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    Death of a Mad Hatter
    Death of a Mad Hatter
    Death of a Mad Hatter
    Audiobook7 hours

    Death of a Mad Hatter

    Written by Jenn McKinlay

    Narrated by Karyn O'Bryant

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Scarlett Parker and her British cousin, Vivian Tremont, are hard at work at Mim's Whims-their ladies' hat shop on London's chic Portobello Road-to create hats for an Alice in Wonderland-themed afternoon tea, a fund-raiser for a local children's hospital. It seems like a wonderfully whimsical way to pass the hat, and Scarlett and Viv are delighted to outfit the Grisby family, the hosts who are hoping to raise enough money to name a new hospital wing after their patriarch.

    Unfortunately, the Grisby heir will not live to see it-he's been poisoned. When traces of the poison are found on the hat that Scarlett and Viv made for him, the police become curiouser and curiouser about their involvement. Now the ladies need to don their thinking caps and find the tea party crasher who's mad enough to kill at the drop of a hat.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJan 13, 2015
    ISBN9781494578626
    Death of a Mad Hatter
    Author

    Jenn McKinlay

    Jenn McKinlay is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series, including the Good Buy Girls series and the Decoupage Mystery series, which she wrote under the pseudonyms Josie Belle and Lucy Lawrence. A former librarian, she studied English literature and library science at Southern Connecticut State University before moving to Arizona, where she lives in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars. For more information, visit her at www.jennmckinlay.com.

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    Reviews for Death of a Mad Hatter

