I enjoyed this installment of the Missy DuBois Mystery series. This is number four but can be read as a standalone. The setting is Blue Bayou, Louisiana. Melissa (Missy) is a milliner whom stumbles upon the dead, grouchy, and stingy billionaire in his project remodel of Dogwood Manor. The mansion is in the process of being transformed into a hotel.
One of Missy friend is Lance La Porte, a detective. She calls him and the case begins, incase its murder and not accidental or natural causes. There are plenty of misdirection and twists and turns throughout the story.
A subplot is the remodel of Missy’s Shop, Crowning Glory. She has a photo shoot in two days and has decided the current set up isn’t chic enough. Another subplot is the wedding of the local TV reporter and it’s tied to the milliner’s shop and Dogwood Manor.
This is a quaint southern cozy. Loved the interactions between the characters, the descriptions, and the outrageous sayings attributed to the south. This just adds to the charm.

What I found a little off was the TV reporter’s willingness to ask for a refund for her veil from Missy but not ask for the wedding dress payment back when she chooses a new location and outfit for the wedding.
Otherwise. This is a great read! I highly recommend it.

Protagonist Missy DuBois has built a successful business designing hats and veils in her Crowning Glory boutique in Bleu Bayou, Louisiana. Her significant other, Ambrose ‘Bo’ Jackson creates stunning wedding dresses, and the pair work well together.

As the story begins, a curmudgeon billionaire who purchased the historic Dogwood Manor home has apparently ticked off someone so badly they’ve murdered him. Missy has to deal with a bridezilla whose wedding was to take place at Dogwood Manor just a few days later. Meanwhile, Missy is scrambling to see to a cosmetic makeover for her shops interior before a popular bridal magazine comes to interview her. Her friend, Detective Lance LaPorte, agrees Herbert Solomon's death is suspicious, and Missy goes into investigate mode to follow up on some of the people the billionaire had run-ins with before his death.

I thought this was an engaging plot that flows along at a steady pace. Bits of humor liven the story and the romance between Missy and Ambrose is given just the right amount of attention so it doesn’t distract from the mystery. I remember the cast of recurring characters from previous books and enjoy re-visiting with them again. I had an idea who the culprit was and found the reveal contains an interesting bit of history that adds to their evilness! There’s sort of a cliffhanger ending, yet I don’t feel like it distracts from the story in any way. It just makes me want to read the next story!

I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington. Thank you.

'Death Comes to Dogwood Manor' was my first exposure to the Missy DuBois Mystery series and I enjoyed the quirky Southern charm that Sandra Bretting presents. Missy is totally likeable, there is lots of humor and a substantial mystery, with lots of misdirection and suspicion that kept me guessing. I am going to go back and get the rest of the series and catch up. It wasn't perfect, but it was fun!

Thankyou for giving me the opportunity to read this book. This is a new author for me a good read from the start.
Historical houses are always a pull for me .
I love the southern language and the description of the foods.
A good plot and twist at the end ,I shall go back and read the 1st few books . Looking forward for the next book .

Death Comes to Dogwood Manor is the fourth book in Sandra Bretting’s Missy DuBois Mystery series. I love the Louisiana setting, Southern charm, and humor in this book. This is a somewhat slow but steady paced murder mystery, with lots of other things happening. The characters are well developed and the mystery was interesting. All the books in this series can easily be read as standalones. The reveal surprised me, but I was disappointed with the cliffhanger ending.

Melissa “Missy” DuBois is a custom hat maker and her best friend and boyfriend, Ambrose “Bo” Jackson, is a wedding gown designer in Bleu Bayou, Louisiana. While visiting Dogwood Manor, an antebellum mansion that is being converted into an event venue, to measure the chapel’s aisle, Missy finds the body of the property owner, Herbert Solomon. Missy has a propensity for stumbling upon murder victims so no one is surprised when she’s on the scene. Missy’s childhood friend, Lance LaPorta, is the local detective assigned to the case, and he gladly accepts her help and even solicits her input. Since Mr. Solomon wasn’t a pleasant man, Missy knows there will be lots of potential suspects. Even though she’s busy creating hats, veils, and fascinators, plus preparing for an interview with a prestigious bridal magazine, she finds time to help him, but the clue that identifies the killer isn’t something that Missy discovered this time.

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

I enjoyed this latest Missy DuBois book. Again, the author brings realism to the setting and provided a decent mystery. The clue that seals the deal against the killer isn't something that Missy came up with, but it was still satisfying.

There was one off note for me. One of the characters responds harshly to something Missy says and what would then need to be done. A professional would not have gotten in that position in the first place.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. First time reading this author. This is part of an ongoing cozy mystery series. It reads well as a stand alone, but the main cast of characters obviously have a history. This story was entertaining, and the culprit was a nice unexpected surprise to me!! Always makes it fun. I rate it a 4. I think most cozy mystery readers would enjoy this book.

Renovation mysteries are a staple for me and I was glad to add this one to the list. A good one with an enjoyable setting and characters and a twist on the usual victim, I'll be checking out the rest of the series..

Missy finds another dead body! A fast paced and fun story about the deep south. Seems like these old plantations keep popping up dead bodies. This is the third book in the series, and the first one I've read. Had no problem following the story. Took a bit to figure out the killer, and I liked that it wasn't a big revenge or one with a lot of baggage. Basically, the killer was a wee bit narcissistic. Hope that doesn't give it away. Good cozy mystery, and like the setting and characters. Wouldn't mind the recipes (hint, hint). Would recommend this book and series.