Review: Hems & Homicide by Elizabeth Penney

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I love reading a new cozy series with so much potential. Hems & Homicide, book one of the Apron Shop Series by Elizabeth Penney, introduces us to Iris Buckley and Blueberry Cove, Maine. She is slightly awkward with a retro-style all of her own. With the help of her recently widowed grandmother Anne, she is expanding her online apron business to a downtown storefront. At least, she will if she can ever get the store renovated and open to the public. The discovery of a decades-old skeleton in the basement of her new store slows things down a bit. Recognition of the murdered woman opens old wounds around the town and Iris immediately begins to get threats not to look into the murder. However, when a second body shows up and her grandmother is implicated, Iris and her best friend Madison pull out all the research stops to get to the bottom of the new murder and its tie to a woman who died in 1972.

Iris, her cat Quincy, their circle of friends are going to be fun to get to know as future books roll out. There is already the perfect hint of romance around the main characters and the mystery has proven to be layered and well crafted. The funny thing is I guessed the murderer, but got hung up on small details and second-guessed myself. Turns out I was right all around, twists and all. That is loads of fun in mystery. I enjoyed meeting the multigenerational inhabitants of Blueberry Cove. They all are wonderfully ‘small town’ colorful and very relatable. I give a cozy high marks if, in the end, I would love to move to town just to get to know its characters.

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I received a complimentary evaluation copy of this book. All opinions and insights are my own.

About The Book:

Hems & Homicide (Apron Shop Series Book 1 ) by Elizabeth Penney

Welcome to the first in the Apron Shop mystery series by Elizabeth Penney, set in the quaint village of Blueberry Cove, Maine where an expert seamstress turned amateur sleuth is getting measured for murder. . .

Iris Buckley is sew ready for a change. After the death of her beloved grandfather, Iris decides to stay in her Maine hometown to help out her widowed grandmother, Anne—and bring her online hand-made apron designs to real-time retail life. Her and Anne’s shop, Ruffles & Bows, is set to include all the latest and vintage linen fashions, a studio for sewing groups and classes, and a friendly orange cat. The only thing that they were not planning to have on the property? A skeleton in the basement

Anne recognizes the remains of an old friend, and when a second body shows up in the apron shop—this time their corrupt landlord, whom Anne had been feuding with for decades—she becomes a prime suspect. Now, it’s up to Iris to help clear her name. Enlisting the help of her old high-school crush Ian Stewart who, like certain fabrics, has only gotten better-looking with age and her plucky BFF Madison Morris, Iris must piece together an investigation to find out who the real killer is. . .and find a way to keep her brand-new business from being scrapped in the process.

Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

About The Author:

Elizabeth Penney is an author, entrepreneur, and local food advocate living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In addition to writing full-time, she operates a small farm. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. She is represented by the fabulous Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic.

Elizabeth’s writing credits include over twenty mysteries, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She’s also written screenplays with her musician husband.

She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.