What do you think?
Rate this book
Kelling & Bittersohn #10
The Resurrection Man
Boston-based art detectives Sarah Kelling and husband Max Bittersohn were hoping for some time off after their last case, especially since Max is still recovering from a broken leg he suffered during the investigation. That hope dies quickly, though, when they run into Countess Lydia Ouspenska.
The Countess, an expert forger of Byzantine icons, tells them that an old acquaintance, Bartolo Arbalest -- known in their circles as "The Resurrection Man" because of his skills in restoring damaged works of art -- has set up a Renaissance-style "guild" in their fair city, with a number of artisans working independently under one roof. Nothing mysterious about that, of course -- except for the fact that some of Boston's wealthiest citizens have been murdered shortly after valuable objets d'arts restored by Arbalest's organization were returned to them.
When Sarah's old friend George Protherie becomes the latest victim, her investigation -- which, coming as no surprise, ties in with Max's search into Arbalest's background -- reveals that Protherie was not the staid Boston Brahmin he appeared. In fact, he was guarding an array of secrets that stretch back to his old days as an importer of oriental antiquities....
The Countess, an expert forger of Byzantine icons, tells them that an old acquaintance, Bartolo Arbalest -- known in their circles as "The Resurrection Man" because of his skills in restoring damaged works of art -- has set up a Renaissance-style "guild" in their fair city, with a number of artisans working independently under one roof. Nothing mysterious about that, of course -- except for the fact that some of Boston's wealthiest citizens have been murdered shortly after valuable objets d'arts restored by Arbalest's organization were returned to them.
When Sarah's old friend George Protherie becomes the latest victim, her investigation -- which, coming as no surprise, ties in with Max's search into Arbalest's background -- reveals that Protherie was not the staid Boston Brahmin he appeared. In fact, he was guarding an array of secrets that stretch back to his old days as an importer of oriental antiquities....
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1992
205 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte MacLeod
92 books257 followersNaturalized US Citizen
Also wrote as Alisa Craig
Charlotte MacLeod, born in New Brunswick, Canada, and a naturalized U.S. citizen, was the multi-award-winning author of over thirty acclaimed novels. Her series featuring detective Professor Peter Shandy, America's homegrown Hercule Poirot, delivers "generous dollops of...warmth, wit, and whimsy" (San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle). But fully a dozen novels star her popular husband-and-wife team of Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn. And her native Canada provides a backdrop for the amusing Grub-and-Stakers cozies written under the pseudonym Alisa Craig and the almost-police procedurals starring Madoc Rhys, RCMP. A cofounder and past president of the American Crime Writers League, she also edited the bestselling anthologies Mistletoe Mysteries and Christmas Stalkings.
Also wrote as Alisa Craig
Charlotte MacLeod, born in New Brunswick, Canada, and a naturalized U.S. citizen, was the multi-award-winning author of over thirty acclaimed novels. Her series featuring detective Professor Peter Shandy, America's homegrown Hercule Poirot, delivers "generous dollops of...warmth, wit, and whimsy" (San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle). But fully a dozen novels star her popular husband-and-wife team of Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn. And her native Canada provides a backdrop for the amusing Grub-and-Stakers cozies written under the pseudonym Alisa Craig and the almost-police procedurals starring Madoc Rhys, RCMP. A cofounder and past president of the American Crime Writers League, she also edited the bestselling anthologies Mistletoe Mysteries and Christmas Stalkings.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
December 21, 2016
It's been a long time since I've read Charlotte MacLeod. I know I have a shelf full of her proto-cozy mysteries, the slightly goofy series or three about unusual people who happen to be capable detectives… I don't seem to have ever had this particular book. It's been a very long time, so I don't remember if the things that bothered me here are endemic in her writing or specific to this outing. I don't remember being bothered in the past, but I was less tetchy then.
Run-on sentences were everywhere. I mean, uncountable. I mean, comma splices were like passenger pigeons at their height – present in flocks so great they blocked the sky. I mean … either MacLeod or the editors understood the function of a semi-colon, because they appeared a couple of times in the book, but apparently whoever was in charge really hated them, along with conjunctions and short stand-alone sentences, because oh the humanity. For a grammar nazi like me it was very, very painful.
