What do you think?
Erica Donato #2
Brooklyn Graves
The Art of Murder
A lost Tiffany stained-glass window. Secret letters from its beautiful designer who mysteriously vanished at the height of the Gilded Age. For urban historian Erica Donato, researching the window's provenance at a renowned Brooklyn graveyard for the wealthy is a plum assignment. If she can survive working with arrogant art expert Dr. Thomas Flint, this could put her on the map…
But when her friend Dima—the cemetary's night security guard—is shot dead, Erica is certain it's no coincidence. And when Flint's young assistant is also murdered and the letters go missing, Erica must unearth clues from past and present in the face of uncooperative heirs, secretive cemetery staffers, unnerving threats and a ruthless Russian mobster. But someone is determined to deep-six the truth—and put Erica's future to rest permanently…
A lost Tiffany stained-glass window. Secret letters from its beautiful designer who mysteriously vanished at the height of the Gilded Age. For urban historian Erica Donato, researching the window's provenance at a renowned Brooklyn graveyard for the wealthy is a plum assignment. If she can survive working with arrogant art expert Dr. Thomas Flint, this could put her on the map…
But when her friend Dima—the cemetary's night security guard—is shot dead, Erica is certain it's no coincidence. And when Flint's young assistant is also murdered and the letters go missing, Erica must unearth clues from past and present in the face of uncooperative heirs, secretive cemetery staffers, unnerving threats and a ruthless Russian mobster. But someone is determined to deep-six the truth—and put Erica's future to rest permanently…
279 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
About the author
Triss Stein
13 books24 followersTriss Stein is a small-town girl who has spent most of her adult life living and working in New York City. This gives her the useful double vision of a stranger and a resident which she uses to write mysteries about Brooklyn, her ever-fascinating, ever-changing, ever-challenging adopted home. Brooklyn Graves is the second Erica Donato mystery, following Brooklyn Bones.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 20, 2017
Brooklyn Graves is the second book in the Erica Donata series by Triss Stein. I have already read the third, so I am reading backwards in the series. It's not my usual approach, but I am truly enjoying the series in spite of my approach. Of course, there is some adjustment to relationships this way. Erica is a single mother in her mid-thirties who in addition to raising her teenage daughter alone is a urban history graduate student working on her thesis and a part-time employ of the nearby history museum.
Erica's life becomes even busier when she is assigned by her boss at the museum to examine letters found in a Brooklyn attic that seem to have a Tiffany art connection and to accompany a Tiffany expert on a trip to the historic Brooklyn cemetery, Green-Wood. The expert is most demanding, and when they encounter a roadblock in the form of the mausoleum with the Tiffany windows being closed to visitors, he is furious with everyone. Handling all this drama is more than Erica normally runs into at her job, but she finds the Tiffany history fascinating, as do I. I had no idea that Tiffany windows were put in mausoleums at the heyday of their production. At the same time as her involvement with the Tiffany mysteries, one of Erica's best friends is murdered, and his wife is counting on Erica's support and investigative skills to help their family with grief and answers. As with all history, once you start digging, there are sure to be surprises and secrets buried deep. And, once the box is opened, Erica can't ignore the truth that springs out.
Triss Stein has created a series set in a fascinating location with a reliable character who grows into her competence and confidence more each book. Erica's personal relationships aren't easy, but Triss doesn't force an easy fix to her main character's growth in this area. Erica's problems are familiar to many single parents, and the author doesn't gloss over them. Setting this series in Brooklyn is a stroke of genius that allows Triss Stein a unique hold on this historical place. Count me as a fan of this series, and I can't wait to read what aspect of Brooklyn I will be learning about next.
Erica's life becomes even busier when she is assigned by her boss at the museum to examine letters found in a Brooklyn attic that seem to have a Tiffany art connection and to accompany a Tiffany expert on a trip to the historic Brooklyn cemetery, Green-Wood. The expert is most demanding, and when they encounter a roadblock in the form of the mausoleum with the Tiffany windows being closed to visitors, he is furious with everyone. Handling all this drama is more than Erica normally runs into at her job, but she finds the Tiffany history fascinating, as do I. I had no idea that Tiffany windows were put in mausoleums at the heyday of their production. At the same time as her involvement with the Tiffany mysteries, one of Erica's best friends is murdered, and his wife is counting on Erica's support and investigative skills to help their family with grief and answers. As with all history, once you start digging, there are sure to be surprises and secrets buried deep. And, once the box is opened, Erica can't ignore the truth that springs out.
