The Family Vault (Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery #1)

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The Family Vault (Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery #1)

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 453 ratings · 28 reviews

Great-uncle Frederick has passed away, and the Kelling clan of Boston has made plans to put the old gentleman's remains in the family vault on Beacon Hill. When the vault is opened, however, there's someone already there that no one could have ever expected -- the skeleton of a burlesque queen who disappeared thirty years ago!

With the help of private detective Max Bitters

...more

Hardcover, First Edition, 184 pages

Published March 1st 1979 by Doubleday & Company, Inc. (first published 1979)

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Apr 14, 2013 Susan Ferguson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, cozy-mystery, nook-owned

Love Charlotte MacLeod's books.
This is the first in the Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn series.....
At the beginning of the book, Sarah is a lot, weary girl married to her second cousin Alexander whom she adores. Alex is about 20 years older than she is. The whole family seems to turn to Alexander when there is a problem and he is constantly dancing attendance on his mother who has become deaf and blind. She is still very involved with committees, etc. and expect Alex to wait on her pleasure for...more Love Charlotte MacLeod's books.
This is the first in the Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn series.....
At the beginning of the book, Sarah is a lot, weary girl married to her second cousin Alexander whom she adores. Alex is about 20 years older than she is. The whole family seems to turn to Alexander when there is a problem and he is constantly dancing attendance on his mother who has become deaf and blind. She is still very involved with committees, etc. and expect Alex to wait on her pleasure for chaperoning her to those meetings and interpreting for her. The outside trouble starts when Great-Uncle Frederick does not want to be buried in the family cemetary with another Great-Uncle. He has stated in his will that he wants to be buried in the old, historical family vault. Sarah has gone to meet some of the other cousins to get the vault opened, even though they asked for Alex. But Alex has taken his mother to an appointment and Sarah resents the relatives constant demands on him. So, Sarah has gone in his place.
When the vault is opened, there is a brick wall inside the door - and behind the brick wall, a body. It is Ruby Redd, with her rubies still in her teeth. She disappeared quite some time ago. And Sarah recognizes the pattern the bricks behind the door are laid in - and the bricks. It is a pattern that Alex and his mother had created years ago and had used bricks scavenged when an old building was torn down.
Sarah is an heiress in her own right and Alex is her trustee. But Alex and his mother are supposed to be supremely wealthy themselves. Only the three of them are living off the interest of Sarah's inheritance - since she can't touch the principal until she is 27.
With the discovery of Ruby's body, Sarah begins to grow up. She has always been treated like a child, but has discovered she wants to be treated like a wife and an adult. So one evening, she sits Alex down to find out what has been going on because he has been distraught since Ruby's body was found. She discovers that his mother has lost all of their money - he doesn't know how. And she insisted he marry Sarah, whom he loved, but he thought she might prefer someone nearer her own age. But Sarah has always adored him. So, she lets him know there will be some changes. As a wife, she wants his attention more than his mother does. So they begin to work out a new way of living. Then, at a blow, Alexander and his mother die and Sarah is bowled over. But she has begun to throw her weight around and demand respect from the people around her who always ignored her as inconsequential. She is also suspicious of Alex's death and is sure it was not an accident. Then she discovers the author she has been suppposed to make drawings for for a book, is actually an insurance investigator tracking jewelry and art theft......

The characters are all a little quirky, Sarah not the least. The Kellings are a large and old family who tend to marry second and third cousins to keep the money in the family and Sarah doesn't know anyone much beyond family. Except for Max Bittersohn, the detective. She has several great-uncles and cousins however, who immediately take up for her in family disagreements as she is learning to stand on her own.(less)

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May 29, 2012 Cornerofmadness rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a reread for me. Mom was getting rid of her MacLeod collection (some twenty years worth) and I remembered liking some of them as a kid and I hadn’t finished all of them so I said let me take them. This is the first in the series and I remember it well from my child hood. My version had a cover that was a black field (with vault-like edging) and a full set of red lips with a ruby in the teeth which at the time was provocative. The book dates to 1979 and I probably read a year or two after...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

This is the second time I've read this book and I enjoyed every minute of it. Sarah Kelling, a younger member of one of Boston's elite families, marries her much older cousin after both her parents are killed. She has loved Alexander for many years, ever since she was a little girl. But, most of the family still treats her as the "little girl" they've known all along. Even her husband, Alexander. But, most of Alexander's time is spent caring for his blind and deaf mother.

