Book of the Week: Death of a Russian Doll by Barbara Early (Vintage Toyshop Mystery #3)

Over the last month or two, I've read two of the three Vintage Toy Shop mystery series by Barbara Early. Since there were only three and I liked the first two, I bought and just enjoyed the third one called "Death of a Russian Doll." - I would recommend reading them in order because the main character develops and grows through different relationships. Today's blog is about book three.

MY THOUGHTS - The Book of the Week is Death of a Russian Doll by Barbara Early (Vintage Toyshop Mystery #3). The first is Death of a Toy Soldier, followed by Murder on the Toy Town Express. The main character, Liz McCall and her dad, Hank manage a vintage toy shop with Liz's sister in law, Cathy. However, Hank is the former and retired chief of police, so he and Liz get caught up in murder cases. After reading book 2, book 3 starts off with a surprise revealation about one of the other characters being married and estranged from their spouse. It's all part of the Russian connection, which goes through the entire book. The mystery of the killer will keep you reading until near the end, and it may be surprising. It's really a well-thought out story with a lot of pieces that will keep you reading. 5 of 5 stars!

ABOUT THE BOOK: It’s all fun and games with toyshop owner Liz McCall until deadly secrets are unwrapped upon the eve of the holidays.

Who knew? Liz McCall is not thrilled when her boyfriend Police Chief Ken Young introduces her to his estranged wife Marya. The model-quality Russian immigrant, back in East Aurora to rekindle their romance, will be working as a hairstylist at the barber shop next door to Well Played, the toyshop Liz manages for her dad. When Marya offers to help with the shop’s doll rehab project, Liz can’t help but offer up only a weak smile, but her secret hesitations are for naught when Marya’s body is discovered in the barber shop with a hair dryer cord wrapped around her neck.

Liz’s dad, retired from the police force, is asked to investigate since Ken is the prime suspect.The whole town is abuzz with the scandal and Liz has a few questions of her own, wanting nothing more than to forget the loud argument she overheard between Marya and Ken the night before. There could have been other motives...Was Marya going to cut into a competing hairstylist business? Who is the bumbling private investigator hanging around and why won’t he explain himself?

All eyes are on Liz, including those of an odd matryoshka doll in the shop which seems to move of its own accord, to unravel this entertaining riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is Death of a Russian Doll, the third jolly Vintage Toy Shop mystery from Barbara Early.  

Book of the Week: Death of a Toy Soldier by Barbara Early (Vintage Toyshop Mystery #1)

 A couple of weeks ago, the book of the week was the third in the Vintage Toyshop Mystery series, and this week I enjoyed the first in the series called "Death of a Toy Soldier" by Barbara Early. 

I wanted to read Barbara Early's books, because she is one of the new writers who has been commissioned to write some books in my favorite mystery series of "Murder She Wrote" -that follows the awesome television show. 

Barbara's Vintage Toy Shop mysteries are really enjoyable. I love the main characters, including the main character, Liz McCall that runs a toy shop with dad, the town's retired police chief,  and her sister in law, Cathy. There are also a couple of somewhat love interests. The mystery is a good one, and it's a challenge to figure out the identity of the murderer. It will keep you reading. 5 of 5 stars.   

ABOUT THE BOOK: Death of a Toy Soldier is the first book in Barbara Early's "Vintage Toyshop Mystery" series, featuring amateur sleuth Liz McCall, who runs a vintage toy shop with her retired police chief father in East Aurora, NY. The cozy mystery kicks off when a man is found murdered in their shop with a lawn dart, making her father a suspect and forcing Liz to investigate to clear his name. The plot involves family squabbles, a potential haunting, and a charming cast of characters, all set against a festive winter backdrop.

Book of the Week: Murder on the Toy Town Express

 The latest mystery book I enjoyed was Murder on the Toy Town Express by Barbara Early. I had never heard of the author until she was recruited to write some books in my favorite "Murder She Wrote" series, so before I bought those, I picked up an older book of hers. 

I was pleasantly surprised and I really enjoyed it. I loved the main character, and her dad, a retired police chief, and her boyfriend, Ken, the current police chief and the other supporting characters. I was surprised by the killer's identity, and there's quite the complex web of characters. It was well done, and I enjoyed it so much I ordered the others in her "Vintage Toyshop Mystery" series.

ABOUT THE BOOK

 Liz McCall has come to love running her father’s vintage toyshop back home in East Aurora, NY, so when the Train and Toy Show comes to town, she’s all aboard for a fun toy-filled weekend. The only hitch is that her childhood bully Craig McFadden, now local business rival, has set up a booth next to hers. But the fun and games are over when Craig falls from the ceiling in a publicity stunt gone wrong.

What was initially thought to be a fatal accident proves much more sinister. Pulled into the case by her feelings for both Ken, the police chief, and Jack, her high school sweetheart whose brother is one the prime suspects, Liz dives headfirst into the investigation. But as she digs deeper, she’s shocked to learn her father may have been the intended target.

The trouble train is barreling down and Liz may have just bought herself a first class ticket in Murder on the Toy Town Express, Barbara Early’s delightful second installment in her Vintage Toyshop mysteries.