Anyone who has been to Manhattan in December will recognize the wonderful setting of Margaret Grace’s latest mystery. Fortunately, most of us won’t be involved in theft and murder investigations as Grace’s characters are in Manhattan in Miniature.
Gerry Porter’s son never even thought of those scenarios when the worrywart agreed to let his daughter, Maddie, go with her grandmother to a craft fair in New York City. Gerry’s friend, Bebe, manager of the Lincoln Point, California SuperKrafts, was attending her first show, promoting the miniatures that Gerry and Maddie love. Gerry has dreams of assisting her friend at the show and showing New York in all of its Christmas splendor to her eleven-year-old granddaughter. Unfortunately, another of Grace’s friends has something else in mind.
Cynthia Bishop is convinced her ninety-five-year-old aunt Elsie was murdered. And, she knows Gerry is the person to investigate and then convince the police. She’s been successful before. But, Gerry sees herself as “A simple retired English teacher and grandmother who was a miniatures enthusiast.” She’s the only one who thinks that, though. Maddie sees the two as a crime-fighting duo who can investigate crimes, whether it’s Elsie’s death or theft at the craft fair. And, even Gerry’s nephew, a police officer himself, is willing to give her tips.
Manhattan in Miniature is another charming mystery in this enjoyable series by Margaret Grace. The setting is inviting. The descriptions of the miniatures are always fun. But, the best part of this series is the relationship between Gerry and her granddaughter. Gerry and Maddie enjoy the time they spend together, sharing a love of miniatures, and a love of each other. In fact, Gerry’s relationships with her friends and family, her worries about them, and her attempts to keep everyone happy bring a special warmth and comfort to the books, despite the crimes that occur.
You can start with Manhattan in Miniature without having read previous books. However, I’m guessing if you like this one, you’ll want to go back and read the earlier adventures of Gerry and Maddie Porter, two wise amateur sleuths.
Margaret Grace (Camille Minichino) has a website at www.minichino.com
Manhattan in Miniature by Margaret Grace. Perseverance Press. 2015. ISBN 9781564745620 (paperback), 232p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of the book, hoping I would review it.
