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The Gift Shop
She was just a girl who was working in the airport gift shop for the summer. But when a fatally wounded private eye staggers off a plane, gasps out a message, and collapses in front of the souvenirs, pretty Jean Cunliffe finds herself at the heart of a dangerous plot beyond anything she ever imagined.
At the side of a mysterious playboy millionaire who has asked for her help, Jean is pitched into an international chase as they try to stay one step ahead of the killers. She’s within a hairsbreadth of unraveling the mystery—if only she can do it without giving away the secret to her enemies!
At the side of a mysterious playboy millionaire who has asked for her help, Jean is pitched into an international chase as they try to stay one step ahead of the killers. She’s within a hairsbreadth of unraveling the mystery—if only she can do it without giving away the secret to her enemies!
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
29 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Armstrong
173 books76 followersFull name Charlotte Armstrong Lewi. Wrote 29 novels, plus short stories and plays under the name Charlotte Armstrong and Jo Valentine. Additional writing jobs: New York Times (advertising department), Breath of the Avenue (fashion reporter).
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 42 reviews
May 11, 2023
05/2019
From 1966.
There were a couple good scenes; Charlotte Armstrong can be excellent at writing urgent suspense (with no guns around). It seemed at first like a wacky 1960s comedy action movie. A dying man puts a secret message in a piggy bank in an airport gift shop. But as the book goes on and the good (and bad) guys fly around the world trying to locate the sold pigs, it unfortunately became boring and ridiculous. The plot ended up feeling flimsy.
From 1966.
There were a couple good scenes; Charlotte Armstrong can be excellent at writing urgent suspense (with no guns around). It seemed at first like a wacky 1960s comedy action movie. A dying man puts a secret message in a piggy bank in an airport gift shop. But as the book goes on and the good (and bad) guys fly around the world trying to locate the sold pigs, it unfortunately became boring and ridiculous. The plot ended up feeling flimsy.
October 26, 2014
Four stars because it's very nice within its genre; it's not a terribly ambitious genre :) so if I had to rate it within books in general it'd probably get fewer.
Although the cover and blurbage are all about what a thriller it is, for me it's really a cute smile-inducing romance, built on a set of feel-good characters, with oh yeah some crime and murders and mysteries and stuff as the framework to support them all.
There are clues and bad-guys and races to see who will get to the next important place first, and all like that, but for me mostly there are Harry and Jean obviously and cutely falling in love, and for good measure Calli and Rex and the mob of children being this wonderful idea hippie family in a ramshackle house, making me smile.
Definitely a well-done and fun airplane read. I know, because I read it on an airplane! :)
Although the cover and blurbage are all about what a thriller it is, for me it's really a cute smile-inducing romance, built on a set of feel-good characters, with oh yeah some crime and murders and mysteries and stuff as the framework to support them all.
There are clues and bad-guys and races to see who will get to the next important place first, and all like that, but for me mostly there are Harry and Jean obviously and cutely falling in love, and for good measure Calli and Rex and the mob of children being this wonderful idea hippie family in a ramshackle house, making me smile.
Definitely a well-done and fun airplane read. I know, because I read it on an airplane! :)
April 9, 2021
Jean Cunliffe works in an airport gift shop. When a badly injured man leaves a clue to a potential kidnapping in a toy piggy bank, Jean becomes embroiled in an international quest to find the murderer/kidnappers. Together with Harry Fairchild, scion of a wealthy family, they encounter numerous adventures. A 255 page, fast-paced, sometimes humerous, story with an interesting plot, settings, and engaging main characters. In fact this would make a great movie!
April 16, 2025
I read this years and years ago, and suddenly had the urge to revisit some of my favorite authors so of course I had to re-read this book. I think it's one of Armstrong's best books. Her heroine, Jean Cunliffe is somewhat rare in that she is feminine but also strong and independent, not whiny and constantly in need of rescue. Even when being held captive, she can stand up for herself. Fear doesn't immobilize her, she doesn't give up. She shows initiative and intelligence in the face of danger and when she unintentionally messes up, she takes full responsibility for her own actions. The hero, Harry Fairchild, is a good match for Jean. Smart, funny, brave, and loyal, Harry takes on the search for a missing little girl who may or may not be his sister without a second thought. The youngest son of a wealthy father, he's in some ways overshadowed by his brothers, one a governor and the other a surgeon. He hides behind a playboy facade, while pursuing academic fields. These two characters have a great rapport almost from the beginning and together they are able to resolve the case.
