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In Her Exquisite Clutches
Not yet published
Expected 2 Mar 27An art-collecting dragon and a reformed delinquent team up to solve a seemingly unsolvable museum heist. Will they crack the case, recover the paintings, and make a tidy profit? In this delightful new mystery, the most infamous art theft in Boston history is recast with both human and supernatural players.
Every dragon needs a man on the inside.
Angharad Stoneweaver is a dragon with exquisite taste and the finest reputation in the art world for recovering lost masterpieces. What she lacks is the ability to fit through a doorway.
Ex-lowlife Sam Braun has landed the job as Stoneweaver’s right-claw man, working as her eyes and ears on the ground. Sam’s pay is good, the perks are better, and he has no regrets about trading the gutter for the good life.
But when the mobster (and friend of Sam’s late father) Carmine Delucci turns up dead, Stoneweaver’s latest investigation hits a little too close to home. Everyone knows Delucci was behind the largest heist in American history, but nobody knows what happened to the stolen paintings.
For Stoneweaver, it’s a mystery she cannot resist. For Sam, it’s an unraveling of his father’s seedy past, and a possible answer to an impossible question: What, exactly, is the power of art?
Every dragon needs a man on the inside.
Angharad Stoneweaver is a dragon with exquisite taste and the finest reputation in the art world for recovering lost masterpieces. What she lacks is the ability to fit through a doorway.
Ex-lowlife Sam Braun has landed the job as Stoneweaver’s right-claw man, working as her eyes and ears on the ground. Sam’s pay is good, the perks are better, and he has no regrets about trading the gutter for the good life.
But when the mobster (and friend of Sam’s late father) Carmine Delucci turns up dead, Stoneweaver’s latest investigation hits a little too close to home. Everyone knows Delucci was behind the largest heist in American history, but nobody knows what happened to the stolen paintings.
For Stoneweaver, it’s a mystery she cannot resist. For Sam, it’s an unraveling of his father’s seedy past, and a possible answer to an impossible question: What, exactly, is the power of art?
ebook
Expected publication March 2, 2027
About the author
Auston Habershaw
47 books93 followersAuston Habershaw is the author of the Saga of the Redeemed (Harper Voyager Impulse), If Wishes Were Retail (Tachyon), and Faceless Galaxy (JAB Books). Habershaw has published over 30 science fiction and fantasy short stories in Analog, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, among other places. His next book, In Her Exquisite Clutches (Tachyon) releases in March 2027.
Habershaw has worked as a lifeguard, barista, waiter, QA tester, dog walker, hotel bellhop, pedicab driver, SAT tutor, office drone, and a bunch of other random things. He currently teaches composition and literature at MCPHS University in Boston, Massachusetts. You can find him online at aahabershaw.com
Habershaw has worked as a lifeguard, barista, waiter, QA tester, dog walker, hotel bellhop, pedicab driver, SAT tutor, office drone, and a bunch of other random things. He currently teaches composition and literature at MCPHS University in Boston, Massachusetts. You can find him online at aahabershaw.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Urban fantasy is not my jam…until now! Intrigued by the cover art of “In Her Exquisite Clutches” by Auston Habershaw, I ventured within. The inspiration for this novel of detective fiction was an unsolved heist of 13 paintings from a Boston museum in 1990. The imagined case in this read involved five artworks stolen 20 years ago from the Wainridge Galleries. The attention of Angharad Stoneweaver was piqued. This dragon and art collector extraordinaire worked in tandem with former delinquent Sam Braun, her eyes and ears on the ground. There was still interest in this crime committed two decades ago. The Wainridge Gallery never made changes to their collection, the wall space where the paintings hung remained bare. The FBI had done a thorough search of the houses and work spaces of known mob figures, all to no avail.
