Suede to Rest

What a wonderful start to a new series. Polyester Monroe has inherited the fabric store where she was born…on a bed of polyester. While trying to decide whether or not to sell the property, she discovers a dead body nearby. The characters are delightful and the storytelling is superb. This may easily become my favorite! Highly recommended! I enjoyed this book and hope there are many more in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

Terrific start to another series by talented author Diane Vallere. Who wouldn’t be drawn to a character named Polyester because she was born on it in a shop she’s just inherited? Poly Monroe is an interesting woman and after you meet her I’m sure you’ll want to get to know her better. Poly is living her life in Los Angeles. A successful dress designer who hasn’t been back to her family’s fabric shop in years since her aunt was murdered and her uncle shut everyone out. When he dies she learns she has inherited the store. Her plan is to drive down to San Ladrón, sign a few papers so she can sell it, and then head home. But, you know, plans don’t always work out as we expect. She never expected the pull she feels upon entering the store. She certainly didn’t expect the pressure from high school friend Ken who is going to handle the transaction for her. She didn’t even realize a developer owned every store on the street except hers and that he was determined to buy it – whatever it takes. And she absolutely didn’t expect her boyfriend in LA to suddenly go behind her back and try to make a deal “because we could make a lot of money!” We??? Poly realizes she has some thinking to do, but before she can even start her car is vandalized and she must spend the night in the store. When she’s taking out trash she sees a man lurking near the dumpster. In the morning she finds a body outside the store and suddenly what was just curious becomes suspect, and she is determined to stick around until she finds out why she’s getting the hard sell from everyone and who is trying to scare her away. Vallere provides a good, solid mystery with intriguing characters and twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Family secrets surface, people don’t behave as expected, and Poly stands her ground. I listened to an audiobook of Suede to Rest and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend it without hesitation and can’t wait to take the next step with Poly on her new adventure. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

As a huge fan of Ms. Vallere's work, I was very excited to find a new-to-me series with characters I had not yet met! As with every character Ms. Vallere creates, the protagonist of this book, Poly Monroe, is marvelously quirky character who rapidly became a new friend. The other characters are very believable and make me want to know them even more, the story is well-crafted and compelling, and the kittens are adorable. The whodunit is solved surprisingly and very satisfactorily, but I want to read the next book immediately to see what this new chapter in Poly's life will contain. I have read the book and listened to the audiobook. If I had imagined the voice of Poly, it would be this narrator. Very well done. I highly recommend this book!

This is the first book in a cozy mystery series called material witness mystery featuring Polyester Monroe.Poly inherits the fabric shop where she is born. It is set in a small fictional town in California. If you like romance with mystery along with humor, then you will like this book right here. Recommend and ready to read book two. Crushed Velvet.