**Review: *Murder in Miniature* by Katie Tietjen**

*Murder in Miniature* is a refreshingly unique mystery that proves sometimes the tiniest details can hide the darkest secrets. Katie Tietjen invites you into a world that’s as intricate as it is suspenseful, where every small clue could be the key to unraveling a chilling crime.

From the opening pages, the book hooks you with its clever premise—a murder mystery set in a miniature setting that’s so meticulously detailed, you feel like you’re peering into a perfectly crafted diorama. Tietjen’s writing is both engaging and atmospheric, blending moments of tension with surprising twists that keep you guessing at every turn.

What really makes this novel shine is its attention to detail. Every little piece of evidence is carefully woven into the narrative, challenging you to look closer and think deeper. The characters are layered and enigmatic, each with their own secrets, adding to the rich tapestry of suspense that defines this story.

If you’re into mysteries that demand your full attention and reward you with clever, unpredictable storytelling, *Murder in Miniature* is a must-read. Get ready to immerse yourself in a world where the smallest details hold the greatest secrets—and where nothing is as it seems.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity 💕**

A great follow-up to Death in the Details. I love everything about the Maple Bishop Mystery series - the characters, the setting, the amateur sleuthing, and the cozy descriptions. I recommend this book to all cozy mystery lovers, especially if you like a touch of historical fiction in your books.

Another great mystery in this series. I love the characters and the way it is based on true events. I can't wait for the next one!

Katie Tietjen hasn't written a bad book, but she hasn't written a very good book either, she has written a run of the mill book if anything.
A young man lies in a cabin, supposedly burned to death as he slept, a fairly gruesome beginning, with the added twist that his childhood friend is one of the firefighters first on the scene.
Enter the sheriff and his newly appointed nutshell creating assistant. A nutshell is a miniature recreation of the murder scene, produced, in this case, to learn how the fire was started and to glean clues from how the fire in miniature spreads.
The little dioramas have a basis in fact, a forensic scientist Frances Glassner Lee, produced amazingly detailed dollhouse sized crime scenes as training tools for detectives up until her death in 1962.
As a murder mystery, Murder in Miniature , has several twists and turns and the final denouement is relatively unexpected. There is a back story among the main characters which is obviously developing to be part of a series, but overall, the story feels a little flat with some extra side plots almost crowbarred into the main story.
The new Dr and his daughter are introduced but left sketched in as characters, presumably to be fleshed out in a later title.
As a cosy type crime novel, Murder in Miniature does a competent job, but I won't be rushing off to read another in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an earc copy of this title.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book 🫶🏼

this was a good and entertaining read! I expected a cozy mystery but found myself involved in a really disturbing history.

I liked the pace, the plots and the way it was written, but I did felt it was a little bit redundant sometimes.

I’d really like to know more about the cases of Maple!!!

I found myself enjoying this book even more than the first one! What I previously called adorable seems to now be really coming into its own in terms of plot, characters, and writing.

Starting out there is recap of the first book laid out slowly, not just regurgitated on the first page or two, which I always appreciate. I think it shows the author’s ability to weave a story skillfully.

No spoilers, but more than one nutshell? Now you’re just multiplying my interest. Such realistic procedural thinking for testing theories.

I did love that the investigation takes Maple back to South Boston, which seemed to figure so prominently in her life according to the first book. It gives us some more insight into to Maple, and only helped expand her character. I think this storyline was a good choice on the part of the author, both to explore her brother’s death, and to investigate to latest crime.

The progression of the partnership between Maple and Kenny was engaging and humorous. Kenny sounds more intelligent and less “golly gee” in this book, which struck a good balance. Maybe he’s just becoming more confident in his role as a police officer, but I loved the change.

There are more threads to this crime which I found to be fun. Overall this had more going for it than Death in the Details.

