Nightie Night!Interior decorator Madison Night is no stranger to the occasional odd inheritance. But when an octogenarian friend dies and leaves her a pajama factory, the bounty is bittersweet. Once a thriving business, Sweet Dreams closed decades ago after a tragic accident took the life of a young model. Or was that simply a cover up?Between her friend’s death and her own stagnant life, Madison … own stagnant life, Madison is tempted to hide under a blanket of willful ignorance. But when family members and special interest groups lobby to expose the secrets of the factory, Madison gets caught in a tangle of secrets and lies and discovers that sometimes, the bed you make is not your own.
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The Madison Night Mystery Series:
#0: Midnight Ice (prequel novella)
#1: PILLOW STALK
#2: THAT TOUCH OF INK
#3: WITH VICS YOU GET EGGROLL
#4: THE DECORATOR WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
#5: THE PAJAMA FRAME
THE PAJAMA FRAME by Diane Vallere | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.
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The Pajama Frame by Diane Vallere is the fifth tale in A Madison Night Mystery series. Madison Night has inherited a building from Alice Sweet that used to house Sweet Dreams Pajama Factory. The factory was abandoned sixty years ago after a pajama model died in rare equipment accident (or was it). Madison is unprepared for the people wanting to get inside the building and the mystery surrounding it. Madison decides to investigate the sixty-year-old case in the hopes of getting answers and putting the rumors to rest. After persuading Captain Tex Allen to unseal the building, they enter to find that someone has managed to get in before them. They find bullet casings, the body of John Sweet (Alice’s grandson) and a large supply of new vintage pajamas (Madison can wear a new pair every night). After leaving the factory, Madison goes by Stanley and Abbott where John worked only to discover Mr. Stanley dead in office chair. What is going on? Madison is determined to uncover the truth. Is there a connection between the old case and the current two deaths? Madison needs to expose the killer, or she could be the next victim.
The Pajama Frame is well-written and a nice, steady pace. Madison Night is a great main character. She is smart and strong willed. I love her vintage design aesthetic, fashion sense and her dog, Rocky (Shih Tzu). The author provides delightful and vivid descriptions of Madison’s clothing and mid-century furniture. Captain Tex Allen is the perfect counterpart for Madison. They work well together and have good chemistry. I am hoping they will have a closer relationship in future books (they are cute together). I do not like Donna Nast, and I keep hoping that Donna will become a murder victim in a future book. The mystery is multifaceted which I found appealing. I enjoy a complex mystery and it was clever how the author tied in the retro angle with the vintage pajamas. Unfortunately, I did find it easy to pick out the guilty party. There were some loose ends at the end of the book that I wish the author had cleared up (I would clarify but one is a spoiler). I am giving The Pajama Frame 4 out of 5 stars. The Pajama Frame can be read alone. Madison’s background is provided for new readers. This was my favorite book in A Madison Night Mystery series, and I am looking forward to finding out what trouble will befall Madison next time.
This newest installment in the Madison Night Mysteries does not disappoint. Madison is in her true form, this time involving her inheritance of a pajama factory, from one of her friends, which closed years ago under suspicious circumstances. True to form, Madison calls on all of her resources for assistance in this wonderfully written, fast paced cozy that is sure to please any mystery reader. There is plenty of action, twists, turns, good guys and bad guys and enough sass in this book to make you laugh out loud and keep on going without wanting to stop. One of the best things about this book is that it can be read as a standalone without any difficulty following along, and will make you want to go back and read the other Madison Night mysteries also. But, without giving anything away, the absolute BEST thing about this book is it hooks you and keeps you guessing till the very end as any good (cozy) mystery should! Ms. Vallere has another hit on her hands!
“The Pajama Frame” earns 5/5 Vintage Pajamas, of course…Engaging, Entertaining!
I am “Mad for Mod”! A newbie to Diane Vallere’s Mad for Mod series, I am now an eager fan. Madison Night is a delightful Doris Day look-alike with a 1950-60s fashion sense, interior designer with an eye for vintage modern, and a budding amateur sleuth, especially when partnered with Captain Tex Allen. Uniquely, Madison has inherited an abandoned pajama factory, but the engaging issue is that Sweet Dreams Pajama Factory has a tragic past. Decades ago it closed down after the accidental death of a young model, but rumors have it the death may not have been an accident. That’s not all…a lawyer waiting to talk to Madison is found dead at the factory and she is may be under suspicion. Coincidence? Set up?
