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Epiphany Bloom #2
The Museum Murder
Dastardly deeds, daring deceptions and a dress to die for… Epiphany Bloom is back on the case!
Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom, would-be detective and London’s unluckiest woman, finds herself in a real costume drama when she unearths a theft at a fashion museum.
The missing dress is a proper piece of Hollywood history, worth a fortune. And as Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone. From fancy boutiques to sketchy back alleys, Pip discovers the fashion world is not all glitz and glamour as she hunts down her prize.
As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, Pip also has her growing feelings for her housemate Tim to contend with, a family of cats to feed and her mother keeps phoning about a shipment of llamas arriving any day now from South America.
But there’s no time for distractions because Pip’s not the only one after the dress. And for the most dedicated collectors, a piece like this is worth any price – even murder…
A laugh-out-loud, light-hearted cozy mystery for fans of M.C. Beaton, T.E. Kinsey and Joanne Fluke, that will have you reading late into the night.
Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom, would-be detective and London’s unluckiest woman, finds herself in a real costume drama when she unearths a theft at a fashion museum.
The missing dress is a proper piece of Hollywood history, worth a fortune. And as Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone. From fancy boutiques to sketchy back alleys, Pip discovers the fashion world is not all glitz and glamour as she hunts down her prize.
As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, Pip also has her growing feelings for her housemate Tim to contend with, a family of cats to feed and her mother keeps phoning about a shipment of llamas arriving any day now from South America.
But there’s no time for distractions because Pip’s not the only one after the dress. And for the most dedicated collectors, a piece like this is worth any price – even murder…
A laugh-out-loud, light-hearted cozy mystery for fans of M.C. Beaton, T.E. Kinsey and Joanne Fluke, that will have you reading late into the night.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2021
814 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
May 22, 2021
This fast paced cozy mystery is the second installment of the Epiphany Bloom series. The search for a missing iconic dress leads Pip into an incredible adventure full of intrigue, nostalgia and Julia Roberts. Pip, her sister Flis, and a host of quirky, unique characters masterfully fit together in this suspenseful puzzle that’s a perfect combination of humor and suspense. Although this is part of a series, it may be read as a standalone. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a dash of laughs and loads of thrills, this is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.
April 3, 2021
“Dastardly deeds, daring deceptions and a dress to die for”
Wow! I need to get my breath back after that maelstrom, high-speed mystery, where nothing is quite as it seems. A lie down in a darkened room is also definitely required to recover from the whirlwind that is amateur sleuth Epiphany Bloom, a real force of nature by anyone’s standards!
The action kicks in right from the first couple of pages, the storyline moves along at a break-neck pace, towards a conclusion which is satisfyingly replete in every sense of the word!
At first I was a little disappointed the authors hadn’t used locations which were real and tangible, somewhere I could check out for myself and plot the course of this break-neck journey, as it unfolded, or maybe that should be, unravelled around me! But on reflection after closing the pages on ‘Pip’s’ latest unsolicited foray into the shady world of the part-time PI, I realise that amount of detailed research just wouldn’t have worked anyway, as I had simply found myself suspending belief in almost all realism, as one little disaster led to another, each one more dangerous and deadly than the last.
I didn’t even bother with a suspect list, as Pip already had one a mile long, with just about everyone’s name on it. One by one, and with the enthusiastic help of a tame hacker who hangs on her every word and a boxing coach who fancies his chances with both her and the gee-gee’s, the potential candidates for ‘bad guy’ were whittled down and Pip and the team set to finessing their plan of action for the final showdown, working on the basis that it ‘takes a thief to catch a thief’, although with Pip’s reputation, life was never going to be that simple. When the suspect is finally cornered and apprehended, it is more by good luck than better judgement, after Pip’s plan goes completely off the rails and leaves three totally unprepared females and a man whose excuses for arriving late defy all logic, to explain the situation to the authorities.
This entertaining story, well constructed and written with real heart and humour, was broken up into short concise chapters, which only served to increase the pace and intensity of the plot, whilst managing to seamlessly compartmentalise and constrain some of Pip’s natural tendencies to go off at a tangent. The assured and visually descriptive writing made it an easy story escape and relax into, although there were plenty of ‘whatever next!’ and ‘look out!’ moments, as red herrings were spread so liberally that they became a real trip hazard for this unsuspecting team of not so reluctant deputised investigative assistants. In fact they all seemed to be relishing in the excitement of the moment a bit too much and were getting quite carried away with it all, forgetting that a determined and professional thief, is potentially a force to be reckoned with.
There was a delicious cast of addictive, compellingly relatable characters, none of which were too difficult to get under the skin of and become completely invested in, even though many of them were very high maintenance, to say the least. Coming into this series as I did, with book #2, I don’t think I was in any way short-changed from not knowing Pip’s backstory, as there were so many references to certain events from her past, liberally sprinkled throughout the text, making for some real laugh-out-loud moments, as she seems to have had more jobs than hot dinners, and none of them what you might call conventional. Also, she is just such a transparent character, that you know exactly where you stand with her, as what you see is very much what you get and quite often you’ll end up with the veritable ‘bull in the china shop’! From comments made, it would appear that Pip is well into her 30s, although you might have assumed her to be much younger, as she comes across as quite immature, maybe a little vulnerable and not particularly reliable, although she doesn’t suffer fools gladly and generally says it exactly like it is, offend or please. She would be a great friend to have for a ‘girlie’ chat or a night on the town, but I don’t think I would trust her with so much as a pet mouse when it comes to common sense or concentration.
Oh Yes! and no cozy mystery would be complete without a suitably quirky, accompanying side show. With Pip’s reputation for being totally off-the-wall, even this had to be something unique and unconventional. This little menagerie definitely went from the sublime to the ridiculous, so be prepared for a cat-nabbed feline, a trio of adorable kitties, a ‘six pack’ of llamas and a finale ‘walk-on’ part to outdo all others! – I kid you not!
To read additional material and extracts, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
Wow! I need to get my breath back after that maelstrom, high-speed mystery, where nothing is quite as it seems. A lie down in a darkened room is also definitely required to recover from the whirlwind that is amateur sleuth Epiphany Bloom, a real force of nature by anyone’s standards!
The action kicks in right from the first couple of pages, the storyline moves along at a break-neck pace, towards a conclusion which is satisfyingly replete in every sense of the word!
At first I was a little disappointed the authors hadn’t used locations which were real and tangible, somewhere I could check out for myself and plot the course of this break-neck journey, as it unfolded, or maybe that should be, unravelled around me! But on reflection after closing the pages on ‘Pip’s’ latest unsolicited foray into the shady world of the part-time PI, I realise that amount of detailed research just wouldn’t have worked anyway, as I had simply found myself suspending belief in almost all realism, as one little disaster led to another, each one more dangerous and deadly than the last.
I didn’t even bother with a suspect list, as Pip already had one a mile long, with just about everyone’s name on it. One by one, and with the enthusiastic help of a tame hacker who hangs on her every word and a boxing coach who fancies his chances with both her and the gee-gee’s, the potential candidates for ‘bad guy’ were whittled down and Pip and the team set to finessing their plan of action for the final showdown, working on the basis that it ‘takes a thief to catch a thief’, although with Pip’s reputation, life was never going to be that simple. When the suspect is finally cornered and apprehended, it is more by good luck than better judgement, after Pip’s plan goes completely off the rails and leaves three totally unprepared females and a man whose excuses for arriving late defy all logic, to explain the situation to the authorities.
This entertaining story, well constructed and written with real heart and humour, was broken up into short concise chapters, which only served to increase the pace and intensity of the plot, whilst managing to seamlessly compartmentalise and constrain some of Pip’s natural tendencies to go off at a tangent. The assured and visually descriptive writing made it an easy story escape and relax into, although there were plenty of ‘whatever next!’ and ‘look out!’ moments, as red herrings were spread so liberally that they became a real trip hazard for this unsuspecting team of not so reluctant deputised investigative assistants. In fact they all seemed to be relishing in the excitement of the moment a bit too much and were getting quite carried away with it all, forgetting that a determined and professional thief, is potentially a force to be reckoned with.
There was a delicious cast of addictive, compellingly relatable characters, none of which were too difficult to get under the skin of and become completely invested in, even though many of them were very high maintenance, to say the least. Coming into this series as I did, with book #2, I don’t think I was in any way short-changed from not knowing Pip’s backstory, as there were so many references to certain events from her past, liberally sprinkled throughout the text, making for some real laugh-out-loud moments, as she seems to have had more jobs than hot dinners, and none of them what you might call conventional. Also, she is just such a transparent character, that you know exactly where you stand with her, as what you see is very much what you get and quite often you’ll end up with the veritable ‘bull in the china shop’! From comments made, it would appear that Pip is well into her 30s, although you might have assumed her to be much younger, as she comes across as quite immature, maybe a little vulnerable and not particularly reliable, although she doesn’t suffer fools gladly and generally says it exactly like it is, offend or please. She would be a great friend to have for a ‘girlie’ chat or a night on the town, but I don’t think I would trust her with so much as a pet mouse when it comes to common sense or concentration.
