A Dollhouse to Die For

Deadly Notions Mystery, Book #2

By Cate Price

ISBN#  9780425258804

Author’s Website   http://cateprice.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt

Synopsis:

 

Daisy Buchanan thinks of her shop, Sometimes a Great Notion, as more than just a business. For her, it’s a haven of vintage sewing notions and other treasures, excellent coffee, and camaraderie. But when an antique dollhouse provokes some bizarre behavior on the part of a customer, Daisy makes it her business to find out what secrets are hidden behind its tiny doors…

At an estate auction, Daisy is delighted to find the perfect present for a young girl she knows—a charming dollhouse in need of restoration. But when local collector Harriet Kunes tries to strong-arm Daisy into selling it, she’s in for a shocking—and deadly—surprise.

After an intruder breaks in and tries to steal the dollhouse, Daisy wonders why everyone has developed such an obsession over it. As she builds her collection of clues, she suspects that the miniature Victorian holds the key to a second unsolved murder, and soon she stumbles across much more than she bid on…

Includes creative tips for vintage notions!

Review:

A Dollhouse To Die For is a lively romp of a cozy, filled with so many enjoyable characters and twists and turns a plenty. Daisy Buchanan owns Sometimes a Great Notion, a store full of vintage sewing goodies and other treasures. Her friends Martha and Eleanor stop by most mornings for chat sessions and delicious baked goods courtesy of Martha. When Daisy picks up a vintage dollhouse in an estate sale that she plans to repair and give to a friend’s daughter everything goes crazy. After a dollhouse collector winds up dead and a break in at the shop, Daisy finds herself embroiled in the investigation. Along with Detective Serrano(hunk of the village), Daisy sets out to find answers. And she does eventually, after several wrong turns.

The setting is the quaint village of Millbury, PA. Not only is the town enchanting and described beautifully, but all of the many characters come to life with entertaining dialects, fun situations and true village camaraderie. While I did feel there were a few too many characters to deal with, Ms Price was able to make them all not only fit together well, but to keep them pertinent to the story line. Even for someone who does not know the first thing about sewing or dollhouses, the information Ms Price uses in this book is enjoyable and a pleasure to read about. There were so many little stories within the big picture that you never got bored or had the time to figure the whole mystery out too early.

I did not read the first book in the series, Going Through the Notions, however that was not a problem. The murder investigation was entertaining and intelligent. The characters were well developed and for the most part believable. Daisy was not portrayed as the silly amateur some  cozy main characters can be. The only complaint I would have is the seemingly required jealousy that a lot of cozy series have. And while I did enjoy all of the many characters, I would have preferred less of them to keep track of in the story line and am not sure they were all necessary.

I would recommend A Dollhouse to Die For to any cozy reader. I have definitely found a new series to enjoy. For anyone who enjoys dolls, dollhouses or vintage trinkets, this would be a perfect fit. The book is entertaining and well written. Anyone that enjoys a good mystery, with good friends and an occasional glass of wine will be truly pleased with this book. Also as an added bonus, at the end you will find not only fun dollhouse hints and creative tips for vintage notions, but several great recipes as well. I can not wait for the 3^rd installment of Deadly Notions Mysteries. And will probably have to go back and read the first installment as well.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*