First in a new series and one that I enjoyed and will be looking for the next installment. Delta Douglas receives a gift from her Grandmother (while she is still alive) that allows her to quit her job and move to Tundish Montana and buy in to her friend Hazel's stationary store Wanted (the store is in the building of the original sheriff's office). Delta is welcomed into town and learns Hazel's brother Finn is also living in Tundish and is dating Isabelle Taylor who run the Taylor Lodge in town. On the first crafting event for Wanted which Delta is co-hosting with Hazel. She meets the Paper Posse who are a group of women who attend all of Wanted events and have nicknames after outlaws. She also meets Jonas Nord who is serving as a photographer that night. He is a former police officer and has his k-9 partner Spud with him, however, Spud cannot go to the swanky party. Delta offers to watch Spud that night during the crafting event. While taking Spud for a walk Delta overhears an argument and fight between two women (one of whom had crashed the crafting event earlier). As Delta and Hazel are about to leave that night, Finn asks Hazel to go into the bar because there has been an accident. Hazel finds the body of a hotel guest who was murdered. The sheriff takes both Finn and Hazel into custody and Delta struggles to find out how to help them. Jonas reluctantly agrees to help Delta as does the Paper Posse. The ladies of the posse are worth the read. I enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next installment.

Last Pen Standing
(Stationery Shop Mystery #1)
by Vivian Conroy

Paperback, 288 pages
Published September 24th 2019 by Poisoned Pen Press




Goodreads synopsis:
Will this paper trail run cold?

As the new co-owner of Tundish Montana's stationery shop WANTED, Delta Douglas knows how to organize a killer crafting event. Creativity and cardstock are all she needs to move one step closer to her ultimate dream: developing her own line of crafting products. But on the night of the workshop, at the swanky hotel venue, glitter isn't the only thing found sprawled on the floor. A hotel guest is discovered dead in the bar, and amid the confusion, Delta's best friend is suspected of the crime.

Enlisting the help of her Paper Posse and Spud, her canine sidekick, Delta dives into the investigation. But with many high-powered suspects on the line, Delta soon realizes her sleuthing may come with deadly consequences.


***

4.5 Stars

This is the first book in the Stationery Shop Mystery series by Vivian Conroy.

I was excited to find yet another series I want to follow. This story was just fun. I loved the outlaw take on the town’s image and how the stationery shop was called WANTED. I feel like I need Clue-like pack of cards with their photos in order to keep track of the Paper Posse and all their nicknames verses their real names, where they work, what their gossip expertise is, etc. There was a terrific grapevine in this town which seemed to be the leading help when trying to uncover a murderer.

The author fooled me while introducing Ray Taylor at the very beginning. I thought for sure he was the male lead. Then later discovered that role went to Jonas Nord, wildlife photographer and former police officer. I wonder where the romantic interests will lead in future books since I wasn’t quite convinced of anyone’s true romantic intensions by the end.

My favorite part had to be the paper posse and how they joined together to help Delta solve the crime. I wonder if the author plans to have featured paper crafting exercises or tips in future books. It might be cool to have a craft-along.

When Delta’s best friend, Hazel and her brother both get fingered for the crime, we know that this will spur our spunky crafting maven into action to discover the truth and bring her friends back hoe safe and sound. Lots of interesting characters in this and I look forward to reading more books in this series! Such a fun ride! Cozy mystery fans better saddle up and check this one out!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This is the first book in the series and I’ve never read anything else by Vivian Conroy (I’ll be changing that as fast as I can!), I had no idea what to expect. But I’m so glad I decided to give this book a try because it was so much fun! As with many cozy mysteries, this is a light, enjoyable read and although I had a pretty good guess at who the killer was, I wasn’t disappointed when the book reached its conclusion.

Because this is the first book in the series, there was a lot of “introductory” content, which is completely fine. The only thing that I found a little odd was how quickly Delta integrated into her new town’s residents – the ladies of the Paper Posse seem to welcome her into the fold immediately, Jonas starts asking her out on treks immediately, and everyone just seems very willing to tell their stories and secrets to a complete stranger. Not exactly how I expect a close-knit small town to work, but I guess it helped move the story along since we didn’t really have time to wait for the townsfolk to warm up to Delta.

Most of the characters are still just in the introduction phase – we don’t really get to know any of the characters really well, but that’s not too much of a disappointment since this is a series starter and I know there will be more to come. I think the main job of Book 1 in any series, to entertain the reader enough that they want to continue reading Book 2. In that sense, Last Pen Standing did not disappoint me.

