Lethal in Old Lace: A Consignment Shop Mystery

Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown is the fifth book in A Consignment Shop Mystery series. Reagan Summerside is stunned and thrilled when Walker Boone proposes to her. She barely gets to enjoy the moment when Aunt Kiki disrupts them. Elsie and Annie Fritz Abbot are lacking mourners at Willie Fishbine’s wake (if you knew him, you would not mourn him either). The Abbot sisters are professional mourners and need every cent of their income since they lost their savings in a get rich quick scheme. The next day, Reagan and Aunt Kiki get a visit from Fishbine’s grandson. He witnessed Aunt Kiki stealing a candy bar from his grandfather’s coffin. He wants it replaced and for them to find out who killed Mr. Fishbine. The death was ruled accidental, but the young man has a different theory. Then BW (Reagan’s dog) finds a body partially buried in the Abbot sister’s vegetable garden. Bonnie Sue and Willie Fishbine were both residents of Sleepy Pines Retirement Center. Is someone killing off the residents? With the Abbot sister’s the primary suspects in one of the crimes, it is up to Reagan and Aunt Kiki to get answers. A Consignment Shop Mystery series is best read in order. I am happy that Regan and Boone are engaged. I just hope Regan gets the wedding she desires (her mother has gone into overdrive). The book contains good writing and a fast pace. The characters are established (well developed), and I just love the setting of Savannah. Duffy Brown provides beautiful descriptions of the area. There are several characters with various quirky traits like Aunt Kiki. Boone is a saint to put up with Regan and her family (he is a nice balance to Reagan). Reagan and Aunt Kiki remind me of Lucy and Ethel in I Love Lucy (screwball comedy). The mystery will lead readers on a merry chase. I do wish there had been a little less action. There needed to be some calm moments in between the frenetic ones. Lethal in Old Lace was different from Iced Chiffon (first book in the series). The author seemed to have ramped up the zany antics and quirk factor in Lethal in Old Lace. I loved the reference to Gilmore Girls in the book (my favorite show). There are various martini recipes included. Lethal in Old Lace is an entertaining cozy mystery that will have readers in stitches and perplexed over the killers’ identity.

Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown, the fifth book in her Consignment Shop Mystery series was a wonderful story. This cozy mystery series takes us on another wonderful adventure with Reagan, Boone, Aunt Kiki, Big Joey and all the other residents of Savannah, who make you feel like you are part of the town. Reagan is busy with her wedding plans and those of her family and friends, when she is pulled into another murder investigation. There were lots of fun moments and laugh out loud goings-on; from a chick food fight to an old guy fight at a funeral viewing. Of course Aunt Kiki was right in the thick of things as always and helping in a fairly major way with this investigation. I adored that Reagan's mom, the judge, even got in on some of the snooping fun this time. I laughed my way through this book and loved how Ms. Brown filled this story with twists and turns along with a few surprises. I never suspected this person as the murderer. Great job Duffy Brown you had me stumped! For those who value loyalty to family and friends, southern manners, and love of their pets, this is the ideal book. Although part of a series, this is a standalone book. I definitely recommend this book to other readers and I look forward to the next book in this series. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

In Savannah, Georgia, there are two events that ar3e guaranteed to make people talk: weddings and funerals. Just as consignment shop owner Reagan Summerside agrees to marry the hunky Walker Boone, her neighbors, sisters Annie Fritz and Elsie Abbot, step up their business as professional mourners. They are so successful that the Sleepy Pines Retirement Center has hired them as a part of their retirement package. But when the residents at Sleepy Pines suddenly begin dying at an alarming rate, things don’t go so well and the sisters are under suspicion of murder. Reagan begins to look into the deaths. When a body winds up in the sisters’ pink caddy, the evidence begins to pile up against them. When Willie Fishbine dies suddenly, his grandson wants to know why and isn’t above blackmailing Reagan to find out who killed him. Reagan must catch the culprit in time to walk down the aisle. -- Series: A Consignment Shop Mystery Author: Duffy Brown Genre: Cozy mystery/Business Publisher: Crooked Lane Books - Publishing Date: March 13, 2018 Lethal in Old Lace is a fun, intriguing, and easy-to-read book that will give the reader hours of enjoyment. Duffy Brown has woven a story that is seamless from start to finish. There is never a dull moment or a lack of action. This is book six in this series. The character of Reagan is an entertaining person; she has a way of getting to the point without being too pushy. Her life is changing for the better, but she still keeps finding bodies. This time nothing has changed, innocently walking home, she once again stumbles onto a dead body and leaps into an investigation. Even though she swears she isn’t interested and doesn’t want to get mixed up in a murder investigation, she puts herself in the thick of it. Other supporting characters including Reagan's hunky fiancé, Walker Boone, are well developed and an intricate part of the story. They are highly entertaining, massively likable and seem almost real to the point the reader can find traces of them in their own family and neighbors. If the reader has not read any of the other books in the series, it may take them a while to figure out what roles each of the characters play and who they are. However, this will not subtract from the enjoyment of the book. Savannah is a great setting for this series. Having visited this beautiful city, it is easy to know exactly where Reagan is throughout the story and what she sees without the need for too much detail. If the reader hasn’t visited Savannah, they will want to spend time seeing all the sites after reading this book and the others in the series. The city is a living history museum and filled with intelligent residents dripping with southern charm. Overall, Lethal in Old Lace is a fast-paced, highly enjoyable book that at times makes the reader laugh out loud. The clues are subtle but easily understood. When the murderer is unmasked, most reader will be surprised and delighted. This book and the series is recommended to anyone who enjoys a bit of romance, humor, and suspense all rolled into the same story without unnecessary detail or distraction.