I hope everyone is having a fantabulous Thursday (I am not really this perky)! I wanted to tell you about the Miniature Mystery series by Margaret Grace. I became familiar with this series after finding out it is written by Camille Minichino. She wrote Periodic Table Mystery series. It was this series that got me interested in cozy mysteries. The Miniature Mystery series contains nine books (at present) that starts with Murder in Miniature and ends with Matrimony in Miniature (which will be out on September 9). If you are looking for a new series to try out, please check out the works of Margaret Grace. She also writes under Jean Flowers for the Postmistress Mystery series. I hope I have helped you find some new books to read and enjoy!
Clock and Dagger by Julianne Holmes is the second book in A Clock Shop Mystery series. Ruth Clagan is a horologist (clockmaker) and
is getting ready to reopen Cog and Sprocket in Orchard, Massachusetts. Ruth made some changes to the store and
apartment above after inheriting the shop from her Grandpa Thom (G.T. for
short). Things have been made more difficult
by Beckett Green. Beckett is opening a
bookstore across the street called Been Here, Read That (which would be good
for the town), but he has decided to add other services (to compete with local
businesses). Beckett wishes to sell
coffee and to sell clocks as well as offer repair services. He has been trying to hire Mark Pine away
from Ruth. No one knows why Beckett is
trying to antagonize his fellow shop owners.
The opening party of Cog and Sprocket is going well. Ruth goes next door to Ben’s Barbershop
(where they were keeping the food) and finds Mark dead. This definitely puts kink in Ruth’s
plans. Ruth sets out to find the
killer. But someone does not want her to
solve this murder. Ruth has further
complications with Kim Gray, the town manager, over the old town hall building
(which the town leases from Ruth). The
lease is set to expire on January 1.
Ruth wishes to keep leasing to the town and repair the clock in the
tower (which was a dream of her grandfather’s).
However, Kim’s vision for the town does not line up with Ruth’s or the
other shop owners. Will they be able to
reach an agreement in time? Join Ruth on
her latest adventure in Clock and Dagger.
Clock and Dagger has a
wonderfully complex mystery (there is more to it than meets the eye). I was able to solve it, but I do not think
most people will see the final twist coming (it’s a good one). I did not have the pleasure of reading Just Killing Time (first book in series) prior to reading Clock and Dagger. But that did not hinder my reading (or
enjoyment) of this book. The author did
a good job of updating the reader on what happened in the first novel. I found Ms. Holmes to be a very descriptive
writer. I give Clock and Dagger 4 out of
5 stars (I liked it). I did find some
information to be repeated a few times (which was unnecessary), but otherwise Clock and Dagger is a pleasurable novel to read.
I will definitely be reading future books in this series, and I will go
back and read Just Killing Time.
You can follow Julianne Holmes on Amazon and Facebook to get updates on her latest releases. I received a complimentary copy
of the novel in exchange for an honest evaluation. The opinions and comments expressed are
strictly my own.
Tomorrow I will be reviewing Results May Vary by Bethany Chase. May all of you have a wonderfully, relaxing evening. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
Very nice review!
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