The only character that got on my nerves was the sheriff. He was soooo incredibly rude, short-sighted and biased, it was almost laughable. My husband and I recently binge-watched Murder She Wrote (which, when you think about it, is really just a cozy mystery in TV format) and every episode that has a thick-headed law-enforcement officer is one I was ready to skip. And this book was no exception. I’m hoping he becomes a better character in future installments (or retires, whatever – just get him out of there!)

In keeping with the Western theme, all the ladies of the Paper Posse (a helpful bunch of ladies who have an online chat group that helped Delta with her investigation) have outlaw nicknames and I’m looking forward to finding out what Delta’s will be. In another book, I might have found a group of nosy nellies like this annoying, but this group (so far) has been kind and endearing. They seem to have some interesting back stories that are just waiting to come to the surface.

As I mentioned before, this is a nice, fun read and a very enjoyable way to pass the time. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series!

*** Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Delta Douglas is thrilled when her grandmother gives her the money to do whatever she wants with her life. It’s an easy choice for Delta. She goes into business with her best friend, Hazel, who owns a stationery shop called WANTED. Delta always loved crafting and a stationery shop is the perfect outlet for her. She moves to the small town of Tundish, Montana where the shop is located.

Delta immediately joins Hazel in giving a crafting workshop in a local hotel. Everything is going wonderful until they discover a dead body in the bar. Hazel and her brother, Finn, are immediately considered prime suspects and tossed into jail. It’s up to Delta to prove their innocence. Otherwise, her dream of opening a stationery shop will be over before it gets started. Nobody wants to have anything to do with a shop that’s involved in a murder investigation.

This is the first book in the Stationery Shop Mystery series and what a great start to a new series. The characters are quirky and are perfect to give a cozy atmosphere. It's also fun that it's situated in a stationery shop. That's a bit different than other cozy mystery settings.

I liked Delta from the start. The author gives her a great supporting cast with a potential romance, a cuddly dog, and a group of potential amateur sleuths calling themselves the Paper Posse. The storyline moved at a fast pace giving us many possible suspects. I was surprised at who the culprit turned out to be.

I enjoyed spending some time in Tundish Montana and I’m looking forward to another visit back there soon.

Last Pen Standing by Vivian Conroy is the first book in A Stationery Shop Mystery series. I enjoyed this debut and look forward to the next in series. The author has written a smart, fun cozy series with interesting charcters and a fun sleuth. Thank you to the Publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC. My review opinions are my own.

Delta Douglas had been working as a graphic designer at an ad agency until she received a inheritance from her Grandmother. Now her dream is to come true of owning a stationery shop to create a line of products. Delta invests in her best friend’s shop, "Wanted" in Tundish, Montana . The shop is described as being part of a old west building that was a jail . I loved the western feel to this series ! This gives the series a fun small town atmospheric feel that I enjoyed.

When a dead body is found at nearby Lodge Hotel, Sheriff West right away arrested her friend Hazel’s brother, Finn. He also has Hazel spend the night in the jail because she lied. The Sheriff is determined to hold Finn as the primary suspect. Our protagonist steps up to investigate with a little help from her friends.

A interesting addition is Jonas Nord, a wildlife photographer and ex-cop, who Delta ask to help clear Hazel and Finn. Jonas has a endearing dog that is a fun part of this series and I hope to see both Delta and his dog in further books. Delta is also helped in her quest to free Hazel's Brother by her group of crafter friends. All the supporting charcters add to the fun of the story . I loved the old west theme, the friendships and our new protagonist. The sleuth was well crafted with twists and turns to keep me guessing until the conclusion. I enjoyed this fun debut and look forward to the next in series.

Good mystery with a fun setting and characters. Wanted, the stationery story, sounds so fun and would be a place I would definitely visit. So I loved the store angle/theme for this cozy series. I enjoyed the characters - Delta and the Paper Posse as well as the former cop and the dog, Spud. Lots of suspects for the murder and all of them had reasonable motives once Delta sleuthed them all out. I had a question or two at the end that were unresolved, but otherwise the story was good. I would read more from this series in the future.

Cute series debut! With a fun small town setting & interesting character development throughout the story, Last Pen Standing is a solid start to what has the potential to be a fun series. Lots of twists & turns keep the reader guessing as to whodunit until the murderer is revealed.