Oh Yes! and no cozy mystery would be complete without a suitably quirky, accompanying side show. With Pip’s reputation for being totally off-the-wall, even this had to be something unique and unconventional. This little menagerie definitely went from the sublime to the ridiculous, so be prepared for a cat-nabbed feline, a trio of adorable kitties, a ‘six pack’ of llamas and a finale ‘walk-on’ part to outdo all others! – I kid you not!
To read additional material and extracts, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
March 30, 2021
The Museum Murder is the second instalment in the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries series, set in and around London. We are reacquainted with the loveable clumsy clot, aka klutz, Epiphany ”Pip” Bloom and what a delight that is. This time around Pip is musing about how her 3 kittens are the only constant in her life and worrying about how she is going to pay her half of the rent for the flat she shares with hunky flatmate and landlord, Tim, as she is no longer employed by Boston Investigations. Being a private investigator had been a dream job but she had been fired for good reason by gaffer Doug Bradford; she had been sloppily carrying out background checks where she had not been conscientious enough to double-check that she was spelling the name correctly. So whilst looking for new work she decides to accompany her sister, Flis, to an exhibition at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes where they come upon a fiery-red gown form-fitting in the bodice, off the shoulder, with a little plunge at the cleavage and a gather below the waist intended to set the full, silky skirt swishing when the wearer moved; it had been worn in the 90s by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, or so the plaque read. Flis talks to the museum manager, Arabella Buchanan, telling her that Pip is into celebrities, vintage trends and pop culture which leads to Arabella offering her work as a buyer for the museum. Her job would include creative visions as a stylist, sourcing original items, curation and intimate knowledge of celebrity culture. But during her interview, Pip notices on closer inspection that the dress doesn't seem to be quite cut in the same way as it was in the film and the deep red colour didn't appear quite correct either.
Confirming via Google she blurts out to Arabella that it isn't the real deal, and she cannot believe it. It is then her new role becomes not only sourcing garments for upcoming exhibitions but to locate and recover the genuine priceless missing gown. She is tasked with using her investigative skill to recover it before the museum's owner, Henrietta Powell, whose mother, Charise Adderley, was a great beauty, and a Hollywood actress and who is currently away in Morocco, returns. But Arabella admits that everything else is authentic apart from that item. She had come into work two weeks ago and the genuine dress had gone. There was no forced entry, and so in order to keep the museum ticking along, she bought a replica until she knew exactly what had happened and who was responsible. Now Pip has her work cut out for her as she must attempt to locate the dress and facilitate its safe return before Henrietta flies home from North Africa. Realising that it could only be an inside job, Pip begins to interview the staff members, which doesn't make her too popular, and with a little help from friends, she is soon jet setting all over the place following the trail of this inimitable dress. But never did she believe, even in such a cutthroat, shady world as the collectors and memorabilia market that it would lead to murder. Can Pip find the culprit who stole the garment whilst also getting to the bottom of the brutal murder? This is a compelling and compulsive addition to an uplifting, endlessly charming and highly original cosy mystery populated by a cast of quirky and indelible characters, especially Pip herself. The plot is refreshingly unique and filled with drama, action, twists and liberal doses of fun and humour. It's an engrossing, lighthearted and thoroughly entertaining read and a fabulous, and much-needed, piece of escapism in these times.
Confirming via Google she blurts out to Arabella that it isn't the real deal, and she cannot believe it. It is then her new role becomes not only sourcing garments for upcoming exhibitions but to locate and recover the genuine priceless missing gown. She is tasked with using her investigative skill to recover it before the museum's owner, Henrietta Powell, whose mother, Charise Adderley, was a great beauty, and a Hollywood actress and who is currently away in Morocco, returns. But Arabella admits that everything else is authentic apart from that item. She had come into work two weeks ago and the genuine dress had gone. There was no forced entry, and so in order to keep the museum ticking along, she bought a replica until she knew exactly what had happened and who was responsible. Now Pip has her work cut out for her as she must attempt to locate the dress and facilitate its safe return before Henrietta flies home from North Africa. Realising that it could only be an inside job, Pip begins to interview the staff members, which doesn't make her too popular, and with a little help from friends, she is soon jet setting all over the place following the trail of this inimitable dress. But never did she believe, even in such a cutthroat, shady world as the collectors and memorabilia market that it would lead to murder. Can Pip find the culprit who stole the garment whilst also getting to the bottom of the brutal murder? This is a compelling and compulsive addition to an uplifting, endlessly charming and highly original cosy mystery populated by a cast of quirky and indelible characters, especially Pip herself. The plot is refreshingly unique and filled with drama, action, twists and liberal doses of fun and humour. It's an engrossing, lighthearted and thoroughly entertaining read and a fabulous, and much-needed, piece of escapism in these times.
July 24, 2021
A missing iconic red gown worn by Julia Roberts and llamas keep Epiphany (Pip) Bloom busy in this second book of the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries series!
At the beginning of the book, Pip Bloom once again finds herself without a job. Her promising career as a private investigator for Boston Investigations has come to an end after a huge error on her part in carrying out background checks leads to the head of B. I. to discover she is not a genuine P. I. and fires her. Her only consolation is spending time with her cat and her three kittens, her extremely good looking flatmate and landlord Tim and her sister Felicity (Flis) who is now a sought after blogger/influencer .
On a visit to an exhibition at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes and while admiring the costumes on display--especially the iconic red gown worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman--they meet with the museum's manager Arabella Buchanan. When Flis informs Arabella that Pip is good at researching celebrities, their fashion and anything related to pop culture, Arabella offers Pip a job as a buyer for the museum. During her interview, Pip goes to admire the Julia Roberts gown again but it occurs to her that something is amiss about it. Arabella confirms her suspicion when she admits that the gown on display is a replica as the original has been stolen. She then tasks Pip with an additional duty of locating and bringing the original gown back before the museum's owner Henrietta Powell returns from her trip to Morocco.
Pip is more than ready to put her investigative cap on and is soon in her element trying to track down the location of the dress. What she is not prepared to deal with is the shipment of llamas her vacationing mother decides to send her way! But in typical Epiphany Bloom style, she manages to solve both these problems and save the day.
Lighthearted, funny and eccentric in equal doses, this book was as fun to read as the first one in the series. Epiphany is goofy and lovable and Felicity's misinterpretation of words and phrases is a chuckle fest... it makes you wonder what her blog posts actually read like!
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Katie Gayle for the e-Arc of the book. I had read it in the month of May and I apologise for sharing the review late.
At the beginning of the book, Pip Bloom once again finds herself without a job. Her promising career as a private investigator for Boston Investigations has come to an end after a huge error on her part in carrying out background checks leads to the head of B. I. to discover she is not a genuine P. I. and fires her. Her only consolation is spending time with her cat and her three kittens, her extremely good looking flatmate and landlord Tim and her sister Felicity (Flis) who is now a sought after blogger/influencer .
On a visit to an exhibition at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes and while admiring the costumes on display--especially the iconic red gown worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman--they meet with the museum's manager Arabella Buchanan. When Flis informs Arabella that Pip is good at researching celebrities, their fashion and anything related to pop culture, Arabella offers Pip a job as a buyer for the museum. During her interview, Pip goes to admire the Julia Roberts gown again but it occurs to her that something is amiss about it. Arabella confirms her suspicion when she admits that the gown on display is a replica as the original has been stolen. She then tasks Pip with an additional duty of locating and bringing the original gown back before the museum's owner Henrietta Powell returns from her trip to Morocco.
Pip is more than ready to put her investigative cap on and is soon in her element trying to track down the location of the dress. What she is not prepared to deal with is the shipment of llamas her vacationing mother decides to send her way! But in typical Epiphany Bloom style, she manages to solve both these problems and save the day.
Lighthearted, funny and eccentric in equal doses, this book was as fun to read as the first one in the series. Epiphany is goofy and lovable and Felicity's misinterpretation of words and phrases is a chuckle fest... it makes you wonder what her blog posts actually read like!
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Katie Gayle for the e-Arc of the book. I had read it in the month of May and I apologise for sharing the review late.
April 2, 2021
I knew when I read the first book of this series, I would be back for more. My preferred genre is usually not a cozy mystery ... but I found myself laughing out loud and not only at the first book. I was so hoping THE MUSEUM MURDER would be just as entertaining as the first ... and I was not disappointed.
