March 18, 2009

PLANE READING

I just returned “home” to Seattle from a little side trip to Ohio where I visited with my family; more on that later.

My usual routine for flying is: 1 pill, 2 jacks, 1 trashy magazine, cough drops, gum, tissues and my lucky traveling necklace. However, I am getting more tolerant of flying and therefore need not be quite as sedated as usual, so this time I added a book.

I choose THE PICKER WHO PERISHED, A TOO GOOD TO BE THREW CONSIGNMENT SHOP MYSTERY, BY KATE HOLMES, a former employer of mine.

Kate has written books containing everything you need to know on consignment shops. In Picker she has used her vast knowledge of the industry to pen a mystery built around Wendy Sam, resale store owner, and the murder of her good friend and consigner Ilene.

Set in Sarasota; Kate’s descriptions of the area and the local people give you a feel for the town and old Florida. With our possible move to Seattle looming, the book made me long for Florida and all that we have yet to do there.

But the best part of the book is the characters. Wendy Sam is a strong independent woman, with caring loyal friends and employees, who would be a catch for any man… if she would just let him.

When one of Wendy Sam’s Monday-night girl-bonding clique is found dead, she is compelled to find out why a young agile ex-dancer could inexplicably fall down her own stairs. Ruled an accident by the police, Wendy Sam sets out to prove her friend was killed and why, even if it means breaking the bond with one of the other girls, who may know more than we think.

Our heroine finds the truth despite danger to herself and her heart, which is endanger of being stolen by Tom, the cop who wants to protect her but does not believe that her friend Ilene’s death was murder.

So even if you’re not flying anytime soon, pick up a copy of the PICKER WHO PERISHED, and find out if Ilene was murdered or slipped, and if Wendy Sam finds love. I can't wait for Wendy Sam's next adventure, with her friends by her side.

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