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mbpartlow's review against another edition
3.0
I love a good cozy mystery, but I'm rather finicky about how much disbelief I'm willing to suspend. If you like a light, fun, cozy, chances are you'll like this. But the relationships form much too fast, and the "suspects" are too willing to spill what they know. The final save of the main character, plus all that happens with her cat, are elements that took it out of the field of believable for me .
jessschira's review against another edition
5.0
I choose Baroque and Desperate for the PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt "A Book with a Pun in the Title." I have to admit, I questioned the wisdom of adding this book to my pile of books that met the challenge prompts. I've read two Tamar Meyers books in the past. One (Death of a Rug Lord) I struggled to finish, though I enjoyed the other book, (No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk) I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this one. It's part of the same series as Rug Lord and I hated the idea of having to force myself to finish a book when there are so many others out there that meet the prompt that I would like.
Despite my worries, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I found the characters delightful and unique, especially the pair of lawyers who were incapable of lying) and LOL'd many times. Not only is this book going on my keeper pile, I fully plan on picking up more books in the series. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries or who simply needs a light, fun read to chase the blues the away.
Despite my worries, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I found the characters delightful and unique, especially the pair of lawyers who were incapable of lying) and LOL'd many times. Not only is this book going on my keeper pile, I fully plan on picking up more books in the series. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy mysteries or who simply needs a light, fun read to chase the blues the away.
xterminal's review
3.0
Tamar Myers, Baroque and Desperate (Avon, 1999)
I've been an ambivalent fan of Tamar Myers for a while now. I'm never quite sure what I'm going to get with one of her books. I've finished Baroque and Desperate, the fourth Den of Antiquity mystery, and it's done nothing to change my perceptions either way.
The book opens with fearless detective and antique shop owner Abigail Timberlake getting back into town after a vacation to find that the Den of Antiquity has been robbed. Well, robbed may not be the word for it; the shop is as clean as a whistle. Everything, including the cash register, the wastebaskets, and even the shelving is gone. Just as she's starting to wonder what's going to happen in her life, a guy sitting next to her on the plane home shows up at the store with a proposition. His grandmother, a very rich, very eccentric woman, has hidden an antique worth at least a hundred thousand dollars somewhere on her estate. He needs a professional eye to help him. Desperate for a quick buck to save the business, she agrees. (Don't worry, folks, the intrepid sidekick, not to mention Dmitri the cat, come along for the ride.)
If you've read a Tamar Myers mystery before, you know what to expect. The wit is fresh, the puns are awful, the mystery is fun (albeit capped, always, with the annoying "ah, and here's how I did it!" section). She does go a bit overboard here with her descriptions of C.J.'s insanity (there must be at least four dozen variations on "one king short of a full deck" here, and it gets annoying after a while), but everything else seems to be clicking on all cylinders.
So Baroque and Desperate ends up getting the same lukewarm recommend as most of Tamar Myers' catalogue. I keep waiting for the book that will push me one way or the other; looks like I'm going to continue waiting. ***
I've been an ambivalent fan of Tamar Myers for a while now. I'm never quite sure what I'm going to get with one of her books. I've finished Baroque and Desperate, the fourth Den of Antiquity mystery, and it's done nothing to change my perceptions either way.
The book opens with fearless detective and antique shop owner Abigail Timberlake getting back into town after a vacation to find that the Den of Antiquity has been robbed. Well, robbed may not be the word for it; the shop is as clean as a whistle. Everything, including the cash register, the wastebaskets, and even the shelving is gone. Just as she's starting to wonder what's going to happen in her life, a guy sitting next to her on the plane home shows up at the store with a proposition. His grandmother, a very rich, very eccentric woman, has hidden an antique worth at least a hundred thousand dollars somewhere on her estate. He needs a professional eye to help him. Desperate for a quick buck to save the business, she agrees. (Don't worry, folks, the intrepid sidekick, not to mention Dmitri the cat, come along for the ride.)
If you've read a Tamar Myers mystery before, you know what to expect. The wit is fresh, the puns are awful, the mystery is fun (albeit capped, always, with the annoying "ah, and here's how I did it!" section). She does go a bit overboard here with her descriptions of C.J.'s insanity (there must be at least four dozen variations on "one king short of a full deck" here, and it gets annoying after a while), but everything else seems to be clicking on all cylinders.
So Baroque and Desperate ends up getting the same lukewarm recommend as most of Tamar Myers' catalogue. I keep waiting for the book that will push me one way or the other; looks like I'm going to continue waiting. ***
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