Angharad Stoneweaver was about one thousand years old and claimed to have awakened from hibernation, made her way to Boston, purchased property and had a mansion built of white stone, steel and glass. She was “a huge, horned, spiked monster, who could often be found sleeping curled up with her wings tightly against her flanks. When awake, her golden eyes blazed. She ate 5 sheep daily then napped between the hours of 9AM and 11AM. She had done some consulting of various kinds, usually to recover lost or stolen artwork. Her impressive collection of art was “carefully curated and displayed for her to contemplate.”
Sam Braun, our narrator, was Stoneweaver’s human employee/butler. He was the dragon’s gopher, on call 24/7. He lived in the Stoneweaver’s estate, a far cry from the delinquent life he once led. He qualified to be Angharad’s butler since he had no interest in keeping any found art for himself, was persistent and had the “necessary dimensions to walk through regular-sized doorways and converse with people without causing property damage.” Sam’s father had deep ties with Carmine Delucci, the mob boss suspected of committing the heist. Did Sam take the job with Angharad to investigate a possible connection between his father’s job at Zeppo’s Garage and mob activity? Zeppo's Garage and the Braun house were repeatedly searched.
“Finding the world’s most sought-after paintings, lost these twenty years…one of my professional goals is to not look like an idiot in front of my fire-breathing employer”. Sam Braun was the perfect investigator- “no preconceived notations…the police are looking for a criminal. The press is looking for a story…I expect you to seek the truth,” says Angharad to Sam. After 20 years of law enforcement coming up empty, what made Angharad Stoneweaver think that she could locate the lost art?. From the comfort of her living room, she directed Sam’s investigations dispatching him on both precarious and ludicrous tasks.
Who are among the players? Carmine Delucci was lazy, violent, unimaginative, no criminal mastermind mentality…he knows something as hinted in his will. Mike Losi, Carmine’s partner in crime, diagnosed with vampirism due to his metabolic condition, had to wear a huge hat “like Darkwing Duck” and lived in a vampire colony in Boston Harbor. Maggie Kovaleski was the daughter of the former director of the Wainridge Gallery. Under the watchful eye of Henrietta Kovaleski, five artworks were stolen. The plot thickens…
Highly recommended.
Thank you Kasey Lansdale @ Tachyon Publications for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Angharad Stoneweaver was about one thousand years old and claimed to have awakened from hibernation, made her way to Boston, purchased property and had a mansion built of white stone, steel and glass. She was “a huge, horned, spiked monster, who could often be found sleeping curled up with her wings tightly against her flanks. When awake, her golden eyes blazed. She ate 5 sheep daily then napped between the hours of 9AM and 11AM. She had done some consulting of various kinds, usually to recover lost or stolen artwork. Her impressive collection of art was “carefully curated and displayed for her to contemplate.”
Sam Braun, our narrator, was Stoneweaver’s human employee/butler. He was the dragon’s gopher, on call 24/7. He lived in the Stoneweaver’s estate, a far cry from the delinquent life he once led. He qualified to be Angharad’s butler since he had no interest in keeping any found art for himself, was persistent and had the “necessary dimensions to walk through regular-sized doorways and converse with people without causing property damage.” Sam’s father had deep ties with Carmine Delucci, the mob boss suspected of committing the heist. Did Sam take the job with Angharad to investigate a possible connection between his father’s job at Zeppo’s Garage and mob activity? Zeppo's Garage and the Braun house were repeatedly searched.
“Finding the world’s most sought-after paintings, lost these twenty years…one of my professional goals is to not look like an idiot in front of my fire-breathing employer”. Sam Braun was the perfect investigator- “no preconceived notations…the police are looking for a criminal. The press is looking for a story…I expect you to seek the truth,” says Angharad to Sam. After 20 years of law enforcement coming up empty, what made Angharad Stoneweaver think that she could locate the lost art?. From the comfort of her living room, she directed Sam’s investigations dispatching him on both precarious and ludicrous tasks.
