Hems & Homicide

HEMS AND HOMICIDE by Elizabeth Penney is a cozy mystery and the first in the Apron Shop Series. It's set in Blueberry Cove, Maine. Iris Buckley returns to her hometown of Blueberry Cove to help out her widowed grandmother. She and her grandmother, Anne, are taking Iris's online handmade apron designs to a brick and mortar store, Ruffles and Bows.

The ink is still wet on the lease to the downtown store they rented when Iris stumbles down the basement stairs, crashes into shelves, and unearths a body. It just so happens the skeletal remains are of a woman her grandmother knew back in the 70s. 

The storefront is cordoned off as a crime scene and two days later reopened. Before they can start the renovations, a second body is discovered—their landlord. Anne, who discovers the body, becomes a suspect when the police learn she threatened the latest murder victim after he pressured her to sell her land to him.

To clear her grandmother, Iris begins to search for the real killer, enlisting the help of her friends. It's a fun cozy mystery with several quirky characters, a touch of romance with hunky contractor Ian Stewart, and a guard cat named Quincy. A really fun read.

Hems and Homicide by Elizabeth Penney is the premiere of An Apron Shop Series. Iris Buckley and her grandmother, Anne are opening Ribbons and Bows in Blueberry Cove, Maine. They are going over the property with Ian Stewart, the carpenter, when Iris stumbles down the basement stairs, knocks over shelves and a skull is exposed. Anne Buckley, Iris’s grandmother, recognizes the scarf around the skull as belonging to Star Moonshine who disappeared around July 4th in 1972. When their landlord, Elliot Parker end up dead in the storeroom with Iris’s favorite apron tied around his neck, Anne becomes the prime suspect. Iris with assistance from her best friend, Madison uses her knowledge gleamed from mystery novels to do a little sleuthing. I enjoyed reading Hems and Homicide. I love the concept of a shop featuring aprons (vintage and custom creations) along with vintage linens. They will also have a room for sewing classes and Iris’s cat, Quincy will be in residence during the day. The author took the time to establish the characters along with the setting. I like Iris and Anne Buckley along with Iris’s friends. There is a close bond between Iris and her grandmother that I thought was sweet. They are grieving the loss of Anne’s husband, Joe who died three months earlier. Iris wears vintage inspired clothing, loves to read, and finds petting her cat soothing. She is attracted to Ian Stewart, their carpenter. Iris and Ian grew up together and she had a crush on him in high school. It may be the timing is right for Iris and Ian. We shall have to wait and see. There are great descriptions of the town, the shops and the Buckley farm. I would like to move to Blueberry Cove with its historic buildings and friendly (most of them) residents. There are two mysteries in Hems and Homicide. There is the cold case of Star Moonshine and the current death of Elliot Parker. I thought the mysteries were clever and intriguing. I enjoyed following the clues and solving the crimes. I thought the one manner of death to be unique. I am eager for the next book in An Apron Shop Series. If you like vintage clothing, charming towns, friendly character and crafty whodunits, then you will enjoy reading Hems and Homicide. Hems and Homicide has a cold case, antique aprons, a big pig, a poisonous plant, and a gritty granddaughter.