Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen was a unique, well written and cleverly plotted cozy mystery which had it all, an amazing protagonist, quirky cast of characters and a wonderfully twisty mystery that reaches a satisfying conclusion...

Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen is book 2 in the Maple Bishop series but is easily read as a standalone novel.

Set in 1947, recently widowed Maple Bishop is the owner of a small business making dollhouses, and on the side she has begun creating miniatures of crime scenes to aid the local police in solving crimes. Unlike many books in the mystery genre that involve amateur sleuths, Maple has been accepted, and even hired as a consultant by the local police chief. When the body of a young firefighter in training is found burned in his bed, the police sheriff asks Maple to assist in determining if the fire was an accident or arson.

I found Maple to be interesting, but a bit unlikeable, she seemed quick to jump to conclusions about people and didn't always treat people with even the slightest degree of civility. At times I found her behaviour to be quite rude, which kind of put me off her character. I thought it was a shame because otherwise, she presented a strong, intelligent woman, running a small business at a time when I don't believe that was the norm for women.

With ties to the Irish mob, a secondary mystery involving a bank heist, arson, and murder, there were a lot of threads running through this mystery that kept me guessing what was really going on and kept me turning the pages of this book.

I think Murder in Miniature would appeal to people who love a slower, more procedural mystery. If you're looking for something fast paced with a lot of action, this book is probably not for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars

Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen is the second in the Maple Bishop mystery series. 

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Crooked Lane Books, and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.




Series Background: (Note that this section may contain spoilers from previous books)
Maple Bishop (actually born Mabel), studied to become a lawyer, but in the 1940's, women lawyers are not in demand.  So, when her husband is killed in WWII and she is left penniless, she starts selling her intricate dollhouses, and is quite successful.  She has recently earned the respect of the local Sheriff (Sam Scott), and is a part-time consultant, where she can use her keen mind, her photographic memory, her law background, and her detailed dollhouses to "describe" crime scenes.  She calls them "nutshells". She works with Kenny, a young deputy, to investigate crimes.  Maple has started seeing Ben Crenshaw, the local hardware owner, who first gave her a place in his store to build and sell her dollhouses.  She lives in Elderberry, Vermont.  (Maple's character was inspired by real-life mother of forensic science Frances Glessner Lee, who built miniature crime scenes for teaching purposes.)




My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Maple Bishop's dollhouse business has taken off.  She's even hired Kenny's father to use his almost forgotten carpentry skills to build the walls, while she concentrates on the dolls and decorations.  Maple is getting closer to Ben, but so far, neither one of them is comfortable enough to make the first romantic move.

When the sheriff calls her to a potential crime scene, Maple is excited.  She's been getting bored.  But when the scene turns out to be the death of one of Kenny's childhood friends, sadness creeps in.  He is found in the partially burned cabin where he was staying with his uncle, who is away at the moment.   Daniel was training to be a fire-fighter.  His friend Peter was to pick him up to start their next shift.  Thankfully Peter was able to put the fire out, but could not save his friend.

While looking around the area, Maple notices another cabin higher up the mountain that may have a bird's eye view of Daniel's cabin.  There they meet the daughter of the deceased owner, a movie director from California, and her girlfriend, a famous actress.

They soon realize that there may be more to this than originally thought.  Kenny and Maple travel to Boston to inform Daniel's mother, and drop off some blood samples so they can confirm (hopefully), that Daniel had not gotten back into the drug scene.  Meeting Detective Francis, they also look into Daniel's past relationship with the mob.  While there, Kenny takes things a step further and they look into the death of Maple's brother, who died four years ago while in custody.  The pair find some major surprises while in Boston, making Maple unsure where her home really is.

When they get back to Vermont, they discover more surprises.

  

My Opinions:
So, yes, this is a cozy mystery, but I'm becoming a fan of the characters, so it looks like I'll be following Maple's adventures for a while.

Maple is a really intelligent woman, who sometimes (often) lacks social skills.  She also seems very uncertain as to what she really wants out of life.  Is it crime scene investigations, creating dollhouses, becoming a lawyer...or something else.  Personally, I wish she would make up her mind, because it is getting annoying. Her thoughts are quite repetitive.  Also, I've never been a fan of children in my mystery stories, so I'm hoping that doesn't change....which it could.   

The other characters continue to grow on me.  Kenny and the sheriff are key players, and both are important to Maple.  Ben will probably play a bigger part soon.  As will the new doctor.

The book does look at a number of issues which are central to the era.  Misogyny was a problem in the 1940's.  So was bigotry.  Both of these were front and center in this book.  Unfortunately, not everything has improved. 

