I want to thank the author/publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced review copy of Zac Bissonnette's new novel, <i>A Killing in Costumes (A Hollywood Treasures Mystery #1)</i>. Although I am thankful for their generosity, the following review reflects my personal views.

As a whole, I thought this was a really fun first book in a new cozy mystery series. As a whole, I think the two main characters Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper were relatable and a lot of fun. Jay and Cindy were former soap opera stars who were married. Yet, both of them held a secret. Jay was gay and Cindy was a lesbian. When they came out publicly, it sort of destroyed their career. Over the years, they ended up going in different directions. Jay had lounge show in Vegas and Cindy became a financial planner. With the death of Cindy's wife, Jay moves to Palm Springs to help Cindy open a dream store selling Hollywood memorabilia, Hooray for Hollywood.

One of my biggest complaints with this cozy, was that it did take a bit of building before we actually had the first victim. Once we had the first victim, the story definitely picked up steam as the dynamic duo became suspects. As suspects, they were determined to clear their names and save their store, which was on the verge of financial ruin as it was.

As with any good cozy mystery, the author does a good job establishing the setting and creating a litany of quirky and interesting characters from the knitting assistant, Mary, to the gay police detective, who may have a thing for Jay.

From a cozy mystery perspective, I do wish there had been a bit more about Palm Springs. As someone who has never ventured to Palm Springs, I don't feel like I got a complete picture of what Palm Springs is like. I hope the author shows us more about the quirky side of Palm Springs as he writes the second book in this series. Half the fun of a good cozy mystery is getting lost in the world. Admittedly, I think it's harder to establish the quirky side of a community when you're dealing with an actual location versus a fabricated town.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries.

First in a new cozy mystery series about Hollywood Memorabilia. Cindy and Jay have been through a lot together ; friends, marriage. a musical career,the ending of their marriages which lead to the ending of their career then back to very best friends and currently business partners in the opening of Horray for Hollywood. I immediately liked both Jay and Cindy as well as the secondary Mary, 3rd business partner and Mother figure/friend and Detective Simon.
It was great fun reading about all the Hollywood Memorabilia. Lots of movies, TV shows and celebrity names that I remember fondly.
The mystery itself was ingenious. I started to "see" the murderer at the same time Cindy and Jay were working it out.It was interesting how they came to the same outcome from their separate angles.
It was so nice to see the deep platonic love Cindy and Jay had for each other.Another refreshing thing was how positive Lesbian and Gay people were portrayed. Can't wait for the next in series
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. It publishes 8/9/22

Bingo!! It was a fun read. Like it been long since i read something mystery type. The book was well weaved. The main leads were well blended . Yana Tosh was there to add some humour. But i couldn't give five stars because i felt the book was a little streched.

Thank you netgalley and crooked book lane for e- ARC

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Not my style of book. I found it misleading in the synopsis from what I read.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the arc. What a fun cozy mystery! Love visiting these cozy little towns. Author did a great job loved all the characters.
Definitely recommend!

For a debut mystery, this book held my interest, had a great storyline, and well-crafted characters.

A Killing in Costumes finds ex soap opera stars Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper with no customers at their Palm Springs movie memorabilia store and money problems. There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel when a diva silver screen actress appears wanting to sell her costumes and props. The problem is their competition ends up dead and they become the number one suspects.

Looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Dang, that was good. My favorite cozy mysteries are the ones that immerse you in an interesting subculture, and A Killing in Costumes accomplishes that well for Hollywood antiques. It compelled me to keep reading not only because I wanted to know who the killer was—which was a very satisfying reveal—but because I wanted to learn more about that world.

There aren't a ton of cozy mysteries that are told from a dual perspective (besides the ones that feature a narrator and their animal companion). A Killing in Costumes features two sleuths, and it's interesting to see how they analyze the same crime from different perspectives.

Also loved the deep respect and friendship that Jay and Cindy had for each other. That, along with the positive queer representation, was a delight to read.

