Fatal Fascinator
It’s wedding season, and Viv’s longtime frenemy Piper May is getting married. She convinces Viv and Scarlett to take on the job of designing the hats for her “wedding of the year.” The well-to-do bride and her entourage are delighted to have Viv and Scarlett as their famous hat designer guests, but the hat-making pair are really just looking forward to a getaway at a castle in Sussex. It is to be a weekend full of events, culminating in the big ceremony.
Unfortunately, on the first night of the festivities, the groom is found murdered, and the joyous holiday becomes the stuff of nightmares as no one is allowed to leave the castle until the investigation is complete. Although Scarlett assures Harrison Wentworth, her fiancé, that she and Viv will stay out of harm’s way, circumstances force them to step in when a secret affair between the deceased groom and a bridesmaid comes to light, and the murderer takes another life. Scarlett and Viv vow to unveil the killer’s identity before the wedding adds another to its death toll.
The Details
Series: A Hat Shop Mystery – Book #7
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Genre/Category: Cozy – Business/Wedding
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 0593546776
Page Count: 288
Rating: 
The Review
I love castles, and I have always been fascinated by the hats worn in England on all sorts of occasions. Fatal Fascinator encompasses both of these wonderfully intriguing items and has a delightful murder to boot. Hat makers Viv and Scarlett are back, and this time they are taking things up a notch!
After Scarlett convinces Viv to spend a weekend at a beautiful castle and create hats for a frienemies upcoming wedding, she thinks it will be smooth sailing. But not long after arriving at the castle, a murder takes place, and the wedding is canceled. Scarlett feels it is her responsibility to find out who the killer is and keep Viv or her best friend, Andre, from either becoming victims or suspects.
The suspects are contained in the castle, but the list includes guests, bridal party members, family, and staff. There are plenty of people to pick from and several motives that could work for a variety of suspects. Evidence is a bit harder to come by, as even the hats play a vital part, and readers may feel as if they are going around in circles. But as with all of the books in this series, eventually, you realize who the killer has to be and, like Scarlett, set out to prove it. When the killer is uncovered, many will be surprised or delighted, depending on your take on the entire story.
The setting for this book, a castle, is beyond imagination and gives all of us a nice feeling of history, England, Sussex in particular, and hats. The hats, which, no matter how hard you try, you really want to see and wear. Fatal Fascinator is enjoyable, a quick read, and filled with everything that makes England fascinating to so many across the globe. I hope readers who haven’t picked this book up or started this series do so right away and enjoy it as much as I do.
The Author
Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for a best cozy mystery. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk about books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars. Contact Jenn on social media or her website.
Other books from Jenn readers will want to grab include For Batter or Worse from the “Cupcake Bakery Mystery” series or another book from the “A Hat Shop Mystery” series, Buried To The Brim.
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