Daria has a successful wedding gown business but she's going to expand to historical sewing. Her first assignment is to create a civil war uniform jacket for the Colonel. She has to use the right cloth and the right stitches to make it authentic. She decides to visit the Civil War Museum in town to see the uniforms on display there. She certainly didn't expect to be there during a robbery!

Kensington/Lyrical Underground and Net Galley allowed me to read this ebook for review (thank you). The book will be published May 16th.

Daria's brother has just turned up after a seven year absence. He admits part of the time he was in jail and that he'd had a drug problem for a while. He swears he's clean but he still has hoods after him for the money he owes the drug lord. Daria believes in her brother but wishes he hadn't brought his problems with him.

She takes the Colonel his new jacket which he puts on and then tries to short her on payment. She refuses to back down. He still is short $20 in payment but she's willing to let that go. The problem is that she forgot to pick up her tape measure. When she goes back for that, she finds the Colonel dead on the floor, run through with a bayonet and Chris, another friend, holding the bayonet. He says he found the Colonel like that and she believes him but the cops don't.

As if all this wasn't enough, she now has two men dating her and she's not sure about either one of them. Too bad she jumped the wrong way...

This cozy is busy with personal drama, murders and theft, and action. Somehow it all gets straightened out by the end of story. I enjoyed this read.

I had a very difficult time warming up to Daria, the main character in Greta McKennan's 'Uniformly Dead'. The book was just depressing. She had phobia issues, past relationship issues and family issues. I waded through a plot that was in a rather interesting setting (Civil War Reenactment), but was entirely too predictable. No surprises in the ending, I had the who and what and why already figured out. Hopefully there will be improvement if this is the beginning of a series.

An excellent beginning of what looks to be a fun and interesting series. Characters are well fleshed out and the story was well paced. Enjoyed the book very much!

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

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

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

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

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

This cozy historical mystery contains so many of my favorites=sewing, history, mystery and a quirky, likable main character. Daria has decided to supplement her income sewing uniforms for Civil War re-enactors. After sewing a jacket for one of the re-enactors posing as a colonel, she finds him dead in his tent. One of her friends becomes the prime suspect. This is the story of how she solves the mystery of his death. I recommend this book for all mystery lovers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uniformly Dead: A Stitch in Time Mystery
By Greta McKennan
Lyrical Underground Kensington
May 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

After her boyfriend cleaned out their joint banking accounts and left her drowning in debt, wedding dress designer Debra Dembrowski was forced to close her wedding shop and find a new way to pay the bills. Operating out of her home, Debra has merged bridal couture with A Stitch in Time, her sewing business focusing on historical wear. It’s a new venture perfect for a designer whose hero was Betsy Ross and whose hometown of Laurel Springs, Pennsylvania is a host to a thriving Civil Reenactor community. Debra’s first fitting for reenactor Colonel Windstrom goes less than smooth though, with him disdainful towards her lack of knowledge and criticizing her every stitch.

Although the filming of a big-budget Civil War movie should have been a fantastic opportunity for Debra’s business, they have their own unionized crew and wardrobe. At least the visiting set brings to town Debra’s camera-operating brother Pete, whom she hasn’t seen since he left for Hollywood six years ago. It’s apparently been a rough period for Pete, and the time spent away hasn’t lessened his old high school rivalry with Emmett McDowell, a historical book author and the heir to the McDowell estate. So when a valuable McDowell antique doll goes missing from an exhibit at the Tremington Museum, it is Pete who is blamed as a result of comments he made regarding valuables often hidden inside dolls by Southern troops. Clearing her brother of the crime would normally be her first priority if not for yet another crime, that of the murder of the unlikable “Colonel.” The man arrested for that crime happens to be the fiancé of Debra’s client, and the pleading bride implores Debra to save the wedding by freeing the groom. Investigating combative reenactors and Civil War treasures would be difficult enough without having to tangle with Sean McCarthy, a Laurel Springs Daily Chronicle reporter who is extremely proud of both his appeal and his ability to deliver a story.

This debut series follows two different mystery plots while also juggling Debra’s rather confused love life. When Pete goes missing, Debra discovers the dark reasons behind the failed Hollywood career that has followed him to Laurel Springs. As a handsome reenactor and real world accountant engages Debra’s attention, Sean McCarthy repeatedly interrupts with a grinning confidence that is meant to be charming but borders on just being irritating. The surprise MVP of the novel is Debra’s tenant Aileen, the lead singer of Twisted Armpits heavy metal band and whose intelligence and practicality proves key to getting Debra out of trouble. It is Aileen who has the honor of making the perfect twist on a Princess Bride line, “Have fun with the murderers!”

A cozy mystery with all the usual traits.
A bit slow moving but a solid whodunit.

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

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

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

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

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

I loved this book, starring Daria, a strong, independent woman who lost her wedding shop when her boyfriend ran off leaving her in debt, and now creates historic garments along with wedding dresses. The two worlds collide when she is asked to create a Civil War costume for re-enactor Colonel Windstrom and, when she goes to deliver it to him at the re-eanctment camp, she finds him bayoneted to death, with Chris, the fiance of Marsha, one of her wedding dress customers standing over him with the bloody bayonet in his hand. Marsha, a pregnant bride who is afraid her mother will find out about her condition and disown her, begs Daria to find the real murderer. Throw in Daria's housemate, a punk musician, her brother Pete who has recently been released from jail where he served a sentence for drug possession and now has two thugs after him for money he owes, a missing historic and valuable doll, a long time enemy of Pete's in Emmett who takes great delight in taunting him, and two possible suitors in an impudent press photographer and a dashing re-enactor who may be too good to be true, and throw in a re-enactment ball and you have the makings of a great story. I hope there will be many more to come in this series!