Emeralds and Envy (Junkin' Jewelry Mysteries, #1)

by Angela McRae

[Mystereity Reviews]

I'm a sucker for covers and this one grabbed me from the moment I saw it; maybe because the Siamese cat reminds me of The Cat Who series I love so much but either way, the book itself was a stellar read.

But a cover can only take a book so far and this book didn't need to be carried. This is the first book in the series and I loved it from the first chapter, a fun, light read that was easy to sink into. I loved the idea of a jewelry designer and it was easy to get caught up in the thrill of Emma's garage sale find at the beginning of the book. While I would've liked to have "met" the victim before she was killed, there was enough detail woven into the story to give a glimpse into the woman and set up the Le Mann family dynamic; her rude and demanding brother, a talented furniture restoring sister and an elderly mother in a care home. Combined with the motley crew of likeable but eccentric townspeople, a pragmatic and stern detective, a charming main character and a great plot and you have the ingredients for a great cozy mystery series.

The plot was well done; great pacing and I loved how organic the investigation felt, especially the interactions with the police and the reactions of Emma and Carleen to the death. The investigation was mostly just eavesdropping and information gathering by Emma, but how it went from clue to clue felt very natural. I went back and forth in my head about suspects and while I suspected the culprit early on, they weren't at the top of my suspect list, a twist that was well done and really set up the dramatic ending. Loved it!