June 14, 2012
This book is one of those stories that someone should make into a movie--but only the right someone, with the proper respect for truly entertaining literature and the charm of the then-contemporary 1960s setting.
Harry Fairchild is a reasonably clean, attractive, thirty-something whose ambitious family has provided him with sufficient money to do "not a damn thing" except for socializing as he pleases. Until his old friend from college, Bernie, calls from the airport with a mysterious, urgent message for Harry's father: some "swine" had roughed him up, he said, while he was getting some dope for Harry's daddy, one "swine" was listening right next door, but Bernie was going to give him a word and Harry had better get it because he wasn't crazy about getting himself killed for nothing.
Harry got it--the word was "pig". He didn't know what it was, but he got it.
By the time Harry got to the airport, Bernie had indeed died from stab wounds, received some time earlier. But Harry still had the word--and four little ceramic piggy banks staring at him from the gift shop across the way.
Jean Cunliffe was fairly ordinary young woman, educated, level-headed, efficient, a fully capable of executing her job as a sales assistant in an airport gift shop. How was she to know that when a rich, eccentric, slightly full-of-himself customer purchased an entire table full of gift shop paraphenalia, he wanted those precise items? It made perfect sense to replace the little piggy banks she sold with precisely the same colors out of storage in the back. But that simple decision had sent Bernie's dying clue out of an international airport in the hands of some unsuspecting child.
Harry and Jean find themselves an unlikely team of heroes, traveling half way around the world trying to save a missing child and stay one step ahead of the men who killed Bernie with only one clue to go on--pigs!
Harry Fairchild is a reasonably clean, attractive, thirty-something whose ambitious family has provided him with sufficient money to do "not a damn thing" except for socializing as he pleases. Until his old friend from college, Bernie, calls from the airport with a mysterious, urgent message for Harry's father: some "swine" had roughed him up, he said, while he was getting some dope for Harry's daddy, one "swine" was listening right next door, but Bernie was going to give him a word and Harry had better get it because he wasn't crazy about getting himself killed for nothing.
Harry got it--the word was "pig". He didn't know what it was, but he got it.
By the time Harry got to the airport, Bernie had indeed died from stab wounds, received some time earlier. But Harry still had the word--and four little ceramic piggy banks staring at him from the gift shop across the way.
Jean Cunliffe was fairly ordinary young woman, educated, level-headed, efficient, a fully capable of executing her job as a sales assistant in an airport gift shop. How was she to know that when a rich, eccentric, slightly full-of-himself customer purchased an entire table full of gift shop paraphenalia, he wanted those precise items? It made perfect sense to replace the little piggy banks she sold with precisely the same colors out of storage in the back. But that simple decision had sent Bernie's dying clue out of an international airport in the hands of some unsuspecting child.
Harry and Jean find themselves an unlikely team of heroes, traveling half way around the world trying to save a missing child and stay one step ahead of the men who killed Bernie with only one clue to go on--pigs!
August 28, 2016
Dated , but fun.
June 10, 2023
This was a castaway 1966 paperback in a sea of junked books, but I was intrigued by the cover art as well as having had a vague memory of a Charlotte Armstrong book read in my teens.
(Note: my copy cover art was a departure from the copy shown on GoodReads, it was the Gift Shop with the two main characters clearly 1960’s style)
I was pleasantly surprised by the hook of the mystery/suspense, it was a light read but quite good. A time capsule of 60’s clothes, travel, mores, and unfortunately some tone deaf references to women’s roles and misguided labeling of people.
But I must admit that it was a lively read and delivered on the “suspense” it promised, I read the last half in one sitting almost breathlessly because I just had to know!
(Note: my copy cover art was a departure from the copy shown on GoodReads, it was the Gift Shop with the two main characters clearly 1960’s style)
I was pleasantly surprised by the hook of the mystery/suspense, it was a light read but quite good. A time capsule of 60’s clothes, travel, mores, and unfortunately some tone deaf references to women’s roles and misguided labeling of people.
