Review by Booklist Review
In the second entry in McKinlay's series starring Scarlett Parker and her cousin Vivian, owners of the Mim's Whims hat shop on London's Portobello Road, a murder occurs at a fundraiser for a new children's wing at a local hospital. One of the organizers, George Grisby, is poisoned, and traces of the poison are found on the hat Scarlett and Vivian made for him. Naturally, the police like Scarlett for the crime. In an effort to clear herself, Scarlett attempts to befriend George's widow and look into the tangled relations among the Grisbys. Meanwhile, Scarlett meets with her childhood friend Harrison, who has a few too many opinions about the hat business. McKinlay defly handles the London setting and nicely incorporates details of the hat-making business into the story. Numerous red herrings are strategically placed in the plot and help to make the ending genuinely surprising while still plausible. Scarlett's developing feelings for Harrison add humor and pacing. Recommend this one to fans of Laura Childs.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In McKinlay's delightful second Hat Shop mystery (after 2013's Cloche and Dagger), a wealthy widow places a large, quirky order at Mim's Whims, the London hat shop that Scarlett Parker and her cousin, Vivian Tremont, inherited from their grandmother. Scarlett and Viv's satisfaction in completing the hats, however, is marred with the demise of the widow's son, Geoffrey Grisby, who was poisoned while wearing one of their creations on his head. Scarlett discovers that any number of relatives might have wanted the mean, prissy Geoffrey dead. Meanwhile, other mysteries hover about the cousins' shop. Is their grandmother haunting Mim's Whims? Why does Viv refuse to tell Scarlett anything about her love life? And will Scarlett find romance with her dashing childhood friend and the store's business manager, Harrison Wentworth, or will she stubbornly maintain her pledge to avoid dating for a year? Cozy fans will eagerly await Hat Shop #3. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