This is easily read as a stand alone, however, I highly recommend reading in order. Epiphany (Pip) is such a unique character and just plain hilarious as she gets in and out of trouble. You cannot dislike anyone who would steal a cat from the vet's office where she worked.
Pip is still looking for work. It seems most things she's tried have not had the desired results. Her last temp post was working with a private investigator. I won't give it all away .. but let's just say that didn't work out well. The temporary office placement won't even take her calls anymore.
Just by luck, her sister drags her into a fashion museum where a well-known dress from a movie is on display. But Pip knows her stuff and this is not the dress it is said to be. It's a fake!
The manager of the museum confesses that the dress in not the original.... someone had stolen the original and she had bought a knock-off until the original could be found.
And that's how Pip found herself employed once again. So who would steal this dress? As Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone.
And she's not the only one hunting for the dress.
This is another laugh-out-loud cozy featuring a lovable woman who blunders her way through job after job trying to find where she fits in the big scheme of things. Her cat has a litter of kittens that she takes care of ... she has kind of a crush on her roommate .. but he's more intent on Pip going to work so she can pay her share of the rent.. and then there's mom who says she's shipping a load of llamas to her. And now there's someone who has eyes on her .. especially when her investigation is close to revealing who the dress-napper is.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the amusing cozy mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is easily read as a stand alone, however, I highly recommend reading in order. Epiphany (Pip) is such a unique character and just plain hilarious as she gets in and out of trouble. You cannot dislike anyone who would steal a cat from the vet's office where she worked.
Pip is still looking for work. It seems most things she's tried have not had the desired results. Her last temp post was working with a private investigator. I won't give it all away .. but let's just say that didn't work out well. The temporary office placement won't even take her calls anymore.
Just by luck, her sister drags her into a fashion museum where a well-known dress from a movie is on display. But Pip knows her stuff and this is not the dress it is said to be. It's a fake!
The manager of the museum confesses that the dress in not the original.... someone had stolen the original and she had bought a knock-off until the original could be found.
And that's how Pip found herself employed once again. So who would steal this dress? As Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone.
And she's not the only one hunting for the dress.
This is another laugh-out-loud cozy featuring a lovable woman who blunders her way through job after job trying to find where she fits in the big scheme of things. Her cat has a litter of kittens that she takes care of ... she has kind of a crush on her roommate .. but he's more intent on Pip going to work so she can pay her share of the rent.. and then there's mom who says she's shipping a load of llamas to her. And now there's someone who has eyes on her .. especially when her investigation is close to revealing who the dress-napper is.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the amusing cozy mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
December 10, 2025
DNF. The story just gets more and more ridiculous... I give up!
June 2, 2023
This book proved to me I have the patience and staying power of a damsel-fly. I successfully made it through chapter 1, by which time the whole cutesy, I'm a liar, a thief and incompetent but it doesn't matter because I'm just so cute tone nauseated me so much, that that's as far as I'm going to get. So this may be a great book, if you have a stronger stomach than I, but I hae ma doots.
April 2, 2021
The Museum Murder is the second instalment in the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries series and I loved this one as much or more than the first. Epiphany, aka Pip, is a lovable young woman who just hasn't found her niche. Her mom, who is quite well off, has refused to help her out anymore and wants her to get a job and make her own way in the world. Pip and her sister Fliss, are a hoot. Pip seems to constantly mess up in whatever job she has. In the last book, she finds a famous actress's missing son, but she stumbled her way through the case, this book is much the same. Fliss is a well-known blogger who has one vocabulary mishap after another, I just have to laugh at their conversations. In this story, Pip just happens to be in the right place at the right time. She is hired to purchase acquisitions for a vintage fashion museum. When she realizes that the centerpiece of the museum's collection, Julia Robert's red gown from Pretty Woman is a knock off, she is tasked to find the original which was stolen. Pip actually has a method to try and track down the gown, but stumbles upon information that changes her path. One of her sources ends up dead and the owner of the museum has been keeping secrets. Never did she believe, even in such a cutthroat, shady world as the collectors and memorabilia market that it would lead to murder. Can Pip find the culprit who stole the garment whilst also getting to the bottom of the brutal murder?
This is a fun and addictive cozy mystery. It has a cast of quirky characters, both main ones and secondary. Pip has a couple of possible relationships brewing, but she likes both men and does not want to ruin their friendships. I will be interested to see where the authors take this storyline. I have to say that this is one funny cozy mystery series, but also has an interesting mystery to be solved. Yes, there was a murder, but that was not the main mystery. I like that the primary plot was about the missing dress, not the murder. The plots and protagonist are unique and the stories are full of drama and action as well as being lighthearted and fun. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to lovers of cozy mysteries, or fun books that also have a mystery element. Definitely a wonderful break during these stressful times. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
This is a fun and addictive cozy mystery. It has a cast of quirky characters, both main ones and secondary. Pip has a couple of possible relationships brewing, but she likes both men and does not want to ruin their friendships. I will be interested to see where the authors take this storyline. I have to say that this is one funny cozy mystery series, but also has an interesting mystery to be solved. Yes, there was a murder, but that was not the main mystery. I like that the primary plot was about the missing dress, not the murder. The plots and protagonist are unique and the stories are full of drama and action as well as being lighthearted and fun. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to lovers of cozy mysteries, or fun books that also have a mystery element. Definitely a wonderful break during these stressful times. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
February 21, 2021
This is an amazing, delightful, and utterly amusing cozy mystery. After reading and loving the first book in this series, I was excited to read the second book. It quickly became my favorite cozy mystery. Could see the growth of the characters and entertainment also increased. Glad mummy made an appearance at last, though almost at the end of the book. Have been waiting to see her. Hopefully, more of her and antics could be in future books.
Along with Pip, the secondary characters were quirky, and helped take the amusement to the next level with their antics. Unable to keep her job for more than a few days, Pip was looking for a new job after she had been terminated from the previous job for her impersonation. This time, the task of finding an iconic dress that's been missing from the vintage museum falls in the lap of Pip.
Despite having murder in the title, it happens after the first half completed. This didn’t have any impact on my enjoyment as I loved the Pip’s investigation approaches and tactics more than the mystery. Her interactions with her colleagues were rib tickling.
Every lead Pip finds takes her to a dead end. She has to re-evaluate her suspects and come up with another approach. Sometimes, she finds herself going in a full circle, I found this pretty funny. The person bumped off might be the least on the potential victims list of the reader. This looked a little unconvincing and underdeveloped to me. Admire Pip’s tenacity in finding missing things by not knowing anything to proceed solving the case and wouldn’t stop despite having to jump through a lot of hoops.
Every page had me chuckling and was laughing crazily from the moment the museum director made an appearance.
I would highly recommend this if you are looking for a light hearted and funny cozy mystery. I can’t wait to read the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Along with Pip, the secondary characters were quirky, and helped take the amusement to the next level with their antics. Unable to keep her job for more than a few days, Pip was looking for a new job after she had been terminated from the previous job for her impersonation. This time, the task of finding an iconic dress that's been missing from the vintage museum falls in the lap of Pip.
Despite having murder in the title, it happens after the first half completed. This didn’t have any impact on my enjoyment as I loved the Pip’s investigation approaches and tactics more than the mystery. Her interactions with her colleagues were rib tickling.
Every lead Pip finds takes her to a dead end. She has to re-evaluate her suspects and come up with another approach. Sometimes, she finds herself going in a full circle, I found this pretty funny. The person bumped off might be the least on the potential victims list of the reader. This looked a little unconvincing and underdeveloped to me. Admire Pip’s tenacity in finding missing things by not knowing anything to proceed solving the case and wouldn’t stop despite having to jump through a lot of hoops.
Every page had me chuckling and was laughing crazily from the moment the museum director made an appearance.
I would highly recommend this if you are looking for a light hearted and funny cozy mystery. I can’t wait to read the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2021
OK, so, I'm a huge fan of Pip and I want to read about her life forever. Sure, she seems to attract murder and mayhem. Attracting mayhem seems to be her thing, except she was always fired for it in her previous jobs. I'd be tempted to say that Pip lives in or near Midsomer, with the number of murders she's been directly connected to. Murder aside, Pip seems to have found her calling; she's becoming known for solving mysteries, and she's actually getting paid a decent sum for solving said mysteries; and if when things do go kablamo, she's finally in the position where she's no being blamed, sacked, or screamed at. It's no doubt Pip will continue to make a name for herself as "That tall woman who solves mysteries," and I can't wait to read more about her adventures!
