After trading her Manhattan digs for her upstate hometown, fashionista Kelly Quinn has big plans for her grandmother’s consignment shop. But this All Hallow’s Eve someone is already dressed to kill . . .
A socialite’s missing dog has made front-page news in Lucky Cove—complete with a hefty reward. But between renovating the consignment shop, planning her costume for the 1970s themed Halloween party, and scouting a location for a fashion shoot, Kelly doesn’t have time to search. Yet a visit to the local colonial-era cemetery—ideal for the moody atmosphere she’s after—soon turns up the precious pooch. Kelly’s looking forward to collecting the check—until she makes a gruesome discovery in an abandoned farmhouse: The dog’s owner, stabbed through the heart.
Kelly can’t help wondering why Constance Lane was traipsing around the farmhouse in stilettos. But as Kelly gets decked out in a vintage disco caftan, that isn’t the only fashion misstatement spooking her. Hidden in the dead woman’s past is a secret that could be the motive for the murder. And as the Halloween party gets started, even a menacing clown and a threatening bearded lady can’t keep Kelly from trick or treating for the truth—even if it means her last dance.
Titles in the Resale Boutique Mystery series include – #1 Murder Wears a Little Black Dress – #2 Silenced in Sequins – #2.5 What Not to Wear to a Graveyard – #3 How to Frame a Fashionista –
Title: What Not to Wear to a Graveyard
Series: Resale Boutique Mystery #2.5
Author: Debra Sennefelder
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published: September 8, 2020
Publisher: Kensington Books
My Rating: 4 stars
‘What Not to Wear to a Graveyard‘ is a novella in the ‘Resale Boutique Mystery‘ series. I haven’t read the previous stories (although they are now on my TBR list of stories to read) and I wasn’t the least bit lost since anything I needed to know was found in the narrative or the dialogue.
When Kelly finds the lost dog who has a handsome reward offered for finding and returning the pooch, she’s convinced that her money problems concerning the renovated shop will be solved, at least temporarily. Unfortunately, that’s a check that’s never going to be cashed, let alone written as the owner of the lively pup is found dead… by Kelly. Now, Kelly isn’t one to let a mystery stop her from doing a bit of snooping on her own and she is soon knee-high boots deep in suspects, secrets, and danger.
I had a fun time with ‘What Not to Wear to a Graveyard‘. Because this is a Cozy Mystery I’m even more vague and careful about what information I share. There are certainly red herrings to be found, clues tossed about, and danger lurking in the background as Kelly investigates a most confusing murder and tries to not become the next victim. If you enjoy a really good Cozy Mystery then you’ll want to check out this novella, (#2.5) in the ‘Resale Boutique Mystery‘ series.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Available for your favorite e-reader, mine is the Kindle