Who are among the players? Carmine Delucci was lazy, violent, unimaginative, no criminal mastermind mentality…he knows something as hinted in his will. Mike Losi, Carmine’s partner in crime, diagnosed with vampirism due to his metabolic condition, had to wear a huge hat “like Darkwing Duck” and lived in a vampire colony in Boston Harbor. Maggie Kovaleski was the daughter of the former director of the Wainridge Gallery. Under the watchful eye of Henrietta Kovaleski, five artworks were stolen. The plot thickens…
Highly recommended.
Thank you Kasey Lansdale @ Tachyon Publications for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'll start this review with the disclaimer that I got a pre-publication copy via Netgalley for review, and there's a long time to go until it's published. That means that hopefully most of the errors I spotted will be corrected, most notably spelling a dragon's treasure as "horde" rather than "hoard" and saying that she "horded" it (the latter of which spell check should have caught). That's not the only vocabulary error either, by a long way, and the author also apparently doesn't know, or at least consistently doesn't follow, the conventions for how dialog should be punctuated (with the tag as part of the same sentence as the dialog, not a separate sentence). Even if they do get fixed by publication, these are disappointingly basic errors to still be in place at the time the book is sent out for review. This is presumably why so may authors make the same few simple mistakes: their teachers (like this author, who teaches composition) don't know the rules either.
Setting all that aside, the actual story is well told, and is a clever unravelling of a heist, loosely based on an actual (still unsolved) art heist in real-world Boston. This one, however, takes place in a world where thought-to-be-mythical beings have reemerged into the world a few years before the main action, which takes place in the 2020s, and several years after the heist in the early 2000s. Among them is a dragon, who hoards (she does not horde) art.
It's explicitly inspired by Nero Wolfe, whose detective was split into two distinct people: the one who stayed inside and admired his collection and did the brain work, and the one who went out and did the leg work (and got beaten up while doing it). The latter, in this version, is a human, and our narrator, employed by the dragon as an investigator and her eyes on the street. The dragon is infuriatingly high-handed, which completely works, and the investigator is reasonably smart - but not dragon-level smart - and streetwise enough to get the upper hand over the criminals, at least sometimes.
There's a decent amount of character backstory for the investigator, too; he has history with several of the people who are suspected of having been somehow involved in the heist, and I did suspect that this was one reason the dragon employed him specifically, perhaps even the main reason. Yes, he's been working for her for a while at this point, but she's a long-term thinker, being more than a thousand years old.
The journey to the conclusion and the conclusion itself were both satisfying and both full of surprises, and despite the basic mechanical issues, I enjoyed the book and would look for another (but would hope that it had had more editorial attention before I read it).
Setting all that aside, the actual story is well told, and is a clever unravelling of a heist, loosely based on an actual (still unsolved) art heist in real-world Boston. This one, however, takes place in a world where thought-to-be-mythical beings have reemerged into the world a few years before the main action, which takes place in the 2020s, and several years after the heist in the early 2000s. Among them is a dragon, who hoards (she does not horde) art.
It's explicitly inspired by Nero Wolfe, whose detective was split into two distinct people: the one who stayed inside and admired his collection and did the brain work, and the one who went out and did the leg work (and got beaten up while doing it). The latter, in this version, is a human, and our narrator, employed by the dragon as an investigator and her eyes on the street. The dragon is infuriatingly high-handed, which completely works, and the investigator is reasonably smart - but not dragon-level smart - and streetwise enough to get the upper hand over the criminals, at least sometimes.
There's a decent amount of character backstory for the investigator, too; he has history with several of the people who are suspected of having been somehow involved in the heist, and I did suspect that this was one reason the dragon employed him specifically, perhaps even the main reason. Yes, he's been working for her for a while at this point, but she's a long-term thinker, being more than a thousand years old.
The journey to the conclusion and the conclusion itself were both satisfying and both full of surprises, and despite the basic mechanical issues, I enjoyed the book and would look for another (but would hope that it had had more editorial attention before I read it).
