This is a really lovely book. You might think reading the description of it that you might need to be an aficionado of fashion but not the case. It did bring me back to movies and fashion of the 8Os and 9Os. You. Will get many laughs from the situations that Pip gets herself into. It’s a unique take on a private detective.

It's an entertaining and fun book, a mix of chick lit and cozy mystery (more chick lit than mystery).
Pip antics are exhilarating and I think that a lot of fun is related to her being clumsy and quite unaccountable. Even if it's funny I think it would be interesting to read about a more mature Pip as it would mean that the character is evolving and becoming more sophisticated.
The plot is entertaining and well written but it takes quite a long time before we meet the murder and the mystery seems a bit rushed even if it's entertaining.
My favorite characters are Most, great description of a cat mom, and Tim (who could be ready to become a saint).
On a general level the characters are interesting and I like the satire of the social media guru and of the gossip industry.
Even if I think that some character changes are needed in further installment this is an entertaining story that made me laugh
Recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for the second in the cozy mystery series featuring the zany Epiphany Bloom but in truth it’s only been a few months since she burst onto the scene as a hapless, accident prone, almost unemployable improbable sleuth. In her very first adventure, Pip as she is more commonly known, made a name for herself as a finder of lost boys. Or a lost boy to be more precise! The lost boy happened to be the son of American actress Madison Price but whether her success was more of a fluke than due to any great detective skills will be put to the test again as Pip falls into her next mystery charged with finding a lost dress. Join our eccentric amateur detective in another madcap whirlwind of an adventure that promises all the thrills and spills of a ride at the funfair. It’s laughably ludicrous, riotously ridiculous and frivolously funny. Step inside these pages and enter the chaotic world of Epiphany Bloom and a storyline that is more nutty than a bar of fruit and nut!

This time around Pip is accompanying sister Flis to an exhibition at the museum of movie memorabilia and vintage costumes owned by Henrietta Powell, daughter of another American actress Charise. Unemployed yet again, Pip is trying to set aside her financial worries and how she’s going to afford this month’s rent when she spots that the iconic red dress from the film Pretty Woman, as worn by Julia Roberts is actually a fake. Drawn into conversation with the museum’s curator Arabella, celebrity loving Pip, in her usual haphazard fashion manages to land herself the plum role of sourcing new pieces for an upcoming exhibition whilst also charged with recovering the priceless missing dress.

Straightaway you know that the theft of this piece of Hollywood movie memorabilia is going to take priority over Pip’s paid employment with Arabella keen to rectify the situation before Henrietta, abroad in Morocco is any the wiser. Pip wastes no time in interrogating the museum’s employees in her own inimitable style as she races to restore the dress to its rightful home. There’s the ‘amazing’ receptionist Emily who harbours a school girl like crush on her employer plus the two security guards, ex cop Philip who likes to keep away from the rest of his colleagues and devilishly handsome Gordon who causes Pip’s heart to flutter. Believing it to be an inside job Pip has to decide who has the most to gain from stealing this item of clothing, a task that she cannot fulfill entirely by herself. Relying on the help of landlord and possible love interest Tim, whose computer hacking skills are bound to come in handy, our lovable sleuth leaves no dress unturned as she enters the cut throat fashion world where collectors/ dealers of highly sought after vintage pieces, invariably worth a fortune, aren’t always entirely scrupulous. As her investigation leads her into the path of some honourable and some more dubious characters you wouldn’t imagine that the theft of one killer dress could culminate in one dead body. An unfortunate and tragic accident or a case of murder on the museum floor?? From a wedding party to a day at the races to a fashion awards ceremony Pip is having the time of her life. Will you discover the pilfering perpetrator and/or the kleptomaniac killer ahead of the blooming marvellous Ms Bloom?

Chaos, carnage and coincidences ensue as Pip follows her leads,most of which turn out to be disappointing dead ends. Traipsing around London and wreaking havoc wherever she goes Epiphany is joined by a few familiar faces. Sister Flis, famous for dropping a malapropism or two into every conversation is lurking in the background along with their mother Magnolia, currently in the Galapagos spotting blue footed boobies with her latest gentleman friend and who is responsible for the llama drama that almost disrupts Pip’s ongoing investigation. As already mentioned Tim is given more than a walk on role in this costume drama, proving himself to be a worthy partner in crime but will he prove to be an ideal partner in love?? He potentially has a rival for Pip’s affections in the form of boxer Jimmy who regularly puts our crime busting heroine through her paces. I sincerely hope future adventures will show who will become the front runner in the romantic stakes because at the moment it would seem they are neck and neck! Plus I can’t forget to mention Pip’s three legged feline companion Most who is now a mother to some adorable kittens. Whether Pip will opt for the single cat lady life or stake her claim on either Tim or Jimmy is anyone’s guess but I for one can’t wait to find out!!

