My second book in the Madison Night series and I feel like I'm getting a bit more of a feel for these now. I love the Doris Day references - having watched The Pajama Game a few times I spotted a lot more of them this time than I did in my last outing with Madison. I'm still missing the background to her trauma and her connection to some of the other back characters that appear in this, but the mystery is fast paced enough that that didn't bother me too much. It has all made me add the first book to my to-buy list though, so that I can get the background that I'm missing!

The Pajama Frame is the fifth book in Diane Vallere’s Madison Night Mystery series and I really enjoyed reading it. It is the first in the series that I have read and was not lost in back history. The storyline is well plotted, the characters are relatable, and enough twists and turns to keep the me engaged. The mystery was interesting, and kept me guessing until the reveal. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted cozy mysteries.
I like how Madison will need to make a decision in her love life once she figures out what she wants. I can’t wait to see how the outcome of this murder plays into her relationship with Nasty. I see a lot of potential down the road.
This book did not disappoint and I look forward to digging out the few previous ones in my to be read pile.

The Pajama Frame by Diane Vallere is a fun cozy mystery.
Channeling her inner Doris Day, Madison Night lives for vintage. Her clothing and her taste in mid century furnishings match her quirky personality.
When Madison inherits a pajama factory, things begin to go awry in her life.

Faced with death, secrets and so much more, Madison never loses her charm.

Fans will not be disappointed with this fun story.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

The Pajama Frame



by
Diane Vallere

A Review

Diane Vallere has another winner with The Pajama Frame. The book opens with the death of an old friend. Along with the death of Alice Sweet, Madison Night, the owner of the Mod for You decorating studio gets a couple of nice gifts. First comes the unsurprising fact that would inherit the contents of Alice’s house. What was a surprise was that the Madison would also be inheriting the locked and sealed pajama factory that had been a major source of income for the women of Dallas, TX, during WWII and in the years immediately following the war.

The first person story continues to move - keeping the reader involved and guessing. Madison Night, entrepreneur, amateur sleuth and the inheritor of the aforementioned gifts, working with newly promoted Captain Tex Allen (her boyfriend) will spend days finding bodies, tracking suspects, and messing with typical crime investigation procedures. The author brings together the elements to make a great cozy mystery - mystery, humor, and a touch of romance - and she does it successfully.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Great story and a super heroine. I really enjoyed this book.

SWEET DREAMS!

I have enjoyed the Madison Night Series immensely. Vallare’s latest installment is fabulous! Madison Night is back and better than ever with her Mad Mod approach to life. Her life becomes very complicated when her octogenarian friend passes and leaves her a most unusual inheritance, the Sweet Dreams pajama factory. Immediately, chaos erupts in every area of Madison’s world. What’s a girl to do? She’s trying her best to determine who she can trust and lean on in the midst of all the mayhem and murder. Who will it be? Hudson or Tex? Brilliantly written plot that will keep you entertained until the last word! I received an ARC of this book from Henery Press and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henery Press and Diane Vallere for the ARC review. I requested this book for the title and description. I am an old movie buff and I love Doris Day movies, so I was thrilled to get the advance copy. I knew this was Madison Night Mystery, but you did not have to read the other books in the series to enjoy this book.
I loved the title, the Doris Day inferences, and the book from the very start. I found it to be a funny, serious and wanting to read more. I flew through the book, it was a real page turner. I loved the storyline of the pajama factory and mystery involved around it. I was also intrigued by the way all of the characters in the story were all involved with the pajama factory in one way or the other. I loved all the twists and turns in the story. I would highly recommend this book and the series. In fact, after reading the book, I rented the Pajama Game movie and ordered the first Madison Night book, " Pillow Stalk". I can't wait to read it. I'm sure I'll be reading the whole series.

The Pajama Frame: A Madison Night Mystery
By Diane Vallere
Henery Press
March 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

As an interior decorator specializing in the Mod period of the 50s and 60s, Madison Night relies on obituaries to lead her to new sources of authentic vintage pieces. When she sees the obituary notice of her YMCA swimming partner Alice Sweet, the most Madison expects is that she may have been left some of the 86-year-old woman’s enviable fashion pieces. Madison could never have predicted that she would inherit an entire former pajama factory, one that Alice’s husband closed 60 years ago after a tragic death. While Madison delights in the preserved pajama fabrics still inside, she’s less fond of the body hidden within the sealed building.

