I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Hems & Homicide
by Elizabeth Penney
Series: Apron Shop Mystery #1
Series Rating:
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on December 31, 2019
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback, Kindle
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound
Welcome to the first in the Apron Shop mystery series by Elizabeth Penney, set in the quaint village of Blueberry Cove, Maine where an expert seamstress turned amateur sleuth is getting measured for murder. . .
Iris Buckley is sew ready for a change. After the death of her beloved grandfather, Iris decides to stay in her Maine hometown to help out her widowed grandmother, Anne—and bring her online hand-made apron designs to real-time retail life. Her and Anne’s shop, Ruffles & Bows, is set to include all the latest and vintage linen fashions, a studio for sewing groups and classes, and a friendly orange cat. The only thing that they were not planning to have on the property? A skeleton in the basement
Anne recognizes the remains of an old friend, and when a second body shows up in the apron shop—this time their corrupt landlord, whom Anne had been feuding with for decades—she becomes a prime suspect. Now, it’s up to Iris to help clear her name. Enlisting the help of her old high-school crush Ian Stewart who, like certain fabrics, has only gotten better-looking with age and her plucky BFF Madison Morris, Iris must piece together an investigation to find out who the real killer is. . .and find a way to keep her brand-new business from being scrapped in the process.
Hems and Homicide by Elizabeth Penney is an excellent start to a spectacular new series.
Will Iris and Grammie open their new shop, or will Grammie be going to jail for a crime she didn’t commit?
Iris
Iris is our sleuth and main character. She and Grammie are opening a shop in town called Ruffles & Bows. Iris is a former textile designer for a home goods store, who moved home when her grandfather was sick. She has a good online store, but since the tourist traffic in town is picking up, they decided to open a storefront. Iris and Madison, her best friend, won’t let two deaths stop the opening of the store. They will figure out who did it, but are the two deaths connected?
Iris has a great group of friends that have all come back to their home town. I like that Iris and her friends include Grammie in their get-togethers. Also, she helps around the farm and isn’t afraid to dress the way she wants. I like her fashion style.
Grammie
Grammie is Iris’ grandmother; she an intricate part of the sleuthing as she is one of the few people left from those crazy 70s when everything was much more straightforward. She opens her past and finds photos and her diary, where she wrote down everything that happened back then. Grammie even identified one of the bodies before anyone else could do it. She is still mourning the loss of her husband but tries to stay positive and see the best in people, but Grammie is also smart enough to know when to call an attorney.
I like the relationship that Iris and Grammie have. The way they work as a team, lean on each other, and are still individuals.
The Mystery
The mystery is two-part with two crimes committed years apart. The hard part is trying to decide if the two are connected and who could have committed both crimes. I like the way that Iris and Madison go to the library to find clues in the microfilm. But my favorite part is where they find Alfie, Trooper, and Bacon at the deserted treehouse. The clues are there to follow, but there are many red herrings, I got part of the mystery but missed the other.
Five Stars
I adore Hems and Homicide by Elizabeth Penney, and therefore, I am rating it at five stars. The characters were intriguing and realistic. This story makes me want to visit Maine even more than before. I highly recommend this book. So, if you are a cozy lover, then this is one for you.
I can’t wait for the next one that will be released on August 25th, 2020.
Giveaway
Prize: (3) Print Copy – Hems & Homicide (Apron Shop Series) by Elizabeth Penney (U.S. Only)
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This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove.
About Elizabeth Penney
Elizabeth Penney is an author, entrepreneur, and local food advocate living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In addition to writing full-time, she operates a small farm. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. She is represented by the fabulous Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic.
Elizabeth’s writing credits include over twenty mysteries, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She’s also written screenplays with her musician husband.
She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.
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