    4/5

    78 ratings11 reviews

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    • 3/5
      London hatmakers Scarlett Parker and her cousin Vivian Tremont agree to outfit the Grigsby family with Alice-in-Wonderland-themed hats for a fundraiser. When the patriarch winds up dead – poisoned -- at the afternoon tea, suspicion falls first on the cousins and then one of their clients. Scarlett and Viv are having none of that, so they investigate, much to the chagrin of the detective on the case AND the cousins’ business manager Harrison (aka Harry). Death of a Mad Hatter is standard cozy fare of the crank-it-out variety, a C+/B- at best, but still diverting and lighthearted with good characters – an easy read. Not as good as the series’ first book, Cloche and Dagger.
    • 5/5
      Very enjoyable!! Jenn McKinlay is an awesome writer and I highly recommend any of her books.
    • 4/5
      I read “At the Drop of a Hat” as a stand-alone title not being aware it was already the 3rd novel in A Hat Shop Mystery Series. Then I started at the beginning and read “Cloche and Dagger” followed by “Death of a Mad Hatter.” This series reminds me of the feelings elicited when I started reading The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton. It was pins and needles until each new title was available, then it was snuggling between the covers for reading treasure and pleasure, and reading the last page of the mystery wondering how the author would ever meet your anticipation to delight you again and again. Then finally the next title by Sue Grafton was available and it was beyond all expectations. Pure reading heaven from attention capturing title to the last word. This is the cozy mystery reading heaven by Jenn McKinlay. It was delightful to have three (3) titles available by Jenn McKinlay so quickly and now the wait for “Copy Cap Murder” in 2016. I know it will be well worth the wait.This series is of special joy to recommend as I can't imagine a more refreshing way to enrapture fans around the globe with the charismatic lead characters, engaging supporting characters that are so memorable and bring friendships overflowing with love and laughter, and always a new murder mystery intrigue to be pursued! Cousins Scarlett Parker and Vivian (Viv) Tremont are as different as night and day and yet they are the dearest of friends as well as owners of their late grandmother’s millinery shop, Mim’s Whims. The novel is entertaining, generously peppered with British charm in the dialogue, and especially endearing during tea times and shared meals with friends.This novel will be of particular delight to all fans around the world of “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There” by Lewis Carroll. It is so meaningful that Jenn McKinlay selected not only a literary classic but is true to the British roots of the series in her selection in adding this particular element and in such an enchanting way.And for those that enjoy some romance sprinkled among the characters, there will be continued smiles as readers learn if Scarlett (a.k.a. Ginger) will keep her decision not to date for a year especially with Harrison (a.k.a. Harry) always popping up and whispering in her ear. I don’t add spoilers to reviews so quickly open the novel and enjoy!There are so many cozy mystery series to choose from but without a doubt, A Hat Shop Mystery Series is at the top of my list!
    • 3/5
      I liked this one. I began this series because I've enjoyed the Library Lovers series by the same author. I do think that's the better of the two (perhaps not quite fair an assessment though, as this one hasn't got as far yet), still, I think this one is worth the read. I felt there was a bit more to the mystery in this one in comparison with the last and I will definitely read the next entry in the series. Definitely recommended if you're looking for a cozy mystery to add to your weekend.
    • 4/5
      I read “At the Drop of a Hat” as a stand-alone title not being aware it was already the 3rd novel in A Hat Shop Mystery Series. Then I started at the beginning and read “Cloche and Dagger” followed by “Death of a Mad Hatter.” This series reminds me of the feelings elicited when I started reading The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton. It was pins and needles until each new title was available, then it was snuggling between the covers for reading treasure and pleasure, and reading the last page of the mystery wondering how the author would ever meet your anticipation to delight you again and again. Then finally the next title by Sue Grafton was available and it was beyond all expectations. Pure reading heaven from attention capturing title to the last word. This is the cozy mystery reading heaven by Jenn McKinlay. It was delightful to have three (3) titles available by Jenn McKinlay so quickly and now the wait for “Copy Cap Murder” in 2016. I know it will be well worth the wait.This series is of special joy to recommend as I can't imagine a more refreshing way to enrapture fans around the globe with the charismatic lead characters, engaging supporting characters that are so memorable and bring friendships overflowing with love and laughter, and always a new murder mystery intrigue to be pursued! Cousins Scarlett Parker and Vivian (Viv) Tremont are as different as night and day and yet they are the dearest of friends as well as owners of their late grandmother’s millinery shop, Mim’s Whims. The novel is entertaining, generously peppered with British charm in the dialogue, and especially endearing during tea times and shared meals with friends.This novel will be of particular delight to all fans around the world of “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There” by Lewis Carroll. It is so meaningful that Jenn McKinlay selected not only a literary classic but is true to the British roots of the series in her selection in adding this particular element and in such an enchanting way.And for those that enjoy some romance sprinkled among the characters, there will be continued smiles as readers learn if Scarlett (a.k.a. Ginger) will keep her decision not to date for a year especially with Harrison (a.k.a. Harry) always popping up and whispering in her ear. I don’t add spoilers to reviews so quickly open the novel and enjoy!There are so many cozy mystery series to choose from but without a doubt, A Hat Shop Mystery Series is at the top of my list!
    • 4/5
      Another Jenn McKinlay series, the newest of the three she currently publishes under that name, Death of a Mad Hatter was a light, entertaining read. It's only the second book of the Hat Shop Series, so the author hasn't had a chance yet to screw with the characters. I've enjoyed these first two books but I'm viewing them as a honeymoon period - at some point the honeymoon will end and a love triangle will be introduced and characters will be screwed with. Until then, I'm cherishing the time I have with likeable characters, a great setting, and a good murder mystery. I gave 5 stars to the first book Cloche and Dagger, and while this book was very good, it wasn't as good as the first. Scarlett is less likeable, more shallow. She's vowed to go one year without dating - a worthy goal. Unfortunately the reader has to put up with her going on ad nauseum about how she's not at all attracted to Harrison. It not only gets old, but makes her look like an idiot - Harrison is hot, kind, smart and successful. Why any hetero woman would deny being attracted to that package is beyond me. It is possible to say "yes, I'm insanely attracted; no, I'm not going to date you". Her constant desire to run away every time Harrison is around and the fact that she does run away - or sneak away more accurately - also paints her in a childish light. I mean come on, your an adult, act like one. It's only a minor irritant over the course of the story, and I suspect Scarlett will be beyond such nonsense in the next book, but it's what niggled at me as I read. My rating of this book was also dinged by the incredibly TSTL move Scarlett made at the end. Really, really dumb. The mystery itself was really very well done. I was completely suckered in. Never saw it coming. Reading this, one might take away only my criticisms but it really is a fun read. The things I mention are small, and they don't ruin the enjoyment of the story as a whole. If not for the absolutely fabulous first book, Cloche and Dagger, I probably wouldn't have even noticed most of it. I eagerly look forward to the third book.
