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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780060535193
ISBN number: 0060535199
Label: Avon
Manufacturer: Avon
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 384
Printing Date: May 01, 2006
Publishing house: Avon
Release Date: April 25, 2006
Sale Popularity Level: 634834
Studio: Avon
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Product Description:
Raising Cane
Abigail Timberlake Washburn understands the antiques game is a gamble -- so she doesn't know what to expect when she wins the bidding for the contents of an old locker that has been sealed up for years. It's a delightful surprise when she discovers inside a collection of exquisite old walking sticks -- and a not-so-delightful one when she pulls out a decrepit gym bag containing . . . a human skull!
The last thing the diminutive South Carolina antiques dealer needs is to be suspected of foul play. So she grabs her chatty assistant (and future sister-in-law), C.J., and heads out to search for a killer they can stick it to. But this cane case will be no walk in the park -- with its arcane clues hinting at poaching, counterfeiting, smuggling . . . and homicide, of course. And when a fresh corpse turns up, things are about to get really sticky for Abby and her staff of one.
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Rated by buyers 
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I would prefer to give this 2.5 stars; I can't quite justify three. I have read all of the previous books in this series, so something keeps bringing me back. They are not my very first choice, but make great fillers while I'm waiting for the release of other books or just want to rest my brain and not bother with following a plot. I must admit that right now, I'm asking myself "why am I reading this?" I am about 10 pages or so in and I may not finish. It's just a bit too corny. Abby's mother with her pearls and crinolines and her friend CJ with her quirks and crazy family members are a bit too contrived, and have become tiresome. I agree with one reviewer who suggested that the book is good, especially if you're not looking for depth. They are obviously very popular and a quick, fun read for many. There are many uncomplicated, fun mysteries that aren't as corny as this series can be. Try the Yellow Rose series as one example.Pick Your Poison (Yellow Rose Mysteries) or the China Bayles series by Susan Wittig. Thyme of Death (China Bayles 1)
Rated by buyers -
Abigail Timberlake is the owner of an antique store in Charleston, South Carolina. She makes a bid on the unknown contents of a storage area and is unpleasantly surprised to find a skull in a gym bag, along with a collection of old canes. Two bumbling policemen question Abby about the skull and she is soon a suspect in their eyes. When she has a conversation with a woman who is murdered shortly after, she becomes even more of a suspect.
I have read all of the previous books in this series, and I was disappointed in this one. The story could have been told in a much shorter book, and the plot seems to meander aimlessly as Abby puts herself in one crazy situation after another. Her connection with the skull and with the murdered woman is so thin that it doesn't seem even close to logical that the police would suspect her. The jokes about her friend C.J. (such as her aunt being a goat) and her crinoline-wearing, imprisoned-in-the-50's mother are wearing a bit thin. It may be time to retire this series before it becomes a shadow of its former self.
Rated by buyers 
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Let us set the record straight right from the very beginning. If you are looking for a deep and puzzling mystery with serious sleuthing and hard-edged characters you will not like this book or this series. If on the other hand you like to take little flights of fancy and just read something that is fun, entertaining and just plain laugh out loud funny, this is an excellent series for you and this latest installment is simply wonderful.
Abigail Washburn, who uses the last name Timberlake for business purposes, has a highly successful antique store in the more snooty area of Charleston, South Carolina. Her problem is that her business keeps bringing her into contact with an unusually high number of dead bodies or parts thereof. Usually she finds that she is a suspect and jumps into action to clear herself because she says that she is too beautiful to go to prison. Don't get the wrong idea about her however for she says this in a very facetious manner. In this installment of the series she buys a locker that she is happy to discover contains some old walking canes. She is not so happy however when she discovers a skull that just might be human came with her purchase.
Once again she finds herself in trouble and heads out to do a little snooping and the fun really gets started. As usual the characters that she investigates are a highly unusual bunch and also as usual someone she has just talked to ends up dead. What is unusual about this entry into this series is that Abby actually solves the mystery in a way that would make Colombo proud. Usually she just bumbles around until the killer gets tired of her questions and tries to kill her. This time however she figures it all out for herself and finally confronts the killer from a point of strength. She still almost gets killed but this time she knows why.
As usual, Abby's quirky family and friends add much of the colour and humour to the plot. Her friend CJ is about to marry Abby's brother Toy and Mama Wiggins is having a petite fit because CJ intends to wear a dress that is much too close to white. CJ also intends to have one of her cousin's from Shelby be a bridesmaid even though they are going to have to do a DNA test to see if she is a human or a goat. And finally, Bob of the famous Rob-Bobs drops a bombshell about his younger days.
This is probably not the best book to start this series with because so much of what is going on needs background information that can only be found in previous books, but I guarantee that you will have a ball bringing yourself up to date. This series and this book in particular barely qualify as mysteries, cozy or otherwise, but they are such great fun that I really don't worry that much about the plot. I just sit back and have a great time reading about the exploits of Abby Washburn who is quite possibly the funniest detective of all time. I absolutely can't wait for her subsequent adventure to hit the stands.
Rated by buyers 
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abigail continues to rush in where more sensibly people would not go in the cain mutiny in her current mysterious hit and miss by luck investigations, she discovers a few bits and pices about her own family
Rated by buyers 
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I enjoy reading this series and learning about the antiques involved. The characters are funny esp. CJ and Abigail's mom.
It is a fast read not very in-depth murder, but is entertaining. Abigail won a locked trunk auction and when she opened it, there was a skull in it. Bumbling law enforcement wants to pin a murder on her, so Abigail has to solve it herself.
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