Ruby Red Herring
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-05-15 12:31:26
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Tracy Gardner
- ISBN：1662099576
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
JoAn
，
Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner is Ms。 Gardner's first book in a new cozy mystery series， Avery Ayers Antique Mysteries。 I have read Ms。 Gardner's Shepherd Sisters Mysteries and enjoyed every one so I was thrilled to be approved to read this one。Ms。 Gardner's descriptive writing sets the scenes clearly at each location in the book - Lilac Grove， New York， Antiquities and Artifacts Appraised， Manhattan and the Museum of Antiquities， New York City。 Avery Ayers， her sister， Tilly， Aunt Midge， Mic Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner is Ms。 Gardner's first book in a new cozy mystery series， Avery Ayers Antique Mysteries。 I have read Ms。 Gardner's Shepherd Sisters Mysteries and enjoyed every one so I was thrilled to be approved to read this one。Ms。 Gardner's descriptive writing sets the scenes clearly at each location in the book - Lilac Grove， New York， Antiquities and Artifacts Appraised， Manhattan and the Museum of Antiquities， New York City。 Avery Ayers， her sister， Tilly， Aunt Midge， Micah， Sir Robert and Detective Art Smith are all well developed characters as they are introduced throughout the story。 Each of the secondary characters adds dimension to the scenes through dialogue that I found to be realistic。 The plot was smoothly paced and never slowed down through the twists and turns as more clues were revealed regarding the current appraisal and authentication project and a previous appraisal done by Avery's mother and father。 Ms。 Gardner also touched on Avery's struggle with anger， grief and guilt regarding her parents death one year ago which made Avery a sympathetic character to me as I could understand some of what she was going through。 Mystery， suspense， a touch of romance，family ties and some detailed information regarding how appraisals and authentications are done was woven throughout the story as Avery and Detective Smith race to the dramatic conclusion。 I look forward to reading more in this series。I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley。 All of the above opinions are my own。 。。。more
Victoria Hamel
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Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner is the first book in her new Avery Ayers Antique Mystery series。 I chose to pick up this book from NetGalley because I loved the cover。 The title is also a perfectly punny cozy title！ Our Amateur sleuth is Avery Ayers。 Avery and her sister live in the family home with their Aunt following the death of their parents in a car crash a year prior to the series beginning。 We quickly begin to wonder if the car crash was an accident or if foul play was involved。 Lilac Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner is the first book in her new Avery Ayers Antique Mystery series。 I chose to pick up this book from NetGalley because I loved the cover。 The title is also a perfectly punny cozy title！ Our Amateur sleuth is Avery Ayers。 Avery and her sister live in the family home with their Aunt following the death of their parents in a car crash a year prior to the series beginning。 We quickly begin to wonder if the car crash was an accident or if foul play was involved。 Lilac Grove is a small suburb of New York City。 So we have the small-town setting where Avery and her family live， and then we also Manhattan where the family business is located。 The family business is an appraisal business that is focused on antiquities and artifacts， we find out the business has suffered since the deaths of William and Anne。 Things are now on the upswing due to a couple of contracts Avery's partner Sir Robert has acquired。 My only exposure to the world of appraising antiques and artifacts has been through watching Antiques Roadshow on PBS。 Tracy Gardner explains the appraisal process in an interesting and easy-to-understand way。 I like the variety of character ages in this book。 Avery is 25， her sister is a senior in high school， Aunt Midge is sixty， and the people who work with Avery at the museum span the decades from the late 20s to late 50s。 A nice mix of points of view。 Tracy Gardner does a very good job highlighting Avery's struggles with mental health after the deaths of her parents。 She is seeing a therapist and working on anger issues as well as grief， I appreciated that her pain and her struggle wasn't glossed over in pursue of the mystery plot。 4 Stars to this new cozy series， this one takes some liberties with the standard cozy tropes， and I'm always open to reading new twists on cozy mysteries！ I received an ARC of this book， it may change some when it is in final form。 All my opinions are mine！ 。。。more
Annie
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This was a very different book than the previous one I recently read by the same author。 I have to say， I much preferred this one as there was a lot more conflict and forward action。 Sedate is fine but doesn't necessarily work well in a mystery/crime story where the whole point is to make it （at least a bit） exciting。This was a great story and a decently complex mystery。 Avery Ayers and her sister Tilly have recently lost their parents in an awful car crash and are currently living with their Au This was a very different book than the previous one I recently read by the same author。 I have to say， I much preferred this one as there was a lot more conflict and forward action。 Sedate is fine but doesn't necessarily work well in a mystery/crime story where the whole point is to make it （at least a bit） exciting。This was a great story and a decently complex mystery。 