This book is short (at around 240 pages) and it reminds me of the movies from the 90's that I absolutely adored; it goes for 80 minutes, but the writer somehow manages to cram heaps of stuff into that 80 minutes. I would adore if the author wrote longer tales of Pip's adventures. I would lap. them. up. I would love to read memoirs of Pip's past employment woes. I would adore a 'Holiday Romance/Mystery Novel where Pip goes on holidays with Jimmy or Tim, and the other ends up being there too, and there's also a murder (or some such crime)'. I would read about Pip's childhood; I'd love to learn more about her relationship with her Mummy and her big sister Flis. Did I mention I'm a huge fan of Pip? But, the books as they are are perfect, in my opinion, and I will continue to read them.
The Kensington Kidnap talked quite a lot about environmental issues and bloggers, while this book was more about fashion, and both books discuss these issues in quite a detailed way. That's not to say that there isn't some action (there is) or elements of romance (I'm not sure if I'm team Jimmy or team Tim). And there's also a lot of humour. I chortled a couple of times, and there was one or two instances where I burst out laughing!
Pip manages to find a job, with thanks to her sister Flis, working in a museum which specialises in vintage clothing. The job quickly turns into something else entirely; one of the main pieces of the exhibition, the stunning red dress worn by Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" has disappeared, and Pip's boss, Arabella, has asked Pip to recover the dress, under the guise of sourcing clothing for an upcoming exhibition at the museum. Pip's recovery mission quickly goes pear shaped (but at least this time it's of no fault of her own) and she realises that there is a seedy underbelly to the 'fashion world.' Pip attempts to locate the dress with the help of her cute flatmate Tim, her equally cute boxing friend Jimmy, her sister Flis, contacts she makes at the museum, and even through a friend of her mother. While she does get a great deal of help from those around her, Pip's has the ability to see things that others don't and connect the dots. A lot of Pip's determination comes from her curiosity and her being clever at solving things, while a big part of it is also just so she can pay this month's rent cheque.
This book is short (at around 240 pages) and it reminds me of the movies from the 90's that I absolutely adored; it goes for 80 minutes, but the writer somehow manages to cram heaps of stuff into that 80 minutes. I would adore if the author wrote longer tales of Pip's adventures. I would lap. them. up. I would love to read memoirs of Pip's past employment woes. I would adore a 'Holiday Romance/Mystery Novel where Pip goes on holidays with Jimmy or Tim, and the other ends up being there too, and there's also a murder (or some such crime)'. I would read about Pip's childhood; I'd love to learn more about her relationship with her Mummy and her big sister Flis. Did I mention I'm a huge fan of Pip? But, the books as they are are perfect, in my opinion, and I will continue to read them.
The Kensington Kidnap talked quite a lot about environmental issues and bloggers, while this book was more about fashion, and both books discuss these issues in quite a detailed way. That's not to say that there isn't some action (there is) or elements of romance (I'm not sure if I'm team Jimmy or team Tim). And there's also a lot of humour. I chortled a couple of times, and there was one or two instances where I burst out laughing!
Pip manages to find a job, with thanks to her sister Flis, working in a museum which specialises in vintage clothing. The job quickly turns into something else entirely; one of the main pieces of the exhibition, the stunning red dress worn by Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" has disappeared, and Pip's boss, Arabella, has asked Pip to recover the dress, under the guise of sourcing clothing for an upcoming exhibition at the museum. Pip's recovery mission quickly goes pear shaped (but at least this time it's of no fault of her own) and she realises that there is a seedy underbelly to the 'fashion world.' Pip attempts to locate the dress with the help of her cute flatmate Tim, her equally cute boxing friend Jimmy, her sister Flis, contacts she makes at the museum, and even through a friend of her mother. While she does get a great deal of help from those around her, Pip's has the ability to see things that others don't and connect the dots. A lot of Pip's determination comes from her curiosity and her being clever at solving things, while a big part of it is also just so she can pay this month's rent cheque.
March 29, 2021
This is essentially a comedy of errors – everything Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom seems fraught and liable to be a disaster but in such a light hearted, fun way you just can’t help smiling (and cringing) at times. Her sister, Flis, has a serious case of mixed vocabulary – if there’s a similar sounding word, she’s most likely to use it making her absolutely hilarious! As for their Mummy’s llama dramas . . .
After a fashion museum visit ends with a job offer, Pip discovers the start exhibit is a fraud – and she’s given the additional role of recovering the iconic dress. Get ready for a story filled with quirky characters, packed with humour, two potential love interests and the perpetrator to be caught! Sometimes a little too over the top, but with a murder, a mystery and plenty of laughter, it is an engaging and enjoyable read and a great addition to the series.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
After a fashion museum visit ends with a job offer, Pip discovers the start exhibit is a fraud – and she’s given the additional role of recovering the iconic dress. Get ready for a story filled with quirky characters, packed with humour, two potential love interests and the perpetrator to be caught! Sometimes a little too over the top, but with a murder, a mystery and plenty of laughter, it is an engaging and enjoyable read and a great addition to the series.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
February 15, 2021
{Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.}
Epiphany Bloom is a walking disaster. She has trouble keeping a job because she keeps making mistakes she justifies by saying they could have happened to anyone. She was successful in her previous job at a firm of private investigators, until she made a crucial spelling mistake on a background check, which got her fired. When she arrives at a job interview at a fashion museum specializing in film, television, and celebrity items, she notices that the centrepiece of the exhibition, the red dress worn by Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman", is a fake. Because of her experience as a private investigator, she is hired to find the real dress before the owner returns and learns it is missing.
This book is completely delightful. I usually associate cosy mysteries with small villages, not bustling cities like London, but this has all the trappings of a true cosy mystery: the quirky cast of characters, the bloodless murder, and the amateur detective. The tone is one of heightened realism, where the people and events are just a bit too eccentric to be quite real, which is one of the greatest charms of the book. Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is a great main character. It is hard to describe her because she is a grown woman (I think the story says she is thirty-five), and from hints she drops here and there she has led quite the eventful life, but in many ways she has the guilelessness of a twelve-year-old. She reminded me strongly of Alexis Rose of "Schitt’s Creek", especially the way in that she’s always saying (thinking) “when this thing happened” followed by some outlandish detail, yet the story is never mentioned again. The secondary characters who form the pool of suspects are endearing, I’m almost sad that if there is another book in this series Pip will likely have lost this job and we will not see them again.
The mystery is pretty straightforward, but there are enough red herrings and twists to keep things interesting, not to mention the death that Pip suspects was a murder, which ups the stakes considerably. There is a hint of romance, but that portion of the plot is not resolved in this book, so it is likely to be a very slow burn across multiple books. "The Museum Murder" was the second book in this series, it is very likely that I will go back and read the first one, and I am very interested in reading the next adventure of Epiphany Bloom.
Epiphany Bloom is a walking disaster. She has trouble keeping a job because she keeps making mistakes she justifies by saying they could have happened to anyone. She was successful in her previous job at a firm of private investigators, until she made a crucial spelling mistake on a background check, which got her fired. When she arrives at a job interview at a fashion museum specializing in film, television, and celebrity items, she notices that the centrepiece of the exhibition, the red dress worn by Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman", is a fake. Because of her experience as a private investigator, she is hired to find the real dress before the owner returns and learns it is missing.
This book is completely delightful. I usually associate cosy mysteries with small villages, not bustling cities like London, but this has all the trappings of a true cosy mystery: the quirky cast of characters, the bloodless murder, and the amateur detective. The tone is one of heightened realism, where the people and events are just a bit too eccentric to be quite real, which is one of the greatest charms of the book. Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is a great main character. It is hard to describe her because she is a grown woman (I think the story says she is thirty-five), and from hints she drops here and there she has led quite the eventful life, but in many ways she has the guilelessness of a twelve-year-old. She reminded me strongly of Alexis Rose of "Schitt’s Creek", especially the way in that she’s always saying (thinking) “when this thing happened” followed by some outlandish detail, yet the story is never mentioned again. The secondary characters who form the pool of suspects are endearing, I’m almost sad that if there is another book in this series Pip will likely have lost this job and we will not see them again.
The mystery is pretty straightforward, but there are enough red herrings and twists to keep things interesting, not to mention the death that Pip suspects was a murder, which ups the stakes considerably. There is a hint of romance, but that portion of the plot is not resolved in this book, so it is likely to be a very slow burn across multiple books. "The Museum Murder" was the second book in this series, it is very likely that I will go back and read the first one, and I am very interested in reading the next adventure of Epiphany Bloom.
April 12, 2021
I have read and reviewed the previous book of the series. I liked the characters, and when I got a chance to visit with them again, I took it. This happens often, and being a fan of a good working series, I am always game to pick up a subsequent book.
