Title: Deadly Patterns
Author: Melissa Bourbon
Series: A Magical Dressmaking Mystery, #3
Published: October 2012, Signet
Format: Paperback, 297 pages
Source: Library
Bliss, Texas, is
gearing up for its annual Winter Wonderland festival, but when a
mysterious Scrooge ends the merriment with murder, it’ll take more than a
ghost from Christmas past to set things right.Designing a
holiday fashion show set in the town’s most prominent historic mansion
seems like a job tailor made for dressmaker Harlow Jane Cassidy. But
with the mansion’s restoration still in progress and threatening weather
on the horizon, she’s feeling on pins and needles more than reveling in
holiday cheer.Having volunteered to play Santa in this year’s
festival, Dan Lee Chrisson was ready to move on after his divorce–until
Bliss became his final resting place. Discovering his body puts Harlow
at the scene of the crime. She’ll need plenty of help from friends and
even her late great-grandmother’s spirited sleuthing if she’s to have a
ghost of a chance of catching a killer who’s just jumped to the top of
the naughty list….
***Short & Sweet Reviews are short, quick reviews. These will mainly be used for series books where I have already done full reviews on some of the earlier books or for books that I feel will suffice with a quick review. These will not be used for review requests or blog tours.
My thoughts: I really enjoy this cozy mystery series. The magic is light, the characters are quirky and fun, and the mystery is engaging with just enough red herrings to keep you guessing right up until the end. Harlow Jane’s romance with Will is heating up and she has to decide whether or not to bring him into the fold – can he be trusted with her “gift” and the secrets of her family? And speaking of secrets, yet more secrets are revealed in this installment, including some new additions to Harlow Jane’s family tree.
Books in this series:
- Pleating for Mercy
- A Fitting End
- Deadly Patterns
- A Custom Fit Crime
