Where do you go when your life implodes on the Internet in front of millions of viewers? Well, if you’re me, Scarlett Parker, you hop the first plane out of Tampa, Florida and jet across the pond to your grandmother’s hat shop in Notting Hill. London, that is.
On the scale of bad break ups, with one being the “it’s not you it’s me” and ten being the “crazy ex-boyfriend stalker showing up at your wedding,” my break up would stick a solid nine point nine landing. The boyfriend of two years, who also happened to be my boss, yeah, he was still married. And I found this out when I walked into the anniversary party he was hosting for his wife at the hotel I managed for him. Good times.
I have no recall of the events, but apparently, according to the video that went viral, I have a pretty good cake flinging arm. So, needless to say, when my cousin Vivian called to check up on me after this fiasco, I was in a bit of a funk.
Now our grandmother, Mim, had passed away five years before and left her hat shop Mim’s Whims to the two of us. Viv was a natural fit as she grew up in Notting Hill and had helped in the shop since we were kids. Nowadays she is considered one of the hottest milliners in London and her career is definitely on the rise. Me? Well, hats are not my gift. The few hats I attempted over the years all came out looking like chamber pots. As you can imagine, there’s not a big market for hats like that. Pity.
My parents raised me in the States, but having spent all of my school holidays in London with Mim and Viv, I could feel the lure of a properly brewed cup of tea, clotted cream and cottage pies drawing me back to my mother’s homeland. Truth to be told, I hadn’t been back since I’d started seeing the rat bastard boyfriend and I felt a bit guilty about leaving Viv alone to deal with the business all by herself.
You can imagine my surprise when I came out of the underground at Notting Hill Gate, and it was not Viv who was waiting for me but her business manager Harrison Wentworth. Having just been burned by a good looking man, I was not inclined to trust him right away, but then he told me that his uncle had been Mim’s business manager and he had taken on the role when his uncle retired. That seemed reasonable.
It was not until we were on our way to the shop, however, that he told me the real reason he was picking me up instead of Viv. It wasn’t because she was meeting with a client or had gotten caught up in the throes of her latest project. Oh, no. The truth was my cousin Viv was missing.
Thanks to Penguin, I have one (1) copy of CLOCHE AND DAGGER to give away. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. The book will be shipped directly from the publisher. Contest ends August 8; US entries only per publisher’s request.
You can read more about Scarlett in Cloche and Dagger, the first book in the new “Hat Shop” mystery series.
Meet the author
A true Anglophile, Jenn McKinlay loves all things British. In her idea of a perfect world, every day would include high tea or wearing a fabulous hat, or both. This adoration of all things U.K. inspired her to write the “Hat Shop” Mysteries, which are set in London, one of her most favorite cities in the world. She now gets to visit London regularly—for research purposes, of course. Jenn is the New York Times bestselling author of the “Library Lover’s” mysteries, the “Cupcake Bakery” mysteries and writes under the names Josie Belle and Lucy Lawrence as well.
Visit Jenn at her website and on Facebook.
Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
Wow, if that little intro is any indication, sign me up, because I didn’t see the missing cousin coming! This sounds like a great read! I am an Anglophile myself, so you had me there, but I love the premise of this as well.
Wow…great introduction…count me in…Dee
ok, we need to seriously cut down on the work hours, so i can up the reading hours!!!
another new cozy series!!!
thank you for the giveaway!!
I have been looking forward to this book for months! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
This sounds like it will be a fun new series, can’t wait to read it. Thank you for the chance to win.
This is already on my TBR list. Sounds like a fun read. Thanks.
Love a new series…love jenn Mckinlay. I love London and hats.
Love hats and what a unique idea. Looking forward to this one.
I have really enjoyed all of Jenn’s books and can’t wait to meet Scarlett for real in her new book! Thanks for the chance to win!
Having read just about every one of Jenn’s books and enjoying them tremendously, I am sure that I will love her new series, the Hat Shop series. I would be thrilled to be the recipient of this book so thank you for the giveaway. Keep up the great writing, Jenn, and thank you Dru, for the adorable interview with the author.
My cousin’s daughter married a Brit and lived in London for five years before he was able to get a transfer to the state from his company.
I’d love to win a copy of this book to share with my cousins and ask them if they ever visited the actual sites that might be mentioned in the book.
