This is a charming fun start to a promising new cozy series. I enjoyed that the author wrote her protagnist and friends as older women. (I am so tired of cozies with 30 somethings described to be perfect size 6 women gleefully spending their trust funds. ) These are honest relatable charcters and independent well rounded women . Well done to the author.
Camilla is a likable protagnist and someone we all want to be friends with . She purchased her family's old antique store as a new late in life venture and soon after a murder occurs of a nefarious previous owner. The victim was not well liked and soon small town secrets come to light and her investigation takes a turn to show his darker side. A well crafted sleuth I enjoyed to conclusion. Well done to the author. Fun charcters I enjoyed getting to know and looking forward to the second in series.

An interesting start to a new series with likeable characters, antiques, historical mystery and the inspiration of Old Town Alexandria, VA. Curious to see where this one will go.

I loved this cozy! This is new to me author.

The story starts out with Camille Benson trying to figure out her life after her son is elected Mayor. She gets opportunity to buy back her parents antique store and decides to go for it and get her parents store back and run it not knowing the devious stuff the current proprietor Roberto is up to.

So Camille has to figure out mystery of missing letter written to George Washington and two murders before she becomes the next victim. And did I say she has two adorable pet dogs??😊

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are mine.
#cozyreading

A promising start to a new series. A fun and quick read. Characters are slow at first to like but keep reading because they do get more relatable. I am looking forward to the next book to see the development. Thanks #netgalley and #Crookedlanebooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I really enjoyed this new series An Old Town Antique Mystery. Camille Benson, bought back Waited4You an antique store that her parents had owned once. All the other merchants were thrilled to have her after dealing with the mean man that had owned the place. To bad for Camille that man was found dead in her store before her grand opening. Enjoyed and looking forward to the next one.
#DeadMenDontDecorate #NetGalley

Any interesting cozy mystery and while not my favorite. I did enjoy this quick read. Since Cozy mysteries tend to be my comfort read.

I couldn’t get past the first few pages. The writing was very stilted and the characters uninteresting.

The pacing of this book was just all wrong. I kept checking to see if this is a second book, but no, it's a debut. The book opens at the party for the heroine's son's election to mayor. Then we cut to her deciding that maybe she wants to find a purpose. Then buying an antique shop. Then a display of skills. Then some random organizing/set up. Then the murder. This book dragged so much. Why couldn't the author start with the heroine in her newly purchased antiques shop and cut all this side character fat we are given? I just couldn't pay attention and I felt the plot meandered horribly. I did like the antique shop details and I could see this series improving in the second book, with all the background details settled.

Camille Benson and her best friend Opal found the body of the previous owner of the Waited4You antique store business that Camille just bought. Suspicion falls on the realtor who owns the building and also on the Chief of Police's son, who is a detective and has no alibi.
When the murder of a freelance photographer happens, everyone thinks that it could be related to the missing historical letter that the previous owner of the store had. What other secrets did the victims have that caused their deaths?
A cozy mystery with an older woman starting a new career and with familiar type residents and quaint shops that populate the small town.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this e-galley of "Dead Men Don't Decorate".

Dead Men Don't Decorate by Cordy Abbott is the first installment in what will be Old Town Antiques Mystery series.

At the beginning I have to admit that I struggled a bit with the story. It was entertaining enough, characters were amiable and relatable but I couldn't connect with them for some reason.

I welco,ed the fact that main heroine and her side kick are older than your average cozy sleuths and quite fun to read about. Very realistic and down to Earth portrayal of people, small towns and life in general is what I really appreciated about this story.

It is steady paced, clues are well presented and easy to follow.

This is the perfect choice for readers who dabble or like to learn about antiques.

A promising start of a new cozy mystery series. Camille is a widow with a grown son who has just been elected mayor. Instead of returning to teach at a local community college, she buys back the antique store previously owned by her parents. After a celebration dinner with her best friend Opal. they go to the store to look at an old letter Opal found while they were doing inventory in preparation for the sale. Instead of the letter, they find the prior owner dead on the floor! Camille investigates his murder, as well as the mystery of the missing letter and other goings-on. I liked the setting and the characters, particularly the strong friendship between two older characters.

What a thrilling book for me. Enjoyed the cozy, fun mystery. I really enjoyed the characters in the book. Was such a fun read for me!

Loved this cozy mystery.
Camille has decided to buy the antique store for sale, the one her parents owned years ago. But the current owner is not the most pleasant man, and seems most of the town has an unkind opinion of him. The day Camille takes ownership, she goes back to her store with her friend, Opal, to look at a historical letter, only to find a body on her floor. Things do not aadd up, and the chief of police is acting weird too. Soo Camille and Opal, along with a friend, Janie, do a little sleuthing and try to figure out the mystery.
Love the characters, so relatable . The plot was engaging and flowed easily from scene to scene. Looking forward to another book in this series. Highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, in return for an honest review. This is the first book in a new cozy series. It’s an homage to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, although the town’s name is changed in the ARC to Marthasville. I enjoyed the protagonist and the setting, with her decision to purchase and restore the antiques store where she grew up.
A quibble marred an, otherwise, very good cozy mystery for me. Since I live in Virginia, it kept mentally tripping me up for the city name change with all other locations and their descriptions being accurate to the real city. Why not keep the real name? Otherwise, enjoy a fun, new cozy series.

A cozy murder series, A satisfying mystery series with compelling characters. A quick read that left me wanting more. Looking forward to seeing more in this series.

I enjoyed this book. I didn’t like some of the characters and their actions but otherwise the story is interesting. I wasn’t surprised by the killer. I had the thought that it was him. #DeadMenDontDecorate #NetGalley

As I began to read Dead Men Don’t Decorate, I struggled a bit with the storyline, but as I continued to read, the story became more fun.
I didn’t feel an immediate connection with any of the characters, but I hope that changes as this series develops.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
#DeadMenDontDecorate #NetGalley.

This book is a love letter to Old Town Alexandria, despite its slightly changed name. Locals will enjoy recognizable street names and local businesses, as well as local lore. The cast of characters has a fun, cozy romp highlighting a spry baby boomer with a new lease on life.

I think this is a good start to a new cozy series. I will admit that it took a little while for me to really get into. I did not immediately warm to the characters but I came around as the story line progressed. I am hopeful the author will continue to develop the characters. Opal was my favorite so far. I like the premise that Camille buys an antique shop previously owned by her parents and that itself has great promise. And books that take place in the South are always my favorites. I will definitely be looking for the next one.

Camille buys her parents old antique shop, and finds the previous owner murdered. I liked the cover and for the most part liked this one, but at times felt like I was being pulled in different directions. Not sure why she got involved, and her friend and cop romance seemed a bit off. Not sure why, and might just be me. I would give this series anther try, and would recommend this one for the most part. Especially if you like antiques, as she describes them in detail.