I am not sure why I haven’t picked up this book until now. It was published in 2017 but that didn't make it any less compelling. It was great. I loved the story of a hat designer framed for the murder of one of her fellow shop owners.

It was a hoot to watch Missy and how she stumbled through life as she forgot to eat her good luck beans, then discovered the hat stand that had killed the wedding planner had been made by her! It was a good thing a lot of the store owners knew her as well as law enforcement otherwise she might have spent the entire book in jail. It definitely looked like a frame job from the beginning.

I was surprised by who the killer ended up being but that is what makes whodunits so fun… when you just don’t have a clue.

Definitely pick this cozy up. It was a fun ride!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

The holidays are here and everyone is celebrating throughout the south. Holidays are generally happy times until Missy discovers the body of Charlotte, a local wedding planner stuffed inside barrel Missy uses as a rain barrel. Certain she’s dead, Missy calls the police. The murder weapon? Well, of course it’s something Missy owns.

Due to proximity and the suspicion that Missy is to blame, customers are calling to cancel appointments which means lost revenue. Whomever is setting her up apparently plans to not only take Missy down but her business, as well. It is now time for extreme damage control and an even more extreme venture into solving the murder. The accusations are ruining her livelihood and threatening to undue all of her hard work building up Crowning Glory.

There is a distance between Missy and Ambrose not seen in other books. The relationship doesn’t seem as strong as it should be after books 1 and 2. The strain gives the relationship and investigation in Someone’s Mad at the Hatter a completely different atmosphere. The discord helps add realism to the story. Fortunately, this doesn’t overshadow the mystery and the slow burn of Missy’s business. Instead of being consumed by love or the problems, the book just continues on at the same pace as the others in the series.

I found the book to have a pretty weak ending, surprising me, since the endings of the previous books were great. The reveal of who committed the crime wasn’t the most creative. I’m not letting the disappointment turn me off from the series though. Plus, there is a bonus - I didn’t really know who did it so the ending worked out. The author does a great job in character development and world building. The vivid descriptions allow me to formulate the story in my mind as I read along. She also gives the reader plenty of viable suspects that I enjoyed investigating right along with Missy.

I look forward to the next book.

I was wavering between a like and ok rating. Missy is a proactive sleuth, she was out and about talking to people which I like. I also like all the local touches Bretting puts in to give the reader a sense of place. However, the killer outs themself, a big no-no for me. The supposed romance with Bo (aka Ambrose) is really weak, so not feeling it at all (doesn't get any better in the following book). Lance would be a more believable romantic partner if the author was willing to brave the biracial couple issue.

So, I was left feeling a little let down after reading Hatter, but not enough to not give the next book a try.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I adore anything southern and Missy DuBois is no exception. Her character would is so genuine and sweet that you can't help but become enthralled with her and her business. A business that she has worked very hard for and is in jeopardy of losing when she finds the body of a local wedding planner who was killed with Pinterest rain gauge of Missy's own making. The characters of this story are fully developed to the point where you are cheering for some and saying "bless your heart" about others. A great read that I can't wait to follow up with the other stories since I came in at the 3rd installment.

If only Missy have eaten lucky black eyed peas at New Year breakfast, if only.

No, I am not mad and am definitely not Mad Hatter. I am giving out a spoiler, oops.

What can I say? I enjoyed this light, easy and comfortable read. It is very nice and proper. Even baddies in this story are beautiful and well spoken with Southern drawl.

A very jaded me kept guessing as to who the perpetrator was throughout the narration. I even thought it was main charachter’s beau Bo. I suspected… well, a number of people. So, the truth was really unexpected and quite accidental for me.

Someone’s Mad at the Hatter is a very nice New Year cosy mystery. There is a murder. But there is so much of wedding dresses, veils, cakes, brides and diamond rings that murder… pales in comparison.

All in all, it is a very dangerous business, wedding business. It is cut-throat if you ask me.

Yes, it is not the first novel in the series. But not to worry. It is all easy to follow through.

A very nice read for after the holiday season.

I adored this book. A funny, clever story with a mystery to solve.
The heroine, a bridal hat maker is funny, witty and entertaining. Our amateur sleuth, Missy DuBois's life is full of ups and down and embarrassing moments that are entirely too easy to relate to! I loved her!
I fun and entertaining read. I can't wait to read more from Bretting.

