Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of RUBY RED HERRING (Book 1 of the Avery Ayers Mysteries), by Tracy Gardner, in exchange for an honest review. Avery Ayers joined the family business, Antiquities & Artifacts Appraised, just before her parents were killed in a car accident. Avery accepts a contract from the Museum of Antiquities to appraise a ruby that may belong to the Xiang Dynasty dragon medallion that Avery’s parents evaluated right before their deaths. In order to figure out whether the ruby is the missing dragon’s eye, Avery must evaluate both the new ruby and the medallion with its remaining ruby. Avery’s work raises questions about the validity of her parents’ authentication, so she begins to investigate their findings and the circumstances around their car accident. When someone is killed, other crimes are committed, and those involved in the appraisal are attacked, it’s clear Avery, with a little help from a new friend, must solve the puzzle of her parents’ deaths and the dragon medallion before she and her family will be safe again.

I liked this book and thought it was a solid start to a new series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, museums, artifacts, authentications, and undercover officers.

#RubyRedHerring #NetGalley

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it! This is a cute take on the cozy mystery and I highly recommend it if you like the genre or just want a chill, comforting read. It is like watching reruns of Father Brown, or Murder She Wrote-cozy and not too dark mysteries.

First in the Avert Ayers Antique Mystery series.

A year earlier, Avery and her sister Tilly survived the car crash that killed their parents. They currently live with their Aunt Midge and dog Halston as Avery heads the family business, Antiquities & Artifacts Appraised.
When the firm is hired by to appraise a ruby that may belong to a dragon's head, questions arise - Where was the ruby found? Who is the mysterious collector that purchased the gem? How does this tie into an appraisal Avery's parents did prior to the fatal car crash? Is the ruby real or a fake? Who is sending the mysterious notes?
Interesting facts about gem appraisal and verification.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

Avery Ayers takes over the family business, Antiquities & Artifacts Appraised, from the home office in Lilac Grove. When Avery appraises a stone for a museum she thinks it’s the missing stone of a prized Xiang Dynasty bejeweled dragon medallion exhibit. With a missing gem, murder and lots of suspects she gets to work to solve all the mysteries at hand. I enjoyed the book it was well written. My only drawback for me personally was all the characters at once. Overall a fun read.
#RubyRedHerring #NetGalley

This book was fantastic! Avery Ayers is a young woman, orphaned a year earlier by the death of her parents in a car accident. She lives in an idyllic little village outside of New York City with her younger sister and their father's mother, and works as an antiques appraiser in the city. When Avery's company is hired to appraise a priceless gem at a New York museum, all kinds of strange things start to happen and suddenly Avery no longer knows who she can and can't trust.

I'm a huge fan of movies from the 1930's and 40's. I love the Shirley Temple, poor-little-rich-girl movies and the noir films that were so popular at that time. This book combines both themes and gives them a modern twist. The plot doesn't follow the typical cozy mystery path, but that only makes it all the more gripping. The characters were sophisticated without being elitist, the setting classy without being stuffy, and the events were intriguing, intense and unexpected without being outlandish or unbelievable.

In a nutshell, Tracy Gardner nailed it. If you're a fan of old movies and cozy mysteries you'll love this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Start of a great new series! I enjoyed the details on antiques and appraising, the characters, and the mystery; I did wish there was a little more background info on the parents and the accident in the beginning, but it worked out in the end. I loved the support group she has and can’t wait to see how everything plays out. I also really liked that she has problems from her accident and that she needs to deal with her own problems before jumping into anything, it’s nice that they don’t just sweep it under the rug or never reference it.

A good start to a new series, well researched, interesting characters, a good mystery with a few twists thrown in.

The plot looked intriguing and seemed to have so much promise but I was disappointed I just couldn't come to terms with aspects of the storyline and the behaviour of some of the characters. The technical details and the evaluation process of gems was interesting, but perhaps repeated just a little too often. There was just an implausibility to some of the elements of the story that I struggled to throw off.

I'm sure there will be others who will enjoy this cozy, murder mystery.

