Cozy mystery fans will find a lot to enjoy in A Killing in Costumes, the sparkling fiction debut from Zac Bissonnette (The Great Beanie Baby Bubble). In the late 1990s, Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper were married and starring together on a daytime soap opera. When both realized they were gay, they decided to split amicably and come out publicly, which saved their friendship but cost them their TV careers.
Decades later, the two best friends live together in a two-family home with Jay's cat, Mae West, and Cindy's German shepherd, Bob Hope. They also pooled their resources to open a movie memorabilia store, Hooray for Hollywood, in a Palm Springs strip mall. The two meet with Yana Tosh, a 90-year-old retired screen actress who wants to sell some of her movie memorabilia. Her son, Warren, seems averse to selling her treasures. Yana also meets with a rival memorabilia company. When the head of that rival company ends up murdered, Jay and Cindy join the list of suspects. The two amateur sleuths try to clear their names by solving the murder of their competitor.
Mystery buffs will enjoy this lively paced whodunit and its fully realized characters. Who stole a prop painting from the movie The Mirror Crack'd? Who sent the duo a letter containing a poisonous substance? Who poisoned a delicious pastry? Who has been siphoning money out of Yana's bank account and where is her missing financial adviser? A gay homicide detective works the case and eyes Jay. This fun ride will keep even the most eagle-eyed readers guessing until the final pages. --Kevin Howell, independent reviewer and marketing consultant