Masher of Ceremonies by Victoria Hamilton

 Masher of Ceremonies

Book Summary

A fundraiser for the local historical society nearly goes bust when someone fills the coffers with blackmail and murder . . .

The annual Tea With the Queen fundraiser always makes for a festive weekend in Queensville, drawing visitors from far and wide and giving local shops a welcome boost. This year, vintage kitchenware collector Jaymie Müller is running the event, and she’s got her hands full organizing old and new volunteers along with a surly catering crew. Then her master of ceremonies tells her he’s being blackmailed but can’t go to the police, and before Jaymie can sort that out she stumbles over a dead body at the tea.

Despite the demands of keeping the event up and running, Jaymie can’t help puzzling over the murder. There’s no concrete evidence linking the cretin behind the blackmail scheme to the dead body, so she begins questioning everyone connected to the blackmail, hoping to expose the killer. And just as she discovers a web of relationships that leads her to the culprit, she realizes that the Tea With the Queen may have been a royal pain, but outwitting a blackmailer and catching a killer may be the death of her . . .

My Thoughts

Masher of Ceremonies by Victoria Hamilton is the latest A Vintage Kitchen Mystery. Because the cast and backstory build over time, it’s best to read this series in order. Jaymie has her hands full with opening a new store and organizing the annual Tea with the Queen event. If the tea is not successful, it will be discontinued, much to Jaymie’s dismay. There’s a lot happening in this story, and it never slows down. The whodunit was entertaining and fun to solve. I enjoyed hearing about the vintage kitchenware items. I wish Jakob and Jocie had a bigger presence; it felt like Hoppy got more page than Jaymie’s husband and daughter. I like the cast of quirky characters—they keep things time lively. The author weaves family drama, blackmail, murder, secrets, a store opening, and a grand tea event into a charming cozy mystery. Masher of Ceremonies pairs perfectly with a cuppa and a scrumptious scone.

Masher of Ceremonies can be obtained from Amazon along with the other novels in A Vintage Kitchen Mysteries.  You can find Victoria Hamilton's other novels here and you can follow her as well (and they will send you an email when she has a new book release). Thank you for joining me this week.  On Tuesday, May 26, I will be featuring Scent of Peril by Darlene L. Turner.  I am off to rest because I hurt my back yesterday.  I have learned that I can not bend over and see under the car any longer (an abandoned cat was under the car).  I hope that you have a relaxing weekend.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.