Uniformly Dead

A Stitch in Time Mystery #1

by Greta McKennan

Historical seamstress Daria Dembrowski has her work cut out for her as she searches for a killer's pattern . . .Daria has come up with a brilliant new plan to expand her seamstress business beyond stitching wedding gowns—historical sewing. And with Civil War re-enactors setting up camp in her hometown of Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania, she has plenty of opportunities, including one client playing a Confederate colonel who's a particular stickler for authenticity.But soon the small-town peace starts coming apart at the seams as an antique doll is stolen from a Civil War exhibit and the cranky colonel is found impaled by his own bayonet. When Daria's brother is suspected of the theft and a bridal client's fiancé is accused of the murder, Daria is determined to untangle the clues to prove their innocence. She needs to get this case sewn up fast, though, before the murderer re-enacts the crime and makes her history.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Romance, Cozy, Fiction

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2017

About the author

Greta McKennan is the author of the Stitch in Time Mystery series featuring seamstress Daria Dembrowski, as well as the Southeast Alaska Mysteries featuring bookshop owner Junetta Beale. Greta lives in the boreal rainforest of Juneau, Alaska. She enjoys a long walk in the woods on that rare sunny day and reading cozy mysteries when it rains. Her growing collection of Agatha Christie novels threatens to take over her bookshelves. Her author heroines include Louisa May Alcott, Mary Stewart, and M.M. Kaye, among many, many others. Visit her on the web at www.gretamckennan.com.

Reviews

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The debut book by this author and it is a good I one. I will read the next book HISTORICALLY DEAD which is due to be released December 19. The book started off slow but before long I was into the book and read it until was finished. The author did a good job of keeping you guessing of who was responsible for deeds. There is a mystery and romance. The characters are developed and quirky. I especially like Aileen, Troy and the photographer. The areas description are skillfully done. At times I wonder about the time period as the author was not consistent with the electronic items.
Daria Dembrowski makes her living by sewing historical accurate clothing. The Civil War re-enactors are in town to recreate a battle. She has two projects, one a colonel's uniform and restoring a wedding grown for a bride. She find the Colonel dead and watches the fiancee of the bride pull out a bayonet dripping blood everywhere. Her brother is in town and has gotten himself in trouble with a drug thug. Daria must find the killer before both men and up in prison. I highly recommend this book.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uniformly Dead by Greta McKenna is the first book in "A Stitch in Time Mystery" series. Daria Dembrowski lives in Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania. After a disastrous relationship where her ex-fiancé skipped town after clearing out their bank account and leaving her in debt, Daria is trying to expand her seamstress business. She has gotten into "historical sewing" and is fortunate that there is a reenactment of a civil war battle nearby. A group of Civil War reenactors have set up an encampment on the outskirts of Turner Run Park. Daria has been commissioned by Colonel Windstrom (his reenactor name) to make a historically accurate jacket. She visits the camp several times to observe uniforms. While at the camp, she meets the dashing Sergeant Jim Merrick (aka Jim Laker) where she realizes there is some physical attraction. She is also working on a wedding gown (her original business) for a friend, Marsha, whose fiancé is involved in the reenactment. As the story starts, Daria's brother, Pete, shows up back in town and asks to stay with Daria while working as a cameraman on the Civil War film God and Glory, that is filming in town. When Daria and Pete head off to visit the local museum to check out other Civil War uniforms, someone steals Angeline, a doll in the collection. Pete is accused of stealing the doll. When Daria finishes the uniform and drops it off with the miserable Colonel, she realizes that she forgot her measuring tape in his tent and returns for it. She finds Colonel Windstrom dead on the floor and Chris Porter, Marsha's fiancé standing over him with a bayonet in his hands. Marsha asks Daria for help to clear Chris’ name and Daria agree. While all this is going on, Pete is involved in troubles of his own that drag Daria into something she has not idea about. With the help of Aileen, her quirky tenant who plays in a heavy metal band, the ladies muddle through.

