Cozy Craft Mystery: Books 1 -4.

 

Woo-Hoo!

A funny, quirky whodunnit series, full of charming characters and mysteries that will keep you guessing to the very end.

​Can Penny and Izzy unpick the mysteries of the past and sew the pieces of this puzzle together before it’s too late OR can you solve the crime before our dressmaking duo?

Not one book, not two books, not three books but four books, today I'm sharing my thoughts on books one to four in the Cozy Craft Mystery series by Millie Ravensworth.

THE WONDERLAND MURDERS.

After losing her job at an exclusive London hotel, Penny Slipper is only too happy to help when her grandma asks her to take charge at the Cozy Craft sewing shop in charming rural Suffolk.

​With cousin Izzy on hand as the expert dressmaker and Penny’s head for business, what can possibly go wrong?

​But Penny’s in town for less than a day when the local librarian is poisoned and Penny fears she might even be accidentally responsible. Penny and Izzy are forced to turn detectives to uncover the true cause of death, while finishing a costume commission for their first customer.

​Matters take a further deadly turn when a second body is discovered.

Wow, with hints at Alice In Wonderland, a pig ... in a waistcoat  and a flamingo, this alone had me longing to dive into this, the first book in the Cozy Craft Mysteries series.

A wonderful introduction to what promises to be a great series. In many ways it was your typical cosy fare; not that that's a bad thing, The Wonderland Murders was a great light-hearted, fun read that was everything I expected ... and more.

Yes, there's a murder or two {which I admit to being stumped by}, that, in a refreshing change from the typical scenario that sees everyone shocked by the murder of the sweet, little old lady, sees the murder of two, well, not particularly likeable individuals.

What really enthralled me though were all of the literary references and the World Book Day element which sees the commissioning of the Alice In Wonderland Dress you see on the cover and children's costumes being put together for £5 ... that I actually enjoyed learning about the uses of different fabrics and stitches, something that all of those years of sewing lessons at school failed to do.

And then of course, there are the characters. 

A sucker when it comes to quirky characters and, my goodness, from Penny, definitely the one with the brains for business, to the delightfully ditzy but talented Izzy, to the waistcoat wearing, poetry loving, Arabella these were undoubtedly quirky characters. 

THE PAINTED LOBSTER MURDERS. 

Penny Slipper runs a sewing shop in the beautiful market town of Framlingham and she’s got her wild and creative cousin, Izzy, to help with the latest dressmaking project.

A classic car weekend is coming to town and stylish Fliss Starling wants an outfit that will match her husband’s elegant vintage car.

​When one of Fliss’s house guests is murdered by a masked intruder, Penny and Izzy have a deadly mystery to solve (as well as a dress to make!). With the aid of a cheeky little corgi dog and handyman Aubrey, they begin to search out the clues to this motor-related murder.

​But fingers are soon pointing at Penny and Izzy when the intruder’s mask appears to have come from their own shop! And rival shop owner, Carmella, would be delighted to see them take the blame.

With a cover that once again, hinting of things to come, has you longing to pick up the book, we again join reluctant sleuths Penny and Izzy as they continue to run Nanna Lem's craft shop. 

I love that The Painted Lobster Murders feature many of the elements that made its predecessor, The Wonderland Murders, such a joy to read; that instead of the Alice In Wonderland costume there is a stylish dress suitable for a vintage car rally to be made; that instead of the costumes for £5.00 Penny and Izzy find themselves popular with the village children resulting in a hilarious scene which sees the children running amok through the village in gaudy Halloween masks; that instead of Arabella there is Monty.

All things considered, I thought this a great second instalment that though perfectly readable in its own right I'd strongly suggest is best enjoyed after you have read the first book. 

THE SEQUINED CAPE MURDERS. 

Things are going great for Penny Slipper. Running a sewing shop in the middle of the English countryside is like a dream come true and she’s got her colourful cousin Izzy and her corgi, Monty, to keep her entertained.

​Her grandma’s eightieth birthday is coming up soon and Penny and Izzy are busier than ever, making fancy dress costumes for the party guests.

​However, Penny’s dream life is thrown into chaos when a murdered woman is found in the bathroom of her cosy flat above the shop. With the doors and the windows all locked, no one can understand how this mystery corpse got there.

​But things take a further sinister turn when a local shopkeeper is also killed. There’s a murderer on the loose and no one is safe!

Having returned to the shop to find a dead body sitting on the toilet and a note from Izzy that leads Penny to mistakenly believe that Izzy has something to do with it, The Sequined Caped Murders begins with some wonderfully farce fuelled antics.

Having got to know Penny so well in the previous two books, it was so nice that it was the delightfully dizzy Izzy who took centre stage in this, the third book in the Cozy Craft Mysteries series, which sees our two protagonists off to stay with Izzy's parents, Teddy and Pat, where, preparing to celebrate Nanna Lem's 80th birthday, the girls set to making not making Teddy, not an Alice In Wonderland costume as in book one {The Wonderland Murders} nor a stylish dress suitable for a vintage car rally as in book two {The Painted Lobster Murders} but, yes, an Elvis inspired jumpsuit.

Yet another fun read which sees the two amateur sleuths busy ... what is it about these small villages and their higher than average murder rates? Like its predecessors, it is totally readable as a standalone novel though I'd strongly suggest that in order to best appreciate it the books should be read in order.

THE SWAN DRESS MURDERS. 

A wedding is a cause for celebration. Not only do dressmakers Penny and Izzy get an invite to the big day but they have an unusual dress commission to complete for one of the guests.

​

It seems Penny’s only problem is deciding which potential boyfriend to take as her plus-one guest — practical handyman Aubrey or cultured fabric expert Oscar.

​

But bigger problems arise when the maker of the wedding cake is found dead in the grounds of the stately home where the wedding is to take place.

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And when another key individual in the wedding plans is also murdered, it seems like someone has deadly plans to prevent this marriage.

The latest instalment in the Cozy Craft Mystery series, a series in which, whilst every book is a standalone novel, I'd strongly suggest is best read in order.

The Swan Dress Murders sees Penny undecided as to who her plus-one should be {if I had one small criticism about the books it would be this love-triangle which sees Penny unable to choose between Aubrey or Oscar; that, having developed a bit of a soft spot for one of them, I'm beginning to get a bit impatient with her}. 

Not that as it turns out, Aubrey or Oscar?/Oscar or Aubrey?, this is Penny's biggest problem {that would be the dead cake maker and bridesmaid} as once again she and Izzy are caught up in a murder mystery that, as with the previous books, sees unusual deaths occurs, the commissioning of a one-off garment {this time the 'swan dress' of the title} and, of course, familiar faces.

Having read all four books back to back I'm looking forward to yet more murders in book five, The Tie-Dyed Kaftan Murders.

With thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for another well organised Blog Tour. 

Agree or disagree with me, all opinions are my own. No financial compensation was asked for nor given. Threats of violence towards my favourite teddy bear went unheeded as did promises of chocolate.