Alice left behind a letter asking Madison to find the truth behind the death of a pajama model, one that led to a remorseful George Sweet abruptly closing the Sweet Dreams Pajama Factory and costing hundreds of workers their jobs. Fortunately, Madison has a personal – possibly uncomfortably personal – relationship with the Lakewood, Texas police. Newly promoted Captain Tex Allen remains his sexist, flirty, self, but he also is somewhat at a loss in his administrative capacity. Madison feels obligated to fulfill Alice’s wishes to solve the crimes of the past, but the more recent ones have Madison unsettled and missing her boyfriend Hudson James. Madison is still feeling the remnants of PTSD from recent traumas, and a possible romanticized movie version of Hudson's life only further complicates and makes forgetting the experience all the more impossible. An aspiring actress, “Truthers” wanting to expose the factory's past, and historical preservationists all have their own agendas, so Madison’s going to have to shore up all of her considerable strong will to ensure that she isn’t manipulated towards a nefarious goal.

This is another extraordinary novel by Diane Vallere that further expands the complex character of Madison Night. She has been accused of using her love of vintage to avoid real life, but Madison views her love of mod as an escape from harsh realities. As she nears the end of her forties, Madison mourns the loss of the dreams she once had and must accept her new future. These very relatable dilemmas are leavened by the planning of a fundraising cocktail party and The Pajama Game viewing for a historical theater, not to mention Madison’s genuine wit and wry sense of humor. What stands out so strongly in this deftly-plotted novel is how Madison’s intelligence prevents her from making clichéd mistakes that would make her a suspect. Seeing Madison grow within the five books of her series has been a joy, and readers should continue to anticipate the next adventure of this lovable, Doris Day-loving, Mod specialist.

Madison Night is a Dallas, Texas interior decorator with a twist: she looks like Doris Day, dresses like her, and even her company, Mad for Mod, specializes in decor harking back to the 50's and 60's. Even though her boyfriend Hudson is miles away in Palm Springs, she thinks her life is almost perfect. Thinks. But Madison is in for some major surprises, and not all of them are going to be pleasant.

When she unexpectedly inherits a pajama factory that closed in the 50's due to an accidental death, she doesn't know why. When she meets John Sweet in front of the factory, he tells her that his step-grandmother Alice left it to her in her will, along with the contents of her house. He also said there's a sealed letter back at his office explaining everything. When she arrives at the office before John, she meets Vernon Stanley, who's concerned because they're tax attorneys, not estate planners. But once John arrives, Vernon insists on attending the proceedings just to make sure everything's on the up-and-up. When Madison reads the letter later that day, Alice wrote that that there were rumors the death wasn't accidental, and that her husband was thought to have been involved; but since it was devastating to him, he closed the factory.

Yet what should have been an easy acquisition isn't, and Madison finds herself in a dilemma: Even though the building has been sealed for many years, it seems people already know it has changed hands; so now the local historical society wants her to donate it and a group of protesters want to get inside to find evidence of murder, not an accidental death as everyone thought.

But there's more than that: Inside a storage facility that once belonged to Alice, Madison finds a gun, and immediately calls Tex. Then when she finally gets inside the factory another surprise awaits her in the form of a dead body. You'd think this would be enough to send anyone reeling, but Madison has more revelations ahead: Another body, another gun, and an actress who's tailing her nemesis Donna Nast in the hopes to win a part in a film based on an experience concerning herself and her boyfriend, who seems removed from everything she tells him about what's transpiring.

It all brings Madison to a place she's never had to face in her life, and it starts to unnerve her. Yet if she can't put the pieces together soon, it won't make a difference because she won't be alive to figure it out anyway...

This is the fifth book in the series, and in my opinion, the best. It doesn't take long before the narrative becomes intriguing, and once you're hooked, you want to know much like Madison where it all connects (as we know it must). While each piece of the puzzle is put in front of you, finding the right correlation takes time. It's a delicious mesh of clues that are scattered throughout, and once they start to come together, it creates a fascinating tale of lies and deceit that interweave seamlessly.

The characters have depth, the story plotted well; we are drawn into Madison's life as if we were truly a part of it, seeing things through her eyes. The words flow from the page easily, and Ms. Vallere has a real talent for engaging her readers early on and keeping them interested throughout.

When the murder is found and it all comes together, it's satisfying, and yet shows us how cold-blooded people can be. But finding a murderer isn't the end of the story, for Madison must also find herself and what she's been keeping in reserve. Watching her change is quite compelling, as much so as the main plot, and even though change is always inevitable within us, with some it's more difficult to to realize. The ending, though, leaves a glimpse of what might be and for myself, I find that quite an inviting thing to look forward to. Highly recommended.

A wonderful cozy mystery. Fun theme of Doris Day era. Many surprises. Loved the ending. Entertaining dialog. I am eager for more from Diane Vallere.