I found Uniformly Dead to be a quick and easy read. There are several unique characters in the book. The troublesome brother, the rocker roommate, and the meddlesome photographer add colour and humour to the story. This is the first book in the series, so the characters have not yet been fleshed out. Daria seems to be the only one that we really get to know. I hope we find out more about Pete and Aileen in future books. The plot is well developed and the two mysteries come together at the end. My one complaint is that I figured out the murderer long before the end of the book or before Daria did. It still held my interest as I wanted to see what would happen next to Daria and Pete. Uniformly Dead is for readers who enjoy light, humorous cozy mysteries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Altra nuova serie a cui non ho saputo resistere... La protagonista cuce riproduzioni di vestiti d'epoca: la storica che in me ha dovuto leggere questo libro!
La storia non è male, sebbene abbia sospettato quasi subito il giusto colpevole. Ormai sono diventata meglio di un detective a risolvere questi misteri!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daria Dembrowski is a seamstress. Usually she keeps busy making wedding gowns, doing alterations and sewing church banners but with Civil War reenactors in town she picks up some extra work sewing period clothing. As Laurel Spings, Pennsylvania seems carried back to the 1860s with the mock Civil War battles waging just outside town and a movie crew in town filming a period piece, Daria works hard sewing an authentic looking Civil War Confederate coat for Confederate Colonel Windstrom. The reenactor is obsessively concerned with wearing only perfect reproductions, berating and bullying anyone that is a farb -- a reenactor who has cheap, modern knockoff copies of uniforms or gear. When Windstrom is murdered in his tent at the reenactor's event, Daria is shocked. Surely someone didn't kill a man for being surly, unsociable and overly obsessed. When a museum theft and another murder put her brother at the top of the suspects list, Daria starts snooping around to discover the killer's identity. Will she find out the truth before her brother is arrested for murder?

Uniformly Dead is a fun, quick read. The mystery is well-paced. There are plenty of suspects and some interesting twists and turns. The subplot of Civil War reenactment and reproducing period uniforms did not over-power the mystery but added to it. I love Daria as a main character. She has flaws (like her fear of driving a car), but is strong, independent and intelligent. The supporting characters are not just hanging around in the background for comedy relief or subplot, they actually help with the case. When Daria is weak, her friend Allison and her brother Paul are strong. They make a great team! My favorite supporting character has got to be Allison, Daria's renter who sings lead vocals for metal band Twisted Armpits.

Uniformly Dead is Greta McKennan's first book. She is already at work on the second book in the A Stitch in Time Mystery series. Historically Dead will be released in December 2017. I will definitely be reading more of this series! I love the period clothing theme and the characters!

To find out more about the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.gretamckennan.com/

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Daria Dembrowski is a seamstress who works out of her home. She's currently making wedding gowns and such but wants to branch out into historical costumes. She's given her chance when a man named Colonel Windstrom (his re-enactor name) hires her to make his Confederate uniform 'historically accurate.' But then her brother Pete arrives asking to stay with her, and she learns why soon enough, and it's not a pretty picture.

When she gets Pete to take her to a local museum so she can study uniforms for accuracy, there's a bit of a debacle. First, Pete's long time nemesis Emmett McDowell is there, signing copies of his new book and still harassing her brother no end. Pete finally has had enough and leaves, but as he's doing so, there's a commotion between the colonel and a man who seems to be a photographer which has him accidentally running into Daria and knocking her to the floor. After she's helped up by another re-enactor, Jim Laker, the lights go out and when they come on again, a doll in the exhibit is missing and the finger is pointed at her brother.

Meanwhile, she still has the wedding gown she needs to finish for a friend named Marsha, and she's getting married within the week to a nice young man, Chris, who also happens to be one of the re-enactors. When she arrives at the battlefield for a final fitting for the colonel, she's not surprised he's just as unpleasant as he's always been and discovers when the transaction is over that she's been stiffed twenty dollars. Not wanting to face the colonel again she decides to let it go, but realizes she's left her tape measure behind and when she returns to the tent to retrieve it finds her friend Chris standing over the bloody body of the colonel holding the bayonet that killed him.

Refusing to believe that Chris is guilty, and with Marsha begging her to help him, Daria can't refuse, not even when she discovers that her brother is next in line to be tagged for murder and she just might find herself in the crosshairs as well...

