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WORK TITLE: Lethal in Old Lace
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Brown, Duffy
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.duffybrown.com/
CITY: Cincinatti
STATE: OH
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and mystery novelist. Works at a consignment shop.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Duffy Brown is a writer, novelist, who specializes in the genre of cozy mystery. She is well known for adding humor to her books, making them especially appealing to readers who can find the place where even a murder investigation can be funny. In an interview on the website Cozy Experience, Brown offered some insight into why she mixes plenty of humor into her novels. “I’m seventy years old and have been though dying parents, husband, etc. Enough tears. Now I want to laugh so that’s what I write. The world has enough angst. If that’s want you want, just pick up a newspaper. I’m a girl who just wants to have fun. If I’m having fun writing the story I hope you all have fun reading it. A mini vacation,” Brown told the interviewer.
Iced Chiffon
Brown is the author of the “Consignment Shop” series of mystery novels, a collection of cozy mysteries set in Savannah, Georgia. Series protagonist Reagan Summerside is the owner of a consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, that she has set up in the first floor of her home. Her position as a business owner seems to give her access to what’s going on in the town, and whenever something new or interesting is happening, she knows about it. In the first book of the series, Iced Chiffon, Reagan is in a bad situation. She is recently divorced from her husband, Hollis Beaumont, a real estate agent who has left her little more than a pile of bills and a house—more accurately a historic southern mansion—in need of repair. Irritated and prone to some self-pity, Reagan is forced to sell her furniture and her designer clothes to sustain herself, keep the Prissy Fox open, and continue fixing up and restoring the house.
Reagan’s anger at her ex-husband is ratcheted up several notches when he and his new wife, whom Reagan calls Cupcake, stop by the shop for the key to the Lexus that once was hers. While in the shop, Cupcake buys a pink chiffon frock that she intends to wear to a benefit event that evening. She may have attended, but she didn’t make it home—Cupcake is killed that evening. Hollis is the main suspect in the death, but Reagan is unwillingly affected by the case. Hollis may have to sell the house to pay for his legal fees. To prevent this, Reagan sets out to find Cupcake’s killer on her own, despite warnings from most everybody else involved in the case. As she investigates, she uncovers unsavory information that suggests Cupcake was blackmailing several prominent local citizens. Among that list of blackmail victims is the killer, if Reagan can only find the right person in time.
This first book in the series “is funny, has a great cast of characters, is evocative of its setting and the must-have gimmick (in this case it is Reagan’s burgeoning career as proprietor of a clothing consignment shop) does not overwhelm the story,” observed a writer on the website Reactions to Reading. Booklist contributor Karen Muller concluded that the book and series “should draw fans from both romance and cozy camps.”
Killer in Crinolines and Pearls and Poison
The second “Consignment Shop” novel, Killer in Crinolines, finds Reagan getting the Prissy Fox ready for what is usually an active fall. Her preparations are interrupted when she accidentally finds a dead man, groom Simon Ambrose, dead at his wedding with a cake knife stuck in his back. When the main suspect turns out to be Reagan’s close friend Chantilly Parker, who was jilted by Ambrose, she has to take another swing at solving a mystery to help out someone in need.
The third book in the series, Pearls and Poison, finds Reagan’s mother, a local judge, running against an unpleasant opponent, Kip Seymour. The campaign gets brutal and dirty, but when Seymour is found dead, a victim of poison, the suspicion falls on Reagan’s mother. Reagan is determined to find the real killer and clear her mother’s name. In the meantime, though, potential suspects who were also Seymour’s enemies might have reason to turn on Reagan.
Dead Man Walker and Lethal in Old Lace
Dead Man Walker, the fourth “Consignment Shop” book, is set in the beautiful southern springtime. When local mortician beautician and housekeeper Mercedes finds a client dead in the bathtub, she immediately becomes a suspect in the man’s death. She hires local attorney (and recurring series character) Walker Boone to represent her, but it turns out that Walker has connections with the dead man that also make him a suspect. It’ll take all of Reagan’s skills as an amateur sleuth to find out what really happened and clear Walker of murder.
Reagan and her associates set out the find out what happened to an elderly man who died in the local retirement home in Lethal in Old Lace. To buy time for the investigation, Reagan and her friends must put off Willie Fishbine’s funeral. They do this by hiding the body. The death of another resident of the retirement home makes the situation more urgent and throws suspicion on two local residents, sisters Elsie and Annie Fritz, who find the corpse of Bonnie Sue McGrath in their car. An unexpected connection between the her ex-husband and the deaths complicates matters, as does Reagan’s preparations for her upcoming wedding to Walker Boone. A Publishers Weekly reviewer commented, “Fans of broad humor . . . will find plenty to like in this cornpone cozy.”
Geared for the Grave
Brown is also the author of the “Cycle Path” mystery series. This series is set on Mackinac Island, Michigan, in the extreme northeastern area of Lake Huron. Geared for the Grave introduces series protagonist Evie Bloomfield. She has come to Mackinac Island to help her boss’s father, Rudy Randolph, run is bike shop after breaking his leg. Shortly after Evie’s arrival, a local wealthy woman, Bunny Harrington, dies in what seems to be an unfortunate but freak accident while riding her bike.
