This is the second in the series, and it’s as good as the first. It’s a fast, fun read with just the right mix of charm, humor, and mystery. The characters continue to grow on me, and the cozy vibe makes it perfect for a weekend escape. Looking forward to the next one!
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

🕵️‍♀️ Katie Tietjen’s Murder in Miniature is a cozy mystery with a forensic twist, where dollhouses become crime scenes and nostalgia hides danger. Set in post-WWII Vermont, this second installment in the Maple Bishop series blends historical intrigue, emotional depth, and miniature sleuthing into a charming yet surprisingly dark tale.

🏡 Premise & Plot

Maple Bishop, a war widow and dollhouse artisan, moonlights as a crime scene consultant for the local sheriff’s office. When a cabin fire reveals the body of a young firefighter—someone close to Maple’s confidant Kenny—she’s called in to determine whether it was an accident or arson. Her method? Reconstructing the scene in miniature. But as clues lead back to her old Boston neighborhood, Maple must confront buried family secrets and a past she’s tried to forget.

🔍 What Makes It Unique

- Miniatures as Forensics: Inspired by real-life forensic pioneer Frances Glessner Lee, Maple’s tiny reconstructions aren’t just clever—they’re crucial to solving the case.

- Historical Texture: Tietjen evokes postwar Vermont with quiet precision, layering in social tensions, grief, and the slow rebuilding of lives.

- Emotional Undercurrents: Maple’s personal losses and her evolving relationship with Kenny add emotional resonance to the procedural plot.

- Atmospheric Mystery: The blend of cozy charm and noir undertones gives the story a unique tonal balance—think Miss Marple meets The Boston Mob.

🧠 Themes That Resonate

- Grief & Resilience: Maple’s sleuthing is as much about healing as it is about justice.

- Truth in Detail: The novel celebrates observation—how the smallest details can reveal the biggest truths.

- Community & Isolation: Maple’s journey explores how connection can be both a refuge and a risk.

🗝️ Final Thoughts

Murder in Miniature is more than a cozy mystery—it’s a meditation on memory, craftsmanship, and the courage to confront the past. Tietjen crafts a heroine who’s as meticulous as she is magnetic, and a mystery that unfolds like a dollhouse—each room revealing a new secret. Whether you’re drawn to historical fiction, forensic puzzles, or emotionally rich storytelling, this one’s worth stepping inside.

Murder in Miniature is divided into three parts. Part One takes place in Elderberry, Vermont, where Maple Bishop lives. She’s just been called to her second murder case by Sheriff Sam Scott. Maple helped the sheriff solve the first murder by building a miniature crime scene. A body was discovered in a fire. This time though, the victim is a childhood friend of one of the deputies, Kenny Quirk. As the investigation continues, Maple and Kenny must travel to Boston.
Part Two takes place in the neighborhood Maple grew up in. By moving the setting to Boston, Tietjen reveals much more of Maple’s backstory in a natural way. A personal mystery is solved, and Maple gains much more than she ever thought possible. She and Deputy Quirk head back home.
Part Three takes place back in Elderberry, Vermont, with more questions than answers. The original death is still unsolved and has become even more complicated. Maple and Deputy Quirk are close to solving the case, unless the killer finds them first.
Murder in Miniature is a well-written second book in this series. I enjoyed finding out more about Maple’s backstory. The miniature reconstructions and the place they play in solving the mysteries in the books really hold my interest, even though that aspect isn’t as prominent in this book as the first one. The mystery itself is tightly written and kept me turning the pages. The subplots all come together, leading to a satisfying ending.
This series has become one of my favorites. 4/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an e-copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Maple Bishop, doll house maker, assists the local police in a forensic capacity by constructing crime scenes for analysis. She is working on a possible suicide/homicide of a young WWII veteran and firefighter. In the course of her investigation, along with her police partner, she encounters a Boston bank heist, the Mob, dead witnesses and the truth about her brother’s death in jail. Returning to Vermont, they will discover more crime and secrets about her neighbors. The deeper she delves, the more complex the storyline. The endless dialogue does not help. Katie Tietjen’s protagonist seems to be a misfit wherever she goes. She is understandably melancholy over the loss of her husband and her sad past, but her judgment of others is often wrong and lends to her “alone-ness.” The closing chapters are loaded with twists and the rush to solution is not satisfying. This work is not for me.

The book started with a quick pace in the first 30 pages as compared to the last 100 pages. The events unraveled nicely.

New characters are introduced whom I think have significant parts in future books.

