Death By Diamonds by Annette Blair is the third book in the “Vintage Magic” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin), July 2010
Madeira loves her vintage clothing store, but the visions she gets from the garments can be hard to handle, especially when she knows the garment’s owner.
At first she’s thrilled to receive a package containing the beautifully bejeweled dress she designed for actress and old friend Dominique DeLong while in fashion school. But the dress comes with a disturbing note from Dominique, who it seems took her last bow under very mysterious circumstances.
Now Maddie needs to use her second sight to shine a spotlight on the actress’s entire entourage—including a bitter ex, a rival ingenue, and a very catty “best friend”—and make sure that this was the killer’s final act.
When Maddie’s vision suggests that her friend’s death was not what it appears to be, Maddie, Eve and friends head to New York and wherever Maddie and Eve goes, trouble follows. From *bereaved* relatives and jealous co-workers, Maddie is sure that one of them killed her friend and now she needs to find tangible proof. What I liked about this book was watching Maddie, an amateur sleuth, working together with the FBI and a police detective from the moment she suspected her friend was murdered. Okay, said FBI was her boy toy and the detective a good friend; it was just good to see it from the beginning. I love seeing snippets of the past come alive when Maddie touches or wear vintage clothing. The characters are all lovable in their own quirky and eccentric way and I look forward to my visits with them. Any book that embraces and makes me shed tears is a darn good read. This is an enchanting story that makes you believe.
previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog