The Women of Wynton’s A Classy 1950’s Mystery by Donna Mumma

Donna Mumma is a new-to-me author. Boy, am I glad I took a chance on The Women of Wynton’s!

I was fully invested in the characters and fascinated by the setting. I didn’t know a great deal about the 1950s shopping experience and thoroughly enjoyed getting a chance to read about the inner workings of a big department store in a small, Florida town during this time period.

The novel is told in multiple POV, a form of storytelling I usually shy away from, but books like this one are the reason I’ll give them a chance every now and then. The Women of Wynton's was well done, and the story about this group of women absolutely needed to be told this way. Each of them came from different situations and backgrounds, but worked together to protect their beloved boss, Mr. Wynton. I liked that the author tackled the issue of discrimination in the 1950s.

Each character felt fully developed to me, and I never felt lost or bored. I loved all the details about fashion and the setting. Easy to read. It kept my attention and I read it straight through. (A rarity for me.)

The Christian element was light, but clearly present.

If you like stories about women’s friendships, women's relationships in a work environment or small community group, 1950s or historical, mysteries, and inspy fiction, you may like this book.

I received a free #ARC of #thewomensofwyntons from #netgalley. Opinions are my own.

This book was good but utterly predictable. I don't mind a heavy-handed foreshadow now and again but honestly, there wasn't a single plot twist in the book that most readers wouldn't have seen coming. I liked the setting and characters but the plot was just not the one.

I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this book or not. A new author, different cover look, 1950’s setting and of all places… a department store. Surprisingly it was very interesting, I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book has it all—1950’s glamour, mysterious deaths, a beloved boss/owner, and even a fashion show. Four different women from different walks of life in their everyday work days with their gossiping and then returning to their different lifestyles. But in the midst of all of this there are murders, unexplained happenings and the casting of much blame on the director who is a favorite of the owner. Someone is plotting to shut down the store and these women all put together their resources to try to save the store for Mr Wynton…. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read this interesting book from a new author to me

3.5 stars

This was my first time reading this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed the cozy mystery set in the 1950s. I appreciated that it contained no explicit language or sexual content. However, it is important to mention that, due to the story's time period, there are some sexist and racist comments.

From the very beginning, I felt transported back to the 1950s. Mumma does a wonderful job of incorporating details from this era, from the clothes to the stores, buildings, decor, cultural behavior, and attitudes. It's evident that she conducted in-depth research on both the time period and the geographical location of Florida.

Initially, I found the number of characters a bit overwhelming, but as I delved deeper into the story, it became easier to follow. The four main characters each have distinct voices and personalities, making it easy to differentiate between them. The multiple POVs from each main character added depth, making the story more compelling and immersive. Watching the murder mystery unfold from various perspectives was enjoyable.

Audrey Penault, who once graced the runway as a glamorous model, now serves as Mr. Wynton's devoted secretary. Her colleagues often mistake her elegance and poise for vanity. Meanwhile, Mary Jo Johnson is a shy housewife longing for more than her current position in the cosmetics department. Vivian Sheffield, the determined owner of the bridal salon, fiercely protects her hard-earned success. On the other hand, Gigi Woodard, a waitress in the store's lunchroom, struggles with her insecurities while trying to keep her job.

Despite their differences, all of the women have their own motives for wanting to uncover the murderer and protect their beloved boss, Mr. Wynton. Each of the ladies values their job and wants to save their store from a scandal that threatens their very foundation.

This book is categorized as Christian fiction, but I found it to be lacking in substantial faith content. If not for its classification, I wouldn't have identified it as a Christian murder mystery. I would have appreciated more integration of faith elements throughout the story.

Another downside for me was the gossiping among the women and how easily some characters were persuaded to think a certain way about others. The women often became quite catty and petty, which I didn't particularly enjoy.