Triss Stein has created a series set in a fascinating location with a reliable character who grows into her competence and confidence more each book. Erica's personal relationships aren't easy, but Triss doesn't force an easy fix to her main character's growth in this area. Erica's problems are familiar to many single parents, and the author doesn't gloss over them. Setting this series in Brooklyn is a stroke of genius that allows Triss Stein a unique hold on this historical place. Count me as a fan of this series, and I can't wait to read what aspect of Brooklyn I will be learning about next.
February 14, 2025
DNF 52%. I skipped ahead a little and then read the last chapter and I'm good. I liked some characters but others were so cartoony. The story was not progressing in an interesting way (plus a seemingly major plot point is mentioned on the back cover of the book, but it hasn't come up yet in the story).
September 10, 2015
Very enjoyable book. The interaction between the mother and teenage daughter were true to life and interesting. The historical underpinning of the plot was fascinating. Tiffany windows and stained glass were created in a workshop that included some of the early employment opportunities for women. Love how that was successfully brought into the story. Definitely will read more of her books.
August 12, 2024
*****2.5*****
I liked the mystery in this book a lot. I liked the story and details about Tiffany and his stained glass windows and the fictional woman who came east to work in his all-female design studio. I liked the idea of the modern-day characters and their interactions with each other and the concept of the mystery. I didn't like the main character. She was so mean and judgmental. She refers to a justifiably upset woman as something like a dumb crybaby, and she is terrible to her teenage daughter who is also justifiably upset and trying to express herself. She is also hard on her dad, who she says hovers when he's literally trying to be there for her. It was hard to read her thoughts some of the time. I also realize that I sound judgmental of her, and maybe I am, but she really bothered me, and some of her comments were hard to look past because they were about people close to her or people who were just being normal, like a newspaper guy who she says probably works with a bunch of nerds just because they use the Internet. I also didn't think the lack of knowledge about teens and technology was believable for the time period. The book felt like it took place in the 1990s rather than in 2015 or so. Finally, a lot of the book didn't make sense. The transitions weren't clear, and the dialogue was disorienting. It got more muddled for me as the book went forward.
However, I did enjoy the ending. I thought Stein brought it together well, and the last lines were very sweet. I also did learn a lot about Tiffany and Brooklyn, so that was cool. Overall, I recommend this book if you like a good mystery story in concept and can overlook other flaws. I don't think I'll read another Erica Donato mystery, though.
I liked the mystery in this book a lot. I liked the story and details about Tiffany and his stained glass windows and the fictional woman who came east to work in his all-female design studio. I liked the idea of the modern-day characters and their interactions with each other and the concept of the mystery. I didn't like the main character. She was so mean and judgmental. She refers to a justifiably upset woman as something like a dumb crybaby, and she is terrible to her teenage daughter who is also justifiably upset and trying to express herself. She is also hard on her dad, who she says hovers when he's literally trying to be there for her. It was hard to read her thoughts some of the time. I also realize that I sound judgmental of her, and maybe I am, but she really bothered me, and some of her comments were hard to look past because they were about people close to her or people who were just being normal, like a newspaper guy who she says probably works with a bunch of nerds just because they use the Internet. I also didn't think the lack of knowledge about teens and technology was believable for the time period. The book felt like it took place in the 1990s rather than in 2015 or so. Finally, a lot of the book didn't make sense. The transitions weren't clear, and the dialogue was disorienting. It got more muddled for me as the book went forward.
However, I did enjoy the ending. I thought Stein brought it together well, and the last lines were very sweet. I also did learn a lot about Tiffany and Brooklyn, so that was cool. Overall, I recommend this book if you like a good mystery story in concept and can overlook other flaws. I don't think I'll read another Erica Donato mystery, though.
April 14, 2017
This is book two in the Erica Donato series, but it is the first one I have read. It is easily a stand alone, I didn't feel as though I was lost not reading the first yet. It starts out on a rainy day in Brooklyn, in a cemetery, and for me, that's the sign of a good book to come!
Erica is a single mom raising a teenage daughter, Chris. She also works at a history museum. I really liked her as a main character, and I loved the dynamic between her and her daughter.
