Murder at Morningside is the first in the Missy Dubois mystery series. Melissa "Missy" Dubois owns and operates Crowning Glory her hat shop located next door to gown designer Ambrose "Bo" Jackson in Louisiana.
Missy and Bo have been hired to outfit bride to be Trinity whose wedding is being held at the Morningside Plantation. Delighted to be spending the weekend together at the stately mansion, Missy is shocked to discover that the home might actually be haunted by the ghost of a Confederate soldier. When the bride is found murdered on the morning of her wedding nobody, not even her father, groom to be or bridesmaids seem overly distraught. The only one who seems to care is Trinity's mother Ivy, who happens to be an old family friend and Missy agrees to try and uncover her daughter's killer.
With a huge cast of suspects to choose from including the plantation workers and even Trinity's own fiancé, Missy enlists the help of her kindergarten chum Lance LaPorta who is now a police detective. In the midst of her investigation Missy also volunteers her and Ambrose to run the last minute church fashion show.
While I did enjoy this mystery, for me the vibe of the book was a little strange. Missy is described as a thirty something but her mannerisms seem to be that of a much older Southern belle. A few of the characters attend the local university but parts of the descriptions make it seem as though the story is set in an earlier time period. Missy admits that she has feelings for Bo and is hoping that something will develop romantically between the two, but sparks also seemed to fly between her Lance. I am despising the thought of another cozy series with the dreaded love triangle, so hoping that when the next installment comes out and the setting is another Louisiana plantation that it is out of Lance's jurisdiction.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review, I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.
Missy and Bo have been hired to outfit bride to be Trinity whose wedding is being held at the Morningside Plantation. Delighted to be spending the weekend together at the stately mansion, Missy is shocked to discover that the home might actually be haunted by the ghost of a Confederate soldier. When the bride is found murdered on the morning of her wedding nobody, not even her father, groom to be or bridesmaids seem overly distraught. The only one who seems to care is Trinity's mother Ivy, who happens to be an old family friend and Missy agrees to try and uncover her daughter's killer.
With a huge cast of suspects to choose from including the plantation workers and even Trinity's own fiancé, Missy enlists the help of her kindergarten chum Lance LaPorta who is now a police detective. In the midst of her investigation Missy also volunteers her and Ambrose to run the last minute church fashion show.
While I did enjoy this mystery, for me the vibe of the book was a little strange. Missy is described as a thirty something but her mannerisms seem to be that of a much older Southern belle. A few of the characters attend the local university but parts of the descriptions make it seem as though the story is set in an earlier time period. Missy admits that she has feelings for Bo and is hoping that something will develop romantically between the two, but sparks also seemed to fly between her Lance. I am despising the thought of another cozy series with the dreaded love triangle, so hoping that when the next installment comes out and the setting is another Louisiana plantation that it is out of Lance's jurisdiction.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review, I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.
Murder at Morningside by Sandra Bretting is the first A Missy DuBois Mystery novel. Melissa "Missy" DuBois and her friend, Ambrose are at the Morningside Plantation to assist with a wedding of Trinity and Sterling. Ambrose is doing the gown (owns Ambrose's Allure Couture) and Missy the veil (owns Crowning Glory). Unfortunately, before the bride and groom so can say their I Do's, the bride is found dead in the bathroom (what a horrible place to kick the bucket). Who would want to kill a pregnant woman about to be married (Missy noticed the baby bump earlier in the day)? Missy had met Ivy Solomon, step-mother of the bride, earlier at a tea (and hat contest) Missy now feels that they are friends and sets out to find the killer (friends after an hour). Trinity was well-liked, but her father Herbert Solomon was not because of his oil refinery (and cheapskate ways). Would someone kill Trinity to get back at her father? Then there is the strange "ghost" being seen around the hotel. Will Missy be able to find the killer? You will have to read Murder at Morningside to get the answer.
I found Murder at Morningside to be contrived (very fake). Missy DuBois is a true Southern woman (or what people believe a Southern woman to be) who keeps using various southern expressions like "bless her poor little heart" and "butter my biscuit" (I have yet to hear one southern person say any of these phrases. Maybe I live in the wrong state). I was not a fan of Missy (she was okay but no very believable as a real life character). How can you consider someone a friend after knowing them an hour? It seemed like a lame excuse to look into a murder (it would have been better if she had just admitted she was to curious for her own good). The characters were not developed. We get basic information on them, but they were not brought to life. There is quite a bit about a fashion show that Missy volunteers herself and Ambrose to organize and run (in a very short amount of time from scratch which is unlikely). The book is easy to read, but I just did not enjoy it. The mystery was child's play to solve (the killer was extremely apparent). I give Murder at Morningside 2.5 out of 5 stars. I am not a fan of these silly mystery novels (which I do not know they are until I read them). I will not be reading the next book in the series (for which I am sure the author will grateful).
I received a complimentary copy of Murder at Morningside from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
I found Murder at Morningside to be contrived (very fake). Missy DuBois is a true Southern woman (or what people believe a Southern woman to be) who keeps using various southern expressions like "bless her poor little heart" and "butter my biscuit" (I have yet to hear one southern person say any of these phrases. Maybe I live in the wrong state). I was not a fan of Missy (she was okay but no very believable as a real life character). How can you consider someone a friend after knowing them an hour? It seemed like a lame excuse to look into a murder (it would have been better if she had just admitted she was to curious for her own good). The characters were not developed. We get basic information on them, but they were not brought to life. There is quite a bit about a fashion show that Missy volunteers herself and Ambrose to organize and run (in a very short amount of time from scratch which is unlikely). The book is easy to read, but I just did not enjoy it. The mystery was child's play to solve (the killer was extremely apparent). I give Murder at Morningside 2.5 out of 5 stars. I am not a fan of these silly mystery novels (which I do not know they are until I read them). I will not be reading the next book in the series (for which I am sure the author will grateful).
I received a complimentary copy of Murder at Morningside from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