A fact that explains a lot is that this book is a resissue, originally published in 1992. Things really were different in 1992. The casual, almost well-meaning racism that dapples the book wasn't something that would have set off as many klaxons in '92; "Oriental" was, as I recall, okay then – or, if not okay, then not widely known to not be okay. I kept thinking of Avenue Q – "Brian, buddy, where ya been? The term is 'Asian-American'…" But man, however I would have swallowed this twenty-four years ago, it grated now.
Regarding an Asian man of unknown specific origins running around:
"…You should try to make friends with him."
"How?" said Max. "Hold out a fortune cookie and whistle?"
Which is almost funny – but holy crap. PC really wasn't A Thing yet when this originally came out.
I mean, I liked Max and Sarah well enough; I remember liking this series best of MacLeod's writing, partly because of them. The rest of the cast was laden down by cliché and character tics which basically stood in for personality. It's all over the top – and it's supposed to be, I take it, because: Proto-Cozy, but it's hard to take at times.
The story had some good points, during the first half – here is an art restorer who runs a closely-guarded atelier of artists, because in the past few years he has seen a great deal of tragedy and is trying to avoid a recurrence. And the owners of artwork which has been restored by the group are being robbed – and, in the case of a relative of Sarah's, gruesomely killed.
It's fine. It has some really fun moments. When the OTT stuff is reined in, between the bouts of racism, and (with great effort) ignoring the comma splices, I really enjoyed the character stuff – again, Max and Sarah, the kid Jesse … maybe the other recurring characters might be more enjoyable if I'd read more of the series lately. But then suddenly the whole thing goes deep-dyed Wilkie Collins, and I spent the last chunk of the book saying "Wait, what?" And "No, not really … damn, yes really." Yeah. The resolution to the whole thing was kind of awful.
What a shame. I was looking forward to revisiting an old favorite, an author who's been on my List for literally decades; I thought it would be a quick and very fun read and rather warm and fuzzy and nostalgic. It wasn't quite any of that – at least, the only nostalgia was rather negative (really? This was perfectly acceptable a quarter century ago?), and I don't foresee digging my Charlotte MacLeods out of storage.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
Run-on sentences were everywhere. I mean, uncountable. I mean, comma splices were like passenger pigeons at their height – present in flocks so great they blocked the sky. I mean … either MacLeod or the editors understood the function of a semi-colon, because they appeared a couple of times in the book, but apparently whoever was in charge really hated them, along with conjunctions and short stand-alone sentences, because oh the humanity. For a grammar nazi like me it was very, very painful.
A fact that explains a lot is that this book is a resissue, originally published in 1992. Things really were different in 1992. The casual, almost well-meaning racism that dapples the book wasn't something that would have set off as many klaxons in '92; "Oriental" was, as I recall, okay then – or, if not okay, then not widely known to not be okay. I kept thinking of Avenue Q – "Brian, buddy, where ya been? The term is 'Asian-American'…" But man, however I would have swallowed this twenty-four years ago, it grated now.
Regarding an Asian man of unknown specific origins running around:
"…You should try to make friends with him."
"How?" said Max. "Hold out a fortune cookie and whistle?"
Which is almost funny – but holy crap. PC really wasn't A Thing yet when this originally came out.
I mean, I liked Max and Sarah well enough; I remember liking this series best of MacLeod's writing, partly because of them. The rest of the cast was laden down by cliché and character tics which basically stood in for personality. It's all over the top – and it's supposed to be, I take it, because: Proto-Cozy, but it's hard to take at times.
The story had some good points, during the first half – here is an art restorer who runs a closely-guarded atelier of artists, because in the past few years he has seen a great deal of tragedy and is trying to avoid a recurrence. And the owners of artwork which has been restored by the group are being robbed – and, in the case of a relative of Sarah's, gruesomely killed.
It's fine. It has some really fun moments. When the OTT stuff is reined in, between the bouts of racism, and (with great effort) ignoring the comma splices, I really enjoyed the character stuff – again, Max and Sarah, the kid Jesse … maybe the other recurring characters might be more enjoyable if I'd read more of the series lately. But then suddenly the whole thing goes deep-dyed Wilkie Collins, and I spent the last chunk of the book saying "Wait, what?" And "No, not really … damn, yes really." Yeah. The resolution to the whole thing was kind of awful.
