Tuesday 8 January 2019

Death of a Russian Doll (Vintage Toyshop Mystery #3) by Barbara Early


Death of a Russian Doll (Vintage Toyshop Mystery, #3)
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.  (Summary via Goodreads)



What a great book to read during the holidays....Death of a Russian Doll....not because there is a murder...but for everything else !!!  The Vintage Toyshop Mystery series by Barbara Early has an awesome setting....a toy store !!!  And it's run by an amazingly awesome family !!  Liz McCall and her "retired" police chief father own, run and live above the toyshop and Liz's sister-in-law works at the toy shop.  

Unfortunately in Death of a Russian Doll there is a murder right next store at the barber shop !!!  And when the victim ends up being the wife of the current police chief, Ken and Liz's "sort of" boyfriend you know Liz is going to get involved.  Not only does Liz dip her toes in but her father is asked to step in and take over the case seeing as the current police chief is not only the victim's husband but the top suspect.

So while Liz comes to terms with the secrets that Ken has kept from her and her father is off working the case,  you, the reader, get to fall in love Liz and crew.  And not only do you get to ride along trying to solve the case, you also get to see Liz juggle her love interests and you also get to know her sister-in-law Cathy and her interests in toys.....dolls !!!

The Vintage Toyshop Mystery series is a great series to get lost in with the amazing characters that Early introduces you to.....you will be in love instantly !!!


Review by Missi S.





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