Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
After 2 weeks of tote bag giveaways I am thrilled to welcome Reagan Summerside,
owner of the Prissy Fox, to Escape With Dollycas!
Killer in Crinolines (A Consignment Shop Mystery)
Hi! Reagan Summerside here to talk weddings. The good, the bad and the deadly…
You know that old saying, always the bridesmaid never the bride, well I’ve been both. The bride part didn’t take proven by the fact that I caught Hollis, my husband and the hound of Savannah, doing the horizontal hula with Cupcake right there in his office. That was some staff meeting, all right.
The last wedding I attended I came to deliver a bow-tie to the groom as he misplaced his. The good part of that wedding was the cake was delicious. The deadly part was that the groom wound up dead in five tiers of icing and fondant, the ugly part was that my BFF, Chantilly, the groom’s ex got accused of the murder.
Round tables decked out in peach-tone wedding linens with white flower arrangements of roses and forget-me-nots dotted the room and Doreen-the-wedding-planner lay crumbled in a heap on the floor.
“Oh dear Lord!” I starting for Doreen but stopped in my tracks because Simon was there too. He was face down in his very own five-tiered wedding cake with a silver cake knife sticking out of his back.
Chantilly shouldn’t have been at the wedding in the first place of course but she and her UPS truck just sort of wound up there.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I said to Chantilly as she swiveled round in the driver’s seat of her UPS van. White icing and cake crumbs smeared her lips and a glob of raspberry filling dripped down her chin. A pink butter cream rose stuck to the front of her brown uniform blouse. “Dear God in heaven! You went and ate the wedding cake!”
“One slice,” she mumbled around a mouthful. “Who’s going to miss one little old slice? The freaking thing is five tiers high. It took three Cakery Bakery employees and the owner Delta Longford herself to lug it in. They even made GracieAnn Harlow stand on a ladder to get the bride and groom thing on top.”
Chantilly held up a chunk of mangled pastry. “This here should be my wedding cake, except for the pink roses. This should be my wedding day, my wedding colors of creamy-peach and blue-morning-rain. Simon is my man. We were engaged! How could he marry someone else!” Chantilly wailed, a tear sliding down her cheek and cutting a path across a white icing smear.
Hopefully none of the weddings you’ve attended were like this one with the groom dead as Lincoln right there in his own cake.
What do you think is the best part of a wedding? The cake? The first dance? The saying I Do?
Let me know and I’ll give away two Killer in Crinoline tote bags from the answers.
Hugs, Reagan
Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She has two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, and conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own for Berkley Prime Crime. Iced Chiffon, out October, 2012, is the first book in the Consignment: Murder series. Duffy writes romance as Dianne Castell and is a USA Today bestselling author.
Find out more about Duffy and her books on her webpage here.
Find her on:
Killer in Crinolines
(A Consignment Shop Mystery)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (May 7, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Julia Green
Cover Design by Diane Kolsky
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425252154
E-Book File Size: 1055 KB
ASIN: B009KUWYQO
It’s August in Savannah, Georgia—hardly the season for a traditional Southern wedding with hoopskirts and crinolines. One could die from the heat—or from a cake knife in the back…
Reagan Summerside should be devoting all her energy to her consignment shop the Prissy Fox. But when her dear friend Chantilly Parker is arrested for murder, Reagan vows to clear her name. The victim is Simon Ambrose, who’s found lying in his own wedding cake with a knife in his back.
Chantilly has motive (Simon broke her heart to marry wealthy Waynetta Waverly) and opportunity (crashing the wedding in her UPS delivery truck). And she has cake on her face, and the stolen bridesmaid dress the killer wore is in her truck. But Chantilly would never wear crinoline to kill a man!
With the help of her flamboyant auntie, KiKi, and vexing but attractive attorney Walker Boone, Reagan is determined to save her friend—before she’s forced to turn in her brown uniform for an orange jumpsuit…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
August is hot in Savannah, Georgia and the perfect temperature for MURDER!!! Duffy Brown has topped herself with the sequel to Iced Chiffon.
