Model Suspect

The Backyard Model Mysteries #1

by T.K. Sheffield

A frugal fashion model hangs up her second-hand stilettos and returns to her small town to open a business—but then she's forced into the role of amateur sleuth after becoming a suspect in a murder.

Melanie Tower is done with the drama of New York City and returns to her Wisconsin hometown to open an art mall. At the start of the holiday season—her jewelers', bakers', and crafters' busiest time—a social media influencer is found dead, pinned under a vintage door. Mel immediately becomes a suspect in the holiday mystery because the victim had been recruiting her best artists to open a competing store! Mel embraces her feisty inner Midwesterner to find the "poser" while polka-ing at the Cheese Ball, judging entries in the Devil's vs. Angels Bake-off, and starring in a hilarious readers' theater at Midwinter's Night at the Library.

Model Suspect is The Devil Wears Prada meets a Wisconsin supper club. It's a Midwest whodunnit, a holiday cozy, a humorous small-town mystery served with a brandy old-fashioned sweet and a side of cheese curds.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2023

About the author

TK Sheffield writes stories for readers to laugh and escape. Her comic cozy mysteries, The Backyard Model mysteries are whodunnits served with a brandy old-fashioned and a side of cheese curds.

Model Ghost releases in October '24! Also in the series is Model Suspect and Model Wave.

The series has earned awards including Killer Nashville, an Eric Hoffer finalist, RWA Excellence in Mystery, and a Top 100 Notable Indie from Shelf Unbound magazine. TK has degrees from UW-Madison and Mount Mary University, and she's on the board of the Wisconsin Writers Association and a member of Blackbird Writers and the Wisconsin Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

For updates, give a follow! Thank you! (Also on Instagram as TheBackyardModel.)

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Several thoughts in no particular order:

Why is everyone referred by their first and last name throughout the whole book?

Books that try too hard to insert the setting into the narrative frustrate me. I live in Wisconsin and I don’t refer to so many “Wisconsin-y” things in my daily life.

I get that there was a festival going on during the course of this story, but there were so many separate events that I lost track of what was happening.

Bonus - not related to the writing - I had a new copy of this book, but about halfway through every third page fell out.

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

There has been a murder. Aged-out supermodel turned craft mall owner Mel Towers is horrified to discover that fellow crafter Kat Gold has succumbed to her injuries after being pinned under a door at work. When the police come sniffing around Mel’s home, she is irritated. Why do they keep pointing the finger at her? Mel isn’t the killer. Of course, she isn’t. Mel has been far too busy to plot a murder. With the holidays approaching, the timing couldn’t be worse —two days before the holiday shopping season begins (Mel’s most profitable time), the police shut down the mall to investigate.

Mel’s no detective, but she’s got a hunch. And she’s willing to bet that she is far more capable of sussing out the murderer than some out-of-town suit they hired for the case. Plus, no one knows the small-town Cinnamon folk like Mel does. Holiday parties—the highly anticipated Cheese Ball, the parade, and other festivities—are ramping up, so it is the perfect time to gain intel and have an ear on the gossip. Mel believes the murderer is among the townsfolk, partaking in the holiday events. Could it be someone from her close-knit circle?

Pour yourself a hot drink, put your feet up by the fire, and get ready to be immersed in this cozy mystery by T.K Sheffield. “Model Suspect,” Book One in The Backyard Model Mysteries, combines midwest small-town charm with a propulsive whodunit to woo readers. Set in the touristy town of Cinnamon, Wisconsin, with a population of 2,500, you can bet tongues are wagging as Kat Gold, one of the town’s own, is found dead and there is no suspect in custody. Who could have conspired to do this? Was Kat the intended target, or was it a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Sleuth investigating isn’t on Mel’s resume. Still, there is always time for personal development—and she’ll be damned if she lets the perpetrator slip between her fingers.

Let the Cinnamon festivities begin! With the mystery of who killed Kat Gold looming, there was no better time than to be whisked away to holiday parties where the killer was likely lurking. As each holiday-themed event unfolded, readers stood alongside Mel as the plot thickened. Unlikely alliances were revealed, resentment mounted, and Mel found herself at the center of danger (someone had managed to spike her drink)! Sure, I had my hunches, but the shocking conclusion blew me away. Readers are in for a treat!

In this delightful mystery, Sheffield’s intriguing storyline was buttressed by a motley crew of quirky characters. Mel Towers was the perfect choice for a main protagonist—clever and sarcastic with a tough exterior that only softened for her furry friends. I thoroughly enjoyed her hilarious quips and observations concerning the Cinnamon townsfolk. Who knew solving a crime could be so much fun? Woven into her stealthy snooping and suspicions, I got to know some of Cinnamon’s most eccentric residents. There was the lyrically-inspired librarian, Oliver, who took a shining to Mel; delivery driver extraordinaire, Steven, who knew everyone’s secrets, Cousin Low, and her obsession with sequins and anything festive; and Char, with her ridiculous ensembles and even crazier allegations against Mel. There was never a dull moment as I delved into the book and developed a fondness for the characters.

If you’re a holiday-loving, cozy-mystery enthusiast, you’ll want to read this book! But don’t expect to get anything done while reading; “Model Suspect” by T.K. Sheffield is an absorbing novel that will make you want to shirk your responsibilities and immerse yourself in the text. Between the puzzling murder and effervescent characters, the author has crafted a literary gem. I can’t wait for the next installment in the series!

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

With her life as a model behind her, Melanie Tower returns home to Wisconsin to open an arts/crafts mall. One of her vendors is found dead and Mel tries to help solve the murder. For more than half the book , I didn't warm up to her character at all. Perhaps that was intentional by the author, but it kept me from engaging fully with the book. The event after event she attended as Cheese Queen were over the top and confusing. However, the last third of the book drew me in and I ended up enjoying it. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Heart DeCoupeville · Rating 1 out of 5]

Acquired the Kindle edition when offered free on Amazon.

I read the whole thing only for a game; had it not been for that, this would have been a DNF after about three pages. This review therefore will not endear me to many.

I actually started to read the second book in this series, Model Wave, but I had too much trouble following the characters, so I gave up after about three or four pages.  Because I was interested in the setting, I looked to see if the first book in the series was available, and discovered I already had it.  Easy peasy, switch books.

So I did. Again, if this hadn't been for a reading game, I'd have given up after three or four pages at the most.

The main character and first person narrator is Melanie "Mel" Tower, a retired second- or third-tier model who has more or less been forced into retirement by her age (40?  45?  50?  There's a birthday party at the beginning but then no reference, so I forgot) and therefore has left New York to return to her little Wisconsin hometown of Cinnamon. Cinnamon's precise location within the state isn't given, so whether it's near Milwaukee or Madison or Green Bay isn't known.  Though there are a few references to other real towns and cities in the state, the only thing given that would pinpoint just where Cinnamon is is that Mel -- or Steven? -- drives through the Kettle Moraine Forest, which would put it somewhere closer to Milwaukee than other large cities in the state.  But would most readers take the time to look that up?  Or even know right off the top of their heads that it's a real place?  Would they care?  (Probably not.)

What details are given describe Cinnamon itself as a small town reliant on the seasonal tourist trade, which really would be more typical of a town farther north and/or west of the Kettle Moraine Forest.  Virtually nothing author Sheffield put into the 302 Kindle pages of Model Suspect came even close to depicting life -- and murder -- in that kind of setting.  For one thing, there were no tourists in the cast of characters!

Okay, so it's set in November, heading into the Christmas shopping season, rather than at the height of summer when the city dwellers flock to the Northwoods and the lakes (Think Hayward, Rhinelander, Eagle River, or even Eau Claire, not . . . Waukesha).  Still, there could have been some tourists involved, given that most of the book's action takes place during a week-long festival that opens the shopping season.

In fact, most of the book's action is the festival and its attendant events.  It's also -- forgive me for being blunt here -- stupid.

But I'm getting off topic. Or ahead of myself. Or something.

Mel Tower owns a converted hardware store that she has turned into a three-story craft mall.  How she -- and her crafters -- support this kind of enterprise in a very small town dependent on seasonal tourism escapes me completely.  If author Sheffield had introduced some information explaining this, I might have stopped rolling my eyes.  She didn't.  I'm a crafter.  I've lived most of the past 55 years in small towns that rely to greater or lesser extent on seasonal tourist business.  A massive three-story craft mall cannot survive in that environment without something added.

One morning in late November, the manager of the mall, Inga Honeythorne, literally bursts through the fence into Mel's backyard, with the news that there has been a murder at "my craft mall."

First of all, how flimsy is this fence and accompanying gate if a distraught woman can demolish it by running into it?

(Okay, so Mel makes enough money off "my craft mall" to stay at home and rake her leaves while her paid manager runs the place?  Yeah, sure.)

Inga reports that one of the vendors at "my craft mall" has been crushed to death under an antique door that had been for sale. (Apparently "my craft mall" also sells antiques?)

And this is where the never-ending cavalcade of bizarre characters begins.

Victim Kat Gold wasn't really a vendor at the mall; she went halfsies (or thirdsies?) with a mother and daughter team, Char and Crystal Broadway.  The three of them had already been accused of not making their own products and Mel had threatened to kick them out.  Kat was more like a marketer?  Influencer? She was giving classes on how to use social media?  I don't know.  Something like that.

But Kat didn't have a key, so how did she get into "my craft mall" after hours?

Then there is Fern Bubble, the animal rescuer and farmer who doubles as Mel's PR person.

Throw in Mel's looney tunes cousin Louella "Lou" Jingle, who talks with what I think is supposed to be an exaggerated Midwest/Wisconsin accent -- no one else does -- and keeps trying to dress Mel in sequins.  Lou also cooks.

Next, or at least somewhere along the line, is Steven Delavan, the local delivery man.  (Delavan is also a city in Wisconsin, in case it rings familiar.)  Steven knows where everyone lives because the people of Cinnamon and the surrounding area depend on him for deliveries.  Of what?  From whom?  I have no idea.  Do people and companies send packages to him to deliver locally?  He doesn't work for the US Postal Service or UPS or Amazon, so where is he getting all these things to deliver?  Makes no sense.

And we can't forget the librarian, Oliver Roberts, who insists on referring to Mel as "Lady Mel" and spouts Shakespeare and is all around weird.

We're not done yet, of course.  After the murder is discovered, the local police -- Mel refers to them as Officer Luce and Officer Linus, which has something to do with the Peanuts cartoon but I'm not sure what -- enlist the aid of Lt. Bruce DuWayne .  Maybe he's with the Wisconsin state police or the (imaginary county) sheriff's department.  I don't know.  He doesn't do much in terms of investigating the murder.  He doesn't interview anyone about how Kat got into "my craft mall."  Who had keys?  What did they do with them?  Where are they now?

Of course there is the obligatory local newspaperman, Wooly Gallagher.  For whatever reason, he has an archive of all Mel's modeling photos.

Another of the vendors at "my craft mall" is Susan Victory.  She's supposedly Mel's very good friend, but Susan is drunk most of the time in the book without explanation.  And Mel doesn't seem inclined to either notice or offer much help.

Like all fictional small towns, Cinnamon has its local lawyer, Hank Leigel. He doesn't have a huge role to play, but enough to make him worth mentioning, plus the fact that he and Susan are apparently something of a couple.

Speaking of couples, the victim's ex-husband Tim Gold is in town now, too.  And even though they've been divorced for some time, she's still living with him?  Sort of?  Somehow or other he's also mixed up with Mel's former agent (??) from her modeling days in New York, Eden Hoff.