The feel of down South can be drawn from the story between the cover of Sandra Bretting’s third book in the Missy DuBois Mystery series. Set in Bleu Bayou, Louisiana, at Sweetwater Mansion on New Year’s day, Missy DuBois is not ready to face a plate of black eyed peas, collard greens and omelets filled with roast pork although they were all part of the Southern tradition meant to bring good luck and wealth. Hoping for a quiet day with Ambrose, who she had recently started dating after being friends and housemates for over a year. However, fate has a different plan. Missy DuBois is a Southern Belle through and through with a little sass thrown in on the side. Known for her beautiful wedding veils and hats, she is sought out by those who want only the best. But why does it seem like she is a dead boy magnet? Who is out to try to close down Missy’s business? I enjoyed this book for the warm but fast paced plot it held and the strong character, Missy DuBois displayed. It was enjoyable to see the twists and turns in the plot while Missy tried to stay out of the investigation of the latest murder. Having not read any previous books in this series I found I was able to understand importance of the characters and the settings that the story was set around. Being the third book in this series, I might have to go back and read the first two.

This series never fails to impress me. Missy is the definition of female sleuth, with her ability to be in a mystery and stylish. I really enjoyed her latest sleuthing time, and was smiling through the book. The author has an ability to create a climatic ending that always gets me. Missy needs to keep coming back, as this reader would like more!

This was my first introduction to this series and it did not disappoint. I have ordered the prior books. The author does a good job of giving enough information so I did not feel like I could not follow or missed anything. Enjoyed this and will buy from this author again.

This is a southern small town with southern ways. It had likeable characters. It seemed like there were too many suspects and none at the same time. The way the murder was solved was a case of being at the right place at the right time. Romance and drama. We did get explainations to suspects and what things made them look guilty.

Someone's Mad at the Hatter by Sandra Betting finds hat and headpiece designer Missy working on New Year's Eve without eating any lucky black eyed peas (a Southern tradition). Her day becomes unlucky when she find a body behind her shop. It turns out to be a wedding planner. With the murder hurting her business, Missy sets out to solve the mystery. I enjoyed the book although I did not find either of Missy's love interests to be worth her time. Perhaps her boyfriend, Ambrose, was just having an off book. The book stayed true to its Southern theme which I greatly appreciated.

I really wanted to love this book, but I didn't like how the mystery ended, and there was too much relationship drama. I really liked how the mystery was personal and affected Missy's business. It helped make her investigation make sense - if the murder wasn't solved quickly, her business would be ruined. I also really liked the setting. It always feels like I am right there with the characters.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 3 in the series.

Missy DuBois is back and ready for a happy new year with her beau, Ambrose. Unfortunately, Missy skipped the good luck Black Eyed Peas and now she's found another body, right behind her shop.

This time she'll have to clear herself and save her business by finding out who the killer is.

I love these books. Always a good dose of humor and southern charm along with a well-plotted mystery.

Someone's Mad at the Hatter by Sandra Bretting is the 3rd book in the Missy DuBois Mystery series, and a fun read. Missy DuBois is a hat designer in Louisiana, owner of Crowing Glory hat shop that specializes in custom made hats for the elite. Not only is this book funny, it has a great mystery, with wonderful southern charm. There are twists and turns around every corner. Just when I thought I figured out the who the murderer was, more clues come to light. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love humorous southern cozy mysteries, you will really enjoy this book.

I received this book from Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for a fair and honest review.

Missy DuBois makes hats at Crowning Glory hat shop in the small town of Bleu Bayou, Louisiana. Along with her faithful assistant Beatrice and her wedding dress designer boyfriend Ambrose, Missy has helped make weddings and celebrations throughout the South extra special with the striking hats, veils, and headpieces she designs. 

But when she finds a dead body behind her studio, Missy has to place yet another call to longtime friend and detective on the Louisiana State Police Lance LaPorte. And although this isn't the first body she's found, the situation was made worse when the police find the murder weapon nearby--a hat stand that Missy herself had made into an impromptu rain gauge. 