I loved it! Clever story woven with several scenarios, engaging investigation, and ending with a very satisfying final motive. Well-defined characters, some quirky, good friends, a bit of romance, and some “fur” friends all join in. Diane Vallere’s well-written story is enriched by her first-person narrative. I was very entertained by Madison’s inner thoughts and intriguing descriptions that often set suspense, and the banter backed up the narrative by illustrating tone and personality. Newbies can join in with this book, and even though time has marched on and connections and relationships have evolved, you’ll be a fan like me!
The Pajama Frame is book #5 in the Madison Night Mystery series. While the books can be read as stand-alone, each preceding book builds on the characters and their relationships.
When her octogenarian friend dies and leaves interior decorator Madison Night a pajama factory, Madison is faced with a decades-old tragedy and a more recent murder. All Madison wants to do is hide from the drama, but when estranged family members and special interest groups want to get into the sealed factory, Madison realizes she is caught having to solve a mystery before she becomes the next victim.
As with previous Madison Night books, I found the character of Madison delightful and refreshing. She is no-nonsense, quirky, snarky, and a throwback to Doris Day. Who wouldn’t enjoy an independent woman that dresses and enjoys decorations from the era of the fifties and sixties? Add to the mix a love/hate relationship with the chief of police Tex and a few witty friends & neighbors; you have the perfect chemistry for a delightful cozy mystery series.
The Pajama Game, Madison Night Mystery book 5. Already fan of author Diane Vallere. This is my first Madison Night read But NOT my last. Madison lives, breathes, dresses a Doris Day lifestyle. As business owner of Mad for Mod she decorates for others looking for abit of 1950’s-60’s. Much of her stock comes from her search through the obits. Now the recent death of her 80+ friend, Alice Sweet leaves her an inheritance. A decades old pajama factory, houseful of possessions and a letter. Madison has a talent for solving murders. A boyfriend. Also rocky relationship with a homicide police captain. The pajama factory closed years ago due to unsolved death. Now more questionable deaths. Madison Night must set aside missing her friend. There is a letter and murders to investigate. Boyfriend out of town, female nemesis and police capt. close at hand. I received this book from Henery Press through NetGalley. I am voluntarily posting this review. A mix of action, romance, mayhem and murder. Fun and Entertaining. Characters that readers will want to visit again and again. No matter which Diane Vallere book you start with you will return to read her other books!
Great
Fantastic, I loved this book. I can’t wait to read the other books in this series, it’s such a perfect feel good read.
I really enjoyed reading Pajama Frame by Diane Vallere, the fifth book in her Madison Night Mysteries series. Madison unexpectedly inherited a pajama factory that had been closed for close to sixty years, after the death of one of the models. All is not as it seems with Madison’s inheritance of the factory and the contents of the house owned by her deceased friend Alice. Suddenly, dead bodies are appearing whenever she looks for information or clues. With her boyfriend Hudson working in Palm Springs, Madison teams up with her nemesis Police Captain Tex Allen and her dog Rocky to figure out what is going on, how does this connect to her inheritance, and who is killing these people. In addition, Madison is interrupted by picketers at the factory, an ex-police office, an actress trying out for a role in the movie based on Hudson’s life, and a stray dog. This doesn’t include the strange guns being used and left at scenes of the killings. I loved the way Ms. Vallere mixed humor within the mystery leading this reader on an emotional roller coaster as I tried to figure out who was the killer.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this funny, sweet and intriguing book and had trouble putting this book down. Ms Vallere kept me on my toes guessing who the killer was, until I turned the last page. Her writing had me feeling as if I was there, watching the events unfold. I highly recommend this book to other readers and hope to read additional books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Framed by Pajamas
(Disclaimer: I was provided a Net Galley advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.) I Loved, Loved, Loved The Pajama Frame by Diane Vallare. The author Diane Vallare demonstrates a great ability at character and world building that allows the reader to become engrossed in the book and feel as if they are in the whodunit solving the crime. The main character, Madison Night, is the epitome of quirky which brings an interesting personality element to the story. From the beginning she is reluctantly drawn into a murder investigation triggered by an inheritance left to her by a friend. The secondary character is the captain of the Lakewood Police Department, Tex who is leading the murder investigation. He is also a self- imposed thorn in Madison Night’s side. During the read there are along the way other characters introduced to broaden and deepen and keep on balance the storyline as appropriate. During the sleuthing, as you follow the leads to solve the initial murder, which leads to another murder and think you have the logical killer that person turns up dead. Frustrated, Night and Tex continue the quest. It will only be at the end when the murderer reveals itself that totally shocks you the reader. I was in shock as to who the killer turns out to be because it went against relationships made, people who were killed, conversations had, and essentially who the person was. The author wrote an awesome, 360-degree surprise ending that I did not see coming. I am Impressed. Therefore I HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading The Pajama Frame by Diane Vallere. –Tex.
