A small-town Virginia antiques appraiser uncovers an almost-flawless conspiracy of deception and violence in this debut mystery with “a beguiling heroine” (Kirkus Reviews).
Antiques appraiser Sterling Glass is used to dealing with the family heirlooms—and family skeletons—of southern society. But her two latest jobs are presenting some new challenges. First, she’s called in to examine a diamond brooch found tucked inside an oven mitt at the Salvation Army thrift store. Then, before the appraisal of an extremely modest estate, a tea urn turns up, having been hidden inside a basket, that’s worth a small fortune.
As Sterling probes the peculiar finds, she begins to uncover an intricate plot involving a slew of antique pieces, the oldest families in Leemont, some sophisticated scammers, crooked antiques dealers, and shifty people at the best New York auction houses. Add to that one elderly man who’s desperate to preserve his family’s collection of Art Deco sculptures, and suddenly Sterling finds herself ensnared in a mystery laced with greed, deceit, and danger.
