ongoing safe abortion issue, but I always wonder who is it safe for? certainly not the unborn baby. and then added in is a concern over killing animals for sport or furs. It baffles me how one cares for animals but not people.

Also the policeman Nick hits his daughter periodically and by the end the story falls apart with his anger explosions and his daughter and her boyfriend involvement in the murder.

I think there are better mysteries waiting to be read. .

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 7th book in the series. Maggie is in Maine to spend Christmas with Will and Aunt Nettie. She and Will are still working on the hurdles in their relationship; primarily, Maggie wanting to adopt and Will being reluctant to be a father, and their issues with location. Maggie and Will help set up a gathering between Nettie and her women friends. One of her friends is suffering from Alzheimers and says some things at the party that are upsetting. When her caretaker ends up dead, Maggie and Will find that the group has hidden secrets and finds evidence that the caretaker was trying to blackmail them. Maggie works to uncover the mystery before someone else ends up dead. As in the prior books, each chapter opens with a description of an antique print.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antique Mystery Series #7. This series keeps getting better and better, especially as the author brings Maggie Summer to spend Christmas in Maine with the man she loves, Will Brewer and his 92 year old Aunt Tessie. What is supposed to be a quiet holiday for Will and Maggie to figure out if their love for each other is strong enough to survive their differences, turns into frenetic mayhem with Alzheimer’s, long buried dark secrets, blackmail/extortion, complicated relationships in friends and families, murder, conflicts with their he law, and life changes, including Maggie’s being approved for adoption.
Love the resolution.

[Linda C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the bits on the history of the prints and tools that Maggie and Will discuss in the series. This one is set over the Christmas holidays when Maggie comes to visit Will at his Aunt Nettie's. Will is looking to buy a big Victorian home to convert to an antiques mall and wants Maggie's input. While there the caregiver for a friend of Will's Aunt is murdered. Since Maggie has helped in an earlier investigation Will's friend, Nick a State Trooper, asks her to question some of the aunt's friends. The mystery was interesting and the problems concerning Will and Maggie's long distance relationship get some resolution. So a good volume in the series.

[Ann Boytim · Rating 4 out of 5]

#7 in this series and Maggie Summer is visiting her special friend and his Aunt Nettie in Maine. Maggie and Will always seem to get involved in a murder and this is no exception. Wills Aunt Nettie receives a blackmail letter and the blackmailer is them found murdered. Secrets of the past are uncovered and others have also received blackmail letters which complicates things. Maggie is asked by Will's friend Nick to help with the investigation but uncovers more than he bargains for.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story, Maggie Summer has traveled to Maine to be with Will and his aunt for Christmas. Also she and Will have to decide whether they will move forward with their relationship since Maggie is going ahead with her plan to adopt. The story is full of secrets and someone is killed because she tries to blackmail people about the secrets. The book was a quick easy read.

[Lalla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because of its setting in Maine and the excellent descriptions of the landscape and homes in the area This is the second book that I have read in this series and while the characters are interesting,I felt that the plot was overdone and did not like the ending.Not sure that I would continue with this series if there are more.

[Crystal Toller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antique Print Mysteries

In this continuation of the Antique Print Series, Maggie Summer goes to Maine to spend time with her boyfriend, Will Brewer and his Aunt Nettie. While Maggie is there there is a murder and she and Aunt Nettie do some investigating. The ending of the book was very good and not what I expected. Another great addition to the series.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just ok. It took a long time to get anywhere and the characters seemed pretty self focused.

[Jen Reardon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story was drawn out and some dark aspects to the story that just didn't seem to fit.

[Christianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable mystery with a few surprise twists to keep you reading.

[Nancy Bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Another great book by Ms. Wait.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this story, but didn't like the solution. Why ruin 2 good kids' lives by making them the bad guys, when they weren't even involved in the crime that caused the murder?

[David Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.

This is book 7 in the Antique Print Mystery series. I have not read any of the earlier stories in the series.

Maggie Summer is off to Maine to spend Christmas with the man that she adores and his Aunt Nettie. She hopes that she can work out the problems that arose earlier in their relationship when he asked Maggie to marry him but couldn't accept her decision to adopt. But no one expected murder and blackmail to disrupt the holidays.

There are several factors that I look at when starting a new mystery series. These include how easy it is to jump into the series if you don't read them in order; how much I like the characters; how strong the mystery is; and how well balanced the story is between the mystery and the characters lives.

It was obvious that there was things that had happened in earlier book that I did not know. But I never felt lost in this story. The information that I needed to understand what was going on was provided without making it feel like being schooled in that information. It felt natural.

