Mix-Up in Miniature by Margaret Grace, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Miniature craft enthusiast Geraldine "Gerry" Porter is in charge of her group's fundraiser this year, and is thrilled that bestselling author Varena Young has agreed to help out by donating one of her own dollhouses to raffle off. But soon after Gerry meets Varena in her home, the author excuses herself. Gerry overhears an argument taking place, and quietly leaves herself only to learn later that Varena had been murdered. Gerry is shocked beyond belief, but decides that since she was one of the last people to see Varena alive she might be able to help identify her killer in Mix-Up in Miniature, the sixth mystery in this series by Margaret Grace.

When Gerry first arrived at Varena's home, a maid escorted her into a drawing room, where she had to wait a few minutes while Varena finished a conversation with her brother. Gerry heard at least two male voices at the time, so someone else was also there. After Varena is killed, Gerry asks her assistant if she can speak to Varena's brother, but is told that he died when he was a child. She then looks for the maid, and is told that there is no maid. Who exactly were the people in the house when Gerry first visited? The mystery deepens when a dollhouse is left on Gerry's doorstep, one that contains a secret room that may hold the clue to Varena's murder.

Though Mix-Up in Miniature includes some stock characters — Gerry's son is a police officer assigned to investigate the case and her granddaughter is a computer whiz — they are all engaging and in particular, Gerry herself is a delight. The miniature craft theme of the series is appropriately integrated into this particular story, which also includes some fascinating facts and interesting details about dollhouses. This is a fun, nicely told mystery, one worth seeking out.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Mix-Up in Miniature.

Acknowledgment: Perseverance Press provided a copy of Mix-Up in Miniature for this review.

Madness in Miniature
Perseverance Press (Trade Paperback), April 2014
ISBN-13: 9781564745439; ISBN-10: 1564745430

Mix-Up in Miniature

A Geraldine Porter Mystery by Margaret Grace