Nor let us forget Mel's semi-relationship with pilot Capt. Rand Cunningham.  If I were either of them, I'd have given up on the other -- and the relationship -- a looooong time ago.   

And those are just the featured players.  There are other bit parts as well.  The problem is that none of them, from Mel herself on down, comes across as three dimensional or even consistent.

The title, Model Suspect, of course refers to Mel the former model, but it's never made clear that she even is a suspect, much less why.  She's never questioned beyond the most superficial interrogation as to what her relationship was with Kat Gold or what possible motives she could have had.  In fact, no one is really questioned about anything!  So Mel just decides she must be a suspect and it's up to her to solve the crime.  Say, what? The fact that Kat, Tim, Char, and Eden were planning to go into competition with Mel doesn't come out until later in the story, so I don't think it provided as much of a motive as the opening blurb suggests.

So to start with the basics, the plot is kind of weak from the beginning and gets progressively weaker. But it's the writing itself that really had me rolling my eyes from page one.

You're probably wondering about all the references in this review to "my craft mall."  That three word phrase encapsulates the painfully weak writing in this boring book.



That's just page one.  Two references to "my craft mall" with no explanation.  Even by the end of the page, there's no clear indication that "Bell, Book & Anvil" is in fact the name of the craft mall.  (Also, "my" back yard, "my" fence, and "my" gate.)  Very rarely through the rest of the book is the business described as anything other than "my craft mall."  The objective of good writing is to make the words disappear; Sheffield never did.

Oh, and you see those two highlighted "like"s?  Yeah, she's got a bazillion of those, too.  On almost every page.  Are they intentional?  I have no idea.  But they're annoying as hell. I simply could not stop seeing them, to the point that I often lost track of the story action because all I saw was like, like, like, like, like, like, like on page after page after page.

Also annoying as hell is the lavish attention paid to this week-long cheese festival that opens the Christmas holiday season.  It gets at least twenty times the attention that the murder investigation does.  Do I care about all these ridiculous events?  The crowning of the Sharp Cheddar Princess (or whatever Mel's title was) is juvenile slapstick, as are the costumes she's forced to wear.  Awards for local people of note during the year, with trophies all named after donuts and other sweet pastries featured at the local bakery?  Are you kidding me?

Some event was held at the local Yacht Club on Cinnamon Lake -- or maybe it was Lake Cinnamon?  Why was there so little description of the place?  In fact, there was damned little description of anything other than the outrageous clothes Lou foisted upon Mel and which Mel seemed to have insufficient spine to refuse.

The solution of the mystery was forced and just as stupid as the rest of the book, but it left far too many ends untied.  What was the significance of the color red?  Why was Kat wearing red?  Or did I skip over that because I was just tired of reading bad writing?  Or, worse, was it just a red herring? (Groan.)

Ultimately, I found nothing in Model Suspect  to recommend it.  It certainly didn't depict a small town in Northwoods Wisconsin that I've ever seen or heard talked about.  (Yes, Virginia, I've been to Wisconsin, many times. Still have family there.) There was nothing particularly genuinely Wisconsin about it at all, with just a couple of very, very tiny exceptions.  

The first was the fanaticism of the Green Bay Packers fans.  The exaggerated horror that someone might have a girlfriend or boyfriend from Illinois (a possible Chicago Bears' fan) can be a little too real, if you know any Packer fans.

The second came toward the very end of the book, when one character remarks on how they were able to determine that certain other individuals were out-of-towner law enforcement plants:  They couldn't pronounce certain Wisconsin place names.

This brought the one and only mild chuckle from me through the whole book.

A few weeks ago, there was one of those teaser things on Facebook about "The most often mispronounced town in each state."  Ironically, I only looked at one state, because I was pretty sure I knew which town or city it was.  And I was correct!  Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  If you look it up on Google, the first subheading is "How to pronounce Oconomowoc."