Love the concept of the Hollywood memorabilia store filled with great delights. When a rival is found dead, it's up to Jay and Cindy to unravel the mystery before they get locked up for it. A great start and I look forward to revisiting them. I was given a digital ARC by #netgalley and #Crookedlanebooks for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I feel kind of bad about this review because it's clear that lots of other people liked this book, so take what I'm going to say with a grain of salt as it may be just me.

This book really did nothing for me. For starters, there were two main characters. Each shared time in the book evenly but it always seemed that if there were both of them in the scene, then the wrong one was narrating. Sexual attraction to cop? The non-attracted character is telling us how she thinks they're feeling. Someone being betrayed? The observer is the narrator, not the betrayed person. I wish the author had just picked one and made them the sole narrator. Moreover, I felt like there was a lot of lecturing about the Hollywood antiques business, which was sort of interesting, but not what I signed up for and made the plot drag. I finally realized how much I was struggling to read this when I figured out that I had picked it up several times a day for a _week_ and kept putting it down. I ended up fast skimming it just to see who did it.

Again, your experience may be different.

Enjoyed reading this one a lot. It was very fast-paced and I was never bored while reading it. The perfect little book I can read to pass the time. Would definitely recommend it.

This was a fun read! My favourite aspect of the book was definitely the banter between the main characters and the humour. I liked all the movie references included as well. I was surprised by the plot twists, and liked how it all connected at the end. My only issue was the pacing at times was a little too slow for me. Overall, an entertaining book!

A green beret worn by John Wayne in The Green Baret, a cape worn by Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, Vivien Leigh's straw hat from Gone with the Wind are pieces that Jay and Cindy want to display at "Hooray for Hollywood Movie Memorabilia" store.

Jay and Cindy were once married to each other and were rising stars in the show-biz. But their careers got doomed when they both realized (yes both!) that they were homosexuals. Divorced but still best friends they have opened a movie memorabilia store. But all is not well in Hollywood. The business is not doing too well.

The only person that can save the business is Yana Tosh- a yesteryears actress known for her role as the temptress. Yana wants to auction her collection of memorabilia that she has collected over the years. Naturally, Jay and Cindy want her collection. But it is not that simple- there are many obstacles to overcome before the green beret worn by John Wayne or the painting from an old Agatha Christie movie can be sold at "Hooray for Hollywood". There is a competing business house, Yana's son who does not want her to sell, Yana's financial advisor who is in a hurry to sell and then there is a murder!

It is a fun read. A cozy murder mystery. The mystery is well woven and at least I could not guess the whodunnit until the "Hooray for Hollywood Movie Memorabilia Sleuths" unravel it. Jay and Cindy are likable- their characters blend well. Yana Tosh is charismatic as she is meant to be. Zac Bissonnette gets the essence of a good murder mystery- all characters are suspicious and innocent at the same time.

I thought the book, however, needs a little trimming. Had the story been a little tighter it would have been a page-turner - but there it falls short. Although in the beginning, it was fun to drift down the memory lane of old cinema, after a while it induces one to skip. Cindy's over-exaggerated bottled-up emotions and Jay's over-cheerfulness become a little boring after a while.

Yet, it was a fun, light read. So hooray to Zac Bissonnette!

I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley for my honest review. #AKillinginCostumes #NetGalley

Jay and Cindy own a Hollywood memoribilia store in Palm springs, California. When trying to secure an old Hollywood actress collection. The competing bidder does from poison. Jay and Cindy find themselves as prime suspects. In order to save their store and their lives they will need to find the killer.

I liked this book. I think this might be the first LGBTQIA cozy mystery book I've read. I enjoyed finding out their history. They were once soap stars and had a music career. Cindy was a financial advisor. I can't wait to see what these two get up to next.

Will add reviews to Goodreads, IG, and Amazon when publication date is closer.

