The Big Steal

by: Emyl Jenkins (Sterling Glass mystery)

Published by: Algonquin (July 14 release)

Reviewed by Andrea Sisco

What happens when a real-life antiques appraiser decides to write a mystery novel? You get a life-like, well-developed protagonist in the form of Sterling Glass, that’s what. Sterling is a southern woman (that says it all) of a certain age who solves mysteries in the course of her work. Sterling has been referred to as Miss Marple wears Prada, and that is a pretty accurate description.

Emyl Jenkins’s sleuth, Sterling Glass, makes her second appearance in The Big Steal and it is big! There’s been a burglary at Wynderly, a Virginia mansion that has been turned into a museum. It’s not clear at first what is at the bottom of things, but as Sterling meets the staff, board members and others, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. There are fake pieces scattered throughout the museum. Who is behind it? The Wynderly’s (who loved to travel, but are a long time deceased) wouldn’t have dealt with fakes. Or would they? As Sterling unearths Wynderly’s history layer by layer, she learns some startling facts.

I absolutely love Sterling Glass. She’s smart, has southern charm down pat and uses facts and logic to solve the crime. Jenkins’s knowledge of antiques adds greatly to the novel, but it’s her well-developed characters, the twists and turns and the plot that makes her novels winners!

Read Stealing with Style, the first Sterling Glass mystery and then follow up with the delightful A Big Steal.

Armchair Interviews says: These books will bring you hours of entertainment.

Author’s site: http://SterlingGlassMysteries.com