Breaking the Mould by Victoria Hamilton is the eighth book in the “Vintage Kitchen” mystery series. Publisher: Beyond The Page, November 2018.
Now that Thanksgiving’s behind her, vintage cookware enthusiast Jaymie Leighton Müller is excitedly making plans for the upcoming Dickens Days festival—the town’s month-long celebration leading up to Christmas. With a hot cider booth on the village green to warm the hearts and bodies of the townsfolk and a diorama featuring a scene from A Christmas Carol, things are shaping up for a festive season—until the town’s local Scrooge is found murdered, a vintage pudding mould covering his cracked skull.
Nearly everyone had a reason to dislike Evan Nezer—either for his bullying ways or his obnoxious arrogance—but with his body being found in Jaymie’s diorama, she’ll have to figure out who hated him enough to see him dead. With many suspects and even more secrets coming to the surface as she investigates, Jaymie feels buried by a blizzard of clues. But with Dickens Days on hold until the police can nab the killer, she’s determined to catch the culprit so the ghost of Evan Nezer doesn’t cast a pall over the whole Christmas season.
Includes a vintage recipe!
This was an enjoyable read and I liked that the drama within the pages bridged the holiday season with murder and mayhem. I like the comfortable tone and the pacing which made it easy to following along with the various characters as the roles they play were pivotal. The author did a great job in presenting an engaging tale with plenty of suspects and Jaymie has to weigh in with her investigative skills as she seeks clues to the killer’s motive and identity. What I liked best is every time I thought I had a handle on who the killer was, the author changed the direction with a few twists and turns that enhanced the telling of this narrative. This was a great read and I look forward to Jaymie’s next adventure. Bonus to me was seeing Jaymie embrace her new marriage and stepdaughter.