Laughter is the best medicine and you’ll experience it in abundance as you tear through this pandemonium fuelled fashion fiasco with Pip at the helm. I’d wager you’ll be hard pushed to find a fictional sleuth who’s more of a delight; she truly is a tonic, an effervescent bundle of frenetic energy, oozing quirkiness and charisma and I absolutely love her! With a subtle nod to sustainable fashion in the storyline from the authors, The Museum Murder is undoubtedly rollicking good fun. If the need to escape reality for a few hours presents itself, I can highly recommend this hilarious hullabaloo of a read. My thanks as always to the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

An interesting read, Pip was a really likeable character.

Spoiler - The murder doesn't happen until quite a way into the book which was a surprise, there was still a lot of mystery right from the beginning and the search for the dress along with the building of the characters made it an enjoyable read.

I liked the style of writing, made the book flow but still gave it the right amount of suspense you expect from this genre. I will defiantly be reading more from this author.

The second installment in the Epiphany Bloom cozy mystery series was as much fun as the first book. Epiphany, or Pip as she is known, has had a series of jobs that always ended with some kind of mishap. After her first successful outing in investigation, Pip finds herself in the middle of a Museum of vintage clothing, where the famous Pretty Woman Julia Roberts evening gown had gone missing. Some of the characters from the first book reappear, as Tim, the handsome roommate, Jimmy, the boxing coach, and of course, Flis, the sister who uses the wrong words. Cute and funny, I recommend this cozy to lovers of cozy mysteries. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Pip is a rather extraordinary character, with a history of having many jobs, she begins a new job working in a museum displaying movie memorabilia. Not only is Pip tasked with sourcing new clothes to display in the museum, her keen eye spots an iconic 90’s dress is a fake. When she confronts her boss Arabella about this, Arabella admits to the dress being stolen, and a fake being put in its place. Pip takes on the additional role of being an amateur sleuth to solve the mystery of the red dress.

All the characters are quite likeable and this book has so many funny parts to it. I really enjoyed reading it. I was hooked until the end. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pip unfortunately has lost another job and that while she loved being a sleuth. When she visits a museum for vintage clothing (famous vintage clothing) with her sister Flis she is offered a job securing new clothes for another exhibition. As Pip finds the famous red dress from Pretty Woman as worn by Julia Roberts has been replaced with a fake, she is on the job again as a sleuth, with help of handsome roommate (and landlord) Tim.

A lovely cozy. I really like Pip and the other characters like her sister and nutty mother (Llama's??).

I dont think murder should be in the title when the murder takes place 56% of the way in and is only very briefly was touched on. This was a mystery book but about a missing dress not a murder mystery.

The plot took a while to get going and the ending felt rushed. Unfortunately I really didn't like the main character but perhaps if id read the previous book that might have been changed. It felt a bit try hard and over done with the sisters goofs and the characters felt over the top and under developed.

Thank you for the arc.

This was a really enjoyable mystery. Pip makes a great heroine who you find yourself rooting for throughout the book. She reminds me a little bit of a young Agatha Raisin. It’s a shame there wasn’t more development on her personal life but I am sure the author has many more books to write in this series. I can’t wait to read the next one. It was a great escape read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Bookouture, in return for an honest review. This is the second book in this series but easily read as a stand-alone. Epiphany ‘Pip” Bloom is in search of a job again. Visiting a local movie memorabilia museum with her sister, Flis, to see the red gown worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Pip scores a job interview to be the museum’s new buyer. At the interview, Pip realizes that the famous gown is suddenly a fake and she’s hired to figure out what happened before the museum’s owner returns from holiday. About halfway through the story, a murder happens, and Pip is also drawn into solving it as well as trying to keep her job and find the missing gown.
Pip has rotten luck in jobs but a great sense of adventure in tackling challenging situations. She also has a cat with baby kittens and an unrequited lust for her roommate/landlord, Tim. She’s an interesting heroine and the setting is good. Some circumstances are a bit farfetched but that’s always a challenge with writing an amateur sleuth and keeping it unique. A fun cozy!

Was a little too slapstick for me. However, I did enjoy a number of the characters. I liked the mystery and everything that entailed. There was a lot of things going on with it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This past weekend, I finished reading an advanced reader copy of `The Museum Murder’ by Katie Gayle. Katie Gayle is actually two writers who’ve worked together to write the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries and this is the 2nd novel in the series.

Synopsis: Epiphany Bloom, better known as Pip, has just gotten a new job at a fashion museum. Not only is she expected to do her job of curating new items for the collection, but she must also track down a missing iconic 90's Hollywood dress to keep her job secure. Join Pip as she navigates her love life, balances all aspects of her new job and tries to figure out what to do with a llama shipment her mother plans to send from South America!

What you can expect:
- A fun and easy mystery with some laugh-out-loud moments
- A heroine whose character gets more and more appealing as the book progresses
- Two “will they or won’t they” love interests
- Family Drama

What I liked:
- The short back-stories sprinkled throughout about Pip’s previous jobs
- Pip’s eccentric family members
- The development of Pip’s character

The unexpected:
A murder doesn’t occur until more than halfway through the book. So it’s more of a mystery book than a murder mystery book. Thus, the title feels unsuitable; however, this doesn’t take away much from the overall story, which I would say moves at a good pace and piques enough interest.

