This is the third book in the Vintage Toy Shop by Barbara Early. I didn’t feel lost since I haven’t read the other two yet, but I do need to go back and fill in some questions and history with the characters. I really love this author’s style. There are so many funny little scenes and it was so easy to get to know the characters!
My Goodreads review:
Death of a Russian Doll by Barbara Early
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Even though I have copies of the first two books, this is the first book of the series that I’ve read, but I definitely hope to fix that over the next month or so. I quickly fell in love with the regular characters and I think Liz’s dad Hank has to be my favorite. He’s so…punny, lol. My dad always loved the kinds of jokes and puns that Hank was always spouting.
Liz had dated the police chief Ken Young for awhile and they thought their relationship was making progress when (assuming in the last book) his estranged wife from Russia who had been living in the south showed up. When she was found strangled in the barbershop next door to the toy shop, Ken became the main person of interest. Liz was still friends with Ken and didn’t want to see him go to jail for something she knew in her heart he didn’t do. Along with her dad and an FBI accountant named Mark (who is becoming a closer friend of Liz) Liz started investigating. Hopefully she could discover the truth before it was too late for Ken.
I loved the little side mystery of the Russian doll that seemed to keep moving. Cathy, Liz’s sister-in-law, loved to tease her that it was haunted, since Liz is creeped out by dolls to begin with. The local characters like the two older ladies Irene and Lenora and the local PI Lionel were so funny at times. I loved the scene where Liz ended up at the library thinking it was a book club for seniors that she was investigating. I didn’t guess the killer until it was time to realize it. I thought the mystery was awesomely plotted and moved along at a good pace. I could hardly put it down.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery 