Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Bodice of Evidence is the second in the Perfect Proposals mystery series. Pepper Pomeroy has left her corporate job, settled back in her suburban Chicago hometown and started her dream company Perfect Proposals.
Having successfully planned her sister Felicity's engagement to beau Warren, Pepper is now dress shopping with her and their mom Abigail. It had been a long nerve racking day and things only get worse when in the last shop, Bridal Dreams, Pepper stumbles upon the body of owner Eva Svetkovska.
Things at the crime scene don't add up in Pepper's eyes and despite the warnings of old pal Detective Murphy, she sets out to find Eva's killer. There are plenty of suspects including Eva's daughter Vidalia and her husband Anton, long time boutique employee Theresa and her sketchy boyfriend Thad and Vladmir, Eva's black sheep brother.
In the midst of her investigation, Pepper is also planning two dream proposals. First up is Alexander wants to propose during a sky diving jump and then there's Mary who wants to break the norm by popping the question to her long time boyfriend.
Pepper herself is trying to get over her recent nasty breakup with high school boyfriend Bobby and figuring out her newfound feelings for old friend Gage. Having decided that it's best if she moves from her apartment across the street from Bobby's favorite watering hole, Pepper also has to find a new place to call home.
A fast paced, fun mystery with a delightful cast of characters have you feeling right at home with Pepper and her friends. I'm looking forward to the next in the series, Newlywed Dead to see what exciting proposal events Pepper will plan next.
Having successfully planned her sister Felicity's engagement to beau Warren, Pepper is now dress shopping with her and their mom Abigail. It had been a long nerve racking day and things only get worse when in the last shop, Bridal Dreams, Pepper stumbles upon the body of owner Eva Svetkovska.
Things at the crime scene don't add up in Pepper's eyes and despite the warnings of old pal Detective Murphy, she sets out to find Eva's killer. There are plenty of suspects including Eva's daughter Vidalia and her husband Anton, long time boutique employee Theresa and her sketchy boyfriend Thad and Vladmir, Eva's black sheep brother.
In the midst of her investigation, Pepper is also planning two dream proposals. First up is Alexander wants to propose during a sky diving jump and then there's Mary who wants to break the norm by popping the question to her long time boyfriend.
Pepper herself is trying to get over her recent nasty breakup with high school boyfriend Bobby and figuring out her newfound feelings for old friend Gage. Having decided that it's best if she moves from her apartment across the street from Bobby's favorite watering hole, Pepper also has to find a new place to call home.
A fast paced, fun mystery with a delightful cast of characters have you feeling right at home with Pepper and her friends. I'm looking forward to the next in the series, Newlywed Dead to see what exciting proposal events Pepper will plan next.
Dollycas's Thoughts
Shopping for a wedding dress is supposed to be fun but it can be quite stressful to find the "perfect" dress. Pepper knows shopping with her sister, Felicity, for her dress is going to interesting but she never expected that when they arrived for their last appointment the shop's owner would be dead. Dead, as in murdered in the alley behind the boutique. They had arrived a little late and Pepper feels if they would have been on time they could have saved the woman. But they also could have become collateral damage. She just can't help doing a little investigating on her own and that could end no where near perfect.
Pepper's business sounds like a really great job. Her business, Perfect Proposals, sets up events for the perfect engagement proposals. It is always a surprise to the party being proposed to. It can be a proposal while skydiving, or at a movie theater, or anything the couple likes to do. Pepper wants the proposal to be special and she works hard to make that happen. Her business is taking off now that people have heard about her sister's proposal. The whole family dynamic rings so true for me. I love her mom, very opinionated, and dad, knows when to back off, the sister, a little over the top.
I really enjoyed this story. A little twist has the detective in charge of the case actually happy with the information Pepper is providing. The suspects all seem to be family, an employee and her boyfriend, but Pepper just can't figure out why they would want the woman dead. She is determined and goes back to the shop several times trying to get the answers she needs. I liked the way she handled it though, she always had a good reason to be there, dress fitting, payment on the dress, etc. And she purchased one pricey maid of honor dress! good thing they had a payment plan.
The mystery itself was well written and entertaining but I enjoyed the Perfect Proposal planning and events just as much. Together there was always action and drama making the pages absolutely fly.
It should be noted that while Nancy J. Parra is the name on the cover, Nancy, who also writes as Nancy Coco and Julie Hyzy, of the Manor House Mysteries, work in conjunction to write this series. I enjoy their other series' so it is not a surprise to me that enjoy their writing together as well. The know how to set the scene, create realistic characters, and put them in drama filled situations. The also know how to add the perfect amount of humor to their stories.
This Perfect Proposals Mystery is a perfect escape!
Shopping for a wedding dress is supposed to be fun but it can be quite stressful to find the "perfect" dress. Pepper knows shopping with her sister, Felicity, for her dress is going to interesting but she never expected that when they arrived for their last appointment the shop's owner would be dead. Dead, as in murdered in the alley behind the boutique. They had arrived a little late and Pepper feels if they would have been on time they could have saved the woman. But they also could have become collateral damage. She just can't help doing a little investigating on her own and that could end no where near perfect.
Pepper's business sounds like a really great job. Her business, Perfect Proposals, sets up events for the perfect engagement proposals. It is always a surprise to the party being proposed to. It can be a proposal while skydiving, or at a movie theater, or anything the couple likes to do. Pepper wants the proposal to be special and she works hard to make that happen. Her business is taking off now that people have heard about her sister's proposal. The whole family dynamic rings so true for me. I love her mom, very opinionated, and dad, knows when to back off, the sister, a little over the top.
I really enjoyed this story. A little twist has the detective in charge of the case actually happy with the information Pepper is providing. The suspects all seem to be family, an employee and her boyfriend, but Pepper just can't figure out why they would want the woman dead. She is determined and goes back to the shop several times trying to get the answers she needs. I liked the way she handled it though, she always had a good reason to be there, dress fitting, payment on the dress, etc. And she purchased one pricey maid of honor dress! good thing they had a payment plan.
The mystery itself was well written and entertaining but I enjoyed the Perfect Proposal planning and events just as much. Together there was always action and drama making the pages absolutely fly.
It should be noted that while Nancy J. Parra is the name on the cover, Nancy, who also writes as Nancy Coco and Julie Hyzy, of the Manor House Mysteries, work in conjunction to write this series. I enjoy their other series' so it is not a surprise to me that enjoy their writing together as well. The know how to set the scene, create realistic characters, and put them in drama filled situations. The also know how to add the perfect amount of humor to their stories.
This Perfect Proposals Mystery is a perfect escape!
