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DEATH WAXED OVER
by Tim Myers
Berkley, October 2005
240 pages
$6.99
ISBN: 0425206378


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

For Harrison Black, things should be getting better. His candle store, At Wick's End, is beginning to turn a profit and he is much better at the candle lure than when he started. Unfortunately, he is not allowed this peace of mind as Gretel Barnett has opened a rival candle store in town.

Her store is part of a franchise, which allows her to offer discounts that Black cannot match. Black tries to view the situation as healthy competition, but Gretel Barnett wants to put him out of business.

But at the Founder's Day celebration, Barnett is murdered and Black is the most likely suspect. He had had a quarrel with her earlier and was at the scene of the murder. Also a slightly hysterical witness claims to have seen him throw away a gun. Black wants to let the police investigate but is worried about being thrown in jail. Eventually he is forced to start investigating when the police do not focus on any other suspects but him. While he does not know why anyone would have killed Gretel, he refuses to be jailed as the murderer.

DEATH WAXED OVER is a solid addition to Tim Myers' candle making mystery series. The plot is solid and the narrative is breezy and unassuming. Certain elements of the plot are slightly dark, but in general, Black and many of the other characters refuse to see the uglier side of life. The nicest thing about this series is that each book projects the idea that in the end the good always wins. This type of sentiment can be very reassuring as life is not always this smooth.

In addition to a tight plot, the character development is much improved. Harrison Black is slowly growing as a character. He is growing into his role as storeowner and he is also maturing in his personal relationships and actions. The secondary characters to the series including Black's assistant, Eve, are developing. I look forwarding to seeing where Myers takes the series next.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, November 2005

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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