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mjbookie's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
mollyringle's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
Listened to audiobook - narrators Melanie Carey and Paul Bellatoni were fabulous! Fun story.
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
3.0
A Killing in Costumes is a light cozy mystery with two gay protagonists. The point-of-view switches between Jay and Cindy. I wish the point-of-view had alternated chapters instead of switching randomly (I would have preferred third person). It was made more challenging with Cindy telling us how Jay felt about Jay’s attraction to the detective (shouldn’t Jay be telling us how he feels) or Jay telling us that Cindy is getting angry. The characters lacked development. We are given some basic background information. I wanted more details that would bring the characters to life. I did feel that the information we are given on Jay and Cindy does not jive with their age. We get to learn the ins and out of the movie memorabilia business. There are numerous descriptions of movie props, posters, and costumes. All the descriptions slow down the pacing considerably. The whodunit was straightforward. We have a dead man, several suspects, and a red herring or two. It takes one clue to solve the mystery. The pacing does pick up near the end as Cindy and Jay are discovering the final details they need to solve the crime and have a dramatic reveal. I got tired of being told that Cindy drove a Jurassic Park Explorer and the horror movie table was mentioned nine times. As you can tell, A Killing in Costumes was not my type of book. A Killing in Costumes is a blithe cozy mystery with movie memorabilia, slow sales, a prima donna nonagenarian, a murdered competitor, killer costumes, a lethal envelope, a dispassionate son, a shady assistant, and an iffy financier.
courtagonist's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
the_gare_bear's review
5.0
A great murder mystery. As someone who loves movies and things relating to movies, I found the characters quite entertaining. The story was good and not to over the top. Quite an enjoyable read. I look forward to seeing more from this series.
kimdavishb's review
4.0
A KILLING IN COSTUMES, is the first book in the brand-new Hollywood Treasures Mysteries by Zac Bissonnette. With over-the-top (in a good way!) entertaining protagonists, former spouses Cindy Cooper and Jay Allen, gives this book a solid start to what I hope is an enduring series. My only quibble is that I wasn’t always sure whose POV was in charge since it swaps back and forth. I greatly enjoyed that they are older than most cozy mystery sleuths and with their life experiences, the pair convey relatability and authenticity. Their witty banter brought humor to the story and their references to classic movies and actors (I loved their pets named Mae West and Bob Hope) brought a sense of nostalgia. I also appreciated the positive portrayal of the LBGTQ+ community throughout the book. It was deftly woven into the story without distracting from the well-plotted mystery. With enough suspects to keep me guessing, I didn’t figure out the perpetrator until Cindy and Jay did. Looking back on the clues provided, they were there but I was so immersed in the fun read, I missed their importance… which is the sign of an entertaining book!
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
jjyauch's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette is a fun cozy mystery filled to the brim with camp. Red herrings mixed with tons of pop culture references and nostalgia make this a hard to predict mystery. The two main characters seamlessly bring great queer representation to the story. A must read for fans of camp, hollywood's golden age, and cozy mystery fans.
jjyauch's review
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette is a fun cozy mystery filled to the brim with camp. Red herrings mixed with tons of pop culture references and nostalgia make this a hard to predict mystery. The two main characters seamlessly bring great queer representation to the story. A must read for fans of camp, hollywood's golden age, and cozy mystery fans.
colorfulleo92's review
5.0
Maybe more of 4.5 stars read but I really enjoyed this first book in a cozy mystery series. Unfortunately this is a brand new series and don't look like there is any more books yet to binge but I'm highly looking forward to read the next one when it comes out eventually
hannagg's review
4.0
Imagine a cute, Old Hollywood memorabilia store in Palm Springs: here, a customer can browse vintage film magazines while sitting at the authentic horror movie table, stained with fake blood, and admire legendary costumes, perhaps even try on a green beret worn by John Wayne in "The Green Berets." This is a dream come true for Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan, who own "Hooray for Hollywood." The couple used to be soap opera stars, but their careers ended when they disclosed their sexual orientation. At the same time, and for the same reason, their marriage dissolved in divorce, but they remained best friends and business partners.
The business is not doing well, but the upcoming deal with a 90-year-old retired movie star and true diva, Yana Tosh, promises it will change for the better. Yana embodies Old Hollywood, and her costume collection is legendary; everything is authenticated, with a letter describing how the piece was acquired. Cindy and Jay are sure they will get the exclusive rights to sell it, but a larger competitor, Dylan Redman, comes into the picture. It's almost too convenient for Jay and Cindy when Dylan is murdered, so the handsome detective Simon Fletcher becomes suspicious of the couple's intentions. On the other hand, a poisoned envelope addressed to Jay suggests that he might be the target. The "odd couple" – Simon sees them as Bonnie and Clyde – decides to take the matter into their own hands and investigate the case.
This is the fiction debut of Zac Bissonnette, and I enjoyed the plot's twists. The frequent name-dropping will surely delight all movie buffs reading this cozy mystery. It's an entertaining story, but it's not just a shallow whodunit as the author adds some insight into loss and grief, showings how genuine friendship and determination help to deal with life's difficulties. And, of course, the fact that two protagonists are gay is a departure from the traditional amateur sleuth image. Still, I thought that Cindy and Jay were not as interesting as the story's villain. I hope Zac Bissonnette will continue developing the main characters in the following books of this series. It's going to be interesting to see Cindy and Jay's next big case!
The business is not doing well, but the upcoming deal with a 90-year-old retired movie star and true diva, Yana Tosh, promises it will change for the better. Yana embodies Old Hollywood, and her costume collection is legendary; everything is authenticated, with a letter describing how the piece was acquired. Cindy and Jay are sure they will get the exclusive rights to sell it, but a larger competitor, Dylan Redman, comes into the picture. It's almost too convenient for Jay and Cindy when Dylan is murdered, so the handsome detective Simon Fletcher becomes suspicious of the couple's intentions. On the other hand, a poisoned envelope addressed to Jay suggests that he might be the target. The "odd couple" – Simon sees them as Bonnie and Clyde – decides to take the matter into their own hands and investigate the case.
This is the fiction debut of Zac Bissonnette, and I enjoyed the plot's twists. The frequent name-dropping will surely delight all movie buffs reading this cozy mystery. It's an entertaining story, but it's not just a shallow whodunit as the author adds some insight into loss and grief, showings how genuine friendship and determination help to deal with life's difficulties. And, of course, the fact that two protagonists are gay is a departure from the traditional amateur sleuth image. Still, I thought that Cindy and Jay were not as interesting as the story's villain. I hope Zac Bissonnette will continue developing the main characters in the following books of this series. It's going to be interesting to see Cindy and Jay's next big case!