All of favorite characters are back and will have your sides hurting from laughter. From Aunt Kiki’s Cher quotes like “Men aren’t necessities, they are luxuries” to Chantilly’s misguided reasoning and Reagan’s adventures taking over Chantilly’s parcel deliveries, this book is plum full of Southern charm and humor. Can anyone have worse luck than Reagan? Wherever she goes trouble follows close behind.
Walker Boone is starting grow on me and Bruce Willis has stolen my heart. But Waynetta Waverly, the bride to be, brings the drama to the story. Shouldn’t she be more upset over the death of her groom?
This was such a fun story but be prepared once you start reading you will not be able to stop. I was so caught up in the story I missed supper 🙂
Pour yourself a sweet tea or martini, find a comfy chair and sit back and enjoy the mystery, humor and a dash of romance that fill these pages. A perfect escape!
Thanks to the people at Penguin
I have 2 copies to giveaway!!
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What do you think is the best part of a wedding? The cake? The first dance? The saying I Do?
Let me know and I’ll give away two Killer in Crinoline tote bags from the answers.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
It really depends on the wedding and the bride and groom. Sometimes it’s the vows, other times the father/daughter dance. Whatever seems the most heartfelt appeals to me most.
I love to watch the bride and groom dance, usually to one of those fancy, funny tunes. Dee
Looking forward to starting this series
Thanks, ton, I really appreciate it. Hugs, Duffy
Loved “Iced Chiffon” so really looking forward to reading this book!! Please keep them coming!!!
Thank you, Donna. That is so nice of you. I just turned in Pears and Poison, book three in the series. Everyone wants to knock off a politician at least once and this is a good place to start. LOL
Getting all the family together is the best part.
I loved this cozy and need to go back and read Iced Chiffon. The characters are delightful.
Ann
Thanks, Ann. Iced Chiffon sets up the series though you don’t have to read them in order. It’s how she comes to open the consignment shop in the first place and how she finds the first dead body.
The wedding vows are the loveliest part of the wedding.
The dance – the first one with the groom and the father/daughter dance – both tend to bring tears to my eyes.
The best part of a wedding is the excitment leading up to it.
I think the best part is saying I DO.
The best part is the bride and groom looking at each other with glowing eyes as they say their vows.
The best part is walking down the aisle at the end.
The best part is their never ending love.
The best part is when they say their vows. I always want to cry at this moment.
Oh, looks like a fun one! Nothing like a wedding to make a person feel like murder.
I agree Hart and this groom so deserves to die. LOL
Sounds like a great read. I love being introduced to new-to-me authors. Thank you 🙂
Thanks, BK. Consignment shop mysteries is set in Savannah. I love Savannah, probably know it better than I know my hometown of Cincinnati. I’ve worked in a consignment shop for 15 years. Nothing more fun than finding a good deal. Hugs, Duffy
Duffy, I’m with you as far as liking Sherlock Holmes;) Of course, I also loved Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare too!!! I never had a read wedding, just a justice of the peace ceremony so I can’t say what the best part of a wedding is from personal experience. However, I have a HUGE family and have been to many weddings as a guest. So, the food, drinks bar, cake, and companionship of family and friends is absolutely the BEST:)))
Hi Duffy,
I’m looking forward to reading this book. I enjoyed the first one so much and I do love your writing. I hope I’m one of the lucky winners.
Thanks, Nora. I really appreciate all your support. Hugs, Duffy
I love themed weddings personally. However I get quite emotional when the mother’s are escorted down and stay that way through the vows.
Hello Duffy!!!
The Best Part of a wedding in a man view is I saying I do to a woman that he loved for awhile. I know I am spend my life with her with rest of my life. I am in love with my fiance, Beth hoping to be married soon. I believed in marriage lasting for eternity even in Heaven..
I think the best part is the look on the bride and grooms face as they walk away after their kiss. There is such joy and hope there. This looks like a great book. Congrats Duffy.
The homemade cake was the best part
I loved this book and will be hosting Duffy tomorrow. This is a great series!
Thanks, Yvonne! You are the best. Hugs, Duffy
I cant wait to read this book!
