Death Among the Doilies by Mollie Cox Bryan Series: Cora Crafts Mystery #1
Published by Kensington on August 30, 2016
Source: Gift
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
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For thirty-something blogger Cora Chevalier, small-town Indigo Gap, North Carolina, seems like the perfect place to reinvent her life. Shedding a stressful past as a counselor for a women’s shelter, Cora is pouring all her talents—and most of her savings—into a craft retreat business, with help from close pal and resident potter Jane Starr. Between transforming her Victorian estate into a crafter’s paradise and babysitting Jane’s daughter, the new entrepreneur has no time for distractions. Especially rumors about the murder of a local school librarian.
But when Jane’s fingerprints match those found at the grisly crime scene, Cora not only worries about her friend, but her own reputation. With angry townsfolk eager for justice and both Jane’s innocence and the retreat at risk, she must rely on her creative chops to unlace the truth behind the beloved librarian’s disturbing demise. Because if the killer’s patterns aren’t pinned, Cora’s handiwork could end up in stitches.
I love the concept behind this series. Cora and her friend, Jane, have renovated a Victorian house into a crafting paradise and are holding their first retreat weekend. Cora used to work as a counselor at a domestic violence shelter, but it became too stressful for her. Jane escaped an abusive relationship and has a school age daughter. It’s all going well with their new venture until the school librarian is killed and Jane becomes a suspect.
We’ve got a nice cast of eccentric characters and a small town where gossip spreads quickly. I don’t love Cora and Jane yet. Given their backgrounds, they make a few odd choices. And I wish the author didn’t go on about how attractive they find the various men in the book – it just seemed strange. I know a lot of cozy mysteries have love interests, but we don’t need them all the time.
The mystery was well done. There were enough clues and red herrings to keep it interesting. I’ll probably read the next.
There are a few craft projects and a recipe included in the back, which was a nice touch.
About Mollie Cox Bryan
Mollie Ann Cox writes cozy mysteries with edge and traditional mysteries with heart. She’s the author of several bestselling mystery series, also writing under the pen name Maggie Blackburn and Mollie Cox Bryan. Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman’s World. She has also been short-listed for the Virginia Library People’s Choice Award. The Lace Widow: An Eliza Hamilton Mystery is the first book where she’s combined her passion for history and mystery. She makes her home at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Crozet, Virginia.
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