A brand-new book in the Antiques & Collectibles Mystery series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs.“A wonderfully written, captivating cozy novel with likeable main characters and an interesting plot!” —Goodreads review, on A Treacherous TraderIn the world of antiques and collectibles, it helps to have a sharp eye for quality, a good ear for gossip, and a nose … quality, a good ear for gossip, and a nose for murder.
When star reporter Molly Appleby exchanged vows with her new husband, she also made a promise to give up sleuthing. But given her knack for stumbling onto murders, and murderers, she’s realizing she never should have made a promise she couldn’t keep.
Molly’s just finished an article on the Forget Me Not Doll Club for Collector’s Weekly, but before the magazine even hits the newsstands, one of the club members is found murdered, and a stolen antique doll—purportedly haunted—is found in the victim’s house. When police discover that few of the peculiar club members will mourn the deceased, and that most of them had more motives than alibis, they once again enlist Molly’s help to solve this very odd case.
But piecing together a deadly puzzle is never easy, and when another member of the club is attacked, Molly begins to wonder if the eccentric group of doll lovers might have deeper and darker connections than she ever imagined. And as she begins to piece together the unusual background of the eerie doll and uncovers a history of troubled lives, she realizes there are more victims than the obvious ones in this case—and that some people will do anything to protect their darkest secrets.
About the Authors:
New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. Ms. Adams has held many jobs, including that of caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all the while penning poems, children’s books, and novels. She now writes full-time from her home in Virginia.
Parker Riggs is also the author of the mystery novels A Treacherous Trader and A Devious Lot (with Ellery Adams), and Finding Jessica. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.
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A Killer Keepsake by Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs is the sixth book in An Antiques and Collectibles Mystery series. I enjoy visiting Molly Appleby to find out what antique she is researching in each new book and what mystery she will find herself embroiled in this time. Our regular characters are back (Matt, Tony, Sean Murphy, Clara) as we return to Burlington, Vermont. Molly has grown since the series began and I am curious how her sleuthing will tie in with married life. I thought the story contained good writing and steady pacing. A Killer Keepsake can be read on its own if you are new to this series (or if you have missed a couple of books). I was slightly overwhelmed by the number of people introduced in this book (Forget Me Not Doll Club members, Sierra’s father, Miranda’s assistant, a nurse, estranged hubby, etc.). It is hard to keep track of all the characters. I thought the mystery was interesting with it involving an 80 year old German bisque doll that is supposedly haunted. We get to find out more about the doll and how Sierra came to own it (we dive back in history to the late 1930s). Molly is brought on a consultant for her antique and collectible knowledge. We must suspend our disbelief about this as well as Molly questioning suspects without a detective present (it’s fiction). I had no difficulty pinpointing the guilty party early in the tale. There are good clues to help readers solve the whodunit before the reveal. I am glad that Molly is not having to keep her promise to give up sleuthing. I knew the writers would find a way around it. The ending of A Killer Keepsake was so sweet. A Killer Keepsake is a cute cozy mystery with a disturbing doll with a haunting history, a romantic relationship, a motivated murderer, and a collector correspondent as a cop consultant.
This was a really good installment in the series. I have to say that the last couple of books and this one all really showed huge growth in the main character. I would have stopped reading after the first book or two, but had already downloaded the third and have to say that I am glad that I kept at it as in the end I really liked the main character as well as all the supporting characters except for her mother. I just never could warm up to that personality. This installment finds the main character embroiled in a mystery of who the murderer could be when one member of a doll club gets offed just after the main character had interviewed the group. The plot was well thought out and entertaining. For the series overall, I have to say that this one was my least favorite of this authors as I have absolutely loved several others that she has written. This was a good book to end the series on with the direction that the personal lives of the characters is going, it ends things nicely.