But I must admit that it was a lively read and delivered on the “suspense” it promised, I read the last half in one sitting almost breathlessly because I just had to know!
November 8, 2015
As another reviewer has said, this book reads like a 1960s "Movie of the Week." All the action takes place in 4 days, reflecting the fascination with jet travel (and the much lower number of air passengers in those days). I do think the time necessary to go from Dublin to LA was messed about with, but hey--it's fiction. For its time, it has all the elements: a bubbly, intelligent girl; a rich, intelligent pseudoplayboy; a millionaire; cute kids; even a folk singer who turns out to be way more on the ball than he appears. Add a beautiful-but-dangerous bad girl and her henchmen, airports and fast cars--what's not to love?
I read this in my teens in the seventies, and promptly forgot all about it. One line from the text stayed with me, but I couldn't remember title or author. I swear though that when I checked this book out of the local library in those days it had a different title! When I re-read it because of the author's name, suddenly that one line jumped out at me and I thought, "Well! Lookee there!" I didn't remember a single thing about the plot.
For a Movie of the Week, the plot wasn't too bad, but I found the "comeuppance" meted out to the baddies a bit too facile, a bit "I don't know how to finish this, so--there!" Several threads are left hanging, telling the reader that "what would happen to (person/issue) would remain to be seen" and of course it isn't. Seen, that is. Basically, she wrote herself into a corner and couldn't get out before her deadline.
But an okay read, if you like basically clean, wholesome "action" yarns. No sex, limited violence (a few backhanded slaps and kicks).
I read this in my teens in the seventies, and promptly forgot all about it. One line from the text stayed with me, but I couldn't remember title or author. I swear though that when I checked this book out of the local library in those days it had a different title! When I re-read it because of the author's name, suddenly that one line jumped out at me and I thought, "Well! Lookee there!" I didn't remember a single thing about the plot.
For a Movie of the Week, the plot wasn't too bad, but I found the "comeuppance" meted out to the baddies a bit too facile, a bit "I don't know how to finish this, so--there!" Several threads are left hanging, telling the reader that "what would happen to (person/issue) would remain to be seen" and of course it isn't. Seen, that is. Basically, she wrote herself into a corner and couldn't get out before her deadline.
But an okay read, if you like basically clean, wholesome "action" yarns. No sex, limited violence (a few backhanded slaps and kicks).
June 3, 2020
Humorous, noir, thriller published in 1966. This book screamed for Doris Day and Rock Hudson to play the main characters. They would have made a fun movie of The Gift Shop. Enjoyable novel for a nice, retro, change of reading pace.
The author, Charlotte Armstrong, was unknown to me until I unearthed this book at a library book sale. Armstrong was a prolific writer with 29 novels, many plays, short stories, and screenplays to her name when she passed away in 1969. I look forward to exploring some of her other works.
The author, Charlotte Armstrong, was unknown to me until I unearthed this book at a library book sale. Armstrong was a prolific writer with 29 novels, many plays, short stories, and screenplays to her name when she passed away in 1969. I look forward to exploring some of her other works.
August 20, 2018
Utterly improbable, perfectly charming.
October 29, 2021
Early Bird Book Deal | People making unrealistic choices that only make things harder for themselves, as fast and as often as possible. | As long as you have a good suspension of disbelief, it's fine for what it is. But there's not much here that reflects reality.
December 27, 2025
“A kiss
And a cry
shouts of joy,
a tremulous sigh
soldiers come back
from faraway lands
reunited couples,
entwined hands
parents with balloons
and outstretched arms
children returning with groups,
safe from harm
myriad languages
bouncing off walls
echoes of longing,
tears that fall
Airports are centers
Of piquant emotion
And I sit, waiting for you
In excited devotion
thinking of how
you raise me
on your side, alone
how oceans divide us
except for the phone
how we fight to keep
our connection alive
how your grandchildren
and I
are your source of pride.
And so, mother of mine
my hug waits in these arms
to burst forth to you
as you step off the storm
of longing and missing
into our calm and light
our renewed closeness
and bond
about to
take flight.”
