Death Brims Over

Brenda Midnight Mystery #1

by Barbara Jaye Wilson

Meet Brenda Midnight
She's a savvy young designer with her own hat shop, who has never even thought of chasing crooks. But when crime invades her cobblestone Greenwich Village neighborhood and the cops don't have a clue, Brenda has to drop everything, including her hats, to catch a thief. . .and a killer.Chasing The Lady In Pink
There's big money to be made if Brenda and her dress designer friend Carla can create the high society wedding of the year. Carla's covering the bride and her maids with dresses to die for, and Brenda's doing the hats. But just as Brenda's finishing the last of the exquisite headgear, she's held up by a woman in a hot pink suit, who escapes with the entire collection. Brenda takes off after her high priced hats and runs straight into her friend Carla -- dead It's bloody murder -- but Brenda can't convince the men in blue that they should be chasing the mysterious Lady in Pink -- who may have come up with her own design. . . .for murder.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

245 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

About the author

Barbara Jaye Wilson has worked as a potter, painter, resume typer, backup singer, grahic designer, and miliner. The first book in her Brenda Midnight mystery series, Death Brims Over, was nominated for a Agatha Award. She occasionally stops writing, rolls out the buckram and hatblocks, and turns her Grennwich Village apartment into a milinary studio.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - Good, but not my cup of tea.

[Clarkhou · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a mystery type book. In the peaceful Greenwich village. Brenda Midnight gets robbed of exclusive hats for Ashley Millard's wedding, but at the same time, she gets caught right in the middle of a murder, puzzled deeply by the death of her friend Carla. She is determined to find out who done it, however she also thinks that the killer could be the same person that robbed her, "The Lady In Pink". She decides to get herself caught in the midst of action, she decides to go undercover at Batemen & Crews. As the story unveils itself. She finally understood that there is a killer and a thief(Lady In Pink).

I picked up this book because I wanted to finish all the books I didn't write on my bookshelf.

I finished this book because I knew that in order to satisfy myself by reading a mystery book, I must solve the mystery with the help of the information in the book or just figure it out at the end either by the ending tells you who/what the killer(solution). By doing so, I can appease my curiosity and eagerness to find out the truth if I didn't finish the book.

I wouldn't recommend it or think anybody would enjoy this book. the events happening and the characters' characteristics didn't really fit as a real situation in real life. For example: The main character(Brenda Midnight, a milliner) can't actually disguise herself in Batemen & Crews because it is a very famous company(In the story*), the employers would know what kind of people to hire, instead of being swindled by lies and incredible fraudulence. Also the murderer's motive is highly unrealistic also. Simone Millard(The Murderer) killed Carla because she thought her husband had an affair with her. However, in the story, it mentions her reputation and characteristics as greedy for more money. However in this case she killed a person just because her husband was having an affair with that person. These things are all very highly unrealistic in a real-life situation.

[Catsalive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too silly for my liking - zany people, dumb cops & ridiculous plots. Even the interaction between Brenda & her friends & beaux annoyed me. There were parts of the story that I liked, but each time I found myself enjoying it it was overshadowed by more silliness. One has to suspend disbelief to read a cozy, but not usually to this extent.

Rated 4/10 at http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1....

[LJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

DEATH BRIMS OVER - Okay
Wilson, Barbara Jaye - 1st in Brenda midnight series

Designing hats for a high society wedding, Brenda is horrified when she is held up by a flashy thief who steals the hats and is apparently behind the death of her dress designer friend.

Light and fluffy, it was cute but very cozy.

[Phair · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely find. This author was mentioned on a Red Hat Society discussion board so I tracked down a few of the books. The background on the millinery business was fascinating and I loved the Greenwich Village setting and her quirky circle of friends. Good pace to this caper type of mystery and the hook of the hat-making made it extra fun. Nice, light & humorous.