The Muu Antiques

Percy was brought up in the shelter, went to college, now lives above Macy’s garage, does work for her. She’s quite old, has interesting stories, is Percy’s friend. Still, he tries to get another job, teaching art history, but it falls through. This is all in Atlanta.

There’s a secret society, the M.M.C. They wear muumuus. They trade antiques. They keep secrets.

Macy calls Percy Penelope. She had friends a long time ago, a group of them, who went abroad in World War 2. Now, many years later, some have come back to Atlanta and they are looking for more than old stories.

There’s a vase that’s been stolen and a prominent local couple are in the papers asking for it’s return. And Macy might just have a connection.

Percy’s growing up and coming of age, a little late perhaps, and he’s extraordinarily naïve. But he’s competent, and kind, and not slow on the uptake. He’s directionless at the start, though he finds his way. And the adventure he’s on is a gentle one (despite the violence, crime and death) and a kind-hearted one. If it never quite musters a sense of urgency, it nevertheless manages to keep interest.

Read This: A soothing cozy mystery, about coming of age and learning about a world that is almost as strange to us as to Percy

Don’t Read This: If you want active, gritty characters, for the secrets and betrayals to hurt

Available From Malarkey Books: Who provided a review copy for me



Berserk!

The high wire man at the Great Rivers Circus* dies, strangled when his wire breaks. It might have been sabotage! Monica Rivers, ringmaster and (part-) owner notes that the tragedy has brought in lots of punters. Her (secret) business partner and circus manager thinks this too heartless and gruesome and wants to be bought out, which she can’t afford.

Hawkins, an even more daring high wire walker arrives. He does his act with a bag over his head (allowing a stunt man to do the tricks rather than actor Ty Hardin) and with steel bayonets beneath. Then the business manager is murdered. A dapper police detective arrives to investigate. Hawkins has a motive for the previous high wire man, Rivers for the manager. And the circus turns out to be a hotbed of intrigue, gossip and feuding even before Rivers daughter Angela arrives, expelled from her school.

It's not quite a murder mystery, more a story about love, money and death in a weird contained community. A community that is a circus, so there are plenty of spectacular circus acts, especially the animal ones they don’t do any more because they were tremendously cruel.

Watch This: Circus acts, murder and plotting, oh my!
Don’t Watch This: Gruesome murder, confused plot and absolutely no reason to call the film Berserk!

  • Not Circus Berserkus, which would be a great name for a circus. The actual circus acts are played by acts from Billy Smart’s Circus