The pacing was also a bit slow. At times, the writing felt choppy, and the dialogue became confusing because it was difficult to determine who was speaking due to odd paragraph breaks and poor formatting. Reading became challenging, but this might have been specific to the ARC copy I read, and perhaps these issues were fixed before the final publication. Nevertheless, it did disrupt my enjoyment of the book.

Despite its flaws, I found this book enjoyable. It held enough action sequences to keep it gripping and entertaining. Watching the women bond and unite to solve the crime was particularly satisfying; the power of female friendships resonated as a central theme throughout the story. Additionally, unraveling the murder mystery was engaging—I managed to predict some elements while others took me completely by surprise.

If you enjoy slow-paced cozy mysteries intertwined with rich historical detail, particularly the glamour of the 1950s, this book may be a perfect fit for you. It blends drama, suspense, heartfelt moments, and entertainment seamlessly. I look forward to exploring more works by this author in the future and definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

It is the 1950s and secretary Audrey Penault catches wind of her boss's son trying to sell the department store right out from under him. That deal is quashed, but soon, Mr. Wynton starts having sudden health problems. Store employees and others related to Wynton's turn up dead. And for some reason, someone is trying to pin it all on Audrey -- who is known as "the Hatchet" to fellow employees. She sets out to discover who is behind the chaos and murders with help from her (mostly) new friends Vivien, Mary Jo, and Gigi (and sometimes Mirette).
I absolutely loved this. What a unique premise. I got sucked in and read it within a couple days. The 1950s charm was wonderful. I love how each chapter has a vintage header displaying the character whose perspective we will be seeing through. I absolutely love Audrey. She has a competency and work ethic that reminds me of my mom, and she is amazing in general. Vivien became my next favorite with her class and maternal care and her sweet friendship with Mirette. I was frustrated with Mary Jo and Gigi for believing every single rumor, even after Audrey showed them kindness, but they are likeable. Joshua is such a charmer! The culprit was pretty obvious, to be honest, and yet I was no less sucked in -- which impressive in its own way. There were some quotation errors and often a character's dialogue would be broken into separate paragraphs, which got confusing. And at least once a character was called by the wrong name. But honestly, those are very slight botherations in a great, original book.

The Women of Wynton's is set in a 1950s department store, back when store clerks were abundant and actually knew their stock and their customers. Four women with different roles in the store join together to discover why the store's owner seems to be under attack, jeopardizing the store's future. This book touches on the changing nature of women's roles and the discriminatory world in which black employees had to function. The women in this novel all hope to see both of those facets of society change.

Having grown up in the 50s and 60s, much about this book felt familiar. For those less familiar with the era and with the concept of a department store with knowledgeable sales clerks to help guide shoppers, the book would likely be less appealing. Serious crimes were committed at intervals throughout the story, and though this isn't meant to be a police procedural novel, the police were barely mentioned which seemed a little odd. Still, this is an enjoyable, easy-paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Women of Wyntons is a fun book to read. It is set in the south in the 1950s. The main characters are four women who work in a department store, Audrey, Mary Jo, Gigi, and Vivian. They are very different in personalities and each has a different job within the store. The owner of the store is Mr. Wynton, an older gentleman, who develops serious health issues throughout the book. His dedicated and very intelligent assistant is Audrey.

The women do not know what to believe or who to trust, but eventually work together to aid in the mystery of solving murders that are happening. The reader will find many other interesting characters throughout the book. Also, as it is set in the south during this period there is discrimination and disparity for the women workers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive review.

What a fun ride! While I didn't think this mystery was particularly difficult to solve, I did love that we got to follow a group of intelligent, charming women around their workplace. I also loved the setting of the 1950's; the fashion, cars, and design of homes/the department store was fun to envision in my head while reading. I loved the character growth and background stories, and I genuinely wished that this story could have been longer. I am hoping Mumma gives us another book in this series.