When a family friend is killed, Erica tries to help solve the mystery of who killed him. She is also working with an art dealer at the request of her boss. She is asked to go through some old letters and documents relating to Tiffany. This is a fast paced and well written book, I really enjoyed it. The history is fascinating. I will go back and read the first in the series!
Erica is a single mom raising a teenage daughter, Chris. She also works at a history museum. I really liked her as a main character, and I loved the dynamic between her and her daughter.
When a family friend is killed, Erica tries to help solve the mystery of who killed him. She is also working with an art dealer at the request of her boss. She is asked to go through some old letters and documents relating to Tiffany. This is a fast paced and well written book, I really enjoyed it. The history is fascinating. I will go back and read the first in the series!
September 21, 2023
I enjoyed the descriptions of Green Wood Cemetery and some of the history, but this book could have used a good proofreader.
December 23, 2015
Even better than the first in the series. Stein does a great job of connecting two apparently unconnected crimes for a satisfying conclusion. The characters are engaging and well developed and I am looking forward to seeing how they continue to interact in the next entry.
September 27, 2017
If you like mysteries but shun blood and gore, you might like this stale. It is replete with historical references to the Tiffany family and to Brooklyn, NY where the story takes place.
Erica Donato is a spunky widow doing her best to raise her 15-year-old daughter while finishing her PhD dissertation in urban history. When the father of her daughter's best friend is killed, Erica is drawn into the search for answers that might explain his death, who killed him and why.
But with each step forward, she finds herself two steps back with still more questions requiring answers. And what remains are questions that revolve around her new relationship with the police detective who helps her pull the threads that unravel the mystery.
Erica Donato is a spunky widow doing her best to raise her 15-year-old daughter while finishing her PhD dissertation in urban history. When the father of her daughter's best friend is killed, Erica is drawn into the search for answers that might explain his death, who killed him and why.
But with each step forward, she finds herself two steps back with still more questions requiring answers. And what remains are questions that revolve around her new relationship with the police detective who helps her pull the threads that unravel the mystery.
December 16, 2019
Erica Donato is a part time museum employee, PhD candidate working on her thesis, and a full time mom to a 15 year old girl. Each book in the series has wonderful details about the history of Brooklyn. This one involves the Tiffany windows found in the Green-Wood Cemetery. The historical is real, the intriguing back story is not.
Good mystery.
Good mystery.
October 28, 2017
The midsection of the story was all over the place. There was too much activity irrelevant to the story story at hand. I figured out early on who the mastermind had to be. The ending cleaned up nicely. I might read more by this author.
September 14, 2017
I enjoyed the second book in this series as much as the first. The story combined my two favorite things - art and history- in one satisfying little mystery.
October 5, 2017
it was okay but I was confused about a home security problem she had. What happened to the state of the art security system that was installed in the first book? Never mentioned.
January 19, 2018
outstanding read, great subject matter
January 31, 2018
This series gives you a fantastic look at the history of New York City along with a good mystery.
October 29, 2018
I enjoyed this series. I also like cemeteries, so this one appealed to me.
August 28, 2024
It was interesting but not super exciting. Nice for a historical fiction mystery.
January 7, 2014
I really enjoyed this mystery. I loved the look back into history through the letters especially as it was an era and industry that I don't know that much about. Erica is ambitious, smart, kind and flawed all at once. She tries to be a good mother and a good student but doesn't' always get it right. I really loved that she didn't exhibit any beyond stupid investigative behavior and didn't seem to feel that she had the right to ask whoever she wanted want ever she wanted. This is a pet peeve of mine with amateur detectives. It drives me nuts when a character barges in and demands people answer questions when they have no reason to ask them. It also drives me nuts when characters exhibit To Stupid To Live behavior. I read a book once where the woman brought her 3 year old son to a confrontation with someone she knew was a murderer completely by herself telling no one where she was. Anyway, that's another rant. Erica didn't do any of this. When it looked like her questions were pointing towards the Russian mob she stepped away and let the police handle it. When she did let curiosity get the best of her she admitted that that had been stupid. The only thing I didn't like about her was her relationship with her father. I felt there was a little too much time caught up with what felt like teenage temper tantrums regarding him when he wasn't really doing anything particularly awful or controlling. I thought Erica was better than that. All and all this was a good book, the mystery was wrapped up satisfactorily and the link between past and present was done well. This is the 2nd in a series but can be read on its own. In fact, I didn't even know it was part of a series until I looked it up online.
