Winner of "Reader's Choice Award for Best First Mystery Novel" at Chicago's Love is Murder Conference, February 2002.

Death is a Cabaret is the first in a three part series of "an Antique Lover's Mystery."

Deborah Morgan has created a cast of characters set in an "antique environment" that will entertain even those uneducated or not interested in antiquing. Jeff Talbot left the FBI to pursue his desire to be an antique "picker." His wife, Sheila, is agoraphobic. She is also quite the chef, as her dinner descriptions will leave the reader salivating on occasion. They also have the very proper butler, Greer.

This mystery starts in their hometown of Seattle. You then travel to an Antique Convention on Mackinaw Island, Michigan and get to meet other antique collectors. Jeff has attended to find the "Josephine Cabaret", but also finds murder. The island's isolation and lack of automotive transportation hamper the investigation. Is Jeff the prime suspect because of the victim's identification?

This is an absolutely superb start to the series! It grabbed me right away despite my non-antiquing status. I still don't want to go buy antiques, but I would like the next book!

The second book in the series is due out 10/02, The Weedless Widow.