Larceny and Old Lace

Den of Antiquity #1

by Tamar Myers

For Whom The Bell Pulls Tolls

As owner of the Den of Antiquity, recently divorced(but never bitter!) Abigail Timberlake is accustomed to delving into the past, searching for losttreasures, and navigating the cutthroat world of rival dealers at flea marketsand auctions. Still, she never thought she'd be putting her expertise in mayhemand detection to other use -- until crotchety "junque" dealer, Abby's aunt Eulonia Wiggins, was found murdered!

Although Abigail is puzzled by the instrument of death -- an exquisite antiquebell pull that Aunt Eulonia never would have had the taste to aquire -- she's willing to let the authorities find the culprit. But now, Auntie's priceless lace is missing,and somebody's threatened Abby's most priceless possession: her son, Charlie.It's up to Abby to put the murderer "on the block."

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Humor, Mystery Thriller, Adult Fiction

211 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

Tamar Myers was born and raised in the Belgian Congo (now just the Congo). Her parents were missionaries to a tribe which, at that time, were known as headhunters and used human skulls for drinking cups. Hers was the first white family ever to peacefully coexist with the tribe, and Tamar grew up fluent in the local trade language. Because of her pale blue eyes, Tamar’s nickname was Ugly Eyes.

Tamar grew up eating elephant, hippopotamus and even monkey. She attended a boarding school that was two days away by truck, and sometimes it was necessary to wade through crocodile infested waters to reach it. Other dangers she encountered as a child were cobras, deadly green mambas, and the voracious armies of driver ants that ate every animal (and human) that didn’t get out of their way.

In 1960 the Congo, which had been a Belgian colony, became an independent nation. There followed a period of retribution (for heinous crimes committed against the Congolese by the Belgians) in which many Whites were killed. Tamar and her family fled the Congo, but returned a year later. By then a number of civil wars were raging, and the family’s residence was often in the line of fire. In 1964, after living through three years of war, the family returned to the United States permanently.

Tamar was sixteen when her family settled in America, and she immediately underwent severe culture shock. She didn’t know how to dial a telephone, cross a street at a stoplight, or use a vending machine. She lucked out, however, by meeting her husband, Jeffrey, on her first day in an American high school. They literally bumped heads while he was leaving, and she entering, the Civics classroom.

Tamar now calls Charlotte, NC home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.

Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Pichu in the near future.

Series:
* Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery
* Den of Antiquity Mystery

Reviews

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 4 out of 5]

I collected a little Tamar Myers and finally dug in, along with introductions to several series. I seize bargains and see how I like them; years after gathering whole suites! This comedic treatise of close-knit, American southerners isn’t what I expected of a lady born in the Congo! Additionally, I’ve tired of the ‘cozy mystery’; driven by comedic antics and quaint settings, instead of a good, suspenseful mystery. But I have to say, I liked it. A fast-paced adventure with elements of fear do occur at its end.

Many elements, such as the stereotypical religious lady spouting scripture and rules of religion, wouldn’t have appealed to me but these people are drawn so well; you can’t help laughing at their behaviour and personalities. In this series, they work. The protagonist isn’t necessarily cut of the same cloth but she lives among them, knowing how to tread and it comes off believably, in a way that entertains. Something about what Tamar has built as a whole, has me keen to read onward. I suppose anyone cheers for a good, determined Mother to her adult kids; divorced abruptly and restarting independently vis-à-vis her Aunt’s antique shop.

Abigail very plausibly seeks to defend her sour Aunt, flush out her murderer, and protect her son with a dignity known to the south. I think too that I let peculiarities slide and accept them as they are because that regional mindset is surreal in of itself; at least to a reading Canadian. Her Mother is fascinating and hilarious; a noble belle if there ever were one but dating like a teenager! I’m uncertain the killer’s motive makes sense but that person becomes frightening, in a deathly night time chase. Setting details that orient us helpfully, recognizable personalities, and visible personal growth strike an appealing balance.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curses! (Shakes fist!) Why can't I quit you, cozy mysteries?