Avery Ayers and her sister Tilly have recently lost their parents in an awful car crash and are currently living with their Aunt Midge and her afghan hound， Halston。 Any mystery that involves a dog is already a winner in my books！Avery is carrying on the authentication of a mysterious ruby that her parents were working on。 Is it the missing eye from the Emperor's Twin medallion that the museum has recently acquired？ Someone doesn't want this to happen， and Avery and her colleagues find themselves in danger as they continue their work。There is a very well done romance for Avery， which didn't take anything away from the plot， and although there was a lot of information about gems and their authentication which went a bit over my head， the mystery itself was tied up nicely at the end。A thoroughly enjoyable read （despite the length of time it took me to read it）， and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series。Thank you to NetGalley， the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review。 All opinions are strictly my own。 。。。more
Nicki
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From the cover and title we could expect a cozy story with fish。 It's not。 Avery is the main character in this story that actually has a museum and priceless gems。 I learned more about the running of the museum and how a value was placed on possible purchases。 There is a really good story of mystery and intrigue。 All the characters were interesting with good back stories that link the whole story together。 I was entertained！ It was a good book。 From the cover and title we could expect a cozy story with fish。 It's not。 Avery is the main character in this story that actually has a museum and priceless gems。 I learned more about the running of the museum and how a value was placed on possible purchases。 There is a really good story of mystery and intrigue。 All the characters were interesting with good back stories that link the whole story together。 I was entertained！ It was a good book。 。。。more
Renee Winter
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First in a new action packed series involving antiques and appraisals。 Full of twists and turns。 You'll not want to put this one down！ First in a new action packed series involving antiques and appraisals。 Full of twists and turns。 You'll not want to put this one down！ 。。。more
Maria
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I enjoyed the setting of this book and the appraisal of gems was very interesting。 While I feel for the MC and her sister on the loss of their parents， I found it very difficult to connect with their characters。 I also didn't find the mystery fast moving and found myself skimming a lot of this book。 There was a lot of repetition。 I did find it funny that she went for a "quick run" of 12 miles。I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。#RubyRedHerring #NetGalley I enjoyed the setting of this book and the appraisal of gems was very interesting。 While I feel for the MC and her sister on the loss of their parents， I found it very difficult to connect with their characters。 I also didn't find the mystery fast moving and found myself skimming a lot of this book。 There was a lot of repetition。 I did find it funny that she went for a "quick run" of 12 miles。I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。#RubyRedHerring #NetGalley 。。。more
Lynne
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Avery and her sister Tilly lost their parents a year ago in a car accident。 Tilly and Avery were in the back seat。 In the wake of their deaths， Avery left her job in New York City and their Aunt Midge moved in to help the girls。 Avery is now running her parents business along with their partners。 The business has the opportunity to appraise a ruby that might possibly be a missing gemstone for an antique Chinese amulet。 Before Avery even hears about the job， she receives a note warning her to not Avery and her sister Tilly lost their parents a year ago in a car accident。 Tilly and Avery were in the back seat。 In the wake of their deaths， Avery left her job in New York City and their Aunt Midge moved in to help the girls。 Avery is now running her parents business along with their partners。 The business has the opportunity to appraise a ruby that might possibly be a missing gemstone for an antique Chinese amulet。 Before Avery even hears about the job， she receives a note warning her to not take the job。 In the note， nicknames her father used for them are used。 Are their parents still alive。 Great story。 Their is lots of intrigue and mystery surrounding the ruby and her parents accident。I loved this story。 It kept me turning the page and guessing who was the bad guy。 I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy and would recommend it for those who enjoy this genre。Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Rekha
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What a smashing series debut！ I absolutely loved every bit of this book。 Excellent character introduction and a mystery to keep one guessing until the end。 We have mystery （the possibility of having 'found' a 'stolen' ruby）， a dash of quirk （Tilly） and a dash of romance （makes you go 'aww'） - all in the first book of the series！！ What more can a cozy mystery lover ask for？I cannot wait to see what's next for my new favorite amateur sleuth Avery Ayers。 Highly recommended！ What a smashing series debut！ I absolutely loved every bit of this book。 Excellent character introduction and a mystery to keep one guessing until the end。 We have mystery （the possibility of having 'found' a 'stolen' ruby）， a dash of quirk （Tilly） and a dash of romance （makes you go 'aww'） - all in the first book of the series！！ What more can a cozy mystery lover ask for？I cannot wait to see what's next for my new favorite amateur sleuth Avery Ayers。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Patty
