Emma Chizzit and the Queen Anne Killer

Emma Chizzit Mystery #1

by Mary Bowen Hall

Not one to spend her golden years rocking and eminiscing, Emma Chizzit is owner and one woman crew of A-1 Salvage, looking for collectibles or hauling junk from old houses. Sure some people get edgy--a woman her age in a battered pickup truckdoing this kind of work-- but you can't please everybody. Hired to clean out an old Queen Anne house belonging to a prominent and scandal-ridden Sacramento family. Emma is delighted to find a hand carved cradle-- until she discovers a mummified baby nearby. Her reward is brake-shrieking car chases, shady and sinister characters, an overeager cop with a crush on her...and a killer with a bloody notion of housecleaning.

Genres: Mystery

253 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenges: Golden Girls Round 5/Rachael Fryman - General: 50+ (1), 80s/90s (2), woman author (5); Reading Goal Posts/Read Your Shelf - 20 Books of Summer (2/20); Reading Goal Posts - TBR Jar. Mary Bowen Hall is important to read as she and her cohorts of the 70s, 80s, and 90s brought in the NEW GOLDEN AGE of mystery writers that paved the way for mysteries as they are in the 21st century. This first book in the series contains concerns about large corporate developers, the environment, Native American economic independence (sans casinos), indigenous cultural revival, and lifestyle fallout from the 60s. An easy, short read, yet Emma Chizzit, a woman of a certain age, has grit. She is active and means to let everyone know she is. Murder is not taken lightly here; real emotion and shock are expressed. Only four books were published before Bowen Hall's passing in 1994.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read of a collection of mysteries featuring senior detectives. Emma Chizzit is a retired woman who clears out houses and sells anything salvageable to supplement her income. In the first book of the Emma Chizzit series, she is clearing out the crawlspace of an old Victorian house when she finds a mummified baby. A good mystery with a clever and spunky heroine.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this deftly plotted and fast-paced mystery. The secondary characters are perfect in their small roles, particularly her friend and landlady Frannie and the smitten Vince. In fact, every time Vince appeared, I had the urge to duck out the nearest door in an attempt to escape the poor man.

Emma Chizzit is a fascinating character. She's older, smarter, knows how to work hard and not do anything unduly foolish. Except for her small group of friends, she keeps herself to herself and doesn't say much at all about her past. This makes her a bit mysterious, and what little I did learn about her made me want to know more-- which is why the other two books in this series are on their way to me now.

If you're in the mood for a quick mystery fix with a strong central character, give Mary Bowen Hall's Emma Chizzit novels a try.

[Jessica Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mystery writing, but the humor falls flat. Biggest problem: Leaving her friend after a gunshot wound and there isn't another mention of him until the end. It seems cold and far-fetched for a close relationship.

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice and cozy