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a genre-savvy story that combines urban fantasy populated by eclectic and charming characters with the currently out of style genre of detective fiction and crime noir. Sam Braun is a human employee/butler of reclusive art collector dragon, Angharad Stoneweaver, who is from somewhere in the British Isles and awoke from a long hibernation and decided to settle in a gigantic manor in Boston, Massachusetts with her extensive private art collection. Sam himself is connected to a fabled art theft of several famous paintings that occurred when he was a teenager, and the plot of this book revolves around his and Angharad trying to solve the case and Sam himself facing his father and associates’ checkered past. The resulting story is a stimulating and imaginative frolic through the Boston art scene and various Bostonian archetypes with familiar storybeats leading to an entertaining and satisfying conclusion.
I found the various characters to be standout with each imbued with their own quirky personalities and motivations. Angharad is, of course, the most enigmatic with Sam as her slightly deluded Jeeves/Alfred, but I also enjoyed the vampires and various other human gangsters in the cast and found them to be both fun and functional. Habershaw makes good use of the limited third person POV, allowing us to follow Sam along on his increasingly high-stakes investigation and giving the reader the opportunity to cheer and cringe in relation to his life choices. I really appreciated the spiritual throwbacks to staples of the detective fiction genre, even the tongue-in-cheek brief romance between Sam and a major player in the overall drama.
The pace of this novel is, unfortunately, extremely slow for the first half with most of the fantasy elements aside from Angharad not appearing until then. I also found myself curious about Sam’s regular day to day in Angharad’s employ, since it’s lampshaded that he has grown and changed a lot since his bygone delinquent days, but we only got hints and bits of it aside from deep-diving into his childhood connection to crime through his father and associates. Once this novel hits its stride in the second half, I had a rollicking good time, but it took some time to get there, which may deter some readers. Part of what kept me interested in my own knowledge of the real life art theft that inspired this and how much I love a “dragon among humanity” story. If you like detective fiction with substantially less racism and misogyny and enjoy the vibes of Knives Out or Conclave but just wish those had dragons, this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for this ARC.
I found the various characters to be standout with each imbued with their own quirky personalities and motivations. Angharad is, of course, the most enigmatic with Sam as her slightly deluded Jeeves/Alfred, but I also enjoyed the vampires and various other human gangsters in the cast and found them to be both fun and functional. Habershaw makes good use of the limited third person POV, allowing us to follow Sam along on his increasingly high-stakes investigation and giving the reader the opportunity to cheer and cringe in relation to his life choices. I really appreciated the spiritual throwbacks to staples of the detective fiction genre, even the tongue-in-cheek brief romance between Sam and a major player in the overall drama.
The pace of this novel is, unfortunately, extremely slow for the first half with most of the fantasy elements aside from Angharad not appearing until then. I also found myself curious about Sam’s regular day to day in Angharad’s employ, since it’s lampshaded that he has grown and changed a lot since his bygone delinquent days, but we only got hints and bits of it aside from deep-diving into his childhood connection to crime through his father and associates. Once this novel hits its stride in the second half, I had a rollicking good time, but it took some time to get there, which may deter some readers. Part of what kept me interested in my own knowledge of the real life art theft that inspired this and how much I love a “dragon among humanity” story. If you like detective fiction with substantially less racism and misogyny and enjoy the vibes of Knives Out or Conclave but just wish those had dragons, this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tachyon Publications for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for this e-arc of In her exquisite clutches!!!
In this story we follow a dragon with love for collecting art decides to investigate an unsolved art theft at a Boston museum (a mystery inspired by a real-life case) with the help of our protagonist (his employee).
The cover is absolutely gorgeous! While I wasn't the biggest fan of the storytelling at times (there was a bit too much telling and not enough showing for my taste), I absolutely loved how everything came together in the end.