With thanks to Crooked Lane Publishers, Netgalley and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! One of best starts to a new series I have read in a long time. I will definitely be waiting for the next one. The characters were very well developed and likable. I love the antiques and antiquities business as the theme of the series. Unusual and not overdone. The New York state location just outside New York City makes for fun reading. The plot had a very interesting twist which really made you get into the story as it played out. Great book and I would highly recommend it to my fellow cozy readers!

historical-research, antiques, mysteries, museum, family-dynamics, friendship****

This one is definitely character driven and has several mysterious aspects. The dominant one is regarding the provenance and veracity of a large antique ruby, followed by its possible dangerous aspects. Another is the possibility that Avery's parents were not actually killed in an accident a year ago. And of course there's a murder. The research seemed very good, and the characters are first-rate. I enjoyed looking into the window of antique gemology.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.

Ruby Red Herring is the debut of the An Avery Ayers Antique Mystery series set in Lilac Grove, New York and featuring antiquities appraiser, Avery Ayers. A horrific car crash a year earlier left Avery and her sister Tilly injured but alive, unfortunately her parents William and Anne were killed in the accident - but were they really?

Struggling to overcome her grief Avery takes over the family business, Antiquities & Artifacts Appraised, with her parents partners, Sir Robert Lane and Micah Abbott. Their first assignment is to evaluate a ruby recently received by the Museum of Antiquities, one that may just be the missing gem from the museums most prized piece - the Emperor's Twins medallion.

But a mysterious letter, an anonymous call and notes left behind in her parents files lead Avery to believe that something may not be right with the gem (or the medallion). Did her parents earlier investigation into the medallion cause their death? Determined to uncover the truth, Avery sets out with the help of Micah and security guard Art Smith to solve not just one mystery but two.

A riveting plot introduces a fascinating cast of characters. It's refreshing to have a heroine that not only has a job - but actually works instead of running around willy nilly letting others man the business. There's a wonderful family dynamic between Avery, Tilly and their Aunt Midge who has stepped in to help raise the girls, accompanied by the family Afghan Hound, Halston. Details regarding gem appraisal are interesting and not overbearing, bringing a whole new profession to the cozy genre. Intrigue, suspense and a touch of romance are the perfect combination for a delightful new series and I can't wait for more adventures with Avery and company.

I received an advanced copy of Ruby Red Herring from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner in exchange for an honest review. Avery Ayers lives in her parents upstate New York home. After her parents death, Aunt Midge had come to live with Avery and her younger sister Tilly. She now runs Antiques and Artifacts Appraised, her parents business. In the book she is authenticating a ruby for Manhattan's antiquities museum. Avery gets a typed letter delivered to the house to "decline the contract. Her life is at stake" by dad who died a year ago.
What a fantastic book. It drew me into the plot and was so hard to put down. I love Tracy Gardner's writing and plan on looking for more of her books. By far, one of the best books I have read in awhile.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

When I read the blurb for this one I knew I wanted to read it. It sounded like a fun and exciting read with an interesting mystery. I liked the idea of following an antique appraiser and the mystery she stumbles upon. This book turned out to be exactly that. I had a great time reading this one and enjoyed the mystery as well as the antique theme of the book.

I liked how this book deviated a bit from the standard cozy mystery plot line set up. There is no dead body found at the start and the mystery isn't a clear cut who did it mystery, although it does tie in with a dead body eventually. I liked how the mystery centered around the ruby and possibly related medallion and also how it ties in with the work of the main character and her family in a way that makes it feel natural for her to be part of it. It's more that the mystery comes to her than that she gets involved in the mystery.

The mystery did progress a bit slowly at times and only at the end all the pieces come together. It kept my interest throughout and I also liked the more daily life scenes and work related scenes in between the mystery bits. I liked how the main character got involved in the mystery and it made sense why she kept digging into it as it related directly to her work and family. I liked seeing the mystery progress and the danger and suspenseful vibe it had at times. I also was surprised when the conclusion came to light as I always felt I missed some pieces to make sense of it, but when the reveal is there it does make sense and it's nice to see some of the earlier hints that point in that direction.

