Seams Like Murder

Seams Like Murder by Dorothy Howell is the debut of A Sewing Studio Mystery series. I found the story easy to read. While we get to know some details about our main character, I felt the others lacked development. The story is told in the first person which has readers privy to all of Abbey's thoughts (the job in LA, bakery smells good, when will she get her car back, and the hunky deputy sheriff is so cute). The pacing of the story picks up late in the second half when Abbey begins questioning people. The whodunit was straightforward. A woman is run over in an alley. Sheriff Grumman believes it is an accident despite the statement from the eyewitness. He does believe her when she tells him it was a white car which has him focusing on Abbey's car. I found this baffling since she was new to town, did not know the victim, and was inside the bakery at the time of the incident. The rude and idiotic Sheriff Grumman then impounds Abbey's car without a warrant (I know it is fiction but come on). Identifying the killer is a cinch. There might as well as been a neon arrow with killer on it pointing at the person. The why was easy to deduce. Abbey went around asking questions. All the pieces come together for Abbey in the end. I did feel there was a little too much romance. I wish the author had let Abbey and Zach (the deputy sheriff) become friends and then as the series progresses work towards romance. Instead, Abbey finds him attractive, her heart beats faster at the sight of him, his touch sends zings through her system, and so on. There is some repetition as well as some mild foul language. There was a lot of focus on pillowcase dresses which were being made for children in Africa (Little Dresses for Africa). It was interesting learning about the cause and how the dresses are assembled. There are instructions and tips at the end of the book. Seams Like Murder is a crafty cozy with a plowed down librarian, a disagreeable sheriff, scrumptious cookies, a sewing studio, a confiscated car, a striking deputy sheriff, darling dresses, and a fun festival.