Death Among The Doilies

I always pick up a book expecting it to be good, but I have to admit that I was very pleasantly surprised by just how good Death Among the Doilies is. Mollie Cox Bryan has created a strong small town setting, given the hero of her tale a wonderful old Victorian mansion to live and work in, and then peopled it with a cast of very interesting characters. Having a good mystery to solve is icing on the cake.

The main character, Cora Chevalier, is a woman that I quickly grew to like. She's a bit of an old soul, sounding as though she's in her late forties when she's actually only thirty-two. Cora has seen much too much of the ugly side of life in that women's shelter, but this is her first experience at being a business owner, and she does show more make some rookie mistakes.

It's those rookie mistakes that added a great deal of interest to the story for me. I learned more about craft retreats, especially the security aspect, vetting instructors, and how to deal with caterers. It's amazing how details like this can add so much texture to a book. However, if I'm waxing so poetic over the craft retreat angle that you're beginning to think that there's not enough mystery, think again. There's plenty of that. In fact, Bryan's combination of mystery, setting, and character make Death Among the Doilies one of the strongest cozy debuts I've read this year. I can't wait to see what happens next! show less

Crafting is totally not my thing. I just don't understand it or have the patience for it. Sure there are numerous times where I wish I was crafty, but it just seems that I don't have that gene. I decided to go out on a limb here and read something a little different than the norm. Not too far from what I am used to, but just enough to take me out of my reading comfort zone. Two things drew me to this book. First, the author has some clout in the mystery world. I have seen Bryan's name pop up a few times lately and I wanted to find out what all the hype was. Second, this book takes place in my home state of North Carolina. Nothing too exciting happens in North Carolina (if you exclude the whole bathroom issue) and I like to see how show more authors can portray the state in their books. Needless to say, Indigo Gap, North Carolina, seems like a place I would love to explore and spend time in.

I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading this book. I have to say that I really did enjoy reading it. Cora is a tough cookie, but she is a very down to earth and easy to relate to. Jane is also the same way. I love that Jane has a past and that she has conquered her past struggles to become a better and stronger person. I couldn't help but like Jane and Cora's characters and the other townspeople the author introduces us to in this first installment of the new Cora Crafts Mystery series. I have to say that the mystery was well-developed and not easy for this veteran mystery reader to figure out. I always love that in a mystery book. The thing that I liked a lot about this book was that the point of view isn't always Cora's. Jane takes over a certain points in the story and I really enjoyed that because most mysteries stick with the main character's point of view. I thought that in itself was very clever.

Usually the first installment of a mystery series determines whether or not I will continue with the series. This is one that I most definitely will be checking out in the future. I like the characters and the small town setting and even though crafting is not exactly my forte, it is nice to read about something different from time to time. I think every reader enjoys going out on a limb and trying something new every once in a while. I think that this book was a well-done debut in a series that has a promising future. show less

**I received a copy of this upcoming book from Kensington Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**


As an avid crafter, I understand the therapeutic benefits of creative endeavors. When I read the description of this upcoming cozy mystery by Mollie Cox Bryan, I knew I would identify with the main character! Cora Chevalier is a blogger, crafter, and former counselor at a women's shelter. She left her counseling position because the constant stress was causing her to have panic attacks and anxiety. What better way to find zen in her life than to open a crafting retreat business in a historic Victorian home? But when her business partner and friend, Jane, becomes a murder suspect just as their first craft retreat guests begin show more arriving, Cora is worried that their crafting dream might be an immediate flop. Can she help clear her friend, while handling a womanizing craft instructor and caterer problems?

This book was a fun read. I loved the idea of crafting retreat weekends! I liked the two main characters, Cora and Jane. Jane has a bit of a checkered past but is trying to improve life for her and her daughter. Cora is her friend through thick and thin, despite occasional frustrations or differences of opinion. For me, the portrayal of the main characters as less than perfect made this a more believable story.

The mystery portion of the plot is engaging and well written. Small town gossip and politics, lots of possible suspects, and some good plot twists combine to make this an excellent mystery. At the end of the book are instructions for several craft projects from the story and a recipe, too.

