Maple Bishop is no stranger to death. Her mother died. So did her brother. Now her husband has died in service to his country. But the discovery that her husband left her penniless puts everything into sharp focus for the grieving woman: she must find a way of earning money so she doesn't lose her home in this small Vermont town.
Maple is the first female Boston City Law School graduate, but no one in town wants to hire her. Fortunately, her eye for detail and her skill have led her to craft intricate dollhouses, and she begins selling them. At first, business is going well until Maple delivers a dollhouse to a customer and finds him dead, hanging from a rafter in his barn.
Something about the supposed suicide doesn't seem right to Maple, and in an attempt to figure it out, she recreates the death scene in miniature-- what she calls "death in a nutshell." With the help of a rookie police officer, Maple uses her miniature to dig into the town's secrets... and that makes a murderer very unhappy.
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With my interest in dollhouses and miniatures and the author finding inspiration in Frances Glessner Lee, the mother of forensic science, Death in the Details was a book I could not resist. For the most part, this is a very promising start to a new historical series.
The mystery is a strong one and used a factor in World War II life on the homefront that I seldom think about. The cast of characters is also strong. Maple is smart, has a very handy photographic memory, and has a knack for gathering friends around her-- something which she doesn't seem to be completely aware of.
Her best friend Charlotte and Charlotte's husband Hank run the diner in town, and although I do like Charlotte, if she kept walking into my house unannounced, she wouldn't be my friend for long. Ben, a half-Japanese hardware store owner, Ginger Comstock ("Gossip Central"), and rookie police officer Kenny Quirk round out the major players. Oh, I almost forgot one! Sheriff Sam Scott started life as a cardboard lawman, but I am happy to say that he didn't stay that way.
But... as strong as the mystery and the characters are, one thing really annoyed me: slipshod editing. The book takes place in 1946. When the sheriff tells Maple "Don't get your pantyhose in a twist," it stopped me in my tracks. Did they have pantyhose in 1946? I had to stop and do a little investigating. No, they did not. So... when I find an error like that, it makes me suspicious. Yellowjackets that were hereafter referred to as bees didn't help, and then I found myself doing some digging on the subjects of seatbelts and plywood among other things.
Death in the Details is a strong mystery with a good cast of characters. Unfortunately, it is a bit weak in the details. Will I read the next book in the series? Yes, but I won't be in a rush to do so.
Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen
eISBN: 9781639107193
Crooked Lane Books © 2024
eBook, 288 pages
Historical Mystery, #1 Maple Bishop mystery
Rating: C+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.
Oh, I have to say that editing is a thing of mine, too, Cathy! Those details really do matter, and they can take a reader right out of the book. I'm sorry to hear this one wasn't better at editing. That said, though, it sounds like a promising novel and a solid story.
ReplyDeleteIt is a solid story and a promising start to a new series.
DeleteGood catch on the pantyhose question. Every so often I wonder about that kind of thing in a historical fiction novel, and I never can get it out of the back of my mind without trying to find the answer. But I'm usually wrong.
ReplyDeleteI can remember reading one historical mystery that kept jerking me out of the story by the esoteric tidbits the author would keep throwing in. The author was always right, but after the sixth time, it just felt like he was showing off, and I got tired of it.
DeleteAh, well. I have been interested in this one because of the storyline and the 'murder scene' miniatures. Yes, I can see that the pantyhose error would catch your eye. Is this the author's debut book? Maybe in the future, her research will be a little more precise. Good to hear about the story though. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI believe it is her debut, so-- fingers crossed!
DeleteI hate when they get historic details like that wrong...especially when it's so easy to check these days. But both the characters and the mystery in this one sound good.
ReplyDeleteThey are. :-)
DeleteThe slipshod editing would annoy me no end. Maybe it comes from being married to an editor! I believe I will give this one a miss.
ReplyDeleteI can see this one making you want to throw it against the wall, so that might be a good idea.
Delete