The Port Elspeth Jewelry Making Club by Holly Tierney-Bedord
on May 18th, 2018
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 406
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Lola's Blog Tours
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

From the author of Sweet Hollow Women comes a new novel about friendship, surprises, and the secrets that hide in the shadows of even the most ordinary-seeming lives.

It's been five years since the idyllic oceanside town of Port Elspeth was rocked by tragedy. Shortly after their high school graduation, Evangeline Maddingly, daughter of one of the town's wealthiest old-money families, and Oliver Prescott, son of one of the town's wealthiest new-money families, were found dead in an isolated cabin in the woods outside of town. The circumstances surrounding their untimely deaths are murky at best, thanks in large part to a coroner with connections to the town's founding families and a sweeping effort from those in power to shut down any negative publicity that could harm the reputation of their pristine community.

Five years later, a small group of strangers gather to create jewelry for one of Port Elspeth's many fundraisers. Before long, friendships are forming and old secrets are being revealed. Along with solving the mystery of how to make a perfect pair of chandelier earrings or cabochon necklace, these unlikely friends find themselves at the heart of solving the murders that took place half a decade earlier.

Pretty Little Liars meets Desperate House Wives in this suburban tale of friendship, heartache, deceit and murder.

The idyllic oceanside town of Port Elspeth is shadowed by tragedy. Not that the new well-to-do couple in town who needs to know all the who’s-who, knows anything about the dreadful events that happened 5 years ago. Or perhaps all is not suburban bliss in their household either?

Cadence Sommerset and her husband just moved to Port Elspeth and trying to make friends and getting a firm foot in the door of the society circles, Cadence volunteers to have a home-made jewelry stand at the annual Port Elspeth market. The fact that she has no clue how to string two beads together and call it an earring, is completely besides the point. That’s why there are social pages and message boards. She sends out a message to start a volunteer jewelry making group and the result of the responses, are The Port Elspeth Jewelry Making Club.

Each one of the ladies comes with their own story and as the book unfolds and more secrets are revealed, it was brilliant to see how all their stories are woven together. Especially concerning the tragic events that just happens to involve the death of the son of one of the Jewelry Making Club’s member. What a character Vivienne was… In the mirror, she has the poster image of the perfect mom – to the outside world, she’s the mother with the troubled teenage daughter and the dead son.

Through trying to solve the murder mystery and keeping track of the little disasters that color their every day lives, the ladies form a friendship and circle of trust that gives this book so much more substance than simply solving a mystery.  I loved the twist and I honestly did not see it coming at all!

With just over 400 pages, it is a bit longer than your average cozy mystery, but then again – I don’t think this book really should be classified as a cozy. Yes, it does tick all the right boxes, but it also comes with a sense of endearment and cross elements of women’s fiction.

This was our first book by Holly Tierney-Bedord and we are very happy to see that she has a few other books under the belt as well. We are definitely going to take look.

About the Author

Holly Tierney-Bedord lives in Madison, Wisconsin. She’s the author of several novels and novellas including Sweet Hollow Women and Right Under Your Nose. Visit her website at www.hollytierneybedord.com to sign up for her newsletter.

You can find and contact Holly here:
– Website
– Blog
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Goodreads
– Amazon

Thank you Lola at Lola’s Blog Tours for providing us with a copy of this novel and for giving us the opportunity to read and review. Much appreciated!

 

Related Posts