Author: Diane Vallere
Narrator: Susie Berneis
Publisher: Henery Press
Publication Date: March 2014
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Interior Decorator Madison Night has modeled her life after Doris Day's character in Pillow Talk, but when a killer targets women dressed like the bubbly actress, Madison's signature sixties style places her in the middle of a homicide investigation.
The local detective connects the new crimes to a twenty-year old cold case, and Madison's long-trusted contractor emerges as the leading suspect. As the body count piles up like a stack of plush pillows, Madison uncovers a Soviet spy, a campaign to destroy all Doris Day movies, and six minutes of film that will change her life forever.
My Thoughts: First time reading this author and found the premise of this story absolutely adorable. As a fan of Doris Day, I loved the numerous references to Doris, her movies and the mod style of interior design and fashion.
I liked Madison and found her to be an interesting character. She and Doris Day share a birthday and I would go so far to say she’s Doris’s biggest fan. She is such a loyal fan that she named her puppy ”Rocky” in acknowledgement of one of Doris’s co-stars, Rock Hudson. Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan and Madison discovers that the villain will murder to get what they want. Unfortunately, the victims, like Madison, were all dressed in the Doris Day style. I quickly began to wonder if Madison were the actual target.
This story is well crafted and the visualization I received at the author’s precise and detailed description of the mod style of décor and fashion gave me the feeling I was standing in the room with Madison. The plot moves at a good pace without feeling rushed and I struggled to the end of the story without ever figuring out who the killer was.
I went with the audiobook format for this story and enjoyed the narration performed by Susie Berneis. Her portrayal of each character brought out their personalities flawlessly. I was easily able to connect and relate to Madison and had a lot of empathy for her situation. Madison is like a lot of other cozy heroines who, through chance or fate, finds herself in the killer’s sights, thus needing to be rescued, as it seemed the killer was always two steps of her.
The supporting characters were great, as well. They balanced the story wonderfully. I’m not sure if there is a relationship in store for Madison in the future, but I really enjoyed that the focus was on the murders instead of romance.
My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this to be a really good story that will appeal to cozy mystery fans and if you love Doris Day too, then all the better. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to the publisher, Henery Press, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
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