The book also looks at family, at friendship, and what home means.  

The plot was really good, and although I was suspicious of one character, and my assumption proved to be correct, there were enough others around to keep things interesting.

Overall, it was a very quick read, with interesting characters, but I'm still not convinced that I'll stick with Maple.  I think I'll decide after book 3.

Murder in Miniature, a Maple Bishop mystery, is a historical fiction/mystery novel.

I had never read a mystery like this, in which the main character creates miniature versions of the crime scenes to re-enact the crime, and find the true culprit. I thought this was really clever, and love that FMC Maple Bishop is written based on Frances Glessner Lee, an amazing woman and forensic pioneer.

We follow along as Maple and Kenny work to solve the mystery of a death by cabin fire that seems to be no accident. While Maple continues to make her dollhouses on the side, a turn in the case has her and Kenny taking a trip to Boston to try and get the toxicology test results faster. Maple is from Boston, and is still uneasy with the events surrounding her brother's death. So, while working their current case, her and Kenny ask for files on Maple's brother. Maple learns some things she did not know, and is able to talk to the cop who found her brother. While in Boston, Maple and Kenny also manage to tangle themselves in with the mob. All the while, Maple has been working on creating 4 nutshells of the crime scene, so that they can re-enact the fire at the cabin with 4 different potential causes for the fire. As more clues slowly unfold, and they determine how the fire was started, someone they never expected turns out to be the culprit.

I loved the nutshells that Maple created for this crime scene. Again, I find this way of analyzing a murder case to be extremely fascinating, and a lot of work! The level of detail that Maple puts into these nutshells is amazing. But it really allows the cops to view the case from an objective point of view, especially since they knew the deceased as a close friend. With Maple's nutshells able to inform them on how the fire was started, they are able to really narrow down and figure out who could have started it.

Again, I am so impressed that this is how a real woman pioneered to forensic science! I love the detail in how the author describes Maple creating the nutshells too, you can really visualize them!

Thank you so much to Netgally, Crooked Lane Books, and the author for a copy of this book!

Post WWll
Effects on Soldiers
Mafia
Mystery
Arson
This one had a bit of a slow start however, I’m glad I got past it. The involvement of the Irish mafia to Maple going back to Boston! Maple faced some warring emotions towards where her home is. Going back she found it funny that she wanted to get out of there but looking at Vermont, she was still a bit of an outsider. She wasn’t sure where home is and I can understand that. Then, you see the implications of officers working on cases that are personal to them. It was Kenny’s best friend. Don’t get me started on the ending! I couldn’t put together who it was so you’re in for a surprise. Can’t forget the mention of a huge historical heist! If you’re a cozy mystery lover, I recommend you give it a try. It’s also pretty good for some Autumn reading.

Katie Tietjen’s Murder in Miniature is a cozy mystery set in rural Vermont in the late 1940s. The second in the series, it is inspired by Frances Glessner Lee, the mother of forensic science. The title refers to the “nutshell” miniature crime scenes Maple Bishop (the fictional character inspired by Lee) creates to help the local police solve crimes.

The second book opens with Maple working as a consultant for the police, already having earned her reputation as a capable sleuth. While her new life as a widow in a small town seems to be going well, tragic events from her past continue to weigh on her. And her new assignment weighs heavily on her much younger partner, the sheriff’s deputy Kenny. Together, the pair set out on a dangerous journey to find the truth.

This book is best read within the series, partly because the action in this book takes a front seat to character development, which had a more prominent role in the first book.

Murder in Miniature is an enjoyable historical cozy mystery.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

It was my first time reading a Maple Bishop mystery, and I really enjoyed stepping into this world. The post-WWII Vermont setting, the unique dollhouse-forensics angle, and Maple herself made for an engaging and fresh take on the historical cozy mystery. Even though this is the second installment, I didn’t feel lost and found it easy to follow along. I liked getting to know Maple and Kenny, and the mystery kept me interested. I’d be curious to go back to book one and also see where the series goes next.

I am a huge fan of this nascent series with its unusual premise and strong and interesting main character. Maple Bishop is a widow who has settled in tiny Elderberry, Vermont, after the death of her doctor husband. It’s just post WWII and Maple had been struggling financially, but is now making a piecemeal living selling the dollhouses she makes, as well as consulting with the police.

Maple’s expertise is based on the real Frances Glessner Lee, the mother of crime scene investigation, who created tiny “nutshells” recreating the details of murder scenes. As this book opens, Maple is called out on a case by the Sherriff, who takes her to the scene of a fire. Tragically, her friend Deputy Kenny’s childhood friend has perished. While Maple was excited to be called out on a case, when she arrives at the scene, the actual details of the fire and of the man who burned to death are so gruesome she has a hard time taking in the crime scene.