What a shame. I was looking forward to revisiting an old favorite, an author who's been on my List for literally decades; I thought it would be a quick and very fun read and rather warm and fuzzy and nostalgic. It wasn't quite any of that – at least, the only nostalgia was rather negative (really? This was perfectly acceptable a quarter century ago?), and I don't foresee digging my Charlotte MacLeods out of storage.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
June 21, 2010
As a regular mystery reader, it seems rare when yours truly falls for every “red herring” in the book. The Resurrection Man is one of those books that took me on exactly that wild ride. Generally, when I read Charlotte MacLeod’s work, I have a vague sense of where it is going. In this case, I locked onto the wrong suspect from the beginning and pegged another incorrect suspect as that suspect’s accomplice. I haven’t been so off-base since arguing with my father as a teenager.
Normally, MacLeod’s work has a calming effect on me. I love the way the aristocratic Sarah Kelling Bittersohn goes about solving a mystery in much the way that an event planner would prepare for an “occasion.” One senses that etiquette and proper deportment are the keys to solving crimes. I probably wouldn’t enjoy novels where Sarah was the primary protagonist, but there is a nice counterpoint with Max Bittersohn. To be sure, Max isn’t the gun-toting, martial arts-style gumshoe, either. He is more akin to a private sector Allen Dulles than a James Bond, more like television’s Charley than one of Charley’s Angels. Max solves crimes with his thorough knowledge of art and craftsmanship combined with his exquisite network of sources and operatives.
As a result, one never knows where the breakthrough in a Bittersohn/Kelling mystery may occur. It may occur via Sarah’s access to society’s Blue Book or it may occur via Max’s contacts. Regardless, the mysteries are superbly crafted and present delightful impressions of the Boston upper crest, as well as art world. The Resurrection Man is an eponymous reference to an artist who specializes in restoration work. Capable of doing museum quality restoration, he has assembled an atelier to cater to the needs of upper class clients who own near-museum quality (and sometimes, actual museum quality) pieces. He rules his atelier like a medieval guild and seems to take no chances with his colleagues/guild members. He wears stereotypical artists’ garb as an affectation and deals with his wealthy clients in a mysterious manner. Long before anything untoward happens in the novel, one finds oneself wanting to know more about this man and what he is doing.
There are other mysteries to garner one’s attention, though. One character is a George Prothero. The reader doesn’t meet this character until after he is dead, but there is a marvelous side mystery as to why he incurred a disease in India that nearly killed him as a young man and left him tremendously indolent (and, as a result, corpulent) for the rest of his life. One finds oneself trying to figure out if the illness from so long ago had anything to do with his death.
Add to this mix a series of break-ins, an Asian who insists in running around town in a bright red jogging suit, and the usual assortment of strange relatives and family secrets. What you get is a heady effort at detection that took this reviewer for a wild ride. I do assure you that you won’t turn into a Toad if you take it.
Normally, MacLeod’s work has a calming effect on me. I love the way the aristocratic Sarah Kelling Bittersohn goes about solving a mystery in much the way that an event planner would prepare for an “occasion.” One senses that etiquette and proper deportment are the keys to solving crimes. I probably wouldn’t enjoy novels where Sarah was the primary protagonist, but there is a nice counterpoint with Max Bittersohn. To be sure, Max isn’t the gun-toting, martial arts-style gumshoe, either. He is more akin to a private sector Allen Dulles than a James Bond, more like television’s Charley than one of Charley’s Angels. Max solves crimes with his thorough knowledge of art and craftsmanship combined with his exquisite network of sources and operatives.
As a result, one never knows where the breakthrough in a Bittersohn/Kelling mystery may occur. It may occur via Sarah’s access to society’s Blue Book or it may occur via Max’s contacts. Regardless, the mysteries are superbly crafted and present delightful impressions of the Boston upper crest, as well as art world. The Resurrection Man is an eponymous reference to an artist who specializes in restoration work. Capable of doing museum quality restoration, he has assembled an atelier to cater to the needs of upper class clients who own near-museum quality (and sometimes, actual museum quality) pieces. He rules his atelier like a medieval guild and seems to take no chances with his colleagues/guild members. He wears stereotypical artists’ garb as an affectation and deals with his wealthy clients in a mysterious manner. Long before anything untoward happens in the novel, one finds oneself wanting to know more about this man and what he is doing.