I liked how Bryan sprinkled facts and information about broom-making throughout the story. Their opening craft retreat weekend features classes taught by a master broom-maker. While the man teaching the classes is definitely a womanizing cad, the information about making brooms is very interesting! I had no idea that some people collect vintage handmade brooms. I knew nothing about how to make handmade brooms either. Now I'm interested in learning more!

Mollie Cox Bryan is the author of several crafty cozy mysteries in the Cumberland Creek series. Death Among the Doilies is the first book in the new Cora Crafts series. Find out more information about the author at her website: http://www.molliecoxbryan.com show less

This is a cozy with some bite to it. Cora and Jane are running a craft retreat, and have given this venture their all, both in terms of effort and finance. When a murder is possibly linked to Jane, it threatens their business. Of course, Jane wants her name cleared, and Cora wants her business untainted by scandal, so both are determined to solve the mystery. Interesting characters seem more real because of their flaws and idiosyncrasies. An intriguing beginning for a new series.

Cora and Jane annoyed me with their wishywashyness. They were all over the place, saying one thing and then doing another. Both characters are high strung, weak and judgey. The romance between all the characters was particularly irritating and unnecessary. I liked the idea of a craft retreat and Cora running a craft blog which encourages people to come there, but the execution fell flat. Jane running away annoyed me the most. Who just leaves their kid? If she had of escaped with the kid maybe but it seems like she just abandons the raising of London to Cora as it suits her. And the scene with Cora and the gun seemed particularly stupid. I mean, shouldn't you treat every gun as loaded if you have no idea how to check? The mystery was show more fairly interesting if not pretty predictable. Overall, 2 stars, on the lower side of 2. show less

This is a new series by an author that I enjoy. The craft theme is still here, but it is a very different series. This series is set in Indigo Gap, a fictional town located in the mountains of western North Carolina. It is a small town with a great atmosphere. It has everything you come to expect from a small town in a cozy mystery including artisan shops, quaint restaurants, pretty churches, and so on. Cora, the main character, is a well-written, strong female lead. She had previously worked as a counselor at a women’s shelter in Pittsburgh. She had seen many things that upset her and eventually gave her an anxiety disorder. She used crafts to help the women she worked with heal as well as to bond with one another. When she left the show more job due to her anxiety, she purchased and renovated Kildare House, to become a Craft Retreat. Kildare House is a beautiful Victorian home with a carriage house and a cottage. The other two main characters in the story are Jane, Cora’s business partner and close friend who lives in the Carriage House and Ruby, a quirky character who "came with the house" and lives in the Cottage. Jane and Cora met at the women’s shelter after Jane left her husband. She is a survivor who decided that her new life was worth fighting for. She and her daughter London are basically part of Cora's family. The friendship between Cora, Jane, and Ruby is a big part of this story and made me care very much about these characters.

The initial murder in this book actually occurred before the book started which was a bit different. As it turned out, when Jane went to get fingerprinted to volunteer at London's school, her fingerprints were similar to those found at the murder scene. This put her in the spotlight as she was a "Person of Interest". Of course, this could ruin the new business that Cora was starting, so she began to investigate to clear Jane's name. The characters who came to the retreat were fun. They got in some minor trouble with a male crafter, but overall they bonded over their crafts and filled out the story nicely. The plot moved quickly and the ending, while it surprised me, fit the story well. I am looking forward to meeting up with Cora, Jane and Ruby in their next outing at the Craft Retreat. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. show less

Cora and her best friend Jane open a crafter retreat in North Carolina. Their pasts follow them and they have to solve the murder to clear their names and characters with the small town folks.

This is a more serious cozy mystery. The backstories of Cora and Jane are given and they are not sweet and cute. Serious stuff happened to them to make small town life look safer. I liked Cora, not so sure about Jane. She keeps too many secrets for my liking. I like the people they have gathered around them--Ruby, Cashel, and Brodsky--and who knows how many men will fall for these ladies. I hope to see some of the crafters at this first retreat come back. Jude, the broom making instructor, should be cut loose--bad news. Nothing but trouble.

I liked show more this so I will be getting more of the series. show less