At the end, I decided this one wasn't offensively bad, just . . . . bad.  There are others as bad or even worse, but they aren't 302 Kindle pages long.

[Kelsey Kaufman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful debut novel by T.K. Sheffield. I met her in person at a library author event and she is just as lovely as her book. Model Suspect is filled with Midwest/Wisconsin puns, jokes, and vernacular. It made me want to go to the nearest town dinner, order a pop and curds and the settle in to read the book! I really enjoyed it!

[Amy Renshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved getting to know the wise-cracking Melanie (Mel) Tower, a former New York fashion model who now owns a craft mall in tiny Cinnamon, Wisconsin. When a local woman meets an untimely end, Mel finds herself among the suspects and decides to do her own investigating. In traditional cozy mystery style, she’s surrounded by quirky characters, including her irrepressible cousin, Lou. With her trusty dog Max at her side, Mel searches for clues while fulfilling her duties as royalty for the local holiday festival. Along the way, she encounters intrigue among her business rivals and juggles a long-distance romance. T. K. Sheffield expertly blends humor, suspense, and plenty of heartwarming Northwoods traditions, from cheese curds to fish fries. The plot kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait to reading the next book in this charming new series!

[Christine DeSmet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Word play on every page and many jokes about Wisconsin customs combine with homespun characters to create something as tasty as the Friday night fish fry at the local supper club. This fine first novel in the Backyard Model Mysteries is busy, busy, busy with several celebrations, a play, and contests packed into several days; readers may need a chart to track it all. The busy-ness works to create a puzzle hiding the killer of a woman at Mel’s crafter mall. Melanie Tower is a former fashion model starting a new life. The insider tips here and there about modeling are fun. Mel was born in 1974, but evidently watches a lot of reruns because Mel references Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke fame (1955-1975), the Beverly Hillbillies, (1962-1971) and model Carol Merrill, who was on the 1960s-70s version of Let’s Make a Deal. Shakespeare gets his due as well. Mel’s cousin Lou is a fun, wise woman sidekick who can keep Mel on track. Airline pilot/possible beau Rand stays in the background. (I’m hoping he re-appears.) A dog and a horse bring us warm fuzzies. A great debut. Brava, brava! ~ Christine DeSmet

[Joy Ribar · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Big Apple turns sour, NYC model Mel Tower plants roots in the homey Wisconsin town of Cinnamon, using her hard-earned modeling money to buy Bell, Book, & Anvil, an artist/crafters’ mall. In Model Suspect, Cinnamon prepares to kick off the holiday season with its Cheese Ball as one of the artists is found dead inside the craft mall. Mel and a slew of suspects emerge, keeping everyone guessing until the final meltdown reveals the real killer. TK Sheffield’s first person narration from Mel reveals a mixture of Midwest charm meets gritty New York cab driver. She’s been burned and fears commitment, but under the surface lives a kind-hearted animal lover looking for contentment and purpose. Readers will laugh out loud as they try to keep up with Mel’s witty comebacks, Cousin Lou’s wild antics, and amusing Dairyland customs. When the snowflakes settle, you’ll be ready to come home to Cinnamon in the next Backyard Model mystery.

[Bertie-Ann Jordan]

I received a free digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

It was the pretty watercolour cover art, showing an elegant woman in red, that sold me on this cosy mystery. It takes place over the Christmas holidays in a small town. As I grew familiar with all the personalities that mill about in this story, I felt like I lived there too, and I was excited to rush about attending all the holiday gatherings alongside the protagonist. The main character was artfully defined and nothing was missing. I could see the parts of her life where she was an active participant and the parts where she was ineffective and possibly indifferent. The only thing that bothered me about this book was that the falling action was incredibly brief. I wanted to see the fallout from the resolution. The ending suggests a sequel and I would read it.