There are other mysteries to garner one’s attention, though. One character is a George Prothero. The reader doesn’t meet this character until after he is dead, but there is a marvelous side mystery as to why he incurred a disease in India that nearly killed him as a young man and left him tremendously indolent (and, as a result, corpulent) for the rest of his life. One finds oneself trying to figure out if the illness from so long ago had anything to do with his death.
Add to this mix a series of break-ins, an Asian who insists in running around town in a bright red jogging suit, and the usual assortment of strange relatives and family secrets. What you get is a heady effort at detection that took this reviewer for a wild ride. I do assure you that you won’t turn into a Toad if you take it.
July 8, 2017
Great fun revisiting Boston with Max and Sarah Bittersohn and Cousin Brooks and Theonia. This is the Sarah Kelling Bittersohn I first fell in love with, she of the Boston brownstone on Tulip Street surrounded by crazy, cheap, pushy Kelling relatives; the snarky humor, witty dialogue and clever, twisted puzzles are back, keeping readers entertained right up to the end!
December 26, 2016
It has been a long time that I had forgotten how much I enjoy Charlotte MacLeod books. This one did not disappoint me. Max Bittersohn is recovering from an injury so they are staying at Sarah home in Boston. Max met a master restorer of art pieces. He has set up a home for his technicians. Short!y after the pieces are restored and return to their owners, they are stolen. An old family friend is found murdered in a gruesome fashion. There is a strange Indian dressed in a baggy red dress jumping around often seen in the area where the happenings are occurring. As usual, the twists and turns will keep you reading and the ending is a surprise. I highly recommend this book.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Open Roads Integrated Media through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Open Roads Integrated Media through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
October 4, 2022
This held my interest for awhile, but about halfway through, the usual oddish characters in this series got even weirder, and the story itself became so peculiar that I didn’t even feel motivated to read the last few pages.
January 1, 2020
A group of expert art restorers are implicated in art thefts among Boston's elites and one of Sarah Kelling's society connections is mysteriously stabbed with an antique spear.
July 15, 2024
Listened to audiobook.
July 11, 2022
Sarah and Max are back and investigating a murder and theft. There are a host of new characters as well as a return of many of the old characters. We see a new side to Jesse Kelling, Lionel's oldest son, now 16. I have to admit he has a very strange mother. I'm still wondering what happened to the Count from the last book but was very pleased to see Lydia Ouspenska back again.
March 21, 2025
I remembered that the later books in this series weren't that good, but I really enjoyed this one, #10. It had an interesting set-up and enough action to keep the plot moving. I also appreciated that it focused on Max and Sarah and didn't get too caught up in other people. Now I look forward to rereading more of this series.
June 26, 2025
Shades of Wilkie Collins! This one has White Russian princesses, priceless diamonds adorning temple gods, drug addicts, serial killers seeking revenge for long-past wrongs, and probably some other stuff I’ve forgotten.
The old families of Boston disagree about many things, but everyone agrees that George Protheroe is the most boring man in the state of Massachusetts, if not the entire continent of North America. Now elderly, he’s hugely over-weight and given to falling asleep in the middle of his long, dull stories, to the relief of his audience. Everyone loves Anora Protheroe and envies George having such a loyal wife.
Even in the Boston Old Money set (accustomed to inheriting businesses and living off the proceeds with very little effort) George strikes everyone as inordinately lazy. After his father died, he sold the family business, saying it was too much effort to even make a show of running it. It’s not until George dies in a particularly gruesome way that Anora lets everyone know that her husband had a serious illness that sapped his energy and left him unable to work.
Meanwhile the Max Bittersohn Detective Agency is limping along due to the temporary disability of its owner. Stealing art works and precious jewels sounds like a gentlemanly career, but some of the practitioners are just as violent as men who rob banks or knock over liquor stores. Max took a shellacking from a couple of desperados and is recovering from a badly broken leg and some cracked ribs. Sarah Kelling Bittersohn and Cousin Brooks Kelling are keeping the business afloat until the Boss is back on his feet.
On a gentle walk for exercise, Max runs into old friend Lydia Ouspenska. She’s working in an artistic atelier run by a mysterious character named Bartolo Arbogast (AKA The Resurrection Man.) He shelters a bunch of skillful art restoration experts in his home, complete with grills on the windows, burglar alarms everywhere, and a live-in bodyguard named Carnaby Goudge.