When the body of a local...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Amelia-Irene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was the first book in the series, one that I finally found. I love this series and it's a shame that there really wasn't an ending book before Charlotte MacLeod passed on. Sarah Kelling married her husband right after her father's death when she was 17 or 18 and this is 6 years after the fact. They find a body in the family vault, which they are opening up to entomb Great-Uncle Frederick as per his last wish, and an onlooker realizes who it is... a woman who disappeared 20 years before. Who...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Otto Penzler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Family Vault is the first book in the Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn mystery series and, like the others, is a splendid screwball “whodunit” that readers of cozies will love. Often called “America’s Agatha Christie,” MacLeod wrote charming and humorous mysteries, and this particular series is one of the best. The Family Vault introduces the eccentric northeastern Kelling clan. Sarah Kelling’s great-uncle wishes to be buried in the family’s vault – but upon inspecting the tomb to prepare fo...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

It has been so long since I first read this book that I had forgotten how good it is. Horrible, but good. The reader's heart is wrung by Sarah Kelling's misfortunes, which she faces one after another with fortitude. Young as she is, dependent as she has been for most of her life, when she begins to assert herself, you feel like cheering. The ending leaves you with a hint of hope but with no clear understanding of what will become of her, unusual in this genre. If you can stop here and not go on...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Abbey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: myst-cosies, favorites, series, own, myst-fems-project, myst-set-or-auth-new-eng, vintage

1979, #1 Sarah Kelling/Max Bittersohn, Beacon Hill, Boston; genteel cosy, still wonderful despite age. High jinks (and murder) in High Society, but with a very dark edge

Mrs. Sarah Kelling has lived a very privileged life in the highest social circles of Boston, living on Beacon Hill and having a very extended - and locally famous (or infamous, but more on that later...) family. While she hasn't been pampered much, she has been sheltered from much of the daily grind most folks know, and lived in...more 1979, #1 Sarah Kelling/Max Bittersohn, Beacon Hill, Boston; genteel cosy, still wonderful despite age. High jinks (and murder) in High Society, but with a very dark edge

Mrs. Sarah Kelling has lived a very privileged life in the highest social circles of Boston, living on Beacon Hill and having a very extended - and locally famous (or infamous, but more on that later...) family. While she hasn't been pampered much, she has been sheltered from much of the daily grind most folks know, and lived in a sort of bubble for nearly all of her 26 years. Married to a man almost twice her age (who she's loved since childhood), she shares a large, rather shabby home in The Best Part of Boston (well, according to those living there, anyway) with his peculiar - and difficult - mother, the matriarch of the large Yankee clan.

Sarah finds out there are snakes in this garden, many, many dark things happening just under the surface when an elderly relative dies who has made plans to be buried in a family vault that nobody has used for decades. A most unexpected body is found therein, leading to family secrets coming to light and big changes in the lives of many family members. The resulting mayhem and brou-ha-ha not only leads Sarah to a lot of disquieting information about many of her (so-called) respectable relatives and friends, it also helps her, finally, to grow up.

This first Sarah Kelling/Max Bittersohn novel is easily one of the best in what is one of my favorite cosy series. Max, btw, plays a pretty peripheral - but necessary - role here, with what might seem to many folks to be extremely stilted behaviors and manners, but he grows as a character in later novels. This novel is quite funny, as are most of MacLeod's works, but also surprisingly dark and edgy as well, it connects rather strongly emotionally for this native Bostonian. YMMV.

Filled with wonderful bits about scrimping and saving among the wealthy of Boston (and the not-so-wealthy-any-more), it's a nicely tongue-in-cheek look at a style of living and a set of attitudes that are now long gone and which were, actually, pretty much on their way out when this was first published in the late 1970s. But for those wanting a nice fairyland-ish cosy, it's still a strong mystery, filled with interesting - and peculiar - characters, smoothly written and carefully plotted. And if you find the character of Sarah interesting or intriguing, then you've a lot more good reads ahead of you; there are eleven more books in the series.

And if you enjoy MacLeod's light-but-silly touch with humour and mystery, she also wrote three other series that offer varying shades of silliness and darkness, all, IMO, still very entertaining even after all these years. Peter Shandy, a professor at a very odd college in western Massachusetts (some are just funny/silly, others are completely over-the-top - the first is REST YOU MERRY, a very funny Christmas mystery); The Grub'n'Stakers, a truly strange gardening club in a small town somewhere in the middle of Canada (really, really far-fetched but sweetly funny - the first is G&S move a Mountain); Madoc Rhys, RCMP in New Brunswick, Canada (her only attempt at an almost police procedural, it's actually even more character-driven than her other series, very "personal", not procedural at all - the first is A PINT OF MURDER). The Rhys series and the G&S series were written under the name of Alisa Craig.
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Dec 20, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2012

I originally read this series in the 80's. It's nice to see that the writing is as good as I remember and the story holds up very well. This first book introduces several members of Sarah's extended family. Sarah discovers a body in the family burial vault and it opens up a huge mystery from the past. I'm looking forward to continuing my re-read of the series.

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Mar 29, 2013 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Liked this well-written book very much...Sarah Kelling is a young wife, part of a large clan of "Boston Brahmins" who are "old money" and live on Beacon Hill. She lives a frugal life with her handsome, much older husband and his mother. Upon discovering that the opening to the family vault had mysteriously been bricked up, Sarah is caught in a spiral of intrigue and danger that changes her life profoundly. Second book in the series, here I come.