I was so excited Madison Night was back, and 'The Pajama Frame' exceeded my imaginings. The mystery was taut with twists that kept me surprised. The humor and engaging characters were perfect. Relationships had resolutions or progress that were extremely satisfying to me. In a word, it was glorious, and I'm beyond happy that more is on the way.

Wow! I love the Madison Night series. This is the 5th in the series and it just keeps getting better. The great plot had me hooked from the beginning and held my interest right through the end. I really didn't quite figure it out. I hated to put it down. Well done! I also enjoy Diane's description of the clothes Madison wears along with the mid-century furniture, etc. she has in her shop. She's a unique individual. The romance angle is really getting interesting. I can't wait to see what is in store for Madison in the next book.

I had my doubts on this when I first started being a series I hadn't read before and who inherits a pajama factory. However, the author and her story won me over quickly with the interesting plot, fun characters, and touches of humor. I have another series to put on my to be read list.

Madison Night has returned to Dallas and Hudson is still in the fifth book of the series. They are still in touch with each other but the romance is fading. Hudson is working on a movie of his story with a studio. Madison has inherited a pajama from an old friend. The factory has been closed for years and is a historical building in Dallas. Several groups are interested in buying the building. One group is picketing the building and Captain Tex Allen is responsible for police protection.
Madison and Tex open the factory and find the body of a family member. The hidden motives and the misinformation of the various persons involved will grip your attention. What steps can Madison take as she plans on her actions? I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Henery Press for a copy of this book for a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Pajama Frame is the fifth book in Diane Vallere’s Madison Night Mystery series and I really enjoyed reading it. The storyline is well plotted, the characters relatable, there’s a lot going on, and enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The book flowed at a steady pace, the mystery was interesting, and kept me guessing until the reveal. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted cozy mysteries.

Madison Night is an interior decorator specializing in mid-century modern design and the owner of Mad for Mod. She has an adorable little Shih Tzu named Rocky, idolizes Doris Day, and even dresses like her. Due to a knee injury, she joined the Gaston Swim Club, swims with a group of elderly ladies, and became good friends with another member, eighty-six-year-old Alice Sweet. Hudson James, her boyfriend, is currently in California meeting with film companies who are considering producing a movie about a tragic event in his life that also involves Madison. Madison learns she’s not only inherited the vintage contents of Alice’s home, but also a pajama factory, Sweet Dreams, in Dallas, Texas that has been out of business for sixty years from Alice. Alice’s husband, George, closed the factory after a young model, Suzy Bixby, passed away after an accident in the factory. Even though the death was ruled accidental, there were rumors George was having an affair with the model and it wasn’t an accident. A group of picketers wants Suzy’s case to be reopened and the property searched for clues to prove she was murdered. Captain Tex Allen of the Lakewood Police Department unlocks the property and escorts Madison inside and they discover the body of John Sweet, Alice’s step-grandson. Captain Allen wants Madison to stay out of his investigation, but he knows she won’t. Madison doesn’t know why Alice gave her the factory but is determined to unravel the rumors and through her snooping, she uncovers a tangle of secrets and lies.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This book was a big let down it did not grip me from the start and I felt like something was missing but not sure what.
I was confused working out what was going on the more I tried the book did not flow.
Maybe you have to read the others first I don’t know but it was not enjoyable at all sorry.

Diane Vallere is a wonderful author, and this book did not disappoint. Madison Night inherits a pajama factory from a friend who recently passed away, and long lost relatives start coming out of the woodwork. Many secrets and interesting tidbits present themselves in this well written story. This book kept me intrigued, and I didn't know who the murderer was until the end. I hope Diane Vallere writes for a very long time. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

It hasn't been too long since Madison Night moved to Dallas. She really was born in the wrong decade. She opened her decorating business Mad for Mod- specializing in things from the 50's and 60's. She dresses like she could be in a Doris Day movie. She even swims with a group of ladies who were at their prime in the fifties. One of those ladies, Alice Sweet became a good friend.

When the 86 year old Alice passed, Madison was shocked to learn that not only had she left her the vintage contents of her home, she also left her a Pajama factory. She was not even aware Alice had anything to do with the factory that closed in the 50's. A quick bit of research revealed the factory was not without scandal. So why did Alice leave it to Madison?

This story was multifaceted, and Madison does a great job of walking through her thoughts and evidence every once in a while. I have a pitiful memory, so I really appreciate not having to go back search the things that already happened. I think Madison and Tex have a great rapport and I can't wait to see what happens with them next. Thanks to Netgalley and Henery press for the arc copy.

A good mystery with lots of surprises and twists. Wish the dogs played a bigger role but the characters are interesting and keep the story moving along

Madison Night, an interior decorator, once again finds herself in the throes of a mystery with many murders and a touch of a burgeoning romance. A compelling read with quite a few surprises.