Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice

A garment show in a week, late hours, working on the weekends, and then a dead body shows up.  Oh no…..a very unwelcome setback.

Jeremy was the one who was standing over Gracie when Laura walked into the office that Sunday morning.   Could he have killed her or just found her on the floor with a scarf wrapped around her neck?  Hmmmmm.....with material fragments on his hands and clothes, and his being the only one in the office, who else could they suspect? No one for now, but Laura couldn't believe Jeremy killed Gracie, and since Laura was in love with him she tried to find out who really did strangle Gracie.  

Regardless, the police arrested Jeremy, and their investigation continued while he was in jail.  Laura also was conducting her own investigation, but it wasn't going very well for her.  She kept trying to figure out who besides Jeremy would have a reason to kill Gracie.  Perhaps Carmella killed him and not Jeremy for no other motive than a good old-fashioned garment district reason? Or how about her husband who found out about her affair.  Or more likely what about Mario who may have done it out of sheer jealousy.  And....there definitely was a lot of jealousy and competition in the office and throughout the entire garment industry from what I could see.  

The book allows a glimpse into what goes into the preparation for a garment show and the mindset of the garment industry’s men and women.  If you are a "fashionista" you will definitely enjoy this book. The clothes sound marvelous.  There are also funny scenes...one particular one was when Laura and her sister were trying to get into an upscale restaurant without reservations. 

Miss Demaio-Rice is a talented story teller.  She will make you laugh, have you sympathizing with the characters, make you wonder  about some of them and what they are thinking, make you believe that you have the mystery solved, and then she throws something in to get you off track. 

She will definitely make you want to be part of the craziness and fun going on in her book and make you want to be friends with all of characters or at least work with them. 

The book was first-rate in terms of humor, characters, and plot.   DEAD IS THE NEW BLACK is a witty, entertaining book you won't want to miss.  5/5

The Confession by Charles Todd

Furnham was a fishing town with very unfriendly residents that could spot an unfriendly outsider immediately when he walked into town.  Ian Rutledge was the stranger that screamed police, and the residents screamed nothing but coldness and silence.  What could they be hiding, and why would they deny that they knew anything about the dead man in the photo when he had relatives in the town and had lived there nearby as a child?  The residents of Furnham were an odd lot with loyalty to each other and the entire town.

Rutledge definitely felt all the answers to the murdered man were in this small fishing town, but getting the information was going to prove to be difficult.  He returned time after time much to the anger of the town’s residents, but the clues were there....they just had to be “dug” out.  Another thing to consider too.....was the current investigation connected to past people and past disappearances and murders?  Is that why the town was so closed mouthed?

Don’t miss out on this one ……Ian was on another great investigation in this Todd mystery and, of course, Hamish was there as well.  The setting, the twists and turns of the storyline, the subplots, and the fascinating, well-described characters will again keep you involved and turning the pages.  

I always look forward to an Ian Rutledge mystery....you get completely involved with the story and characters.  5/5