The plot is incredibly well-developed, thought-out, and carefully planned. All the clues scattered throughout the story made sense in the end, and I had so many "HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT COMING?!" moments. I love when a mystery manages to surprise you while making you realize that the answer was right there all along.
I also really enjoyed the variety of magical creatures featured throughout the book (dragons, vampires, goblins, trolls, fairies...). And our dragon protagonist is such a funny, iconic boss lady!
Finally, I absolutely loved the author's note at the end, discussing art and the threat AI poses to human creativity. It was such a meaningful addition and a great way to wrap up the reading experience.
Overall, a very clever and entertaining mystery with a satisfying resolution!
In this story we follow a dragon with love for collecting art decides to investigate an unsolved art theft at a Boston museum (a mystery inspired by a real-life case) with the help of our protagonist (his employee).
The cover is absolutely gorgeous! While I wasn't the biggest fan of the storytelling at times (there was a bit too much telling and not enough showing for my taste), I absolutely loved how everything came together in the end.
The plot is incredibly well-developed, thought-out, and carefully planned. All the clues scattered throughout the story made sense in the end, and I had so many "HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT COMING?!" moments. I love when a mystery manages to surprise you while making you realize that the answer was right there all along.
I also really enjoyed the variety of magical creatures featured throughout the book (dragons, vampires, goblins, trolls, fairies...). And our dragon protagonist is such a funny, iconic boss lady!
Finally, I absolutely loved the author's note at the end, discussing art and the threat AI poses to human creativity. It was such a meaningful addition and a great way to wrap up the reading experience.
Overall, a very clever and entertaining mystery with a satisfying resolution!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was such a fun read for me that drew me in immediately based on the premise of an art collecting dragon solving a mystery with a former criminal employee doing all the legwork and reporting back to her.
I didn’t quite know what to expect, which made the book so much better when reading about Angharad and Sam and the ways in which their personalities make for an enjoyable back and forth banter between the two.
This book was very different to the usual mysteries I read, with the fantasy elements creating a more interesting world. The investigative elements and fantasy creatures being meshed together was really enjoyable to read.
The mystery side of this book definitely grabbed me and it was very satisfying to watch all of the pieces finally come together about what happened to the different art pieces and the ways in which everything was connected.
Overall, this book was an enjoyable read that differed from anything I have read before. This would be perfect for any reader looking for a fantasy mystery set in the art world, with dragons, vampires and other supernatural creatures playing different roles in the world this book is set in.
Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for my arc of this book!
I didn’t quite know what to expect, which made the book so much better when reading about Angharad and Sam and the ways in which their personalities make for an enjoyable back and forth banter between the two.
This book was very different to the usual mysteries I read, with the fantasy elements creating a more interesting world. The investigative elements and fantasy creatures being meshed together was really enjoyable to read.
The mystery side of this book definitely grabbed me and it was very satisfying to watch all of the pieces finally come together about what happened to the different art pieces and the ways in which everything was connected.
Overall, this book was an enjoyable read that differed from anything I have read before. This would be perfect for any reader looking for a fantasy mystery set in the art world, with dragons, vampires and other supernatural creatures playing different roles in the world this book is set in.
Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for my arc of this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I recieved this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley.
In a world where any supernatural being is real, we have a dragon that hordes art.
Angharad is a dragon who doesn't leave her house and has her assistant (or dragon butler?), Sam be her eyes and ears out in the world. She wants to solve the greatest art heist in US history. This fictional art heist is based from the 1990 art heist of Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston where 13 masterpieces were stolen, and the case remains unsolved.
Sam, our protagonist doesn't care about the art and is looking at clues with new, unbiased eyes, with the backing of his boss who everyone fears.
The steps he goes through with mobsters, lawyers, FBI, a vampire and the art community is a fun mystery to solve. He has a dry sense of humor and says things as they are.
The book was interesting, it grabbed my attention and I really wanted to know what happened to those 13 paintings!
There is no spice, just a dragon and a mystery. The ending brought everything together, like any good mystery!