[Kerri Lukasavitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

T.K. Sheffield's debut cozy mystery, Model Suspect, is a great first novel. Readers dive into the story right from the first pages as the main character and former model, Mel Tower, is stunned by the unexpected and suspicious death of one of her Bell, Book & Anvil craft mall artists, Kat Gold. Wonderful characters with distinct personalities are introduced as the story plays out. Dark motives from all of them will keep you guessing until the very end to find out how the mystery unravels and who committed the crime. Beautifully written with an excellent pace, readers are sure to turn pages to the end. Model Suspect was such a fun read that I can't wait to read the next book in the series, and I don't normally read the genre. Highly recommended for those who love a good cozy mystery.

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful but self-deprecating former NYC model moves back to her little hometown in Wisconsin and uses her savings to open a craft mall. The mall becomes the scene of a murder and Melanie is a suspect. She’s too busy dealing with Christmas week events involving tourists, costumes, and Champagne, the threat of a competing craft mall, and her quirky but needy friends, to focus on a murderer in the town. Then other things go awry. Wish the author didn’t so often refer to herself as “yours truly,” but enjoyed the crisp writing, the Wisconsin-eating, and the small town’s embrace of a woman trying to remake her life far from the glittering lights. It's a fun cozy mystery!

[Valerie Biel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than Janet Evanovich! It’s rare that a book makes me laugh out loud this much . . . usually it is the antics of Stephanie Plum that have me chuckling (sometimes loud enough to wake my husband.) But now we have Mel Tower! And I’m so glad we do. She’s a smart and wickedly witty former NY fashion model back home in small-town Wisconsin where all that Midwest nice is harboring a murderer. Fun and fast-paced, twisty and smartly-plotted—I couldn’t put it down until the killer was revealed. Great read and excellent kick off to a series you won’t want to miss! Can’t wait for the next one.

[Laurie Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

T.K. Sheffield’s debut novel, Model Suspect, welcomes readers into the charming world of Cinnamon, a small town in Wisconsin. With snappy wit, endearing characters, and a hint of suspense, this cozy mystery is a delightful read that will keep you engaged. The storyline combines humor, mystery, and a touch of Midwest allure. Whether you’re a fan of Wisconsin or enjoy clever dialogue, this book has it all.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but the author never met a sentence fragment she didn't like. The villain was obvious, the relationship side of the main character was utterly perplexing and could have been cut out, and the whole thing could have used an editor's touch to tighten things up. Disappointing.

[Becky]

Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for my complimentary copy!

While I appreciate the generosity, the book didn't necessarily strike a chord with me. I liked the premise and the Midwest setting but didn't really jive with the writing style. However, give it a chance - it might just jive with yours :)

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted an autographed copy of this novel. Set in small town Wisconsin, where everyone knows or is related to each other. A murder occurs at a craft mall. The owner was a New York model, who becomes a suspect, hence the title. Lots of cheese related events occur. Surprisingly, I did guess the correct person. I will read more of her books.

[Tracey Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and funny! I don't usually read humorous books, but this made me laugh out loud while trying to figure out whodunnit. Sheffield lured me in with promises of a brandy old fashioned, and a fashion model. Wisconsinites will love this spunky cozy with a side of cheesy humor.

[Tiffany T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps I'm just too New York but I had a lot of difficulty connecting with and getting drawn into this book. The mid-Western vibes are very apparent but I just couldn't finish this.

[Kathy Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute

I liked the characters in this book. It is a clean murder mystery with no foul language. It is fairly fast paced and I wasn't sure who the bad person was until the end.

[Cally Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun read

About a small town and a tall lady returned to her roots after her time in “the big apple” ran its course

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bunch of somewhat wacky characters makes figuring out whodunit difficult.

[Mahnoor Lasania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved getting to know the wise-cracking Melanie (Mel) Tower, a former New York fashion model who now owns a craft mall in tiny Cinnamon, Wisconsin. The plot kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait to read the next book in this charming series!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#goodreadsgiveaway

#goodreadsgiveaway

A cute who done it. You will suspect everyone, but who did it? It will definitely keep you guessing.