Description

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Welcome to the first in the Apron Shop mystery series by Elizabeth Penney, set in the quaint village of Blueberry Cove, Maine where an expert seamstress turned amateur sleuth is getting measured for murder. . .

Iris Buckley is sew ready for a change. After the death of her beloved grandfather, Iris decides to stay in her Maine hometown to help out her widowed grandmother, Anne—and bring her online hand-made apron designs to real-time retail life. Her and Anne’s shop, Ruffles & Bows, is set to include all the latest and vintage linen fashions, a studio for sewing groups and classes, and a friendly orange cat. The only thing that they were not planning to have on the property? A skeleton in the basement

Anne recognizes the remains of an old friend, and when a second body shows up in the apron shop—this time their corrupt landlord, whom Anne had been feuding with for decades—she becomes a prime suspect. Now, it’s up to Iris to help clear her name. Enlisting the help of her old high-school crush Ian Stewart who, like certain fabrics, has only gotten better-looking with age and her plucky BFF Madison Morris, Iris must piece together an investigation to find out who the real killer is. . .and find a way to keep her brand-new business from being scrapped in the process.

About the Author

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ELIZABETH PENNEY is the author of more than two dozen cozy mysteries, including the Apron Shop series. The first in the Cambridge Bookshop series, Chapter and Curse, was a 2022 Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee. Elizabeth spent her early years in England and France and now lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she pens novels and tries to grow things.

Praise For…

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"Quirky-meets-fun." - Woman's World

"[Penney] accomplishes exactly what a cozy is meant to accomplish: a good puzzle with a good number of character, each of whom good fit the bill as the perpetrator, and a strong number of clues to send the reader off in many directions." - New York Journal of Books

"Penney knows the recipe for delivering just what cozy readers are looking for." - Reviewing the Evidence

"[Penney] set the stage for this well-written and fast-paced drama that quickly became a page-turner as I had to know how this was all going to end. I had such a good time reading this delightfully entertaining debut series and I look forward to more adventures with Iris and her friends." - Dru's Book Musing

"Penney has started this series off great, with a murder mystery and the introduction of fun, interesting characters that engage the reader with twists and turns." - Red Carpet Crash

"A delightful read! I was totally captivated . . . a story I hated to see end because I wasn't ready to leave these characters behind. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series." - Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book

"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." - Romance Junkies

"Hems & Homicide is a delightful cozy mystery with perfect pacing, just enough tension, and delicious world building that has me hungry for more." - Sara T. Bond | Pairings Project