<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat disappointing
Review: Author Judith Van Gieson took time out from her mystery series starring Neil Hamel, to create a second series. This is the first book in what I believe is a superior series to Hamel. The book's a gift to booklovers (much like John Dunning's work), in that, as a rare-books librarian at a University campus, heroine Claire takes us into the world of collectors, readers, what makes value, and just the love of all things "bookish". She's an interesting heroine, with grown children, newly divorced from a marriage that makes you wonder (why did she stay?)and a new job in the often cutthroat world of academia. A wealthy mentor has died, leaving his books collection to the University where Claire is employed. It's a feather in her cap, but she also finds herself needing to agree to be the executor of his estate. His odd family and his ranch, in a rancher vs. naturalist part of New Mexico have you saying silently to her..."What, are you nuts?" From both the donation and the need to be the executor come the mysteries. I must say, I thought the culprit in each would be different, but I was proven wrong. The mystery line is gentle, probably a good way to introduce a librarian into the world of crime solving. The real star in this book, however, is Gieson's imagery and depth of feeling for the New Mexico landscape. Both the raw power and beauty of the area are on display for all to see and enjoy. She's really given the reader something solid here, as I found myself homesick, and wishing I had a Southwestern desert vacation planned. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: What a great book for book lovers!
Review: Author Judith Van Gieson took time out from her mystery series starring Neil Hamel, to create a second series. This is the first book in what I believe is a superior series to Hamel. The book's a gift to booklovers (much like John Dunning's work), in that, as a rare-books librarian at a University campus, heroine Claire takes us into the world of collectors, readers, what makes value, and just the love of all things "bookish". She's an interesting heroine, with grown children, newly divorced from a marriage that makes you wonder (why did she stay?)and a new job in the often cutthroat world of academia. A wealthy mentor has died, leaving his books collection to the University where Claire is employed. It's a feather in her cap, but she also finds herself needing to agree to be the executor of his estate. His odd family and his ranch, in a rancher vs. naturalist part of New Mexico have you saying silently to her..."What, are you nuts?" From both the donation and the need to be the executor come the mysteries. I must say, I thought the culprit in each would be different, but I was proven wrong. The mystery line is gentle, probably a good way to introduce a librarian into the world of crime solving. The real star in this book, however, is Gieson's imagery and depth of feeling for the New Mexico landscape. Both the raw power and beauty of the area are on display for all to see and enjoy. She's really given the reader something solid here, as I found myself homesick, and wishing I had a Southwestern desert vacation planned. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: What do you mean, Where are the Editors?
Review: I have read and enjoyed Judy Van Gieson's books for years, including The Stolen Blue. I did not notice any grammatical errors in this book, probably because I was so taken with the story and the vivid description of New Mexico and "The Blue". Van Gieson's new book will get you hooked from the first page. Claire, Van Geison's new heroine, is an interesting, intelligent and real person who's love of books and the southwest will keep you turning pages. As always, Van Geison's words flow smoothly and the mystery draws you in and keeps you guessing till the end.
Rating:
Summary: Good Southwestern bibliophile mystery
Review: I've heard Judith Van Gieson's previous mysteries described as hard-boiled, but this one's definitely a cozy. The sleuth is Claire Reynier, a librarian at the University of New Mexico's Center for Southwest Research, who practices tai chi, loves books, listens to Mozart, and has a cat named Nemesis. Her dying mentor, Burke Lovell, turns over his private collection of Southwest-related books to the university. While Claire is at his ranch, located in a remote region called "the Blue," to pick up the books, Burke commits suicide with the assistance of a newfound daughter. When Claire returns to the university, a box containing some especially valuable books (including two by Tony Hillerman) and a volume titled "History of the Blue" is stolen. This mystery is great fun for book lovers. It's replete with eccentric bibliophiles, various libraries, and antiquarian bookstores. Ms. Van Gieson's characterizations and descriptions are vivid and detailed. If you've ever been in New Mexico, this book will take you back there; if you haven't, you'll get a good idea of what it's like. Apparently the editors and proofreaders didn't quite make it to the end of the book. They did a fairly good job until the very last paragraph, where someone is referred to by the wrong name. That aside, this is a very entertaining read, and I look forward to more of Claire's adventures in the promised sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Good Southwestern bibliophile mystery
Review: I've heard Judith Van Gieson's previous mysteries described as hard-boiled, but this one's definitely a cozy. The sleuth is Claire Reynier, a librarian at the University of New Mexico's Center for Southwest Research, who practices tai chi, loves books, listens to Mozart, and has a cat named Nemesis. Her dying mentor, Burke Lovell, turns over his private collection of Southwest-related books to the university. While Claire is at his ranch, located in a remote region called "the Blue," to pick up the books, Burke commits suicide with the assistance of a newfound daughter. When Claire returns to the university, a box containing some especially valuable books (including two by Tony Hillerman) and a volume titled "History of the Blue" is stolen. This mystery is great fun for book lovers. It's replete with eccentric bibliophiles, various libraries, and antiquarian bookstores. Ms. Van Gieson's characterizations and descriptions are vivid and detailed. If you've ever been in New Mexico, this book will take you back there; if you haven't, you'll get a good idea of what it's like. Apparently the editors and proofreaders didn't quite make it to the end of the book. They did a fairly good job until the very last paragraph, where someone is referred to by the wrong name. That aside, this is a very entertaining read, and I look forward to more of Claire's adventures in the promised sequel.
