Customer Reviews

Murder in Miniature (A Miniature Mystery)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A delightful read with special appeal to hobbyists.

Full disclosure: I'm one of the mystery authors involved in the http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com We joined forces because we all write mysteries involving hobbies. (Pretty obvious, eh?) But...we've only met each other virtually, and I'd never read anything by Margaret Grace (Camille Minichino). So when I received the ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of Murder in Miniature, I opened the book with excitement and trepidation. What if I didn't like her work?

Whew. Very quickly, my fears were allayed.

Murder in Miniature is a delightful read with special appeal to hobbyists. The protagonist, Geraldine Porter, is a complex woman, recovering from the loss of her husband, unsure sometimes how to do the "right thing," and devoted to her granddaughter and friends. She defines herself as "a pushover for difficult personalities," but Gerry is no victim. She's simply a woman who accepts imperfection--in her miniatures, in her life and in her friends.

Gerry's involvement as an amateur sleuth makes sense, which is always a challenge in a book of this ilk. The underlying complexities of Gerry's life round her out as a character, and provide realistic stumbling blocks to crime solving. Unlike many cozies, Gerry evolves over the course of the book, and we, as readers, relish seeing her review her life and come to new conclusions.

All in all, a most satisfying read. Here's the lagniappe: I love miniatures. The author gave me just enough about the hobby to make me eager to work on my own dollhouse and room boxes. Any book that not only entertains me but also helps me rediscover a lifelong passion is a winner! And that's exactly what Margaret Grace has here: A winning series.

Geraldine "Gerry" Porter got talked into serving as the chair of the summer craft fair. Granted, she was going to be there anyway selling what she could from her many dollhouses and miniatures. She even took advantage of her position to place herself next to Linda Reed, a friend and follow miniaturist.

But the fair hasn't been open long when Linda disappears only to call Gerry in the middle of the night from a pay phone in the middle of nowhere. When Gerry picks her up, Linda refuses to answer any questions. But the questions get even bigger when the body of an unidentified woman is discovered in the same location. What is going on? How is Linda connected? Can Gerry clear her friend or will her digging just create more problems?

This isn't a bad series debut at all. The plot starts a little slowly, but it builds quite nicely until I was quite hooked. Gerry is an endearing main character. And I loved her sidekicks, especially her granddaughter Maddie and nephew Skip. The small town was also charming, and I couldn't help but smile at all the references to Lincoln the book managed to work in.

But the book does have a couple problems as well. The biggest is Linda and her family. We are supposed to care for them and root for them to be cleared of the crimes. However, they aren't at all likable. Furthermore, the book occasionally gives way to asides. I don't mind a few, especially if they are humorous, but a few times they were clumped together and irritated me.

This is one of those books that I would enjoy while reading but really didn't want to sit down and read when I wasn't. I think I would give this book 3.5 stars if I could. I'm sure hobby enthusiasts will enjoy it much more then I did.

I didn't think I'd like this book by "Margaret Grace," but I loved her previous table of elements mysteries written by Camille Minichino, so I decided to give the book a try. I'm glad I did. She has created an interesting geographical setting and cast of characters. Not all are great, but the chemistry between the retired teacher heroine and her 11-year-old grand-daughter is real and affecting. The technical details on miniature-creation are interesting even to someone who has no intention of ever trying it. And, oh yes, it IS a mystery -- that keeps you guessing. I recommend it.

I've never read this author before, did read the prior 5 star reviews and was excited to begin this new series. I truly loved the innovative descriptions of the dollhouse hobby and the creative ideas therein. The mystery itself was also quite good, with the requisite twists and turns.

My complaint and reason for only a 3-star review revolves mainly around the repetition from beginning to end from the main character: a constant reminder that she's a retired English teacher, her concern for dragging her precious granddaughter into the fray is a constant, as well as the constant refrains with regard to her nephew, her sister-in-law, her so-called "friend" Linda, and on and on. It made me wonder if this author was paid to write by the number of words!! Also, Gerry's friend Linda is a character I don't think anyone can warm up to and although like most of us, she does have good and bad qualities, not quite enough good ones for me to care about on any level.

The question is will I try No. 2 in this series? I think not. But I am willing to go back in time and try #1 from Ms. Minichino's first series.

Geraldine (Gerry) Porter is a retired school teacher who now loves to create miniatures. She sees miniature furniture in many small discarded items. Unfortunately Maddie, her visiting granddaughter, doesn't share her love. She prefers sports.

Linda Reed's teenage son Jason is thought to be involved in the robbery of Crane's Jewelry store. He's been rebellious and in trouble.

Gerry is the chairperson of the local Dollhouse and Miniatures Fair. She and Linda share a table. Gerry notices a spot of blood on a small desk of Linda's. Not long after, Linda and the desk disappear. Gerry is very worried.