This is the first in the series and therefore I usually give the author a bit of leeway as to storyline, characters, etc. But when you begin a book with something that obviously doesn't make sense then it doesn't bode well for the rest of the book. As I've stated many times, I'm a person who pays attention to details, which is why I couldn't like this book.

Supposedly her ex-boyfriend lived with her while he was going to law school, then when he passed the bar he worked in his father's firm for awhile but eventually skipped town, taking everything in their joint bank account with him. First, he's an attorney and knows this is against the law. Secondly, he worked in his father's firm - which, I'm guessing is in town since she didn't state otherwise. So why didn't she go see the father and ask his help in getting her money back? Unless he was on his son's side and encouraged him to steal from her, he should have been some help since he probably knew where his son was. If he was on his son's side, his law practice would have been down the tubes the minute everyone she knew found out what had been done, and that the father hadn't stopped it or helped her get the money back. This would show that he didn't care about theft in his own family; and I certainly would have made it known that he refused to help. This is mistake number one.

How could her brother be accused of stealing the doll when he left the museum before the lights went out? Did he run back in very fast and turn out the lights, smash the case, steal the doll and then run out again in a matter of minutes? Please explain this.

Daria says she hates driving, and takes the bus everywhere. So she carries items she makes on a crowded bus without worrying about them being wrinkled or jostled? You can't just stuff handmade clothing into a bag as she does. It needs to be in a garment bag, and where on earth on a bus are you going to keep it nice? She’s a seamstress, and what if there was an occasion where she’d have to go to a customer’s home or the bus was late? It doesn't seem like this is a very good career choice for someone who won't drive.

Also, I don't like her renter Aileen. She's disrespectful and acts like she owns the house. I don't care how much she pays for rent, I would remind her who the owner is and if she moves out, so be it. I wouldn't allow any renter to treat me or mine that way, and not even 'protecting' Daria would make a difference. (Rock band? With the name of the band and the way Aileen dresses it seems more like a grunge/punk band. Plus, she has no table manners and the way she eats she'd have bad skin and probably stomach issues later in life. Yuck.) Even rockers don't dress at home the same way they dress on stage. Gene Simmons wearing KISS makeup and costumes around the house? Yeah, right...

Which brings us to the fact that Daria is a doormat. She hasn't got the backbone she was born with. She allows everyone to push her around instead of standing up to them, and I hate women who are weak-willed. I also don't care for male love interests with long hair, so Sean never appealed to me at all. Unfortunately, with these things being unappealing, you can pretty much guess that the book would be unappealing, too.

Then, Officer Carson keeps investigating. Why? Is this town so small there are no homicide detectives? In that case, one would be imported from the nearest town over. Officers do not investigate murders. Homicide Detectives investigate murders - and they don't wear uniforms, something the author should have known if she's seen even one crime show on television. Another example is the waltz they were playing at the Civil War ball was The Blue Danube, which wasn't composed until 1866 or performed until 1867 - after the Civil War ended. They wanted to be accurate, so should have chosen accurate music.

Also, what about the situation with Daria and Pete's father? We're given a paragraph about it, but nothing else. Is this the author's way of ensuring we read the next in the series? This is just the author 'holding the readers hostage' in order that they will read the next in the series.

It was difficult to get past these things, because most of them could have been handled differently and more believable. As it was, the entire book seemed like the author didn't care, she just wanted to get something published. I couldn't even get excited about the ending, which was pretty decent, because of it. I don't know if I'll be reading another in this series or not.

