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Pane of Death (A Glassblowing Mystery, #2)

Pane of Death by Sarah Atwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At work today I finished reading Pane of Death, which is the second book in author Sarah Atwell's "Glassblowing" mystery series. The narrative is in first-person pov of the main character, Emmeline "Em" Dowell.

Em is intrigued and excited when she's asked to help wealthy Peter Ferguson create the displays in his new home in Tucson where he wants to exhibit his prized collection of valuable stained glass panels. Em's delight turns to horror when she arrives at Peter's house one day to find him dead and the panels missing. Things go from bad to worse when a rival accuses her of murdering Peter. Now Em's boyfriend, Chief of Police Matt Lundgren, must take a step back from their relationship while he investigates the murder. Despite being warned to stay out of it, Em knows her expertise with glass will be invaluable to the investigation. When she begins asking the wrong questions, however, Em learns just how far a killer will go to cover his tracks.

I enjoyed this story. The pacing was good, and I never felt like I was missing out for not having read the first book in the series. Em is shown at work and socializing, rather than the entire narrative being of the investigation. I must say, however, that I wasn't all that enamored of Em as a character. She really did need to keep her nose out of it, and she got all sulky and childish when she felt that Matt was "keeping her in the dark". The villain was rather easy to guess, but it was interesting to see how it all played out.

Favorite lines:
♦ She stared into space, as if thinking. It must have been painful, based on her expression.
♦ I got the impression she wished I was about fifty miles off the New Jersey coast, and a hundred feet down.
♦ Let me make it perfectly clear: I am not a cook. I can keep myself alive, and I send up thankful prayers almost every day for the marvels of modern frozen food.

Fun story, I only wish the heroine had been more likable. Four stars.

My first read in this series means it gets put to my
1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? No, she's an artisan.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? Yes, she lives above her shop.
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Yes, he's the chief of police.
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she has two dogs.
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? She didn't seem to have a BFF...
6. Did the mc find the body? Yes, she did
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes, she did.
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Nessa, maybe?
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes, she is child-free