The tone of the story and our leading lady Pip's style stays the same. At the end of the previous book, she had two possible love interests and one job. Taking that as the status quo, not much changes during this book except for maybe the job and the balance in the relationships. I liked her mother's part in this and her sister's continuing mixups of the English language. Pip herself was a little hard to like in this one, at least for me. She does not seem to grow much from when we first met her, like her mental attitude towards jobs and why she keeps being out of one. I must admit that this has diligent leg work being detailed while there are a few advantages of knowing the right people and being at the right place at the right time.The case this time focuses on a dress that goes missing, and Pip is tasked with identifying its whereabouts. Overall, a quick read, and if you are on the lookout for a book with wacky side characters, kittens, and even some actual martial arts by the leading lady, this is a series one can try.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
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The tone of the story and our leading lady Pip's style stays the same. At the end of the previous book, she had two possible love interests and one job. Taking that as the status quo, not much changes during this book except for maybe the job and the balance in the relationships. I liked her mother's part in this and her sister's continuing mixups of the English language. Pip herself was a little hard to like in this one, at least for me. She does not seem to grow much from when we first met her, like her mental attitude towards jobs and why she keeps being out of one. I must admit that this has diligent leg work being detailed while there are a few advantages of knowing the right people and being at the right place at the right time.The case this time focuses on a dress that goes missing, and Pip is tasked with identifying its whereabouts. Overall, a quick read, and if you are on the lookout for a book with wacky side characters, kittens, and even some actual martial arts by the leading lady, this is a series one can try.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
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April 2, 2021
She’s back! Come and join Epiphany Bloom on her latest comedy of errors … erm … adventure in THE MUSEUM MURDER.
We left Pip on a high after her first outing as a trainee private detective (The Kensington Kidnap) but things didn’t go as planned. We find Pip unemployed – again. But she’s got her kittens to play with and a flatmate to ogle, so life could be worse.
Never fear! With the help of sister Flis and some dissembling on her part, Pip is soon working at a vintage fashion and movie memorabilia museum. Stepping over the threshold on the first day, Pip discovers a famous movie dress has been stolen. It’s up to Pip to use her basic – let’s face it, beyond basic – detective skills to figure out where it’s gone. Was it a robbery or an inside job?
You wouldn’t think a sophisticated city like London would be a suitable setting for a cosy mystery, but Katie Gayle has made it work. The mysteries Pip is solving are not complex enough to make your brain hurt, but they are plotted well. Sure, you need to suspend some belief, but the books make for fun entertainment.
I like Pip. I like her inner monologues, her approach to her wacky family, her clumsiness and her uncertainty about her relationship status with her flatmate, Tim.
Add it to your list if you’re after an undemanding yet entertaining read.
Review copy courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher
We left Pip on a high after her first outing as a trainee private detective (The Kensington Kidnap) but things didn’t go as planned. We find Pip unemployed – again. But she’s got her kittens to play with and a flatmate to ogle, so life could be worse.
Never fear! With the help of sister Flis and some dissembling on her part, Pip is soon working at a vintage fashion and movie memorabilia museum. Stepping over the threshold on the first day, Pip discovers a famous movie dress has been stolen. It’s up to Pip to use her basic – let’s face it, beyond basic – detective skills to figure out where it’s gone. Was it a robbery or an inside job?
You wouldn’t think a sophisticated city like London would be a suitable setting for a cosy mystery, but Katie Gayle has made it work. The mysteries Pip is solving are not complex enough to make your brain hurt, but they are plotted well. Sure, you need to suspend some belief, but the books make for fun entertainment.
I like Pip. I like her inner monologues, her approach to her wacky family, her clumsiness and her uncertainty about her relationship status with her flatmate, Tim.
Add it to your list if you’re after an undemanding yet entertaining read.
Review copy courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher
March 31, 2021
Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom, would-be detective and London’s unluckiest woman, finds herself in a real costume drama when she unearths a theft at a fashion museum. The missing dress is a proper piece of Hollywood history, worth a fortune. And as Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone. From fancy boutiques to sketchy back alleys, Pip discovers the fashion world is not all glitz and glamour as she hunts down her prize. As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, Pip also has her growing feelings for her housemate Tim to contend with, a family of cats to feed and her mother keeps phoning about a shipment of llamas arriving any day now from South America.
This is the second book in this amusing cosy mystery. Pip is a total joy & a walking disaster, I just love her. The book is well written & flows well, there are some twists & turns but it’s the characters who are just so good a miss mash of quirky characters who bring the book to life. If you want a light hearted cosy mystery then look no further
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This is the second book in this amusing cosy mystery. Pip is a total joy & a walking disaster, I just love her. The book is well written & flows well, there are some twists & turns but it’s the characters who are just so good a miss mash of quirky characters who bring the book to life. If you want a light hearted cosy mystery then look no further
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
March 9, 2021
[Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.]
Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is a mistake-prone Londoner who just wants to find a job she’s good at and ideally not get fired. She stumbles into her latest employment while visiting a memorabilia museum in London, but there’s a catch. On paper, she’s a buyer, responsible for sourcing new displays for the museum, but in reality, she must also find a missing dress worth thousands of pounds. And when someone turns up dead, Pip knows she has to solve the mystery before it’s too late.
On the plus side, the characters are fun and the novel itself is very well written. As with most cozy mysteries, the murder happens off-screen and the story is more focused on the quirky cast of characters than on creating suspense. I’m a little torn on this one because ultimately the mystery was good and it had a nice little twist at the end but some of the inciting incidents were completely unbelievable and pulled me out of the story. As well, the actual murder felt like a bit of an afterthought, which was confusing considering the book's title.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a very light-hearted cozy mystery.
Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is a mistake-prone Londoner who just wants to find a job she’s good at and ideally not get fired. She stumbles into her latest employment while visiting a memorabilia museum in London, but there’s a catch. On paper, she’s a buyer, responsible for sourcing new displays for the museum, but in reality, she must also find a missing dress worth thousands of pounds. And when someone turns up dead, Pip knows she has to solve the mystery before it’s too late.
On the plus side, the characters are fun and the novel itself is very well written. As with most cozy mysteries, the murder happens off-screen and the story is more focused on the quirky cast of characters than on creating suspense. I’m a little torn on this one because ultimately the mystery was good and it had a nice little twist at the end but some of the inciting incidents were completely unbelievable and pulled me out of the story. As well, the actual murder felt like a bit of an afterthought, which was confusing considering the book's title.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a very light-hearted cozy mystery.
Read
February 15, 2021Wow...I never imagined using the words 'absolutely hilarious' and 'murder mystery' to describe the same novel. But that day too has come, people. The Museum Murder is a cozy mystery and a laugh riot rolled into one.
Newly out of a job, Epiphany 'Pip' Bloom is unexpectedly thrust into a new case involving a missing dress from the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Clothing. Using the training from her previous job as a private detective, Pip goes about deftly interviewing and ruling out possible suspects from among the museum staff. She soon realises that the world of vintage clothing is a rather cut throat business when one of her contacts turn up dead.
This was such a refreshing read. Pip's witty inner monologues and her sister Flis's mangled vocabulary had me snorting in laughter.
Add to this, her mother's llama drama and it was just downright funny. Though I did think the author was trying too hard with the character of Henreitta butchering Pip's name. That was almost too similar to Flis's vocabulary mess-ups.
Overall, a fun read. The mystery was solved pretty quickly and the ending was a comedy of errors.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Newly out of a job, Epiphany 'Pip' Bloom is unexpectedly thrust into a new case involving a missing dress from the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Clothing. Using the training from her previous job as a private detective, Pip goes about deftly interviewing and ruling out possible suspects from among the museum staff. She soon realises that the world of vintage clothing is a rather cut throat business when one of her contacts turn up dead.
This was such a refreshing read. Pip's witty inner monologues and her sister Flis's mangled vocabulary had me snorting in laughter.
Add to this, her mother's llama drama and it was just downright funny. Though I did think the author was trying too hard with the character of Henreitta butchering Pip's name. That was almost too similar to Flis's vocabulary mess-ups.
Overall, a fun read. The mystery was solved pretty quickly and the ending was a comedy of errors.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2021
This is another delightful and amusing read from Katie Gayle. The second story of Pip, Epiphany Bloom and her madcap life is just the entertainment I needed.
This time Pip manages to find work in a museum for vintage and iconic fashion - but as you’d expect nothing is straightforward or easy for Pip. She finds out at her interview that one of the iconic dresses has been stolen, so with a little help from her friends, she hunts down the dress whilst overcoming all of the various obstacles put in her way.
This time Pip manages to find work in a museum for vintage and iconic fashion - but as you’d expect nothing is straightforward or easy for Pip. She finds out at her interview that one of the iconic dresses has been stolen, so with a little help from her friends, she hunts down the dress whilst overcoming all of the various obstacles put in her way.