The author teases about future Angharad mysteries which I would read. I also enjoyed the Afterward, it helped to appreciate what I just read and added to the reading experience.
In a world where any supernatural being is real, we have a dragon that hordes art.
Angharad is a dragon who doesn't leave her house and has her assistant (or dragon butler?), Sam be her eyes and ears out in the world. She wants to solve the greatest art heist in US history. This fictional art heist is based from the 1990 art heist of Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston where 13 masterpieces were stolen, and the case remains unsolved.
Sam, our protagonist doesn't care about the art and is looking at clues with new, unbiased eyes, with the backing of his boss who everyone fears.
The steps he goes through with mobsters, lawyers, FBI, a vampire and the art community is a fun mystery to solve. He has a dry sense of humor and says things as they are.
The book was interesting, it grabbed my attention and I really wanted to know what happened to those 13 paintings!
There is no spice, just a dragon and a mystery. The ending brought everything together, like any good mystery!
The author teases about future Angharad mysteries which I would read. I also enjoyed the Afterward, it helped to appreciate what I just read and added to the reading experience.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this ebook ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.
I started this book not quite knowing what to expect - I'd never heard of Auston Habershaw or his books, but I couldn't resist the idea of a art-hoarding dragon solving a mystery with her human employee doing the legwork and reporting back to her. This was such a fun story, told entirely from Sam's wry and self-deprecating perspective. It's also in many ways a love letter to art and what it means to humanity. I also really liked that the book didn't feel the need to explain why the supernatural folks (trolls, vampires, dwarfs, a dragon) just showed up one day - they just did and now this is the world.
And while I definitely caught hints of how the mystery was going to play out with the characters, the culmination of it all in the usual grand reveal was fantastic. One of those where you can look back and see all the hints that point toward what actually happened to the artwork and what was going on with the conmen involved in everything. That's the key to a really successful mystery story - that and interesting detectives, which Angharad and Sam definitely were.
I started this book not quite knowing what to expect - I'd never heard of Auston Habershaw or his books, but I couldn't resist the idea of a art-hoarding dragon solving a mystery with her human employee doing the legwork and reporting back to her. This was such a fun story, told entirely from Sam's wry and self-deprecating perspective. It's also in many ways a love letter to art and what it means to humanity. I also really liked that the book didn't feel the need to explain why the supernatural folks (trolls, vampires, dwarfs, a dragon) just showed up one day - they just did and now this is the world.
And while I definitely caught hints of how the mystery was going to play out with the characters, the culmination of it all in the usual grand reveal was fantastic. One of those where you can look back and see all the hints that point toward what actually happened to the artwork and what was going on with the conmen involved in everything. That's the key to a really successful mystery story - that and interesting detectives, which Angharad and Sam definitely were.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In Her Exquisite Clutches was such an interesting take on urban fantasy and definitely not what I expected going in. It felt fresh, unique, and different from a lot of other books in the genre, and I loved trying to piece everything together as the story unfolded.
The characters were a lot of fun and brought so much personality to the story. Their interactions kept me invested, and I enjoyed spending time with them even when the plot took some unexpected turns.
That said, I did find the first part of the book a little slow. It took me a while to fully settle into the story, and there were moments where I felt the pacing dragged more than I would have liked. Once things started moving, though, I was much more engaged and found myself eager to discover where the mystery was heading.
Overall, this was a creative and enjoyable read with a unique premise, an intriguing mystery, and a cast of characters that were easy to root for. If you're looking for an urban fantasy that offers something a little different from the usual formula, this one is worth checking out.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review x
The characters were a lot of fun and brought so much personality to the story. Their interactions kept me invested, and I enjoyed spending time with them even when the plot took some unexpected turns.
That said, I did find the first part of the book a little slow. It took me a while to fully settle into the story, and there were moments where I felt the pacing dragged more than I would have liked. Once things started moving, though, I was much more engaged and found myself eager to discover where the mystery was heading.
