Thursday 7 January 2016

Book Review: To Helvectica and Back (A Dangerous Type Mystery #1) by Paige Shelton

Star City is known for its slopes and its powder. But nestled in the valley of this ski resort town is a side street full of shops that specialize in the simple charms of earlier eras. One of those shops is the Rescued Word, where Chester Henry and his adult granddaughter Clare lovingly repair old typewriters and restore old books. Who ever thought their quaint store would hold the key to some modern-day trouble? 


When a stranger to town demands they turn over an antique Underwood typewriter they’re repairing for a customer, Clare fears she may need to be rescued. A call to the police scares the man off, but later Clare finds his dead body in the back alley. What about a dusty old typewriter could possibly be worth killing for? [summary via Amazon]

In Paige Shelton's new series she introduces her readers to a new cozy today, with its own eclectic residents and a mystery that will confound even the most seasoned mystery reader!

In Star City, Clare works side-by-side with her grandfather, Chester Henry, helping repair typewriters in his store, The Rescued Word. It's a interesting job, especially as Chester has built up the business to include book repair, printing presses and selling beautiful stationery. Clare enjoys her job, but when a mysterious, difficult stranger appears in the store and demands he sell her the Underwood typewriter she is repairing for a long-time customer, things start get interesting. They take a turn for the worse when the strange man ends up dead - in the alley behind her grandfather's shop!! Like any good amateur sleuth, it's time to solve a mystery!!

I was captivated with this story from the first page to the last. I've enjoyed every mystery I've read by Paige Shelton. She has the ability to write a fantastic story, that draws readers in, ensuring they abandon housework (who wants a perfect house anyway?) just so that you can find out who the murderer is. She definitely did just that with To Helvectica and Back. 

The mystery was interesting, and I enjoyed trying to solve it alongside Clare. However, I found The Rescued Word as equally fascinating, adding to my overall enjoyment of the book. Beyond the typewriters, they also repair books.Clare is asked to repair a page in a early edition of  a Tom Sawyer book and I found the process she undergoes really fascinating. This one book leads her to meet geologist named Sean, who Clare ends up going on a date with!

Paige Shelton has hit it out of the park with her first book in the Dangerous Type Mysteries. A cute, cozy town, a tantalizing mystery and a little romance thrown in, makes me eager to return to Star City again for another mystery.


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