Abby & Mary set off for Seattle for taping a show Antique Adventures. But when a valuable teapot disappears, Finnegan goes missing & Abby's bird print vanishes from her hotel room, they have to find the thief.

This is probably my favorite entry so far in the Mysteries of Sparrow Island series. I don't remember how I came to hear of the series--I think a friend recommended it to me. In any case, a friend sent me this book from the series.

Unlike other books in the series, most of this book takes place away from Sparrow Island. A small group of Islanders travels to have items appraised by Antiques Adventures (similar to Antiques Roadshow).

On the way to the show, we get to hear what most/all of the Islanders plan to get appraised. I'm not sure we get to learn what all the appraisers say about the items--it sounds like one of the Islanders skipped out on the appraisal to go to a baseball game instead.

Mystery ensues when Abby's painting is stolen from her hotel room. Abby and the hotel's detective rub each other the wrong way as each tries to figure out who did it.

We also get a bit of insight into traveling as a disabled person and some of the challenges that they can face.

WARNING: SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW. READ ON AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION

*****

There's a complication when it seems Betty's teapot that is a match to Thelma's tea set is stolen. I didn't catch on to what really happened with that until about the time Abby revealed it.

I didn't catch on to who stole the painting and why until right around the time that Abby revealed it.

At the end, I felt like the locket should go back to its original owner's family (or at least be offered to give it to them), just as they sent the diary/journal back to the descendants of its original owner. We're not told if Ellen decides to do that or not--or even if she thinks about it. ( )