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Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner is the 1st book in An Avery Ayers Antique Mystery series， and I loved it。 I am not a big fan of antiques， but I really enjoyed this story。 Avery has taken over her parents family business， Antiquities & Artifacts Appraised， after they were both died。 Avery is hired by the Museum of Antiquities to appraise a rare ruby， that might be a long ago lost ruby eye which was stolen。 Wow this book is non stop action， with twists around every corner。 I could not stop readi Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner is the 1st book in An Avery Ayers Antique Mystery series， and I loved it。 I am not a big fan of antiques， but I really enjoyed this story。 Avery has taken over her parents family business， Antiquities & Artifacts Appraised， after they were both died。 Avery is hired by the Museum of Antiquities to appraise a rare ruby， that might be a long ago lost ruby eye which was stolen。 Wow this book is non stop action， with twists around every corner。 I could not stop reading this book once I started it。 I can not wait for the next book in the series， it's going to be hard to top this one。 I strongly recommend this book！ I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Sara Gallien
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This is a fun cozy mystery with a bit of a Nancy Drew like twist。 Avery Ayers is an anthropologist and antiquities appraiser。 She gets called into the museum to appraise a priceless artifact with a link to Avery's own parents， who died in a car crash a year ago。 The origin of the artifact is a mystery， one that will endanger Avery's life and the lives of those around her。 The story takes a while to get going， and I found it hard to connect with the characters。 Avery has a bit of a back story but This is a fun cozy mystery with a bit of a Nancy Drew like twist。 Avery Ayers is an anthropologist and antiquities appraiser。 She gets called into the museum to appraise a priceless artifact with a link to Avery's own parents， who died in a car crash a year ago。 The origin of the artifact is a mystery， one that will endanger Avery's life and the lives of those around her。 The story takes a while to get going， and I found it hard to connect with the characters。 Avery has a bit of a back story but I couldn't relate personally。 I loved that the mystery was an anthropological one， rather than a murder。 This story didn't follow all of the normal cozy tropes， which was refreshing。 I really look forward to future books in the series and more character development。 。。。more
Gretchen
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I enjoyed this debut very much！ I found that the narrative flowed easily。 I liked Avery and the other characters in the book。 They seemed very real。 The plot was easy to follow but intricate enough to keep my interest and keep me guessing。 The technical information about appraising jewelry added authenticity and interest， but was not overwhelming or boring。 I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series。I received an Advance Review Copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 I enjoyed this debut very much！ I found that the narrative flowed easily。 I liked Avery and the other characters in the book。 They seemed very real。 The plot was easy to follow but intricate enough to keep my interest and keep me guessing。 The technical information about appraising jewelry added authenticity and interest， but was not overwhelming or boring。 I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series。I received an Advance Review Copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Holly
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This is an awesome new cozy mystery by Tracy Gardner！ I love her Shepherd Sisters series so I was excited to read this new series and it is just as wonderful。 Ruby Red Herring is about Avery Ayers who is an antiques appraiser specializing in gems。。 Avery and her teenage sister Tilly lost their parents a year ago in a car accident that the 2 girls survived。 Avery now runs the family appraisal business with partners Micah and Sir Robert。 Avery and Tilly's Aunt Midge moved in with them to help out。 This is an awesome new cozy mystery by Tracy Gardner！ I love her Shepherd Sisters series so I was excited to read this new series and it is just as wonderful。 Ruby Red Herring is about Avery Ayers who is an antiques appraiser specializing in gems。。 Avery and her teenage sister Tilly lost their parents a year ago in a car accident that the 2 girls survived。 Avery now runs the family appraisal business with partners Micah and Sir Robert。 Avery and Tilly's Aunt Midge moved in with them to help out。 Avery and Micah are hired by the Museum Of Art （MOA） to appraise a ruby that might fit the famous dragon head medallion。 It turns out Avery's parents were working on the medallion when they died which is suspicious。 Through the museum， Avery meets Art Smith， who is a police Detective and works at the museum on occasion。 There is quite a bit going on to keep the reader's interest and the book was hard to put down。 Avery receives notes warning her to be careful。 There is a movie being made at the museum。 Avery finds a dead body。 It is a fantastic cozy mystery with likable interesting characters， family， friendship， potential romance， and a very intriguing mystery。 This is a unique， well written cozy mystery and should be added to your To Read List。 Very enjoyable！ I received an advanced copy from NetGalley for an honest review。 #NetGalley #RubyRedHerring #TracyGardner #CrookedLaneBooks 。。。more
