A Disguise to Die For
A Costume Shop Mystery #1
Diane Vallere
Berkley Prime Crime, February 2016
ISBN: 978-0-425-27828-4
Mass Market Paperback
When Margo Tamblyn’s father has a heart attack, she returns to Prosper City, Nevada to help out in her dad’s costume shop. The shop has the intriguing name of Disguise DeLimit. In fact, the whole fictional town is filled with shops with imaginative names.
Raised by Ebony Welles and her father, Jerry, Margo is tremendously loyal to Ebony. When Ebony, a party planner, is framed for the murder of a wealthy client, Margo takes a hand to clear her friend’s name. Along the way, she meets old friends, finds a prospective love interest, and almost gets herself killed.
There’s never a dull moment in the story. I found the background of the costume business interesting, as dressing up as someone else is something I’ve never done. Sounds like fun. I liked the characters, and even the murderer, whom I did guess, was more likable than some of the others. It all worked out well, in my opinion.
By the end, Margo will take over the family business, leading the reader into another Margo Tamblyn story, which, from the teaser, sounds just as good as this one. I hope we’ll find some of the same characters.
The book also gives us a few recipes, as well as a list of costume ideas. Get ready for Halloween–or any other time you feel like throwing a dress-up party.
Reviewed by Carol Crigger, June 2016.
Author of Three Seconds to Thunder and Four Furlongs.
Buried Under Books 