Friday, November 9, 2018

Book Review and Giveaway - A Vintage Death (A Keepsake Cove Mystery) by Mary Ellen Hughes

Book Synopsis
As the new music box store owner and resident of Keepsake Cove, a quaint town full of collectible shops on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Callie Reed is eager to get more involved in her community. She volunteers to plan the Fall street decorations and welcome a visiting author who’s come for a special book signing. But the celebratory mood is cut short when the local B&B owner is found dead, killed by a pair of vintage scissors.

Suspicion is cast on the victim’s estranged wife, Dorothy, who owns Keepsake Cove’s vintage sewing shop. Callie is sure Dorothy is innocent, and the visiting author agrees. Together, they begin their own investigation, only to discover that many people in Keepsake Cove have secrets. Secrets that are worth killing to keep quiet.

My Review
Callie Reed owns a music box shop in Keepsake Cove, a quaint town on the coast of Maryland.  She becomes involved in a murder investigation when a body is found with stab marks from a pair of antique scissors.  The scissors came from a vintage sewing shop nearby and the shop owner is under suspicion.  Callie decides to investigate to find out what happened.

A Vintage Death is the second book in the Keepsake Cove Mystery series.  I have not read the first book (although I now want to!) but picked up on the characters and back story within a few chapters.  This book was enjoyable as a standalone read.

I absolutely loved the quaint Keepsake Cove setting with the cute little shops and the description of Callie's small cottage home.  I am a vintage seller and was delighted with the details of vintage items in the shops.  I especially enjoyed reading about the vintage music boxes in Callie's shop.

Callie was helped in her investigation by a new friend, Lyssa, a mystery author who came to town for a book reading and signing event.  I enjoyed their detecting adventures.  I especially liked the mysterious inn that played a part in the story -- complete with secret passageways and rooms!

The mystery had a lot of characters - and potential suspects.  I am an avid mystery reader but did not solve this one before Callie did!   I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot.

I recommend A Vintage Death for cozy readers and especially for anyone who enjoys small town settings and vintage details.   I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
 

Author Bio
Mary Ellen Hughes is the bestselling author of the Pickled and Preserved Mysteries (Penguin), the Craft Corner Mysteries, and the Maggie Olenski Mysteries, along with several short stories. A Fatal Collection is her debut with Midnight Ink. A Wisconsin native, she has lived most of her adult life in Maryland, where she’s set many of her stories. Visit her at www.MaryEllenHughes.com.

Author Links
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MaryEllenHughesauthor
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/mehughes13/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/mehughesauthor
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/402922.Mary_Ellen_Hughes

Purchase Links – Amazon    B&N  Midnight Ink

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Great Escapes Book Tour. 

2 comments:

Mary Ellen Hughes said...

Abby, thank you so much for the lovely review! I love your blogsite!

barbarakwrites said...

This sounds like a book I would really enjoy. I am a huge fan of cozy mystery books, and always on the look out for a new author and series to read. I am disappointed that the contest is not open to residents of Canada, though. Our book stores are full of cozy mysteries so there is likely a good following here. Perhaps this can be mentioned to the organizers of the contest?