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May 01, 2012 Beverly Wiedemann rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was one of the first mysteries I ever read. I don't remember enough of it to write out a full detailed review, but I do remember being surprised by the ending. Parts of it have stuck with over years (I first read it in high school - late 80's).

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Sep 25, 2009 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sarah is a very likeable character in a very awful situation. She gets better and better at speaking her mind and taking charge. The mystery was well hidden and fun to try to figure out. I can see why she's called the American Agatha Christie.

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Feb 02, 2011 Mare rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Charlotte MacLeod is one of my all time favorite authors and The Family Vault is the first in the Sarah Kelling series. It is set in Boston with an odd selection of relatives and friends who showcase Sarah to fine advantage. While making arrangements to bury a family member Sarah finds a corpse in the family vault that doesn't belong there. We follow the unraveling of an old murder while peering into a lifestyle not often seen now.

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Dec 28, 2012 Diana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2012

I found this to be a disappointing book. There are so many holes in the plot that, by the end, I wasn't reading to find out who committed the murder but just to spot the next bit of silliness.

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Sep 19, 2010 Melanie Jackson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first Sarah and Max mystery and an excellent introduction to Sarah's insane family (part of Boston's elite). The tone is slightly more serious than her other series but still great fun.

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Jul 19, 2008 Joan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

this is my favortie of this series. It is so bizarre. I remember reading as Sarah becomes more aware and not so oppressed that begins with the brickwork around the vault. The mother-in-law is so extremely bad and obsessed with her little lover. And the first husband, what a whimp. One of the things I like about this author is the whole extended family in Boston thing that she uses, they are so eccentric. And Sarah surviving this truly sick situation and finally waking up to what is going on. The...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Geoff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective, mystery

A good read. Easy language. Kept my attention. Hardly Agatha Christie with 100 suspects, you are following the suspicions of the lead character all the way.

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Dec 02, 2012 Linniegayl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this nearly 20 years ago for the first time. I picked up the audio version on audible.com and listened to it this time. It's probably my favorite of the series.

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May 17, 2011 Nell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

From the first word of the dialogue, it put me back in New England in the 1970s. A fun read.

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Nov 05, 2010 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, mysteries-classic, mysteries-police-pi-forensics

Eccentric characters, good mysteries, and a touch of humor make this series a classic.

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Jan 18, 2013 Michele bookloverforever rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-series

inbred brahmin family mystery. amusing characters.

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Apr 17, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Family Vault by Charlotte MacLeod (1979)

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Mar 21, 2013 Marjorie Goldman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-mysteries

Re-reading an old favorite and loved as much as the first time

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Feb 18, 2013 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great series, great characters. Fun mystery.

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Apr 03, 2012 Lynne Harrison added it · review of another edition

I read this series years ago. Loved the series.

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Aug 07, 2011 TJ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Fun quick read. Good intro into a strong woman character

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Oct 12, 2012 Beth Revers rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

love her stuff and miss her greatlty

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Sep 15, 2008 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Sarah Kelling meets detective Max Bittersohn, specialist in jewel theft and society con men, in a very believable story concept.
Ruby Redd's remains are found in the Kelling's family vault that is part of Boston's registered historical listings. This begins a cascade of events that culminate in Sarah losing family and fortune though discovering her own strengths.

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Apr 09, 2008 L Greyfort rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, mystery

Superb. Just one of the best pieces of fiction writing you might have the luck to stumble upon. As a long-time mystery addict, I find this one superior for the amazing balance of elements: an excellent puzzle to solve, very fine character building, the mixture of truly human feeling, including geniune empathy, and character- and situation-based humor.

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Oct 25, 2008 Erica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

I loved to read murder mysteries as a child, so I admit that the attraction of The Family Vault is heavily nostalgic. However, I continue to reread Sarah Kelling when so many others have dropped away. I think this is because the books are well written and distinctive. It never matters that I know who did it.

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Jul 12, 2008 Lee Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first book in a fun series.

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About Charlotte MacLeod

Naturalized US Citizen

Also wrote as Alisa Craig

Charlotte MacLeod, born in New Brunswick, Canada, and a naturalized U.S. citizen, is the multi-award-winning author of over thirty acclaimed novels. Her series featuring detective Professor Peter Shandy, America's homegrown Hercule Poirot, delivers "generous dollops of...warmth, wit, and whimsy" (San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle). But fully...more

More about Charlotte MacLeod...

Books by Charlotte MacLeod

Rest You Merry (Professor Peter Shandy Mystery #1)

The Silver Ghost (Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery #8)

The Withdrawing Room (Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery #2)

The Bilbao Looking Glass (Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn Mystery, #4)

The Corpse in Oozak's Pond (Professor Peter Shandy Mystery #6)

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