The Family Vault

Young Sarah Kelling is used to her family’s eccentricities, so isn’t surprised when a great-uncle demanded to be buried in the long-unused family vault just off Boston Common, but when the family opens up that venerable space, she is surprised to find the desiccated corpse of a woman with rubies embedded in her teeth! And when she realizes that somebody put up a small brick wall to conceal the body using the identical pattern that her much-older husband Alexander and her mother-in-law Caroline had used for a secret garden at their country estate, Sarah begins to understand that there is something very much amiss in her family…. A friend recommended the Sarah Kelling series to me the other day and, thanks to the wonders of e-books, show more I was able to buy and read it in no time at all - and very glad of it too! Sarah is a delightful person, and the peculiarities of her extended family along with the intricacies of the plot all serve as a terrific introduction. This was first published in 1979, and it’s nice to go back to those pre-Internet/cellphone/crazed technology times; even better, there are a dozen books in the series, and I’ve already started the second one. A great discovery, thanks to my friend; highly recommended! show less

Sarah, a member of a large and wealthy old Beacon Hill family, married her 41-year old distant cousin when her father died when she was 19. Since then, she has lived in her husband's home with his deaf/blind mother. Her husband, Alexander, spends most his time caring for his mother, Aunt Caroline, and so was not with Sarah the day she joined another cousin, Aldolphus, in opeing the old family vault in preparation for Uncle Frederick's funeral. They were surprised to discover a brick wall constructed inside the vault door, which hadn't been opened in more than 20 years. When they broke through the brick wall, the skeleton of a woman was laying on the floor. She was quickly identified as Ruby Red, a local exotic dancer from the 1950's who show more had rubies imbedded in her teeth. Sarah was at first puzzled then suspicious of her husband's stunned reaction at the news. However, the more she digs, the more she learns about her family and its secrets.

This book seems to be set in the 1970's and provides a glimpse into an old Boston family who is living in genteel poverty, although Sarah is puzzled about why Alexander keeps her to such a tight budget, when his branch of the family is recognized as the head of the clan, and her own father left her a sizable inheritance. I'm not a big fan of most cozy mysteries, but I loved this one. Sarah's eyes are opened as she discovers things about her relatives and family friends that she never imagined. Ths is the first book in a series, I believe, and I'll be anxious to read the next installment - there are lots of promising characters here. show less

Narrated by Andi Arndt. A very nice, easy mystery novel. A great start to the series. A young wife, an older husband, and deadly family secrets keep one enthralled until the end.
Even though I *knew* one of the characters was going to die in this novel (because of foreshadowing), and I knew what had happened to the family jewels, in a generic way, I was still quite surprised by this little gem of a novel. You might be so, too. Give it a try.
Four stars, and recommended for lovers of mystery.

historical-fiction, art-fraud, murder, cozy-mystery, situational-humor, verbal-humor

Written in 1982, the details rank as historical. The publisher's blurb is somewhat off, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this delightful cozy! The long suffering Sarah and her beloved older husband Alexander have been victimized and swindled for years and didn't even know it. Then things get even worse, but there is plenty of humor to lighten it up. If you've never read this book or others in the series, do yourself a favor and read now!
My current copy is audio performed by Andi Arndt who is excellent in character (they all are!) differentiation and conveying attitudes.

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 Bittersohn, it's up to Sarah Kelling to hold the shocked family together, and try to find out what happened. What they unravel is a complex murder plot that not only stretches into the past, but also has Sarah marked as a victim!

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.

The family vault is opened for the burial of an uncle and there's a mystery brick wall inside. They discover a woman's skeleton who was a famous stripper in the 1950s. Sarah's husband is very upset and after the funeral they decide to go to their beach house with his mother, who lives with them, and is blind and deaf. The following morning Sarah's husband and mother-in-law go for a drive and lose control of the car and go off the cliff and are killed. Sarah believes the car was tampered with and then strange things start happening around the house. With the help of an insurance investigator, Sarah discovered what happened and how the deaths are linked together.