I love cozy mystery books! I really enjoyed listening to this on Audio. It is a good debut! kept me intrigued the whole time!

This is a fresh new look at cozy mysteries! The dual perspectives is done well, so that both Jay and Cindy feel like main characters. They have known each other since middle school, so it is believable that they would know how the other will react and also that they can challenge the other to do better. This made their realtionship a strong foundation of this book, their new business, and their investigation.
I LOVE reading about a Hollywood memorabila store. I love hearing about the actors and movies of days gone by. I have a few new to me movies that I want to watch. I also loved the tips in the back to start collecting.
The mystery is twisty and the red herrings all look guilty. I like the way the solution comes about to explain all of the misdirection and guilty looking actions. I did not see the answer coming, but it all made sense when it was explained. I also liked what happened after the big reveal.
The romance was a nice slow start. It did a good job of recognizing the relationship between Jay and Cindy. There were a few places when I had to remind myself to suspend disbelief, but that is a very minor complaint in the scope of the whole book.
I listened to the audiobook. I liked the dual narrators for the dual perspectives. It wasn't hard to follow the twists and turns of the story. And listening to the book on audio made the characters seem more real. I genuinely enjoyed the time I spent listening to them tell me their story.
Thank you to NetGally and Dreamscape Media.

Great story with fabulous characters. A cozy mystery that was cozy enough to be comfortable while maintaining a story and mystery interesting enough to keep me guessing. I loved all the movie references. The main characters were unique individuals with an interesting connection to each other. I love their story and their deep love for each other. Really hope to read more stories about them in the future.

The audio narrators were very good.

3.5 Stars. Good debut novel into the Cozy Mystery Genre.

I found concept original but just a tad too over the top, even for two gay protagonists. As much as I tried, I just couldn’t connect with them. I did feel emotions for Cindy and her grief as a widow, but that’s it.

I felt the book was a little long and a little too detailed at times.

With that being said, I really liked the setting and plot of the story. The mystery was really good, I did not guess the ending.

I will definitely read book 2 when it’s released and hope for more of a character connection.

A Killing in Costumes has a great setting: A consignment store selling Classic Hollywood memorabilia. So there is a lot of old movie tidbits. Jay and Cindy have a great friendship and they have each others backs. They have a lot to lose so they have to work hard, even harder than the detective investigating the murder case to clear their names. Yana is also a fun character.

This book has a light and fun tone. Murder mystery was done well. Pacing was good. I figured out who the murderer is but kept on reading to find out the motive. Both of the narrators were good, The male narrator overdid the reactions at times but it wasn't bothered me a lot.

If you like cozy murder mysteries and have an interest in Classic Hollywood you might enjoy this book.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for access to an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy mysteries aren't usually my thing, but classic movies are, so I took a risk, and it was worth it!

The beginning of a series in which we meet best friends and business partners, who are formerly married and are a "famous couple" who lost their fame when they each came out as gay. They've opened a Hollywood memorabilia store which is struggling to get off the ground. They're contacted by a Silver Screen Star who has her own memorabilia collection that she's thinking about selling off. Our main characters are competing with another company for this huge consignment. But someone dies. And they are the main suspects! So in order to prove themselves innocent, they try to solve the case themselves!

I can't wait to read the rest of this series!

This was so so so bad. A waste of my time. I wish I could give it 0 stars. The characters were uninteresting, the plot was cringy and boring and the writing.... GOD the writing was trash

I so wanted to love this book and the cover art is outstanding but the book fell so flad i dint get what i just listened to the narration was wonderful but the story super flat

This book is so cute. I absolutely loved it.

This book revolves around an ex-husband & ex-wife, turned best friends turned small business owners. They own a kitschy Hollywood novelty shop selling old Hollywood memorabilia. They get roped in to a murder mystery and have to help the police solve it. I loved everything about this book.

Cozy mysteries are my go to! I love a good cozy mystery. Now you add in the newness of old Hollywood, which isn't my typical go to, and I was completely entranced by this book. I loved the characters, I loved the aspect of Palm Springs and the LGBT community. I loved everything about this book. The only downside was, I wish I knew more about the characters that were being referenced, but that just shows my lack of knowledge.

This book gave me Guncle vibes, and I'm loving it. But I think that has to do with them both being set in Palm Springs.

