Just in time for the holidays, fans of Leslie Meier and Vicki Delany are going to want to pick up the charming third installment in Barbara Early’s Vintage Toy Shop mysteries. It’s all fun and games with toyshop owner Liz McCall until deadly secrets are unwrapped upon the eve of the holidays.Who knew? Liz McCall is not thrilled when her boyfriend Police Chief Ken Young introduces her to his … Young introduces her to his estranged wife Marya. The model-quality Russian immigrant, back in East Aurora to rekindle their romance, will be working as a hairstylist at the barber shop next door to Well Played, the toyshop Liz manages for her dad. When Marya offers to help with the shop’s doll rehab project, Liz can’t help but offer up only a weak smile, but her secret hesitations are for naught when Marya’s body is discovered in the barber shop with a hair dryer cord wrapped around her neck.
Liz’s dad, retired from the police force, is asked to investigate since Ken is the prime suspect.The whole town is abuzz with the scandal and Liz has a few questions of her own, wanting nothing more than to forget the loud argument she overheard between Marya and Ken the night before. There could have been other motives…Was Marya going to cut into a competing hairstylist business? Who is the bumbling private investigator hanging around and why won’t he explain himself?
All eyes are on Liz, including those of an odd matryoshka doll in the shop which seems to move of its own accord, to unravel this entertaining riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is Death of a Russian Doll, the third jolly Vintage Toy Shop mystery from Barbara Early.
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cozy-mystery, law-enforcement, puntastic, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, suspense, twisty
Puntastic murder mystery with realistic characters and a sound plot that drew me in and hung on! The publisher’s blurb is better than most and there’s no need for spoilers. I’m not into plot summation and that would probably just diminish perception of the story anyway, so just stick your nose in and enjoy!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Death of a Russian Doll by Barbara Early is the third A Vintage Toy Shop Mystery. I recommend reading the series in order. Otherwise, you will be missing some of the background information on the main characters. Liz McCall becomes embroiled in another murder investigation when Ken Young, the local chief of police and her beau, is accused of murdering his Russian wife, Marya. Liz has been dating Ken for a while and this is the first she has heard about Ken being married. While Liz’s father is in charge of the investigation, Liz has no intention of sitting out the case despite the extra workload at the shop plus finding a sponsor for the doll project. I like the vintage toy shop owned by the McCall family called Well Played. I enjoy the inclusion of the toys carried in the shop (a nice variety that bring back memories). The mystery was complex but with a simple solution. I like how the whodunit is multifaceted. I would have preferred more active investigating by Liz and less romance. It seems that Liz has accumulated three romantic interests (I am not kidding). There was too much time devoted to romance and not enough to the mystery. Death of a Russian Doll was an entertaining cozy mystery with good characters, a charming setting, fun toys, family, food, humor, and an intriguing mystery. Death of a Russian Doll has damaged dolls, a stream of suitors, mystifying Matryoshka dolls, treasured toys, mysterious mate, and meddlesome family members.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
So Liz McCalls’ and Ken Young’s romance hit the skids when his estranged wife Marya arrived in town. Liz has been dealing with the complete shock and the fact Ken lied to her. Then the Russian immigrant Marya starts working at the barbershop right next to Well Played and she even volunteers to help on a new project the shop has started repairing used dolls and sharing them with needy kids. Liz puts on a happy face and is on her best behavior during the meetings.
The Marya is found dead – in the barbershop – strangled with the cord from a hair dryer . . . and Police Chief Ken Young finds himself at the top of the suspect list. Removed from his position pending completion of the investigation Liz’s dad comes out of retirement to take his place. Liz did hear Ken and Marya arguing but she can’t see him killing her. There must be other suspects. Liz decides that she needs to find out more about the woman she didn’t even know existed until about a year ago. She needs to get this case wrapped up so her dad can get back to his retirement and the toy shop before the holidays.
Barbara Early has penned a captivating cozy in this 3rd installment of this delightful series.
I really like Liz. She is a smart protagonist that thinks things through before she leaps into action. She works so well with her dad and he values her input. She also gets some assistance from a certain FBI accountant that would really like to move their relationship out of the friend zone. All the characters are realistic and I love the dialogue.
The toy shop Liz manages for her dad, Well Played, is more than a place to buy the toys of yesteryear. It is a gathering place with its weekly game nights and now with the restore doll project. You get a real sense of community from the people who enter the shop, especially during the holiday season. East Aurora has a real small town feel.
Ken’s wife being a Russian immigrant brings a current hot topic into play and it is hard not to feel for the woman. It also brings Ken’s sisters to town and they are two formidable women with the brother’s best interests at heart but their overbearing nature is a bit much for even Ken. Liz finally gets them to open up and gets information to move the investigation along.