All that is set to one side when she sees her friend Kenny’s distress as well as the anguish of another childhood friend of Kenny’s, now a firefighter, who had arrived to pick him up for his shift, only to discover his body. While Maple is what we might diagnose today as suffering from low grade autism, it’s this very quality that enables her to shut the world out and take in the details around her. It’s why she’s so good at crime scenes.
Hanging over from the last book was the death of Maple’s brother, Jamie, who died in jail after a long series of petty arrests. Maple has never felt at ease with the way he died or with the way she was told about it. When it turns out the dead man’s mother is in a Boston hospital, Maple and Kenny are dispatched there by the sheriff to give her notice of the death.

When the two arrive in Boston at the busy police station where they have a contact, they find a swarm of activity as a huge bank robbery has just gone down. Despite this, their contact in the department sits them down in his office and takes the time to talk to them about the notification. Appreciating his efforts, the two head out from their rooming house in the morning to notify her, only to find she’s gone. They turn back to the Boston detective as the woman’s husband had mob ties, and it seems the dead man did too.

Maple and Kenny are able to find her as well as to find some information about Jamie’s death, thanks again to the Boston detective who steers them in the right direction. While it feels like Maple is tying off some loose ends, more open up when she’s offered a job in town. She’s torn as she’s finally begun to think of tiny Elderberry as home and to find friends and a purpose there, even if her living is piecemeal. The Boston job would give her security.

Back home, it’s Maple’s expertise and her nutshells that help to figure out how the fire was set, and it’s her eye for detail that eventually cracks the case. This is a very well thought out and well told mystery with the added bonus of a very strong character at the center of the action. While these could be craft cozies – or police novels – they are in a happy liminal space, utilizing the best aspects of both types of mystery novel, with a heavy dose of traditional detective work binding the story together. I am already looking forward to another adventure with Maple.

I usually enjoy cozy mysteries, especially after reading a complicated book or a non fiction book. This one left me a bit flat as I thought it was a trite boring. Having said that, I soldiered on and gave it 3 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for granting me this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. #MurderinMiniature, #NetGalley.

I reviewed this book for the November issue of Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society. Per their policy, I cannot post the review until November 1st. I will update the review then.

The second Maple Bishop mystery has her doll house business flourishing and a new consultant gig with the local police. She's called in by the Chief of Police to investigate the death of a young firefighter in a cabin. She's eager to do something out of the ordinary but sad at the death of her friend Kenny's childhood friend.

She is determined to make four nutshells to recreate the crime scene to figure out the timing and accelerant used. She also goes back to Boston with Kenny to try to locate the victim's mother and inform her of the death. Going back to Boston encourages her to see if she can find some answers to her brother's death too.

Maple has some decisions to make too. She's offered a position in the Boston prosecutor's office which would let her use her unused law degree. But it would mean leaving the life and friends she has made in Vermont.

This was an engaging historical mystery set in 1950. I liked that Maple has gotten her first television but isn't sure that she will enjoy having it. I also like her growing circle of friends.

"The second installment in the Maple Bishop historical mysteries continues the adventures of intrepid amateur sleuth Maple Bishop.

Inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, this smartly plotted series will appeal to fans of Rhys Bowen.

In post-WWII Vermont, Maple Bishop has a thriving dollhouse business and a new career as a crime scene consultant for the local sheriff's office. On the surface, she seems to be doing well, but deep down Maple is still reeling from the death of her husband. When the body of an aspiring firefighter - who was close childhood friends with Kenny, the sheriff's deputy and Maple's confidante - is discovered in the charred remains of a burned cabin, Maple is called in to help determine whether the fire was an accident or a case of murder by arson.

Realizing there's more to the crime than meets the eye, she sets out to unearth the discrepancies from the scene by re-creating the cabin in miniature. The investigation leads them to Maple's old Boston neighborhood, forcing her to confront the past she's desperately trying to forget.

As Maple and Kenny sift through clues, they uncover dark secrets that hit close to home, unraveling in unexpected ways - and putting their lives in danger."

My life would have been significantly better had I known about Frances Glessner Lee at a younger age.