I LOVE the CAKE, but I love the dancing…everything about a wedding is so much fun.
Thanks, Stephanie. Hope you enjoy Killer. Nothing like a dead groom in his own cake. Lordy!
Hugs, Duffy
I love the ceremony, itself. It is so different when the bride and groom personalize the vows. It religion has it’s own special way of joining people. The book is wonderful, so far. Love the new uses for baseball bats!
Definitely the dancing – everyone always goes crazy and has so much fun 🙂
the best part for me was saying I do and the first dance <3
The vows.
I think the best part about a Wedding is the First Dance! Its always so sweet, and sometimes the Couple has a cute “dance routine”. =)
Love this series, thanks for the Giveaway!
I would say yhe best part of the wedding is the cake. My sister doesn’t like me to bake a lot.
Best part of wedding is the first dance.
Since my family doesn’t get together often, I would say it is the gathering of everyone 🙂
Always wonderful seeing everyone esp when you don’t have a chance to get together often
Thank you for the chance to win this book. I would love to add it to my collection.
The best part of the wedding for the bride is when it’s over. She can finally relax! Loved Iced Chiffon, looking forward to this new book.
Happy to see Duffy (and Reagan) here again! My favorite part of a wedding is when everyone turns in their seat, to see the bride poised to come down the aisle. A good cake is a pretty nice bonus, too!
Congrats on the new book, looking forward to it!
Thanks, Holden, I really appreciate it. I love the cake too. Always so delish.
I admit it, I like the cake. Yeah, the I dos are sweet, but I am so curious about the cake. you know how you walk into the reception and look for your table? I walk in and look for the cake. I don’t remember my first wedding cake (1980), but it probably had raspberry sauce or strawberries in it. My second had layers of vanilla cake, white chocolate and strawberries.
The best part of the wedding itself is the vows, followed by the first kiss.
The best part of the reception is the cake.
Not all wedding receptions include dancing – mine didn’t, anyway. A harpist played one or two songs during the ceremony, and then played throughout the reception. Luckily there were no dead bodies. We did get a police escort out of town, as we left for our honeymoon – my nephew was on the local police force.
The first dance.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)co
I do like the vows but I love the cake.
I like the bride marching down the aisle best.
I love seeing the groom’s face when he sees the bride… well the kiss is always fun too!
Hi Duffy! I love the Southern setting, hoop skirts and all. Perfect for a fun cozy!
Hi, Mary. I think I’m a belle at heart, have the baton and pearls to prove it. Savannah is the prefect setting for a mystery series. If you get chance to go, you’ll love it.
This looks like a really fun cozy series for me to try. My favorite part of a wedding is the first dance..I always tear up.
Thanks, Mary. The first dance is always fun…and very lovely.
Hugs, Duffy
The kids when they are walking down the isle, but also like when it’s done so you can put up your feet!
Best part is the music! I love wedding music.
I love when they say their vows, especially when they write their own. It’s also one of the few times when a spread out family all get together. This book sounds like one I would enjoy reading. Thank you for the giveaway!
Ah, you had me at cake knife in the back.
I’ve only been to three weddings and none of them ended well. Not even my son’s. Three weddings, three divorces. So I don’t like anything about them. I was amused by the amount of money spent to impress the guests.
I think my favorite part of a wedding is the vows and the love on a couple’s faces as they say them. But I’m also a sucker for the beautiful dresses! As for the cake, I’ve had good cake and bad cake. The best wedding cake I ever tasted was at my own wedding — and I only got to eat the bite my husband fed me!
This looks like a delightful mystery; it’s going right onto my TBR list.
I think the best part is when the bride and groom give their wedding vows. It is extra special when the vows are ones that the bride and groom put great thought in what they felt they needed to say on this wonderful day.
I really, really can’t wait to read this, I just know it’ll be fantastic=)
perfect family gift … thanks
I love weddings! The Bride is so full of Love for her husband to be! This book sounds wonderful!
The part I love the most is when the groom first sees the bride walking down the aisle. It is such a look of love. The second best part is when the bride dances with her father and the groom dances with his mother.