This was a great start to a new series. I found the doll house/miniatures theme to be very interesting. The supporting character/murder suspect was a bit annoying. I suppose every character cannot be lovable. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I found Murder in Miniature by Camille Minichino to be a very slow read but the little tidbits of crafting miniatures made the story more fun and the interactions of Gerry and her family and especially her granddaughter were very realistic.

An enjoyable mystery that entwines the world of miniatures in it.
Geraldine: widow, grandmother, miniature enthusiast, was a likeable character. Linda, one of her friends, seems like a royal pain in the ass. (I'd drop her as a friend)

Early in the book, this start to go awry when Geraldine and Linda are at selling their crafted miniatures, when Linda goes missing. This is where the mystery begins and pulled me in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crossroad Press for the eArc.
#MurderinMiniature #NetGalley

4.5 stars - Murder in Miniature by Camille Minichino is the first book in the Miniature Mysteries series. I first read this book when it was originally published in 2008 under the author’s pen name, Margaret Grace. I fell in love with the book then and read each of the other books as they were released. I was excited to see the book is being released again so hopefully more people will be able to enjoy it.

I had fun reading this book again and it reminded me why I liked this series so much. The main character, Gerry Porter, is a widowed, retired school teacher in a small town in northern California. When a longtime friend starts acting strangely, Gerry can’t help but get involved in finding out if it has anything to do with either a recent robbery or murder that just occurred and helping her friend if she can.

When Gerry isn’t solving crimes, she enjoys spending time with her ten-year-old granddaughter, Maddie. However, the precocious young lady also enjoys investigating, and that worries her doting grandma. I love their relationship and the way they work together on the case, even though Gerry doesn’t want to put Maddie in any danger. They also work on creating miniatures together and the information about dollhouses and miniature rooms is really interesting. There are detailed tips at the end of the story, too.

Gerry also has a wonderful friendship with her sister-in-law Beverly. Beverly often gives Gerry a sounding board for the clues she finds, but their rapport also adds depth to the characters and makes them more real. Although this is a cozy mystery, the plot is fairly complex with a few surprises and a dramatic ending. Thank you to NetGalley, Crossroad Press, and Gordian Knot for the advance copy of this ebook. It was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

This might have been a tad too cozy for me. I was hoping to find out more about that whole miniature-making scene and the (in all likelihood slightly deranged) people who make it up, but in the end the book was just not for me. The protagonist was a bit bland, as was the mystery part, and the plot as a whole was fairly pedestrian; I never got a real sense of danger -- people get murdered, yes, but they're all pretty one-dimensional characters that don't really matter one way or another. What rubbed me the wrong way was the constant insistence on one character's kid being her "adopted son"; he's always "adopted son Jason", never just "son". I mean, come on -- once you adopt a boy, he's your son, to all intents and purposes!
That whole adoption bit read a bit old-fashioned to me, much like the narrator herself. She's supposedly 58, but her bones are "becoming more brittle every day", and she talks and behaves like a nice old granny, not a 50-something ("Neither did I want to act my age and play bingo"; certain miniature scales are "nearly impossible for my old fingers"). Then again, age obviously operates in a different way in Lincoln Point than it does in other locales; not only is Gerry basically an old crone at 58, Adopted Son Jason is on his way out too, although in a different way: "At fifteen, he was of the age when many kids left home". Just for context, this book is set in around 2020, not 1940.
Weird.

Another thing that irked me: the protagonist's insistence that little girls have to conform to certain standards, i.e. they have to like pink, dolls, and girly things. (See above: 2020. Not 1954.) Much to her dismay, her own granddaughter is more of a sportsy type (an annoyance in its own right, IMO), but she's willing to cut her some slack for this, which she mentions just often enough that eventually it makes you want to harm her in a very bad way. I know it's supposed to be "endearing" or something, but seriously, who THINKS stuff like that? "An amazing little girl. So what if she didn't like pink?" Yeah, so what indeed?! What do you even *care*, Toxic Grandma? No wonder her son, the non-girly girl's dad, moved his family far, far away from her.

The mystery part (murder, corruption, fraud, questions of identity...) never really pulled me in, it was all a bit tame and artificial, but like I said, cozy is not my thing, so maybe I'm not 100% qualified to judge. This was a quick, unchallenging read, but I was still glad when it was over.

I'm glad I was able to read this ARC because I discovered a new interesting cozy series.
It's entertaining, well written, quirky and likeable characters.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The first in a series by a new author to me, did enjoy this read .Very strange to be set in a world of miniatures but enjoyable all the same

A good first story and will read the second when available

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Very cute. I enjoyed this one.

In Camille Minichino's Murder in Miniature, readers are introduced to Geraldine Porter. Geraldine is a grandmother whose hobby of creating miniature furniture, room scenes and dollhouses has kept her from dwelling too much on the death of her husband two years prior to this story. She also has a ten year old granddaughter who is visiting her for most of this book. Adding to the mix are a friend dealing with a troubled adopted son and a nephew who is on the local police force.

With a robbery and two murders, the characters in this book quickly become embroiled in attempting to discover the truth behind the crimes. The author has done an excellent job of character development but possibly a bit too heavy on plotline twists and red herrings. Quite frankly, by the end of the book, I was more than ready for it to end. I did enjoy the crafting focus and tips that were offered as part of the overall story and Geraldine's encouragement to her granddaughter to start learning the hobby as well.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Crossroad Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really wasnt sure about this one. It's just a little different to the cozy mysteries I tend to choose, but I'm pleased I asked for it and really enjoyed it. I recommend it!

The plot has a clear thread throughout yet the context is woven into the story in a relevant and engaging manner. I learnt some really interesting facts about the craft of creating items in miniature.

Linda is not a particularly likeable character, whereas Gerry is. Both are more senior and active in their community. They are close but unlikely friends. The other characters are well developed and I really appreciated the broader ensemble that added depth and quirkiness of each interaction.

I now understand this series has been published previously under a different name. I think I will be exploring other storylines in the series.

With thanks to Netgalley, Crossroad Press, and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book is in Northern California, mentioning New York and Los Angeles. This is a crafting cosy mystery. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page trying to figure out what will happen. This ebook is in stores for $3.99 (USD). I would recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone.

This is the second time I've read this book, and I had just as much fun reading it the second time around.
Geraldine is a sweet character that has a knack for building miniature dollhouses and the furnishings. It seems she also has a knack for solving mysteries.
I love the relationship she has with her granddaughter and her nephew.
Fun, interesting book that will make you happy you read it.
#MurderinMiniature #NetGalley

Murder in Miniature is an engaging story that exposes the reader to the world of Miniatures. Miniatures is a fresh cozy mystery genre for me and I enjoyed learning about this crafty world. Geraldine Porter is a delightful heroine who is surrounded by some quirky characters. The author had me guessing throughout the book with lots of intrigue.
Thank you Netgalley and Crossroad Press for the Arc.

I was worried this would be too cute and that would detract from the plot but it really, really enhances it! The mystery itself is strong and complex without being frustrating. Somehow this incredible world of miniatures and quirky characters makes it all the more intriguing.

Loved meeting Geraldine Porter. A sweet lady who lives in Lincoln Point. She has become the chairperson for a fair that showcases Dollhouses and Miniatures. A fun cozy mystery with lots of intrigue! Great story plot and endearing characters. Thanks #netgalley and #CrossroadsPress for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is charming! Anyone who likes miniatures should pick up this cozy mystery, which harkens back to the Miss Marple mysteries. The plot is nicely twisty, the characters are great and the main character defeats the bad guy in the most "little old crafter" way possible, which I'm still giggling about. Recommended!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Crossroad Press and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A fun cozy mystery series filled with delightful characters and a wonderful story.

Geraldine Porter is a miniaturist who's taken on the role of chairperson of a local Dollhouse and MIniatures Fair. When Gerry notices her friend Linda behaving oddly, she fears the worst after a local townsperson turns up murdered. Clearing her friend's name will be no small feat!

This book was really charming! Gerry is sweet and I love her relationship with her family. Her granddaughter, Maddie, is really sweet, though the poor girl gets left behind an awful lot. Gerry's house is really cool (do a Google search of Eichler houses, you'll want one too) and the town of Lincoln Point is perfect. There was a bit more intrigue than a typical cozy, which made for less investigating but kept things interesting. I really enjoyed this!

This series was originally published under the name Margaret Grace and Minichino publishes under the name Elizabeth Logan also. I highly recommend anything she writes.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.