It doesn’t take long for evidence to be found that Bunny’s brakes had been tampered with, opening up the possibility of murder. The main suspect: Rudy Randolph. Faced with no other choice, especially if she wants to maintain good relations with her boss, Evie has to dive into the case, solve the mystery, and keep Rudy out of jail. A reviewer on the website Books Are Life—Vita Libri called the book a “hilarious and charming new cozy.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 15, 2012, Karen Muller, review of Iced Chiffon, p. 21.
Publishers Weekly, January 29, 2018, review of Lethal in Old Lace, p. 173.
ONLINE
Book Connection blog, http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/ (February 26, 2013), review of Iced Chiffon; (December 17, 2017), review of Lethal in Old Lace.
Books Are Life—Vita Libri blog, https://booksarelifevitalibri.wordpress.com/ (July 24, 2016 ), review of Geared for the Grave.
Cozy Experience, https://www.cozyexperience.com/ (June 20, 2018), “Author Interview: Duffy Brown;” (June 20, 2018), review of Lethal in Old Lace.
Dreamworld Book Reviews , http://www.dreamworldbooks.com/ (April 21, 2013 ), review of Killer in Crinolines.
Dru’s Book Musing, https://www.drusbookmusing.com/ (February 1, 2015), review of Dead Man Walker.
Duffy Brown website, http://www.duffybrown.com (June 20, 2018).
Kings River Life, http://www.kingsriverlife.com/ (April 1, 2014), Cynthia Chow, review of Lethal in Old Lace.
Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries & Meows, http://www.mochasmysteriesmeows.com/ (May 9, 2013), review of Killer in Crinolines.
Montana Bookaholic, https://www.themontanabookaholic.com/ (March 20, 2018), review of Lethal in Old Lace.
Qwillery blog, http://qwillery.blogspot.com/ (January 17, 2015), review of Geared for the Grave.
Reactions to Reading, https://www.reactionstoreading.com/ (January 30, 2014 ), review of Iced Chiffon.
Series
Consignment Shop Mystery
1. Iced Chiffon (2012)
2. Killer in Crinolines (2013)
3. Pearls and Poison (2014)
4. Dead Man Walker (2015)
5. Demise in Denim (2015)
6. Lethal in Old Lace (2018)
Cycle Path Mystery
1. Geared for the Grave (2014)
2. Braking for Bodies (2016)
Non fiction
Tea Time With The Cozy Chicks (2015) (with Ellery Adams, Lorraine Bartlett, Cozy Chicks, Kate Collins, Mary Kennedy, Mary Jane Maffini, Maggie Sefton and Leann Sweeney)
Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She has two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, her license plate is Sherlok and she conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own for Berkley Prime Crime. Duffy’s national bestselling Consignment Shop Mystery series is set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries are set on Mackinac Island.
Duffy Brown is the national bestselling author of the Consignment Shop mysteries and the Cycle Path mysteries. She loves anything with a mystery. While other girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She works at a consignment shop when she’s not busy conjuring up whodunit stories.
While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy Brown longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. Today she is a national nestselling author and conjures up who-done-it stories of her own. She has two series, the Consignment Shop mysteries set in Savannah and her Cycle Path Mysteries on Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Author Interview: Duffy Brown
Duffy Brown is one funny lady. With the creative and innovative way Duffy weaves humor into her writing, it is no surprise that the Cozy Experience Online Book Club went wild Duffy’s book, Geared for the Grave was selected as our June Book Club choice.
Duffy was able to join us earlier in the week for our monthly Facebook Party & Book Club Chat. I wanted to share some highlights with you here. Just in case you were unable to attend, or wanted to relive the fun one more time.
Duffy, this is such a fun series! Can you tell us a little about the inspiration for Evie and the Cycle Path Mystery Series?
I wanted a setting where when someone mentions it and you get a felling right away for the place. Like if I say New Orleans or New York. I just love Mackinac Island in that it’s kind of a time warp with no cars and only horses and bikes to get around. And of course an island where you can’t come or go at will is always exciting for a murder. Evie is loosely built on my daughter who went from Savannah to New York City to work in the advertising world. What a culture shock that was!
One thing that really sets your books apart from other cozy mysteries is how funny they are! Did you make a conscious effort to inject humor into your books, or did it just happen as a natural part of your writing style?
I’m 70 years old and have been though dying parents, husband, etc. Enough tears. Now I want to laugh so that’s what I write. The world has enough angst. If that’s want you want, just pick up a newspaper. I’m a girl who just wants to have fun. If I’m having fun writing the story I hope you all have fun reading it. A mini vacation.
And I guess its part of my style. I once tried to write a more serious story and kept thinking of all these great fun things to say instead so it was back to laughs for me.
What is your favorite type of fudge?
Just pass me the plate. I love them all. Peanut butter is probably my to die for fudge.
What is on the horizon for Evie and the Cycle Path Mystery Series? Do you have any other books coming out in 2017 in this series or others?
