Cover Image: Historically Dead

Historically Dead

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Member Reviews

Seamstress Daria sees a business opportunity when a reality show comes to her hometown. Unfortunately, during the production of the show, one of the researchers is found dead and everything starts to unravel.

This is the second book in the Stitch in Time series, and I have to admit that I liked the first installment much more than this one. I couldn't resist another series set in Pennsylvania, and most of the characters were people I'd like to get to know, but I'm really getting tired of the too-stupid-to-live moments so many cozy heroines seem to find themselves in. I will probably read one more book in the series before deciding whether to drop it or continue.

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A great cozy mystery with a great historical side story that added an interesting aspect to the story I was expecting. I enjoyed the mystery and found that I liked all of the characters. The fact that the main character is a seamstress was a unique detail and the fact that she made historical clothes and other fabric house wares added a lot of interest. All in all I really enjoyed the book and am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

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While the mystery was interesting and the historical backstory educational, the main character Daria is just not thoroughly likeable. She is immature and childish, and treats McCarthy with unkindness. Maybe her lessons in trust bode well for future offerings in the series, but I'm not holding my breath.

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This is the second book in the Stitch in Time series and although I had significant reservations about the first book, I came back for more to see if the promising elements of the first book were more to the fore. Sadly, not really.

What I like is still the same - the premise of the series and the actual mystery set up - but what I don't like is still there too, but this time with added Too-Stupid-To-Live from Daria who is also really irritating in this. I had the culprit spotted in book 1 early on and the same was fairly true here too - but in this one I had some of the other twists figured out too.

Definitely leaving this series for a while now before I return.

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This is the second book to this series, I enjoyed this new book reading about historical clothing it must have been a challenge to ensure all the facts were right and a lot of research that must have been done.
I love Daria and her house mates especially Aileen and her dry humour , I'm glad Daria's X was caught in the end ,I guessed he was upto mischief. .it was a surprise who the killer was.
Would definitely look out for her next book .
Thank you for letting me read and review this book .

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What fun! I have always loved history, and the idea of a woman catering to historically accurate clothing and sewing appealed to me to begin with, as a start to a cozy mystery series. As well as the main character, we have a cast of secondary characters that are charming and round out the novel. I particularly liked the two sisters, Ruth and Priscilla, as well as the love interest (?) Sean. I was a bit disappointed though, for a love interest he doesn't do much romancing. In fact I could see them far more easily settling as friends due to the lack of chemistry. They had friends spark, but not love spark for me, you know?

Add in a fun, exciting mystery with twists and turns, and you've got yourself a classic cozy. I recieved this from Netgalley, and a such would like to thank them and the Publisher. Four stars!

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This is the second book in the Stitch in Time Mysteries.

When Daria heard about the reality show My House in History, a contest among several homes being restored to their original interiors. Out go the appliances and everything else that isn't true to the 1770's.

The house is owned by elderly sisters Ruth and Priscilla Compton, they are the relatives of Revolutionary War hero Samuel Compton. These two women are as different as night and day. One so sweet and docile and one so gruff and suspicious.

Daria herself lives in one of those big,old houses with her brother and roommate. She used to share it with a boyfriend who turned out to be an unsavory character.

However when the professor turns up dead in his office the man himself turns up as an attorney for the show.

What does he want now? What did the professor uncover? There are more than just a few nasty little characters in here. The start of the book I had trouble getting into. And at the end of the book, I still didn't feel any connection to them. 

I like the idea of cozy mystery in a historical setting. All in all I enjoyed learning the history lesson and really enjoyed the ladies.

Netgalley/Lyrical Underground   December 19,2017

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As a former reenactor, I enjoyed this take of restoration and a look back into the past. The characters are quite a bunch and even through I haven't read the first book, I plan on checking it out.

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This is a charming cozy mystery featuring a heroine with an unusual job, a historical seamstress. Daira Dembrowski is the owner of "A Stitch In time" , a business in which she makes items as they were done throughout history. She is hired by the owners of Compton House, elderly Priscilla Compton and her sister Ruth Ellis, who are preparing to restore their home to the way it was in 1770 as a part of a reality TV competition. History Professor Burbridge is assisting by researching the period when Daria finds him dead in the Compton House library. There are plenty of suspects in the house, but was the murder related to his research into ancestor Samuel Compton, the hero of the Laurel Springs revolutionary war battle or some of his other conspiracy research. To make things more complicated for Daria, her former fiance Randall who cheated her out of her savings is back and trying to buy her home, items are being stolen from Compton House and someone is targeting her by leaving dead mice by her front door. Yet despite it all she perseveres in her investigation, along with her boyfriend Sean, until she arrives at the truth. This book kept my interest from the first page up through the last and I highly recommend it.