March 8, 2024
Enjoyed this second in the series even more than the first. Pip once again stumbles upon an opportunity to solve a mystery. The dry humor is delightful.
March 10, 2021
Was a little too slapstick for me. However, I did enjoy a number of the characters. I liked the mystery and everything that entailed. There was a lot of things going on with it.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2021
This was a cozy mystery that had Epiphany in the forefront in search of a missing dress. Pip was so much fun, I loved her humor, especially with her sister and their kooky conversations. Suspense and humor made it a fun read. Worked as a standalone too.
April 7, 2021
I am so pleased that I was given the opportunity to read The Museum Murder, the second instalment in Katie Gayle's Epiphany Bloom Mysteries series as it was a truly tremendous cozy mystery and it did not disappoint!
The pacing moved along at a fair rate of knots and I loved the exciting plotline. Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom, a temp, is skint and can barely afford to feed her three-legged cat, called Most and the kittens. Pip is no longer working for a PI company but she needs some dosh coming in to pay the rent on the flat she shares with Tim, her landlord and her flatmate. Whilst out looking for a job she accompanies her sister Flis to an exhibition at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes. Pip is into vintage costumes and she spots the red dress Julia Roberts wore in Pretty Woman. Flis persuades the museum manager, Arabella Buchanan, to consider taking Pip on as a buyer of vintage clothing and when she returns for the interview, Pip discovers that the red Pretty Woman dress is a fake. She mentions this at her interview and is offered the job, tasked with finding the real dress.
Full of thrills and totally addictive, it held my attention from the very first chapter. Pip has her work cut out as she attempts to locate the dress and realising that it is most likely an inside job, Pip begins to interview staff members, and is soon jetting around following the trail of the frock in the shady and hostile world of the collectors and memorabilia market. Pip is a great narrator; a likeable central character with ingenuity and plenty of grit. Katie Gayle's clever writing meant I didn't want to put this book down and there were moments of danger as well as the harebrained frivolity. This brilliant story with its unique plot set in and around London was masterfully executed by the author, with a great reveal that caught me unawares. Filled with drama and action The Museum Murder is pure escapism and I shall be looking out for the next instalment in this series by Katie Gayle who clearly has talent. I recommend The Museum Murder as a hugely worthwhile and excellent read.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
The pacing moved along at a fair rate of knots and I loved the exciting plotline. Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom, a temp, is skint and can barely afford to feed her three-legged cat, called Most and the kittens. Pip is no longer working for a PI company but she needs some dosh coming in to pay the rent on the flat she shares with Tim, her landlord and her flatmate. Whilst out looking for a job she accompanies her sister Flis to an exhibition at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes. Pip is into vintage costumes and she spots the red dress Julia Roberts wore in Pretty Woman. Flis persuades the museum manager, Arabella Buchanan, to consider taking Pip on as a buyer of vintage clothing and when she returns for the interview, Pip discovers that the red Pretty Woman dress is a fake. She mentions this at her interview and is offered the job, tasked with finding the real dress.
Full of thrills and totally addictive, it held my attention from the very first chapter. Pip has her work cut out as she attempts to locate the dress and realising that it is most likely an inside job, Pip begins to interview staff members, and is soon jetting around following the trail of the frock in the shady and hostile world of the collectors and memorabilia market. Pip is a great narrator; a likeable central character with ingenuity and plenty of grit. Katie Gayle's clever writing meant I didn't want to put this book down and there were moments of danger as well as the harebrained frivolity. This brilliant story with its unique plot set in and around London was masterfully executed by the author, with a great reveal that caught me unawares. Filled with drama and action The Museum Murder is pure escapism and I shall be looking out for the next instalment in this series by Katie Gayle who clearly has talent. I recommend The Museum Murder as a hugely worthwhile and excellent read.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
February 27, 2021
You would think that with the word murder in the title that the body would have shown up before the reader was halfway through the book. Or that murder was even relevant. Nope, not in The Museum Murder by the writing team of Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. The murder read more like an afterthought where the victim could have just as easily skipped town and the reader wouldn’t think twice about it. But no, it isn’t till the very end where it is slightly rehashed and the reader had already connected the dots.
Once again Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is in search of a job since her bumbling has landed her with no income and the rent due. Her farfetched snippets as to why the long string of previous positions hasn’t worked out are entertaining -- hamsters in onesies seem to be pushing it. By mere happenstance, Pip is in the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes when it occurs to Annabelle that she could use a new curator. Pip jumps at the idea not realizing what she will be doing is tracking down a missing iconic dress worn by non-other than Julia Roberts. How could no one see this going sideways quickly? With one month of training in her previous job as a private investigator, Pip sets out to find the dress and save the day. Little did she know that not everyone was telling the truth and that there is an actual underground full of baddies dealing in stolen Hollywood history.
This book is a bumbling Lucy and Ethyl escapade from the beginning. If it wasn’t for Flis and her mangling of words and terms, I would have put this book down long before the token body showed up.
Once again Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is in search of a job since her bumbling has landed her with no income and the rent due. Her farfetched snippets as to why the long string of previous positions hasn’t worked out are entertaining -- hamsters in onesies seem to be pushing it. By mere happenstance, Pip is in the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes when it occurs to Annabelle that she could use a new curator. Pip jumps at the idea not realizing what she will be doing is tracking down a missing iconic dress worn by non-other than Julia Roberts. How could no one see this going sideways quickly? With one month of training in her previous job as a private investigator, Pip sets out to find the dress and save the day. Little did she know that not everyone was telling the truth and that there is an actual underground full of baddies dealing in stolen Hollywood history.
This book is a bumbling Lucy and Ethyl escapade from the beginning. If it wasn’t for Flis and her mangling of words and terms, I would have put this book down long before the token body showed up.
March 7, 2021
Light detective work, amusing but a bit too fluffy for me. I do like detective stories which are not plodding, and it does not have to be all hi tech and smooth, but this was too quirky for me.
Pip aka Epiphany is the detective here, in search of a one of a kind dress that has been robbed from the museum and replaced by a replica. Pip has to methodically go through all the suspects who have access to the museum and weed out suspects one by one to find out who the rogue is. All before the curator and owner of the museum returns from a trip to Morocco.
Lots of characters keep coming on to the scene, her flatmate Tim, her erratic mother, her funny sister Fliss which add variety to the story.
Pip aka Epiphany is the detective here, in search of a one of a kind dress that has been robbed from the museum and replaced by a replica. Pip has to methodically go through all the suspects who have access to the museum and weed out suspects one by one to find out who the rogue is. All before the curator and owner of the museum returns from a trip to Morocco.
Lots of characters keep coming on to the scene, her flatmate Tim, her erratic mother, her funny sister Fliss which add variety to the story.
March 27, 2021
It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for the second in the cozy mystery series featuring the zany Epiphany Bloom but in truth it’s only been a few months since she burst onto the scene as a hapless, accident prone, almost unemployable improbable sleuth. In her very first adventure, Pip as she is more commonly known, made a name for herself as a finder of lost boys. Or a lost boy to be more precise! The lost boy happened to be the son of American actress Madison Price but whether her success was more of a fluke than due to any great detective skills will be put to the test again as Pip falls into her next mystery charged with finding a lost dress. Join our eccentric amateur detective in another madcap whirlwind of an adventure that promises all the thrills and spills of a ride at the funfair. It’s laughably ludicrous, riotously ridiculous and frivolously funny. Step inside these pages and enter the chaotic world of Epiphany Bloom and a storyline that is more nutty than a bar of fruit and nut!
This time around Pip is accompanying sister Flis to an exhibition at the museum of movie memorabilia and vintage costumes owned by Henrietta Powell, daughter of another American actress Charise. Unemployed yet again, Pip is trying to set aside her financial worries and how she’s going to afford this month’s rent when she spots that the iconic red dress from the film Pretty Woman, as worn by Julia Roberts is actually a fake. Drawn into conversation with the museum’s curator Arabella, celebrity loving Pip, in her usual haphazard fashion manages to land herself the plum role of sourcing new pieces for an upcoming exhibition whilst also charged with recovering the priceless missing dress.
Straightaway you know that the theft of this piece of Hollywood movie memorabilia is going to take priority over Pip’s paid employment with Arabella keen to rectify the situation before Henrietta, abroad in Morocco is any the wiser. Pip wastes no time in interrogating the museum’s employees in her own inimitable style as she races to restore the dress to its rightful home. There’s the ‘amazing’ receptionist Emily who harbours a school girl like crush on her employer plus the two security guards, ex cop Philip who likes to keep away from the rest of his colleagues and devilishly handsome Gordon who causes Pip’s heart to flutter. Believing it to be an inside job Pip has to decide who has the most to gain from stealing this item of clothing, a task that she cannot fulfill entirely by herself. Relying on the help of landlord and possible love interest Tim, whose computer hacking skills are bound to come in handy, our lovable sleuth leaves no dress unturned as she enters the cut throat fashion world where collectors/ dealers of highly sought after vintage pieces, invariably worth a fortune, aren’t always entirely scrupulous. As her investigation leads her into the path of some honourable and some more dubious characters you wouldn’t imagine that the theft of one killer dress could culminate in one dead body. An unfortunate and tragic accident or a case of murder on the museum floor?? From a wedding party to a day at the races to a fashion awards ceremony Pip is having the time of her life. Will you discover the pilfering perpetrator and/or the kleptomaniac killer ahead of the blooming marvellous Ms Bloom?
