Crushed Velvet by Diane Vallere

I just love when a new part comes out for a series I that I had been waiting for. I felt pretty lucky to get in on the first part of the Material Witness Mystery series by Diane Vallere, so as soon as I spotted part two, Crushed Velvet, I grabbed it and started to devour it!

From the back of the book:

Fabric shop owner Polyester Monroe is back in business—this time getting wrapped up in a diabolical but crafty case of murder.

With opening day of Material Girl approaching, Poly is stocking up on lush fabrics, colorful notions, and best of all, a proprietary weave of velvet. But upon delivery, it’s not quite the blend she expected, being ninety-percent silk and ten-percent corpse. Crushed under a dozen bolts of fabric is Phil Girard. His wife, Genevieve, local tea shop owner and close friend of Poly, is the prime suspect.

Granted, Phil may not have been the perfect husband, but surely Genevieve had no reason to kill him! There’s just the small matter of Genevieve’s own incriminating confession: I’m afraid I killed my husband. Now, as Material Girl’s grand opening looms, Poly is torn between a friendship pulling apart at the seams—and finding a smooth killer with a velvet touch…

My thoughts:

This part has everything I hoped for and loved from the first part. Poly really is such a great character and so easy to relate to. Also rejoining us were my two favorite side characters, Charlie and Vaughn. Since this focused on Genevieve I enjoyed the extra time to get to know her. 

Of course in addition to great characters there was also a fun mystery. Everything was paced nicely and there were some interesting suspects that ended up revealing more about the characters, which made things very interesting. I found the resolution satisfying and loved getting to spend more time living in this cozy world created by Diane Vallere.

In the back you will find a teaser to the next part, I am so excited to see that! Plus you will also find a fun craft. Pick up your copy today and you might as well grab Suede to Rest the first part as well because, trust me, you will want to read it as well.

Take some time to browse the other great mysteries available from Berkley Prime Crime. While you are there, you can sign up for the newsletter so you never miss a new release. I must warn you though, after browsing my wish list is longer than I could probably read. You can also connect with them on Twitter where can happen across a fun giveaway as well. 

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.