Peggy R
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Tracy Gardner is a new author to me and Ruby Red Herring is the first book in her new cozy mystery series The Avery Ayers Antique Mysteries。 I found this to be a very strong start to a new series。 The characters drew me into the story quickly。 Avery and her younger sister Tilly survived a car accident that claimed the lives of both their parents。 Now， Avery has big shoes to fill as she takes over her parent's role in their antique appraisal business。 I liked the diverse cast of characters。 They Tracy Gardner is a new author to me and Ruby Red Herring is the first book in her new cozy mystery series The Avery Ayers Antique Mysteries。 I found this to be a very strong start to a new series。 The characters drew me into the story quickly。 Avery and her younger sister Tilly survived a car accident that claimed the lives of both their parents。 Now， Avery has big shoes to fill as she takes over her parent's role in their antique appraisal business。 I liked the diverse cast of characters。 They range in age， experience， and diversity。 The relationship between Tilly， Avery， and their Aunt Midge， who moved in following their parent's deaths is central to how these young women have coped with their tragedy。 There is also a potential love interest for Avery that fits into the cast and plot very well。 I liked that this story didn't start out with murder or the discovery of a dead body。 Rather， the plot is centered around a mysterious ruby sent for appraisal by an even more mysterious collector。 From there the author weaves in plenty of twists and turns as Avery begins to receive mysterious notes that warn her away from this new assignment。 As the story moves along and the mystery around the ruby and Avery's parent's deaths starts to deepen， there is more intrigue， action， and murder。 The mystery was very compelling and there is a lot to unravel as the reader tries to guess how this one will end。 There are plenty of suspects to choose from and the reader will be very satisfied with how this one ends。 This was a very strong start to a new series and each new book will definitely be added to my TBR list。 I think it has everything a cozy mystery reader looks for in a series - strong， diverse characters that are likable， a compelling mystery， great writing， and a swiftly moving plot。 I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher， Crooked Lane Books， through NetGalley。 The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Laura
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Ruby Red Herring， the first book in a new series by Tracy Gardner， isn't the cozy that the cover would lead you to believe。This mystery has a lot of adrenaline-packed thriller moments: car accidents， explosions， shootings， break-ins。A year ago， Avery， her younger sister- Tilly， and their parents were in a car crash that killed their parents。 Avery is running the family business of authenticating art and antiques with her parents' partners - Sir John and Micah。 Avery's authenticating a ruby for a Ruby Red Herring， the first book in a new series by Tracy Gardner， isn't the cozy that the cover would lead you to believe。This mystery has a lot of adrenaline-packed thriller moments: car accidents， explosions， shootings， break-ins。A year ago， Avery， her younger sister- Tilly， and their parents were in a car crash that killed their parents。 Avery is running the family business of authenticating art and antiques with her parents' partners - Sir John and Micah。 Avery's authenticating a ruby for a NYC museum when lots of strange， even threatening things start to happen。 Calling into question the circumstances of her parents' deaths。 And the trustworthiness of those around her。I enjoyed a lot of the technical aspects of authenticating a gemstone in the book。 The behind-the-scenes look at a museum was fun。 The story felt quite fast-paced。 I hope that the next book slows down a little and lets us dive a little deeper into the people in Avery's circle of friends and family。 And there must be more dogtime with Halston， the Afghan hound！ 。。。more
Jay
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I am doing a review of this one for Mystery Scene magazine but will update the review with a link when it goes online。 But I did like the book！
Heather
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Antiques in this cozy sure aren’t antiquated！Witty， enjoyable read like a cozy mystery book should read。 Characters who make you laugh， you find relatable and enjoy their story make it that much more enjoyable。
Bobbie Kirkland
，
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 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 。。。more
Val
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The first thing I have to say is I was totally mislead by the info about this book。 I thought that I would be reading a cozy mystery but WOW this book was not。 It was intense and twisted but not in a bad way。 I was hooked after about 2 chapters and even though I had some of the plot figured out it was still so intriguing。 I have found a new author that I would definitely recommend and read again。
Mary C
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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 parent 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。 。。。more
Chatting About