Cozy Mystery in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana
This book is the first in a series. It is a good story that has so many moving pieces that I found it hard to keep track of everything. There are a significant number of secrets surrounding the victim. Many of the others in the story also have significant secrets. The cast is topped off with a former K-9 officer with his dogs. That alone should have sold me on the story, but it didn't. I'm hopeful that the next in this series is better. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Last Pen Standing is the first novel in a new series and it was one heck of a debut! I LOVED this book! Delta gives up her job to become co-owner of Wanted, a stationary shop. The store is in what was once an old jail, which is very original. Her arrival doesn't go smoothly when her best friend's brother is arrested for murder. It is up to Delta, Jonas (along with Spud & King) and the rest of the Paper Posse to figure out the real murderer. I got such a kick out of The Paper Posse and their nicknames. I think Rattlesnake Rita was my favorite! I also loved that I did not figure out who the murderer was right away. The author did such a great job with the suspects; any one of them could have done it. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book! Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Last Pen Standing by Vivian Conroy is the first book in A Stationery Shop Mystery series. Delta Douglas had been working as a graphic designer at an ad agency until she received a sizable check from her Gran on her thirtieth birthday. It allowed her to make her dream come true of owning a stationery shop where she can use her sketches to create a line of products. Delta invests in her best friend’s shop, Wanted in Tundish, Montana (the town with a heart of gold). While Delta is prepared for the creative aspects of the job, she seems to be lacking in business knowledge (or even how to run a cash register). When a dead body is found at Lodge Hotel, Sheriff West is quick to arrest Hazel’s brother, Finn. He also has Hazel spend the night in the jail because she lied. Sheriff West is portrayed as a small town know-it-all who seems to take rumors as fact (and plays fast and loose with the law). There are several viable suspects and I love how the author led us down the wrong path a time or two. Jonas Nord, a wildlife photographer and ex-cop, is drafted by Delta to help clear Hazel and Finn. Jonas is accompanied by Spud, a former K-9 dog, who has a good sniffer. Delta is also aided by the Paper Posse which is a group of crafters who live and work in town with Wild West nicknames (like Calamity Jane). I wish the author had taken the time to give us Delta’s background so we could get to know her. There are tidbits dropped here and there, but I wanted a more solid history so I could get to know Delta. We are also lacking details on Tundish and the Paper Posse. While reading Last Pen Standing you will need to suspend your disbelief now and then (an example is holding someone in jail overnight because they lied). My mother claimed I was overthinking things (maybe), so I will let you form your own opinion. There were some slow sections that I found myself speed reading to get through. Last Pen Standing has an interesting idea with a stationery shop housed in an old west type jail. I found Jonas to be a likeable character along with Mrs. Cassidy who runs the Paper Posse. I hope we learn more about Delta in the next book along with creating a line of products based on her designs. Last Pen Standing is a satisfying debut cozy mystery with endearing erasers, a villainous victim, glistening glitter, rogue rumors, a senseless sheriff and a determined designer.

This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author. I had never heard of her before. The cover is what caught my eye. So pretty! When I read the plot blurb about the book, I was even more interested. I love a fun cozy mystery that involves a crafty theme. I had never read one about a stationary store before. Sounded too fun to pass up.

Last Pen Standing is the start of this new series. We are introduced to a variety of characters from this small Montana town. Our main character is Delta. I really enjoyed getting to know her. Sometimes, in a cozy mystery, the main female character comes off very pushy or rude when confronting people, following the law, and digging for clues. Delta was a delight though. She is friendly and caring. She wanted to help, but she never got overly pushy.

Two other characters I really liked are that of wildlife guide, Jonas, and his retired K-9 doggo, Spud. I loved that the dog in the series is a bigger breed then what we normally see in a cozy. Also, pretty cool that Spud is retired from the police force and that his handler, Jonas, helps other retired K-9s return to civilian doggy life. I never really thought of what retired K-9s had to do after their time on the force. This could lead to Spud and Jonas having guest dogs hanging out all the time. 😀 Yay! More dogs, the merrier! I’m looking forward to seeing more of Jonas and his dogs.

Delta, Jonas and Spud made a great team tracking down the clues. I was surprised that Spud – the dog from the cover- isn’t Delta’s dog. Normally the dog always belongs to the leading lady in the cozy mystery series, and it was fun to see a change up to that formula.

I was so incredibly happy that the love interest / romance angle was not over the top. It is annoying when a new series starts, and we are just bombarded with the leading character gushing over how hot so and so is and ends up drooling all over him or her throughout the book! Bleh! I loved that Delta never acted like a fan girl over anyone who could be a potential future crush.

Last Pen Standing was a very pleasant start to a new series. Entertaining plot, interesting characters and setting. This was a pretty fun book and I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

This promises to be a truly unique cozy mystery series. Beautiful stationery, lovely animal companions and a clever, courageous amateur sleuth in Delta, what more can you ask?

