Iced Chiffon by Duffy Brown is the first book in the new “Consignment Shop” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, October 2012

There’s always something to gossip about in Savannah, Georgia, and Reagan Summerside always seems to be in the middle of it. She’s busy enough running her consignment shop, The Prissy Fox, with her vivacious Auntie KiKi, but now the gossip—and the sales—are about to pick up after a gruesome discovery.

Reagan’s messy divorce has left her with nothing but a run-down Victorian and a bunch of designer clothes. Strapped for cash, Reagan makes use of the two things she has left, turning the first floor of her home into a consignment shop and filling it with the remnants of her rich-wife wardrobe.

Thanks to his cunning lawyer Walker Boone, her ex got everything else, including the Lexus—not to mention a young blond cupcake. When Reagan finds the cupcake dead in the Lexus, she’s determined to beat Boone to finding the murderer. As it turns out, the gossip fiends flooding Reagan’s shop will give her a lot more than just their unwanted clothes—they have information more precious than a vintage Louis Vuitton.

I love this book. Reagan Summerside may be down and out but this spitfire knows what she is doing when it comes to saving her treasured home. With her aunt Kiki by her side, she’ll scour the streets of Savannah to find a killer and nothing will stop her; not even threats against her own life.

This lighthearted drama pulls you in immediately and doesn’t let you go until the final page. With so many potential suspects the author does a good job in keeping the mystery exciting with so many twists and turns that it’s hard to put this book down. The situations that Reagan finds herself in and out add comedic interludes as she searches for a killer. This book had everything, laughter, a good mystery and the possibilities of a friendship and/or romance not yet seen. Reagan is adorable and her aunt is a hoot and her friends add supporting roles in this delightfully charming whodunit. Boasting southern charm with a quirky cast of characters and great dialogue, this is a terrific start to what I hope is a long-running series.