Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Helpful Score: 1
Last Pen Standing is the debut of the Stationery Shop Mystery series featuring Delta Douglas and set in the small, former gold mining town of Tundish, Montana. Using a monetary gift from her grandmother Delta purchases half of Wanted, a stationery/crafting shop housed in the old Sheriff's office. Giving up her job in Cheyenne, Wyoming, relocates to Tundish and moves in with old college roommate and now business partner, Hazel.
On her first night in town Delta and Hazel host a crafting workshop at the swanky Lodge Hotel. The annual gold miner's party is also going on that evening in a separate section of the hotel and Rosalyn Taylor the hotel manager, is adamant that the crafters stay away from the exclusive guests. The workshop winds down and as Delta and Hazel make their way through the lobby they are approached by Hazel's brother Finn, who says there has been an accident in the bar and they need to get help. The ladies look in the dark room and discover the body of one of the hotel guests dead on the floor.
The local police immediately arrest Finn, who Delta learns has a troubled past, and then Hazel who they think is covering for her brother. Determined not to lose the money that she's just invested into her new career, Delta joins forces with members of the Paper Posse and retired detective Jonas Nord and his K-9 partner Spud to clear her friends name.
A somewhat disjointed plot involving locals and out of towners, blackmail and adultery. It was a little far fetched that a newcomer could question people and have them confide their secrets and while the ladies of the Paper Posse are mentioned quite a bit in the beginning they fade into the background and I would like to have gotten to know them a little better (honestly some of the ladies were a little more interesting than the main characters). I'll read the second in the series with the hope that the character development continues to grow and I'll get to spend more time with the lovable Spud.
On her first night in town Delta and Hazel host a crafting workshop at the swanky Lodge Hotel. The annual gold miner's party is also going on that evening in a separate section of the hotel and Rosalyn Taylor the hotel manager, is adamant that the crafters stay away from the exclusive guests. The workshop winds down and as Delta and Hazel make their way through the lobby they are approached by Hazel's brother Finn, who says there has been an accident in the bar and they need to get help. The ladies look in the dark room and discover the body of one of the hotel guests dead on the floor.
The local police immediately arrest Finn, who Delta learns has a troubled past, and then Hazel who they think is covering for her brother. Determined not to lose the money that she's just invested into her new career, Delta joins forces with members of the Paper Posse and retired detective Jonas Nord and his K-9 partner Spud to clear her friends name.
A somewhat disjointed plot involving locals and out of towners, blackmail and adultery. It was a little far fetched that a newcomer could question people and have them confide their secrets and while the ladies of the Paper Posse are mentioned quite a bit in the beginning they fade into the background and I would like to have gotten to know them a little better (honestly some of the ladies were a little more interesting than the main characters). I'll read the second in the series with the hope that the character development continues to grow and I'll get to spend more time with the lovable Spud.
Last Pen Standing by Vivian Conroy is the first book in A Stationery Shop Mystery series. Delta Douglas had been working as a graphic designer at an ad agency until she received a sizable check from her Gran on her thirtieth birthday. It allowed her to make her dream come true of owning a stationery shop where she can use her sketches to create a line of products. Delta invests in her best friend's shop, Wanted in Tundish, Montana (the town with a heart of gold). While Delta is prepared for the creative aspects of the job, she seems to be lacking in business knowledge (or even how to run a cash register). When a dead body is found at Lodge Hotel, Sheriff West is quick to arrest Hazel's brother, Finn. He also has Hazel spend the night in the jail because she lied. Sheriff West is portrayed as a small town know-it-all who seems to take rumors as fact (and plays fast and loose with the law). There are several viable suspects and I love how the author led us down the wrong path a time or two. Jonas Nord, a wildlife photographer and ex-cop, is drafted by Delta to help clear Hazel and Finn. Jonas is accompanied by Spud, a former K-9 dog, who has a good sniffer. Delta is also aided by the Paper Posse which is a group of crafters who live and work in town with Wild West nicknames (like Calamity Jane). I wish the author had taken the time to give us Delta's background so we could get to know her. There are tidbits dropped here and there, but I wanted a more solid history so I could get to know Delta. We are also lacking details on Tundish and the Paper Posse. While reading Last Pen Standing you will need to suspend your disbelief now and then (an example is holding someone in jail overnight because they lied). My mother claimed I was overthinking things (maybe), so I will let you form your own opinion. There were some slow sections that I found myself speed reading to get through. Last Pen Standing has an interesting idea with a stationery shop housed in an old west type jail. I found Jonas to be a likeable character along with Mrs. Cassidy who runs the Paper Posse. I hope we learn more about Delta in the next book along with creating a line of products based on her designs. Last Pen Standing is a satisfying debut cozy mystery with endearing erasers, a villainous victim, glistening glitter, rogue rumors, a senseless sheriff and a determined designer.