Katie Tietjen’s Murder in Miniature is the second in her Maple Bishop Mystery series. Maple Bishop is a miniaturist whose primary occupation is making custom doll houses. Her other activity is as crime scene consultant for the local sheriff’s office. Set in post-WWII Vermont, Maple is widow, struggling to make a life for herself without her late husband, Bill. Her doll house business helps when her attention to small detail proves helpful when there are perplexing deaths. The latest has her making a “nutshell,” a small recreation of a recent fire in which a body was found. An unsolved bank robbery, a connection to the Irish mob in Boston, another murder and several unexplained fires in the woods are all threads that lead to a satisfying conclusion. Two drawbacks were it did not always seem like the book was set in the late 1940’s and there was little explanation or use of the nutshells. Book was provided for review by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. 4 stars.

I really emitted this book and truly loved the mystery and the plot . It was a super fast easy read for me, i couldn't put it down.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

I loved this second installment of the Maple Bishop series! Murder in Miniature pulled me right into the puzzle of the mystery, and I had so much fun trying to piece it together alongside Maple. Her clever approach to reconstructing a crime scene kept me engaged from the first page to the last.

One of the unexpected joys of reading this book was the way it sparked conversations with my daughter. She didn’t read it with me, but every time she saw me with the book, she’d ask, “So what’s happening now?” I ended up sharing little pieces of the story as she asked questions, and together we tried to gather facts and guess where it was headed. Since I finished it last night, I know she’s going to want to hear the ending—and she’ll be just as surprised as I was!

The reveal was completely unexpected, yet it fit perfectly. Cozy mystery fans will enjoy the small-town charm, the unique miniature-forensics twist, and the warm but determined sleuth at the heart of it all. I can’t wait to see where Maple’s next case takes her!

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

This is a new author to me
The write up really intrigued me and it didn't disappoint

Really enjoyed this
Great summer read

Maple Bishop has a dollhouse business and is also working as a crime scene consultant for the police. When the local sheriff's deputy dies in a mysterious fire, she goes to work to help solve the mystery ... by making a miniature of the cabin where he died.

I wanted to read Murder in Miniature because I love miniatures. I have read a little about Frances Glessner Lee, who was an inspiration for Maple, and find her work fascinating.

This was a very interesting historical mystery. The period details were well done. I found the details of Maple's work fascinating. The mystery was well paced, with several viable suspects.

I recommend Murder in Miniature for other fans of mysteries and for anyone who also enjoys historical fiction.

Murder in Miniature by Katie Tiejen is inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee. Maple Bishop has a thriving dollhouse business and a new career as a crime scene consultant for the local sheriff's office in rural Vermont in the days after WWII. Still dealing with her husband's death in the war, she becomes embroiled in a deadly case of arson. The investigation brings her back to her old neighborhood in Boston as long-held secrets unravel. Different, interesting, and recommended! Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy.

I had been hoping for a sequel to Katie Tietjen's debut mystery, but Murder in Miniature was a bit of a disappointment. As we learned in the first book, Death in the Details, Maple Bishop is a war widow in 1947, living in small-town Vermont and trying to make a living with her law degree. But she has had more success with her custom dollhouse business and a part-time consulting position with the police, creating "nutshells" that depict the scene of a crime. In this book, it's a cabin where a sheriff's deputy is found dead, his body half-burned, after a suspicious fire. Maple creates several "nutshells," which are used to test different theories about the cause of the fire.

I found the mystery interesting, and the perpetrator unexpected. The problem for me was that even though the character of Maple is based on a real person, she is depicted here as somewhat bland and unlikeable, and I had trouble connecting with her. The dialogue, also, seems stilted, and the hint of romance is not convincing. More importantly for me, I had hoped for more details about the creation of Maple's miniatures, and it is downplayed in this story. If there are more books in the series, I would like the author to inject more nuance in Maple's character and make her dollhouse business more prominent in the story.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

The second in the Maple Bishop historical mysteries, Murder in Miniature is based on real-life Frances Glassner Lee who was the mother of forensic science. I read anything I can possibly find related to Frances and, like many, am intrigued by miniatures and forensics. This novel is a win-win!

Set in Vermont in 1947, Maple was an amateur sleuth. Her late husband had been a doctor and coroner which contributed to her knowledge of forensics. Maple built "death dollhouses" for cases and was most fulfilled when involved in investigations, her mind busily solving puzzles. The sheriff asked her to join him in investigating a death in a cabin fire. Her job as a "consultant" was to help determine whether it was an accident or murder. Along the way, she worked with various personalities which was interesting. I liked the ending, too.

Maple is a joy. She was one of the first in her town to own a television which she amusingly regarded with suspicion. She and Ben had a sweet friendship, sometimes awkward. Historical details made me feel like I really was temporarily transported to 1947. My only criticism is that there was less information on miniatures than I had hoped. But I really enjoyed this novel regardless and it fulfilled my craving for a light mystery with in-depth touches of sorrow and grief. It touched my heart.