Stalked by a rabid reporter and surrounded by visiting wedding planners from the Southern Wedding Planners Association, Missy nonetheless tries to keep her head in the hat game and focus on her business. But when the victim turns out to be Charlotte Devereaux, wedding planner with Happily Ever After Events, Missy has to put on her thinking cap to figure out who killed her and why before she loses her business, or worse, her own life. 

All in all, a good reminder to eat those lucky black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, no matter how unappetizing they may seem on Mr. Dupre's breakfast buffet.

Sandra Bretting has written us another delightful mystery in her Missy DuBois Series. This third installment, Someone's Mad at the Hatter, is a charming look at life in small town Louisiana, where a cast of colorful characters add depth and humor. A little over-the-top, the way only those from Louisiana can be, Someone's Mad at the Hatter is a wacky ride with derring-do and voodoo, as well as a custom headpiece for that big hairdo. 



Galleys for Someone's Mad at the Hatter were provided by Kensington Books through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

Enjoyable cozy mystery with a Southern flavor. Love how the red herrings were explained at the end. Had me fooled. Unusual romance and relationship with detective provided added interest. Detective's mother is one of my favorite characters.

SOMEONE’S MAD AT THE HATTER, the third book in the Missy DuBois Mystery series by Sandra Bretting finds the protagonist, Missy DuBois, wrapping up the holidays with a brunch on New Years’ Day with friends. Southern lore believes that eating black-eyed peas on January 1st is supposed to bring good luck for the year but Missy declines and bad luck ensues with the story taking off with a bang from there. Arriving at her hat shop, Crowning Glory, she finds wedding planner Charlotte Devereaux murdered with Missy’s Pinterest rain gauge project. Suddenly a suspect in the murder, Missy must find the killer and clear her name or lose the shop she has worked so hard to establish.

Missy is still trying to figure out dating Ambrose, the owner of a bridal gown design studio. Could they be over before they even establish a relationship especially when the hot donut shop owner shows interest? Ambrose also seems to have a beautiful bride on his mind instead of helping Missy clear her name which makes her take chances she probably shouldn’t be taking. Missy also has to deal with bridezillas and I pitied her as I read what she had to put up with at times. I enjoyed all the Southern colloquialisms that are liberally sprinkled throughout the book and the descriptions of the beautiful Southern countryside and lovely mansions made me feel like I was right there. The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of suspects introduced as Missy investigates. I couldn’t quite decide who the culprit was and was greatly surprised at the reveal. The author neatly wraps up the threads of the subplot for a satisfying conclusion.

This is the third book in the Missy BuBois mystery series, and although I hadn't read the first two I didn't feel at a disadvantage. The book was an enjoyable read. The characters were what I would call Southern quirky; maybe a little cliched but still fun to read about. The plot was well done and the murder mystery interesting enough to hold my attention. I liked the Louisiana setting and the author does a good job bringing the reader there.

Missy is a hat and veil maker for weddings at her shop Crowning Glory, the fancier the better. She works and lives with her friend Ambrose, a wedding dress designer who is quickly becoming less of a friend and more of a love interest. She and Ambrose spend New Year's morning at a plantation house eating traditional Southern foods like black-eyed peas and collard greens for good luck. Unfortunately, when Missy leaves the party and goes to her office, she finds the body of a wedding planner dead in her parking lot, apparently killed by a rain gauge that Missy made.

She calls in her friend and policeman Lance LePort to help her out. He clears her of suspicion, but Missy still has clients canceling right and left because the wedding community believes she's involved. She has to solve the murder to save her business and get her life with Bo back on track.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Thanks to Lyrical Underground and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Classic cozy- a woman with a niche business (in this case wedding millinery) finds a rival murdered at her business and then works with friends and local law enforcement to identify the real murderer. Missy's own business is threatened by rumor and innuendo so she and her boyfriend Beau, a wedding dress designer, have to solve the murder to preserve all she's worked for. Bretting goes a little heavy on Southern cliches but it's not too complex and still a pretty good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review on my blog.

I found the character of Missy to be completely confounding - I did not care for her new romance or the way in which she reacted to both discovering a dead body or the backlash after that. It didn't feel natural. Once the focus was on her jealousy and her romance, I couldn't continue.

Thank you for the opportunity.