Murder in Miniature
A Maple Bishop Mystery
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
The second installment in the Maple Bishop historical mysteries continues the adventures of intrepid amateur sleuth Maple Bishop.
Inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, this smartly plotted series will appeal to fans of Rhys Bowen.
In post-WWII Vermont, Maple Bishop has a thriving dollhouse business and a new career as a crime scene consultant for the local sheriff's office. On the surface, she seems to be doing well, but deep down Maple is still reeling from the death of her husband. When the body of an aspiring firefighter–who was close childhood friends with Kenny, the sheriff’s deputy and Maple’s confidante–is discovered in the charred remains of a burned cabin, Maple is called in to help determine whether the fire was an accident or a case of murder by arson.
Realizing there’s more to the crime than meets the eye, she sets out to unearth the discrepancies from the scene by re-creating the cabin in miniature. The investigation leads them to Maple’s old Boston neighborhood, forcing her to confront the past she’s desperately trying to forget.
As Maple and Kenny sift through clues, they uncover dark secrets that hit close to home, unraveling in unexpected ways—and putting their lives in danger.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A murder in mid-century Vermont sends dollhouse designer Maple Bishop home to Boston in Tietjen's hit-or-miss sequel to Death in the Details. Maple, a WWII widow and law school graduate with a photographic memory, aides the sheriff of Elderberry, Vt., by building miniature reproductions of crime scenes. When a former member of the Irish mob and Elderberry resident is found dead in a burned house after a $2 million heist, the sheriff calls Maple in to help investigate. Their findings eventually send Maple back to her old Boston neighborhood, where she uncovers long-buried family secrets as she gets to the bottom of the case. Tietjen's New England setting is well-drawn, and a sweet romantic subplot between Maple and the man who sells her dollhouses adds gentle humor. Unfortunately, the novel feels caught between tones, with heavy emotional beats chafing against the cozy-style antics of Maple's dachshund and action that's sometimes rooted in real history and other times far-fetched (especially when it comes to Maple's near-superhuman investigative talents). It's a disappointing follow-up to a promising debut.