A standing ovation to the narrators of this book, you guys did amazing. I loved the cast of characters represented in this book I loved Cindy Cooper, voiced by Melanie Carey, you could feel her pain missing her wife. I loved the male character Jay Allan, voiced by Paul Bellatoni, and how much he just wanted to support his best friend but didn't quite have the ability. I loved the quirky trying to flirt but not really knowing how to. It was just the best. I love this book, You guys did incredible! Great work!

And I'm so glad that this is #1. I remember this book ending and thinking, "I so hope this book becomes a series!!"

This was an enjoyable read in the beginning, but it lost me somewhere in the middle. The pacing dragged a bit and became bogged down with the movie memorabilia details, but I thought the ending was solid. The protagonists, Jay and Cindy, came off a little flat at times, but I did like their relationship overall. I didn't care for the switching of the POVs between Jay and Cindy though; the switch would often happen mid-chapter. I would've preferred third person narration.

I did like this book, but it needed some editing to make the pacing tighter. It could've been a real page-turner, but it came up short for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy!

Zac Bissonette enters the mystery scene with A Killing in Costumes, the first in his Hollywood Treasures Mystery Series. Bringing together two formerly married protagonists with a shared history in show business who are now running a memorablia shop focused on everything Hollywood, an aged actress with a large and varied costume collection, and an auction house representative who wants total control over the disposition of the costume collection, the author has created a unique premise and cast of characters for this story. When the auction house representative is found dead from poisoning, the police begin to focus their investigation on Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan, the owners of the memorabilia shop because they had a meeting with him shortly before his untimely death.

Cindy and Jay begin to investigate in order to protect their own interests and freedom but as the clues are revealed and explored, they are taken in several directions designed to confuse the entire case by an excellent mastermind and manipulator. The convoluted twists that are introduced within this story are intriguing and foretell of a very creative puppetmaster who is pulling the strings to enable them to slide under the radar and ultimately get away with their crimes. The revelation of both perpetrator and motive was a unique plot twist that I never saw coming.

The narrators of this book did an excellent job of voice creation for all charachers and performed at a good pace that enabled the listener to understand and comprehend the story while not being lulled to sleep as a result of a drag in the narration.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I liked A Killing in Costumes much more than most cozies—so much so, in fact, that I've already mentioned it to three friends. The multigenerational (Yana's and Cindy's/Jay's/mine) movie & TV references were fun. The ending—including culprit revelation—was satisfying. The story was a good mix of humor, relationships, cleverness, and light mystery.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected August 9.

3.66 stars

A fun, cozy mystery novel with some sinister plot lines! I was very intrigued by this audiobook in the beginning, however, half way through I lost interest. I continued through hoping the pacing would engulf me back into the story or maybe some plot twists, but they did not. This is a strong start to a writing career, though I enjoyed the book and the characters in the beginning, they became flat and dull after sometime. I also felt confused at points with where the story was going.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced listener audiobook!

I enjoyed this book. I like the “older” characters. They are all full of personality. Also the setting is unique.

I really liked the premise for this book and had high hopes, but it fell flat for me. I did not find the characters relatable and the story was not engaging. I think others might like it, but it was just not for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book.. I can relate to this book because I love watching soap operas so I can relate to that part. The characters and the plot was awesome to read. I like the storyline about the Hollywood memorabilia. This book should be a show or movie.

What a great start to a new cozy mystery series! The setup is unique. We have two main characters, Cindy and Jay, who have started a Hollywood memorabilia shop in Palm Springs, California. They used to be married, but then they each realized they were gay/lesbian and they divorced, but remained not only the best of friends but have been business partners, first in entertainment and now in this new retail venture, aptly called Hooray For Hollywood. (Cindy had a separate career as a financial advisor and Jay did shows in Las Vegas.) For their new store, they buy and sell memorabilia such as costumes, props and posters from old movies.

In the book, a former movie actress, Yana Tosh, now 90, approaches them because she wants to sell some of her extensive collection. She also has contacted a large auction house. When the main contact from the auction house, Dylan Redman, is poisoned, of course Cindy and Jay are prime suspects in his murder. The bulk of the book has Cindy and Jay trying to clear their names and save their foundering business.

There were many things I loved about this book: the two main characters represent the LGBTQ community very well; there is a big emphasis on friendship, love and found families; the warmth between the two main characters was wonderful; Cindy and Jay don’t do really dumb stuff, like many amateur sleuths do; and they try to work with the police to solve the case. There were a good number of twists and turns in the plot so it kept me guessing. So many things had me smiling - such as Jay’s fondness for Barry Manilow’s music, and their pets named Mae West and Bob Hope. They really are throw-backs, because I’m guessing they’re in their 40s or 50s, not their 80s.

