Masking for Trouble - Blog Tour Review + Giveaway

Masking for Trouble (A Costume Shop Mystery #2) by Dianne Vallere (Amazon)

Rating: Good
Source: Blog Tour

Description:  Halloween conjures up big business for Margo Tamblyn’s costume shop, Disguise DeLimit, but this year, the holiday comes knocking with serious trouble. Venture capitalist Paul Haverford plans to rezone historic downtown into a glitzy commercial area which would push out local business. Margo is set on saving her family’s store, especially after a nasty run-in with the chain-store tycoon, but after Haverford’s body is discovered during a spooky party at the derelict Alexandria Hotel, Margo finds herself dressed as the police’s prime suspect.
Anxious to clear her name, Margo begins hunting down anyone who might have wanted Haverford dead. Between all of his malicious maneuverings, the murdered mogul had buckets of people anxious to see him gone. Now, Margo will have to use every trick in the book to find a cloaked killer—before someone else winds up wearing a death shroud...

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoyed the first book in the series and Vallere is my go-to author for quirky cozy mysteries.

My Impression:  When I'm looking for a fun cozy mystery Vallere never lets me down and Masking for Trouble was no exception.  It's Halloween season in the costume shop and the people of Proper City are keeping Margo hopping.  In between fittings and restocking she has a run in with Paul Haverford which is followed by a public display of anger on her part.  So when she discovers his body at a place she really isn't supposed to be at a party she's not really invited too it's pretty clear that she's going to be a suspect.

Margo is a great main character.  She's likable, quick on her feet, and intelligent and while her behavior does stray over into impulsive it never crosses the border into TSTL (to stupid to live) territory.  I loved being back at the costume shop and catching up with Margo, Ebony, and all the rest of the costume shop/Proper City crew.  I do hope we see more of her father in the next book.

I enjoyed the mystery quite a bit.  There's defintiely a lot of antics (and a lot of costumes) but the mystery was well done with enough twists and turns to keep it interesting but not get confusing.  The reveal was suspenseful and kept me reading a bit past my bedtime!  It defintiely got me in the Halloween spirit!

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Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  I have enjoyed several different series by Vallere and hope there is more to come in this one.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely!  If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a fun way to get in the Halloween spirit.