The overall story and mystery kept me on the edge of my seat

This book didn't work very well for me. I am fascinated by Frances Glessner Lee's forensic dollhouses and was excited to read a book inspired in by her work. This inspiration was mentioned in the first sentence of the promotional blurb and was my main reason for choosing the book. Unfortunately, neither the source of inspiration nor the dollhouses were prominent in Tietjen's writing.

The next problem was the way Murder in Miniature straddled sub-genres of the mystery: it tried to balance itself between a cozy and something a little more hard-boiled but managed only to lose its footing. I didn't read the first book in the series and don't know if that would have set my expectations more appropriately. In any case, I will not be reading the next installment and can't in fairness recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the eARC!

I'm glad I was given this eARC to read, because it forced me to read the first book to catch up with Maple's adventures. And I am truly enjoying them. Though this isn't a direct connection to Francis Glessner Lee and her Nutshell Studies (the historical inspiration for Maple), it does bring in the interesting forensic aspect to crime scene reconstruction. Though the real focus on that, in my opinion, is in the first book.

This is a classical second-book-in-a-series where we start to see more threads being brought into the weave, but many are left open for future novels. Maple, now consulting with the local police force, is investigating a murder by arson (or accident). To follow this, we follow her back to her hometown of South Boston where she not only gets to learn more about the Irish mob aspect of this case, but also more about what happened to her brother a handful of years earlier. There are many threads brought into this story and it can be a little meandering because of it.

The mystery itself is, in my opinion, not bad. I had guessed it from the beginning, but there was enough that left me going "Oh, well, maybe?" to keep me reading. Interesting new characters are introduced, some of which I feel we'll see again in future novels in the series. Overall, the book does what it's supposed to do - leaves me wanting to read the next.

Maple is a wonderful MFC. She doesn't like just sitting and watching TV without doing other things too, she doesn't pick up on social cues, she's blunt, she's brave, she doesn't like to lie. She is searching for her place in the world after loosing so much, and despite the time (post war) and her gender, she refuses to be relegated to a passive role. (Plus her would be LI has a dachshund, so bonus points for that.) She comes across as neurodiverse, I am unsure if that is intended but she's a good representation, she has friends, people she cares about and yet still is overstimulated by people, she has her interests and could spend a whole day on just that.

The supporting characters are good too, Kenny, the sheriff, the new doctor... all fun, all rounded, even those we only meet briefly. Highly is the cop we meet in Boston.

I do however feel a little cheated because based on the cover, the title and the summary, I expected this to be more about the 'nutshells' she makes and how they are used to solve the crime. I was nearly 3/4ths of the way through before she finished building them, then they used them in one chapter, they talk about them very briefly and then it just moves on. This is mostly a mob murder mystery book with the cosy mystery vibes thrown in at the start and end. I wanted her to spot more stuff, to wonder about the wall, to ask questions that only exploring the nutshell could provide.

But we spend most of the book in Boston instead, where there is a bank heist and the Irish mob. It's an entertaining mystery but not what I sat down expecting to read.

The conclusion was okay, a little dramatic at first, and then once the red herrings were pushed out of the way, heart-breaking.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Katie Tietjen, and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always eager to try new authors and their books, I returned to this unique crime thriller series by Katie Tietjen. After being highly impressed by the series debut, I gladly accepted this ARC and found that it held up once more. Maple Bishop has made a name for herself as a miniature dollhouse builder, but also enjoys dabbling in the odd mystery. When a young firefighter dies when his house goes up in flames, Maple and the sheriff's deputy begin looking into things. This leads them to Maple's old stomping grounds in Boston, where much more is revealed, including a connection to a life the victim likely wanted shelved. As Maple forges on, she discovers just how dangerous sleuthing work can be. Katie Tietjen delivers a great piece that has all the elements for a successful series.

Maple Bishop enjoys the distraction of her work as a dollhouse building, able to construct things in miniature and bring happiness to all her clients. However, she also enjoys being a consultant for the local sheriff in her small Vermont community. Maple masks the loss of her husband, but his death still forces her to spiral on occasion. After the discovery of a new firefighter’s body has the police asking questions, Maple tags along with the sheriff's deputy, Kenny, to investigate. The victim appears to have died in a fire within his own abode, making things all the more troubling. However, with the use of miniature replicas of the crime scene, Maple hopes to shed some light on what might have happened.

After Maple learns that there is more to the story than a simple fire that got out of control, she and Kenny head to Boston for some answers. Maple has not been back since her married days and things are vastly different. Early investigations reveal secrets the victim likely wanted kept hidden and a connection to a criminal past that could explain some of what happened to him. Maple pushes a little too hard to get answers and finds herself in the crosshairs of some dangerous folks. This is offset with a personal revelation as well, creating more spiraling than anyone could have imagined.

Racing to get answers and stay one step ahead of those who would do them harm, Maple seeks to explain the death, no longer presumed to have occurred during an arson, and put things to rest, while also staying out of trouble. This is one case that is sure to keep her up at night, burning the midnight oil, as long as she is not scorched in the process. Katie Tietjen presents a great story and uses wonderful action to build up the tension from the opening pages.

I find much entertainment within the crime thriller genre, particularly when authors can approach things in a unique manner. Katie Tietjen does this effortlessly and provides the reader with a strong story. The narrative sets the tone in the opening pages and keeps the reader guessing when things progress at break-neck speed. The mysteries layer themselves on top of one another and provide the reader something exciting on which to focus, while learning a great deal. Characters emerge and deliver their own flavouring to the larger reading experience, keeping the reader wondering. Much can be said of Maple Bishop, whose backstory and personal development work in tandem. Plot points keep things fresh and the reader is left with a few surprises to tide them over until the final reveal. I am eager to see where things are headed and what Katie Tietjen has in store next in this collection.

This is the second in Ms. Tietjen’s series of Maple Bishop and I will be so excited for the next book full of adventures. This is a perfect sequel to her perfect first one. These books have it all, humor, love, adventure, murder, mystery and best of all no foul language or unwarranted sexual encounters. Good clean fun reads. I love em!!!
Once again Maple is on the trail and capable of recreating her crime scenes in miniature. What a talent she has with her photographic memory. This one comes in with the highest of 5 stars and I’ll be the first to grab her next book with the Maple, the sheriff, Kenny and Ben.
This is my own opinion expressed in this review. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

Not as fun as the first book in this series. Maple is still her awesome, quirky, honest self so that was good. The mystery, a dead body in a cabin fire, wasn't that interesting. I just didn't care about the outcome. There's a trip to Boston and involvement with the mafia--didn't work for me. I also want to say, I have created ZERO dollhouses. But, I have upcycled a few and worked on smaller room box projects. There is no way Maple could be making this many dollhouses (more likely room boxes) as quickly as she does. The amount of time it takes for glue and paint to dry alone makes dollhouse construction and design a slow process. It's not believable. Nor is her taking her supplies with her to Boston to work on them in the rooming house. I'm happy to continue with this series because Maple is a great character, and I'm a sucker for anything to do with miniatures. Oh, and Cecelia and Eliza are the cutest couple ever. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

A entertaining and gripping historical cozy mystery that kept me hooked and guessing. I loved the original FMC, the solid mystery, the descriptions of the world of miniature and dollhouses.
Entertaining and delightful
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I think I would have rated this book a 4 if I knew this was book 2. I felt I needed more background information. I found the pacing slow at times but her recreating crime scenes was interesting. The ending was a good twist.

I judged this book by its cover because, well look at it! Unfortunately this was the most boring story I've read in a long time, with the most click bait title, since miniature hardly plays a roll.

When a body is found in a burnt cabin it's up to Maple, Kenny and the local sheriff to solve the mystery. All calm and composed, no excitement, no depth.
2 Stars for good writing and true to life dialogue that got me to the finish.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

Second in a new series set right after the war, Maple Bishop is still settling into her new hometown. She’s now made a friend of the chief who asks her to come along on a murder investigation because he values her insight. Still creating miniature murder scenes, she’s able to help with the case as well as travel to, Paton to find answers about her brothers death. An interesting character and mystery enchanted by her method of forensics.

This is a historical cosy mystery. I found it just okay. I didn't really engage with the characters this may be because I have not read the first book in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow at first, but I got hooked! There were so many twists that I never expected to come! The idea of building miniatures to solve crimes is just, chef's kiss! I do think that a few of the characters in this book were just fluffer. However, each and every one of them were so fun, with all of their different personalities.

The ending, I would have never seen coming! It was so crazy how one thing lead to another!

I would absolutely reccomend this book, and share this with my friends!

Murder in Miniature is a lovely second intallment in Katie Tietjen's Maple Bishop series -- I'd definitely recommend it to fans of cozy historical mystery authors like Rhys Bowen and Anna Lee Huber. I hope this series will be equally long-running, and I look forward to future installments.

This book stands strong even if you haven’t read the first in the series. Maple Bishop is a fascinating character, and her ties to real-life forensic science pioneer Frances Glessner Lee add depth. Fans of atmospheric mysteries will definitely enjoy this one!

This was a fun read with several fun and interesting twists. I will definitely read more from this author. It wasn't complex so it was an easy and light-hearted read.