Rating: 
Summary: Splendid Mystery
Review: In this installment of Tamar Myer's Den of Antiquity mystery series, Abigail Timberlake Washburn and her husband Greg have moved to Charleston so he can fulfill his dream to be a shrimp fisherman. Abby opens another antique store and her friends, affectionately known as the Rob-Bob's, have opened a store nearby. Abby is happy but would like to fit into Charleston society. She thinks she may have found a way when Mrs. Amelia Shadbark, a leading society lady, invites her over for tea and asks her to appraise and help sell a collection of Lalique glass sculptures. Unfortunately, Mrs. Shadbark is murdered shortly after their tea and Abby is a suspect. Abby sets out to find the killer before her standing in society is ruined forever.
This is another well plotted mystery, with plenty of suspects. There is plenty of humor, with a running gag being the mispronunciation of "Timberlake". I'm glad Tamar Myers kept CJ as a character, she's one of the funniest parts of the books. Once again, Abby seems a little naïve, her lack of knowledge in antiques is a bit much sometimes. Also, her willingness to take people at face value and even employ someone without getting references can be unbelievable at times. Still, the plotting and the humor overcome all that, and I recommend this entire series for fans of humorous, "cozy" mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: Clever...too clever!
Review: SPLENDOR IN THE GLASS is a clever book. In fact, its greatest problem is that it's too clever. Its protagonist is too cutesy, the protagnist's snap responses are too quick and too hokey. This is a shame, because author Tamar Myers obviously is a gifted writer of mysteries. This story is complicated and interesting: Myers' details about Charleston, where the tale is set, and about collectible crystal and antique shops, all seem accurate and these really are quite interesting. Her ear for dialogue, even when that dialogue is strained, is excellent. Thus, the overly cute tone bogs down what actually is a very good mystery, rather than enhancing it, as had to have been Ms. Myers' intent. SPLENDOR IN THE GLASS--even the name is cutesy--is a good book. Yet this novel misses being great, and SPLENDOR did have the potential to be more than it was.
Rating:
Summary: Clever...too clever!
Review: SPLENDOR IN THE GLASS is a clever book. In fact, its greatest problem is that it's too clever. Its protagonist is too cutesy, the protagnist's snap responses are too quick and too hokey. This is a shame, because author Tamar Myers obviously is a gifted writer of mysteries. This story is complicated and interesting: Myers' details about Charleston, where the tale is set, and about collectible crystal and antique shops, all seem accurate and these really are quite interesting. Her ear for dialogue, even when that dialogue is strained, is excellent. Thus, the overly cute tone bogs down what actually is a very good mystery, rather than enhancing it, as had to have been Ms. Myers' intent. SPLENDOR IN THE GLASS--even the name is cutesy--is a good book. Yet this novel misses being great, and SPLENDOR did have the potential to be more than it was.
Rating: 
Summary: Splendor in the Glass
Review: Tamar Myers has done it again! Her quirky, yet lovable, characters make these novels so much fun to read. Readers who enjoyed the Southern Sisters series by the late Anne George would find both of Tamar Myers' series enchanting.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Escape
Review: Tamar Myers latest novel is a delighfully fun read!! What a pleasure to read a mystery and get to giggle all the way through! Living just outside of Charleston myself I can assure you that Mrs. Myers has it right - names that are spelled one way and pronounced another, old society, being from "off" and "way off," and lots of crazy characters! I am more than happy to welcome Abby Timberlake Washburn and her quirky friends and relatives to Charleston and I hope they stay for a very long time. I've recommended this book to all my friends and am eagerly awaiting the next installment!
Rating:
Summary: Abby Comes To Charleston!
Review: Tamar Myers specializes in the "cozy" mystery, full of one-liners and over-the-top characters. In this book Abby Timberlake Washburn has moved her Den of Antiquity Shop to Charleston, where her new husband, Greg, can pursue life as a shrimper. Abby quickly discerns that coming from "off" (anywhere other than Charleston) immediately puts a person down on the social scale. However, when socialite Mrs. Amelia Shadbark invites her to tea, she feels that her social status is assured. Mrs. Shadbark's invitation is more business than social, and she invites Abby to sell her priceless Lalique glass collection. Abby is only too glad to oblige, but before she has the opportunity to start, Mrs. Shadbark is found dead. Because she was the last person to see Mrs. S. alive, Abby becomes a prime suspect. She does some of her own investigating, as is her custom, and discovers several suspects. How she pins down the real murderer, while avoiding becoming the next victim, constitutes the rest of this amusing tale. Myers has a new setting for her stories, but brings along most of Abby's pals, such as C.J. and the Rob-Bobs, whom we've grown fond of during the series.