Avery was an interesting main character to read about. I enjoyed getting a feel for her characters and the friends and family she surrounded herself with. I liked seeing her interact with her sister and her aunt and how close the three are and ofcourse the dog. There are some interesting side characters as well and a possible romance. I hope to get to know the characters more in future books, but so far I liked what I saw and how the author gave everyone their own personality.

I liked the antique appraisal theme of the book. I don't think I've read a cozy mystery with this theme before and it was fun to learn a bit about how they go to spot the difference between a real and fake ruby and how the process progressed.

To summarize: I liked this book. It kept my attention and I was curious to find out what was going on. The mystery was different than the usual cozy mystery set up and I think that worked here. It was nice how the mystery was closely tied in with the main character's job and her family, whcih made it feel natural how she got involved. While the mystery progressed a bit slowly, with most of the pieces only coming to light toward the end, it did keep my attention and I enjoyed the mystery. The main character was interesting enough and I liked getting a feel for her and the side characters. The antique appraisal theme was a fun theme. I look forward to more books in this series!

So Begins The Amateur Sleuthing....
An Avery Ayers Antique Mystery and a series debut. Avery has taken over the family business following the death of her parents but when something comes to light that may well be connected with their demise she begins her amateur sleuthing in earnest. An entertaining introduction to the series with a well plotted tale and a likeable protagonist in Avery.

Where are the editors? I read this as an e-book and there were errors that distracted me. Ranging from repeated sentences to just really wrong content (There was a knock at the door and the phone rang. I chose not to answer the door. When I opened it ...........) The characters were original, but not really fleshed out. I like to develop a picture in my mind of what they look like, their mannerisms, etc. I really could not do that with these, other than the protagonist. The mystery of the ruby was good. The killer made sense and was not pulled from thin air. There was a side mystery that was predictable. The author did throw in some "red herrings" that made me think about the side mystery, but in the end, my thought was correct. Overall it is a good effort as a cozy mystery. All of the components are there. The way I truly judge a book by an author is would I read another by them? The answer here is yes. I did like it enough to see what a second outing would bring. Just fix those editing errors!!!

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning. Avery and Tilly are such great characters, and I love their aunt.
The story grabbed my attention, leading from the death of Avery & Tilly's parents, to the discovery of a traitor within their tight circle of friends. I was on the edge of my seat reading this book, and I was sad when it ended, however, I’m excited to read more in this fantastic series.

Avery Ayers lost her parents the year prior and has taken over their business appraising and certifying antiquities. On her latest assignment she finds herself picking up on the assignment that her parents completed right before their accident. It’s a bittersweet assignment for Avery and quickly becomes concerning as she finds that there are some discrepancies around the piece her parents evaluated. But finding the truth may put her in a precarious position, maybe even putting her in a killer’s site, just as her parents had been.

If I could give this book more stars, I would, and this is the first time I have felt this way in a long time. The mystery was superbly written and the red herrings have you questioning everyone and everything along the way, except for Avery, Tilly, Aunt Midge and Halston.

First in a new series, you want to get in on this one before the next one is released as it’s smart, intellectual and intriguing. I will be back for more!

*Disclaimer I received a free copy of this book for a honest review, this did not affect my thoughts or opinions on the book*
I don't know how I felt about this book, it wasn't bad or good. It just felt a like a mid tier book for me. I thought the plot was okay, like it just didn't feel really exiting all the time but didn't bore me to much. I thought the mystery was handled really well and felt all wrapped up and satisfied. For me the characters were just there, I never got attached to them or had to much interest in them. I felt like the pacing was pretty good for the most part besides some parts in the middle of the book. Overall I thought this was a decent quick read for me it was a nice dip back into the mystery and thrillers genre. Overall 3/5 stars for me.

This was a great read! Great new plots, well researched, well written and presented characters and a clean wrap up. Thank you! I look forward to your coming works.