Oh wow - I loved this book! Not only was it a great who-dun-it mystery, but I really enjoyed the setting of the 1950s department store. I remember shopping in a store much like Wyntons as a small child. The nostalgia of it all was so nicely done by the author. The prejudices of that time frame were addressed, the clothing styles of the era were discreetly woven in and the traditional family comprised of working dad and housewife mom with two children were all exemplified in these characters. Audrey, Mary Jo, Gigi and Vivian each had their own distinct personalities, quirks and problems, but were able to reach out in friendship to each other just when it was most needed.
Donna Mumma has created a winner with this one. Whether you like mystery and intrigue, women's fiction, or just want to learn about 1950s America, you will thoroughly enjoy this story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

What a great story! The plot, the characters, the setting was all done so well.
This is a story that will keep you entertained!

I thought this was a fun story. I liked how the story was told from the different women’s perspective and I love how different they each are. I loved seeing them learn to work together as they tried to figure out who was behind things. I would definitely read more by this author and with these characters.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

books that can portray 1950’s vibe. At first I felt like the pace was too slow but then it quickly grew on me. Characters were so cute they were portrayed very well. The book was actually a mystery but it was also like women’s fiction. Showing us the courses of female friendships, work life etc. Overall I loved it. Thanks to Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for giving me ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm sorry, but as much as I wanted to like the book and get into i could not. The story seemed choppy and didn't flow smoothly. The characters were either too overdeveloped or not fleshed out enough.

Light reading and mostly predictable. It is a quick read. It wasn't particularly my cup of tea because of so much gossiping amongst the women. I feel sure she got the racial biases correctly as well as some of the general attitudes about women working. It was refreshing that is was without profanity. The cover gives a good description of the storyline of the book. I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book set in the 1950 gives you a look into the lives of different women and their places in life. I enjoyed the views from all of the women and the mystery too. It is a fun read. Fast paced and keeps you reading.

I adore the 50s. The music, the clothing, the cars. What's not to love? This was a fun book set in an upscale department store in Florida in the 50s. Because it seemed to take a while to get through the introductions of the Women of Wynton's, I felt like the book had a slow start. It didn't capture my attention enough to want to just keep reading until it was done. Once I got to about the last 1/3 of the book, I was definitely more intrigued and finished about 3/4 of the book in one day. I love that the book was clean, but didn't necessarily feel that it could be considered "Christian Fiction". It felt more like the author threw in the phrase "Christian" here and there in order to be able to say it's Christian fiction. All in all, it was a decent read, but I'm afraid I won't be in a hurry to reach for more of Mumma's books to read.

This mystery book is set in a department store in the 1950’s, what a unique setting!!! Most of the action takes place inside the Wynton’s Dept store. A store in Florida owned by a family, but there are some secret plans to sell off the store. Mr. Wynton starts having health issues, his kids want to sell the store, and not all the staff get along.

It appears that Mr. Wynton’s problems are from someone trying to kill him and take over the store. BUT WAIT, other people start dying! What? This is a Department store, not a soap opera! The cops tend to think it is one person doing all the killing, but mysteries have a way of twisting and turning into something else.

This book was fun, and again, I loved the unique setting/time period for a mystery. I would love to read another book similar to this one.

Four women that work at a downtown department store in the 1950's put their friendship and detective skills to the test.

I liked the general vibe of this book. It wasn't too slow. I also liked how much depth you got out of each character.

It was obvious who did it, but I still enjoyed the story 😊

What a fantastic book! It held me captive from the first page! I loved the characters in The Women of Wynton's, how their friendships developed and deepened, as well as how in the end they chose to trust their friendship even if they didn't fully comprehend the circumstances in which they found themselves. I truly didn't plan on staying up all night reading!

1955 Florida

There are not many Christian Fiction novels set in the 1950s so I was delighted with the time period. And what a different time! Department stores were a treasure and women working outside the home wasn't commonplace and sometimes frowned upon.

In this novel, four women in different life situations all find working at Wynton's to be beneficial. There is a lot of gossip among workers in the store and the vast majority are not fans of Audrey ("The Hatchet"). Audrey shows so much class and character. She was my favorite.

It was fun to visit Wynton's in 1955.