Review: Death of a Mad Hatter (London Hat Shop Mystery #2) by Jenn McKinlay

Death of a Mad Hatter (London Hat Shop Mystery #2) by Jenn McKinlay 

Expected publication: May 6th 2014 by Berkley (first published May 1st 2014)

Paperback, 304 pages

Series: London Hat Shop Mystery

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Source:  I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads

ONE IN A MILLINER

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 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…

Scarlett Parker and the ladies from Mim's Whims is back in another exciting installment. This time the ladies are hard at work to create hats for an Alice in Wonderland themed afternoon tea party that was also a fund-raised for the local children's hospital hosted by a very wealthy family. The girls are very excited about the whimsical project, until they meet the family members of the Grisby Family.

But when the Grisby heir is found dead at the party with traces of poison in his hat, the police keep their eyes on Scarlett and Viv wondering about their involvement.

Oh what a fun story. I really, really enjoyed this one. Scarlett Parker shines as a sleuth and brings forth a sassy personality. I loved Scarlett, I thought she was very charming as well as her friends working in Mim's Whims. She really made Death of a Mad Hatter shine, and I was already in love with the premise. I mean, an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party with Alice in Wonderland themed hats? How enchanting does that sound?

The book met all my expectations. From the whimsical storyline, to the wonderful characters that you just cannot help but adore, to a great mystery that had kept me guessing until the very last page. I think I changed my mind about a dozen times when it came to who the murderer really is. But I did enjoy following Scarlett around and discovering the little secrets for myself.

The biggest bonus for me in this as well as the blooming relationship between Scarlett and Harrison. I love their interactions and how jealous Scarlett got thinking there was something going on between him and her much younger co-worker. But Harrison did not fail to surprise me throughout the book and just like him, I enjoyed watching Scarlett stumble over her excuses around him. The romance was sweet, slowly and I am really rooting for the both of them in the future. Knowing that Scarlett is not ready to date due to her past relationship.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series to see what Jenn McKinlay has in store for us next!