Chaos, carnage and coincidences ensue as Pip follows her leads,most of which turn out to be disappointing dead ends. Traipsing around London and wreaking havoc wherever she goes Epiphany is joined by a few familiar faces. Sister Flis, famous for dropping a malapropism or two into every conversation is lurking in the background along with their mother Magnolia, currently in the Galapagos spotting blue footed boobies with her latest gentleman friend and who is responsible for the llama drama that almost disrupts Pip’s ongoing investigation. As already mentioned Tim is given more than a walk on role in this costume drama, proving himself to be a worthy partner in crime but will he prove to be an ideal partner in love?? He potentially has a rival for Pip’s affections in the form of boxer Jimmy who regularly puts our crime busting heroine through her paces. I sincerely hope future adventures will show who will become the front runner in the romantic stakes because at the moment it would seem they are neck and neck! Plus I can’t forget to mention Pip’s three legged feline companion Most who is now a mother to some adorable kittens. Whether Pip will opt for the single cat lady life or stake her claim on either Tim or Jimmy is anyone’s guess but I for one can’t wait to find out!!
Laughter is the best medicine and you’ll experience it in abundance as you tear through this pandemonium fuelled fashion fiasco with Pip at the helm. I’d wager you’ll be hard pushed to find a fictional sleuth who’s more of a delight; she truly is a tonic, an effervescent bundle of frenetic energy, oozing quirkiness and charisma and I absolutely love her! With a subtle nod to sustainable fashion in the storyline from the authors, The Museum Murder is undoubtedly rollicking good fun. If the need to escape reality for a few hours presents itself, I can highly recommend this hilarious hullabaloo of a read. My thanks as always to the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.
This time around Pip is accompanying sister Flis to an exhibition at the museum of movie memorabilia and vintage costumes owned by Henrietta Powell, daughter of another American actress Charise. Unemployed yet again, Pip is trying to set aside her financial worries and how she’s going to afford this month’s rent when she spots that the iconic red dress from the film Pretty Woman, as worn by Julia Roberts is actually a fake. Drawn into conversation with the museum’s curator Arabella, celebrity loving Pip, in her usual haphazard fashion manages to land herself the plum role of sourcing new pieces for an upcoming exhibition whilst also charged with recovering the priceless missing dress.
Straightaway you know that the theft of this piece of Hollywood movie memorabilia is going to take priority over Pip’s paid employment with Arabella keen to rectify the situation before Henrietta, abroad in Morocco is any the wiser. Pip wastes no time in interrogating the museum’s employees in her own inimitable style as she races to restore the dress to its rightful home. There’s the ‘amazing’ receptionist Emily who harbours a school girl like crush on her employer plus the two security guards, ex cop Philip who likes to keep away from the rest of his colleagues and devilishly handsome Gordon who causes Pip’s heart to flutter. Believing it to be an inside job Pip has to decide who has the most to gain from stealing this item of clothing, a task that she cannot fulfill entirely by herself. Relying on the help of landlord and possible love interest Tim, whose computer hacking skills are bound to come in handy, our lovable sleuth leaves no dress unturned as she enters the cut throat fashion world where collectors/ dealers of highly sought after vintage pieces, invariably worth a fortune, aren’t always entirely scrupulous. As her investigation leads her into the path of some honourable and some more dubious characters you wouldn’t imagine that the theft of one killer dress could culminate in one dead body. An unfortunate and tragic accident or a case of murder on the museum floor?? From a wedding party to a day at the races to a fashion awards ceremony Pip is having the time of her life. Will you discover the pilfering perpetrator and/or the kleptomaniac killer ahead of the blooming marvellous Ms Bloom?
Chaos, carnage and coincidences ensue as Pip follows her leads,most of which turn out to be disappointing dead ends. Traipsing around London and wreaking havoc wherever she goes Epiphany is joined by a few familiar faces. Sister Flis, famous for dropping a malapropism or two into every conversation is lurking in the background along with their mother Magnolia, currently in the Galapagos spotting blue footed boobies with her latest gentleman friend and who is responsible for the llama drama that almost disrupts Pip’s ongoing investigation. As already mentioned Tim is given more than a walk on role in this costume drama, proving himself to be a worthy partner in crime but will he prove to be an ideal partner in love?? He potentially has a rival for Pip’s affections in the form of boxer Jimmy who regularly puts our crime busting heroine through her paces. I sincerely hope future adventures will show who will become the front runner in the romantic stakes because at the moment it would seem they are neck and neck! Plus I can’t forget to mention Pip’s three legged feline companion Most who is now a mother to some adorable kittens. Whether Pip will opt for the single cat lady life or stake her claim on either Tim or Jimmy is anyone’s guess but I for one can’t wait to find out!!
Laughter is the best medicine and you’ll experience it in abundance as you tear through this pandemonium fuelled fashion fiasco with Pip at the helm. I’d wager you’ll be hard pushed to find a fictional sleuth who’s more of a delight; she truly is a tonic, an effervescent bundle of frenetic energy, oozing quirkiness and charisma and I absolutely love her! With a subtle nod to sustainable fashion in the storyline from the authors, The Museum Murder is undoubtedly rollicking good fun. If the need to escape reality for a few hours presents itself, I can highly recommend this hilarious hullabaloo of a read. My thanks as always to the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.
April 3, 2021
The Museum Murder by Katie Gayle is another highly entertaining Epiphany Bloom mystery. Pip (Epiphany) is looking for a job, but then, when isn't she? There had been that one little incident at the detective agency, and she had been doing so well. Then there was the vet clinic that was mad she had taken an animal they were going to put down anyway. There were so many jobs and losing them had not been her fault, mostly. Now, to lift her spirits she was going with her sister, Flis, the blogger, to visit the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes. Well, she was into vintage costumes. That was when she saw it, the red dress Julia Roberts had worn in Pretty Woman. Oh, my God! While they were there, Flis talked her way into a job interview for Pip, finding vintage clothing, of all things. She could do this. The only problem was that when she went back for the interview, she looked more closely at the Pretty Woman dress and discovered it was a fake. In typical Pip fashion, she blurted out her discovery at the job interview, at which time she was hired and tasked with finding the red dress.
I typically don't love quirky, inept protagonists, but Pip is one of the few exceptions. She is fresh, well-meaning, and sincere, and she makes friends wherever she goes. She's clever and can follow a trail of clues like to other. This was an interesting mystery with a surprise outcome, an offshoot of which was Julia Roberts contacting her! She did have an advantage, her roommate and star of her fantasies was a hacker and a good one. Without his help she's be nowhere. This is an amusing, clever book with an outstanding lead, a clever mystery, and excellent characters. I recommend this cozy as one of the best.
I was invited to read a free ARC of The Museum Murder by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #themuseummurder
I typically don't love quirky, inept protagonists, but Pip is one of the few exceptions. She is fresh, well-meaning, and sincere, and she makes friends wherever she goes. She's clever and can follow a trail of clues like to other. This was an interesting mystery with a surprise outcome, an offshoot of which was Julia Roberts contacting her! She did have an advantage, her roommate and star of her fantasies was a hacker and a good one. Without his help she's be nowhere. This is an amusing, clever book with an outstanding lead, a clever mystery, and excellent characters. I recommend this cozy as one of the best.
I was invited to read a free ARC of The Museum Murder by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #themuseummurder
November 4, 2022
Another Epiphany for Pip
Epiphany Bloom, AKA Pip, is a walking disaster. After gaining fame as the investigator who rescued the teenaged son of a famous actress and her author husband, Pip is fired for a botched background check. Once again, she is looking for work.
In another fluke she lands a job as a buyer at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Couture. But it is not her fashion sense that gets her the job. She was actually hired to find an iconic evening gown stolen from the museum's collection.
In her usual bemused fashion she stumbles around trying to find the culprit, in between dates to a society wedding and a posh box at the races. At each site, she stumbles over clues. Ms. Bloom is a charming amateur sleuth who often shows more luck than judgment,
Her personal life is in its usual jumble. Are the two men in her life friends or boyfriends? Her cat has delivered three kittens who will need good homes and her Mummy has put her in charge of six llamas en route from Ecuador who will arrive before her mother's return.
