Thursday, October 17, 2019

Bookish Mewsings: Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece by Rose Pressey



Along with my mini reviews, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader and Friday 56 hosted by Freda of Freda's Voice, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.


Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece (Haunted Craft Fair Mysteries #1) by Rose Pressey

Kensington, 2019
Fiction; 304 pgs

Book Beginnings:
Travel trailer trip 1:
When hooking up a travel trailer, remember to watch out for the hitch.
Your shins will thank you.
With a pitch-black sky full of twinkling stars and a warm summer breeze caressing my skin, I stood in front of my fabulous pink-and-white Shasta trailer. 

Friday 56 (excerpt from 56%):
If I catch you around my trailer again, you'll be sorry. I'll give you something to be afraid of." She placed one hand on her slender hip and pointed with her other. 
She'd seemed so nice at first. Now she seemed like she wanted to kill me.  

My thoughts:
Celeste Cabot is eager to hit the craft fair circuit with her Chihuahua Van Gogh. Her first craft fair doesn’t turn out quite as she expected, however. Not only is one of her paintings returned by a customer who claims it is haunted, but suddenly she is being visited by a ghost—only Celeste doesn’t believe in ghosts. At least she didn’t . . . until now. Add to that someone stealing from the fair’s vendors; and then Celeste stumbles upon dead body. Celeste sees possible suspects all around her. She’s determined to find out who is behind the murder and thefts, and if, in fact, there is a connection between the missing money and the murder.

Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece was an entertaining cozy mystery—charming and funny. Celeste is an easy to like character, and I especially liked her ghost companion. Oh, and her family! I adore her family. She has one of those close-knit and probably-overly-involved families that is perfect for a cozy. I just love her grandmother and hope there is more of her in future books in the series.

In this first book of the series, you will find a hint of romance mixed in with the mystery. Celeste does not want to believe the good looking wood sculptor could be involved in the theft or murder, but she cannot completely rule him out. And it’s clear that cute detective makes her pulse race a little faster. Unfortunately, I was not completely sold on Celeste’s need to be involved in the murder investigation, no matter her good intentions. The detective on the case was a lot more patient and accommodating to her than I think your average law enforcement officer would be. Still, I enjoyed Rose Pressey’s novel, and will look for the next book in the series.


Does this sound like something you would enjoy reading? Have you read Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece


Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

You're spending a night in a haunted house. What book would you bring with you?

Perhaps a Gothic novel or a mystery featuring ghosts. Something that would fit the atmosphere, I think. I would probably bring several books so I can decide which fits my mood once I am there--and in case I finish one and need to start another. There's a good possibility I will be unable to sleep because of things that go bump in the night, after all!

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street by Karen White

Mrs. Morris and the Ghost by Traci Wilton

Ghost at Work by Carolyn Hart

What type of book would you want to bring with you if you were spending the night in a haunted house? Or do you have a specific book you would like to take with you?


 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!


© 2019, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

44 comments:

  1. Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece sounds like a fun read. And cute cover, too.

    I'm like you...I think I'll bring several books instead of one. Would rather read than facing the unknown, right? :p

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    1. Melody - It was a fun read. :-)

      I can block just about everything out when I read, but tend to be a light sleeper. So, I figure it's safer to read. LOL

      Thank you for stopping by.

      Delete
  2. Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece sounds like an interesting and unique story. I haven't seen anything about it before, so thanks for mentioning it.

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  3. Ooooh Rebecca is a great choice for a book! I would also bring Horrostor - it's a horror novel based on Swedish furniture stores (:

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    1. Eustacia - Horrostor sounds like fun! I will have to look for it.

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  4. The cozy mystery sounds cute.

    I would do my best NOT to spend the night in the haunted house but, if I was forced to, I'd bring a silly book - maybe something chick litish.

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    1. Kathy - It was cute. :-)

      A silly book would be a good choice for spending the night in a haunted house. And who knows, the house might be haunted by nice ghosts.