A fun mystery about a couple who didn't work out but still remained friend that get caught up in a murder.
A fun read.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Former husband and wife Jay and Cindy, partners in their Hurray for Hollywood Movie Memorabilia business, are struggling to make a success of their business. When B movie diva Yana Tosh contacts them to possibly sell off the memorabilia she has collected, they learn their competition is a large auction house represented by Dylan Redman. Unfortunately, after Jay and Cindy meet with Redman about a possible collaboration on the sale, his secretary finds Redman dead after their departure.
To save the business and the sale, Jay and Cindy must clear their names. Possible suspects include Yana's son, her financial adviser and Redman's secretary. Jay and Cindy work well together, displaying their strengths as they investigate, A delightful read.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

A KILLING IN COSTUMES by Zac Bissonnette is a cute and quirky cozy mystery perfect for lovers of Old Hollywood.

I loved all of the Old Hollywood name dropping (actors & films!) as well as the LGBTQ+ representation in this book. The dual-sleuth perspective was unique, too—I’ve only read cozies with one POV.

There was a bit of depth to this one, with themes of sexual identity, grief and loss, and deep friendship. I’d compare this to Ellery Adams’s The Secret, Book, & Scone Society due to it having a little extra emotional oomph.

The beginning-middle of this dragged for me; it was a little slow and I found the characters endearing but a bit flat. But the mystery is solid and there’s a great twist at the end!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eARC. I have posted my review on Goodreads and will be sharing it on Instagram and Amazon closer to the pub date.

A Killing in Costumes was a fun mystery! Perfect for a weekend escape or vacation book! I loved seeing two LGBTQIA protagonists. The relationships in this book were so sweet! If you’re a movie and mystery buff this one is for you!

I didn’t really enjoy this one. I felt the writing was a bit confusing and didn’t hold my attention.
I wasn’t able to fully get through the end.

Jay Allen and Cindy Cooper are having difficulty making a success of their new business.  In Palm Springs they opened Hooray for Hollywood, selling movie memorabilia and after 6 months, they are running through their start-up capital.  Then they are offered an opportunity to sell the costume collection of a retired B list movie star, Yana Tosh.   They are in competition with a large auction house represented by Dylan Redman, who meets with them to discuss a collaboration.   The meeting goes poorly and they leave him with his secretary at a posh hotel.   Later in the day, a police detective visits them to report that Redman is dead.  As the last people to see him, Jay and Cindy are suspects because he was poisoned and they had motive to want him out of the picture.   When they are publicly named as suspects they fear their business will go under because no one will want to do business with them.  The only way out they see is to solve the murder because the police investigation is going nowhere.  Their sleuthing takes them to encounters with a dodgy financial advisor, a tough-as-nails star gossip columnist and the actor's son as well as an attractive police detective who shows interest in Jay.  A bit of menace comes when an envelope of poison is delivered to Jay.  It's an exciting plot with a dramatic surprising conclusion.
This is a first-rate cozy mystery: good fast-paced story-telling with a cast of interesting characters.   The Palm Springs setting makes for great atmosphere: the movie star colony is a terrific backstory for the memorabilia business.  The two protagonists Jay and Cindy are thoughtful, intelligent people; complement each other in temperament and talents.  While they are gay, and once married to one another, this aspect does not overwhelm the story.  This is a debut mystery and the stage is set for a sequel. 
I received a complementary advance reading copy from the publisher via Netgalley for my review.

A great debut cozy mystery that will make for many an interesting conversation over coffee, drinks, or at book club meetings. Old Hollywood nostalgia is on full display throughout this delightful story. It brought back many fond memories for this reader who often curled up with the latest Rona Barrett’s Hollywood magazine back in the day. The murder mystery is clever, and the author does a fine job of hiding the killer’s identity from readers—I didn’t catch on until the protagonists, Cindy and Jay did. The main characters are unique, and likeable, smart, and savvy about their Hurray for Hollywood Movie Memorabilla business—they just simply need buyers and irresistible inventory.

I really liked the book cover for this novel. The LGBT community was clearly and positively portrayed. I foresee several more entertaining novels in the Hollywood Treasures series future!

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions are my own.