Maple Bishop is a dollhouse maker and a consultant to the local sheriff's office. Her eye for detail, photographic memory, and ability to identify red flags in crime scenes, makes her a valuable part of the team. When Deputy Kenny's childhood friend is killed in a fire, officials seek to determine if the fire was deliberately set. Maple builds realistic, to-scale models of the cabin that burned in order to test various accelerants and methods of starting a fire. While following clues to Boston, Maple, with Kenny's help, also tries to learn exactly what happened when her brother died in police custody a few years earlier. Maple and Kenny find answers, but also more trouble, than they bargained for.

The character of Maple Bishop is based on a real-life forensic investigator, Frances Glessner Lee. These "Miniature" books are set in the 1940s when forensic investigation was a new field. The plot moves along steadily and suspensefully, but not so much as to keep the reader awake at night. A solid, clean mystery.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book follows main character Maple—a widower, maker of doll houses, lawyer, and consultant for the local police force.

Maple crafts miniature replicas of crime scenes to aid in solving mysteries in her Vermont mountain town. Maple is a no-nonsense, curious sort of person. She loves a good mystery, her cat, and her doll houses.

When a local firefighter dies in a mysterious house fire, Maple becomes entangled with the Irish mob in pursuit of answers. She also seeks to uncover mysteries in her personal life.

This is a clean mystery with no romance subplots. If you loved Nancy Drew as a child, this might be the series for you!

"When the sheriff needed her keen eyes and photographic memory, he'd call on her"

First, a thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Crooked Lane Books for approving the e-ARC for my honest opinion.

I think what captured my interest from the beginning was that this book is based on a real female investigator. And not just anyone, but Frances Glessner Lee who was influential in developing the science of forensics in the mid 19s.

This is book 2 in the Maple Bishop series, and although you do not need to read book 1 to understand this one, I found myself reading it because I was very intrigued.

Ms Maple is a widower living in the small town of Elderberry. In book 1, she helped the sheriff solve a murder by re-creating the scene of the crime using "a nutshell" - basically like a doll house.
In book 2, she has a business of making doll houses.
The sheriff needs her help again when a beloved firefighter dies in a house fire. This being suspicious, Maple would use four "nutshell" replicas to study how the fire happened and whether it was an accident or an act of arson.

She is reunited with Kenny, a previous character from book 1 and friend of the deceased, and together they set out to solve the murder where their path will take them into a bigger case.

What I liked mostly

The book started with a quick pace in the first 30 pages and then in the last 100 pages. The events unraveled nicely and without any plotholes.

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

Also, although some twists felt predictable, the overall story and mystery kept me on the edge of my seat

What felt short for me was the middle of the book. I felt it stretched and some parts were unnecessary tending towards being boring somehow.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and loved reading 2 books about a real life female hero

Murder in Miniature is the second in the Maple Bishop mysteries series. A true cozy mystery, Maple is a woman rebuilding her life after the death of her husband in WWII. Although trained as a lawyer, Maple's life took an interesting turn after solving her first murder in Death in the Details. Maple is now settling into her life in a small town in Vermont, putting Boston behind her....or so she thought.
With her new job as a consultant for the sheriff's office, Maple is asked to help investigate the death of a childhood friend of her new friend and deputy, Kenny. When the arson of his friend's cabin begins to look more and more suspicious, Maple uses her special skills to create "nutshells' to help solve the case.
Based on Frances Glessner Lee, Maple is a complex, strong woman who uses her intellect and skills to excel at analyzing and visualizing solutions. Tietjen actually pulls in two of Lee's own nutshells in this entertaining second novel.

Maple loves her dollhouse business. Making things in miniature with Kenny’s fathers help on the building end.

Maple is also enjoying her side hustle. Murder. Not in committing, but solving. And she definitely has a gift for that!

This time one of Kenny’s friends and a new firefighter has been found dead from fire in his cabin. His friends are gutted and Maple is coming in to assist.

The fire wasn’t accidental and Maple gets busy recreating the entire cabin in miniature a few times, using different accelerants each time until she finds the one.

And the end was a shocker!

I adore this series! Maple is such a good character and who doesn’t love doll houses?

