Two star rating says it all..... ( )

I read this book because I'm told it is the first mystery with a female PI (1979), beyond the cozy genre. It was an interesting read, but toward the end I wanted it done though. The antagonism between Sharon Malone and the cop was a bit over-done in the "oh, geez, they're actually attracted to one another" mold. I think it would be interesting to read this whole series in order to see how Malone develops. It has to be fascinating to see the changes in how women are perceived and "accepted" into a non-traditional role develops throughout this series. It makes me think of Charlies Angels and the development of the mystery genre on TV and books as they relate to women. Did TV help the novel or did the novel help spur on the portrayal of women? ( )

The most interesting thing about this book is the title. ( )

Sharon McCone seeks murderer of antique dealer and uncovers smuggling ring

It's Sharon McCone's first case as staff investigator for All Souls Legal Cooperative. She knows nothing about antiques, yet she has an affection for Salem Street with its charming mix of antique and curio shops. Now elderly dealer Joan Albritton has been found dead, stabbed with an antique dagger.

Her neighbors are shocked. Recurring vandalism has them frightened. Ferreting out the facts will take Sharon from the chaotic jumble of the junk dealer's establishment to a museum where San Francisco's most elegant socialites gather. But it is not until she is alone in Joan's dark shop with Clothilde, the headless dressmaker's dummy; Bruno, the stuffed German shepherd; and Edwin, the little boy mannequin in the ornate iron shoes that she will have the chance to discover the murderous secret someone will kill -- and kill again -- to keep. ( )