No - seriously, after spending much of a decade reading book after book about crime-solving hairdressers, dog-groomers, caterers, and home improvement gurus, I swore I was done with this genre. Then along comes Tamar Myers, with her great sense of humor, and she sucks me right back in.

And, it also helps that I'm a big fan of antique shops . . .

Like most cozies, the plot here is pretty implausible, and pretty predictable, but it was fun. I had some laughs, and I'll be reading more in the series. In all, not a bad way to while away the hours on a snowy day.

[Bert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just can't like a protagonist who has her cat declawed and calls everyone 'dear' (especially if she's going to then get all riled by other people calling her by diminuitives). Abigail is also really bitter and snarky, but never quite manages to grab hold of "funny" and isn't even in the same time zone as "self aware". Mostly though it's the cat declawing thing. Gosh.

P.S. I've read a few Southern themed cozy series and this is the only one that's ever managed a level of vitriol towards "the North" that's made me conduct an actual real life physical eye roll. Also way too many semantical errors.

[Dotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Tamar Myers' humor and this start of another series is chock full.

Quotes:
Chapter 19 (great church humor and neat insertion of herself in the story!):
I should have known. In Rock Hill you can live your entire life and have it populated solely by the Episcopal church. Want to speak to a teacher? We have tons of those. How about a college professor? Would half the congregation please step forward .... At the Episcopal Church of Our Savior we even have a crazy woman mystery writer with frizzed-out blond hair who claims she was raised among a tribe of headhunters in the Belgian Congo. She's not exactly another Sue Grafton, but you have to give her credit for her imagination.

Chapter 15 (more church humor):
I'll be singing 'When the Roll is Called Up Yonder,'" she practically shouted. "y'all feel free to join in any time. Clap if you want."
There was a stunned silence. Not only do we Episcopalians not know that song, but we are genetically incapable of clapping in church, except for at the end of the annual parish meetings. The last time someone clapped during a song, it was revealed that she was an undercover Methodist with no plans to convert. We Episcopalians proudly bear the label God's Frozen Chosen.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the mystery was good but the characters are so incredibly unlikable that it was a struggle to read this book. All the main characters of the story did were bicker. It's like they all hate each other and the MC doesn't seem to have a friend in the world.

The end was a big surprise - i think mostly because there didn't seem to be any build up in suspicion. While I find it hard to believe that you are friends with everyone in a competitive association, I find it equally hard to believe you don't have any friends. Not impressed with this one...don't know if I will read on in the hopes the series will get better.

[Helena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't resist a series whose titles are puns of classic movie titles. It's just too cute. The first book in the series was cute, and a quick read. I don't think I will be continuing on to book two though. It just wasn't enough to really hook me. It's a little sad actually, I was looking forward to The Cane Mutiny (#13) and The Glass is Always Greener (#16), but I know I won't be able to hang in there for that long.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Den of Antiquity series by Tamar Myers. The story is fairly entertaining and the mystery is filled with suspects. But I have to say that it's filled with a dialogue that aims to be a witty banter, but really just falls flat. Every character seems to be stereotypically exaggerated and every conversation seems forced and fake. It was a quick read, but not overly engaging.

This story was one of the depicted books in the Featured Author - Nov 2011 - Tamar Myers page at the Cozy Mysteries group here at Goodreads. I like to check out the featured books and potentially find a new series to read. I'm not sure if this is one that I'll pick up, though.