Fifth in the Madison Night Mystery series, this is the first one I’ve read; I now have to read the rest! With her classic humor and familiarity with fabrics and élan, Diane Vallere has penned a mystery with more plot twists than Mad has Keds. From the very likable Madison “Mad” Night to the very unlikable Detective “Nasty” Nast, the characters are best exemplified by their clever dialog and behavior. This is a delightful cozy mystery, and those who like to laugh out loud between spine-tingling creepy moments will love this. Especially if one loves the 50’s and 60’s and Doris Day.
Madison Night is an interior designer with a focus on 50’s and 60’s décor. She dresses in the style of that era, especially in Doris Day-type outfits. One way she gets inventory for her business is by reading obituaries, contacting family members, and offering to purchase the whole lot. Other items she might find at the sidewalk awaiting garbage pickup. She hired her friend Connie so she can seek out new clients.
One of the worst things you can find in the obits is one for a friend. Alice Sweet was an 86-year old who swam almost every day where Mad goes. Two things they talked about was what it was like for Alice to be an extra for the movie Pillow Talk, and the décor in her beautiful home. Alice’s husband died in 1989 and she had not redecorated since. They owned Sweet Dreams, a pajama factory that employed many women while husbands or fathers were fighting in WWII. Mr. Sweet closed it after a freak accident in the 50’s that cost a beautiful young pajama model her life. It was rumored that Alice’s hubby had an affair with the model, or that it was really murder instead of an accident.
What does one do with a pajama factory sealed shut since the 50’s? Everybody has an opinion, until family members pop up out of nowhere and dead bodies appear. Tex, her friend who is now the police captain in their part of Dallas, is on the case, but when it comes to the players involved, it is a big task. Her boyfriend, Hudson, has been working in Palm Springs, too far away to help.
Madison is my kind of girl. Few people I know would talk about Doris Day. I like how Mad tries to put herself in other people’s ballet flats with an active imagination, thinking about what it might have been like for women going to work at that time, including at the pajama factory. Her raw introspection shows how multifaceted she is. Mad is very well defined, as are the rest of the characters as suiting their roles. Detective Nasty brings out the inner mean person in me. Other than Nasty, and a couple of protestors, other folks seem very likable.
This is an interesting, unique mystery, beginning with Madison herself. While others who enjoy vintage clothing, I’m unaware of other sleuths who specialize in “mod” décor. This is a fast-paced story that immediately pulled me in and held my attention throughout. The way the author uses the specific neighborhoods of Dallas, it is almost like small town living. Each time I thought I had an idea of who the bad guy/ gal was, along came another plot twist. Some seemed more like twisters! I was quite surprised to learn who the real bad guy was, and in a way, even a bit sad. I highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates tightly-written cozy mysteries, fabulous female sleuths, and proudly living out one’s own style, whether vintage or contemporary.
From a grateful heart: I received a copy of this from the author and NetGalley, and here is my review.
Wow! I love the Madison Night series. This is the 5th in the series and it just keeps getting better. The great plot had me hooked from the beginning and held my interest right through the end. I really didn’t quite figure it out. I hated to put it down. Well done! I also enjoy Diane’s description of the clothes Madison wears along with the mid-century furniture, etc. she has in her shop. She’s a unique individual. The romance angle is really getting interesting. I can’t wait to see what is in store for Madison in the next book.