This book looks absolutely delightful! I am working on a novel that includes Royal Navy characters, so I’m looking forward to Jenn’s book which, no doubt, will include a delicious foray into the Anglophile world.
Love this author’s previous works and always want to get in on the ground floor of a great new series.
Love the sound of this book, I live in Florida and use to live in England, I’d give anything to be able to move back over 🙂 I think I could really relate .
Would love to win this
oh, my goodness! This book just sailed to the top of my “must read” pile. Sounds like such a fun antidote to the work week. Plus, I’m pretty sure I can get away with wearing a fancy hat while reading, you know, just to keep in the spirit 😉
Oh, but this sounds like a fabulous cozy! I love anything that takes place in London. Absolutely can’t wait to read this one!!
What a fun read this is going to be. Haven’t read any of this author’s books but I can tell she is someone to add to my btr list. Thanks for the opportunity to win this one.
This is right up my hat shop and definitely my cup of tea.
Fun idea – sounds like another book I must find – Ms McKinlay will be a new to me author.
Having been brought up and live in the States and lived in Scotland for 18 months..I cant wait to read this!
Thanks
I love hats and fell right at home with things British. I’m dying to read this book!
I am also an Anglophile, even to having a red telephone booth as my cell phone cover. I have so many hats and wish i would remember to wear them.
Oooh. This sounds good. Can’t wait to find out where Viv is. 🙂
Sounds like another winner from Jenn McKinlay. I am looking forward to the mystery and the hats!
Oh yes—it’s on my tbr list—a good British mystery is so much fun.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Sounds like another hit to me & I can’t wait to read it. You are one busy writer. Thanks for the giveaway, and please keep up the writing. I look forward to sitting back & relaxing, laughing & sighing with your books.
I’ve been waiting for this book to come out! Love all her other books and can’t wait to read this one, explore London – maybe while wearing a hat!!
I can’t wait for this one!
Sounds great, I can’t wait to read it.
I have read almost all your books. Love them! I can’t wait for this series.
I love both of her other series so I’m sure that I will love this one too.
Sounds like my cup of tea, alright!
I love Jenn’s books, can’t wait to read this one.
I’m already a big fan of Jenn McKinlay’s books, and I’ve been waiting for this one for some time now! I can’t wait to enjoy it!
I know Jenn McKinlay’s writing, so I know this will be excellent!
I want to know what happened to cousin Viv!
I’ve made 20 trips to England since 1974, so this sounds like my cup of tea. Love to read this book. Count me in. Thanks. judydee22002@yahoo dot com
A British mystery with a missing cousin — what’s not to like. Include me in this giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity.
I haven’t heard of this series before so thank your for the intro, Sounds great!
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
Yes, I’m in on this one, looking forward to reading it!
Jenn McKinlay has a knack for writing cozy mystries, I will enjoy reading the Hat Shop Mysteries
Another Cozy my daughter would love, thank you for the chance to win it for her.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
This book sounds so good. I love Jenn McKinlay!
Love Jenn’s other series. Looking forward to reading this one.
This sounds like a book I would enjoy! Thank you for the giveaway!
Looks very good. I can’t wait to read this one.
Oh, I’ve been waiting on this new Mystery Series ~ It sounds delightful. Thanks for the enticing snippet of a day with Scarlett ~ Thank you for the wonderful giveaway, Dru Ann. I’ve added Cloche and Dagger to my TBR List and I can’t wait to read it. Cheers~ Elizabeth MacGregor
I’ve been a bit house bound this summer due to a couple of surgeries I hadn’t planned on. Can’t wait for this newest book to come out so I can read it. Once I really get into a book, I tend to lose focus on anything going on around me and I also forget to go to bed. (well, technically I’m already IN bed since I’m supposed to stay down.) Since my computer is upstairs and I’m really not supposed to be going up or down them, it makes it difficult to check out what contests are going on. Today, I bribed the dogs with their favorite cookies, to remain silent and not tell on me when “Dad” gets home from work! Really hope I end up winning a copy of the book.
Thanks Jenn for letting Scarlett show us the way.
contest is closed.
I love everything I have read by Jenn McKinlay…I have no doubt I will love this new series also!
Im seeing this too late to enter, – but just wanted to add that I love Jenn McKinlays’ books! Looking forward to reading this one!
Love Jenn’s other series – looking forward to this one.