Bartolo practices the sacred art of restoring damaged art works for museums and individuals. He must have an enemy because wherever he opens his business, his employees start dying. He’s determined to protect this latest group by keeping them under his eye at all times. So far it’s working, but there’s a strange little Asian man showing up all over the place. What does he have in mind? And why is he wearing that heavy red running suit in the middle of summer?
Max is suspicious of the secrecy. As an expert on recovering stolen art works, he knows that many thieves “resurrect” stolen art to make it harder for detectives to recognize it. He’s also suspicious about the break-ins that follow soon after Bartolo has restored art to its owner. That little Asian man climbs through vents to steal valuables. Is he on Bartolo’s payroll?
He also wonders about Carnaby Goudge. Why is a Yale graduate from a wealthy family working as a bodyguard? Does he have a side gig?
George’s funeral is in the best tradition of wealth, but Sarah and Max are astonished that Bartolo and three of his artists have been invited. It’s true that they recently restored some curios for the Protheroes and that George (who traveled extensively in Asia for his family’s import business before his illness) enjoyed talking to a fellow expert on Asian art. That seems little reason to invite him to such a personal event. And why is Bartolo crying like a baby?
There’s an old secret behind it and Bartolo’s blood-thirsty enemy kills again to try to keep it a secret. How many people will die and why does someone hate the good-natured Resurrection Man?
If you’re looking for realism, look elsewhere. On the other hand, those Old Money families got their money from trade and that trade took them to some strange places, where they met some strange people. Just enjoy the fun and don’t worry about it. Only two more books left in this series and I’m already sorry to see it end.
The old families of Boston disagree about many things, but everyone agrees that George Protheroe is the most boring man in the state of Massachusetts, if not the entire continent of North America. Now elderly, he’s hugely over-weight and given to falling asleep in the middle of his long, dull stories, to the relief of his audience. Everyone loves Anora Protheroe and envies George having such a loyal wife.
Even in the Boston Old Money set (accustomed to inheriting businesses and living off the proceeds with very little effort) George strikes everyone as inordinately lazy. After his father died, he sold the family business, saying it was too much effort to even make a show of running it. It’s not until George dies in a particularly gruesome way that Anora lets everyone know that her husband had a serious illness that sapped his energy and left him unable to work.
Meanwhile the Max Bittersohn Detective Agency is limping along due to the temporary disability of its owner. Stealing art works and precious jewels sounds like a gentlemanly career, but some of the practitioners are just as violent as men who rob banks or knock over liquor stores. Max took a shellacking from a couple of desperados and is recovering from a badly broken leg and some cracked ribs. Sarah Kelling Bittersohn and Cousin Brooks Kelling are keeping the business afloat until the Boss is back on his feet.
On a gentle walk for exercise, Max runs into old friend Lydia Ouspenska. She’s working in an artistic atelier run by a mysterious character named Bartolo Arbogast (AKA The Resurrection Man.) He shelters a bunch of skillful art restoration experts in his home, complete with grills on the windows, burglar alarms everywhere, and a live-in bodyguard named Carnaby Goudge.
Bartolo practices the sacred art of restoring damaged art works for museums and individuals. He must have an enemy because wherever he opens his business, his employees start dying. He’s determined to protect this latest group by keeping them under his eye at all times. So far it’s working, but there’s a strange little Asian man showing up all over the place. What does he have in mind? And why is he wearing that heavy red running suit in the middle of summer?
Max is suspicious of the secrecy. As an expert on recovering stolen art works, he knows that many thieves “resurrect” stolen art to make it harder for detectives to recognize it. He’s also suspicious about the break-ins that follow soon after Bartolo has restored art to its owner. That little Asian man climbs through vents to steal valuables. Is he on Bartolo’s payroll?
He also wonders about Carnaby Goudge. Why is a Yale graduate from a wealthy family working as a bodyguard? Does he have a side gig?
George’s funeral is in the best tradition of wealth, but Sarah and Max are astonished that Bartolo and three of his artists have been invited. It’s true that they recently restored some curios for the Protheroes and that George (who traveled extensively in Asia for his family’s import business before his illness) enjoyed talking to a fellow expert on Asian art. That seems little reason to invite him to such a personal event. And why is Bartolo crying like a baby?