The setting is vivid and easy to visualise from the descriptions in the story. There are many personalities to meet, some of which will feature hopefully in future stories, The plot has lots of twists and all the clues and false leads that this genre demands.

Friendship, mystery, and a hint of romance make this a lovely escape, to the hills of Montana, but be careful, not all the residents are as harmless as they appear.

I received a copy of this book from the Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is my first time reading a Vivian Conroy book, but I’m loving this series already. Small town, crafting, and some wonderful characters. Yes, my kind of book. I would love to shop at Wanted. How fun to shop in some old jail cells! I love the Paper Posse and their nicknames! What a great group of ladies. We all need some like them in our lives. I enjoyed the story line and the writing. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Hazel, Delta, Jonas, Spud and crew. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

This is the first book in a new series by this talented author. It features Delta Douglas as the lynchpin of the investigation into the death of a guest at the local hotel. Her grandmother decided to give Delta most of her inheritance whilst she is still alive, hoping to see who Delta will use the money to follow her dreams. Delta has gone into partnership with her friend, owning and running a stationery shop in Tundish, Montana.

When she moved to the small town location, she never dreamed that someone would be killed or that her partner would be arrested as part of the investigation. Determined to prove her partner is innocent and to bring the real murderer to justice, Delta embarks on investigating just what happened. As she does so, she uncovers secrets, lies and danger. She is helped by the Paper Posse, an ex-policeman and a retired K9 officer, Spud. It is a story filled with intrigue, a great read. I can't wait to read more in this series in future to discover just what happens in this close knit community and to see if romance will develop between Delta and someone in this story.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.

My foray into the cosy mystery genre has so far centred around books set in bookshops or libraries. This new series is set in the world of craft supplies and notebooks, another topic that appeals to me greatly.

Delta Douglas has been lucky enough to come into enough money to leave her stressful graphic design job in the city and pursue her dream: to own a stationery shop. But her move to a picturesque tourist town quickly goes from glitter to murder. Worse, her best friend and business partner is implicated in the case. Can Delta enlist the help of the ‘Paper Posse’ crafting group, find the real murderer, and save her friend – or will poking her nose into the crime put her in more danger?

This book ticks all the boxes for a cosy mystery: dream job, move to a small town, helpful locals, possible love-interest, hobbies, cake, and dogs. It’s also well written, with plenty of mystery to keep me guessing. The big reveal doesn’t quite pack a (craft) punch, but that’s as expected from the genre, I think.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the writing voice, the story and descriptions, and will definitely be looking out for the sequel. I’m also feeling quite inspired on the crafty front – bonus! :)

I have read a fair amount of 'cosy' mysteries over the years; I'm happy to say this one is different altogether!

Delta Douglas has packed up and moved to Tundish, Montana, having become part owner of a stationery shop - with a difference. As well as stocking all manner of paper craft goodies, there are also workshops to encourage their customers to make full use of the materials available. Arriving in time for the first evening workshop, Delta is shocked when a dead body is discovered at a nearby glittering event and, as her new partner is under suspicion, she cannot stop herself from investigating .. with a little help from her new friend Jonas and his dog.

As I've come to expect from the author, this is a well-plotted tale with plenty of characters and, yes, suspects a-plenty! With a whole town to get acquainted with there are a great mix of characters to meet, each with their own idiosyncrasies. Set in a picturesque locations, I can see there will be lots of scope to expand this series. As you would expect, there are plenty of lighter moments and I just adored the nicknames of the 'Paper Posse'. The store is quirky and easily imaginable from the descriptions, and I'm already looking forward to the next in series. Nothing to complain about here, and I can find no reason not to award this one a full house of stars, with a recommendation to all lovers of good cosy mysteries to add this one to their list without delay!

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my copy via NetGalley, and to the author for always advising on social media of upcoming releases! As always, this is my honest, original and unbiased review.

I requested Last Pen Standing, the first in a brand new series by Vivian Conroy. It was released yesterday (Sept. 24th). As usual, I must thank NetGalley and the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for allowing me access to an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!

Last Pen Standing follows Delta Douglas as she embarks on a new chapter in her life. Delta’s grandmother gifts her a large sum of money because she wants to see what Delta will achieve with it instead of waiting and passing it on as an inheritance. So, Delta quits her big city job and becomes co-owners of a stationery store in a small town with her college bestie, Hazel. During their first workshop event at the town’s fanciest hotel, one of the hotel guests is murdered. Hazel’s brother, Finn, is accused and everything kind of spirals from there. Delta didn’t expect to be using her creative skills to help solve a murder, but things don’t always go the way you want. With the help of her new friend, Jonas (an ex-cop), his dog, Spud, and the Paper Posse (the local gossips and crafters), Delta tries her best to figure out what’s going on.

I have to admit that I didn’t pinpoint the correct suspect right away. I had the person in my list of probable suspects, but I wasn’t positive until I got closer to the end. That made the story all the more fun, because I was able to eliminate suspects right alongside Delta and the others. The plot was full of twists and turns. I really liked the slow build of tension and the subtle clues sprinkled throughout. It was just paced really nicely. I wasn’t absorbed enough that I had trouble putting it down in order to eat and sleep and work, but I also looked forward to picking it back up again. That’s the kind of balance I enjoy with cozies.

As far as the characters go, I loved them. Delta was an interesting and likeable lead. She rarely came across as pushy or bratty like some cozy leads can. She left a lot of the snooping to the town gossips and only pried into things when she was relatively sure there was something useful to be discovered. The love interest, Jonas, was a nice foil. He helped Delta proceed with her investigation and made sure everything she did was above board. Being an ex-cop gave him access to more information than usual, so I suppose that’s why Delta didn’t have to pry as much as some cozy leads. Even the rich people came across as mostly human. It was nice.

The writing was done well for the most part. My only complaint would be that a lot of the dialogue was stilted. “People don’t talk like that” was my mantra as I went through this book. It was like the author wanted to give the reader a bunch of information and couldn’t find a better way of doing it than having people say it. But people don’t say things like that, especially if they think their listener knows what they’re talking about. Like, the stationery shop is across the street from the diner. She works at the shop, so she knows where the diner is. Don’t have the woman she’s talking to say to meet her at *insert name of diner*, the diner across the street from where you’ve been every day this week. It’s not realistic.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed Last Pen Standing. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for future books and maybe even try something else by Vivian Conroy.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. The dialogue is annoying enough that I took a star off, but if you like cozies and stationery and western type stuff, you should pick this book up.

Last Pen Standing is the first book in the A Stationery Shop Mystery series.

Delta Douglas’s lifetime dream is to take the many, many sketches she has made over the years and have them reproduced on various stationery items. Her Gran has decided to give Delta her inheritance now so Delta can buy a share in her best friend, Hazel, a stationery store in Tundish, Montana, and Gran can watch Delta’s dream come true.

The evening of Delta’s arrival, Hazel suggests that they go to the Lodge Hotel. The hotel is having their annual gold miners party and Hazel wants Delta to check out the hotel for future craft classes that their stationery store, Wanted, could sponsor there. While checking out the rooms, Delta overhears a rather vocal argument between two ladies one of whom she recognizes. Later as they are in the lobby, Hazel’s brother Finn comes out the bar saying that there is a dead woman in the bar.

The sheriff soon arrests Finn in the later and holds Hazel in jail for trying to cover-up for Finn. Delta is anxious to clear her friends and starts to investigate. She is soon joined by Jonas a retired K-9 police officer and an interesting group of women who are friends of Hazel who now calls themselves the Paper Posse.

I found this to be a very interesting beginning to the new series. I thought it is well-written and plotted with interesting characters and plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing to the end. I’m looking forward to learning more about some of the characters.

I will be watching for the next book in this interesting series.

Last Pen Standing by Vivian Conroy is the 1st book in the Stationery Shop Mystery series. Delta Douglas is excited to be a co-owner of a stationery shop with her best friend Hazel. At Delta's first workshop class given at a high end hotel, a women is found dead, and Hazel and her brother are arrested. Delta is determined to find the real killer, and clear Hazel's name. The mystery was full of twists and turns, and is fast paced and has well developed characters and plot. I look forward to reading more books by this author, and can't wait for the next one in the series. I highly recommend this book for who love cozy mystery books.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Poison Pen Press. Thank you.

I really enjoyed this book in the new Stationery Shop Mysteries series. This is the first in the series. Delta, the co-owner of the stationery shop Wanted in Tundish, Montana is new in town. Her longtime friend Hazel lives in town and when Delta had a change in careers, Hazel welcomed Delta as her partner in the venture.

Delta's first workshop at a local hotel is more than she expected. A hotel guest is found dead. Delta, along with the friends calling themselves the Paper Posse, jump in to solve the crime when Hazel's brother Finn is the primary suspect and Hazel has been arrested, too!

I enjoyed the descriptive writing of Ms. Conroy in this book, as I have never been to Montana myself, it seemed magical. I thought the paper posse was fun and I would enjoy further books in the series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.