Review: The Big Steal by Emyl Jenkins

I’m not much of a mystery fan, which is why Emyl Jenkins’ The Big Steal had been in my “to donate” pile. But I had nothing to read — and I mean NOTHING. None of the books on my “to check out” shelf looked appealing. Most are non-fiction, and for Labor Day weekend, I didn’t want to read about parenting skills, social networking or the power of no.

So I pulled this book out of the donation pile, plunked my butt in a lawn chair, and read away on Saturday.

For that purpose, it was a good choice. It’s part of a series called the Sterling Glass mysteries. Sterling Glass isn’t a pretty item; rather, she’s a middle aged antiques appraiser who happens to get caught up in a mystery with every job she takes. In The Big Steal, she’s been hired to assess the value of antiques broken and/or stolen from the estate of Hoyt and Mazie Wyndfield, who built a huge palace filled with stuff in Orange County, Virginia.

But Glass doesn’t just waltz in, give a value, and go home. What kind of book would that be?

This isn’t high art here, but a light, fluffy mystery that reminded me a lot of the board game Clue. There’s no real violence, not graphic sex, and no cursing. It’s just a story to keep you company. Every chapter starts with an antique’s question too (Jenkins is an antique’s appraiser), which gives the book an Antique’s Roadshow type feel. And I love Antique’s Roadshow. Ask my mom. We’ve conference called during some episodes.

Next up is a book that a lot of people are waiting for:

I’ll report back!