Vane Pursuit
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Antique weather vanes point Peter and Helen Shandy toward a gang of thieves in a mystery that's "the ultimate escapism . . . utterly hilarious" (Publishers Weekly).
The weather vanes of the famous craftsman Praxiteles Lumpkin are one of the great cultural treasures of rural Massachusetts. Helen Shandy, librarian at Balaclava Agricultural College, is roaming the countryside, camera in hand, capturing images of these lovely copper sculptures, trying to give them the attention they deserve. But each time she takes a picture, the featured vane vanishes. Could there be a gang of breezy-minded burglars on her tail?
The night after Helen photographs the vane atop the famous Lumpkin soap works, the building burns to the ground. With the help of her husband, Peter, she tries to track the thieves-turned-arsonists. But when the things take a dangerous turn, Helen doesn't need a weather vane to see that a deadly wind is blowing.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The latest Peter Shandy adventure is the ultimate in escapism: an utterly hilarious albeit totally unbelievable caper that MacLeod ( The Corpse in Oozak's Pond ) fans will savor. Helen Shandy, a librarian in Balaclava County, Mass., and wife of Peter, a professor of agriculture at the local college, is busy roaming the countryside photographing antique weather vanes created by Praxiteles Lumpkin for a pamphlet to be issued by the area's historical society. She discovers, however, that many of the treasures are being stolen by a gang of thieves. After the culprits burn down the local soap factory, which was once topped by a Lumpkin vane, Helen decides to travel to Sasquamahoc, Maine, the site of another priceless Praxiteles, before a calamity befalls it. While in Maine, Helen and two women friends decide to go whale-watching, but the excursion becomes a nightmare when the vane snatchers take over the ship. Eventually, Helen and Peter piece together enough clues to uncover the thieves' ringleader and save the Lumpkins. Another solid performance from MacLeod and the Shandys.
