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Fatal Fascinator by Jenn McKinlay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Knocked back the rest of Fatal Fascinator, by Jenn McKinlay, last night. It's the seventh part of her "Hat Shop" mystery series, told in first-person pov by the main character Scarlett Parker.

When Piper May, the frenemy of Scarlett's cousin Viv asks Viv to design the bridesmaid's hats for her elaborate wedding, Viv is at first reluctant. It's Scarlett who talks her into it, primarily because the wedding venue is a castle, and Scarlett is scoping out potential sites for her own upcoming nuptials. Scarlett is excited to be spending the weekend at a medieval castle and hobnobbing with the wealthy elite. On the first evening of the festivities, however, Scarlett finds the groom dead in the library. Now all of the guests have been ordered to remain at the castle while the police investigate. Scarlett can't help but recall an argument she overheard between the groom and another woman, and her natural curiosity has her searching for means, motives, and clues. When someone else winds up dead, the pressure is on to catch a killer before anyone else is murdered.

This was a fast-paced story, considering most of the action took place over the wedding weekend. The setting was interesting, and I really loved the legend of the ghost of the McKenna bride. Minor complaints: I'd forgotten that whenever Scarlett's friends start making up puns and laughing, they all go deadpan when she adds one, too. I mean, it was funny the first time the author did that, but it's a running theme throughout the books, and frankly I find it rude. Second is the 'lather, rinse, repeat' of main character finds dead body and almost ends up a dead body herself. Change it up, authors! I am begging you! Finally ( Spoiler! )

Favorite lines:
♦ No one likes a limelight thief.
♦ "It's completely unacceptable to have a hatless bridal party. I mean, we're not savages."
♦ "There's always someone poking around looking for the McKenna bride where they're not supposed to."
♦ Give me a group of overweight, unfashionable, bighearted funny girls any day over these half-starved, haute couture-wearing, mean, miserable women.

Solid story, but I'm knocking a point off for the boring old trope of 'mc finds body at beginning, is almost killed by murderer at the end'. For the love of literature, do something different!

On Wednesday, I began reading Assault and Beret by Jenn McKinlay, and I finished it on Thursday. It's part of the author's "Hat Shop" mystery series.

Scarlett's cousin Vivian is set to teach a millinery class in Paris, and Scarlett tags along. She has an ulterior motive; Scarlett wants to meet Viv's mysterious, estranged husband. She brokers a meeting between the two, and Viv reluctantly attends, simply wanting an annulment to her hasty marriage. Instead, it appears as if she and Will my be on their way to reconciliation. Will, who works for a company that insures priceless art, shows Scarlett and Viv a rediscovered Renoir. Shortly thereafter, he is abducted, and the painting goes missing. Now, it's up to Scarlett and Viv, to save the day. They are aided by their ragtag gang of regulars who travel to Paris to be with them, including Scarlett's love interest, Harrison.

The story pelted along at a fast pace. I did figure some things out, but others caught me completely flat-footed. It was fun to see the usually cool and reserved Vivian being flustered by not one, but two different men, and I enjoyed watching things progress between Scarlett and Harry.

Favorite line: Damn Americans, why didn't they pick up the hat thing?

Excellent! Five stars:

*****

Last night, I plowed through the rest of At the Drop of a Hat, which is the third installment in Jenn McKinlay's "Hat Shop Mystery" series.

Scarlett and her cousin Vivian are commissioned by Ariana Jackson to restore her mother's bridal hat so that she can wear it for her own wedding. Scarlett and Viv are eager to take on the task, because the hat is one their grandmother originally made. When Scarlett goes to Ariana's place of work regarding the hat, she discovers Ariana crouched over the dead body of her boss, a notorious womanizer.

Ariana becomes the prime suspect in the man's death, but Scarlett and Viv are convinced she is innocent. Against the wishes of their accountant and silent partner, Harrison Wentworth, Scarlett and Viv begin a furtive investigation into the case.

This book was infused with the same humor that the others have been. There is some growing tension between Scarlett and Viv, when Scarlett begins to feel that her cousin is distancing herself. At the same time, the sexual tension between Scarlett and Harrison is escalating.

This is a fun, cozy series, and this book was no different. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I can't wait to read the next one, especially since Viv dropped a bombshell at the end. Cliffhanger!

Five hearts:

♥♥♥♥♥

Last night, I polished off Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay. It's the first book in her new "Hat Shop Mystery" series.

Hats and cozy mysteries?! Count me in!

The story began with Scarlett Parker traveling to England to get away from an embarrassing public scandal in Tampa. There, she plans to join her cousin Viv in running the hat shop that was left to them by their grandmother. However, Viv has gone haring off on an adventure, leaving Scarlett to flounder her way through the day-to-day running of the shop. When one of their prestigious clients is found murdered, wearing nothing but the hat that Scarlett sold her, suspicion is cast on the missing Viv, and Scarlett must launch her own investigation to clear Viv's name.

The author introduced several secondary characters, whom I hope to see in future books in the series, including a potential romantic interest for Scarlett. The story itself was witty, fun and fast-paced, and I am looking forward to the release of the second in the series.

Four stars

★★★★