“Of Love and Airports” by Lora Lee
Jean Cunliffe was setting up a costume jewelry display when she heard someone walk into the shop. No, not walk, exactly, more like a shuffle.
It was odd for a customer to enter the shop so quickly, after all, she’d heard the flight arrival announcement, but that was just a moment or two ago, and there were, as of yet, no other disembarking passengers in the terminal.
She took a look at the man, noticing that he was in a hurry, which explained why he might have beaten the other passengers, but it was in an odd way, he was staggering along, also, his arm was folded to his breast like a broken wing.
“Where are the telephones?” He asked, while fixing his bright and feverish eyes on her.
“Why, both ways,” she explained, then pointed, “Just around there, sir.”
Her eyes, in turn were fixed on his, and as a result, she didn’t see what he was doing with his hand…
He was walking his middle finger over the top of a small ceramic piggy bank that was on display on the toy table which sat directly below the level of the sales counter. He used his thumb and forefinger to guide a tiny, folded piece of paper into the slot on the piggy’s back, and then, with his forefinger, he gently pushed the paper through...
“Hey, are you alright?” Jean called out, just as she saw the man turn and make his way toward the front entrance of the shop.
He didn’t seem to hear, and he kept on staggering through the entrance, and into the terminal. There, he bumped into a person who was just about to walk into the shop. Jean then saw that his arm fell to a dangling position, and from his fingers dripped drops of bright red blood onto the floor.
Jean gasped as she spotted the blood on the floor.
“He’s hurt!” She cried out, then decided that she should pursue the man. She left the shop in the care of the other employee and dashed out into the crowded terminal in pursuit of the man.
The terminal was busy with people, but Jean kept her eyes peeled on the faint trail of blood that still remained. She followed along until she saw the man, slumped into the corner of a phone booth.
“Was he waiting for a connection, or had he fainted?” She asked herself.
As she was considering what to do, she glanced over and saw a security man. She dashed up to him and briefly reported the situation, while pointing to the man inside the booth who had not moved.
She watched as the security man approached the phone booth, he called out to the man inside, and hearing no response, he opened the door. Just then, the man’s body spilled out onto the floor, and he didn’t move. It was clear that he was unconscious!
Well, that opening scene was gripping, to say the least!
I wondered what might have been written on the piece of paper that the man slipped into the piggy bank.
I read with interest, and by the end I was glad that I did as there were so many intriguing characters and memorable moments in this story. Among my favorites were…
The progressive maturing of the relationship between Jean Cunliffe and Harry Fairchild. She, the young woman who worked at the airport gift shop, and he, one of three adult sons of the wealthy and influential Paul Fairchild. She was an intelligent and talented young woman who up to this point lived a quiet, uncomplicated life, and he, the youngest of the Fairchild sons, one brother a prominent physician, and the other, a state governor, had not yet found his sense of purpose, or direction in his life. I really came to appreciate how they slowly came to understand and develop a mutual admiration for each other. One of the first glimpses of this that I noticed, and liked was when Harry was looking at Jean as she sat beside him on the airplane, in first class:
“He watched Jean stare out of the airplane window, wondering what, if anything, she expected to see, after all, he reasoned, even the north pole itself, as impressive and interesting as it sounded, was not perceptible to unaided human senses, so, what did she expect to see from 35,000 feet above the ground?”
Also, I liked the little games that evolved between the two, including Harry’s penchant for “coining” words that delighted him, and loosely fit the occasion, (deviosity), also, Jean’s unwillingness to stroke his male ego. It was fun to read these, and I must say that Charlotte Armstrong did a masterful job of inserting these whimsical little moments into the story at just the right places.
Finally, as to the timing of Jean and Harry’s individual realizations that they loved each other, the order that this happened came as no surprise to me. We were told that Jean knows that she loved Harry by page 163, and Harry finally makes his own realization about Jean on page 183.
There were a number of scenes that put a smile on my face, one was Harry’s dilemma about how to get past an ornery bull in order to access a clue. The other was the scene of an attractive, yet deceptive woman, one who is obviously accustomed to charming men, completely failing to make a positive impression on a seven-year-old boy.
Also, some of the descriptions in this story were excellent, including Miss Beale screaming, “hoarse as a crow,” and the imagery of the arrival of American tourists at a Copenhagen Hotel as, “camera-slung they entered, with hoot and halloo.”