[Diana Gotsch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually I like cozies. this is the first one by Tamar Myers I've read. It follows the formula for a traditional cozy.cute title, fairly bloodless murder that has a puzzle to be solved and oddball characters in amusing situations. Unfortunately pieces to the puzzle really aren't given to us. and the oddball characters are largely unlikable. Worse, the heroine is also unlikable. She over reacts to things. She lies when it is totally unnecessary. She calls everyone "dear" and then complains when someone calls her "Babe". The plot itself is at best ordinary. Sad thing is the actual mystery could have, handled with ore care been good. The setting, A street full of Antique stores, has real potential for a cozy. The Oddballs with a few redeeming personality traits could also be entertaining. sadly I will probably not find out if they improve because I will not be reading about them again.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sooo, I liked the overall setup of this story, so will stick with it another book or two to see how she develops her characters. The "whodunit" felt a little out in left field and rather like an "oh crap, I'm almost to the end of the storytelling, I'd best start wrapping this up pronto" scramble by the author. To me, the characters felt borderline Stephanie Plum silly with very little basis in reality, but I guess that's why this is called "Fiction", no? Fairly fluffy timepasser. Which I appear to be munching through like so much popcorn at the movies where these books are concerned...ah well, it is summer :) No brain cramps for me this season!

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I never really warmed up to Abigail I did enjoy this book. I found her too caustic in her comments. I realize she was still dealing with bitter feelings about her divorce but she seemed unable to make comments to anyone without some degree of sarcasm. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the murder, the red herring misdirections, and the quirky characters. I'll read the next book in the series just to see if Abby becomes less harsh now that there's a love interest in her life.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm being a little generous and giving this 3 stars instead of 2.5. There's nothing deep about this book and it is entertaining and cute. I thought Abigail, the main character, went a little overboard with her frequent references to being short. As usual in Tamar Myers' books, there is a lot of humor. This series isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I do enjoy a quick, light read every now and then.

[Andria Potter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five chapters in and DNF. Couldn't stand the main character. While the mystery was interesting, I disliked the heaps of Christian praying, religious references, and the "was your aunt saved, then she's having a good time up high". Yes, because I am sure she'd have been thrilled, finding out she'd died by strangulation, that's always something to celebrate over.

I just generally did not like this at all. My apologies to the author, but I tried. It just wasn't for me.

2 🌟

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried Myers' books based on reviews from the back of other mysteries that I had liked--I find that a good way to find new authors. This time I was disappointed. Sure, her characters are quirky but not funny. The mystery was just so-so. Not a series I'll go back to.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the spirited heroine....and her interesting way that she always gets pulled into a mystery. She has quirky family and friends who give humor to the pages so that you enjoy reading every book in her series.

[Pammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't waste your time with this one. The protagonist is too flippant and the other characters are one-dimensional.

[Chris Curtis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely hated the main character.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author. I enjoyed the setting, although the humor took some getting used to. I will read on in this series.

[Leah]

I hate the main character. I just can't stand her.

[Book friends are my best friends · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of course, it was the hypocritical "Christian" who was the killer. I'm so over the offensive use of make-believe Christians as the murderer.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really difficult for me to rate. I found it kind of ... stupid (I know that's not a word we're supposed to use, but I can't think of a better one.) Some of the characters were really ... too weird to be believable. Some of the dialog was just ... stupid. Having said all of that, however, I laughed a lot at this book. Maybe because it was so stupid it was funny? I absolutely didn't see the end coming and that made it exciting. The mystery was right up front; yet there was a lot else going on as well, such as gay neighbors and other bigoted neighbors and sexual interludes and hatred for the evil ex, and dealings with teen-age children. So I'm still not sure if I liked it or not ... but it certainly was worth a good laugh today. One thing I can say definitely ... Tamar Myers writes a bit differently than many of the other cozy authors I've been reading, and that alone made it worth the read.

[Sharla · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are pros and cons with this book. I like quirky characters but speaking as someone who has spent most of my life in the south, these southerners were more like caricatures than characters. I’m not likely to keep reading this series long if the Nazi sympathizer Major doesn’t become a murder victim soon. I guess every book needs a villain or two but it’s better if they eventually get their comeuppance. I love humor and this book has that but it’s a snarky humor, which I don’t mind but it can be wearing after a while. It’s nice that there is a cat named Dimitri, but I sure did cringe when the main character, Abby, said he had been declawed. Ouch! I admit to being entertained but the motives of just about everyone for just about everything were shaky. I’m not terribly picky about such but so many of the actions taken did not ring true. In spite of the problems, this book was engaging enough to keep me reading and I will probably give the next one a try. We’ll see how it goes.