That night Gerry gets a late night plea from Linda to pick her up from a deserted area. Gerry bundles Maddie in the car and picks up Linda. Linda refuses to tell Gerry anything.

Then a dead stranger is found near where Gerry picked Linda up and on the same night.

Who killed the stranger, and what connection does she have to the area? Is Jason really involved in the robbery? How and why?

This is the first in this great new cozy series. I can't wait to read the next book! I've always been fascinated with all the small furniture and details in dollhouses, so I really enjoyed the descriptions of creating the various furniture and scenes.

The author has provided plenty of twists in the plot to keep the reader guessing to the end. I highly recommend this book!

The plot may be good, but the pacing of the book leaves a lot to be desired. The author gets so bogged down with exposition that the book starts and stops like a car with bad gasoline. Maybe because it's written in first person, but the character stops to explain nearly every thought. At first it was done with commas, but later in the book the author uses parentheses to insert comments, explanations, random thoughts, whatever. On page 172, for example, there are five such additions. These asides take the reader out of the story and border on insulting. After all, mystery readers are intelligent enough to figure out a lot of things on their own.

Oh, by the way, it's X-Acto, not Exacto. A miniaturist should know that; she probably owns several. If it's a copyright issue, call it a craft knife instead of misspelling it.

I am a 30 year miniaturist and so ordered just this one in the series to see how I would like it. I was also an avid murder mystery reader in my younger days. Murder in Miniature fed the soul in both areas! What a delightful set of characters! The story has enough detail about the miniatures fair to remind me of dozens I have worked/attended. It was almost as much fun as being there!

The murder mystery itself was just that! I thought I would probably figure it out very quickly, but such twists! You won't guess, but you will have a great time trying to figure it out! I fully intend to buy ALL other books in the series! (And anything else she writes!) Thanks for a great read, looking forward to many more happy hours in your tiny world of mystery!

Geraldine (Gerry) lives in Lincoln Point, which is in Northern California. She is a retired English teacher. In this small town, elections are coming up. Gerry and her friend Linda work booths at a crafts fair.

Since this is a mystery, there is (are) mysteri(es) to be solved. I will not say who, what, where, why, because I do not want to ruin the book for those who haven't read it yet. All I will say is, when these crime(s) happen, Gerry is determined to figure them out.

The clues are fun and clever. Everything fits together and unravels smoothly. The author did a superb job on this mystery.

I love Maddie, who is Gerry's ten-year-old granddaughter. She is a fun character.

This book is themed as a miniature. Even if you aren't interested in miniatures, you could still love and enjoy this book, because it is interesting, very well-written, and the clues are fun.

This book is cozy. There are plenty of chocolate chip cookies and other treats to go around. Not just the food, but the atmosphere of the book is cozy.

And charming. This book is so charming. I love the characters, and now that I've gotten to know them, and to know the town, and because the book is so good, I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

If you like mysteries, I would recommend this book.

I've read all three books in this series and enjoyed them tremendously. While I really don't have any interest in the miniatures aspect of this series, the characters are very well-developed and I find I truly care about what happens to them. Maddie is the star of the series! I'm not sure such a murder spree is realistic in a small town....why can't these authors ever create a crime to solve that is something other than murder...but overall, I enjoyed these tremendously and look forward to more.

Murder in Miniature is dollhouse delightful, a perfect example of what makes themed mysteries so much fun.

Author Margaret Grace (aka Camille Minichino) clearly has an insider's knowledge of the miniaturist's world and she uses it well, seamlessly weaving just enough fascinating crafting details into her cozy mystery to add pieces to the puzzle and give dimension to her characters without ever overwhelming the plotline.

Her heroine, Geraldine Porter, Gerry to her friends and family, looks at the world with a miniaturist's eye, seeing a dollhouse table in the plastic spacer in a pizza box and candlesticks in a pair of wood screws. She brings this unique way of looking at the world to her dealings with her visiting granddaughter, Maddie, who prefers sports to dolls and is way more observant than her grandmother would prefer, especially when the body count rises; with her difficult neighbor, Linda, who can be selfish and thoughtless, but was always there for Gerry while her husband was dying; and with Linda's difficult son, Jason, whose teen rebelliousness may have led him into real trouble. It also guides her investigation of the mysteries plaguing her charming hometown, Lincoln Point.

Gerry is still adjusting to widowhood and here, too, dollhouse details and her ever-evolving relationship with her growing granddaughter are deftly blended with Gerry's feelings of loss and remembrance, creating poignant moments that ring touchingly true.

The setting, Lincoln Point, has its own personality, including an interesting connection to Abraham Lincoln, and the town residents, including a group of dedicated crafters, and Gerry's adorable policeman nephew, Skip, offer lots of intriguing possibilities for future plots mixed with crafting lore.

All this makes Murder in Miniature a crafter's mystery that even cozy mystery readers who've never longed to furnish a dollhouse will enjoy.