Lastly, I enjoyed learning a number of new and colorful phrases that I’d never heard before, the most memorable of which included:
“The girl stands five-nine in her socks.”
“The traditional six before breakfast,” a term of heroism with its roots in an incredible feat accomplished by six soldiers during the Gallipoli landings on April 25, 1915.Their gallantly courageous acts had all been accomplished early in the morning, while most of Britain was still asleep.
“Moue,” a pouting expression used to convey annoyance, or distaste.
As to the overall story, it was filled with fast-paced adventure, gripping moments, and wonderful pacing. I found the ending very satisfying and quite charming.
On the cover of the book was an endorsement by Anthony Boucher of The New York Times, describing this novel as “A gem of a thriller.” I couldn’t agree more!
And a cry
shouts of joy,
a tremulous sigh
soldiers come back
from faraway lands
reunited couples,
entwined hands
parents with balloons
and outstretched arms
children returning with groups,
safe from harm
myriad languages
bouncing off walls
echoes of longing,
tears that fall
Airports are centers
Of piquant emotion
And I sit, waiting for you
In excited devotion
thinking of how
you raise me
on your side, alone
how oceans divide us
except for the phone
how we fight to keep
our connection alive
how your grandchildren
and I
are your source of pride.
And so, mother of mine
my hug waits in these arms
to burst forth to you
as you step off the storm
of longing and missing
into our calm and light
our renewed closeness
and bond
about to
take flight.”
“Of Love and Airports” by Lora Lee
Jean Cunliffe was setting up a costume jewelry display when she heard someone walk into the shop. No, not walk, exactly, more like a shuffle.
It was odd for a customer to enter the shop so quickly, after all, she’d heard the flight arrival announcement, but that was just a moment or two ago, and there were, as of yet, no other disembarking passengers in the terminal.
She took a look at the man, noticing that he was in a hurry, which explained why he might have beaten the other passengers, but it was in an odd way, he was staggering along, also, his arm was folded to his breast like a broken wing.
“Where are the telephones?” He asked, while fixing his bright and feverish eyes on her.
“Why, both ways,” she explained, then pointed, “Just around there, sir.”
Her eyes, in turn were fixed on his, and as a result, she didn’t see what he was doing with his hand…
He was walking his middle finger over the top of a small ceramic piggy bank that was on display on the toy table which sat directly below the level of the sales counter. He used his thumb and forefinger to guide a tiny, folded piece of paper into the slot on the piggy’s back, and then, with his forefinger, he gently pushed the paper through...
“Hey, are you alright?” Jean called out, just as she saw the man turn and make his way toward the front entrance of the shop.
He didn’t seem to hear, and he kept on staggering through the entrance, and into the terminal. There, he bumped into a person who was just about to walk into the shop. Jean then saw that his arm fell to a dangling position, and from his fingers dripped drops of bright red blood onto the floor.
Jean gasped as she spotted the blood on the floor.
“He’s hurt!” She cried out, then decided that she should pursue the man. She left the shop in the care of the other employee and dashed out into the crowded terminal in pursuit of the man.
The terminal was busy with people, but Jean kept her eyes peeled on the faint trail of blood that still remained. She followed along until she saw the man, slumped into the corner of a phone booth.
“Was he waiting for a connection, or had he fainted?” She asked herself.
As she was considering what to do, she glanced over and saw a security man. She dashed up to him and briefly reported the situation, while pointing to the man inside the booth who had not moved.
She watched as the security man approached the phone booth, he called out to the man inside, and hearing no response, he opened the door. Just then, the man’s body spilled out onto the floor, and he didn’t move. It was clear that he was unconscious!
Well, that opening scene was gripping, to say the least!
I wondered what might have been written on the piece of paper that the man slipped into the piggy bank.