I’m working on Tandem Demise, third book in the series right now. The plan is to have it out in November. It involves our good police chief Nate Sutter and why he’s on the run and the bad guys finally catching up with him. The second book in the series, Braking for Bodies is out now. There’s a murder at the Grand Hotel that the locals try and pass it off as a murder mystery weekend so everyone doesn’t go running off the island during tourist season. But now we have a bunch of tourists trying to catch a killer.
Thank you again for Duffy for taking the time to chat with us!
As always, we greatly appreciate the time our monthly featured authors take to sit down and give us the inside scoop into their world.
No bio
Lethal in Old Lace: A Consignment Shop Mystery
Publishers Weekly. 265.5 (Jan. 29, 2018): p173.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Lethal in Old Lace: A Consignment Shop Mystery
Duffy Brown. Crooked Lane, $26.99 (304p)
ISBN 978-1-68331-535-3
Brown graduates to hardcover with her farcical fifth Consignment Shop mystery set in Savannah, Ga. (after 2015's Demise in Denim). When Willie Fishbine, a resident of the Sleepy Pines Retirement Home, dies under suspicious circumstances, Reagan Summerside, the owner of the Prissy Fox Consignment Shop, and her friends contrive to find the killer, which involves postponing Willie's funeral by hiding the body. The subsequent death of Bonnie Sue McGrath, another Sleepy Pines resident, leads to trouble for sisters and professional mourners Elsie and Annie Fritz after her corpse winds up in their car. Meanwhile, Reagan discovers a strange link between womanizer Dexter Thomas and her sleazy ex-husband, Hollis Beaumont, that may relate to the deaths. She must also plan her wedding with Walker Boone, "the hunkiest guy in all Savannah." Fans of broad humor ("I can't believe the light of my life, the song in my soul, the gravy on my mashed potatoes is gone, never to return") will find plenty to like in this cornpone cozy. (Mar.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Lethal in Old Lace: A Consignment Shop Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 29 Jan. 2018, p. 173. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A526116534/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=55bc9ca0. Accessed 29 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A526116534
Iced Chiffon
Karen Muller
Booklist. 109.4 (Oct. 15, 2012): p21.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Iced Chiffon.
By Duffy Brown,
Oct. 2012. 304p. Berkley/Prime Crime, paper, $7.99 (9780425251607).
Reagan Summerside is down on her luck, selling off her designer clothes to save the historic Savannah mansion she's restoring, those being the only assets left from her failed marriage to real-estate agent Hollis. As she's arranging the clothes, Hollis and the new wife, dubbed Cupcake by Reagan, stop by for the key to the Lexus Reagan once drove. Cupcake spots--and quickly buys--a pink chiffon flock to wear to that evening's benefit gala. She also wears it to her death. Hollis is the prime suspect, and Reagan knows that, in the end, her beloved home will likely be the source of his lawyer's fee. She decides to solve the murder herself, even as she's starting up her consignment business and over the objections of Hollis, the lawyer, her aunt, and her mother. But Reagan blunders ahead, eventually turning up evidence of blackmail, potential suspects whom Cupcake had wronged, and simmering resentments among people she thought were friends. This first in a new series from Brown, who also writes romances as Dianne Castell, should draw fans from both romance and cozy camps.
Muller, Karen
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Muller, Karen. "Iced Chiffon." Booklist, 15 Oct. 2012, p. 21. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A307269496/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=435c0987. Accessed 29 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A307269496
Review: ICED CHIFFON by Duffy Brown
Posted on January 30, 2014
by bernadetteinoz
I’ve signed up to participate in the Reading USA Fiction challenge which requires reading a book from each state. I’ve set no time frame to complete it but have decided all the books will be from new (to me) authors. My pre-existing mountain of to-be-read books doesn’t actually offer a lot of assistance (woo hoo, an excuse to buy some new books) but the state of Georgia was represented by this cosy mystery I picked up last year.
Set in Savannah (the state’s first capital but not the current one) the book centres around young Reagan Summerside, a recently divorced woman who has an old house she loves and on which she has performed many renovations herself. Her ex-husband’s new girlfriend (she has a name but I can’t help remembering her as Cupcake, the name by which Reagan always refers to her) is murdered in the early pages of the book and Hollis (the ex) is soon arrested for the crime. Reagan is forced to come to his aid in the form of investigating the murder herself because if she doesn’t find the killer quickly Hollis will be forced to sell the house that Reagan loves to pay his legal fees.
As a premise for the debut novel in a cosy series this one isn’t too outrageously unbelievable and the plot continues in this vein, offering an enjoyable plot with the requisite number of suspects, red-herrings and odd-ball characters who ‘help’ Reagan out. Cupcake is soon discovered to have been blackmailing a number of the town’s citizen’s and between them Reagan, her Aunt Kiki the dance teacher and Walker Boone who is her ex’s lawyer work their way through the suspect pool. Unusually for a cosy there’s almost no connection to or mention of the official investigation and this seemed to work well (I always find it a struggle to believe the ‘professional with nosy girlfriends/wives’ scenario beloved of this sub genre).