NetGalley/ Crooked Lane Books September 23, 2025

Murder in Miniature (Maple Bishop Mystery #2) by Katie Tietjen

Rating: ★★★★☆

This was my first Katie Tietjen read, and it certainly won't be my last! Despite being the second instalment in the Maple Bishop Mystery series, Murder in Miniature stands firmly on its own, offering enough background to comfortably introduce readers to the charmingly crafted cast of characters. Maple Bishop, a talented dollhouse creator turned crime scene consultant, instantly drew me in with her keen eye for detail and quietly resilient nature. Joined by Sheriff’s Deputy Kenny, Fire Chief Orson, steadfast Sheriff Scott, and the heartwarming widower Ben with his adorable dachshund Frank, the ensemble brings warmth and depth to this intriguing historical mystery.

Set in 1947, the novel cleverly weaves historical detail with a plot inspired by Frances Glessner Lee’s pioneering forensic miniatures. The concept of using dollhouse replicas to unravel crime scenes is both fascinating and effectively executed, giving the investigation a unique edge. When Maple is tasked with determining whether a deadly cabin fire was an accident or arson, she recreates the scene in meticulous miniature, unearthing hidden secrets and painful ties to her own past.

Tietjen skilfully balances suspense with emotional depth, particularly in Maple’s ongoing struggle with the grief of losing her husband. This personal dimension adds a compelling layer to the plot, enriching the mystery as Maple confronts unresolved issues from her former Boston neighbourhood.

Full of twists, atmosphere, and historical charm, Murder in Miniature captivated me from start to finish. I eagerly look forward to revisiting Maple Bishop’s world—and perhaps catching up on the first book too!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

#MurderInMiniature #MapleBishopMystery #KatieTietjen #HistoricalMystery #MysteryReads #BookReview #NetGalley #eARC #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #HistoricalFiction #CrimeFiction

I had read about Frances Glessner Lee, who created miniature replicas of actual crime scenes which are used to train forensics and investigators. Her attention to detail in creating these miniatures is impressive. When I came across this book which is inspired by this miniature artist, I just had to read it.

Maple Bishop is the heroine of this book who has uncanny memory of people and situations and can create exact, miniature replicas. Her artistic skills and analytical skills are put to good use as she works as a consultant for the local police force. When one of the aspiring firefighters is found dead in his cabin (ironically due to a fire), Maple is called into study the scene. She smells something fishy and starts helping the local police force with the investigation.

This is a mystery book and one doesn’t expect strong, memorable characters, but the author takes time to establish strong characters. Maple comes across as a strong, independent, woman who can take care of herself and others. She is grieving her husband’s death and that is always present as an undercurrent throughout the book. Not just the protagonist, but even the supporting characters are so beautifully portrayed – even the motel owner who hardly appears in a few pages. I fell in love with the character and the writing.

The book is fast paced, revealing new twists and turns as the plot thickens. The book was so engaging that I would look forward to my bed time just to read the book. This is the second book in the “Maple Bishop Series” – which is great news to me. I will get to read more Maple books in the future.

Wow another great book 📖. The details and descriptions given in the writing is amazing. You get to know each character, even if they were talked about in the 1st book there’s more details given to get to know the characters deeper. The story was so intriguing and I love the MC! She is so attuned to those around her. Love the little hints and nodes throughout the book. Once again another 5 ⭐️ book from this author.


Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen was an adventure in retrospect, going back to the era around the second World War. A lawyer who had the misfortune of being female in those days could not get work in rural Vermont as a lawyer. Her name is Maple Bishop, and she creates dollhouses, or in this instance, miniature houses to sell as a business since her husband recently passed away. She also finds herself making them for the local sheriff to assist in solving crimes. She recreates scenes where someone died or was murdered, to help figure out what happened.

