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Maggie Bishop
Perfect for Framing
Perfect for Framing
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Review by schuyler kaufman for Carolina Mountain Life
In "Perfect for Framing," Maggie Bishop brings back Jemma Chase, the engaging heroine of "Murder at Blue Falls," and Tucker (whose first name appears to be Detective), one of Bishop’s most romantic heroes—intelligent, sympathetic, and gorgeous—a refreshing change from the stereotypical police detectives in this genre of mystery).
This time, carpenter/photographer/dude-ranch trail-boss/CSI-hopeful Jemma becomes entangled in the murder of the power-abusive President of a nearby property owners’ association. Naturally, Jemma’s involvement is both a distraction and a delight for Detective Tucker.
As a victim, Petula Windsor is perfect for killing. As suspects, the subdivision’s resentful property owners would throw a barbecue celebrating Petula’s death if they dared. In the first paragraph, Jemma hears one property owner say her death “might be a relief to a lot of us.”
Readers who know Bishop’s work, however, also know better than to jump to conclusions. Perfect for Framing turns and twists like ski tracks on Sugar Mountain. In a masterful stroke, Bishop tucks the key to the mystery into a one-page prologue. No—I’m not giving anything away. If you reach the end, find the connection, and don’t slap your forehead, it’s likely because you’re not the forehead-slapping sort.
Bishop’s delightful cast of reality-based local characters round out the dramatis personnae, including one first responder named Maggie.
Perfect for Framing is, in short, a delicious romance wrapped up in a brain-tickler of a mystery with a solution that can, in the end, be both frustrating and satisfying—frustrating because it’s hard to unravel; yet satisfying, because when the solution is revealed, it feels inevitable.
Find yourself a cat or two, a comfy couch, and some time alone, then settle in for a story that is as deftly crafted as Jemma’s cabinetry, and entertaining as Tucker’s bemusement when Jemma gets it right—again!
Our State Magazine, reviewed by Elizabeth Langfahl
Boone author Maggie Bishop brings back carpenter, photographer, and unabashed “SCI” wannabe Jemma Chase in the second of her Appalachian Adventure Mystery series. In “Perfect for Framing,” Jemma finds herself entangled in a web of neighborhood intrigue after she accepts a custom cabinet-making job in an up-and-coming mountain development, Hickory Hills. At the same time, energetic Jemma is in pursuit of a job with the sheriff’s department, where the man she is “keeping company” with, Detective Tucker, is employed.
While installing cabinetry in the home of a local resident, Jemma learns that power-hungry, rich, and attractive Property Owners Association President Petula Windsor has made many enemies in Hickory Hills and beyond. Petula hires Jemma to build cabinetry for her guesthouse. Neighborhood intrigue escalates when Jemma discovers Petula’s body in the burning guesthouse.
Although Detective Tucker is understandably reluctant to include Jemma in the murder investigation, Jemma’s natural instincts and knowledge of Petula’s foes and friends prove to be invaluable, even as Tucker finds his own life threatened. Together, Tucker and Jemma begin to discern the true nature of Petula’s many relationships and discover the identity of her killer. In a surprising twist, Jemma also discovers what is really worth pursuing in her own life.
“Perfect for Framing” is a fun, fast-paced read with lots of local flavor. Although the mystery surrounding Petula’s demise will keep you quickly turning pages, what’s ultimately most satisfying is keeping company with the characters of Jemma and Tucker in this mountain adventure.
In "Perfect for Framing," Maggie Bishop brings back Jemma Chase, the engaging heroine of "Murder at Blue Falls," and Tucker (whose first name appears to be Detective), one of Bishop’s most romantic heroes—intelligent, sympathetic, and gorgeous—a refreshing change from the stereotypical police detectives in this genre of mystery).
This time, carpenter/photographer/dude-ranch trail-boss/CSI-hopeful Jemma becomes entangled in the murder of the power-abusive President of a nearby property owners’ association. Naturally, Jemma’s involvement is both a distraction and a delight for Detective Tucker.
As a victim, Petula Windsor is perfect for killing. As suspects, the subdivision’s resentful property owners would throw a barbecue celebrating Petula’s death if they dared. In the first paragraph, Jemma hears one property owner say her death “might be a relief to a lot of us.”
Readers who know Bishop’s work, however, also know better than to jump to conclusions. Perfect for Framing turns and twists like ski tracks on Sugar Mountain. In a masterful stroke, Bishop tucks the key to the mystery into a one-page prologue. No—I’m not giving anything away. If you reach the end, find the connection, and don’t slap your forehead, it’s likely because you’re not the forehead-slapping sort.
Bishop’s delightful cast of reality-based local characters round out the dramatis personnae, including one first responder named Maggie.
Perfect for Framing is, in short, a delicious romance wrapped up in a brain-tickler of a mystery with a solution that can, in the end, be both frustrating and satisfying—frustrating because it’s hard to unravel; yet satisfying, because when the solution is revealed, it feels inevitable.
Find yourself a cat or two, a comfy couch, and some time alone, then settle in for a story that is as deftly crafted as Jemma’s cabinetry, and entertaining as Tucker’s bemusement when Jemma gets it right—again!
Our State Magazine, reviewed by Elizabeth Langfahl
Boone author Maggie Bishop brings back carpenter, photographer, and unabashed “SCI” wannabe Jemma Chase in the second of her Appalachian Adventure Mystery series. In “Perfect for Framing,” Jemma finds herself entangled in a web of neighborhood intrigue after she accepts a custom cabinet-making job in an up-and-coming mountain development, Hickory Hills. At the same time, energetic Jemma is in pursuit of a job with the sheriff’s department, where the man she is “keeping company” with, Detective Tucker, is employed.
While installing cabinetry in the home of a local resident, Jemma learns that power-hungry, rich, and attractive Property Owners Association President Petula Windsor has made many enemies in Hickory Hills and beyond. Petula hires Jemma to build cabinetry for her guesthouse. Neighborhood intrigue escalates when Jemma discovers Petula’s body in the burning guesthouse.
Although Detective Tucker is understandably reluctant to include Jemma in the murder investigation, Jemma’s natural instincts and knowledge of Petula’s foes and friends prove to be invaluable, even as Tucker finds his own life threatened. Together, Tucker and Jemma begin to discern the true nature of Petula’s many relationships and discover the identity of her killer. In a surprising twist, Jemma also discovers what is really worth pursuing in her own life.
“Perfect for Framing” is a fun, fast-paced read with lots of local flavor. Although the mystery surrounding Petula’s demise will keep you quickly turning pages, what’s ultimately most satisfying is keeping company with the characters of Jemma and Tucker in this mountain adventure.
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