A killing in costumes by Zac Bissonnette

 

Name of Book: A killing in costumes

Author: Zac Bissonnette

ISBN: 9781639100866

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books 

Part of a Series: Hollywood Mysteries

Type of book: cozy mystery, romance, LGBT+ main characters, Florida, poisonings, Hollywood, family, relationships, pets, contemporary times 

Year it was published: 2022

Summary:

Stardom fades fast when you’re on the line for murder, in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Jenn McKinlay.

Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper were soap opera stars in the late ’90s, a wholesome young husband-and-wife duo who combined musical talent with humor and charisma. When the truth about their sexual orientations came to light, their marriage and TV careers ended, but decades later they have remained friends. Together, they open Palm Springs’ chicest movie memorabilia store, Hooray for Hollywood--but no customers and dwindling finances spell trouble.

A Hail Mary arrives in the form of Yana Tosh, a ninety-year-old diva of the silver screen who has amassed a valuable collection of costumes and props and is looking to sell. But first, Jay and Cindy have to beat their competition, a vice president from a mega-auction house with ten times their resources. And when he winds up dead, they become prime suspects in the murder.

With their freedom and livelihoods on the line, Jay and Cindy desperately need to clear their names. There are plenty of other potential suspects, but they'll have to solve it soon before they're forced to trade in their vintage costume collection for two orange jumpsuits.

Characters:

Main characters would be Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper while supporting ones are Yana Tosh and few others like her financial advisors. Jay Allan has recently moved from Las Vegas to Florida and is a people charmer as well as warm and gregarious and extremely creative. Cindy Cooper has recently lost the love of her life and started Hooray for Hollywood in honor of her love. She is mathematical, logical and is more business oriented than Jay. Yana Tosh is a former Hollywood starlet who is looking to share her wealth with others and is willing to part with many of her treasures. She seems to love drama and often plays Hooray for Hollywood against a well more established candidate Cypress. 

Theme:

Have faith in world 

Plot:

The story is written in third person narrative from Jays and Cindy's points of view. Cindy and Jay used to be married but then both discovered shocking secrets about themselves, which caused them to separate and then reunite to open up Hooray for Hollywood. However, money issues ensue as well as a high venture competitive coassignment for a former movie star Yana Tosh. I have to say that the last half of story was very unpredictable and really made my mouth drop open. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

New York Times bestselling author Zac Bissonnette's most recent book is 2015’s The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute. He is an equity analyst at a hedge fund, and lives in New York City with his partner and a tuxedo cat named Perry Como.

Opinion:

This novel had a lot of firsts for me: my introduction to cozy mystery genre , main characters LGBT+, and learning about the world of Hollywood memorabilia. Also, for those interested in diversifying reading, the mystery is considered an ownvoices novel. The novel did do a good job in helping me understand and appreciate why cozy mysteries are very popular. In the story itself there are plenty of things to love such as the teamwork of Jay and Cindy and how each balanced the other out as well as information and dedication to memorabilia. Yes I also loved the mystery, especially the subtle twists and turns the novel took. I also should note that the first death was a man dying, not woman. In fact I am not sure if a woman does die in the novel? Also, awesome book cover.  

This was given for review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)