Full review: http://iwishilivedinalibrary.blogspot...
Full review: http://iwishilivedinalibrary.blogspot...
May 2, 2014
This novel is the second Erica Donato mystery, and, like the first, “Brooklyn Bones,” it’s not all about a contemporaneous crime, but involves the past. In a way, this is fitting, since the protagonist is working on a PhD in history. As in the first in the series, it takes place in Brooklyn, NY, home of the Green-Wood cemetery, where many Tiffany windows adorn mausoleums, and Brighton Beach, home to numerous Russian immigrants and nicknamed Little Odessa.
The plot involves the murder of a Russian immigrant, Erica’s friend and the father of her daughter’s friend, whose second job was as a night watchman at the Green-Wood cemetery, and the theft of a Tiffany window from one of its mausoleums. This gives the author the opportunity to delve into history, as she reviews century-old letters of an artist who worked for the famed glassmaker.
The story moves a bit slowly, weighed down by Erica’s personal life, complicated by her widowhood, the pressures of her studies, her own insecurities, and the raising of her 15-year-old daughter. But in the end, as Thomas Wolfe wrote, “Only the Dead Know Brooklyn.” Yet Triss Stein is carving out that territory as her own.
Recommended.
The plot involves the murder of a Russian immigrant, Erica’s friend and the father of her daughter’s friend, whose second job was as a night watchman at the Green-Wood cemetery, and the theft of a Tiffany window from one of its mausoleums. This gives the author the opportunity to delve into history, as she reviews century-old letters of an artist who worked for the famed glassmaker.
The story moves a bit slowly, weighed down by Erica’s personal life, complicated by her widowhood, the pressures of her studies, her own insecurities, and the raising of her 15-year-old daughter. But in the end, as Thomas Wolfe wrote, “Only the Dead Know Brooklyn.” Yet Triss Stein is carving out that territory as her own.
Recommended.
May 10, 2014
I couldn't wait to read this one, after reading the first in the series, last year's BROOKLYN BONES. Erica Donato works part-time for a history museum while studying as a history grad student and being a single mother caring for her teen-age daughter. Her entire family is shaken when a good friend is murdered, leaving behind his wife and teen son, best friend of Erica's daughter. Ms. Stein writes so believably about this woman: mother, daughter of a man she still has an uneasy relationship with, friend, museum worker, thesis writer. She's carrying so many loads, and her days are always chaotic. But she's funny, caring, gutsy, and I would like to know her.
April 11, 2014
It's a tragedy for many people when Dima is murdered--his family, his friends, including PhD candidate Erica Donato and her daughter. But Erica is busy with her museum job, which this month requires working for the snobbish Tiffany glass expert who wants her to work on some newly discovered letters concerning one of the Tiffany designers. This is a terrific book, but a short review can't do it justice. I'm planning to go back and read the first in this series, too.
July 8, 2014
read after trip to Brooklyn, interesting plot, didn't see any single family houses in the area we were in.
July 31, 2014
Triss Stein continues to weave the past into the present and keeps the reader highly engaged.
August 27, 2014
The story was ok, I read the book because of the Tiffany Studios Stained Glass involvement. The editing was terrible, missing words in several paragraphs
August 25, 2015
Great detail and character development - An interesting read and some insight into NYC history! I liked it!
April 24, 2016
A quick and very enjoyable read.
October 14, 2016
If at all possible Brooklyn Graves was even better than a Brooklyn Bones. Tiffany glass, mysterious cemetery mausoleums, a petulant historian and murder make for a stunning mix.
Read
July 7, 2016Again, a good read in the series. Looking forward to more about Erica.
Read
April 1, 2017Miniseries: An Erica Donato Mystery
April 18, 2017
Brooklyn Graves
By Triss Stein
Reviewed by Caryn St.Clair
Brooklyn Graves has all of my favorite elements in a mystery. The plot is well written with little clues a long the way for the reader to try to piece together, the protagonist is likable and for the most part avoids rushing into dangerous situations, and I learned a little along the way about Tiffany Glass and cemetery art. Plus, one of the big draws for me is that much of the plot centers around an old cemetery. You can learn a lot about a community by visiting its cemeteries. Most of all, I appreciated that the author really gave readers a sense of place. Brooklyn, New York came alive on the pages of Brooklyn Graves.
