The Bilbao Looking Glass

By: Charlotte MacLeod

Narrated by: Susan Boyce

A couple finds an antique mirror that isn't broken, but still brings bad luck - "MacLeod can be counted on for a witty, literate, and charming mystery" (Publishers Weekly).

According to Max Bittersohn, he and Sarah Kelling have witnessed enough murder and unhappiness, so it's high time they got married. And though Sarah hasn't yet agreed to such drastic measures, she invites Max to summer with her at Ireson's Landing. But they haven't been in the house ten minutes when they stumble upon summer's first mystery - a mint-condition, antique Spanish mirror that is tremendously rare and valuable. Sarah has never seen it before and she doesn't know how it ended up in the summerhouse, but the sleuthing couple will soon find this looking glass to be more troublesome than anything Lewis Carroll ever invented.

As the zany Kelling clan descends on Ireson's Landing, Sarah and her beau try to uncover the mystery of the Bilbao looking glass-a quest that is disrupted when a vicious next-door neighbor is found hacked to death with a woodshed ax. By summer's end, Sarah and Max will learn that some murders can be solved simply by looking in the mirror.

©1983 Charlotte MacLeod (P)2022 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

It was hard to have sympathy for the protagonist.

The protagonist was unlikeable. In fact most, if not all, of the characters were difficult to sympathize with. The story was not particularly original.

Complete Sarah Kelling series at last

So excited to finally have this entire charming series - my old cassettes are worn out !
MacLeod’s characters are the most amusing I’ve ever encountered- she is truly one of a kind.

Mostly like the second half

The beginning was a bit tedious so I sped up the narration. The second half is most enjoyable.

Well done!

situational-humor, verbal-humor, family-dynamics, cozy-mystery, murder*****

Another fun and improbable cozy mystery with Sarah Kelling first published in 1984. The impoverished and rather recently widowed landlady of Boston Brahman heritage is now engaged to the upstanding art theft investigator of respectable Jewish heritage. They've gone out to the Kelling family summer home to check the repairs and have a little alone time when they are caught up in the whirlwind of Kellings, art theft, intrigue, and murder.
If you are offended by the blatant antisemitism of that day, perhaps you prefer the more subtle form prevalent in this century.

I have loved this series for years

I have the entire series in paperback and have reread them many times. Actually I enjoy all of Charlotte MacLeod's books.. I guess cozy mystery fits them, there are no psychological undercurrents no descriptive brutal or truly horrifying events. Just a variety of interesting fun and funny people that treat each other well, mostly that is, and who become aware of or involved in situations that need solving..