I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Emeralds and Envy
by Angela McRae
Series: Junkin' Jewelry Mysteries #1
Series Rating:
Published by Red Adept Publishing on April 16, 2019
Genres: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Culinary Mystery
Pages: 256
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Also in this series: Rubies and Revenge
Emma Madison loves junkin’ for old baubles to turn into dazzling new creations, and launching her new career as a jewelry designer in the small town of Roseland, Georgia, is a dream come true. After making out like a bandit at a garage sale one morning, Emma goes to the Silver Squirrel antiques shop to share her fabulous finds with a fellow jewelry lover. She’s shocked to learn that a salesclerk friend, Tina, has just been found murdered.
When the police can’t get any firm leads, Emma decides to use her newspaper reporting experience to assist them. According to the local gossip mill, not everyone in town liked Tina, including her two siblings. Soon, the list of suspects is longer than a strand of opera pearls.
Someone is trying to stop Emma from helping, even going so far as to threaten her new business. While eager to get back to making jewelry, Emma is determined to find the person responsible for Tina’s death, even if that means coming face-to-face with the killer.
Emeralds and Envy by Angela McRae is a puzzling mystery filled with expressive characters, in a fun-loving small town.
Will Emma find the killer or become the next victim?
Emma, Our Sleuth
Emma Madison is a former newspaper reporter, turned jewelry maker. She has many friends in the community, including artists, business owners, and friends at the newspaper. Emma has a small home and a cat named Miriam. She works from home but spends a lot of time at yard sales, second-hand shops, and craft stores, finding just the right beads and such to make her costume jewelry. Emma also helps as a clerk at the local Gallery. All of that stuff took a back door to find out who killed Tina LeMann in the Silver Squirrel. Emma promised Carleen the owner of the Silver Squirrel she would figure out whodunit.
I like Emma, she has spunk, creativity and isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. She is motivated to make her career change work. I could be her friend.
Mystery
As I said above, Emma is trying to find Tina’s killer. As she devels into Tina’s life, Emma discovers that Tina is different from who Emma thought she was. Many things in Tina’s life contradict each other. Tina’s sister and brother aren’t the close family type. Tina was in charge of her mother’s care, which one of her siblings will take over that role? Emma does an excellent job of interviewing suspects and drawing conclusions, but so does the local detective who doesn’t want Emma involved at all.
Four Stars for Emeralds and Envy by Angela McRae
Emeralds and Envy is Ms. McRae’s first cozy mystery. She is off to a great start. I love the small artsy town, with its second-hand stores and art galleries. Oh, and the fantastic convections that are at the local bakery makes my mouth water. I thought the mystery was well played, and the red herrings had me guessing. I will be looking for Emma’s next adventure.
There are also a couple of lovely recipes included. Emma’s Blueberry Tea Bread and Carleen’s Egg-Olive Sandwich Spread.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Emeralds and Envy by Angela McRae.
Until the next time,
About Angela McRae
Angela currently lives with her husband in Georgia. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, going to afternoon tea with family and friends, and “junkin’” at flea markets and antique malls, where she often finds inspiring artifacts that wind up in her stories. She also writes a monthly cooking column for a local publication, the Coweta Shopper, and enjoys connecting with readers who love to cook.
Leave a Reply