Erica Donato has a busy life. She is the mother of a teenager, in school working on her doctorate and works part time in a museum. It is while at her job in the museum that she is called in to a meeting with the rather eccentric Bright Skye and the renowned Dr Flint. Skye brought a box of family letters to the museum asking for assistance in determining if they had any value. She believed they tied one of her ancestors to the Tiffany Glass Company. Dr. Flint was present as an expert of all things Tiffany. Erica was called in because Dr. Flint required a driver. After the meeting, Erica drove Dr. Flint to the historic Green-Wood Cemetery so that he could complete some research. Sadly, one of the mausoleums Dr. Flint wanted to visit was off limits as it had been damaged. Okay, these things happen in old cemeteries, but the director acted extremely odd about it which raised red flags for both Erica and Dr. Flint. Back at the museum, Dr. Flint asked that Erica be assigned to help his assistant to catalog the letters from Bright Skye and left on a business trip. And so the saga of the letters, Tiffany glass and buried family secrets began. This plot thread was so interesting on many levels. The history of the Tiffany glass studios and the visits to the historical cemetery made this book hard to put down.
Meanwhile, Erica has her own problems. The husband of a good friend and the father of her daughter’s best friend was murdered and left on his front lawn. While the police are doing all they can, the Russian community is a fairly closed community and finding people to talk is difficult. Besides, the victim was loved by everyone, was an outstanding worker, father and husband. Why did this happen? In this plot thread, readers really get to know Erica and her daughter as they work through the long buried angst of Erica’s own husband being killed and her daughter growing up fatherless.
Brooklyn Graves is the second book in the “Brooklyn” series featuring Erica Donato. Published by Poisoned Pen Press, it has been re-released by Worldwide Mysteries in mass paperback.
By Triss Stein
Reviewed by Caryn St.Clair
Brooklyn Graves has all of my favorite elements in a mystery. The plot is well written with little clues a long the way for the reader to try to piece together, the protagonist is likable and for the most part avoids rushing into dangerous situations, and I learned a little along the way about Tiffany Glass and cemetery art. Plus, one of the big draws for me is that much of the plot centers around an old cemetery. You can learn a lot about a community by visiting its cemeteries. Most of all, I appreciated that the author really gave readers a sense of place. Brooklyn, New York came alive on the pages of Brooklyn Graves.
Erica Donato has a busy life. She is the mother of a teenager, in school working on her doctorate and works part time in a museum. It is while at her job in the museum that she is called in to a meeting with the rather eccentric Bright Skye and the renowned Dr Flint. Skye brought a box of family letters to the museum asking for assistance in determining if they had any value. She believed they tied one of her ancestors to the Tiffany Glass Company. Dr. Flint was present as an expert of all things Tiffany. Erica was called in because Dr. Flint required a driver. After the meeting, Erica drove Dr. Flint to the historic Green-Wood Cemetery so that he could complete some research. Sadly, one of the mausoleums Dr. Flint wanted to visit was off limits as it had been damaged. Okay, these things happen in old cemeteries, but the director acted extremely odd about it which raised red flags for both Erica and Dr. Flint. Back at the museum, Dr. Flint asked that Erica be assigned to help his assistant to catalog the letters from Bright Skye and left on a business trip. And so the saga of the letters, Tiffany glass and buried family secrets began. This plot thread was so interesting on many levels. The history of the Tiffany glass studios and the visits to the historical cemetery made this book hard to put down.
Meanwhile, Erica has her own problems. The husband of a good friend and the father of her daughter’s best friend was murdered and left on his front lawn. While the police are doing all they can, the Russian community is a fairly closed community and finding people to talk is difficult. Besides, the victim was loved by everyone, was an outstanding worker, father and husband. Why did this happen? In this plot thread, readers really get to know Erica and her daughter as they work through the long buried angst of Erica’s own husband being killed and her daughter growing up fatherless.
Brooklyn Graves is the second book in the “Brooklyn” series featuring Erica Donato. Published by Poisoned Pen Press, it has been re-released by Worldwide Mysteries in mass paperback.
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