Maybe you're mentally packing your hamper for your Memorial Day weekend beach trip and want something frothy but smart and maybe a little humorous to read while you dig your toes into the sand. Something with, oh, a retired jewel thief, Hollywood gossip, martinis, vintage gowns and a dead body. Look no further.
Head Case, the fifth book in my vintage clothing mystery series, has launched. It's $3.99 on on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo. The paperback will be out in June. (If you want to start with book one, The Lanvin Murders, it's only 99 cents in ebook.) As Cynthia Kuhn, Agatha award-winning author of the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries and Styling Texts: Dress and Fashion in Literature, says:
The Vintage Clothing mysteries offer a compelling blend of suspense and style. In every book, the memorable characters, twisty plots, and delectable fashions are beyond fabulous. Highly recommended, especially for those who like a little couture with their crime.
In Head Case, when Joanna Hayworth visits Bradley Stroden, a onetime protégé of legendary costume designer Edith Head, she expects to find closets bulging with drool-worthy gowns to stock her Portland, Oregon, vintage clothing store. Instead, she finds a corpse.
With movie costumes as bait, Joanna investigates why Stroden was murdered. Could it be tied to the tell-all Hollywood memoir he was writing? Or to a midcentury film noir that was mysteriously yanked before it was released? Or to his “adoring” sister? At the same time, Joanna stumbles upon a priceless pair of emerald earrings hidden on her laundry shelf. Her houseguest has some explaining to do.
To unravel these crimes, Joanna enlists the help of the Book Bunnies, an oddball group of middle school girls. Joanna’s new marriage — and, possibly, her life itself — depend on figuring out who is acting and who is for real.
Congratulations Angela! Your novel sounds great and I hope it all goes well.
Thank you so much!
Many congratulations! Sounds like a fabulous read 😉
I hope it’s that perfect blend of brainless and compelling. Thank you!
Perfect timing, thanks, Angela! Just ordered it for my Kindle.
I hope you enjoy it! Thank you!
This is great news! I really enjoy Joanna and her friends, and look forward to reading this.
Thanks! It’s taken me so long to get this one out, thanks to all those kite shop mysteries. It was so nice to get back to Joanna, though.
Yaaaaayyyy, a new Joanna escapade! Wooohooooo!
I’m so glad you’re looking forward to it! Thank you!
Congratulations, Angela! It looks great!
Thank you!
I’ve enjoyed all of Joanna’s adventures to date, so I’m glad to say I’ve already bought this one and am happily awaiting time to read it.
I hope it provides some well-deserved distraction!
I’ve been under the weather the last couple of days–and got the chance to devour all five. Fabulous stuff.
I’ve always been a little peeved that I’d never get to read the smart-and-frothy books Laura Morland wrote in Angela Thirkell’s High Rising novels… so I hope you will take it as high praise if I tell you that these were a lovely consolation prize!
I’m so glad they helped you make it through a stretch of not feeling well! And now I really need to the High Rising novels. I’ll hunt them down as soon as I finish up here….
Congratulations, Angela! I can’t wait to devour this one, and I’m starting tonight! 🙂
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
I’m sure it will probably keep me up too late!
Just downloaded book one – looking forward to reading it!
Thank you! The series gets better as it goes along…