The Cane Mutiny (Den of Antiquity Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Abigail Timberlake, owner of the "Den of Antiquity" an antique store, makes one of the winning bids on a locker at a locked trunk sale. She's pleased to discover that one of things in the locker is a collection of antique canes. She's less pleased to find a gym bag containing what looks like a human skull. She calls the police, who, after asking too many stupid questions, arrest Abby for obstruction of justice. Her mother quickly bails her out and Abby sets out to clear her name by questioning all the people who also bid on the locker, thinking one of them might be a murderer.

This is a very funny book with lots of jokes and very little mystery. The plot meanders all over the place, from who is getting into the store and moving the antique canes, to who owned the skull that Abby found to who murdered the housekeeper/lover of one of the suspects. Halfway through I wondered why I was even reading this book until I came to the following sentence (describing an author in the book) "(her) novels are merely witty, relying far too heavily on humor and wordplay". Tamar Myers must have had her tongue planted firmly in cheek when she wrote that as she describes her own books perfectly. Her mysteries are filled with eccentric characters such as Abby, who knows shockingly little about antiques considering she owns an antique store; her mother, Mozilla, who dresses like a mother in a 50's sitcom; and her friend, C.J. who tells the most outrageous stories about her relatives. The mysteries are thin, but the books are at time laugh out loud funny and yes, involve lots of word play.

Tamar Myers' mysteries are for those who love humorous books and don't mind reading a really light mystery.

Let us set the record straight right from the very beginning. If you are looking for a deep and puzzling mystery with serious sleuthing and hard-edged characters you will not like this book or this series. If on the other hand you like to take little flights of fancy and just read something that is fun, entertaining and just plain laugh out loud funny, this is an excellent series for you and this latest installment is simply wonderful.

Abigail Washburn, who uses the last name Timberlake for business purposes, has a highly successful antique store in the more snooty area of Charleston, South Carolina. Her problem is that her business keeps bringing her into contact with an unusually high number of dead bodies or parts thereof. Usually she finds that she is a suspect and jumps into action to clear herself because she says that she is too beautiful to go to prison. Don't get the wrong idea about her however for she says this in a very facetious manner. In this installment of the series she buys a locker that she is happy to discover contains some old walking canes. She is not so happy however when she discovers a skull that just might be human came with her purchase.

Once again she finds herself in trouble and heads out to do a little snooping and the fun really gets started. As usual the characters that she investigates are a highly unusual bunch and also as usual someone she has just talked to ends up dead. What is unusual about this entry into this series is that Abby actually solves the mystery in a way that would make Colombo proud. Usually she just bumbles around until the killer gets tired of her questions and tries to kill her. This time however she figures it all out for herself and finally confronts the killer from a point of strength. She still almost gets killed but this time she knows why.

As usual, Abby's quirky family and friends add much of the color and humor to the plot. Her friend CJ is about to marry Abby's brother Toy and Mama Wiggins is having a petite fit because CJ intends to wear a dress that is much too close to white. CJ also intends to have one of her cousin's from Shelby be a bridesmaid even though they are going to have to do a DNA test to see if she is a human or a goat. And finally, Bob of the famous Rob-Bobs drops a bombshell about his younger days.

This is probably not the best book to start this series with because so much of what is going on needs background information that can only be found in previous books, but I guarantee that you will have a ball bringing yourself up to date. This series and this book in particular barely qualify as mysteries, cozy or otherwise, but they are such great fun that I really don't worry that much about the plot. I just sit back and have a great time reading about the exploits of Abby Washburn who is quite possibly the funniest detective of all time. I absolutely can't wait for her next adventure to hit the stands.

Abigail Louise Wiggins Timberlake Washburn, owner of the antique store named the Den of Antiquity, takes a chance and makes a bid at a sale at a storage center. As high bidder, she's the proud new owner of whatever lurks in the old locker that was last opened who knows when and gets first look at what she's purchased.

To her delight, she discovers an excellent collection of old walking sticks to add to her inventory at the antique store. When Abby opened the store two mornings in a row, she discovered the sticks out of their display and scattered about. Assuming her assistant closed the store without tidying up, Abby asked her about the canes. In both instances, the assistant claimed the canes were in their display when she locked up. Odd.

While the canes were a plus, another item Abby purchased in the sale--a human skull--was not. The police arrive, ask questions, then arrest Abby for obstruction of justice. After her mother bails her out of jail, Abby begins her quest to clear herself and her reputation-and almost gets herself killed.

The eccentric characters (including the diminutive heroine) in this book are as much fun as figuring out whodunit. This is the thirteenth Den of Antiquity mystery, and each title hints at the irreverence and fun you can expect from this talented author. After you've finished The Cane Mutiny, there's an overview of each of the other books in the series in case you missed them. If you like cozy mysteries, you've got to add Tamar Myers to your must read list.

Armchair Interview says this is an intriguing story, worth your time.