Royally Dead (A Stitch in Time Mystery Book 3)

Author:  Greta McKennan
Genre:  Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
9781516101733
Lyrical Underground
214 Pages
$15.00; $5.99 Amazon
September 11, 2018

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Daria's roommate, Aileen, plays guitar in a metal band, but one of her bandmates is branching out musically and asks Daria to craft a kilt for an upcoming bagpipe competition.  The locals in Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania, are really looking forward to the Highland Games, and the Scottish regalia needs to be just right.

Then one of the athletes collapses during the event, a victim of poisoned whiskey.  As suspicion spreads and the police turn their attention to Aileen, Daria vows not to let the real killer get off scot-free...

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Daria Dembrowski is a seamstress who is attending the Highland Games both as a vendor and a spectator when she finds out that her renter Aileen, singer and guitarist for the band Twisted Armpits, seems to know one of the game contestants, Ladd Foster.  Their meeting doesn't seem to be a pleasant one, but Daria decides to stay out of the altercation.

The festivities are in high gear and she plans to be part of it, and that includes meeting the author Morris West, who has written a fictional book about Scotland's Bonnie Prince Charlie and when he meets Daria, envisions her as his heroine from his book named Catherine and continues to call her by that name, to her annoyance.  Then Aileen's bandmate Corgi asks Daria if she will fashion a kilt for him, since he's learned to play the bagpipes and wants to enter the competitions - the one he has is a cheap knockoff and will not pass muster and even costs him points in performing.

But during the games Ladd suddenly collapses and falls dead and Daria, with her innate curiosity discovers the source which happens to be the flask he was drinking from during the day.  While it seems he left the flask in a tent that was also visited by four others beside herself - including Aileen - she wonders which one hated him enough to kill him.  But when the police arrive, the flask has disappeared from the tent, and now finding a killer as well as the weapon of choice could be very difficult indeed.

She's also creating a wedding gown with a tilt to Scotland for a friend, and a young girl named Gillian had an infatuation with Ladd, not to mention the girl's surly attitude could only make it worse; and at the last, she meets an employee of the Templeton museum who offers to let her see the wedding gown and diary of a long-ago resident of their town, Margaret Oliphant, the woman for whom the local college was named.  Little does Daria know that once again her curiosity may bring her into mortal danger...

This is the third book in the series, and after reading the first two, I truly believe that Ms. McKennan has found her voice.  While I have to be honest and say I wasn't enthralled with the first one, in this book the story line kept me riveted throughout.

While it may seem to some that there are several plot lines going at the same time, they are all (mostly) entwined and watching them come together is indeed a delight.  We follow Daria as she innocently tries to complete the wedding dress and create an authentic Scottish kilt while not only participating in the Scottish celebration but watching it as well, while surreptitiously keeping an eye on the young Gillian in an effort to keep her out of harm's way.

Adding to this is the fact that Daria's tenant Aileen is suspected of killing Ladd, although Daria knows it's not possible.  Aileen may act tough, but Daria knows there's a soft underbelly that wouldn't kill.  So she sets out to look at the other suspects while trying to find out who had the best motive; even involving her maybe-boyfriend Sean McCarty, a newspaper photographer/reporter.  (To be fair, he plays along with her willingly in the hopes he'll get a story).

For the most part I was highly entertained; Daria is evolving into a a woman who's coming into her own, who's becoming braver within herself and more circumspect with others, McCarthy is beginning to grow on me and I do love a man with a sense of humor; and while we learned a little more about Aileen's past, it still doesn't explain how she got to where she is today.  (From one extreme to another?)

All in all, as I stated above, the plot line was very good and the story was written well.  I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the tale that brought everything together in the end, much like watching a fine tapestry being woven and delighting in the final product.  When the killer was discovered (although I figured it out early on - but then again, I read a lot of these) and the reason for the murder revealed, it reminds us that even those that seem the most stable can often be the most insane around us.

