O' Artful Death: A Mystery

Rating:
Summary: O' Artful Tale
Review: Are your shelves cluttered with mysteries? Have you stopped buying novels or books period just because every horizontal surface at home is covered in perilously spiralling stacks of printed and bound matter that sway in the slightest indoor breeze? Don't worry, because O' Artful Death, a brilliant debut by Sarah Stewart Taylor, is not a book that will make you pause briefly in appreciation for its author's talent and hard work as you place it in what was formerly the refrigerator, lately the chilly annex to your already-considerable library. No, this is the all-too-rare book that will not further reduce the space left for sleeping on your bed because you will want to share it with others, that demands by the inspired construction of its plot, the strength of its characters (especially the immediately indelible Sweeney St. George) and the excellence of its prose to be pressed enthusiastically into the hands of friends and, yes, even strangers; introduce yourself if they seem wary, because they are going to want to track you down and thank you later. Don't count, however, on getting your copy back-they will most likely already have raved about and passed it off to someone else. Truly compelling from start to finish, and I am now left eagerly anticipating Sweeney's next appearance on the page. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Debut Mystery
Review: College professor Sweeney St. George is looking forward to a nice quiet Christmas break alone in her apartment. But when her friend Toby shows her a picture of a unique gravestone near his aunt and uncle, she can't resist investigating. After all, it'll make a perfect chapter in her book on gravestones of New England.

The stone is located in an artist's colony in Vermont dating back to the late 1800's. Rumor is that the young woman immortalized by that stone was murdered by one of the artists, but no arrests were ever made.

Even before Sweeney arrives, the woman's great-niece is murdered. Ruth Kimball told Sweeney on the phone about the rumors. Is there a connection between the gravestone, the mysterious death of 115 years ago, and the murder today? If Sweeney wants the truth about this unique stone, she'll have to find out.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book when I first heard about it, but put off getting it. That was a mistake. This is a wonderfully written debut. The descriptions make the colony come to vivid life. The style is relaxed, inviting you to sit back and enjoy. I did have problems keeping all the character and the relations to those from the past straight, but with some work I was able to figure it all out. The plot was wonderful, giving us new information but keeping us in the dark until the end with plenty of clues and red herrings sprinkled throughout the book.

I've fallen under the spell of this author and series. I can't wait for the next book to come out. I highly recommend you pick up this excellent debut today.

Rating:
Summary: A skillfully managed mystery
Review: Sarah Stewart Taylor's O'Artful Death is a skillfully managed mystery -- several mysteries, in fact. Discovering secrets of a Vermont community's past and present, protagonist Sweeney St. George seeks the truth with an art historian's passion for research and a detective's willingness to ask difficult questions. What's more, Sweeney is likeable, smart, and I enjoyed getting to know her. I look forward to spending more time with Sweeney when Taylor provides her with what I'm sure will be another engrossing adventure.