Pillow Stalk by Diane Vallera

Item: Pillow Stalk
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted August 10, 2022 by BaronessMom in Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

Pillow Stalk

by Diane Vallere

Series: Madison Night Mystery #1
Series Rating:

Published by Henery Press on October 7, 2012
Genres: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
Pages: 229
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Midnight Ice

“A cozy little mystery that . . . soon draws the reader into Madison’s mid-century modern fantasy world of fashion, movies, friendship, loyalty, and violence” (New York Journal of Books). Interior decorator Madison Night might look like a throwback to the sixties, but as business owner and landlord, she proves that independent women can have it all. But when a killer targets women dressed in Madison’s signature style—estate sale vintage to play up her resemblance to fave actress Doris Day—what makes her unique might make her dead. The local detective connects the new crime to a twenty-year-old cold case, and Madison’s long-trusted contractor emerges as the leading suspect. As the body count piles up, Madison uncovers a Soviet spy, a campaign to destroy all Doris Day movies, and six minutes of film that will change her life forever. “If you are looking for an unconventional mystery with a snarky, no-nonsense main character, this is it . . . Instead of clashing, humor and danger meld perfectly, and there is a cliffhanger that will make your jaw drop.” —RT Book Reviews

Pillow Stalk by Diane Vallera is an original take on Doris Day movies, mystery, and magnificent characters. I love it.

Will Madison Night figure out why someone is killing Doris Day look-a-likes?

Madison Night

Madison loves the mid-century modern style. She dresses like her favorite actress Doris Day and helps people design homes that are authentic to that time period. Madison runs her own business, Mad for Mod; for the most part, she is self sufficient. I like Madison. She is intelligent, respectful, and a mix of old fashioned values and the modern woman. Her wardrobe is fabulous. Rocky, her Shih Tzu puppy, is adorable. He keeps Madison on her toes. Madison does have a few things to work on emotionally, but who doesn’t. She also has a bum knee from a skiing accident. All of that just makes her more realistic.

The Mystery

This first installment has a mad man running around Dallas, killing Doris Day look-a-likes. Madison has blond hair, blue eyes, and she dresses like Doris Day would have in the sixties. Each time a lady is killed, Madison is connected to them in some way. Madison is fairly new to Dallas and knows only a few people, but those she knows are also connected to the recent murders and a cold case from twenty years ago. Of course, Madison starts investigating for herself as she is constantly being brought into the case.

I think the way that her brain processes the information is genius. She really saw things that others, whether they were too close or for whatever reason, didn’t. I especially enjoyed her outlook on life and not being afraid to stand up for herself.

Five Stars

Pillow Stalk and Madison Night are so entertaining, and it was fun to see how the author mixed the characters up with names from the Doris Day movies. I haven’t watched those in years, but it made me want to drag out the DVDs to see them again. I adore the concept of the series and look forward to catching up with the other books in the series. My rating for Pillow Stalk by Diane Vallera is five stars, and I highly recommend this book to you cozy readers out there.

Other Books in the Madison Night Mystery Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Pillow Stalk by Diane Vallera.

Until the next time,

About Diane Vallere

Diane Vallere is the national bestselling author of over thirty books. She is best known for her funny and fashionable character-based mysteries. After two decades working for a top luxury retailer, she traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder. A past president of Sisters in Crime, Diane started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since.

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