I read with interest, and by the end I was glad that I did as there were so many intriguing characters and memorable moments in this story. Among my favorites were…
The progressive maturing of the relationship between Jean Cunliffe and Harry Fairchild. She, the young woman who worked at the airport gift shop, and he, one of three adult sons of the wealthy and influential Paul Fairchild. She was an intelligent and talented young woman who up to this point lived a quiet, uncomplicated life, and he, the youngest of the Fairchild sons, one brother a prominent physician, and the other, a state governor, had not yet found his sense of purpose, or direction in his life. I really came to appreciate how they slowly came to understand and develop a mutual admiration for each other. One of the first glimpses of this that I noticed, and liked was when Harry was looking at Jean as she sat beside him on the airplane, in first class:
“He watched Jean stare out of the airplane window, wondering what, if anything, she expected to see, after all, he reasoned, even the north pole itself, as impressive and interesting as it sounded, was not perceptible to unaided human senses, so, what did she expect to see from 35,000 feet above the ground?”
Also, I liked the little games that evolved between the two, including Harry’s penchant for “coining” words that delighted him, and loosely fit the occasion, (deviosity), also, Jean’s unwillingness to stroke his male ego. It was fun to read these, and I must say that Charlotte Armstrong did a masterful job of inserting these whimsical little moments into the story at just the right places.
Finally, as to the timing of Jean and Harry’s individual realizations that they loved each other, the order that this happened came as no surprise to me. We were told that Jean knows that she loved Harry by page 163, and Harry finally makes his own realization about Jean on page 183.
There were a number of scenes that put a smile on my face, one was Harry’s dilemma about how to get past an ornery bull in order to access a clue. The other was the scene of an attractive, yet deceptive woman, one who is obviously accustomed to charming men, completely failing to make a positive impression on a seven-year-old boy.
Also, some of the descriptions in this story were excellent, including Miss Beale screaming, “hoarse as a crow,” and the imagery of the arrival of American tourists at a Copenhagen Hotel as, “camera-slung they entered, with hoot and halloo.”
Lastly, I enjoyed learning a number of new and colorful phrases that I’d never heard before, the most memorable of which included:
“The girl stands five-nine in her socks.”
“The traditional six before breakfast,” a term of heroism with its roots in an incredible feat accomplished by six soldiers during the Gallipoli landings on April 25, 1915.Their gallantly courageous acts had all been accomplished early in the morning, while most of Britain was still asleep.
“Moue,” a pouting expression used to convey annoyance, or distaste.
As to the overall story, it was filled with fast-paced adventure, gripping moments, and wonderful pacing. I found the ending very satisfying and quite charming.
On the cover of the book was an endorsement by Anthony Boucher of The New York Times, describing this novel as “A gem of a thriller.” I couldn’t agree more!
June 6, 2021
Harry’s friend Bernie, a private investigator dies in the Los Angeles Airport. But before his demise, he leaves a message in a piggy bank in the gift shop were Jean works. Bernie’s last act in life is to call Harry giving him clues for locating the message.
The bad guys are ahead of the good guys and already have tails on Bernie and Harry.
The first step Harry takes is to go to the airport and there he figures out the verbal message. He purchases everything on the table where he believes the written message is located. Jean unknowingly sells three of the pigs Harry wants and substitutes replacements.
Meanwhile, Harry discovers his father has hired Bernie to track down a 7 year old sister of which the whole family was unaware. The bad guys also want to find the little girl for their own reasons.
In order to find the three original pigs, Harry enlists Jean because she can identify the purchasers. They set out to track down the originals and find the message.
Back in Los Angeles, the family has discovered more information and is getting closer to finding the child. But so have the bad guys. Who will get there first?
Charlotte Armstrong writes a tightly packed story. Everything comes together perfectly. I like the fact that she doesn’t leave loose ends. Also, within the story are the little, did you notice, word plays. This is a first-rate story for everyone interested in mysteries.
The bad guys are ahead of the good guys and already have tails on Bernie and Harry.
The first step Harry takes is to go to the airport and there he figures out the verbal message. He purchases everything on the table where he believes the written message is located. Jean unknowingly sells three of the pigs Harry wants and substitutes replacements.
Meanwhile, Harry discovers his father has hired Bernie to track down a 7 year old sister of which the whole family was unaware. The bad guys also want to find the little girl for their own reasons.
In order to find the three original pigs, Harry enlists Jean because she can identify the purchasers. They set out to track down the originals and find the message.
Back in Los Angeles, the family has discovered more information and is getting closer to finding the child. But so have the bad guys. Who will get there first?