    • 4/5
      Scarlett and Viv have been hired to create hats for an Alice In Wonderland themed tea fund raiser. The project would be great fun if not for the Grisby's, the crazy family that is running the fund raiser. The matriarch of the family is sweet but a bit daft. The new head of the family, is a bitter germaphobe and the rest of the family is just as nuts. But the Scarlett and VIv soldier on and are even invited to the gala tea. But things go awry when Scarlett discovers the body of the grouchy heirThis is the second book in the Hat Shop Mystery series. I really enjoyed this book. It has a definitely English flavor. I really like Scarlett and her friends. I am still on the fence with Viv but I think she is fun in her own way. The mystery here was good. I also like the romance that is growing between Scarlett and Harrison. I am a hat person so the descriptions of the hats is right up my street.
    • 5/5
      Scarlett Parker and her cousin Vivian Tremont face a daunting task when they agree to design hats with an Alice in Wonderland theme for a tea party. Not only do they have to design hats but they have to deal with the Grisby family who have more than their share of issues. Scarlett and Vivian can handle the Grisby family dynamics - that is until a Grisby family member is murdered and it looks like one of the hats they made for the tea party may be the weapon! Scarlett and Viv, over the objections of their good friend Harrison Wentworth, begin to investigate the murder but Harrison is right to be worried - the killer is not afraid to attack again! “Death of a Mad Hatter” is the nicely done second book Jenn McKinlay’s Hat Shop cozy mystery series. While some cozy mystery series take a few books to completely develop the characters and setting, in this book they are already fully developed. Although I am not a hat person (just the opposite!), I like the hat shop setting and love the descriptions of the various hats worn in the book. As a change of pace from her other books McKinlay sets the series in London. I love the descriptions of various locations in London - I especially like the descriptions of the teas which made me hungry while reading the book. The characters (Scarlett, Viv, Fee, Harrison, Andre, and Nick) already feel like old friends (although I do hope McKinlay doesn't drag out the attraction between Scarlett and Harrison through too many books). The mystery itself is well plotted with plenty of suspects (you won't soon forget the Grisby family) and a few twists and turns. Scarlett does come perilously close to becoming A Too Stupid to Live Character - this does lend some tense moments to the book but is not my favorite plot device. “Death of a Mad Hatter” is another good cozy mystery by Jenn McKinley.
    • 4/5
      Loved the return to London and the site of Mim's Whim's. Viv and Scarlett almost take second chair to the massive cast of the Grisby family and their troubles. Tasked to provide hats to the socially high family for a fundraiser, the Alice in Wonderland theme proves to be an easy one for the milliners. It's hard to feel bad when a fairly unlikable character is found deceased, but I appreciated the good follow-thru by Scarlett to help find the killer. As always McKinlay's secondary characters shine, and provide able assistance as necessary.
    • 3/5
      Jenn McKinlay can always be relied upon for a fast-paced, fun read that can make readers laugh, and Death of a Mad Hatter is no exception. The added bonus in this London-based series is that she gets to educate American readers just a bit in all things British. From British inheritance laws to British slang to those wildly improbable fascinators, it's obvious that the author is having fun flexing her muscles on the other side of the pond. Although two of her British characters do make minor slips-- in the UK the second floor is really the first floor, and mothers are called "Mummy" not "Mommy"-- these were probably done for the sake of clarity, and unless the reader is a rabid Anglophile (mea culpa), they won't even be noticed.In this second book in the series, McKinlay delves a bit more deeply into the personal relationships of her characters. Despite all her attempts to draw out her cousin on the subject of her private life, Scarlett can't learn a thing about the mysterious Vivian. We learn a bit more about Viv's assistant Fee, and Scarlett pays so much attention to dishy business manager Harrison's personal affairs that she starts acting like a fifteen-year-old instead of a woman in her late twenties. In fact, Scarlett's behavior detracted from the story to me. Yes, she's a free spirit with great people skills, and she knows how to stand up for herself, but Scarlett becomes a loose cannon when her hormones are involved. More than once while reading Death of a Mad Hatter, I wanted to tell Harrison to run away as fast and as far as he could.How was the mystery in this second book? I guessed one part of it fairly early, but the other part was a surprise by book's end, and I like that. McKinlay provides plenty of laughs, plenty of twists and turns, and quite a few romantic sparks. I just hope that Scarlett can maintain better control over herself in book number three.
    • 4/5
      DEATH OF A MAD HATTER was great fun to read. This time around, cousins Scarlett and Vivian are hired to design hats for a special charity event. The wealthy Grisby family is hosting an Alice in Wonderland afternoon tea to raise money for expansion on a local children's hospital. Each family member is wearing a fanciful hat inspired by characters from Alice in Wonderland. Guests are having a merry time until the Mad Hatter hat wearer ends up dead in the garden, and Scarlett and Viv are once again pulled into a murder investigation.I liked being back with the girls at Mim's Whims. Their hat shop sounds so charming, and I love its Notting Hill location. While Viv is the hat designer and maker, Scarlett prefers waiting on customers and ringing up sales. Scarlett is a gregarious and empathetic person, though she can be childish at times, especially when she's jealous! She's also a clever and determined amateur sleuth who won't stop until the culprit is exposed. Vivian, on the other hand, is still a bit of a mystery. Yeah, she's withholding something big about herself, and I hope that we get to know her better in the next book.DEATH OF A MAD HATTER was an enjoyable continuation of the Hat Shop Mystery series. Light, witty, and fun. The mystery was intriguing with lots of viable suspects. We get to learn more about the cousins' business manager Harrison and his involvement with the shop. Scarlett and Harrison continue to dance around the fact that they're mad for each other, which made for some funny and frustrating moments. I do wish they'd stop butting heads already!Source: Review copy from publisher