There’s an old secret behind it and Bartolo’s blood-thirsty enemy kills again to try to keep it a secret. How many people will die and why does someone hate the good-natured Resurrection Man?
If you’re looking for realism, look elsewhere. On the other hand, those Old Money families got their money from trade and that trade took them to some strange places, where they met some strange people. Just enjoy the fun and don’t worry about it. Only two more books left in this series and I’m already sorry to see it end.
March 16, 2018
Early Bird Book Deal | Astonishingly bad | This was beyond boring for the first 75% of the book, and then went completely off the rails for the final quarter. I had to force myself to keep reading, because it was so dull, which was strange because I've been reading this series all week with no issues. The culprit was obvious before any crimes had taken place, and totally ridiculous things kept happening (awful exposition with no justification, long unnecessary passages with far too much detail, people acting and talking in ways that humans just wouldn't). At one point Sarah tells the whole story all over again to a police detective, when the words "Sarah explained to Levitan the details of their investigation" would have sufficed. Then, suddenly, the plot goes totally out the window and the sweet, gentle, loving old man turns out to have been party to theft, murder, drugs, religious desecration, plenty of things out of left field with no relation to the rest of the book. The dialogue comes straight out of the worst soap opera, the murderer actually saying "cripes! Foiled again!". He has no real motive, and after the terribly-written pages of weird backstory about the diamond pried from the forehead of a god and the Indian ayah dressing the long-lost son in a loincloth so his sociopath mother wouldn't know how he spent his days, and oh yeah that guy I've spent every waking moment with but never recognized is the son of the man I knew who broke my mother's legs in preparation for killing her...after all that complete bullshit it's hard to muster up an eyeroll at cyanide capsules hidden in teeth for sudden suicides. Especially when it's all capped off with a walking stereotype being hired by the elderly lady who decides life is worth living because her late husband hid the fact of his illegitimate child from her for 50 years but now she can call that son by her husband's name and be called mother by him approximately 45 seconds after they meet because they're going to live together.
Skip this one, you're missing nothing.
Skip this one, you're missing nothing.
October 25, 2024
This one was inventive but a bit silly...especially the deneaumont... Will Say, couldn't have solved
Am reading the entire series in order...which I think is a good plan.
Charlotte Macleod has already written that for denizens of Boston some of the more recent changes in the environs there are not included in the books for a feel of chronology to the books and the tales they tell of the Kellings-Bittersohn. Clans and their lives. I have been to Boston many times ...lived in Connecticut and New York as a teen and young adult...NYC was a Mecca for us youngsters...rebellious and early 70's types...Boston was mostly our second escape choice...as an East Coast kid and young adult, I am not offended!
Anyhoo...this one was pretty far fetched and pretty silky especially at the end.
Could never have solved big though without reading the entire book...so I did.
Sad about the deaths...soooo...unnecessary in this case...always sad about the deaths that occur...just sadder this time.
Ah, well...will reread the rest after many years reading other things...nice to discover them again after many, many yeaes.
She's a good and a holler and a challenge to the senses and the intellect to read.
I am so glad she wrote so much to enjoyed y...even if this is not Her best...it is still worth reading...just sayin'.
Am reading the entire series in order...which I think is a good plan.
Charlotte Macleod has already written that for denizens of Boston some of the more recent changes in the environs there are not included in the books for a feel of chronology to the books and the tales they tell of the Kellings-Bittersohn. Clans and their lives. I have been to Boston many times ...lived in Connecticut and New York as a teen and young adult...NYC was a Mecca for us youngsters...rebellious and early 70's types...Boston was mostly our second escape choice...as an East Coast kid and young adult, I am not offended!
Anyhoo...this one was pretty far fetched and pretty silky especially at the end.
Could never have solved big though without reading the entire book...so I did.
Sad about the deaths...soooo...unnecessary in this case...always sad about the deaths that occur...just sadder this time.
Ah, well...will reread the rest after many years reading other things...nice to discover them again after many, many yeaes.
She's a good and a holler and a challenge to the senses and the intellect to read.
I am so glad she wrote so much to enjoyed y...even if this is not Her best...it is still worth reading...just sayin'.
April 15, 2022
Originally published in 1992, so it is contemporary to that time.