Overall, this was a creative and enjoyable read with a unique premise, an intriguing mystery, and a cast of characters that were easy to root for. If you're looking for an urban fantasy that offers something a little different from the usual formula, this one is worth checking out.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review x
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Got the ARC from NetGalley
In Her Exquisite Clutches had me at an art-collecting dragon hiring a former delinquent to do the actual legwork. Angharad Stoneweaver and Sam Braun make a fun pairing, especially once the mystery around Carmine Delucci’s death starts pulling Sam into the history of the stolen paintings. I liked how the book plays with a very classic detective setup while letting the supernatural side feel completely normal to the characters.
It does take a while to really get moving, and I wanted a little more from some of the supporting cast. Once the investigation picks up in the second half, though, I had a much better time with it. I’d happily read another mystery with these two.
In Her Exquisite Clutches had me at an art-collecting dragon hiring a former delinquent to do the actual legwork. Angharad Stoneweaver and Sam Braun make a fun pairing, especially once the mystery around Carmine Delucci’s death starts pulling Sam into the history of the stolen paintings. I liked how the book plays with a very classic detective setup while letting the supernatural side feel completely normal to the characters.
It does take a while to really get moving, and I wanted a little more from some of the supporting cast. Once the investigation picks up in the second half, though, I had a much better time with it. I’d happily read another mystery with these two.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Tachyon for the ARC! 🫶🏻
The story revolves around the unsolved Boston painting heist and the hunt for where the stolen paintings ended up, and the dragon boss and her human henchman (Sam, the male lead) are what made it fun for me. The dragon, Angharad, is a devoted art lover who lives surrounded by her own exquisite pieces and gets very touchy when anyone comes near them. When she isn't gazing at her collection, she's thinking hard about where the missing paintings could be, piecing together clues and conducting interviews. Between the fantastic perks and a name as lovely as Angharad, I finished the book wishing I worked for a dragon boss too! 🤭😭
The male lead has a sarcastic quip ready at all times, and I enjoyed that a lot. I also always love it when a book mentions vampires, so I was happy to find them here.🧛♀️
The hunt itself is fairly run-of-the-mill, with a bunch of idiots searching for the paintings, but the boss's team comes out on top and the ending is very satisfying. If you love a simple, light-hearted and funny mystery that isn't exactly cozy, where multiple people are chasing clues and trying to crack the case, this book is for you.
It's fun enough that I plan to buy a copy for my collection when it releases. 🤭
Make this a series!!!
The story revolves around the unsolved Boston painting heist and the hunt for where the stolen paintings ended up, and the dragon boss and her human henchman (Sam, the male lead) are what made it fun for me. The dragon, Angharad, is a devoted art lover who lives surrounded by her own exquisite pieces and gets very touchy when anyone comes near them. When she isn't gazing at her collection, she's thinking hard about where the missing paintings could be, piecing together clues and conducting interviews. Between the fantastic perks and a name as lovely as Angharad, I finished the book wishing I worked for a dragon boss too! 🤭😭
The male lead has a sarcastic quip ready at all times, and I enjoyed that a lot. I also always love it when a book mentions vampires, so I was happy to find them here.🧛♀️
The hunt itself is fairly run-of-the-mill, with a bunch of idiots searching for the paintings, but the boss's team comes out on top and the ending is very satisfying. If you love a simple, light-hearted and funny mystery that isn't exactly cozy, where multiple people are chasing clues and trying to crack the case, this book is for you.
It's fun enough that I plan to buy a copy for my collection when it releases. 🤭
Make this a series!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In Her Exquisite Clutches combines an art heist with a dragon who collects art, which is exactly the kind of sentence that makes me want to know more. An art-loving dragon and a reformed delinquent team up to solve a museum theft inspired by one of Boston’s most infamous unsolved crimes.