[RO G'ma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uniformly Dead is the debut book in Greta McKennan’s A Stitch in Time Mystery series. The mystery is well plotted and there is great character development. It’s filled with quirky and fun characters, lots of suspects, with humor and a touch of romance. I enjoyed this author’s writing style, and I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Daria Dembrowski is a seamstress in Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania, and owner of A Stitch in Time. Since Civil War re-enactors are setting up camp in Laurel Springs and a Civil War movie is being filmed nearby, she’s hoping to expand her business to include historical sewing. To help make ends meet, Daria has rented part of her home to Aileen, the lead singer in a metal band, the Twisted Armpits, and the loud band practices in her basement. Daria’s brother, Pete, who is down on his luck shows up on her doorstep needing a place to stay but he’s brought trouble with him. Daria’s also dealing with Marsha, a bridal client’s, picky mother. When Daria’s newest client is Confederate Colonel Windstrom is murdered in his tent by his bayonet, Chris, Marsha’s fiancé, is accused of the murder and Marsha begs her to help clear his name in time for the fast-approaching wedding date. Meanwhile, Pete is accused of stealing the McDowell family’s antique doll. Daria, who’s recovering from a relationship gone bad, is being pursued by two suitors, Sgt. Jim Merrick, a re-enactor, and Sean McCarthy, a persistent newspaper photographer. Daria works hard to clear Chris and Pete but finds herself in over her head.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uniformly Dead is the first in a series by Greta McKennan.
Daria is a seamstress who is trying to expand her business.
Living in a small town known for their Civil War reenactments, Daria tries to find a new client or two, even if it means having to making civil war clothing.

When Daria's first new client is found murdered, she isn't sure who to trust. Her brother is being hunted by some bad guys, and when Daria is caught in the middle, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

I enjoyed this book although I was a bit overwhelmed learning about all the new characters. This is not the authors fault, I find this typical of first in a new series.

I enjoyed the reenactment angle of this story, it added a bit of history to the story.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

[Cinthia Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off fun, with a nice voice and a very different perspective: A seamstress that solves crime. I mean, come on, is that delicious or what? And it travels along well for the first few chapters. In fact, there are some really nice descriptions, especially the Civil War re-enactment camp and some of the re-enactment "soldiers." Those sections were so much fun to read (!!).
But then the book fizzled out. It lost its breath. It became too unrealistic, and it seems as if McKennan (pen name) lost interest in character development. In fact, by around Chapter Eight it feels as if someone else has taken over the writing. For the voice loses its punch. The situations become too unrealistic, and I realize that crime genre situations are often unrealistic--I get that. But it's up to the author to suspend readers' beliefs and make unrealistic scenes feel realistic, at least during the reading.
Alas, this doesn't happen. The story becomes cluttered with an ex-addict brother, a romantic interest who doesn't treat Daria Dembrowski, the main character, very well (and why does she take it? Why is someone willing to face danger and solve a murder so passive and meek when it comes to love?), and a bumbling newspaper reporter/photographer that interrupts almost every scene until it becomes tiresome.
What turned me off, however, is that the murderer turned out to be someone close to Daria, and since the book is written in first-person, this means that I had to be inside the head of a very naive and very unaware narrator. It's not the kind of person, or the voice, I want to spend three or four hours with.
Yet, in places the writing really shines with sparks of humor and quirkiness that kept me reading, even as I became tired of the storyline (Daria's roommate plays in a heavy-metal band called The Twisted Armpits, for instance; and Colonel Windstrom is hilarious).
I'd recommend this as a very light and quick read while in airports or on vacation at the beach. For McKennan can obviously write. It's my hope that she develops stronger characters, stronger plot lines and weeds out the many, many, many, many exclamation points.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daria Dembrowski is busy trying to make her seamstress business a success. She stitches wedding gowns but is now adding historical sewing to her list. When a Civil War reenactment sets up in her town, it’s the perfect time for her. Things get off to a bumpy start when one of her clients is murdered and the fiancé of another client is arrested for the murder. It doesn’t help when her own brother is also a prime suspect. Suddenly her sewing company isn’t the quiet business she planned.

Daria has her work cut out for her when she decides to investigate the murder herself. After all, she can’t let her brother or her client’s fiancé go to jail. With the help of a friend, Daria searches for the truth. Along the way she meets plenty of Civil War re-enactors as well as a very pushy photographer.

This is a good start to a new series. We meet the main character and those closest to her, not to mention a host of supporting characters. The author did a nice job of introducing and developing them in this first book. It's, also, a different setting than the usual cozy mysteries.

The plot moved along at a fast-pace, but I have to admit that I did guess the culprit early on in the book. It didn’t ruin anything for me as I couldn’t put the book down until I knew the hows and whys of it all. There’s a nice blend of humor, mystery and romance throughout the book. I’ll definitely be looking for the next one in the series.



FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Verity W · Rating 2 out of 5]

****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****

I really wanted to like this, but ultimately it didn't work for me. I didn't get enough of a feel for who Daria was and why she was setting up the sewing business - it felt almost like I'd jumped in in book 2 or 3 of a series - and it soon got super complicated with lots of plot strands and characters to try and untangle. I thought I had the murderer pegged fairly early on - and I was right - and I didn't like the love interests that were being set up for Daria either. I thought her brother's issues were an added complication the story didn't need and just pushed the story over the edge into too much going on for me. With a couple of tweaks - like less secondary plot and a more complicated solution to the murder - this could have been really good because the idea is a nice one and makes a change from scrap books and knitting groups. If I spot another in the series I might try it, but I won't be hunting it out.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uniformly Dead by Greta McKenna is the first book A Stitch in Time Mystery series. Daria Dembrowski lives in Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania. Daria is trying to expand her seamstress business by sewing for reenactors. A group of Civil War reenactors have set up an encampment on the outskirts of Turner Run Park. Daria’s first customer is Colonel Windstrom (his reenactor name) and he needs a new historically accurate uniform. After Colonel Windstrom’s appointment, Daria is surprised by the arrival of her brother, Pete. She has not seen him in six years since he left to work in Hollywood. Pete is in town working as a cameraman on the Civil War film God and Glory, and he needs a place to crash. Daria heads to the reenactors camp to visit Colonel Windstrom where she encounters the dashing Sergeant Jim Merrick (aka Jim Laker). To help ensure the authenticity of the uniform, Daria visits the Tremington Museum where there is currently a Civil War display from the collection of Emmeline McDowell. There is a beautiful Civil War era doll called Angeline that Daria admires. But then there is a kerfuffle, the lights go off and when they come back on the doll is gone. Daria finished the uniform and drops it off with the cranky Colonel. After leaving his tent, Daria realizes she forgot her tape measure and returns. She finds Colonel Windstrom dead on the floor and Chris Porter standing over him with a bayonet in his hands. Chris is due to marry soon and his fiancé, Marsha is distraught. Marsha asks Daria to clear Chris’ name (personally, I would hire a PI). Daria agrees to help Chris, but then her brother is in trouble as well. The missing doll is found in Pete’s room. Someone is setting him up, and Daria is determined to clear Pete’s name. Can Daria can sew up the crimes before there is another fatality?

I found Uniformly Dead to be an easy to read book. There are several unique characters in the book. The troublesome brother, the rocker roommate, the cranky Colonel, and the meddlesome photographer are a few examples. I thought, though, that the characters lacked depth (they were very flat). We are not given many details on the characters (more on Daria than the others). Of course, there is the requisite romantic element. Daria has two potential suitors in Uniformly Dead. The mystery is simple and easily solved (you do not even need clues). There are two main storylines (the missing doll and the murder) that end up being tied together. There is a lot of action. There was one inane incident after another. I wish the author had not tried to put so much into the first book. The author should have spent more time on establishing the characters and the setting along with more focus on Daria’s work. It would have been nice if the whodunit had been more complex and difficult to solve. I give Uniformly Dead 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay). I did not like Daria’s roommate, Aileen. She is the lead guitarist in a rock band (from her description, she would scare children and some adults). She is the over-the-top and in-your-face type of person (she tells of cops). Besides living in the house, her band practices in the basement. Daria complains repeatedly about the music, but we are never told why she lets them practice there. Uniformly Dead is for readers who enjoy light, humorous cozy mysteries.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Uniformly Dead - Stitch in Time Mystery Book 1
Author: Greta McKennan
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 5-16-2017
Pages: 206
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Sub-Genre: Amateur Sleuths, History, Cozy Mystery, Women Sleuths, Suspense, Women's Fiction
ISBN: 9781516191689
ASIN: B01KRUMVOE
Reviewed For NetGalley and Kensington Books
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.25 Stars


Historical seamstress Daria Dembrowski has her work cut out for her as she searches for a killer's pattern . . .

Daria has come up with a brilliant new plan to expand her seamstress business beyond stitching wedding gowns—historical sewing. And with Civil War re-enactors setting up camp in her hometown of Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania, she has plenty of opportunities, including one client playing a Confederate colonel who's a particular stickler for authenticity. Uniformly is a quick shorter read to be devoured by any lover of cozy mysteries.

