The Sayers Swindle by Victoria Abbott

The Sayers Swindle by Victoria Abbott ISBN-13: 9780425255292 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: December 3, 2013

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Jordan Kelly is delighted to make money tracking down rare and valuable mystery novels for her employer, Vera Van Alst, an avid collector and the most difficult woman in Harrison Falls, New York. But now her boss’s complete set of Dorothy Sayers is missing, and finding them may lead Jordan to a murder suitable for Sayers’s esteemed sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey…

When Jordan manages to locate her boss’s missing books, they are in the possession of Randolph Adams, an elderly man in a nearby town. Offering a valuable Hemingway first edition as an incentive, Jordan thinks she’s about to seal the deal—but some of Randolph’s family think he shouldn't take it.

Then the entire family disappears—and a dead body shows up. Jordan tries to find Randolph (so she can get those Sayer books)—and makes sure a killer gets booked.


My Review:
The Sayers Swindle is a cozy mystery. It's the second book in the series. It doesn't spoil the whodunit of the first book, but you'll probably understand the second one better if you've read the first book. The author assumed you read the first book and didn't explain some could-be-confusing references.

The story is a situation comedy, going from one funny situation to another. The characters were enjoyable, but it was hard to take them too seriously. Since I've read so many mysteries, it wasn't too difficult to spot the suspicious behavior, take the information that Jordan discovered, and have a fair idea of where the story was headed. The question was more "how many awkward situations will Jordan get into while figuring this all out."

There was no sex. There was a minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this humorous mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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