I already like mysteries involving stolen paintings and provenance, so adding a supernatural collector made the premise even more fun. Dragons hoarding priceless art honestly makes a certain amount of sense. I also liked the idea of taking a real cultural obsession, the unsolved Boston art theft, and rebuilding it in a world where the list of possible suspects includes creatures that should not exist.
My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy.
I already like mysteries involving stolen paintings and provenance, so adding a supernatural collector made the premise even more fun. Dragons hoarding priceless art honestly makes a certain amount of sense. I also liked the idea of taking a real cultural obsession, the unsolved Boston art theft, and rebuilding it in a world where the list of possible suspects includes creatures that should not exist.
My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
thank you netgalley and tachyon publications publishing for this arc.
dragons, art heists, the mob, and a darkwing duck reference? an automatic infinity stars for this book. an art hoarding dragon is absolutely right up my alley and i had so much fun reading this. it was funny, action packed, and i loved all the art references. the plot was well done and i did not see many of the more twisty moments coming. i really liked how casual we get information about other magical creatures as if it’s just another regular day. habershaw did a great job mixing modern day boston with fantasy elements and creating a world that felt lived in. if you like magic, heists, and twists you’ll probably love this book.
dragons, art heists, the mob, and a darkwing duck reference? an automatic infinity stars for this book. an art hoarding dragon is absolutely right up my alley and i had so much fun reading this. it was funny, action packed, and i loved all the art references. the plot was well done and i did not see many of the more twisty moments coming. i really liked how casual we get information about other magical creatures as if it’s just another regular day. habershaw did a great job mixing modern day boston with fantasy elements and creating a world that felt lived in. if you like magic, heists, and twists you’ll probably love this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In Her Exquisite Clutches starts of so slow. I took notes of my feelings during my reading and the first word I wrote was "boring" I was questioning why we were being told stuff and what the point of some of the information was. In hindsight it was clues that were needed but that seemed mere annoyances when reading.
However this book is worth sticking with. As things start coming together it gets very interesting, and annoying for different reasons. Poor Sam gets put through the ringer and I felt for him and what he had to put up with.
This is a Fantasy/Mystery worth adding to you TBR.
However this book is worth sticking with. As things start coming together it gets very interesting, and annoying for different reasons. Poor Sam gets put through the ringer and I felt for him and what he had to put up with.
This is a Fantasy/Mystery worth adding to you TBR.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC!
Extremely fun read! The tricksy conman mixed with hyper intellegent dragon mixed shockingly well and i cannot wait (and dearly hope) to read more about these two. Some of the side characters, like the other staff, could have been explored more, but maybe thats the plan for possible sequels? One case per staff member would be a very cool idea, with Sam obviously still doing the leg work XD.
This was an absolute blast to read!
Extremely fun read! The tricksy conman mixed with hyper intellegent dragon mixed shockingly well and i cannot wait (and dearly hope) to read more about these two. Some of the side characters, like the other staff, could have been explored more, but maybe thats the plan for possible sequels? One case per staff member would be a very cool idea, with Sam obviously still doing the leg work XD.
This was an absolute blast to read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I just read an ARC of In Her Exquisite Clutches: A Mystery, by Auston Habershaw, March 2027 Tachyon. Think obsessive art collecting dragon and her henchman trying to solve the biggest art heist of all time. While it did not quite get to great, I loved it and really wanted to find out what happened. I would read more if it becomes a series. Also, I love the extensive Afterword by Habershaw, and its eloquent, passionate explanation of where the story came from.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I'm not really a fan of cozy in general, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I think a lot of that is due to the subject matter - A fictionalized account of the Isabella Stewart Gardner art heist - and the proximity to my own life with the book being set in Dorchester. Habershaw reinvigorated my own interest in the mystery, which was whetted last year when I read the Lioness of Boston.
A great book for fans of Travis Baldree and other cozy mysteries.
A great book for fans of Travis Baldree and other cozy mysteries.
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