The story is full of twists and some real surprises. At one point I think I screamed out at the exact time Liz did. It takes an extraordinary author to have a reader get that deep into a story. The plot came together with another surprise, I was totally wrong in my pick of the killer. The story finishes with another little twist that leaves me very excited about the next book in this series.
Drama, humor, a touch of romance come together with great characters to make this an excellent read. A perfect escape as we head into the holiday season!
Death Of A Russian Doll
Vintage Toyshop Mystery, Book #3
Barbara Early
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Just in time for the holidays, fans of Leslie Meier and Vicki Delany are going to want to pick up the charming third installment in Barbara Early’s Vintage Toy Shop mysteries.
It’s all fun and games with toyshop owner Liz McCall until deadly secrets are unwrapped upon the eve of the holidays.
Who knew? Liz McCall is not thrilled when her boyfriend Police Chief Ken Young introduces her to his estranged wife Marya. The model-quality Russian immigrant, back in East Aurora to rekindle their romance, will be working as a hairstylist at the barber shop next door to Well Played, the toyshop Liz manages for her dad. When Marya offers to help with the shop’s doll rehab project, Liz can’t help but offer up only a weak smile, but her secret hesitations are for naught when Marya’s body is discovered in the barber shop with a hair dryer cord wrapped around her neck.
Liz’s dad, retired from the police force, is asked to investigate since Ken is the prime suspect.The whole town is abuzz with the scandal and Liz has a few questions of her own, wanting nothing more than to forget the loud argument she overheard between Marya and Ken the night before. There could have been other motives… Was Marya going to cut into a competing hairstylist business? Who is the bumbling private investigator hanging around and why won’t he explain himself?
All eyes are on Liz, including those of an odd matryoshka doll in the shop which seems to move of its own accord, to unravel this entertaining riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is Death of a Russian Doll, the third jolly Vintage Toy Shop mystery from Barbara Early. (Goodreads)
Review:
I just love this series: the characters, the setting and the mystery. Anyone who wants to get lost in an enjoyable read, this is your book.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I just love the relationship between Liz and her dad. Their bickering and banter and their one line jokes were so funny. All of the characters add so much to the story and I love getting to spend time with them.
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it helped me form an explicit picture in my mind of the toy shop and the community.
The mystery is well plotted and had enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. There were enough twists and turns and red herrings thrown in and the mystery was not an easy one to solve.
I would highly recommend this book (and series) to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I liked everything about this book and I am already looking forward to read the next one, when it is published.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
It’s been a year since police chief Ken’s wife Marya showed up, nipping Liz’s romance with Ken in the bud. She hasn’t completely recovered from the shock and hurt, but when Marya shows up murdered in the barbershop next to Well Played, Liz knows she and Ken will both be suspects. With her father stepping in as police chief, Liz begins to find an alternative suspect. But who in town knew Marya well enough to kill her?
The plot spends equal time digging into Marya’s past while also attempting to figure out how what we learn can bring us any suspects. The result is a fast paced and fun mystery that leads to a logical solution. The characters are strong as always, and provide plenty of fun. I laughed at some of the situations and the puns we got over the course of the book. I was pleasantly surprised to see Mark Baker return in a larger roll this time around. Add in the Christmas setting, and you’ve got a winner will many layers of fun.
Death of A Russian Doll is a great book about family, friendships, vintage toys and games, and a murder. Liz McCall and her retired police chief father own Well Played, a wonderful shop that specializes in toys, games, and dolls, old and new. When a murder occurs in the barbershop next door and Liz finds herself a potential suspect, she is determined to find out just what happened to clear her name.
Reading about all the vintage merchandise in Well Played really brought back fond memories of childhood. and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I wish there were a store like Well Played where I live because I would love to spend time there. This book was a truly enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
Author Barbara Early has been one of my favorite authors since I first read her Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries written under the pen name of, Beverly Allen (you have got to read them!). But she secured me as a lifelong fan when I read the first of her Vintage Toyshop Mysteries, DEATH OF A TOY SOLDIER.
I was like a kid at Christmas to finally have, DEATH OF A RUSSIAN DOLL in my hands. I opened the book with great anticipation of the story to come and I was not disappointed!
In this clever whodunit, murder hits close to home for protagonist Liz McCall, which makes finding the killer even more important to her. It also makes for a super exciting read for us! From the moment the victim is found, until the killer is outed, DEATH OF A RUSSIAN DOLL held me enthralled. Well, that’s not entirely true. I was enthralled from the very first page!
Barbara Early knows exactly what it takes to entertain her readers and assure they will return to her books time and time again. And this book is written proof of that.
Who needs toys for Christmas when you can read DEATH OF A RUSSIAN DOLL!
Liz McCall, her family, and friends are back and better than ever. Just when Liz thinks things are going well with her life, she gets thrown a monkey wrench, and everything goes topsy turvy. Barbara Early knows how to write books that keep you glued to the pages. I loved all the twists and turns this book took, and I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this book and this series.