A Fatal Collection by Mary Ellen Hughes - #review

Callie Reed makes a long overdue visit to her aunt Melodie, who lives in a fairy-tale cottage in quaint Keepsake Cove, home to a bevy of unique collectible shops on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Just as they’re beginning to reconnect, Callie discovers her aunt’s body on the floor of her music box shop. Grief-stricken, Callie finds she can’t accept Melodie’s death being called accidental. How could her strong and healthy aunt take such a fatal fall? And why was she there in the middle of the night?


As Callie searches for the truth, signs seem to come from her late aunt through a favorite music box, urging Callie on. Or are they warnings? If Callie isn’t careful, she could meet a similar deadly fate amid Melodie’s collection.

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MY REVIEW

I love a good cozy mystery, and the start of a new series is something special indeed  I don't qualify as a hoarder, but I am a pack rat, so collecting is kind of in my blood.  So a new cozy series about collecting?  Where do I sign up???

One thing I've learned about cozy mysteries is that is often (ok, all the time) ticks off the villains when someone tries to solve the mystery.  Another thing I've learned about cozy heroines is that they have a talent for investigation, and therefore, of ticking off the villains.  On top of that, the victim is Callie's aunt, so my advice to the culprit(s) would be to just go and turn yourself in, cause you're going down.

But that would make for a very short book.  That's why Mary Ellen Hughes writes the cozy mystery books and I enjoy them! *lol*

I understand that it's tough to reconnect with lost or estranged relatives.  We basically lost touch with my father's side of the family after his passing, and I've recently re-connected with a couple of cousins on Facebook.  I regret the time it took (we're talking decades  here), but am glad that is no longer an issue.  So, if I were Callie and that opportunity for reconciliation was snatched away just as it was getting going?

One aspect I really enjoy is that Callie got 'signs' in the investigation from her aunt's favorite music box!  Coincidence?  Maybe ... and maybe not.  Anyway, these signs give Callie a sense of accomplishment in finding out what really happened to Aunt Melodie.  Just having the box is also a comfort as it brings up the good memories of the departed as well.

Keepsakes can have great emotional value and connection to an event or person.    And some collectors are downright... obsessed!  A Fatal Collection is downright enjoyable and holds great promise for the future.

Happy Book Birthday, Ms. Hughes!

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MEET THE AUTHOR

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Mary Ellen Hughes is the bestselling author of the Pickled and Preserved Mysteries (Penguin), the Craft Corner Mysteries, and the Maggie Olenski Mysteries, along with several short stories. A Fatal Collection is her debut with Midnight Ink. A Wisconsin native, she has lived most of her adult life in Maryland, where she’s set many of her stories. 

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(Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the author and publishers via Great Escapes Virtual Blog Tours and NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.)