I am delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for A Vintage Death by Mary Ellen Hughes on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!
A Vintage Death (A Keepsake Cove Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Midnight Ink (November 8, 2018)
Paperback: 264 pages
ISBN-10: 0738752274
ISBN-13: 978-0738752273
ASIN: B0795RTP2B
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.
Callie Reed is trying to get involved in her small Maryland’s Eastern Shore community in which she inherited from her aunt Melody, the House of Melody, a music box shop, and the little cottage behind the shop. The Keepsake Cove Merchant’s Association has accepted her offer to plan and coordinate a special book signing, along with planning festive fall decorations to help draw in happy shoppers.
It is a quaint town center full of collectible shops, including Stitches Thru Time, a vintage sewing shop owned by Dorothy Ashby, and the Keepsake Cove Cafe the owner Brian. Brian is being groomed as a possible love interest after Callie’s disastrous ending to an affair which was finally ended by her moving away. The visiting author is an absolute delight and my favorite character of the book, being so well developed you wanted to take pictures, as well as Tabitha, Callie’s shop assistant, her right-hand person, and character in constant disguise. Too much fun and easy to imagine.
Shortly after Lyssa Hammond arrives to prepare for her book signing, however, the owner of the B&B is found murdered in an adjacent park. The victim is the estranged husband to Dorothy and appears to have died from being stabbed with a pair of vintage scissors–hers. Of course, everyone will look at Dorothy, but Callie is sure she couldn’t/wouldn’t have done it and the visiting author agrees.
Although this is the second in the series, the narrative has no problem as a standalone. These characters are strongly visualized and each unique. As I’ve always found with a cozy mystery, the well-plotted storyline engages the reader with red herrings and plot twists. I particularly loved the build-up to the book signing, the author’s unusual entrance, and the appearance of a successful event. Many hands and thoughtful persons worked together to create an enviable community event. Too bad it is marred by the discovery the following morning of a second murder, much in the same vicinity and in the same manner.
There is a supernatural or paranormal element to the narrative in a particular music box and the protagonist comes off as an effective and subtle woman sleuth with help from Lyssa. Ms. Hughes will have you suspecting a few support characters as well as townsfolk, but the conclusion settles all, even with a couple surprises.
I was given this ebook download for the book tour by the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for all who enjoy a cozy mystery, women sleuths, and small-town drama and support.
Sign up for your chance to win (1) Print Copy – A Vintage Death (A Keepsake Cove Mystery) by Mary Ellen Hughes (U.S. Only) of this Rafflecopter giveaway
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
Thank you for visiting my stop on the tour and please visit the other stops listed below!
A VINTAGE DEATH TOUR PARTICIPANTS
November 7 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
November 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
November 7 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 7 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
November 8 – The Book Diva’s Reads – GUEST POST
November 8 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, Sissy, & Too! – SPOTLIGHT
November 8 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
November 9 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 9 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
November 9 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
November 9 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
November 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 10 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 10 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
November 10 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 11 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
November 11 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 11 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT*
November 12 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
November 12 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
November 12 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
November 13 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 13 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
November 13 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
November 14 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
November 14 – Jane Reads – REVIEW, GUEST POST
November 14 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
November 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
November 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
November 15 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
November 16 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
November 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW 
Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this cozy mystery!
©2018 V Williams 
Rosepoint Publishing 
Another great review Virginia. You are really getting into reading cozies lately. There are so many out there, but this one sounds good. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you, yes, a number of cozies. Clean and fast. They are a fun change from the heavier stuff. I usually try to mix it up.
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Another level series… if only i could get to half of the ones I want to read!
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Exactly, so many books, only so much time. You must eventually get pretty choosy!
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Yup
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Level should have been lovely in my above comment 😄
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Thank you for your review on “A Vintage Death” by Mary Ellen Hughes and for being part of the book tour.
Love everything about this book from the cover, the author, the storyline and all the wonderful reviews posted as well. I can’t wait for the chance to read this book which is on my TBR llist.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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You are welcome and I so appreciate the comment. Seems like the TBR list gets longer every day, despite crossing one off, huh!
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So true! Mark on off and add two. I’m fine with that though because then I always have something to look forward to reading.
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I was good until the supernatural/paranormal part. 😔
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Believe me, it was very low key and almost didn’t work.
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You seem to be finding a lot of cozy types with a supernatural spin to them lately Virginia! I love it! 💖 I think “stitched thru time” is probably the coolest shop name ever. 😁
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Ty, gotta agree. She had a lot of cool names in her book.
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