I’m not knowledgeable enough about the region to know if the depiction of the setting is accurate or particularly specific to Georgia but it certainly does have a Southern feel to it. This is achieved by a combination of factors including the really obvious (such as a fairly unnecessary reference to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the characters’ names) and the less obvious such as the social etiquette and behaviour depicted. I particularly liked this tidbit which Reagan tells us in the aftermath of her narrowly avoiding an attempt on her life
Savannah was not one of those cities where people didn’t get involved. In Savannah, everyone got involved in everything all the time and never let go. Savannah was more of a dog-with-a-bone kind of city.
That’s definitely not like my city!
The real test of any cosy series is whether or not it can sustain its amateur sleuth premise beyond the first installment but I certainly enjoyed ICED CHIFFON enough to seek out the second book and see how Duffy Brown goes. This first taste is funny, has a great cast of characters, is evocative of its setting and the must-have gimmick (in this case it is Reagan’s burgeoning career as proprietor of a clothing consignment shop) does not overwhelm the story.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Review: Killer in Crinolines by Duffy Brown
Blurb: It’s August in Savannah, Georgia—hardly the season for a traditional Southern wedding with hoopskirts and crinolines. One could die from the heat—or from a cake knife in the back...
Reagan Summerside should be devoting all her energy to her consignment shop the Prissy Fox. But when her dear friend Chantilly Parker is arrested for murder, Reagan vows to clear her name. The victim is Simon Ambrose, who’s found lying in his own wedding cake with a knife in his back.
Chantilly has motive (Simon broke her heart to marry wealthy Waynetta Waverly) and opportunity (crashing the wedding in her UPS delivery truck). And she has cake on her face, and the stolen bridesmaid dress the killer wore is in her truck. But Chantilly would never wear crinoline to kill a man!
With the help of her flamboyant auntie, KiKi, and vexing but attractive attorney Walker Boone, Reagan is determined to save her friend—before she’s forced to turn in her brown uniform for an orange jumpsuit…
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The fact that I received this book for free did not influence my opinions.
My Review: What is it about Southern cozies that are so darn much fun??? This is the first line from Killer in Crinolines: "Magnolia Plantation wasn't really a Southern plantation, the guests milling about the wide verandahs and lush green lawn weren't really extras from Gone with the Wind, and that wasn't Scarlett O'Hara descending the curved staircase but my auntie KiKi in a green flouncy dress with enough crinolines to cover all of Savannah." The antics that Reagan, Aunt Kiki, and BFF Chantilly get into remind me of Lucy and Ethel's hilarious adventures. Poor Reagan...from driving a UPS truck into a swamp with a resident alligator to dumpster diving with the creepy crawlies, this book had me in stitches from page one. The humor just flows effortlessly.
Oh, and there's a page turner of a mystery here too! Who stuck a cake knife in Simon Ambrose's back at his very own wedding? Between his complicated love life and loan sharking, the suspect list is as long as a Savannah summer, but Chantilly takes the rap because she was the latest lady done wrong who has already crashed the wedding in her UPS truck, eaten some of the cake, and the stolen bridesmaid dress worn by the killer is found in her truck. What's a good southern lady like Reagan to do but start making package deliveries to help Chantilly keep her job and do a little sleuthing on the side?
August in Savannah...quite beautiful, I'm sure. But with the heat, humidity, and bugs, I'm perfectly content reading about it through the pages of this wonderful book. I'm a Northern girl to the bone, but I love my Southern fiction with their strong friendships, zany relatives, and food that's to die for.
My Musing ~ Dead Man Walker by Duffy Brown
Feb 1, 2015
Dead Man Walker by Duffy Brown is the fourth book in the “Consignment Shop” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, February 2015
It’s springtime in Savannah, the azaleas and magnolias are in bloom, and Reagan Summerside’s consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, is bustling with customers out to enjoy the beautiful weather. On a day like today, what could go wrong?
As a mortician beautician and housekeeper, Mercedes is no stranger to corpses or messy bathrooms. But the last thing she expects to find in a client’s bathtub is a dead body! Now she’s a murder suspect and it seems like her life is going down the drain. She turns to local lawyer Walker Boone to get her out of hot water.
But Walker has his own surprising connections to the dead man in the tub, and now he needs Reagan’s help to clear his own name—and keep him alive. . .
In this tale, Walter Boone takes center stage and the story is told from the point of view where he becomes the prime suspect in a murder with a surprising twist. This was a quick read that kept me engaged from beginning to end and once again, Reagan gets involved in the ins and out of this murder investigation. And speaking of an ending, this one I liked. This novella is pleasantly appealing and a prelude to the next book in the Consignment Shop series.