Rating:
Summary: Humorous mystery
Review: Tamar Myers specializes in the "cozy" mystery, full of one-liners and over-the-top characters. In this book Abby Timberlake Washburn has moved her Den of Antiquity Shop to Charleston, where her new husband, Greg, can pursue life as a shrimper. Abby quickly discerns that coming from "off" (anywhere other than Charleston) immediately puts a person down on the social scale. However, when socialite Mrs. Amelia Shadbark invites her to tea, she feels that her social status is assured. Mrs. Shadbark's invitation is more business than social, and she invites Abby to sell her priceless Lalique glass collection. Abby is only too glad to oblige, but before she has the opportunity to start, Mrs. Shadbark is found dead. Because she was the last person to see Mrs. S. alive, Abby becomes a prime suspect. She does some of her own investigating, as is her custom, and discovers several suspects. How she pins down the real murderer, while avoiding becoming the next victim, constitutes the rest of this amusing tale. Myers has a new setting for her stories, but brings along most of Abby's pals, such as C.J. and the Rob-Bobs, whom we've grown fond of during the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Skip it.
Review: There are so many threads started but never finished in this book. The author spent so much time on CJ's crackpot personality, Shelby and Granny Ledbetter stories that she forgot she was writing a mystery. CJ's stupidity as well as Abby's mother's (Mozella) just takes over the novel. It is impossible for Abby to get through her investigation without one or both of them running off at the mouth embarrassing her. I know that in the South they love their eccentrics, but in the North, those two are certifiable. You have to wonder how Abby manages to stay in business when she can't recognize an obvious fake, and she actually yells at someone and chases him away when he's trying to tell her something. She also relies on her new assistant far more than she should so that she can conduct her nosey investigations. She's made both mistakes in previous novels.
Rating:
Summary: Splendor is Splendid
Review: This is one of the best books in Ms. Myers' "Den of Antiquity" series. When a pillar of Charleston's society invites Abby to tea and then dies, Abby tries to save her rep by finding the killer. This is the first book that shows Abby in her new home, Charleston, and as a new bride. Mom lives right in with Abby (how could we not have Mozella around?). Friends CJ and the Rob-Bobs visit. The plot is excellent and full of surprises. Additional characters are kept few, interesting and uncomplicated. Ms. Myers' humor does not seem to kick in until the last parts of the book. Again she relies on past phrases that have gotten her laughs in prior books but are now old to us. The paint shaker at the Home Depot & a sandwich short of a picnic were worn and tired phrases several books ago. Her repeated use of "wailed" can get irritating, and I don't know why she brings up "my good friend, Madgalena Yoder" (her main character from her other, Penn-Dutch, mystery series) so often. Once would have been fun. I may sound like an ungrateful reader, and I am not. She continues to be a top favorite. In spite of these flaws that keep me from giving it 5 stars, this is still one of her best. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Splendor is Splendid
Review: This is one of the best books in Ms. Myers' "Den of Antiquity" series. When a pillar of Charleston's society invites Abby to tea and then dies, Abby tries to save her rep by finding the killer. This is the first book that shows Abby in her new home, Charleston, and as a new bride. Mom lives right in with Abby (how could we not have Mozella around?). Friends CJ and the Rob-Bobs visit. The plot is excellent and full of surprises. Additional characters are kept few, interesting and uncomplicated. Ms. Myers' humor does not seem to kick in until the last parts of the book. Again she relies on past phrases that have gotten her laughs in prior books but are now old to us. The paint shaker at the Home Depot & a sandwich short of a picnic were worn and tired phrases several books ago. Her repeated use of "wailed" can get irritating, and I don't know why she brings up "my good friend, Madgalena Yoder" (her main character from her other, Penn-Dutch, mystery series) so often. Once would have been fun. I may sound like an ungrateful reader, and I am not. She continues to be a top favorite. In spite of these flaws that keep me from giving it 5 stars, this is still one of her best. Don't miss it.
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