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This the second book in The Stitch In Time mysteries. The beginning did not catch my attention, at once but as the tale process, the twists and turns attracted me. This more had more romance both present a d past than I like. The Reality Show, My House In Time is filming the Compton home. Daria Dombrowski is working on gowns and curtains for the year, 1770. A researcher has uncovered a scandal and is found dead in the home. Daria's curiosity leads her to seek information on his research. She finds he was looking into three scandals, which was the one that led to his death. An unknown person is leaving messes on the porch of her home. Daria is sewing a wedding gown for the fiancee of her ex-boyfriend, Randall. Is Daria looking for answers before she becomes a victim? I recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Lyrical Underground through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

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This is the second in the Stitch in Time mystery series, but the first I have read. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher, I received an ARC to read. I loved this book! Great, well-thought-out, and likeable characters. As the book opens, we find Daria Debrowski working for a pair of sisters who will be featured on a reality show. The goal is to restore the old colonial home, and Daria's job (as a historical seamstress) is to recreate all curtains, dresses, etc. in keeping with the time. Unfortunately, she also stumbles upon a body. Daria certainly doesn't want the sisters to be suspected, so she feels she needs to investigate. As she becomes more involved with the case, someone tries to warn her off the trail. Can she find the murderer before she's next?

I generally like to read all series in order, so I was hesitant to read this book two of the series before I had read the debut. I'm so glad I broke my own rule. This book is a gem. I don't give 5 star reviews often, and I was on the fence, but it really is a delightful book. After all, any author that can work the words Twisted Armpits into a cozy mystery should get some props! The setting is great, and the storyline behind the characters is relatable. I recommend.

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The noesy seamstress is on a mission and keeps you entertained. The truth comes out in the end no everyone is really a hero.

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istorically Dead, written by Greta McKennan is the 2nd book in the series.
Protagonist Darla Dembrowski is a seamstress who specializes in period clothing. Her adventure in this book takes place at The Compton House, owned by sisters Miss Priscilla and Miss Ruth, a pair of ladies who will win your heart.
Darla is designing the period clothing and home fashions needed for the reality tv show, My House in History. Miss Ruth and Miss Priscilla could win a million dollars and the money is much needed if the plan on restoring the charming home.
Darla's skills are used elsewhere, as she designs and creates one of a kind wedding dresses. She is currently creating a dress for her customer Fiona, who raves about her fiance. What a surprise for Darla when it turns out Fiona's fiance is none other than Randall, the shifty scoundrel who stole all of Darla's money and broke her heart.
Darla is torn about telling Fiona the truth and when Randall starts creeping around Darla's home, the fireworks really begin.

Miss Priscilla and Miss Ruth have Dr. Burbridge, a noted historian working on the research needed for the tv show. As Darla prepares a meeting with the historian, imagine her surprise when she finds him dead, a victim of foul play.
Working with Miss Ruth, Darla needs to find the answers or her good name could be trampled through the mud.
I really enjoyed this book and I loved the 2 very different personalities of the sisters. Miss Ruth is gruff, with a rough demeanor and Miss Priscilla has more of an innocent, quirky personality. The ladies bring humor to the story and readers will fall in love with them for sure.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by NetGalley and Lyrical Underground.
Historically Dead will be released on December 19, 2017.

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Daria Dembrowski is an expert seamstress of historical textiles.  When the popular reality T.V. series, My House in History, comes to Laural Springs, Pennsylvania, to document the Compton sisters restoration of their house,  Daria lends her expertise to make period dresses for the residents of Compton House.      The history professor at the local college is  helping with the historical details and as well as helping Daria with period curtains.  When Daria goes to the library to get the details for the curtains, she finds the professor on the floor dead.  Police soon determine that someone in the house is responsible, but who and why would someone want the professor dead.  At the same time, there have some thefts in the area of silver.  Are the thefts some way related to the murder?

Historically Dead, the second book in Greta McKennan's  Stitch in Time Mysteries, is a very enjoyable read for not only cozy mystery readers but for those who love history as well.  I would recommend this series for those of you liking cozies.

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Daria Dembroswki is thrilled when reality TV show My House in History shows up in Laurel Springs. She can make a mint creating and making costumes for the two elderly women who have come to restore their 18th century mansion. The ladies in question are downright feisty, but Daria is willing to put up with a little bad behavior, money goes a long way towards soothing the harsh words uttered by one of the sisters in particular. Murder, however, is another thing, and a dead researcher, a mysterious fire and missing historical objects make Daria wonder is she’s in over her head. I loved the descriptions of the old textiles and clothing, and the old house too. I love a story where I can be entertained and learn something at the same time. Lots of fun

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