Ms. McKennan is indeed learning her craft, and this, as the third book in the series, proves that fact.  She has managed to give Daria and Sean life, and make us want to visit the small town of Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania. Her characters are becoming well-rounded and believable; and when I finished this book I realized I was ready for the next in the series and that's a very good thing.  Recommended.

https://smile.amazon.com/Royally-Dead-Stitch-Time-Mystery-ebook/dp/B078LJPZH8/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2509490405

More on Greta McKennan's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/greta-mckennan/

Historically Dead (A Stitch in Time Mystery Book #2)

Author:  Greta McKennan
Genre:  Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516101726
Lyrical Underground Publishing
222 Pages
$15.00; $2.99 Amazon
December 19, 2017

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Seamstress Daria Dembrowski must find a historically-minded killer before the fabric of her peaceful town rips wide open...

When the reality show My House in History comes to Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania, savvy seamstress Daria Dembrowski sees a business opportunity.  The show follows two elderly sisters' quest to restore their colonial mansion and that means a heap of work for a seamstress who specializes in historical textiles.  Although one of the old women is a bit of a grump, Daria loves the job-until she discovers one of the researchers dead, and the whole project threatens to unwind.

As a series of historical crimes pile up, from a stolen Paul Revere platter to a chilling incident of arson, Daria must find the killer quickly, for her life is hanging by a thread.

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When Daria Dembrowski accepts the task of sewing historical clothing and curtains for a couple of elderly women in her town, she's willing to put up with the bad attitude of one of them.  She's willing to work in the home instead of her own.  She's not so willing to discover a dead body - but that's exactly what she does. 

Her job is part of a reality television show where people agree to have their homes returned to their original historic beginnings - which in this case means ripping everything out of the kitchen and having a brick hearth installed (but incredulously, they're not ripping out the bathroom plumbing.  Go figure.)  Anyway, Daria is installed in one of the bedrooms converted to a sewing room where she can live in part time while she sews historical clothing and curtains - by hand - for the residents of the home while everything is being filmed.

There is also a local college professor in residence who is helping, and he has the drawings Daria needs to complete her work.  When she attempts to locate him she does exactly that - but not in a living condition.  Soon it's discovered that he's been murdered, and the entire household is under suspicion for his death.  Surprisingly, knowing she's under the roof with a murderer doesn't faze her as much as it should, even while she's trying to figure out who killed him.

But as if things couldn't get any worse, she's also in the process of creating a wedding gown for a nice young law student named Fiona, and discovers that Fiona's fiancé is none other than her own ex, the lying, stealing Randall Flint.  Since she likes Fiona she won't say anything, but what makes it doubly uncomfortable is he's also the attorney for the two sisters and is spending nearly as much time at their home as she is.

Then there's the fact that someone is sabotaging her home...first eggs, then dead mice, and it only escalates from there.  Not even the formidable Aileen can figure out who's trying to intimidate them, and her brother Pete is working long hours and barely home.  But why would anyone want to hurt them?  Are the two things related?  Daria vows to figure it out, even if it kills her...

I almost didn't read this book because I was so disappointed in the first, but I have to admit that this one was better, which is a good thing.  However, it isn't to say that it doesn't have its problems.  First, she's been dating Sean McCarty, the photographer for the local newspaper, and she doesn't treat him very well.  In fact, they don't really act like a couple.  There's a bit of hand-holding, but that's about it.  No cuddling, no kisses; it seems she's more interested in him as a ride to the fabric store than anything else.  It's sad because regardless of the fact I don't care for men with long hair, I'm beginning to like him as a person (and feel sorry for him, which is worse).

Which brings us to the fact that this woman needs therapy.  Badly.  Driving terrifies her for some reason, but she won't find out why.  She'd rather inconvenience anyone around her by begging for rides (when she's not riding the bus or taking a cab) than actually face her fears and overcome them so she's spending a lot of time on the bus, and since buses don't have only one stop going from point A to point B could take an hour or more.  What will she do when people refuse to be her chauffeur anymore?  (She has a driver's license, not an ID, but how did she get it if she's terrified of driving?)