Pip pulls others into the case, including her sister who was risen from mommy blogger to social influencer, her boxing instructor, a would-be vintage clothing model, an ex- policeman who tries to teach her to meditate and a retired toilet entrepreneur. The authors create memorable characters withstanding quirks.
Will the missing garment be recovered? Will Pip discover the murderer of a black market dealer in collectible clothing? Will Pip finally keep a job for more than six months? Pip is brave and resilient, but also impulsive. She may learn to be a good investigator if she survives her hunt for the truth. I look forward to her next adventure
Epiphany Bloom, AKA Pip, is a walking disaster. After gaining fame as the investigator who rescued the teenaged son of a famous actress and her author husband, Pip is fired for a botched background check. Once again, she is looking for work.
In another fluke she lands a job as a buyer at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Couture. But it is not her fashion sense that gets her the job. She was actually hired to find an iconic evening gown stolen from the museum's collection.
In her usual bemused fashion she stumbles around trying to find the culprit, in between dates to a society wedding and a posh box at the races. At each site, she stumbles over clues. Ms. Bloom is a charming amateur sleuth who often shows more luck than judgment,
Her personal life is in its usual jumble. Are the two men in her life friends or boyfriends? Her cat has delivered three kittens who will need good homes and her Mummy has put her in charge of six llamas en route from Ecuador who will arrive before her mother's return.
Pip pulls others into the case, including her sister who was risen from mommy blogger to social influencer, her boxing instructor, a would-be vintage clothing model, an ex- policeman who tries to teach her to meditate and a retired toilet entrepreneur. The authors create memorable characters withstanding quirks.
Will the missing garment be recovered? Will Pip discover the murderer of a black market dealer in collectible clothing? Will Pip finally keep a job for more than six months? Pip is brave and resilient, but also impulsive. She may learn to be a good investigator if she survives her hunt for the truth. I look forward to her next adventure
April 2, 2021
The much anticipated second book of the Epiphany Bloom Mystery Series is here! THE MUSEUM MURDER was just published March 31, 2021 and I was so lucky to read and review an early copy. Pip is back with her amateur detecting this time trying to find a missing dress from a fashion museum.
We find Pip with a new job, this time purchasing acquisitions for a vintage fashion museum. When she realizes the focal point of the museums collection…. get this….the red gown from Pretty Woman that Julia Roberts wore….is actually a knock off version, she is charged with finding the original - which was stolen. Now this time Pip actually has a pretty good idea on how to track this gown down, but when she discovers information that changes her path, we end up with a dead knowledge source and a museum owner who is hiding secrets. Is Pip able to solve this mystery? Will she find the stolen dress AND who the brutal murderer is?
Oh Epiphany Bloom, how do you get yourself into such debacles? Murder, mayhem and secrets, and only Pip can make solving the mystery kooky, quirky and laugh out loud fun. This one is a total delight, which I expected, and the secondary characters, including Pip’s sister Flis are just a hoot. The murder/mystery had enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep it interesting, and there was just a touch of romance involved to give you a hint of the possibility of what might come if there is a book 3 (oh I hope so!). I adored this new addition to the series and highly recommend it. If you are a cozy reader, please don’t pass this series up. If you aren’t a cozy reader, this series is perfect for you to dip your toes into the genre. You won’t regret it.
We find Pip with a new job, this time purchasing acquisitions for a vintage fashion museum. When she realizes the focal point of the museums collection…. get this….the red gown from Pretty Woman that Julia Roberts wore….is actually a knock off version, she is charged with finding the original - which was stolen. Now this time Pip actually has a pretty good idea on how to track this gown down, but when she discovers information that changes her path, we end up with a dead knowledge source and a museum owner who is hiding secrets. Is Pip able to solve this mystery? Will she find the stolen dress AND who the brutal murderer is?
Oh Epiphany Bloom, how do you get yourself into such debacles? Murder, mayhem and secrets, and only Pip can make solving the mystery kooky, quirky and laugh out loud fun. This one is a total delight, which I expected, and the secondary characters, including Pip’s sister Flis are just a hoot. The murder/mystery had enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep it interesting, and there was just a touch of romance involved to give you a hint of the possibility of what might come if there is a book 3 (oh I hope so!). I adored this new addition to the series and highly recommend it. If you are a cozy reader, please don’t pass this series up. If you aren’t a cozy reader, this series is perfect for you to dip your toes into the genre. You won’t regret it.
February 26, 2021
This is the second book in this lovely and very amusing cozy mystery series staring the charmingly clumsy Epiphany (Pip) Bloom. In book two we find that Pip has list her job in true detective agency due to some disaster that she has caused and manages to land a job working as a vintage clothes museum.
The story is very light and easy to read and we see Pip having to try and solve the mystery of ‘That’ dress from Pretty Woman which has been stolen. Pip has to befriend colleagues at the museum to try and find out which one of them may be the culprit as it look like an inside job. This is in many cases very witty and the characters there are well written and there were many laugh out moments.
Along the way a murder occurs and Pip must enlist again the help of her flat mate and potential love interest with some undercover sleuthing and not so legal hacking. The relationship here is well written and building up to something that may be a lovely relationship and possibly a permanent detective duo.
As with book 1 Flis, blogger and sister of Pip, is hilariously funny using strange words and phrases which are close to but not quite correct. Reminiscent of the great Del Boy and laughter whenever she makes an appearance.
Great lighthearted read and although this is book 2 of a series and I would highly recommend both this can also be read as a standalone.
I look forward to seeing more of these and look forward to meeting the characters again in book 3.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story is very light and easy to read and we see Pip having to try and solve the mystery of ‘That’ dress from Pretty Woman which has been stolen. Pip has to befriend colleagues at the museum to try and find out which one of them may be the culprit as it look like an inside job. This is in many cases very witty and the characters there are well written and there were many laugh out moments.
Along the way a murder occurs and Pip must enlist again the help of her flat mate and potential love interest with some undercover sleuthing and not so legal hacking. The relationship here is well written and building up to something that may be a lovely relationship and possibly a permanent detective duo.
As with book 1 Flis, blogger and sister of Pip, is hilariously funny using strange words and phrases which are close to but not quite correct. Reminiscent of the great Del Boy and laughter whenever she makes an appearance.
Great lighthearted read and although this is book 2 of a series and I would highly recommend both this can also be read as a standalone.
I look forward to seeing more of these and look forward to meeting the characters again in book 3.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2021
The next employment adventure for Epiphany Bloom begins! She is hired by a museum to locate a missing dress, THE dress from Pretty Woman. But being an amateur sleuth can be dangerous and someone prizes the dress more than a human life...
The Museum Murder is the second book to feature Pip Bloom and the writing, plot and characters continue to be delightfully madcap and entertaining.
Pip is just wonderful. Warm, kind, intuitive, brave, a little bit hapless. Money is still an issue and she has lost her job at the detective agency that she accidentally got in the first book, The Kensington Kidnap. She has a potential romantic triangle to navigate as both her flat mate Tim and personal trainer Jimmy might be interested in more than friendship.
The writing is witty and warrm. I love Pip's sister Flis and her mistaken sayings. There are further references to disasters in Pip's past, mentioned in an offhand way to spark our interest and imagine the worst! We finally meet her mother with a subplot about llamas which adds a lightness and even more fun.
The murder itself doesn't happen until halfway through the book. There is very little violence or detail about the death. There are plenty of characters acting suspiciously in the first half of the book and to be honest I felt that the murder was superfluous to the plot as the missing dress held my interest.
The Museum Murder is a highly enjoyable and engaging cosy murder mystery which allows Pip to truly shine again.
The Museum Murder is the second book to feature Pip Bloom and the writing, plot and characters continue to be delightfully madcap and entertaining.
Pip is just wonderful. Warm, kind, intuitive, brave, a little bit hapless. Money is still an issue and she has lost her job at the detective agency that she accidentally got in the first book, The Kensington Kidnap. She has a potential romantic triangle to navigate as both her flat mate Tim and personal trainer Jimmy might be interested in more than friendship.
The writing is witty and warrm. I love Pip's sister Flis and her mistaken sayings. There are further references to disasters in Pip's past, mentioned in an offhand way to spark our interest and imagine the worst! We finally meet her mother with a subplot about llamas which adds a lightness and even more fun.
The murder itself doesn't happen until halfway through the book. There is very little violence or detail about the death. There are plenty of characters acting suspiciously in the first half of the book and to be honest I felt that the murder was superfluous to the plot as the missing dress held my interest.
The Museum Murder is a highly enjoyable and engaging cosy murder mystery which allows Pip to truly shine again.
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