Deborah Morgan, The Majolica Murders

The Majolica Murders

Deborah Morgan

Berkley, April 2006, $6.99, 240 pp.

ISBN 0425209261

Back in the days when Jeff Talbot was an FBI agent and John "Lanny" Smith was an informant, the two men got to know each other on a very deep level without knowing anything specific about their personal lives. Lanny gave honest, reliable and useful information about cases the Fed was working on, and was instrumental in saving Jeff's wife when she was kidnapped.

Now both men are pickers, searching for treasures to sell to antique stores or individual clients. Jeff asked Lanny to look for a certain piece to give as a gift to his wife; Lanny locates it at Fiona Brock's store along with a piece that he wants for himself. Fiona promises to save it for him, but she sells it to someone else for an outrageously inflated price. Lanny and Fiona get into a fight witnessed by four people. Later when Lanny goes back to apologize, he finds Fiona's murdered body. The police arrest him and Jeff bails him out. Jeff is determined to find the real killer. He interviews a street person who was one of the witnesses to the fight, but she is later killed in her hotel room. Jeff assumes the two killings are linked and sets out to prove it, almost getting killed in the process.

Readers get a fascinating glimpse into the world of antique collecting and pickers in THE MAJOLICA MURDERS. The protagonist is a hero in every sense of the word. He is a caring and understanding person, especially to his agoraphobic wife. He is understanding and accepting of her condition, and loves her all the more because she is trying to overcome it. This tale is as much a drama focusing on the human condition as it is a well written mystery.