But soon the small-town peace starts coming apart at the seams as an antique doll is stolen from a Civil War exhibit and the cranky colonel is found impaled by his own bayonet. When Daria's brother is suspected of the theft and a bridal client's fiancé is accused of the murder, Daria is determined to untangle the clues to prove their innocence. She needs to get this case sewn up fast, though, before the murderer re-enacts the crime and makes her history.

A debut novel for the Stitch in time series, but that hasn't stopped Gretta McKennan from putting together a strong cast of characters that are easy to identify with. The mystery is intriguing as is centers around the historical Civil War period which I have a personal love of visiting sights, and re-enactments. Daria shows herself more than capable of working the investigations.


My rating of "Uniformly Dead - Stitch in Time Mystery Book 1" is 4.25 out of 5 stars.


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[Dana Busenbark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daria, our lead female in this book is quite a character. She is a seamstress that lives in Pennsylvania. There is a Civil War movie being filmed in town. There is also a Civil War Re-enactment going on at the same time. Which one of these is she doing some work for? Who has hired her? What are they like? Who is Peter? For that matter, who is Randall? What has happened to Daria in the last few years? Aileen is a total character. What does she do? Who is she? What does she say the first time we actually meet her? Her nickname for Peter is funny. When the General of the re-enactment group turns up dead, then another well known man turns up dead. Who is the person that is sought in their deaths and why? How does Daria end up involved in all this? I will say this much, this was one of the most riveting mystery books I have ever read. I could not put it down for anything. I will say I had some theories on things right before I found out whodunit, and I'm so glad my theories were wrong. Though I have to say, apparently Daria thought the same thing as I did! It almost got her killed too! You'll have to read to find out what I saw and read.

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful page-turning debut cozy mystery by Grate Mckennan.

The book starts with Daria dealing with a difficult Civil War reenactor who turns her already topsy-turvy life into more chaos. At the same she is dealing with a horrid mother of the bride on an antique wedding dress and the return of her long-lost brother. An innocent trip to the local Civil War museum turns into a theft and eventual murder. Will Daria survive long enough to clear her brother's name?

I was hooked from the first sentence. Ms. Mckennan uses imagery very well without getting bogged down by to using too many words to describe what is happening in the scene. I even learned what a Farb was in the historical reenacting world.

Daria is a well-rounded likeable character with gumption. She felt very real to me. A little gun-shy in the love department after a disastrous four relationship with a jerk. I think most of us know how that feels. Her renter, Aileen, is a hoot. We all need an Aileen in our corner.

Uniformly Dead is full of action from page one to the end. I could not flip my Kindle pages fast enough. I am already looking forward to the second book in the Stitch in Time series. I can't wait to see where we go next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC of the book for my own. honest opinion in the form of a review.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uniformly Dead by Greta Mckennan is the first book in a new cozy series. It was a good beginning for a new cozy series.

Daria Dembrowski is a seamstress in her hometown of Laurel Springs, PA and is trying to expand her business by offering her services to Civil War re-enactors who are currently in Laurel Springs. I loved her renter, Aileen! She was down-to-earth and yet so far out there that she made me laugh in almost every scene. Daria's brother, Pete, is troubled and I hope if he stays around that he becomes more likable. As for Marcus, I didn't know whether I wanted to smack him or hug him as the story progressed. Well developed characters and a steady plot that kept me turning the pages made this an enjoyable read. The reveal was quite exciting and I was sitting on the edge of my seat during the climax. I would definitely look for more in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Lyrical Underground via NetGalley. All of the above opinions expressed are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good start to a new series.

I liked the main character, Daria, and thought it was interesting that she was sewing for re-enactors. It was a fun cozy, but there was A LOT going on, which kind of detracted from the main plot, the murder and the theft.