      Delete
  5. I don't think I would be spending a night in a haunted house. Nope, not me. However, being the planner that I am, I'd just bring my Kindle which would have all sorts of books on it. Happy, sad, Gothic, mystery and on and on. Cute cover on the cozy mystery above!

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    1. Kay - I am imagining the haunted house I stay in will be filled with friendly ghosts, and not the scary kind. Haha. I thought about bringing my e-reader, but worried electronics might not mix well with a haunted house.

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  6. Your Friday 56 has such a cutsie cover! I'm intrigued! Happy Friday! Here's MY FRIDAY POST.

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  7. hmmm what would i bring to a haunted house to read...might as well go all the way and have a good horror novel. lol
    sherry @ fundinmental

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  8. The first line of your cozy sets the tone perfectly. Fun!
    If I was in a haunted house, I'd want a book that was not scary. One kept my mind off all the things going bump in the night.

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    1. Roberta - It is a good opening. :-) I would definitely need a book that could keep my mind off the goings on around me. If a book is good, I can block just about anything out around me. That's what I would be counting on. LOL

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  9. I've watched too many episodes of Supernatural, so if I'm spending the night in a haunted house I'm bringing lots of salt and extra batteries for my flashlight. Oh, and some chocolate for when I get the munchies. :D

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    1. Lark - I thought of that too! I love Supernatural. We definitely need lots of salt. And chocolate.

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  10. What a great title--yes, murder can mess things up. Sounds like a fun read.

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  11. Looks like such a fun read!! Happy weekend!

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    1. Freda - It was a good one. I hope you have a good week.

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  12. I love craft fairs and I love dogs, so maybe that cozy would appeal to me. Cute cover!

    As far as a book in a haunted house, wow, many come to mind. Maybe Rebecca, maybe an early Stephen King (only ones I like), or perhaps The Haunting of Hill House (forget the author).

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    1. Rita - Craft fairs can be fun, although I never have the money to buy what I want. :-)

      I haven't yet read The Haunting of Hill House. One of these days perhaps . . . I have her Cranfield on my TBR shelf to get to.

      Delete
  13. I like your BBH book choices, Wendy. I hope you enjoy your weekend. Here's my BBH Post
    Flora x

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  14. It never occurred to me to read "Frankenstein" in a haunted house. I picked The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.

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    1. Billy - I'm not sure why I thought of Frankenstein, but I know I want to read it. :-) I haven't yet read The Haunting of Hill House, but I would like to.

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  15. I like them all. Rebecca has been a favourite of mine since school when I was introduced to the author by an enlightened literature teacher at the age of 16.

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    1. Mystica - I hadn't heard of du Mauier until I began blogging. I feel like I missed out!

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  16. Oh my gosh, that cover on Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece! Too cute. I love chihuahuas.
    If I were sleeping in a haunted house, I wouldn't get much sleep so I'd bring a nice historical romance to take the edge off lol.

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    1. Naida - It is a cute cover, isn't it? A historical romance sounds like a nice book to have a long for a visit to a haunted house.

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  17. Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece sounds delightful! I do love a good cozy from time to time. I would probably just bring whichever book I was reading at the time but I am not sure why I would be staying the night in a haunted house :)

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    1. Carole - It was a lot of fun. :-) I would only stay in a haunted house where the ghosts were friendly, I think. Haha.

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  18. I have another book by Rose Pressey that has been sitting on my shelves for far too long. This newest one looks fantastic! I like your choices for books in a haunted house. Rebecca is one of my favorites.

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    1. Katherine - I think I may have another of her books on my shelf too. I know I tried one of her books before and had trouble getting into it. Maybe that's the one I am thinking of. I did like this one though.

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  19. Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece sounds like a hoot! I mean who wouldn't want to read about that doggy! Rebecca is a perfect book to choose. I would add The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Spooky!

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