I love stories where the central relationship is between two people that you don’t normally see together, and Gilt Frame delivers. The story revolves around Aunt Merry and her grown nephew Sam who have become successful amateur sleuths.

With six solved cases under their belts, they have different opinions on their trajectory: Sam wants to get paid, while Aunt Merry feels solving the mystery is payment enough. Aunt Merry and Sam live in adjoining apartments on the top of an apartment building. Merry is divorced, having chosen Sam (a child at the time) over her philandering narcissistic husband. Sam was abandoned by his parents for a cult which then disappeared. Both are collectors: he of books and Merry of antiques. Since neither of them like to sit around, they fly to Paris to obtain the provenance of two French Fauteuils (chairs) and, hopefully, sell them for a hefty profit. Unfortunately (or fortunately), it lands them a new mystery to solve.

Aunt Merry and Sam are two flawed characters who love each other dearly and even have their own special code. It’s an endearing trait that gives them depth. You get a sense of old arguments they love to rehash, and it’s clear they both enjoy the other’s company. (One does wonder if Sam has any friends his own age, as he clearly spends his free time with his aunt.) Some would call Merry elderly, but that would be a disservice. She’s older, yes, but a vibrant and intelligent person who happens to have gray hair and a few wrinkles. Both are idiosyncratic to a fault, but their relationship is what makes this story special.

The watercolor gives the story a period piece vibe even though it’s set in the present day. The pacing is spot on. The flashbacks integrate seamlessly into the storyline. They give us just the right amount of information, and then we are back to the present. The lettering adds to the overall personal feel – like we’re reading handwritten letters over the shoulder of the person writing them. And the look on the TSA agent’s face in one particular panel is something we can all relate to.

There are cool extras that build out the story, as well.

Creative Team: Margie Kraft Kindt and Matt Kindt (writers), Matt Kindt (artist), Sophia Hilmes (letterer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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