And frankly, I wasn't a fan of either of the potential love interests for Daria. The reporter came off as a jerk right away when he knocked Daria over, took her picture, laughed and ran off, no apology at all. That colored my opinion of him throughout the whole book. He slightly redeemed himself toward the end and I will reserve final judgment for now.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley*

[Rima Aiello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uniformly Dead is the debut book in the A Stitch in Time Mystery series. This series got off to a decent start with a good plot line. The introductions of the characters was solid and definitely left room for more growth without feeling like a large piece of the story was missing.
The premise of the story was definitely different, a seamstress for re-enactors which is not something I had come across before which definitely kept me engaged. The story had a good mystery, some laughs, with a small dose of romance to keep it all balanced. Definitely looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and entertaining cozy mystery. Nice variety of characters. I felt as if I should know the backgrounds of each of them from a previous book, but that is not the situation. I assume I will learn more about them all in future books in the series. I look forward to discovering the back stories. From wedding gowns to civil war uniforms our delightful protagonist has her sewing hands full. She has to find time for sleuthing and romance. The publisher provided a copy via NetGalley for my voluntary review.

[Shopia Burell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uniformly Dead is a fun and engaging cozy mystery with a clever historical twist. I really enjoyed Daria’s character and her determination to uncover the truth when people close to her become suspects. The combination of Civil War reenactments, a stolen antique doll, and a murder involving a bayonet creates an unusual and entertaining mystery. The sewing theme is woven nicely into the investigation, giving the story its own personality. With plenty of clues, small-town intrigue, and suspense, this was an enjoyable mystery that kept me curious until the end.

[Lynn Lovegreen]

Daria is a seamstress working on uniforms for Civil War re-enactors when a precious antique doll is stolen and a colonel is found dead by bayonet. When her brother is blamed for the theft and a friend for the murder, Daria has to figure out the mystery with the help of Aileen, her roommate and metal band singer.

Greta McKennan hits all the required notes for fun cozy mysteries, and I hope to see more of Daria and Aileen in the future!

[Diane Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! As with all good mysteries, there were excellent twists and turns! The characters were interesting, however, the time that was covered seemed hard to believe. The main character never seemed to actually work at her sewing business, yet she died lace, made wedding dresses and sewed period costumes.

[Kellene · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new series by a new-to-me author, and it was a good start. As a history person and knowing a good bit about reenactments, this was an interesting concept for me. I enjoyed the premise greatly, and the idea that there was a historical tie to the crimes was great. Character development was strong and the story moved nicely. I'll go further in the series in the future.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has potential. The some of the peripheral characters are interesting though I found the MC a little bland. The plot was interesting even though the MC got it wrong and it nearly lost her life.

[Lisa Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, madcap romp of a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end!

[Britney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It could of focused a little more on the murder & a little less on the movements of the MC around. I did that it revolved around a Civil War reenactment. Wil, give the next one a try.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wordy.

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad! I can't exactly explain why I didn't love this book; it may be the characters. There's so much jumping to conclusions it's dizzying. I am going to give book two a try though.

[Jill Poston · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable cozy mystery. A eclectic cast of characters to add some interest. looking forward to reading more books in the series.

[Bcoghill Coghill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was approaching the end and people kept interrupting me When I returned, there was still more mystery.
I love it when a mystery seems solved. Then BANG! it is not yet solved.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seamstress Daria is looking for a way to expand her business beyond wedding gowns. When a Civil War re-enactors’ camp comes to her town, she sees an opportunity to get into sewing historically accurate uniforms and civilian clothing. When one of her first re-enactor clients is found dead in his tent, her brother and a bridal client’s fiancé are at the top of the suspect list. Not trusting the police to clear the men in time for the wedding, she takes it upon herself to prove their innocence.

My family and I are huge fans of Civil War re-enactments, and we’re lucky to live close enough to Gettysburg PA to visit several times a year, so I was excited about reading this book. I was not at all happy that Daria seemed to take re-enacting so lightly and seemed to consider it a frivolous pastime, as we know a good number of people who enjoy the historical aspects and are more than eager to educate their audiences at every opportunity.

While the writing was good and the setting easy to envision, there seemed to be far too many story lines going on in this book, several of which could easily have been omitted for clarity. Although the author introduced a good number of suspects, I was able to identify the killer almost as soon as the murder occurred. Since that rarely happens, it was a bit disappointing when it turned out that I was right. Since this is the first book in a series, however, I won’t write off the rest of the series just yet. I’ll look for the next book and hope it’s an improvement over this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.