I can’t wait to see what the author dreams up as Cindy and Jay’s next adventure!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook has two distinct narrators who do a wonderful job, Melanie Carey and Paul Bellatoni. Different chapters are narrated by either Carey or Ballatoni.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

antiques, memorabilia, ephemera, auctions, situational-humor, verbal-humor, Hollywood, amateur-sleuth, friendship, family-dynamics, cozy-mystery, LGBT, pets, murder, murder-investigation, gambling-addiction, grief, grieving, audio,*****
Read 2 times. Last read July 28, 2022.

The publisher's blurb is a good intro, so I won't repeat it. From that interesting beginning the story kicks into gear with a pair of amateurs sleuthing their way through a murder investigation, becoming suspects themselves, an attraction between Jay and the Homicide Detective, and occasional wallows in grief by Cindy who lost her beloved wife of almost twenty years to recurrent cancer. Lots of interesting characters, both supportive as well as fellow suspects. The underlying theme is the mad world of Hollywood memorabilia and the people who pay exorbitant amounts of money to be part of the dream. Great first in series! And, unlike TV, books only get better as the series unfolds!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
I have now been loaned the audio from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley, and WOW. It is even better in audio narrated alternately by Melanie Carey & Paul Bellatoni! I've not listened to Paul Bellantoni before, but he is worth listening to as he really adds to the fun and the drama . Melanie Carey has narrated several other books that I have and she is a delight to listen to because of her interpretattion of the characters as well as the tone of her voice. Guess I'll have to put a crowbar in my wallet and actually buy tis in audio.

Imagine a cute, Old Hollywood memorabilia store in Palm Springs: here, a customer can browse vintage film magazines while sitting at the authentic horror movie table, stained with fake blood, and admire legendary costumes, perhaps even try on a green beret worn by John Wayne in "The Green Berets." This is a dream come true for Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan, who own "Hooray for Hollywood." The couple used to be soap opera stars, but their careers ended when they disclosed their sexual orientation. At the same time, and for the same reason, their marriage dissolved in divorce, but they remained best friends and business partners.

The business is not doing well, but the upcoming deal with a 90-year-old retired movie star and true diva, Yana Tosh, promises it will change for the better. Yana embodies Old Hollywood, and her costume collection is legendary; everything is authenticated, with a letter describing how the piece was acquired. Cindy and Jay are sure they will get the exclusive rights to sell it, but a larger competitor, Dylan Redman, comes into the picture. It's almost too convenient for Jay and Cindy when Dylan is murdered, so the handsome detective Simon Fletcher becomes suspicious of the couple's intentions. On the other hand, a poisoned envelope addressed to Jay suggests that he might be the target. The "odd couple" – Simon sees them as Bonnie and Clyde – decides to take the matter into their own hands and investigate the case.

This is the fiction debut of Zac Bissonnette, and I enjoyed the plot's twists. The frequent name-dropping will surely delight all movie buffs reading this cozy mystery. It's an entertaining story, but it's not just a shallow whodunit as the author adds some insight into loss and grief, showings how genuine friendship and determination help to deal with life's difficulties. And, of course, the fact that two protagonists are gay is a departure from the traditional amateur sleuth image. Still, I thought that Cindy and Jay were not as interesting as the story's villain. I hope Zac Bissonnette will continue developing the main characters in the following books of this series. It's going to be interesting to see Cindy and Jay's next big case!

This was a cozy mystery that took place in the Movie Memorabilia scene in Palm Springs. Jay and Cindy were married until they both came out. They now are living their dream of owning Horray for Hollywood and trying to keep the store afloat. They luck into a meeting with a former actress that has a valuable collection that she is looking to commission. Things get complicated quick when the biggest competitor to sell of the actress's collection is found dead - and Jay and Cindy were the last to see him alive.

The main characters are lovely and likeable. The reminiscing of Ester and Cindy’s relationship was sweet. There are plenty of other characters that keep you guessing to the end - was it the financial advisor? The lover? The sketchy son?

I liked the blooming relationship between Jay and the detective. I loved the references to Agatha Christie and Murder She Wrote, two of my favorite things.

I listened to the audiobook - it was read by two narrators, one for Jay and one for Cindy. The narrator chosen for Jay was not the voice I had in my head for him, but it worked nonetheless.
One of my favorite lines: "One only needs one bed but one can never have too many costumes"

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC!