I enjoy watching old movies so I was looking forward to a series based around a movie memorabilia shop. I enjoyed all of the movie and TV show references and the mystery kept me guessing. Unfortunately I just never connected with any of the characters.

Predictable yet entertaining, I liked how the author twist and gives a lot of plot twist and leaves clues along the story. It was entertaining and I like the characters relationship in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"A Killing in Costumes" by Zac Bissonnette was a cute 1st book in a new cozy mystery series & the author’s fiction debut.
The setting for the book was unique & interesting-a Hollywood memorabilia store in Palm Springs, California.
I really liked the relationship between the main characters-Cindy, Jay & their friend/co-worker Mary.
There were plenty of suspects to consider, each with their own motive & I was totally surprised when the killer was revealed.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

This was a fun and easy read. Perfect for a little clensing book read after reading dark romance books.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Jay and Cindy have recently opened a movie memorabilia store, but the store is struggling. When an aging movie star contacts them about selling her massive collection of costumes and props, they jump at the opportunity – but so does an auction house with many more resources than they have. When their representative ends up dead. Jay and Cindy jump to the top of the official suspect list.

This is the first book in a new series and the author’s fiction debut, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Set in Palm Springs, California, it makes sense that they would be so close to the movie and TV crowd, but it’s hard for me to imagine so many shops full of real movie treasures. The characters were a good mix of those you want to know more about and those you’d rather not see again, and I really liked the relationship between Cindy, Jay and their friend/co-worker Mary.

There were plenty of suspects to consider, each with their own motivation, but I was totally taken by surprise when the killer was revealed, although the motive did make sense. Having gotten over my shock, I admit to enjoying the “finale” scene probably more than I should have :) Not being a huge movie buff, especially with the older movies, a lot of the movie talk meant nothing to me, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

A great book for a new series. I loved the old Hollywood feel to it and the main characters are likeable and fun.

A killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette is the debut novel of a fun and exciting new series. The two main characters, Cindy and Jay, are relatable and a great representation of the LGBTQ+ community. They run a Hollywood memorabilia store in Palm Springs. While competing for a huge consignment, a murder occurs in which they become suspects. To prove their innocence and save their store, they decide to investigate the murder. There were several suspects and I did not figure it out until the main characters did in the book. Overall this is a great start to a new cozy mystery series!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed "A Killing in Costumes," which is a great summer read! I was intrigued by the storytelling and the author did a great job of establishing the setting.

When Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan, owners of Hooray for Hollywood Movie Memorabilia shop are invited to quote on selling 90-year-old movie vixen Yana Tosh's vintage collection, they are thrilled. When the competition turns up dead, Cindy and Jay are suspects. They must work to prove their innocence without losing the opportunity to sell the items or tarnish their good name. Her son doesn't want her to sell, he finanicial advisor has been fiscally irresponsible and the new detective on the case has something to prove. A charming debut. Hope there are more in the series.

Jay and Cindy were America's power couple. The husband-and-wife duo turned out to be two people with same sex partners who worked together and stayed married for convenience. When discovered, their careers crumbled, but now as close friends they've opened a movie memorabilia shop in the gay metropolis that is Palm Springs, California. With funds running low, and few clients, Jay and Cindy need a miracle. When a 90 year-old diva named Yana Tosh offers up her props and costumes, the two know this just might be the break they need to save their store. However, a famous auction house with ten times their cash is also in the running. When their vice president ends up dead, all eyes turn to Jay and Cindy as the murder suspects. The two have to clear their names before they find themselves in prison. A Killing in Costumes is a fun cozy mystery that involves the LGBTQ+ This is a perfect book to take with you in vacation.

Former soap opera actors Cindy Cooper and Jay Allen are the proprietors of Hooray for Hollywood, a memorabilia shop in Palm Springs, California. The shop is not doing well financially, so Cindy and Jay get the idea to try to acquire the costume collection of Yana Tash, a 90-year-old actor, to bring in more business.

Unfortunately, Yana, despite her advanced age, is in no hurry to do business with Cindy and Jay because she is also considering an offer from the owners of a much bigger - and cutthroat - competitor. Then, one of the owners of the competing business is murdered whereupon Cindy and Jay become the prime suspects in the police investigation.

I had high hopes for “A Killing in Costumes” when I started reading it. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into the storyline. One thing that I did like about the book was that the main characters are LGBTQ and presented very positively and non-stereotypically.

First book in a series, A killing in costumes is a cosy mystery by Zac Bissonnette. The story takes place in a Hollywood memorabilia store in Palm Springs. Lots of fun movie details.

The theatre kid in me loved this book! The fabulous setting and quirky characters make this mystery a fun read. Great start to a new series!

Zac Bissonnette’s debut cozy, A Killing is Costumes, is a delightful beginning for two soap opera costars who are starting over with Hooray for Hollywood, a movie memorabilia store in Palm Springs. Proving to be a more challenging business than thought, Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper are competing for a significant collection only to have their competition murdered before the deal closes.

As primary suspects, Jay and Cindy begin investigating. Mr. Bissonnette writes a mystery steeped in silver screen details and historical Hollywood perspective. An engaging romp through the glitz and glamour of film.

Fans of cozy mysteries... this one is for you!

A Killing in Costumes is the first in a series, recommended for fans of Richard Osman and Jenn McKinlay.

I picked this one up for the Palm Springs location and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Highly recommend.

1.5 rounded up.

This was not at all what I expected. I haven't read many cozy mysteries, but I was intrigued by the LGBTQ content in this (and I have a soft spot for old Hollywood). If this is indicative of what the cozy genre is, it's not for me. I found this slow, bland, repetitive, and silly, but not in a fun way. It lacked humor and felt pretty heavy; aren't cozies usually lighthearted, despite the murder? This was constantly reminding us that the protagonists were on the verge of financial ruin, that the elderly were being scammed... it wasn't all a fun gumshoe story. And those gumshoe detectives are underdeveloped and have very little personality or distinguishing characteristics.

Points for dialogue that wasn't absurd, but I really expected more.

A great introduction to a new cozy mystery series! I loved the unique qualities each of the main characters bring to the table and that the characters are not traditional cozy lead characters. Many cozy mysteries have a LBGT side character or friend, but this book brought them to the forefront and made them best friends, business partners and lead sleuths! It was fun to see these characters shine and bring their own knowledge of the memorabilia world into solving the mystery as well as the relationships that they build with the other characters of the book. There were multiple potential suspects to follow and unique twists and turns to keep you guessing and turning pages. Overall, it was a fun mystery loaded with movie trivia and memorabilia knowledge intertwined with great interpersonal relationships throughout the story to delight and entertain for hours. I will definitely look forward to the next book in this series!

This is a well-plotted cozy mystery series. The author created a unique plot, which is great for the lovers of old Hollywood.

When I first read the description of "A Killing in Costumes" — cozy mystery with LGBT-soap-opera-stars-turned-Hollywood-memorabilia-store-owners sleuths (yes, I laughed writing that) — I was intrigued. When I discovered it was written by the same author of the Beanie Baby Bubble, I was extra intrigued.

After finishing it, I'm delighted to report it was just as good as I hoped. It was a tightly plotted mystery (I did not guess who the murderer was — and I normally do!) with lovable, unique characters and a healthy dose of Hollywood trivia. I'm really happy to see the cozy mystery genre becoming more diverse and hope to see many more books starring these sleuths.

A Hollywood Treasures Mystery: this sounded like a wonderful concept and I just had to read this book. This book is wonderful and I enjoyed the Hollywood theme throughout the story. This debut in the series was a fun, casual read. The two protagonists, Jay and Cindy are fun and you can't hope that their business will succeed. I look forward to reading more entries in this series.


My thanks to Crooked Lane and NetGallery for an early digital copy of this book for my review!