An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. Great plot and quirky characters. Mystery fans will love this book.

Adventures In Detection....
The second in the quirky Epiphany Bloom mystery series. Epiphany is rather a walking disaster. Being mistaken for a missing persons expert by a private investigator Epiphany finds herself on the job and decides that she will grasp the opportunity rather than admit to the mistake and, here, her adventures in detection continue when she comes across a theft at a fashion museum. A catalogue of disasters ensues. Enjoyable, fun reading with a likeable protagonist in Epiphany whose heart is always in the right place even if she isn’t

I had already read the first book, The Kensington Kidnap, and was very excited to meet the characters again in this new adventure. They are nicely written but I find we didn't learn much about them. Yes we learn that Pip can't keep a job and it's a bit repetitive but the author doesn't develop the other characters much. The relationships didn't evolve either (compared with the first book) so if it's going to be a series, I'd love to read more about them all and to see some kind of evolution in relationships one way or the other. My favourite wasn't even one of the recurring characters (I'd need to learn more to get attached to them) but one of the security guards, Philip, who only has a very minor role.

The plot was quite good but the murder didn't feel very connected to the story, as if it only happened because it's mentioned in the title. Some events and coincidences were a bit too unbelievable and at some point I wasn't even really interested in Pip solving anything anymore.

Overall it was still a fun read that I would recommend if you're in the mood for a very easy and quick mystery.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Light detective work, amusing but a bit too fluffy for me. I do like detective stories which are not plodding, and it does not have to be all hi tech and smooth, but this was too quirky for me.

Pip aka Epiphany is the detective here, in search of a one of a kind dress that has been robbed from the museum and replaced by a replica. Pip has to methodically go through all the suspects who have access to the museum and weed out suspects one by one to find out who the rogue is. All before the curator and owner of the museum returns from a trip to Morocco.

Lots of characters keep coming on to the scene, her flatmate Tim, her erratic mother, her funny sister Fliss which add variety to the story.

Pip is unemployed again. It appears that you have to spell people's name correctly when you are doing a background check on them. This was something that the detective agency frowned upon big time and therefore she was forced to part ways with them. Still Most the cat has had kittens and she is having a great time playing with them and ogling her flatmate, Tim.
On a trip to a museum with Flis, she manages to get a job which in turn evolves into tracking down a particular missing item.
WIth the cast of characters expanding from the previous book, Pip is on a mission and no one is going to stop her, wll maybe a Llama or two?
I really enjoyed this and read it in one session. I can't wait for Pip's next adventure.

Synopsis: This book is part of the Epiphany Bloom Mystery series.

Epiphany (aka Pip) Bloom is a hardworking woman (and budding detective) who seems to have the worst luck. In the first book in this series, she temps at a private investigator’s office, and is inadvertently thrown into the investigation of the kidnapping of a wealthy American boy.

In this novel, that bud luck continues when she uncovers the theft of an extremely valuable dress that’s of historical significance in Hollywood. As she investigates, she realizes that the fashion world is not as glamourous as it seems on the outside, and she quickly realizes the lengths that collectors will go to in order to get their hands on such a prized piece of fashion.... including murder.

My review:

This novel is described by other reviewers as “cozy”, and I completely agree. It’s a lighthearted mystery that is perfect for a chilly weekend morning with a cup of tea. Pip is a very likeable character and I can relate to her a bit in some respects. This story is very well written and the plot is gripping and move along at the perfect pace. I will definitely be picking up the first book in this series and eagerly await more adventures from Pip.

Thank you to Net Galley, Katie Gayle and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.

[Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.]

Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is a mistake-prone Londoner who just wants to find a job she’s good at and ideally not get fired. She stumbles into her latest employment while visiting a memorabilia museum in London, but there’s a catch. On paper, she’s a buyer, responsible for sourcing new displays for the museum, but in reality, she must also find a missing dress worth thousands of pounds. And when someone turns up dead, Pip knows she has to solve the mystery before it’s too late.

On the plus side, the characters are fun and the novel itself is very well written. As with most cozy mysteries, the murder happens off-screen and the story is more focused on the quirky cast of characters than on creating suspense. I’m a little torn on this one because ultimately the mystery was good and it had a nice little twist at the end *but* some of the inciting incidents were completely unbelievable and pulled me out of the story. As well, the actual murder felt like a bit of an afterthought, which was confusing considering the book's title.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a *very* light-hearted cozy mystery.

The premise of this sounded like a lot of fun, but I was a little worried when I started reading the first few chapters; Pip seemed a bit scattered and I was worried that the story would get lost. Thankful to say that I was completely wrong and the story went by in a flash! The characters are all a little crazy and kooky, but in such a fun way. The mystery was quite fun and Pip really is good at solving them; the clues had me thinking and the ending was a nice little twist!