Den of Antiquity Books in Order
Part ofTamar Myers Books in OrderThis page lists the Den of Antiquity books by Tamar Myers in order, with quick summaries, series background, and an easy guide to where to start.
Last updated: June 8, 2026
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Publication Order
16 books
Gilt by Association
by Tamar Myers
1996
Abigail Timberlake thinks she scored big when she buys a gorgeous French armoire at auction. Then it arrives with a corpse inside, shutting down her shop and pushing her into a tangle of family secrets and murder.
Larceny and Old Lace
by Tamar Myers
1996
Recently divorced antiques dealer Abigail Timberlake is drawn into murder when her aunt Eulonia is killed with an elegant antique bell pull. Missing lace and a threat against Abby's son make the case suddenly very personal.
The Ming and I
by Tamar Myers
1997
A woman tries to sell Abby an ugly old vase, then dies in a hit-and-run minutes later. When the vase proves to be valuable Ming, Abby follows the mystery into plantation history, family pride, and long-buried Southern secrets.
So Faux, So Good
by Tamar Myers
1998
Abigail heads to Pennsylvania Dutch country to track down a source of fake antique tea services. What starts as business quickly turns deadly when she gets pulled into the suspicious death of a local auctioneer.
Baroque and Desperate
by Tamar Myers
1999
Abby and her friend C.J. arrive at a wealthy family's mansion and walk straight into murder. With a maid stabbed to death and C.J. treated as the obvious suspect, Abby has to find the truth before her friend takes the fall.
Estate of Mind
by Tamar Myers
1999
A church auction seems harmless until Abby unknowingly buys a lost art treasure. Soon she is neck-deep in scandal, greed, and a string of murders tied to a prize far more valuable than anyone expected.
A Penny Urned
by Tamar Myers
2000
Abby unexpectedly inherits a distant relative's estate and heads to Savannah to settle matters. A fake urn, a rare 1793 penny, and hints of a hidden fortune convince her that her aunt's death deserves a much closer look.
Nightmare in Shining Armor
by Tamar Myers
2001
Abby's Halloween party ends with a fire, panic, and a grisly surprise delivered to her home. Stuffed inside a suit of armor is her ex-husband's current wife, and Abby must brave a strange world of collectors to catch the killer.
Splendor in the Glass
by Tamar Myers
2002
Abby thinks brokering a fine Lalique collection could raise her standing in Charleston society. Instead, the collection's owner dies, Abby becomes the top suspect, and she has to piece together a shattered case fast.
Tiles and Tribulations
by Tamar Myers
2003
Abby would rather avoid a séance altogether, but her friend's old Charleston mansion may be more than just drafty. When the psychic known as Madame Woo-Woo dies, Abby realizes the real threat is human, not ghostly.
Statue of Limitations
by Tamar Myers
2004
When a bed-and-breakfast owner is killed with a tacky garden statue, Abby's friend Wynnell winds up in jail. Convinced the case is far uglier than it looks, Abby starts digging into guests, widowers, and bad taste.
Monet Talks
by Tamar Myers
2005
Abby buys a jeweled birdcage and inherits a loud mynah bird named Monet, then wishes she hadn't. When the bird is kidnapped and her mother is snatched too, she has to chase down a bizarre ransom plot.
The Cane Mutiny
by Tamar Myers
2006
Abby wins a sealed storage locker and hopes for antiques, not evidence. Inside the canes and clutter she finds a human skull, launching a case that reaches into smuggling, counterfeiting, poaching, and murder.
Death of a Rug Lord
by Tamar Myers
2008
Abby spots a priceless Persian rug in a struggling discount store and brings it home feeling lucky, until the owner is found dead the next morning. The case leads her into fake carpets, stolen value, and real danger.
Poison Ivory
by Tamar Myers
2009
Abby buys a beautiful seventeenth-century chest online as a birthday gift for her mother and winds up arrested for ivory trafficking. Furious and embarrassed, she goes after the smugglers who set her up before they strike again.
The Glass is Always Greener
by Tamar Myers
2011
Abby takes a break from her shop to attend the so-called wake of an eccentric woman who is still alive and enjoying the spectacle. When Aunt Jerry turns up dead in a freezer and a priceless ring vanishes, Abby becomes the suspect.
Series background & context
The Den of Antiquity books follow Abigail Timberlake, an antiques dealer whose professional life keeps dropping her into other people's messes. At the start of the series, in Larceny and Old Lace, Abby is recently divorced, raising her son, and trying to build a life around her shop. She knows how to spot quality, haggle hard, and recognize a fake from across the room. What she does not expect is that old furniture, family heirlooms, estate lots, and decorative objects will so often arrive with murder attached.
That is the central pleasure of this series. Every case begins with something tangible, a bell pull, a vase, a suit of armor, a birdcage, a rug, a cane, a chest, a statue. Myers uses the antiques trade as more than a gimmick. It shapes the whole world of the books. Auctions, flea markets, inherited collections, fake treasures, social climbing, and private greed all feed into the crimes, and Abby's knowledge of objects gives her a practical way into each mystery.
The tone is funny, busy, and full of Southern complication. Abby starts out in Charlotte, and later books move the action to Charleston, which lets the series lean even harder into old houses, old money, decorative taste, and people who care very much about status. The settings matter because Abby is always bumping into circles that mix appearance and insecurity. Behind the polished silver and pretty drawing rooms, there are crooked deals, family rivalries, marital disasters, and a fair amount of plain nonsense.
Nothing stays purely decorative for long.
Abby herself is easy to stick with because she feels capable without ever becoming slick. She is small, stubborn, curious, and frequently exasperated by the people closest to her. The supporting cast gives the series much of its bounce: her son Charlie, her impossible ex-husband Buford, ex-cop Greg Washburn, her dramatic mother Mozella, and friends like C.J. and Wynnell. They help, meddle, argue, panic, and sometimes make everything worse. That is part of the charm. These books are as much about family entanglements and friendship as they are about clues.
The mysteries often start with a very simple question. Why was this object here? Why was it hidden, faked, stolen, or valued so highly? From there the books spiral outward into inheritance fights, secrets from the past, scams, and killings that turn out to be less random than they first look. Because Abby works with old things for a living, she is always dealing with objects that have passed through many hands. That gives the stories a nice sense of depth. The past is never really past in these books. It is sitting in the shop window waiting to cause trouble.
If you want cozy mysteries with a strong hook, this series delivers one right away. The antique world gives every book its own flavor, and Abby's voice keeps the stories lively even when the bodies pile up. Read them for the rare finds, the Charleston atmosphere, and the pleasure of watching one very determined dealer refuse to let murder ruin a good piece.
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