July 24, 2016 · 10:05 pm
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Book Review: “Geared for the Grave” by Duffy Brown (Cycle Path Mystery #1)
Title: Geared for the Grave
Author: Duffy Brown
Series: Cycle Path Mystery #1
Synopsis (from bn,com):
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
Mackinac Island is a peaceful summer resort town where everyone coasts through the streets on bicycles. But after someone sends a prominent local on her final ride, it’s up to one resourceful visitor to get things running again…
Hoping to shift her chances of a promotion in her favor, Evie Bloomfield heads to Mackinac Island to assist her boss’s father. Rudy Randolph has broken his leg and operating his bike shop, Rudy’s Rides, is too much to handle by himself. But Evie’s good turn only leads to more trouble…
After Evie’s arrival, wealthy resident Bunny Harrington dies in what looks like a freak bike accident. Upon closer inspection, Bunny’s brakes were tampered with, and now the prime suspect in her murder is also Bunny’s number one enemy: Rudy. So if Evie hopes to stay on her boss’s good side, she’ll need to steer Rudy clear of jail. Now she must quickly solve this mystery so she can put the brakes on the real killer’s plan…
My thoughts: Ok, ok, I have recently began to really enjoy spinning classes on my new spinning bike I got a couple months ago so when I saw this new Cycling Path mystery I snagged it up. And boy am I glad I did! What an absolutely hilarious and charming new cozy (ok, actually not new, it came out in 2014 but it is new to me)!
Once I got into the whole realm of reading about small town life, I was hooked. I actually sat down and read this in one day.
The main character Evie is an absolute stitch, unlike many cozy mysteries – there were many laugh out loud moments – love it!!
The relationship between Evie and the cop Sutter was also hilarious – and of course I’m wondering when sparks are going to fly 🙂
All of the cast of characters in this series are great, charming, colorful, and just simply lovely.
And I know this seems odd, but I also really enjoyed learning about the layout and lifestyle of Mackinac Island – super fun.
I already have started the 2nd book in the series “Braking for Bodies” and am so hoping that the author continues this funny, charming series.
And remember,
Books Are Life,
Heather
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Killer in Crinolines by Duffy Brown
www.duffybrown.com
Release date: May 2013
Killer in Crinolines is the second book in Duffy Brown's funny and quirky "Consignment Shop" cozy mystery series.
As the month of August burns hot and humid in Savannah, Georgia, amateur sleuth and consignment-shop owner Reagan Summerside is busy gearing up her store, "The Prissy Fox," for the upcoming fall season.
While visiting a wedding to quickly drop off a bow tie for the groom, Reagan stumbles upon the groom's dead body lying face-down in his wedding cake with the cake knife sticking out of his back. The number one suspect turns out to be Chantilly Parker, Reagan's close friend and the community's local UPS delivery driver.
To prevent Chantilly from landing in jail permanently, Reagan and her aunt Kiki join forces in an effort to nab the killer - but not without eating their fair share of baked goodies along the way and sharing the task of teaching provocative belly-dancing classes. Reagan, however, lands herself in far more sticky situations during her sleuthing escapades - including a cockroach and rodent-ridden dumpster and in a swamp that leaves her about to be chomped on by an alligator.
Also close behind on Reagan's tail is Walker Boone, the hunky and irresistible yet ruthless lawyer who once helped Reagan's ex-husband walk away with most of the assets from their union. Just as in Iced Chiffon (the first novel in Duffy Brown's series), Boone comes charmingly to Reagan's rescue several times in Killer in Crinolines to save her from a number of zany and dangerous predicaments.
If you had read Iced Chiffon, then you'll absolutely LOVE Killer in Crinolines. In fact, if you weren't hooked on the series after reading Iced Chiffon, you bet your derriere you'll be hooked after reading this one.
Whereas Iced Chiffon may have been a bit choppy before evening out with its pleasant story, Killer in Crinolines is seamless from beginning to end, and flows quite steadily. Not only is Killer in Crinolines far more humorous than its predecessor, but its compelling mystery and engaging plot will have you staying up countless hours into the night. It took me only two days to read Killer in Crinolines from cover to cover, which is quite a feat given my busy schedule!
Reagan's character is one of the most likable characters I've ever met in a series because she's not perfect, and this is exactly why she's awesome. She's 32 years old, doesn't have a lot to show for herself, is divorced, doesn't own a car or have any children (a fact Aunt Kiki constantly likes to remind her about), carries a tacky non-designer purse, and has crazy hair that desperately needs a color treatment. Such a familiar person is easy for readers to relate to, and this is partly why the series is destined to be a hit.
I'm a sucker for cozy mysteries - especially a series such as this one with its vibrant characters and inside jokes that are carried from book to book. My favorite constants in the "Consignment Shop" series so far are Reagan's eyesore of a yellow purse (dubbed "Old Yeller") and Kiki's silly and endless quotes by Cher.
Although I always dig the mystery-solving aspect in the cozy genre, I'm also a huge sucker for powerful romantic chemistry. The tension that seems to be mounting between Boone and Reagan still has me in a tizzy, and I finished the book yesterday! I love how Brown allows us readers to see the attraction Boone has for Reagan, but Reagan can't quite see it herself, or if she does, she's in complete denial. My heart gets all a-flutter during all the scenes shared by Reagan and Boone, and this is also a reason I'm now hooked on the series. I can't wait to see what transpires between the two of them!
I've found that Brown's "Consignment Shop" series reminds me of a Southern version of Janet Evanovich's "Stephanie Plum" series, which are also hilarious and share the same mishaps and impending romantic side-plots. I'm genuinely excited for Duffy Brown and her very promising series, which is bound to get better and better with each new book release!
