Fatal Fascinator - (Hat Shop Mystery) by Jenn McKinlay (Paperback)

Fatal Fascinator by Jenn McKinlay is a delightful story. I am pleased to see the return of A Hat Shop Mysteries. Scarlett Parker and her cousin, Vivian Tremont are back. Viv agrees to make the bridesmaid’s hats for Piper May’s upcoming wedding. Scarlett convinces Viv to attend the event which will give them a weekend in the country. Unfortunately, their relaxing weekend goes awry when the groom is found dead. The lead detective declares that no one can leave while the crime is being investigated. Scarlett, of course, cannot resist digging into the case. She gets help from Viv and her dashing fiancé, Harrison Wentworth. Can the trio discover the killer’s identity before he strikes again? Fatal Fascinator is a fun story to read. I love the characters, especially Scarlett. She is a lively woman. Scarlett is engaged to Harrison and has a darling puppy. Things are never dull when Scarlett is around. Vivian is a fashionista who is more reserved than her American cousin. Harrison is a sweet guy who loves Scarlett. The mystery was interesting, but it a little weak. The murder of the fiancé occurs around the halfway mark. I wish it had happened sooner. By the time the whodunit happens, I knew who and how. I had an inkling as to the why. I am hoping the author will up her game in the next A Hat Shop Mystery. Fatal Fascinator is the seventh A Hat Shop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. I do recommend reading all the books in this engaging series. There is humor throughout the story. Scarlett manages to get herself in the oddest predicaments. Fatal Fascinator is a diverting tale with an unbending bride, a precious puppy, superfluous luggage, a lifeless fiancé, a determined detective, fashionable fascinators, and a wedding date debate.

The cozy mysteries by this author are always great!

Cousins Scarlett and Viv have agreed to create the hats for the wedding of the season. Scarlett is mainly excited because it means they’ve scored an invitation, and the wedding is taking place in a castle in the country. Even their friend Andre is there as the wedding photographer. But joy turns to tragedy when Scarlett finds the dead body of the groom in the library. With no one allowed to leave while the police investigate, Scarlett can’t help but poked around. Will she figure out what happened? Since author Jenn McKinlay is so busy writing, we don’t get quite as many entries in this series as in some of her others. That makes it nice to get to revisit these characters again. A few of the regulars have cameos than a real part, but it was still nice to see everyone and see how they are continuing to grow. The book is filled with suspects, but I never had a hard time keeping them all straight. The story was always moving forward, and the plot had a few nice surprises on the way to the climax. The pages just flew by. Meanwhile, there were plenty of moments that made me laugh or grin, including some pun wars, which I always enjoy. Whether you are a fan of the series or just checking it out, you’ll enjoy this book.