"Sixty-year-old Jane Hunter, forced into early retirement from her job as a university librarian, is seeking a new challenge to keep her spirits up and supplement her meager pension. But as she's about to discover, a retiree's life can bring new thrills and new dangers. Cameron 'Cam' Clewe, an eccentric 33-year-old collector, is also seeking something; an archivist to inventory his ever-expanding compendium of rare books and artifacts. Jane's thrilled to be hired on by Cam and to uncover the secrets of his latest ...
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"Sixty-year-old Jane Hunter, forced into early retirement from her job as a university librarian, is seeking a new challenge to keep her spirits up and supplement her meager pension. But as she's about to discover, a retiree's life can bring new thrills and new dangers. Cameron 'Cam' Clewe, an eccentric 33-year-old collector, is also seeking something; an archivist to inventory his ever-expanding compendium of rare books and artifacts. Jane's thrilled to be hired on by Cam and to uncover the secrets of his latest acquisition, a trove of items related to the classic mystery and detective authors. But Jane's delight is upended when a body is discovered in Cam's library. The victim, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, was the last in line of Cam's failed romances and now he's suspect number one. Cam vows to use his intelligence and deductive skills to clear his name but with a slight case of agoraphobia, rampant anxiety, and limited social skills, he'll need some help. It comes down to Jane to exonerate her new boss but is he truly innocent?"--Provided by publisher.
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Seller's Description:
New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 320 p. A Hunter and Clewe Mystery. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 320 p. A Hunter and Clewe Mystery. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 320 p. A Hunter and Clewe Mystery. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 320 p. A Hunter and Clewe Mystery. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert is the first A Hunter and Clewe Mystery. We are introduced to Jane Hunter, a sixty-year-old librarian. I like that she is an older protagonist. She has been hired by Cameron ââ?¬Å"Camââ?¬Â? Clewe, a thirty-three-year-old eccentric millionaire (who has more than a few quirks), to catalogue his large collection of books and artifacts. Camââ?¬â?¢s ex-girlfriend is found dead in the library by Jane the day after a party. Cam, of course, becomes a person of interest. Jane and Cam team up to find the guilty party. I found that the story moved along at a slow pace. It needed an injection of action, intrigue, and suspense. Cam is a unique character. I like how Jane helped him. I have a feeling Camââ?¬â?¢s horizons will be broadening in the future. It is a shame that Camââ?¬â?¢s father did not appreciate his talents. Jane is a likeable character. She is an experienced librarian and knowledgeable about classic mysteries written by women. The mystery was good. It was obvious who would die and who would end up at the top of the suspect list. Cam and Jane are happy to conduct their own investigation. Witnesses are more than willing to share what they know (very helpful). There are townspeople who are happy to spill the local gossip. The whodunit is straightforward. The red herrings are not convincing. While it seemed to take years to reach the reveal, the ending seemed rushed. The story was sadly lacking in humor. I wanted to enjoy The Cryptic Clue, but I only felt relief when I turned the final page.
Lori
Sep 8, 2023
A Captivating Mystery
Dollycas's Thoughts
Jane Hunter may be 60 years old but she was not ready to retire, the university had other ideas. So she was searching for a unique challenge to use her skills and earn some money to supplement her pension.
Cameron "Cam" Clewe is a unique man. A wealthy 33-year-old who collects rare books and other artifacts like a huge amount of items related to classic detective and mystery authors. He is looking for an archivist to make a complete inventory and classification of his recent acquisition.
The two meet and Jane agrees to take the job. But before she even starts a dead body is found in Cam's library. Maybe retirement wasn't such a bad idea. The victim was Cam's ex-girlfriend who happened to be the heir to a pharmaceutical fortune. Now Cam is the prime suspect in her murder.
Cam then decides he will be able to clear his name quickly but he is going to need some help. You see, he lacks basic social skills and is afraid to leave his property. So he makes Jane an offer he hopes she won't refuse. While Jane isn't 100% sure her new boss is innocent she still agrees to do a little sleuthing. She hopes she isn't making a bad decision. Retirement may be looking better and better every day.
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I really enjoyed meeting Jane and Cam. They are both very unique individuals thrown into a murder investigation almost immediately after meeting. We also meet Cam's assistant Lauren, Jane's landlord, Vincent Fisher, and his lady friend, Donna Valenti. They are all interesting in their own ways. I really enjoyed a protagonist close to my own age. The author has done a great job of developing them throughout the entire story while leaving room for us to get to know both better as the series continues.
Cam's home is huge and he allows "friends" to use it to host charity and other events. He usually makes an appearance and disappears to other rooms for the rest of the evening. He has set up part of the attic to keep his vast collections safe with proper heating, cooling, and moisture control. Jane gets to work there and because of the murder, in the music room but she is really free to roam the place. I enjoyed Ms. Gilbert's descriptions of the place and its grounds along with Jane's apartment and Vince's home. A curious mystery develops because of something Jane finds in the attic. It piqued my interest right away.
Since the murder happened during an event there were several suspects in addition to Cam. I really liked that the author spent time giving some backstories, history, and connections between them and the victim. Some were happy to provide "information". Ms. Gilbert set up some nice twists but one clue sent me right on the killer's trail. The showdown and reveal turned out to be very exciting. At one point my heart slowed because I was afraid that something was going to happen but it didn't. I was surprised by a few things but I will not spoil that for anyone. You must read the book yourself :)
A Cryptic Clue has set this series off on a wonderful start. Filled with characters I want to know better and a captivating mystery or two, my attention was held and I was entertained from the start. I am excited for this series to continue. A Killer Clue is set to be released on April 9, 2024.