Which pretty much explains why she didn't demand Randall give back the money he stole or pointing out to Fiona that he's a slimeball.  She's still a doormat in this book, which is rather disappointing.  I had hoped she'd gotten a backbone, but no such luck.  She's proving that she has no common sense when it comes to men at all.  She lets Randall walk all over her, but keeps McCarthy at arms length.

However, the writing was much better this time out, and the mystery was decent.  While I figured out who the murderer was pretty early on (I read a lot of these), there were still enough twists and turns to keep me interested for the most part.  There were a couple of interesting scenes thrown in, and I do like it when people get their comeuppance.

I still think there's something wrong with Aileen - as I've stated before, rockers don't dress at home the same way they dress when they're onstage (as I've stated in a previous review, can you imagine members of Kiss or Alice Cooper walking around dressed like that in daily life?)  Yeah, they don't.  So there's probably something a little mentally off about Aileen - which you can figure out yourself if you read what she eats, which is enough to make anyone throw up.  While she might seem fierce, it's hard to truly like someone like that or make them a believable character.

Everything came together in the end and the pieces fit together nicely.  Daria proved that she can be brave when she wants to be (and I know I'm repeating myself) so it doesn't make sense that she's not brave enough to face her fear about driving.  If you can face down a murderer, you should be able to face down the mean streets of a small town.  A cozy mystery for a quiet evening's read.

https://www.amazon.com/Historically-Dead-Greta-McKennan/dp/1516101723/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2150290563

More on Greta McKennan's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/greta-mckennan/

Uniformly Dead (A Stitch in Time Mystery #1)

Author:  Greta McKennan
Genre:  Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516101719
Lyrical Press
204 Pages
$15.00; $3.99 Amazon
May 16, 2017

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Historical seamstress Daria Dembrowski has her work cut out for her as she searches for a killer's pattern...

Daria has come up with a brilliant new plan to expand her seamstress business beyond stitching wedding gowns - historical sewing.  And with Civil War re-enactors setting up camp in her hometown of Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania, she has plenty of opportunities, including one client playing a Confederate colonel who's a particular stickler for authenticity.

But soon the small-town peace starts coming apart at the seams as an antique doll is stolen from a Civil War exhibit and the cranky colonel is found impaled by his own bayonet.  When Daria's brother is suspected of the theft and a bridal client's fiance is accused of the murder, Daria is determined to untangle the clues to prove their innocence.  She needs to get this case sewn up fast, though, before the murderer re-enacts the crime and makes her history.

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Daria Dembrowski is a seamstress who works out of her home.  She's currently making wedding gowns and such but wants to branch out into historical costumes.  She's given her chance when a man named Colonel Windstrom (his re-enactor name) hires her to make his Confederate uniform 'historically accurate.'  But then her brother Pete arrives asking to stay with her, and she learns why soon enough, and it's not a pretty picture.

When she gets Pete to take her to a local museum so she can study uniforms for accuracy, there's a bit of a debacle.  First, Pete's long time nemesis Emmett McDowell is there, signing copies of his new book and still harassing her brother no end.  Pete finally has had enough and leaves, but as he's doing so, there's a commotion between the colonel and a man who seems to be a photographer which has him accidentally running into Daria and knocking her to the floor.  After she's helped up by another re-enactor, Jim Laker, the lights go out and when they come on again, a doll in the exhibit is missing and the finger is pointed at her brother.

Meanwhile, she still has the wedding gown she needs to finish for a friend named Marsha, and she's getting married within the week to a nice young man, Chris, who also happens to be one of the re-enactors.  When she arrives at the battlefield for a final fitting for the colonel, she's not surprised he's just as unpleasant as he's always been and discovers when the transaction is over that she's been stiffed twenty dollars.  Not wanting to face the colonel again she decides to let it go, but realizes she's left her tape measure behind and when she returns to the tent to retrieve it finds her friend Chris standing over the bloody body of the colonel holding the bayonet that killed him.