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Wow。 This will be a book everyone’s discussing in the coffee lounge at break time。 It’s definitely a winning debut cozy mystery series。 Tracy Gardner is a new writer to me， and the Avery Ayers Antiques series is now on my automatic buy list。I enjoyed the setup of a younger protagonist， Avery Ayers， who has big shoes to fill after her parents are killed in a horrific car accident that Avery and her younger sister， Tilly， fortunately survive。 Their parents traveled the world appraising rare antiqu Wow。 This will be a book everyone’s discussing in the coffee lounge at break time。 It’s definitely a winning debut cozy mystery series。 Tracy Gardner is a new writer to me， and the Avery Ayers Antiques series is now on my automatic buy list。I enjoyed the setup of a younger protagonist， Avery Ayers， who has big shoes to fill after her parents are killed in a horrific car accident that Avery and her younger sister， Tilly， fortunately survive。 Their parents traveled the world appraising rare antiquities and artifacts and Avery’s now been hired to authenticate a 16 carat ruby for a prestigious museum。The mysteriousness surrounding the ruby; it’s value; and the fact it could be a precious stone stolen from the eye of the priceless Emperor’s Twins medallion sweep Avery， her family， and her business associates into a dangerous and deceptive mystery。 The plot is filled with lies， sabotage， and a coven of suspects that kept my eyes riveted to the pages until the satisfying end。I loved the compelling main characters—Avery， strong and smart; Art Smith， the security guard （& more）; Aunt Midge and her Afghan Hound， Halston; and Tilly， young and brave; just to name a few。 While there was some technical talk in regards to jewelry appraising I didn’t understand， it didn’t slow my reading down because there was always action moving this well-plotted mystery forward。 Anonymous tips in various forms received by Avery， or Tilly， are a brilliant part of the main plot！ The story is captivating。 Finally， a recap of suspects， the murderer reveal， and a huge surprise ending—Can you guess what it is？ 5 Stars， and I’d give it 10 Stars， if I could！ I highly recommend this intriguing cozy mystery。I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane。 All opinions are my own。 Thank you。 。。。more
April
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In this series debut， we meet Avery Ayers who has taken over her parents business of appraising antiques and antiquities。 Avery’s parents were killed in a suspicious car accident about。a year ago。 Avery lives with her Aunt Midge and her sister Tilly。There is a lot of backstory in this book， as we get to know the characters and their stories。 I personally like when authors do take the time to fill in the history of their characters in a series debut。 By the end of the story， I felt like I knew th In this series debut， we meet Avery Ayers who has taken over her parents business of appraising antiques and antiquities。 Avery’s parents were killed in a suspicious car accident about。a year ago。 Avery lives with her Aunt Midge and her sister Tilly。There is a lot of backstory in this book， as we get to know the characters and their stories。 I personally like when authors do take the time to fill in the history of their characters in a series debut。 By the end of the story， I felt like I knew the Ayers family and their friends well。There is more than one mystery in this story。 There is the mystery of whether or not the ruby is real， the mystery of the acquirer of the ruby not wanting to meet anyone in person， the mystery of whether or not the ruby will fit the Emperor’s Twins medallion， and some family mystery， too。 I loved that there was so much going on in this novel that ultimately all tied together。 I think the author did a great job wrapping up each of the story lines while leaving us wanting to know more。 I feel the author has set things up well to continue the series。It did take this story a little while to pick up in pace， but the wait is well worth it。 By the time the pace picks up， the reader is familiar enough with the characters that they can begin trying to determine what is really going on and who is ultimately behind each scenario。I really liked learning a little about the appraisal process。 I had no idea so much went into it and that the process is so scientific。 I hope we get to learn more with each book in the series。I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series。Thank you to Netgalley， Tracy Gardner， and Crooked Lane Books for the copy of this book in exchange for a review。 All opinions expressed here are entirely my own。 。。。more
Lacey Harrington
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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 #N 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 。。。more
Lena H。
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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 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。 。。。more
Karen Fan
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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 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。 。。。more
Karren Hodgkins
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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 Cro 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。 。。。more
Jan
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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 eb 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。 。。。more
Jody Holford
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This an excellent and exciting book with great characters， lots of intrigue， and a fresh & fun voice！
Brenda
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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 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。 。。。more
Lola
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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 fr 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！ 。。。more
Lisa Morin
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