Well, what do you know? McKinlay is back and writing like she used to!

This is the writing I remember: great characters, London setting, really good mystery plotting and NO stupid love triangles, but what earns this book an extra 1/2 star over the last one is that Scarlett stops harping on about her stupid moratorium of no dating for one year. She's still sticking with it, but by the end of the book it's all in name only. I'll bet McKinlay will be stubborn enough to write at least one more book that has this resolution keeping Scarlett and Harrison apart, but at least we don't have to listen to Scarlett going ON about it. The UK to US 'translation' thing is much more seamless this time around too; much more subtle and natural.

I think my only niggle about the entire book was one of the final scenes, where the killer is revealed. It's very fast paced, exciting, edge of your seat stuff, but it lost its credibility about halfway through; the killer is long past the point of no return - there's no coming out of the situation looking innocent, but the charade continues on nonetheless. Once Scarlett left the building, everything else felt excessive and over-the-top. Still, it was a damn sight better than a lot of the plotting McKinlay's done in recent books and it was a fun ride.

The story ends on a very sweet, but not sappy, scene and I feel like my faith in this author has been restored somewhat. I'll happily look for her 5th hat shop book and hope for more like this. ( )

The latest exploits of the Mim's Whims women has them going to a Guy Fawkes party at a house owned by Harry Harrison's boss. After an altercation, one of Harry Harrison's co-workers is found dead and Ginger Scarlett sets out to prove Harrison's innocence.

I dived into this right after finishing At The Drop Of A Hat, and there was a lot to like. The plot was very well done, I don't think I ever had a firm suspect in mind, and the culprit was a surprise. With that being said, the ending was too far-fetched and improbable for me to give it 5 stars. I did like that this book revealed a little more about Harrison's and Viv's pasts. Considering what an integral part of the story they are, there hasn't been much detail on them up until now, and the characters are one-dimensional. Also a shame, since the charming characters make the series as good as it is.

Overall, a great read and I'm already looking forward to the next in the series. ( )

Although she gets homesick from time to time, Scarlett Parker has settled in quite nicely in London at Mim’s Whims, the hat shop she and her cousin Vivian Tremont inherited from their grandmother. Scarlett is excited to celebrate her first bonfire in England but less than thrilled when a dead body turns up and her close friend Harrison Wentworth is the chief suspect in the murder. Scarlett and Vivian set out to clear Harrison's name but they need to be careful or one or both of them may be the next murder victim.

“Copy Cap Murder” is the fourth book In Jenn McKinlay's Hat Shop cozy mystery series - a series that has gone from being somewhat lightweight to a nice satisfying complexly plotted series. The series has gotten stronger with each book and this is the best in the series so far. I love the characters – Scarlett, Harrison, (I love the relationship between Scarlett and Harrison), Vivian, Fee, Nick, and Andre. I also love the London setting and hat shop itself. The mystery is extremely well plotted with more than a few twists and turns and red herrings - I had my mouth open in shock more than once towards the end of the book. This is my favorite type of mystery where, after you have finished reading it, you go back through the book to find all the cleverly placed clues that you missed the first time you read it!

“Copy Cap Murder” is a nicely done cozy mystery. ( )

Hats, for a change, are not the only emphasis, as a lot of the action takes place among the characters at Carson and Evers, where Harrison works. Of course, when Scarlett and Viv are invited to a fancy work party for Guy Fawkes night by Harrison, their business manager, hats are an important accessory for the gala, before someone winds up dead. A lot more of the action took place around London this time. I liked the descriptions of Scarlett trying to tail someone on the Underground, or just walking around Portobello Road. I work with a pair of cousins that make Viv and Scarlett seem even more real to me. From their sibling bickering, interactions and reactions, I can attest that McKinlay has really nailed that close cousin relationship. Nick, Andre and Fee round out the cast of regular appearing characters and are charming and useful as always. ( )

Cousins Liv and Scarlett have been invited to attend a Guy Faulks party at the home of their friend, Harrison's boss. It should be fun and an excellent time to show off some of their new hat designs. But as usual, Scarlett and company become embroiled in a murder investigation when Harrison's arch enemy is found dead.

I love this series. It is so much fun with the London setting and all the hats. I also like the relationship between Scarlett and her not-boyfriend, Harrison. The mysteries in this series are pretty good even though I really care more about the people and their relationships when I read cozies. I also read McKinlay's Library Lovers series. I like her style. ( )