Rating: 
Summary: Stylish, but lacking
Review: There were many elements I enjoyed about this novel; the main one: the language. Author Tamar Myers has a wonderful sense of wordplay and wit that makes many passages a joy to read. However, in my opinion, this element detracts from the rather flimsy plot: returning home from a vacation, protagnist Abigail Timberlake finds her business -- the Den of Antiquity antique store -- burgled, and her finances in shambles. Depressed, she accepts an offer from Tradd Latham, part of an old Southern family with loads of money, not to mention the requisite odd relations, to join him for a possibly profitable adventure. The plot concerns a contest, in which participants have to find a specific antique hidden by the family matriarch. What's found first, however, is a dead body: the sluttish maid. Abigail's dim friend, CJ, confesses to the murder, and that sends Abigail, Tradd, and a host of other colorful characters looking for the real murderer. The resolution of the plot is standard, with the wit overshadowing everything (favorite witty moment: Tradd's number of children sprinkled throughout the community, referred to as 'Traddpoles'). Entertaining, but not for the hardcore mystery fan.
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