JENN McKINLAY: After a three year hiatus, the hat shop crew is back for another madcap adventure. This time it's in a castle (fictional) in Sussex with a dead groom, a diva bride, horrible in-laws, and an endearing bridesmaid.
Why did it take me three years to get another hat shop mystery done? Wellllll...pandemic, life, prior commitments, and just general life stuff. How long until I write another? Honestly, it's looking like 2025, if the stars all line up correctly.
I must admit for me, it's nice to wedge in a hat shop mystery when there's a gap in the schedule. It makes visiting Mim's Whims, the hat shop on Notting Hill, more of a treat than a chore and I think when you have long running series, you have to get creative to keep your enthusiasm high.
How about you, Readers, do you mind if an author takes a longer hiatus to get their next book out? Or do you prefer things to be on a set schedule?
Here's a longer description of the book (to remind you of the characters and whatnot):
Hip hip beret! Hatmakers Scarlett Parker and Vivian Tremont return and must collar a killer when a castle wedding goes awry in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s new Hat Shop Mystery.
It’s wedding season and Viv’s longtime frenemy Piper May is getting married. She convinces Viv and Scarlett to take on the job of designing the headpieces for her “wedding of the year.” The well-to-do bride and her entourage are delighted to have Viv and Scarlett as their famous hat designer guests, but the hat-making pair are really just looking forward to a getaway at a castle in Sussex. It is to be a weekend full of events, culminating in the big ceremony.
Unfortunately, on the first night of the festivities, the groom is found murdered, and the joyous holiday becomes the stuff of nightmares as no one is allowed to leave the castle until the investigation is complete. Although Scarlett assures Harrison Wentworth, her fiancé, that she and Viv will stay out of harm’s way, circumstances force them to step in when a secret affair between the deceased groom and a bridesmaid comes to light, and the murderer takes another life. Scarlett and Viv vow to unveil the killer’s identity before the wedding adds another to its death toll.
It’s wedding season and Viv’s longtime frenemy Piper May is getting married. She convinces Viv and Scarlett to take on the job of designing the headpieces for her “wedding of the year.” The well-to-do bride and her entourage are delighted to have Viv and Scarlett as their famous hat designer guests, but the hat-making pair are really just looking forward to a getaway at a castle in Sussex. It is to be a weekend full of events, culminating in the big ceremony.
Unfortunately, on the first night of the festivities, the groom is found murdered, and the joyous holiday becomes the stuff of nightmares as no one is allowed to leave the castle until the investigation is complete. Although Scarlett assures Harrison Wentworth, her fiancé, that she and Viv will stay out of harm’s way, circumstances force them to step in when a secret affair between the deceased groom and a bridesmaid comes to light, and the murderer takes another life. Scarlett and Viv vow to unveil the killer’s identity before the wedding adds another to its death toll.
