Member Review

A Killer Keepsake by Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs is the sixth book in An Antiques and Collectibles Mystery series. I enjoy visiting Molly Appleby to find out what antique she is researching in each new book and what mystery she will find herself embroiled in this time. Our regular characters are back (Matt, Tony, Sean Murphy, Clara) as we return to Burlington, Vermont. Molly has grown since the series began and I am curious how her sleuthing will tie in with married life. I thought the story contained good writing and steady pacing. A Killer Keepsake can be read on its own if you are new to this series (or if you have missed a couple of books). I was slightly overwhelmed by the number of people introduced in this book (Forget Me Not Doll Club members, Sierra’s father, Miranda’s assistant, a nurse, estranged hubby, etc.). It is hard to keep track of all the characters. I thought the mystery was interesting with it involving an 80 year old German bisque doll that is supposedly haunted. We get to find out more about the doll and how Sierra came to own it (we dive back in history to the late 1930s). Molly is brought on a consultant for her antique and collectible knowledge. We must suspend our disbelief about this as well as Molly questioning suspects without a detective present (it’s fiction). I had no difficulty pinpointing the guilty party early in the tale. There are good clues to help readers solve the whodunit before the reveal. I am glad that Molly is not having to keep her promise to give up sleuthing. I knew the writers would find a way around it. The ending of A Killer Keepsake was so sweet. A Killer Keepsake is a cute cozy mystery with a disturbing doll with a haunting history, a romantic relationship, a motivated murderer, and a collector correspondent as a cop consultant.