Grave Apparel

by: Ellen Byerrum

Published by: Signet

Reviewed by Sharron Stockhausen

The staff at the Eye Street Observer newspaper had a name for the fiasco that arose when an anonymous editorial (eventually discovered as written by staffer Cassandra Wentworth) disparages the seasonal sweaters worn as fashion statements. They call it Sweatergate.

Food editor Felicity Pickles champions the wearing of the artistic fare and proudly flaunts her seasonal collection of wearable “art.” The editorial against her wardrobe choices causes her to stop bringing in her culinary creations to share with her colleagues at the office, and the boss notices.

He calls on fashion editor Lacey Smithsonian, who has a history of dabbling in mysteries, to repair the damage. Smithsonian’s cell phone rings and the voice tells her to come outside where she discovers Wentworth on the street, whacked on the head with a huge candy cane, but living, and dressed in the most garish of holiday sweaters. That sets Smithsonian off and running on a quest to discover who did the terrible deed.

If you can get past the contrived character names and skip over the trite romance that adds little to the plot, you’ll discover a truly intriguing mystery. Typical of the book’s setting of Washington, D.C., you’ll find politicians, lawyers, those driven by the latest cause, and even the homeless in the mix of characters. Add the other details of the clothes stolen from the figures in a creche scene outside a locked church, a party where business casual along with Santa hats are mandated, and a filthy apartment that housed the injured editor and her cause-obsessed friends, and the mix makes for an enjoyable quick read.

Be prepared to discover you didn’t have a clue about the real mystery in this book until you almost reach the end—the way a fun mystery should be.

Armchair Interviews says: Grab your favorite seasonal sweater and be prepared for a great read.

Author’s Web site: http://www.EllenByerrum.com