I'm already enjoying the "Consignment Shop" mystery series more than Tamar Myers' "Den of Antiquity" series, which had me hooked for years and also takes place in the South.
If you're a fan of Southern mysteries and just cozy mysteries in general, I HIGHLY recommend checking out this new series by Duffy Brown! You won't regret it, I promise.
According to Duffy Brown's website, the third "Consignment Shop" mystery will be called Pearls and Poison, and is due out sometime in 2014.
Lethal in Old Lace Book Review
Just the Facts
Name: Lethal in Old Lace (Consignment Shop Mystery Series)
Author: Duffy Brown
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
A Little About the Books
Reagan Summerside is engaged to the man of her dreams and life is good. She is determined to stay away from dead bodies, but they seem to have a way of finding her. Two mysterious deaths at the Sleepy Pines Retirement Home have Reagan and Aunt Kiki stumped. Can they find the killer before even more people end up down the road at the House of Eternal Slumber?
Stuff You Should Know
Sub Themes
Humorous cozy, small business owner, southern charm, consignment shop
Can You Start the Series in the Middle?
This was the first book in the series that I read. I can see wanting to go back and read past installments, because this book was so entertaining, but I didn’t feel left behind in the story.
If You Like …
Vickie Fee’s Liv and Di in Dixie Mystery Series, you’ll enjoy this book.
Marie’s Thoughts
Duffy Brown is the queen of humorous cozy mysteries. She will keep you not only entertained, but laughing out loud until the very last page. A light hearted who-done-it mystery.
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Book Review: Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown ~ Great Escapes Book Tour!
March 20, 2018
Reagan Summerside returns in national bestselling author Duffy Brown’s fifth Consignment Shop mystery, now for the first time in hardcover.
There are two social functions in Savannah guaranteed to get people talking: weddings and funerals. And just as consignment shop owner Reagan Summerside agrees to marry the hunky Walker Boone, her neighbors, sisters Annie Fritz and Elsie Abbot, step up their business as professional mourners. They are so successful that the Sleepy Pines Retirement Center has hired them as a part of their retirement package. But the celebration over good business is cut short when the residents at Pines suddenly begin dying at an alarming rate. And the sisters are the first suspects.
Reagan has her doubts, however, and begins to look into the strange phenomenon. But then something even stranger happens: a body winds up in the sisters’ pink Caddy. The evidence begins to pile up and the suspicious case of Willie Fishbine, who swindled the sisters out of a fortune and coincidentally died prior to the Pines case, is reopened.
Not wanting Willie to be buried until they can find the killer responsible for the murders, Reagan must catch the culprit in time to walk down the aisle.
Includes drink recipes!
Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown
Series: Consignment Shop Mystery, #5
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (First time published with this publisher)
Release Date: 3/13/18
Page Count: 304
Review
I originally read the first book in this series, Iced Chiffon, and loved it! Then as happens to a read-a-holic, I amassed the other books in the series but they sit waiting to be read in a pile by my bed. So I was super happy when I heard that this series had found a new home at Crooked Lane Book and that I would get the chance to revisit this series, and the characters of Reagan, Boone, Aunt Kiki, Elsie & Annie Fritz, and let us not forgot BW! I was a little worried that I would be lost from not reading the past couple of books, however this book can totally be read as a standalone book. I LOVED this book. Not surprising at all is the fact that this book is jammed pack full of twist and turns and action that will keep you on your toes as you ride through the journey of Reagan searching out the truth. And let's just chat a quick moment about Regan and Boone...swoon much? I loved the idea of these two in the first book, so I am so glad to see that they are happily moving along towards marital bliss! I love reading the interactions between the two of them. This book is a prime example of why we were all so heartbroken when this series got dropped and why we were all rejoicing when Crooked Lane Books picked it up. Thank you Crooked Lane Books for making this possible, and thank you Duffy Brown for writing another stellar addition to this series. I can't wait until the next one comes out...I am already hearing wedding bells!
About the Author
While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy Brown longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. Today she conjures up who-done-it stories for Berkley Prime Crime and has two series, the national bestselling Consignment Shop Mysteries set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries on Mackinac Island.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
First Chapter Review: Iced Chiffon by Duffy Brown
Iced Chiffon is the first book in Duffy Brown's Consignment Shop Mystery series. The second book in this series, Killer in Crinolines, will be released in May. The author sent me a copy of Iced Chiffon as a thank you gift for hosting her in May.
BLURB: There’s always something to gossip about in Savannah, Georgia, and Reagan Summerside always seems to be in the middle of it. She’s busy enough running her consignment shop, The Prissy Fox, with her vivacious Auntie KiKi, but now the gossip—and the sales—are about to pick up after a gruesome discovery…
Reagan’s messy divorce has left her with nothing but a run-down Victorian and a bunch of designer clothes. Strapped for cash, Reagan makes use of the two things she has left, turning the first floor of her home into a consignment shop and filling it with the remnants of her rich-wife wardrobe.