In Murder in Miniature, a friend of a deputy sheriff was found dead in his bed by a firefighter who was supposed to pick him up to go to work. He found the house on fire and put it out with a hose but was too late to save his friend. Maple uses several versions of the cabin to try to determine how it happened,

This is the third book in a series but the first that I have read. I found it more interesting after I discovered it was based on a woman (Frances Lee Gessner) who in real life did the same. If you enjoy mysteries, especially murder mysteries, you will enjoy this book.

I reeeeeally wanted to receive this book and I was overjoyed when I saw my approval! Thank you so much for this ARC! I loooved this book! I read the first one and fell in love with the writing style. Very Agatha Christie. You can definitely read this as a stand alone and not feel like you’re missing anything. 10/10 recommend.

I am fascinated by Frances Glessner Lee and the concept of a book series loosely based on her murder rooms drew me in immediately. I somehow missed the introduction of the series, but when I saw this one I requested the first from my local library and dug in. Frankly, I found it very slow-going. It was definitely more historical fiction than murder mystery, and I had a tough time connecting to the characters. I wanted to empathize with and like Maple so much more than I did - she just never felt compelling as a character, and definitely did not have the sassy spark that the biographies of Lee have attributed to her. I also didn't find there to be anywhere near as much of a focus on the dollhouses/miniatures as I was hoping for. It truly felt like a snapshot of a place and time more than a Glessner Lee-inspired murder mystery.

Still, I thought I'd give the second book a try just in case it took a while for the author to find her way with the characters. Sometimes the scene needs to be set for things to pick up, after all. Unfortunately, I found this second book to feel nearly identical in tone to the first. For those who enjoyed that first book (and the reviews indicate there are many), this will be welcome news - for me, not so much. I think this series just isn't for me. It's entirely possible that is simply a matter of my expectations not matching the books' realities, but regardless, I was not engaged and wasn't able to finish.

Murder in Miniatrue is book 2 in the Maple Bishop series. This book picks up a couple months after book one. Maple has a thriving dollhouse business now and has been recognized as a consultant for the local sheriff. She's called out to help the sheriff when there is a fire at a home where a body is found. Although initially suspected as being an accident, the sheriff asks Maple to take a good look to document everything she sees.

This particular case ends up having Maple using techniques where she makes four sets of the same bedroom scene so they can test arson theories. additionally the course of events takes her back to Boston where she's able to get some closure on her brother's case and learn something that knocks her speechless in the process.

Like the first one, this is a clean novel of mystery. There is a brief hint towards a pair of ladies not being "just" friends, but that's all there is. A vague inference, nothing more.

4 Stars. I will definitely keep on with this series. It's clever.

*Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for an ARC of this novel. All opinions are 100% my own.

Following Maple Bishop who makes dollhouse of murder scenes, this twisted tale of arson, the effects of coming home after war,a touch of Irish mob and of course murder will have you on the edge of your seats!! This is the second book to death in details. I did not read the first one however you don’t really need to because this has its own plot. Maple’s life is at risk here and she persevered as any strong woman who has been through so much trauma should!!! I give this book four stars!! I wil be recommending as well🖤

This is book 2 in a series that began with Death in the Details which introduced Maple Bishop. She has a law degree and passed the bar but in the 1950's, in her area of Vermont, she can't get anyone to hire her as a lawyer. Instead, she has made a business making very intricate and detailed doll houses. This character is based off of Frances lee Gessner who pioneered many areas of forensics in law enforcement and trained others by using miniature crime scenes. Historical mystery fiction is a favorite genre of mine and it is hard to find good series. I am excited to go forward with this series. The writing is very good and the mystery was engrossing. I did not read the first book in the series. I am not sure I will, after having read book 2, because there are enough clues that I have a bit of an idea of how it turns out. I am not ruling it out.. I am sure there are surprises to be found in reading it, even so.
Maple Bishop has a photographic memory and can remember detail. A fire was reported and a man, who was a firefighter, was found dead in the ruins. The sheriff calls Maple in to consult on the case. Maple is an interesting character. She seems to struggle with some social cues and handling certain social circumstances. If you like engrossing historical mystery, give this one a try. I would give this 4.5 stars.