Charlotte Armstrong writes a tightly packed story. Everything comes together perfectly. I like the fact that she doesn’t leave loose ends. Also, within the story are the little, did you notice, word plays. This is a first-rate story for everyone interested in mysteries.
March 27, 2021
Absolutely my favorite Charlotte Armstrong book! This is one I would hope to have if stranded on an island. I give it 10 out of 5 stars. Why? It has mystery and suspense but also humor. I rarely laughed as much as I did reading this book. And I loved the romance too. The female character, Jean, holds her own. A woman after my affection, pining to travel then gets to fly to Copenhagen, Amsterdam, set foot in an Irish castle, then back to a California bull ranch. And all for a pig! I loved the interaction with the children, each unique encounters. The romance couldn't have been better and put icing on the cake!
January 5, 2017
I read this as a teen in the 70's and have re-read it over the years. Such a charming story. It really should have been made in to a chick flick. Maybe that's still possible? It would be fun to suggest actors to play the different parts. Hmmmm
April 13, 2015
Although nicely written albeit rather dated, the plot has more holes than a Sieve, I am all for poetic Liscence but Come On! Having said all that it was enjoyable nonsense!
July 14, 2024
This book was in a box of books I received from my elderly neighbor when she was no longer able to read due to her eye sight. When looking at the cover I almost passed on reading it. It didn’t look like something I would enjoy. But I decided to give it a try. I really enjoyed the mystery. Once I started reading the book it was hard to put down. I would definitely recommend this book.
September 18, 2017
Three and a half stars. Very readable, ripping yarn. Likeable main characters, intriguing plot. Some stereotypes and language of the time, but the women and girls are as varied and have as much agency as the men and boys.
March 9, 2025
I loved Mischief, and thought the opening was incredible. But as it went along I found it more and more far fetched. A bit like North by Northwest in tone rather than a noir. She likes parentheses a lot too.
February 25, 2020
Love a Charlotte Armstrong mystery!
August 31, 2022
Excellent
Read
March 6, 2025Interesting, whimsey
August 18, 2025
Lê lết, cảm giác như cả một thế kỉ mới đọc xong cuốn này vậy. Không có kịch tính hồi hộp gì hết. Chỉ có dài dòng, lan man, cố làm dài truyện ra.
November 19, 2014
A man comes into the airport gift shop where Jean Cunliffe works,leans against the counter and then stumbles off. She notices blood drops and goes looking for him only to find him dead in a phone booth and her life is never the same. She is drawn into a complicated scheme involving kidnapping, blackmail and murder. Well written, a good story with humor, The Gift Shop is a good read for anyone who enjoys a mystery with a little fun and romance.
Charlotte Armstrong is one of those forgotten authors who wrote fun light mysteries that deserves to be discovered again. ”
Charlotte Armstrong is one of those forgotten authors who wrote fun light mysteries that deserves to be discovered again. ”
February 3, 2009
I forgot how authors in the 60's and 70's liked to obfuscate with their writing. Instead of spelling everything out and making the dialog and descriptions crystal clear in order to get the plot out efficiently, they would expect you to be smart enought to fill in the blanks and figure out what they meant. It's sort of like the difference between impressionism and realism in painting, and I enjoyed the effect.
September 14, 2016
Even though it's a bit dated, this is a wonderful suspense novel! My mom's book and I read it years ago and then again, recently. Charlotte Armstrong and Mary Stewart are two of my all-time favorite authors. This story has action, adventure, mystery and even a little romance. What more could you want?
January 30, 2013
I remember liking this author but don't remember the book. I think she wrote several
other mysteries. She was really popular in the 1960's. I am enjoying remembering books
that I read many, many years ago.
other mysteries. She was really popular in the 1960's. I am enjoying remembering books
that I read many, many years ago.
July 2, 2016
One of my favorites by the incomparable Charlotte Armstrong
If you've never has the pleasure of reading her suspense novels, start with this one! Her books are comfort food year after year. Love having them on Kindle.
If you've never has the pleasure of reading her suspense novels, start with this one! Her books are comfort food year after year. Love having them on Kindle.
June 30, 2008
this story I have always enjoyed.
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