This is the fourth in the Vintage Magic Series and I had forgotten how much I loved these books, Madeira (or Mad) owns a vintage clothing shop and also has a psychic ability to have visions when she touches old clothes, which helps her solve murders.

One morning she is sent a dress she designed for a broadway star and friend, Dom, with a note saying that she is dead and that Mad should use her talents to solve her murder.  Next thing that she knows, she is on her way to New York with her FBI boyfriend Nick and her best friend Eve to help Dom’s son who begged her to help and see if she could pick up on the events leading to her death by reading her clothes.

Annette Blair is brilliant at capturing emotion in her books and soon you are sensing the loss of Dom and the grief that Mad is feeling, but it isn’t all doom and gloom as there are some brilliant comedic moments, usually involving Mad and Werner who is a Detective in Mystic Falls who follows her to New York after Nick has to follow a potential suspect.  In this book Werner is becoming more human, showing flashes of affection for Mad – he even attended a fashion show which Nick declined to go to and ended up being a hero.  I also loved the way that Eve shows such delight in antagonising Nick and her joy when Mad shows interest elsewhere.

The book swings back and forth from Mystic to New York, so there was only the briefest mention of Dante the ghost in her shop, and I really, really missed him.  However we did have some classic Eve vs Nick moments and her Dad and Aunt Fee turned up in New York just when she needed them too.  There are also appearances of characters in her other books (these are romance novels, which I didn’t realize and spent most of the book wondering when someone would hurry up and get murdered!).

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were vibrant and even though the book was set in anther location, the plot didn’t suffer or lose momentum at all.  Also, the murder solving element of the book is double-sided as the characters need to find physical evidence to back up Mad’s visions, which adds extra excitement to the book.

This is the best book yet and I really am looking forward to the next one in the series!

http://www.annetteblair.com/


Excerpt

 

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Annette Blair - Death by Diamonds

 

The third book in the Vintage Magic Mystery series I love so much.

Madeira Cutler loves her Vintage Magic boutique, but the 'visions' she gets from the garments can be hard to handle, especially when she knows the owner. At first she's thrilled to receive a package containing the beautifully bejeweled dress she designed for actress and old friend Dominique Delong while in fashion school. But the dress comes with a disturbing message from Dominique, who it seems took her last bow under very mysterious circumstances.

Another great mystery by Annette Blair. I read this book cover to cover while I should have gone to bed on time. Dominique is killed, and she knows this. She has asked Madeira to use her talents, meaning her psychometric powers to find the killer or killers. Dom’s son Kyle is asking her to come to New York to help him. And as Maddie is also made the executor of Dom’s will, and she is to hold a Vintage Fashion Show of Dom’s collection for charity, she has a lot on her plate.


There are a lot of parasites around, hoping to gain from Dominique’s death, so possible murderers galore. And Maddy has to find the right one, with the help of the visions she gets from the clothes worn by Dom before her death, and by the murderers themselves. But of course her visions won’t stick in court, she has to find evidence.


It helps a lot that her most times boyfriend is a FBI agent, and her hometown Cop is also backing her up. Trying to protect her, has its price though. Werner gets tasered by Maddie this time, and they end up asleep (or unconscious) in the same bed. And Nick is getting jealous. Which is not something Maddie likes. She is not his possession, even if nothing happened but a very hot kiss before Eve woke them.

Surprises are around every corner in this very good and fast-paced mystery. It reads very easily and I love the writing style and the humor. If you like fashion, this really is a series for you. If you just love a good cozy mystery and don’t give a damn about fashion (like myself), this is a series for you. You just have to love the characters and the great plot.

Bring on the next book please!  Aurian