Madness In Miniature-Margaret Grace

Madness In Miniature Margaret Grace Perseverance Press, Apr 7 2014, $7.99 ISBN: 9781564745439 On summer vacation, tweener Maddie enjoys spending time with her grandmother retired English teacher Geraldine "Gerry" Porter in Lincoln Point, California. The pair carries Gerry's latest dollhouses to the soon to be opened craft chain store SuperKrafts. However, as they walk together, they overhear a heated debate between shopkeepers Maisie Bosley of Maisie’s Card Shop and Bebe Mellon of DIY Ceramics; both sold their stores for different reasons to the giant chain. Gerry and Maddie also meet returning native Catherine Duncan who is selling the concept of the superstore to the locals. Arriving from New York for the Grand Opening is CEO Craig Palmer III. He is barely in town when a minor earthquake strikes leaving him the only one dead. Gerry’s nephew LPPD Detective Skip looks into the visitor’s death, which turns out not to be from the quake but instead a homicide with apparently Bebe as the prime suspect. Not believing her friend is a killer, Gerry and her eleven year old sidekick investigate. The latest Miniature Mystery (see Mix-up in Miniature, Mourning In Miniature and Monster In Miniature) is a wonderful cozy starring a dynamic amateur sleuth team. The case is fun, but takes a back seat to the interesting look into town relationships especially with the schism caused by the dispute over the pros and cons of the new superstore. Harriet Klausner