Crushed Velvet (A Material Witness Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
Series: A Material Witness Mystery (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (August 4, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0425270585
E-Book ASIN: B00QH832E0

“Diane Vallere has stitched up an engaging new series.”—Sofie Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of the Magical Cats Mysteries

Synopsis

Fabric shop owner Polyester Monroe is back in business—this time getting wrapped up in a diabolical but crafty case of murder.

With opening day of Material Girl approaching, Poly is stocking up on lush fabrics, colorful notions, and best of all, a proprietary weave of velvet. But upon delivery, it’s not quite the blend she expected, being ninety-percent silk and ten-percent corpse. Crushed under a dozen bolts of fabric is Phil Girard. His wife, Genevieve, local tea shop owner and close friend of Poly, is the prime suspect.

Granted, Phil may not have been the perfect husband, but surely Genevieve had no reason to kill him! There’s just the small matter of Genevieve’s own incriminating confession: I’m afraid I killed my husband. Now, as Material Girl’s grand opening looms, Poly is torn between a friendship pulling apart at the seams—and finding a smooth killer with a velvet touch…

INCLUDES A CRAFT PROJECT

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Review

This may only be the 2nd book but it reads like it has been around forever!  I love Polyester (Poly) and while she may be newish to the town, she has managed to gather up a few good friends and this time one of them is in trouble.

So let’s just say I was totally surprised at who was killed.  Not that it was a major character, just a surprise.  And the killer?!  An even bigger surprise, you could say I never saw that one coming.  I wanted to suspect a few other people but it just didn’t fit.  While I didn’t guess the killer, I did guess one aspect of why they wanted Poly’s material.

I enjoy the small town vibe and how most of the citizens rally together to help each other out.  I like seeing Poly’s relationship with Vaughn grow into something more.  Of course there are characters that we don’t like but you can’t have all “nice” people, then there would be no conflict.

The only negative I have is that at times I felt like some things were repeated several times…but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

We give this 5 paws up.

About the Author

After close to two decades working for a top luxury retailer, Diane Vallere traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder. SUEDE TO REST, the first in her new Material Witness Mystery Series, comes out November 4. In addition, she writes the Style & Error Mystery Series, featuring former fashion buyer Samantha Kidd, and the Mad for Mod Mystery Series, featuring Doris Day-loving interior decorator Madison Night. Diane started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since.

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