Helpful Score: 8
I loved this book, which really surprised me because much of it concerns fashion, both current and vintage, which I have no interest in. [Hey, it's not entirely my fault - I grew up in a time and place where 'haute couture' meant your jeans and your sweatshirt were both clean at the same time...] But the author sold it to me and I actually found it very interesting.
The heroine, Madeira [call me Mad] Cutler, head design assistant in a New York fashion house is called home to Mystic Falls. Officially shes supposed to help her youngest sister plan her wedding and unofficially shes supposed to make sure there is going to be a wedding at all. An old friend of the groom has shown up and is acting like SHE is going to be the bride. Not good but Mad can fix anything which turns out to be a very good thing when she stumbles over the corpse of the usurper strangled with Sherrys wedding veil and it looks like little sister is the prime suspect. Of course she plans to fix this by finding out who really did the deed.
To this end she snoops, she gossips, she pulls strings all while going up against Detective-Sergeant Lytton Werner. The same Werner who in third grade she called little wiener in the school cafeteria a nickname he has never escaped even when he became a 6+ foot hunk. And, yeah, he still blames her. He considers her his own, personal thorn
And then her life gets really strange it seems that besides being able to see ghosts [her family home is a haunted 250 year old inn] some vintage clothing gives her glimpses into their past owners lives. While she finds this spooky and disconcerting, it does help her solve the current crime [and sheds much needed light on past crimes as well.] She finally breaks down and tells Nick, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, FBI agent and brothers partner, about the visions and eventually he comes to believe her. The trick is how to get the good detective to look in the right places without explaining how she got the information and without a lick of proof because she is definitely NOT telling him about the visions!
All this is going on while Mad is having her own personal crises she decides to quit her job, buy the old carriage house/hearse barn and turn it into an upscale [very, very upscale] dress shop selling high end vintage clothing and her own designs which will be named Vintage Magic. It comes complete with yet another ghost one that is handsome, charming, and fond of chatting with those that can see him.
A word about the sex in this book theres sizzle but all the actual contact takes place off screen.
Vintage Magic Mysteries
1. A Veiled Deception
2. Larcency and Lace
3. Death by Diamonds
4. Skirting the Grave
The heroine, Madeira [call me Mad] Cutler, head design assistant in a New York fashion house is called home to Mystic Falls. Officially shes supposed to help her youngest sister plan her wedding and unofficially shes supposed to make sure there is going to be a wedding at all. An old friend of the groom has shown up and is acting like SHE is going to be the bride. Not good but Mad can fix anything which turns out to be a very good thing when she stumbles over the corpse of the usurper strangled with Sherrys wedding veil and it looks like little sister is the prime suspect. Of course she plans to fix this by finding out who really did the deed.
To this end she snoops, she gossips, she pulls strings all while going up against Detective-Sergeant Lytton Werner. The same Werner who in third grade she called little wiener in the school cafeteria a nickname he has never escaped even when he became a 6+ foot hunk. And, yeah, he still blames her. He considers her his own, personal thorn
And then her life gets really strange it seems that besides being able to see ghosts [her family home is a haunted 250 year old inn] some vintage clothing gives her glimpses into their past owners lives. While she finds this spooky and disconcerting, it does help her solve the current crime [and sheds much needed light on past crimes as well.] She finally breaks down and tells Nick, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, FBI agent and brothers partner, about the visions and eventually he comes to believe her. The trick is how to get the good detective to look in the right places without explaining how she got the information and without a lick of proof because she is definitely NOT telling him about the visions!
All this is going on while Mad is having her own personal crises she decides to quit her job, buy the old carriage house/hearse barn and turn it into an upscale [very, very upscale] dress shop selling high end vintage clothing and her own designs which will be named Vintage Magic. It comes complete with yet another ghost one that is handsome, charming, and fond of chatting with those that can see him.
A word about the sex in this book theres sizzle but all the actual contact takes place off screen.
Vintage Magic Mysteries
1. A Veiled Deception
2. Larcency and Lace
3. Death by Diamonds
4. Skirting the Grave
Helpful Score: 7
This book was a good start to a new magical mystery series. It had lots of twists and turns for mystery lovers like me with just a hint of steamy romance mixed in. Although it was a little heavy with the insider fashion references and the main characters constant use of fashion related puns was a little annoying. All in all it was a fun read. I can't wait to read the next one!
Connie A. (jazzysmom) -
Helpful Score: 4
I really like series reads on occassion. Something a little less serious to dive into. This was a "hit the spot" book #1. It was fun and well written. I am now interested enough to search out the rest of the story. It is nice to read about vintage dresses, family and a little murder for frosting on the cake.
Sheila A. (mysterylady) -
Helpful Score: 3
Loved it!! I'm not really that into to clothes & fashion, but I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and characters. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
1st book in the Vintage Magic series.
1st book in the Vintage Magic series.
Helpful Score: 3
Had high hopes for this book, but I was disappointed. The exclamations used by the main character (a fashion designer's assistant and seamstress) were just too cutesy. Got really tired of "What the Hermes?" It simply felt unnatural. I'd wager if anyone really talked like this, people who had to listen to it would get very irritated after a while. Just too much of it.
The plot was kind of thin, the characters not fleshed out enough. Some of the sentences seemed disjointed; they lacked a good flow.
Not the worst book I've ever read, but I won't be getting the next book in this series.
The plot was kind of thin, the characters not fleshed out enough. Some of the sentences seemed disjointed; they lacked a good flow.
Not the worst book I've ever read, but I won't be getting the next book in this series.