Thanks to his cunning lawyer Walker Boone, her ex got everything else, including the Lexus—not to mention a young blond cupcake. When Reagan finds the cupcake dead in the Lexus, she’s determined to beat Boone to finding the murderer. As it turns out, the gossip fiends flooding Reagan’s shop will give her a lot more than just their unwanted clothes—they have information more precious than a vintage Louis Vuitton…
COVER: This is a fabulous cover. You have to see it up close to appreciate it. The grandfather clock is tied into something from the first chapter--you'll have to read to find out what--and what the reader is looking at is the new first floor of Reagan's Victorian that has been turned into a consignment shop. Love the series logo with the orange hat. It also appears on the spine and on the back cover right above the author's website URL.
FIRST CHAPTER: It's only morning when Reagan dishes herself up a heavy helping of self-pity and the last of the pinot. Her lousy ex-husband has left her with a run-down house and a mountain of bills. He even took the Lexus she made the initial payment on. She should have listened to her mother and never married Hollis Beaumont. Reagan is stuck selling her furniture and her designer clothes to make ends meet. Snooty Raylene Carter paying a surprise visit early the next day might be the final straw.
KEEP READING: Oh yes. Brown has created a zany cast of characters centered around a down-on-her-luck woman coping with the aftermath of her messy divorce. Between her mother, Guillotine Gloria, a judge who doesn't get pushed around, her UPS driver and friend, Chantilly, quirky Aunt KiKi, and an uncle named Putter for his love of golf, you know you're bound to have some mischief.
You can't help but feel sorry for Reagan, kindly named after a certain conservative president. Her ex-husband has left her for a woman twenty years his junior and he's taken just about everything. Reagan is left to put her life back together and try to find some way to pay the bills.
Even if Savannah wasn't mentioned, you could quickly tell by the characters and the details the author provides that the story is set in the south. It's got charm. It's got food. It's got history. I can't wait to see what happens next. Based upon the synopsis, I know it's going to get interesting right quick.
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (October 2, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425251608
ISBN-13: 978-0425251607
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Book Review: Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown
Wedding planning, a dead body or two, a plethora of suspects, and a whole lot of southern food and charm are to be found in Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown.
All Reagan Summerside wants to do is put her history of finding dead bodies behind her and focus on her upcoming wedding to Walker Boone. Alas, dead bodies seem to get in her way. When the body of a resident from Pines Retirement Center is found in the Abbot sisters' pink Caddy and another recently deceased resident of the Pines may have swindled the sisters out of some money, they quickly become primary suspects. It will be up to Reagan, Boone, Auntie Kiki, Bruce Willis and their good friends to uncover the truth.
This series keeps getting better and better. Brown really outdid herself with this latest Consignment Shop mystery. Some of these things could only happen to Reagan Summerside! The great thing is that this masterful storyteller keeps it fresh while making the reader feel right at home with so many familiar faces. She develops her characters well and you learn a little bit more about each of them as the series progresses. Reagan's mother is becoming my favorite.
I'm still jealous that Brown can keep me guessing all the way to the end. Oh, how I wish I could write a mystery like that. There are so many twists and turns. People are on the suspect list. They are off the list. New people are added to the list. I rarely guess the culprit until it's revealed.
Lethal in Old Lace is another perfect and fun cozy mystery by Duffy Brown.
Highly recommended!
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (March 13, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1683315359
ISBN-13: 978-1683315353
I received a digital copy from the author through Netgalley. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Lethal in Old Lace By Duffy Brown: Review/Giveaway/Guest Post
IN THE April 14 ISSUE
FROM THE 2018 Articles,
andCynthia Chow,
andGoing Green,
andMysteryrat's Maze SECTIONS
by Cynthia Chow
& Duffy Brown
While this week in honor of Earth Day we are primarily featuring ebooks, this is the only print book we are reviewing because it has an Earth Day related theme of “recycling” clothes. We also have a fun Earth Day related guest post by Duffy. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Lethal in Old Lace. There is also a link to purchase it from Amazon, and from an indie bookstore where a portion of the sale goes to help support KRL
Lethal in Old Lace: A Consignment Shop Mystery by Duffy Brown
Review by Cynthia Chow
Reagan Summerside just wanted to bask in the moment. She couldn’t believe that despite her bad man-juju, fate has gifted with a marriage proposal from hunky, extremely eligible bachelor attorney Walker Boone. Reagan barely has time for that reality to settle in before she’s dragged into yet another calamity by her irrepressible Aunt Kiki Vanderpool. It seems that Willie Fishbine’s wake at the House of Eternal Slumber is lacking in attendance, and since professional mourners Annie and Elsie Fritz are always willing to volunteer their time at Reagan’s Prissy Fox Consignment Shop, she and Aunt Kiki have been enlisted as additional seat-fillers. It only takes one act to begin a cascade of calamities that get them further and further into trouble, and here it is the diet-induced swapping of a Snickers for a healthier (if less tasty) Clif Bar. Although it is more a case of casket-trading than grave-robbing, Aunt Kiki’s impulsive act of candy theft has them blackmailed by a Justin Bieber-clone who forces them to investigate the death of his grandfather or have her larceny posted on YouTube.