[Teri-K · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really need to stop checking out books because I like the cover. lol Actually, this book started just fine, and I enjoyed it for a while, but eventually I began to get tired of the Southern Folks stereotypes - they were everywhere. Then the MC found out her long-widowed Mom had a man over one evening, and she freaked out. I thought that was strange, though I think it's supposed to be funny. But when she reveals she has the Confederate flag in her closet, because she doesn't "want to offend anyone", I was offended. When was this book written? Turns out it was published in 1996, and perhaps things were different then, I can't pin it down in my head. But in 2023 I found it all pretty offensive. I know I've read some other books by this author. I hope they weren't as narrow-minded as this one. I'll be embarrassed if they are.

[Kellene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the first book in Myers’ other series, and expected to like this one as well, since it is set in a city that I know fairly well. Unfortunately, my expectation was woefully incorrect. I just could not like this book. Abagail was horribly irritating to me, sarcastic and hateful too much of the time. And the other characters were equally annoying, with the exception of Greg, who seems like a genuinely nice guy and one who needs to distance himself for Abagail. I think the fact that too many of the characters played to negative Southern stereotypes was part of my problem. The mystery itself was just okay, and while I was surprised by the solution, it put me off even more. I may give the next one a try to see if the series improves, but not in a hurry.

[Rachel N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abigail Timberlake is recently divorced and owner of the antique shop The Den of Antiquity. Her aunt Eulonia owns a run down antique shop on the same street and the rest of the local store owners want her to fix up her shop or move out. Then Eulonia is found strangled by an antique bell pull. This is the first book in the series. I mostly liked Abigail though she annoyingly called everyone dear and the word dear sometimes appeared more than ten times on a page. The solution to the crime came out of nowhere. I like Abigail more than I do Magdalena from the other series of books by this author that I've read so I'll likely continue the series.

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the movie with a very similar name, this book has an old person being bumped off. Yet the protagonist, Abigail Timberlake, seems more upset about losing her inheritance, including a priceless piece of antique lace, than losing her aunt Eulonia. Unlike some reviewers, I actually enjoyed Abby’s witty and spunky character. And Tamar Myers paints a colorful picture of the Carolinas. Yet unlike a good mystery writer, Myers does not lead the reader inexorably toward the finale. Yes the plot has twists and turns and false leads. But the ending, while exciting, comes out of the blue with no relationship to the preceding 85% of the book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the humor in this book...the author has a some good ideas and great character development. I love Abigail and find her character refreshing. I honestly would rate this hos book a 3.5 but figure a 5 star rating is ok too. Loved the plot keeping you guessing on The Who done it. I think I'm gonna enjoy reading about Abigail's kids in this series and more than likely the ex husband. Good start to a series.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable plot involving quirky Southern ladies and an association of antique shops.

The heroine loses her aunt to murder, her rent free home to her aunt who doesn't want any changes inside or out and her lawyer husband to a younger woman.

This may have been fresh when written, but is all too predictable now, including the cute etective who is single.

Willing to try a few more.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As owner of Den of Antiquity, Abigail Timberlake is accustomed to delving into the past. Then her Aunt Eulonia Wiggins is found murdered and Abigail is puzzled by the antique bell pull that was used to strangle her aunt. And someone is threatening Abigail's son Charlie. Now she must find out who killed her aunt and why.

[Jessi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is definitely of its time and did not age well. The characters feel like caricatures and I didn't connect with ay of them, I clouding thr first person author.
Abigail Timberlake is running an antiquities store after her husband divorced her. She's living for free in her aunt's home and blatantly disrespecting the rules set put for her (they're a little onerous but not so bad that she should be biting the hand that feeds her.) The board she's on for the area where she has her shop is up in arms about another shop in town... Abigails's aunt. So, when said aunt is murdered, it could have been any one of a number of people.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of neighboring antique shore owners come together to solve the mystery of one of their neighbors. I did tire of the religious judgmental condemning. Which goes to show one must beware of the religious kooks. In the antique store with the bell pull.