Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am delighted to share my thoughts about
Dead Men Don’t Decorate by Cordy Abbott today!
Dead Men Don’t Decorate (An Old Town Antique Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Virginia
Crooked Lane Books (November 8, 2022)
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 163910125X
ISBN-13 : 978-1639101252
Kindle ASIN : B09S2W8NWC
Art, murder, and a secret dating back centuries collide in Cordy Abbott’s delightful cozy mystery series debut, perfect for fans of Jane K. Cleland.
Roberto Fratelli, the proprietor of the antique store Waited4You, is the meanest man in Marthasville, Virginia. So when he puts the business up for sale, the other merchants in town are overjoyed. And now the business has a prospective buyer: local resident and the newly elected mayor’s mom, Camille Benson, who’s thrilled at the prospect of getting into the antique business. During a celebration in honor of Camille’s new venture, her best friend, Opal, tells her about finding a letter, purportedly from Sally Fairfax to George Washington, dated 1756, hidden under a chair in the shop. When they return to retrieve the cache, they find Roberto’s lifeless body on the floor and no letter.
Police question Ella Coleman, Roberto’s ex-wife, and discover that her current husband supplied Roberto with oh-so-faux Victorian furniture. Did the two cheat the wrong customer? Or could the murder be connected to an earlier theft of rare books from the shop—a theft Roberto never reported?
As Camille prepares to confront these questions and investigate the murder, she knows she might become the latest knock-off.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
History meets mystery in Dead Men Don’t Decorate
While celebrating her purchase, Camille’s best friend Opal shares that she found a letter that looks to have been sent to George Washington by Sally Fairfax in 1756 while at the store. She didn’t want to draw attention to the potentially valuable piece until the previous owner was off the premises. Excited they decide to return right away but the previous owner was still there . . . dead on the floor . . . and the letter was long gone.
Now as Camille updates the store to her vision she has to worry about a killer and a missing letter. Was the letter really from 1756? Is that why Roberto was killed? Could she be next?
Ms. Abbott has introduced a strong cast of core characters. Dr. Camille Benson is a 55-year-old art history teacher at Northern Virginia Community College who is ready for a change. She has always had a flair for decorating and grew up with her parents running an antique store Waited4You. Finding out her parent’s store was again up for sale now seems like perfect timing. Her “wing woman” Opal Wells is excited about Camille’s new venture and is willing to do anything she can to help her. She is also quirky and crazy which makes her a fun character. Camille’s son Paul, a lawyer, was just elected Mayor and is always nearby when she needs him. We also meet Brennan Adler, the landlord of the Waited4You building. With the murder, we meet commonwealth attorney Janie Fairfax, Chief Harrod, and his son Nick. Our protagonist also has two schnauzer pups, Morris and Stickley and there is a collie pup named Rizzoli in the story too. The author has caught the small-town feel in both her characters and the way she describes Marthasville, Virginia. Everyone knows everyone’s business.
I enjoyed the way the author plotted out the mysteries in this book. Camille has the knowledge and a great instinct for thinking clues and actions through. She shares theories and finds with the police immediately, for the most part, sometimes ruffling a few feathers. A motive for the murder was a little all over the place which made me a little crazy but Camille kept at it. When clues started to fall in place more than one person was in the wrong place at the wrong time setting up an exciting and scary conclusion. Camille really had to think on her feet. I loved that a canine character played an integral part.
I do enjoy the antique store theme of this series. That Camille is able to take over the shop formerly owned by her parents is a nice touch.
Dead Men Don’t Decorate
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About Cordy Abbott
Proud baby boomer and dog mom, Cordy Abbott, is the author of the Old Town Antique Mystery series. She, her husband, and their Standard Schnauzer have lived in Alexandria, Virginia for over two decades. Because she enjoys everything about the city, she can’t wait to share it with readers, even a fictionalized version.
When not writing she enjoys traveling and volunteering for good causes, like the American Association of University Women of Alexandria and the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation.
She has a post-graduate certificate in Antiquities Theft and Art Crime.
Author Links – Website Facebook Twitter
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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.”