Reagan’s life further slides out of control when she encounters a series of corpses popping up and then disappearing, and unfortunately this never occurs in the actual mortuary. While Aunt Kiki considers this an out-of-sight, out-of-mind, non-issue, Reagan fears that the Fritz sisters may be landing themselves in jail. With all clues leading towards the Sleepy Pines retirement home, Reagan convinces her aunt into faking an injury in order to become an inside source. As someone who has mastered the art of getting her own way, Kiki wasn’t exactly a reluctant new resident of Dixie’s own Peyton Place, “Sexy Pines.” She’s less fond of the random accidents that befall her, although it does give her insight into Willie’s vitamin Spring Chicken Miracle Capsules scam, the hot new mortuary owner juggling multiple girlfriends, and the gold-digger sisters running their own tantalizing form of Uber.
This is an exuberant entry of a series that somehow balances outrageous humor with genuinely heart-felt moments. Only Reagan could find that inclusion into her wedding party is becoming a form of bribery to get information and out of possible arrests, and her hopes for a small ceremony dwindle. What readers will appreciate is that she and Walker will never be a typical suburban couple, and leaving mayhem in their wake despite Reagan’s best intentions. The quirks of Dixie life are delightful, especially since they are illogical only to those not immersed in culture. Reagan’s exasperation is our joy, and while her happy ending may not be what she expected, it definitely is what she needed.
It is always a special treat, literally, to have easy-to-follow recipes included, and in Duffy Brown’s Lethal in Old Lace, she has given her readers thirteen Very Best Martinis recipes introduced by Auntie Kiki.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Review: Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown
Geared for the Grave
Author: Duffy Brown
Series: Cycle Path Mystery 1
Publisher: Berkley, December 2, 2014
Format: Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages
List Price: $7.99 (print)
ISBN: 9780425268940 (print)
Review Copy: Provided by the Publisher
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
Mackinac Island is a peaceful summer resort town where everyone coasts through the streets on bicycles. But after someone sends a prominent local on her final ride, it’s up to one resourceful visitor to get things running again…
Hoping to shift her chances of a promotion in her favor, Evie Bloomfield heads to Mackinac Island to assist her boss’s father. Rudy Randolph has broken his leg and operating his bike shop, Rudy’s Rides, is too much to handle by himself. But Evie’s good turn only leads to more trouble…
After Evie’s arrival, wealthy resident Bunny Harrington dies in what looks like a freak bike accident. Upon closer inspection, Bunny’s brakes were tampered with, and now the prime suspect in her murder is also Bunny’s number one enemy: Rudy. So if Evie hopes to stay on her boss’s good side, she’ll need to steer Rudy clear of jail. Now she must quickly solve this mystery so she can put the brakes on the real killer’s plan…
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Jennifer's Review
Duffy Brown’s Geared for the Grave is the first book in the new Cycle Path Mystery Series. The series is set on Mackinac Island, a tiny resort town nestled in Michigan’s Lake Huron. The story begins with Evie Bloomfield’s inauspicious arrival on the island for what is really nothing but a glorified baby-sitting job that she is hoping will eventually further her career. Evie has been sent to Mackinac to provide assistance to her boss’s father, Rudy Randolph. Rudy has suffered a broken leg and Evie is tasked with helping him run his failing bicycle shop until he gets back on his feet. After learning that her job will be much harder than she thought due to Rudy’s reluctance to accept her help, Evie quickly stumbles upon the body of a very controversial and very wealthy resident.
I must admit that it took me quite a while to warm up to this book. I found the scrapes that Evie finds herself in a tad unrealistic and some of the minor characters to be a bit cartoonish. With that being said, in the end I did end up becoming engaged with the story and enjoyed seeing how it played out. Throughout the beginning and even middle of the book, Evie is a train wreck, and not an endearing one. She has major hang-ups about a past relationship and issues with her overachieving family back in Chicago. After she stops bumbling her way through everything, she becomes a much more likeable and relatable character, although she does still retain her incredible clumsiness. Rudy is a funny old guy and I enjoyed his character development. There are a plethora of townspeople that help further the plot and add comic relief, but the one I found the most entertaining was Irma. She was very charming in her ineptness and the scene where she inadvertently adds an extra ingredient in her fudge that causes the townspeople to become a little too happy is an absolute gem. The romantic interest in this story comes in the form of Nate Sutter, a ruggedly handsome acting police chief with a bit of a past himself. The chemistry between Evie and Nate starts out very subtle and builds nicely. The unexpected arrival of Evie’s mother and the mystery surrounding the town’s newest residents, a brother and sister with big city mob connections, add many fun moments to the mystery.
The mystery of Bunny Harrington’s death is central to the plot but does often takes a backseat to the shenanigans of Evie and the townsfolk. I wouldn’t say the mystery was formulaic, but there was a bit of predictability to how the mystery plays out. Being a fan of cozy mysteries, I can say that sometimes a more basic mystery is just what I am looking for when I need something quick and uncomplicated to help me unwind after a grueling day. This novel fit that bill for me. After the rough start, the characters did develop well and became interesting. I will be looking forward to seeing where the author takes the next installment in this series.