This Book Is an Uncontested Winner
I’m so glad that Diane Vallere has gone back to her Material Witness Mysteries. These were my introduction to her writing, and it’s nice to get to see what Poly and the rest are up to. As a result, I was looking forward to Contesting the Wool, the sixth in the series. And I wasn’t disappointed.
This series features Poly Monroe, who has taken over the fabric store she inherited from her great uncle and aunt is a small town on the fringes of Lon Angeles. She’s found herself involved in several mysteries since then, but she’s also building a network of friends in her new community.
As this book opens, Poly is surprised to find herself invited to the reading of Reginald Villamere’s will. She only knew the name from the Villamere Theater, the historic movie theater in town. It turns out her inheritance is fabric - specifically the fabrics the theater had purchased for a renovation decades ago. When Poly goes to look at her inheritance the next day, she finds Villamere’s lawyer in the room, dead. Who wanted to kill this particular lawyer?
As I’ve already implied, I love the characters, and it is a joy to slip back into their world. Their relationships are strong, and I like seeing what happens to them next. I can say the same for the suspects, who did a good job of keeping me guessing.
The mystery was excellent. There was so much going on that I always had a hard time putting the book down. It was just a question of how all the information that Poly was gathering made sense. But, by the end, all the pieces were stitched together perfectly. I was a little in awe at how it all came together in the end, in fact.
All of this is wrapped in a fun first person narration that injects a bit of humor into things. I couldn’t help but grin or laugh as I was reading.
Fans of Diane’s costume shop series will enjoy a couple of Easter Eggs in this book. (And I wouldn’t complain if Diane resurrected that series as well.)
Contesting the Wool is another great book from Diane Vallere. If you enjoy a strong mystery with good characters and a light ton, you’ll be glad you picked it up.
Be sure to check out the rest of the Material Witness Mysteries.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
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