I enjoy the Bittersohns very much and it's so nice to have them in audio. Sarah is a Kelling of Boston and so was her first husband, that mother-in-law, a gazillion aunts and uncles and more. First husband was murdered shortly after meeting Max B and HIS wide assortment of family members who live away from the city but very close to the "Summer Place of the Kellings" which Sarah inherited. Max is an internationally known art expert and Sarah, their friends, and a couple of gifted relatives work with him in his agency. All this to show that whenever a Kelling has a piece of artwork go missing they tap Max to find it at a reduced rate of service. But this art hunt starts out with a very odd restoration service, an unexpected murder, and a little brown man in red jogging suit (in August. in Boston). Lots of laughs and witticisms anyway and a good bit of sleuthing and helping the bemused police homicide detective. A good read!
Andi Arndt continues as the voice behind the series, and she is an excellent voice actor.
I enjoy the Bittersohns very much and it's so nice to have them in audio. Sarah is a Kelling of Boston and so was her first husband, that mother-in-law, a gazillion aunts and uncles and more. First husband was murdered shortly after meeting Max B and HIS wide assortment of family members who live away from the city but very close to the "Summer Place of the Kellings" which Sarah inherited. Max is an internationally known art expert and Sarah, their friends, and a couple of gifted relatives work with him in his agency. All this to show that whenever a Kelling has a piece of artwork go missing they tap Max to find it at a reduced rate of service. But this art hunt starts out with a very odd restoration service, an unexpected murder, and a little brown man in red jogging suit (in August. in Boston). Lots of laughs and witticisms anyway and a good bit of sleuthing and helping the bemused police homicide detective. A good read!
Andi Arndt continues as the voice behind the series, and she is an excellent voice actor.
March 28, 2023
Sarah and Max Bittersohn would like nothing more than to go back to their country home with their young son, but they’re stuck in Boston until Max’s leg has healed. When the housemaid of Anora and George Protheroe calls Sarah, distraught, she is quick to act - but it turns out that George is dead, murdered with a spear, shortly after some repair work had been done by Bartolo Arbalest, an art restorer who has a whole atelier full of talented workers. It seems to be a coincidence at first, but when Max and Sarah learn about numerous other sudden deaths following in Arbalest’s wake, they begin to wonder what might be going on…. This tenth novel in the Sarah Kelling series features a few more of Sarah’s numerous relatives and near-relatives, a number of stolen items, an apparently imaginary Tamil man in red jogging clothes and the welcome return of Lydia, among other delights. Breezy and fun, as ever; recommended!
December 5, 2016
This wasn't the book I thought I was getting (I totally missed the zero and thought it was book one in the series, haha), but once I started reading I realized I hadn't read this one before. Strange, because Charlotte MacLeod, Sarah and Max are some of the folks that started me down the cozy road!
While not my favorite of the series, I enjoyed getting to see Max and Sarah again and I am absolutely thrilled to have found this on NetGalley. I'm going to have to go back and track down the earlier ones again for a re-read. I still adore Max!
If you haven't read this series, I do recommend starting with book one and getting to know Sarah and her crazy family from there.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
While not my favorite of the series, I enjoyed getting to see Max and Sarah again and I am absolutely thrilled to have found this on NetGalley. I'm going to have to go back and track down the earlier ones again for a re-read. I still adore Max!
If you haven't read this series, I do recommend starting with book one and getting to know Sarah and her crazy family from there.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
January 22, 2021
The Resurrection Man — Charlotte MacLeod (25 chapters) Jan 4-10, 2021
Another book in the Kelling/Bittersohn series and I think it may be the best, and my favorite so far.
Max bumps into Countess Lydia (from The Palace Guard,) and worries about her safety when she seems healthy and spry, which is not a norm for her.
Sarah, Max, and the gang investigate a weird thin man who seems to be stealing art pieces from people Sarah is close to, and when one of her favorites is killed, she is determined to find out who-dun-it.
The book does drag in places, but the plot is well written and the characters as charming as ever.
Four stars.
Another book in the Kelling/Bittersohn series and I think it may be the best, and my favorite so far.
Max bumps into Countess Lydia (from The Palace Guard,) and worries about her safety when she seems healthy and spry, which is not a norm for her.
Sarah, Max, and the gang investigate a weird thin man who seems to be stealing art pieces from people Sarah is close to, and when one of her favorites is killed, she is determined to find out who-dun-it.
The book does drag in places, but the plot is well written and the characters as charming as ever.
Four stars.