I can't say that I developed a strong attachment to the characters. Will seemed distant for most of the story. Maggie seemed to distracted about worrying what might happen or what something meant to deal with what was going on around her. I am guessing that a big part of this is jumping into the series at this relative late date. Probably, if I had read all of the books in order, I might not feel this way. As for the secondary characters, I did not feel they were developed more than they absolutely had to be to play their part in the story.

As a personal rule of thumb, I expect the mystery to be revealed in the first third of the story. (It is even better if it happens between 10% and 25% of the story.) In this story, the mystery wasn't revealed until almost the halfway mark. This caused the mystery to feel rushed somewhat. Now I fully understand (and expect) that you will spend some time visiting with the main characters. It is one of the things that appeal about cozy mysteries. You get to know and become invested with the main characters. You also need some setup with the new (secondary) characters that will be involved (usually as suspects) in the current story. But, it is still a mystery and that should be the biggest part of the story.

The mystery was fairly convoluted as well. Most of the red herrings were of the nature of people acting strangely (most of which was never explained). Speaking of strange behavior(and without giving too much away), one character admits to being blackmailed. She says the blackmailer found out her secret which she admits was the truth. The a few pages later, you find out that the blackmailer didn't have it exactly right. (The truth wasn't as bad as what she admitted to doing.) After a few more pages, even more circumstances come out that make the event even less of a deep dark secret. So why would the character admit to doing the first (and worse) version of the story? Also strange(but somewhat expected) was the police asking for help and then saying to keep out of the investigation.

Like a lot of cozies, this one has a theme. Maggie (and Will) are both antique dealers. Maggie specializes in antique prints. Each chapter begins with a description of an antique print. Unfortunately, these prints had at best a marginal connection to the chapter. In fact, antiques basically had nothing to do with this mystery.

There is a lot of local color provided about the setting. It is obvious that the author loves Maine. At times, this love of Maine came out feeling as if she was looking down on other areas of the country, including the area that Maggie was supposed to live.

Overall, this wasn't a bad mystery story. I would have liked to have had more mystery and less time just hanging out with the main characters. I feel it would appeal more to fans of the series or to people that love mysteries set in Maine. I would rate it as between 2.5 and 3 stars for myself.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shadows on a Maine Christmas is a series book (#7 in the series). I read the first couple of books in this cozy mystery series years ago and now jumped to #7 without any issues. The protagonist, Maggie Summers deals antique art prints. Each chapter begins with the title of one of her prints and a nice detailed description. For example:

Chapter 3

A Winter Morning - Shoveling Out. Wood engraving by Winslow Homer (1836-1910), major American nineteenth-century artist, for newspaper Every Sturday, January 14, 1871. Three members of family outside their snow-covered home standing in a path perhaps four feet deep. The two men are digging with wooden shovels; the woman is throwing seeds or crumbs to birds on top of the drifted snow. 9 x 11.75 inches. Price: $400.

In this installment Maggie, who lives in New Jersey, has come to Maine to spend Christmas with her romantic interest, Will and his great aunt Nettie who is in her 90's. While the couple and friends and neighbors prepare for Christmas parties and time together, both Will and Maggie need to squeeze in time to share some big news of their own that will surprise the other. Finding alone time isn't easy with all the celebrating and to complicate matters more, a woman who helps take care of one of Aunt Nettie's friends is found dead and the murdered needs to be found. What was the motive and who is responsible?

This is a cozy mystery that has an awful lot going on and it tackled some controversial topics as well. It's been a number of years since I've read this series, but I felt Maggie came across as very insecure. I liked the first half of the story but, I was a bit disappointed that the author chose a cozy Christmas mystery as a venue for a topic that will push the hot buttons (the abortion issue) of some readers.

2.5/5 stars

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maggie Summer has traveled to Maine to spend Christmas with the man she is in love with and his elderly aunt. She and Will had been "engaged" but reached an impasse about Maggie's desire to adopt a child. She loves Will but doesn't want to give up on her dreams. Shortly after she arrives, Carrie Folk, the nurse for a friend with Alzheimer's is found murdered under her Christmas tree. The sheriff asks Maggie and Will's aunt Netty to ask some questions of the people who had attended a Christmas party at the home of Carrie's employer. It seems that Carrie was trying to blackmail several people. Did someone decide to take care of Carrie rather than pay for her silence? An OK book but it never really grabbed me.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually pick up a book in the middle of a series but it was a Christmas book so I did. Maggie, a college professor/antique dealer is visiting her "boyfriend" Will in Maine for the holidays. Will has moved to Maine to help his elderly Aunt stay in her own home. After a Christmas Eve Open House, a caretaker for an woman with Alzheimers is found dead. It turns out she has been blackmailing some of the townspeople about long ago secrets. Maggie and Will are very likeable characters and the mystery was quite interesting. I was completely surprised at the identity of the murderer. I will have to go back and start at the beginning of thei series.