Book Review: Stamped Out

Reviewed By: Caryn St. Clair

Stamped Out     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Terri Thayer
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Cozy   Woman Main Character   Amateur Sleuth
Series: Stamping Sisters Mysteries # 1
Berkley Prime Crime, Paperback, 263 pages, $6.99

Her marriage is in shambles, she's broke and her professional reputation is ruined, so April Buchart has come home to Aldenville, Pennsylvania to start over. Anyone who has ever tried to return to live where you grew up will have immediate empathy with April. From the very first page, the difficulties of being under mom's thumb, stuck between parents who have an uncomfortable relationship and dropping back into a community that knows more about your family than you do are painfully evident.

Her father, a contractor, has the job of restoring the Winchester mansion and has agreed to hire April to do the “stamping” on the walls. However, as one of the first phases of the project it completed-the guest house torn down, a body is discovered that may date back to when the guest house was built. And guess who was the contractor for that job? April's father. And then there's the odd string of deaths at the nursing home. Even though the patients are old, the police find it unusual that this many of the residents are dying. What, if anything, does April's friend Tammy know about the deaths?

While this is a “craft and hobby” type mystery, readers do not have to know or care anything about stamping to enjoy this well written mystery. Although April does work as a restoration expert redoing historical stamping patterns on walls and she gets involved with her friend Deana's stamping business, Stamped Out really is fairly light on the hobby. In fact, knowing very little about the craft, this reviewer would have liked more stamping of both kinds included.

This is much more of a mainstream cozy than a theme mystery with the emphasis on April's family, friends and life in a small town. I'm hoping this series goes on for a very long time.

Caryn St. Clair

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Caryn St. Clair

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