Review
I haven’t read a cozy mystery in a while, so I found this in the library and decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into it. I have to be honest, I was guilty of skim-reading the majority of anything that wasn’t to do with the mystery, which was actually quite good, it just didn’t have a majority presence in the novel. Even though the genre is ‘cozy mystery’ and therefore not meant to be serious, I still want my cozy mysteries to be mostly about the mystery. And the mystery part in this book was interesting – it really was, otherwise I wouldn’t have finished the book.
Don’t get me wrong, I can still see positives about the series: the Cassidy charm is cute, being haunted by a relative is intriguing and the social and physical world is well-fleshed out. It just wasn’t for me. There was too much dressmaking (which I admit, I am not that into) and an awful lot of chattiness about nothing. I guess this is one of those cozy mysteries which is more cozy and less mystery?
Well, I gave it a go and finished the book. I don’t think I’ll be reading the others in the series unless someone does a damn good job of convincing me to give these books a second chance. Why did I pick up a dressmaking book if I’m not into dressmaking? Maybe it was the ‘magical’ that got to me. And sometimes I do like dressmaking. Just not this time.
A Killing Notion, by Melissa Bourbon
The Magical Dressmaking Mysteries #5
Book Length: 290 pages
Cozy Mystery
According to the Blurb on the Back:
Harlow Jane Cassidy is swamped with homecoming couture requests. If only she didn’t have to help solve a murder, she might get the gowns off the dress forms….
Harlow is doing everything she can to expand her dressmaking business, Buttons & Bows—without letting clients know about her secret charm. When she has a chance to create homecoming dresses with a local charity and handmade mums for several high school girls—including Gracie, whose father, Will, has mended Harlow’s heart—she is ready to use her magical talents for a great cause.
But when Gracie’s date for the dance is accused of murder, Harlow knows things won’t be back on course until she helps Gracie clear the football player’s name. If Harlow can’t patch up this mess before the big game, her business and her love life might be permanently benched.
Versus Blurb 