A Fatal Fabergé

A Fatal Faberge by Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs is the eighth An Antiques & Collectibles Mystery. Molly Appleby is happily married to Dr. Matt Harrison and they have an adorable 14 month old son. She enjoys her job of writing articles for Collector’s Weekly and sleuthing when the occasion calls for it. A Fatal Faberge can be read on its own if you have not read the other books in the series (or skipped a book or two). I find the characters to be developed and I enjoyed the depictions of Burlington, Vermont. A Fatal Faberge contains good writing. While the two authors writing blends together, I can tell the difference between this book and one written by only Ellery Adams (such as The Book of Candlelight). I found the pacing to lag in the middle of the book. Curtis Cobb is murdered at a fundraising gala hosted by Natasha Gordon at Misty Vale. The victim’s son, Maxim Gordon Cobb asks Molly to use her skills to solve his father’s murder and Molly agrees (you know she would anyway). There are a couple of suspects and good clues to help readers solve the crime. There is a twist near the end that I did not find surprising because of something mentioned earlier in the book. I like how the Faberge egg was included in the mystery. I find them fascinating and beautiful. Faberge eggs are unique items with delightful hidden surprises. I did find some areas of the mystery a little disbelieving. However, as my mother likes to remind me, it is a work of fiction. I wish there had more action as well as less speculation and repetition of case details (some of the same details are repeated several times). A Fatal Faberge is a lighthearted cozy mystery with a smart, friendly sleuth who is knowledgeable in antiques. A Fatal Faberge has a fabulous Faberge egg, a vulgar victim, a deadly deception, a pesky PI, and a searching sleuth.