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Thursday, November 2, 2023

Book Review: Tulle Death Do Us Part by Diane Vallere (Material Witness Mysteries #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Enjoyable mystery with characters I’ve missed
Cons: A couple of small timeline issues
The Bottom Line:
Famous bride, murder
Keep Poly very busy
Glad series returned



Can Poly Catch a Killer Before They Dance Away?

Obviously, I am a Diane Vallere fan.  I would not have read all the books of hers I have over the years if I weren’t.  But my gateway drug to her stories was the Material Witness Mysteries.  Her publisher cancelled that series after three books back in 2016, and I assumed we wouldn’t get any more cases for the characters, so I was thrilled when I learned earlier this year that Diane had decided to write Tulle Death Do Us Part, the fourth in the series.  It was wonderful to be back in Poly’s world.

Obviously, since it’s been a while, an introduction would be helpful.  A year ago, Polyester Monroe (Poly to her friends) moved to a small town on the outskirts of Los Angeles when she inherited her great uncle and aunt’s fabric store.  She reopened it as Material Girl, and it is once again becoming a popular place in the community.  She is also making friends and settling into her new life.  She’s even managed to solve a few murders along the way.

This particular morning, Poly’s opening the store late.  She’s gotten a request for a private appointment from a bride who wants to pick out material for her wedding dress.  Poly begins to understand when she learns the bride is Beatriz Rosen, a famous ballerina trying to hide from the paparazzi.

Unfortunately, a man shows up at the shop while Beatriz is shopping, rudely demanding to speak to her.  That evening, Poly witnesses the man and Beatriz arguing again on a street corner.  Just a little while later, Poly finds the man dead in the wedding chapel where the wedding is supposed to take place.  It’s only after all of this that Poly learns about her connection to the couple getting married.  With both the bride and the groom under suspicion of murder, can Poly figure out what really happened before the wedding is ruined?

Since I haven’t read any of the books in the series in the last seven years, I wasn’t sure how easily I would slip back into Poly’s world.  I needn’t have worried.  Within just a couple of chapters, it was like I had never left.  As the series regulars came into the story, we got enough background to remember their relationships.  If you want to jump in here, you easily could, although I will recommend you plan to read all the books in the series.

The mystery itself was very intriguing.  It unfolds differently than many of the cozies I read, but I’m not complaining.  I was hooked the entire time and couldn’t wait to see exactly what was going on.  The ending answered all my questions.

The story also gives Poly a chance to really reflect on her life and the what the last year has meant for her.  We get to analyze how much people change as well.  All of this was great, and the personal growth left me satisfied.

Plus, I just loved seeing the characters again.  I hadn’t realized just how much I missed them until I started reading this book.

As quite often happens in Diane’s books, the timeline is a little fluid, although in this case it is mostly minor.  A couple of things did make me laugh, but overall, the timeline flubs were minor.

Diane has another three-book series that hasn’t been updated in a while – the Costume Shop Mysteries.  There is a very fun shout out to them in this book.  I wouldn’t mind if we revisited those characters at some point in the future.

Long time fans will be thrilled with Tulle Death Do Us Part.  If you have yet to discover this series or Diane’s books in general, you’ll be glad you picked it up as well.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Material Witness Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

1 comment:

  1. I like it when I can drop back into a series after not reading for awhile. I haven't read any of these books but the series sounds intriguing. Great review!

    Megan | The Booknerd Copywriter

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