Rating:
Summary: irishcowboy
Review: mystery/murder books have always been overlooked by me. plots and themes are too predictable. i ordered this from University of New Mexico Press. since i live in the Southwest, i was naturally 'drawn' to this book. the main setting is Albuquerque. i've lived there and will always love that city. five pages into the reading; i could not put it down. sure, i'm biased towards the Southwest. This particular book can appeal to anyone. (like Tony Hillerman appeals to just about anyone). i 'sailed' through it the first time. took a few days off reading other books. then, i found myself re-reading: THE STOLEN BLUE. i seldom,if ever, recommend a book. but this time, i WOULD recommend it to anyone. ...like Tony Hillerman's writings are popular EVEYWHERE, Judith Van Gieson has bestselling potential here. rarely do i find myself re-reading a book so soon. THE STOLEN BLUE was one of those books. 'nuff said?
Rating:
Summary: Hasty but Tasty
Review: This is an entertaining mystery which introduces a new sleuth, Claire Reynier, who is a rare-books librarian at the University of New Mexico. It involves stolen books, a contested will and murder. It is fast-paced and humorous. Van Gieson does an excellent job of painting the character of her new detective without slowing down the story. Claire is middle-aged, divorced, practices tai chi, loves books and cats. Through her eyes we get a brief look at various facets of anglo culture in New Mexico and an even briefer glimpse of the landscape. The shortcoming of the book is its hurried feel -- especially at the end. The trap Claire uses to catch the thief/murderers is so transparent it wouldn't fool anyone. And the wrapup is terse as an afterthought. Others have noted the error with names in the final paragraph of the book. I will watch for the next Claire Reynier mystery, hoping that it will be a more fully realized piece of work.
Rating:
Summary: Book-lovers enjoy!
Review: This is an intriguing biblio-mystery. When Claire's long-time friend Burke Lovell dies, leaving her library a collection of valuable books and placing Claire in charge of settling his estate, he also leaves this librarian a heap of trouble. Shortly after returning to the library with her acquisition of Burke's book collection, a particularly valuable box of books is stolen from Claire's truck. Upset, but determined to catch the thief, Claire reaches out to her contacts in the rare book world to help her solve the crime. She doesn't just want to recover the books - she wants the thief to pay for the crime. Claire eventually discovers that the motive for the crime may go deeper than suspected and there may be more to the books than their face value. As Claire unravels the thief's true motives, an engaging read for both book and mystery lovers comes to life.
Rating: 
Summary: Now, this was a good book..
Review: This is the first in this series featuring Claire Reynier, Acquisitions Librarian for New Mexico's Center for Southwest Research. Her mentor summons her to his house to witness his will in which he gives her Center his extensive book collection and his house to his daughter. When a portion of the collection is stolen from her truck, Claire sets out to recover the books, find out who stole the books since only a handful of people knew she had them, and why anyone would want to steal them in the first place. There isn't much mystery here, but there is tons of atmosphere. Van Gieson's New Mexico comes alive with her skillful pen - you can almost smell the creosote smoke in the air. However, this slim book moves along at a very leisurely pace so if you like the kind of mysteries with lots of twists and turns and a mad dash to the denouement, this is not the book for you. If you like your mysteries in the cozy genre, grab this book up.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat disappointing
Review: This who-dun-it kept me engrossed about half way through, but disappointed me at the end because the suspect was too predictable. A weak point of the plot: how could the thief know if and when Claire Reynier would leave her truck with the valuable books unattended (a dumb thing to do for such an intelligent heroine). Claire is an interesting character, but the repetitive descriptions of her daily routines get tiresome. Who cares if she lets the cat out every time she comes home from work, or eats another frozen pasta dinner (it's a wonder she can stay healthy on a diet like that!) And one gets bogged down by all those lengthy paragraphs describing traffic and road conditions every time she sets out to drive somewhere. On the positive side, the plot is refreshingly unusual and the descriptions of New Mexico and its culture are vivid.
<< 1 >>
|
