#BookReview: Dressed to Confess (Costume Shop Mysteries, Book 3) by Diane Vallere ~ #CozyMystery

Dressed to Confess

Costume Shop Mysteries, Book 3

Diane Vallere

Book Details:

Print Length: 300 pages

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: August 1, 2017

Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC

ASIN: B01N2GJ2TP

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About the Book:

Costume shop owner Margo Tamblyn faces a deadly conspiracy when a small-town festival turns into big-time trouble. 

It's no secret around Proper City, Nevada, that the Sagebrush Festival, the town s annual family-friendly event, is the place to be. This year's theme of board games has everything from Conspiracy to Clue. Margo Tamblyn's costume shop, Disguise DeLimit, has been tasked with providing costumes for the festival headliner, the Domino Divas, but the night of the performance, one fallen Domino threatens to bring down the whole show. Head dancer Ronnie Cass is found in her dressing room, unmasked, unprepared, and very, very dead. 

As the police investigate, Margo learns that Don Digby, her father's best friend, is the prime suspect, tied to the victim by an unsolved robbery connected to Proper City's past. As conspiracies abound and theories are debunked, Margo seeks to unmask the real killer, before her dad's buddy winds up in a costume made with prison stripes.

My Review:

Dressed to Confess is the third, and unfortunately final, book in the Costume Shop Mysteries. I'm really hoping the author decides to pick this back up like she did the Material Witness series. Here's hoping!

The annual Sagebrush Festival is gearing up and everyone in Proper City, NV is involved.  This year's theme is Family Game Night and inspired by boardgames from Candy Land to Monopoly.  A local group from back in the day, the Domino Divas, have reunited for the event and Margo from Disguise DeLimit has been contracted to making their costumes.

The Festival is off to a decent start when tragedy strikes - Margo finds one of the Dominoes dead in her trailer.  When clues start piling up, Margo tries to put them all together into something that doesn't implicate her father's best friend, Don.  It doesn't seem like she's being very successful, especially since it appears her clues incriminate Don even more.  Attempting to find the real killer puts Margo in danger and in the not so friendly sights of the local police department. 

I absolutely love this series.  Actually, I have absolutely loved everything by Diane Vallere that I've gotten my hands on.  Her writing style is conversational and smooth.  The characteristics she's given each character in the novel, especially Margo, are great.  Margo is complex and hides behind costumes in an effort to shield herself.  I love her quirkiness though.

The author does a fantastic job taking readers on several wild goose chases throughout the novel. Many characters, new and familiar, are developed in ways that certainly could point them toward being the murderer. The characters have the means and motives to want Ronnie Cass removed from the Domino Divas permanently. With the police honed in only on Don, Margo fears that he'll end up in jail, leaving the real murderer free to roam the streets. So, our amateur sleuth does what she must to clear Don's name and reveal the real killer.  Her amateur sleuthing does cause tensions to run high. She's smart and doesn't intentionally put herself in harm's way. 

Diane Vallere continues the world building in the third Costume Shop Mystery.  I was able to picture each scene in my head including Margo's costumes, the layout of the festival, and other scenes.  The book has depth and the plot is solid. The dialogue between the characters is fluid and the story is fast paced. The culprit is hidden among a myriad of potential suspects and isn't easily figured out. I was actually a bit surprised in who the murderer ended up being. Dressed to Confess is a fantastic 3rd book in the Costume Shop Mystery series by Diane Vallere.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own

My Rating:

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#BookReview ~ Cat About Town (Cat Cafe Mystery, Book 1) by Cate Conte #CozyMystery @MinotaurBooks

Cat About Town

Cat Cafe Mystery

Book 1

Minotaur Books 

August 1, 2017

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1250072061

E-Book ASIN: B01N0Z4ZDP

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About the Book:

The first novel in a frisky new mystery series set in a small New England town, where an unlikely citizen is called in to solve the purrfect crime. . .

Maddie James has arrived in Daybreak Island, just off the coast of Massachusetts, eager to settle down and start her own business—and maybe even fall in love. When a stray orange tabby pounces into her life, she’s inspired to open a cat café. But little does Maddie know that she’s in for something a lot more catastrophic when her new furry companion finds the dead body of the town bully. Now all eyes are on Maddie: Who is this crazy cat-whisperer lady who’s come to town? If pet-hair-maintenance and crime-fighting weren’t keeping her busy enough, Maddie now has not one but two eligible bachelors who think she’s the cat’s pajamas . . . and will do anything to win her heart. But how can she even think about happily-ever-after while a killer remains on the loose—and on her path?

My Review (of the 2017 first edition version):

Maddie James is co-owner of a successful organic juice bar, Goin' Green, in San Francisco.  When her grandmother passes away, she finds herself back in Daybreak Island.  While home Maddie realizes that there are things going on in the tourist town that aren't on the up and up.  Her grandfather is being bullied by the President of the Chamber of Commerce to sell his home and property.  When her grandfather refuses, things being happening around the home.  

Amid the chaos, Maddie bonds with a stray cat who becomes her companion during the stay in Daybreak Island.  During set up of the town festival, the cat discovers the dead body of the bully in one of the tents set up through town.  Of course the local police are involved but it looks like both Maddie and her grandfather may be suspects.  Maddie and her new fluffy friend, JJ, take it upon themselves to flesh out who committed the murder.

There is a small love triangle brewing in Cat About Town but it really doesn't overshadow the main themes of the book.  Both men are good choices for Maddie based on the scant interactions we've seen.  It will be interesting to find out which direction the author takes this particular story line in future books.  I hope Maddie figures out what she's going to do about it rather quickly. 

I enjoyed Maddie's character.  She's friendly, compassionate, and easy to relate to and the way she cares for her grandfather is wonderful.  All of the secondary characters were well written, played their parts in the story, and, along with Maddie, were realistic and believable.  The character development and world building was nicely done and the pacing of the book is steady.  The book flowed along, was easy to read, and I enjoyed every bit of the story.  The author did a great job setting the stage for this mystery and provided several potential suspects.  

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.