Refusing to believe that Chris is guilty, and with Marsha begging her to help him, Daria can't refuse, not even when she discovers that her brother is next in line to be tagged as a murderer and she just might find herself in the crosshairs as well...

This is the first in the series and therefore I usually give the author a bit of leeway as to storyline, characters, etc.  But when you begin a book with something that obviously doesn't make sense then it doesn't bode well for the rest of the book.  As I've stated many times, I'm a person who pays attention to details, which is why I couldn't like this book.

Supposedly her ex-boyfriend lived with her while he was going to law school, then when he passed the bar he worked in his father's firm for awhile but eventually skipped town, taking everything in their joint bank account with him.  First, he's an attorney and knows this is against the law.  Secondly, he worked in his father's firm - which, I'm guessing is in town since she didn't state otherwise.  So why didn't she go see the father and ask his help in getting her money back?  Unless he was on his son's side and encouraged him to steal from her, he should have been some help since he probably knew where his son was.  If he was on his son's side, his law practice would have been down the tubes the minute everyone she knew found out what had been done, and that the father hadn't stopped it or helped her get the money back.  This would show that he didn't care about theft in his own family; and I certainly would have made it known that he refused to help.  This is mistake number one.

How could her brother be accused of stealing the doll when he left the museum before the lights went out?  Did he run back in very fast and turn out the lights, smash the case, steal the doll and then run out again in a matter of minutes?  Please explain this.

Daria says she hates driving, and takes the bus everywhere.  So she carries items she makes on a crowded bus without worrying about them being wrinkled or jostled?  You can't just stuff handmade clothing into a bag as she does.  It needs to be in a garment bag, and where on earth on a bus are you going to keep it nice?    She’s a seamstress, and what if there was an occasion where she’d have to go to a customer’s home or the bus was late?  It doesn't seem like this is a very good career choice for someone who won't drive.

Also, I don't like her renter Aileen.  She's disrespectful and acts like she owns the house.  I don't care how much she pays for rent, I would remind her who the owner is and if she moves out, so be it.  I wouldn't allow any renter to treat me or mine that way, and not even 'protecting' Daria would make a difference.  (Rock band?  With the name of the band and the way Aileen dresses it seems more like a grunge/punk band.  Plus, she has no table manners and the way she eats she'd have bad skin and probably stomach issues later in life.  Yuck.)  Even rockers don't dress at home the same way they dress on stage.  Gene Simmons wearing KISS makeup and costumes around the house?  Yeah, right...

Which brings us to the fact that Daria is a doormat.  She hasn't got the backbone she was born with.  She allows everyone to push her around instead of standing up to them, and I hate women who are weak-willed.   I also don't care for male love interests with long hair, so Sean never appealed to me at all.  Unfortunately, with these things being unappealing, you can pretty much guess that the book would be unappealing, too.

Then, Officer Carson keeps investigating.  Why?  Is this town so small there are no homicide detectives?  In that case, one would be imported from the nearest town over.  Officers do not investigate murders.  Homicide Detectives investigate murders - and they don't wear uniforms, something the author should have known if she's seen even one crime show on television.  Another example is the waltz they were playing at the Civil War ball was The Blue Danube, which wasn't composed until 1866 or performed until 1867 - after the Civil War ended.  They wanted to be accurate, so should have chosen accurate music.

Also, what about the situation with Daria and Pete's father?  We're given a paragraph about it, but nothing else.  Is this the author's way of ensuring we read the next in the series?  This is just the author 'holding the readers hostage' in order that they will read the next in the series.

It was difficult to get past these things, because most of them could have been handled differently and more believable.  As it was, the entire book seemed like the author didn't care, she just wanted to get something published.  I couldn't even get excited about the ending, which was pretty decent, because of it.  I don't know if I'll be reading another in this series or not.

https://smile.amazon.com/Uniformly-Dead-Greta-McKennan/dp/1516101715/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2502481289

More on Greta McKennan's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/greta-mckennan/