Read
September 16, 2021DNF'd a little over halfway through.
I really really reeeeally wanted to like this. Art detectives, forgeries, a secret society of art restorers, and murder? The premise was great.
The execution however left something to be desired.
At times, it seemed the author was trying to sound like Dorothy Sayers or P. G. Wodehouse...but missing the mark. The characters were cliched or....pretentious.
The way the book was written sounded pretentious.
If you're into highfalutin' writing with snooty characters and some mild racism........This is the book for you. I gave it a good try but just....could not do it.
I really really reeeeally wanted to like this. Art detectives, forgeries, a secret society of art restorers, and murder? The premise was great.
The execution however left something to be desired.
At times, it seemed the author was trying to sound like Dorothy Sayers or P. G. Wodehouse...but missing the mark. The characters were cliched or....pretentious.
The way the book was written sounded pretentious.
If you're into highfalutin' writing with snooty characters and some mild racism........This is the book for you. I gave it a good try but just....could not do it.
October 25, 2025
Another winner
After reading all the books before this one, I feel like I am reading about old friends. Sarah and Max have interesting occupations, great family and friends, and enough Kelling relatives to keep them busy for decades.
The murder in this book is of an old family friend of Sarah’s and her time is spent helping the elderly widow make final arrangements and attend a funeral. In the meanwhile there are burglaries, a strange little man in a red suit that keeps popping up, a few crazy characters, and the diversion of Sarah’s and Max’s son Davy. Overall it was another fun read.
Now on to the next book!
After reading all the books before this one, I feel like I am reading about old friends. Sarah and Max have interesting occupations, great family and friends, and enough Kelling relatives to keep them busy for decades.
The murder in this book is of an old family friend of Sarah’s and her time is spent helping the elderly widow make final arrangements and attend a funeral. In the meanwhile there are burglaries, a strange little man in a red suit that keeps popping up, a few crazy characters, and the diversion of Sarah’s and Max’s son Davy. Overall it was another fun read.
Now on to the next book!
May 13, 2017
A quick easy read, the villian reveal wasn't much of a surprise, at that point it was the only person left. The book has an interesting twist at the three quarter point, that pushes forward into the conclusion. A newish Kelling is added to the main cast adding a nice mixture of youth and cockiness.
The book is a bit wince worthy as it was wrtten nearly 30 years ago and some of the language, particularly the repeated use of Oriental, is considered racist these days. But if you can give it a pass for a different time, then it's a good solid mystery with an interesting twist at the end.
The book is a bit wince worthy as it was wrtten nearly 30 years ago and some of the language, particularly the repeated use of Oriental, is considered racist these days. But if you can give it a pass for a different time, then it's a good solid mystery with an interesting twist at the end.
June 10, 2018
Another mystery that involves Sarah Kelling Bittersohn's incredibly large and wealthy Bostonian family. I didn't figure it all out, which made it a bit more exciting than usual. I get a kick out of the insane social mores, and the equally insane acceptance of eccentricities.
(for my own reference, this one involves a Tamil man in a red jogging suit.)
(for my own reference, this one involves a Tamil man in a red jogging suit.)
July 19, 2019
There wasn't really any mystery solving in this book. The entire end of the book was the unmasking of the obvious murderer, who then confesses comprehensively and swallows a cyanide pill. It was absurd. There were also a super high number of eccentric characters and two Russian countesses. I enjoyed the writing, and the build up of the mystery, but there wasn't any clever crime solving.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2022
It really went off the rails. The two halves of the book almost seem like they belong to two different mysteries. I feel like the second half was written in a fever dream after the author read The Moonstone or the Sherlock Holmes story with the mongoose.
January 30, 2018
Pretty good reliable fun in the classic style. Dpl e book via total boox
December 3, 2018
I enjoy being read to. This isn’t MacLeod’s funniest, but it was a good listen while driving to and from errands and appointments.
May 31, 2019
This was a re-read for me. Now I remember why I loved her books so much!
July 31, 2019
Great installment in the series, learned a bit about India along the way!
July 8, 2020
An alright mystery. Maybe if I had started at the beginning I would like them better.
August 7, 2020
Ok plot...a bit loaded with Characters, but good reading
December 12, 2020
OK for a covid speed read through the series.
December 31, 2020
Enjoyable just like the rest of the series
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews