Vintage Toy Shop Mystery Series
Liz McCall grew up in a playful winter wonderland but it was never her dream to manage her father’s vintage toyshop. However, after he sank his entire police pension into the business, someone needed to help him turn his dreams into reality—and keep him from sneaking off to patrol the not-so-mean streets of East Aurora, NY.
The mood goes from nice to naughty when a nervous man, who was trying to have his antique toys appraised, is found in the shop with a lawn dart through his chest. Suddenly, Liz’s business plan is plunged into deep freeze, while she and her father find themselves toying with a cold-blooded killer who’s playing for keeps.
The mood goes from nice to naughty when a nervous man, who was trying to have his antique toys appraised, is found in the shop with a lawn dart through his chest. Suddenly, Liz’s business plan is plunged into deep freeze, while she and her father find themselves toying with a cold-blooded killer who’s playing for keeps.
Liz McCall has come to love running her father’s vintage toyshop back home in East Aurora, NY, so when the Train and Toy Show comes to town, she’s all aboard for a fun toy-filled weekend. The only hitch is that her childhood bully Craig McFadden, now local business rival, has set up a booth next to hers. But the fun and games are over when Craig falls from the ceiling in a publicity stunt gone wrong.
What was initially thought to be a fatal accident proves much more sinister. Pulled into the case by her feelings for both Ken, the police chief, and Jack, her high school sweetheart whose brother is one the prime suspects, Liz dives headfirst into the investigation. But as she digs deeper, she’s shocked to learn her father may have been the intended target.
The trouble train is barreling down and Liz may have just bought herself a first class ticket in Murder on the Toy Town Express, Barbara Early’s delightful second installment in her Vintage Toyshop mysteries.
What was initially thought to be a fatal accident proves much more sinister. Pulled into the case by her feelings for both Ken, the police chief, and Jack, her high school sweetheart whose brother is one the prime suspects, Liz dives headfirst into the investigation. But as she digs deeper, she’s shocked to learn her father may have been the intended target.
The trouble train is barreling down and Liz may have just bought herself a first class ticket in Murder on the Toy Town Express, Barbara Early’s delightful second installment in her Vintage Toyshop mysteries.
Who knew? Liz McCall is not thrilled when her boyfriend Police Chief Ken Young introduces her to his estranged wife Marya. The model-quality Russian immigrant, back in East Aurora to rekindle their romance, will be working as a hairstylist at the barber shop next door to Well Played, the toyshop Liz manages for her dad. When Marya offers to help with the shop’s doll rehab project, Liz can’t help but offer up only a weak smile, but her secret hesitations are for naught when Marya’s body is discovered in the barber shop with a hair dryer cord wrapped around her neck.
Liz’s dad, retired from the police force, is asked to investigate since Ken is the prime suspect.The whole town is abuzz with the scandal and Liz has a few questions of her own, wanting nothing more than to forget the loud argument she overheard between Marya and Ken the night before. There could have been other motives...Was Marya going to cut into a competing hairstylist business? Who is the bumbling private investigator hanging around and why won’t he explain himself?
All eyes are on Liz, including those of an odd matryoshka doll in the shop which seems to move of its own accord, to unravel this entertaining riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is Death of a Russian Doll, the third jolly Vintage Toy Shop mystery from Barbara Early.
Liz’s dad, retired from the police force, is asked to investigate since Ken is the prime suspect.The whole town is abuzz with the scandal and Liz has a few questions of her own, wanting nothing more than to forget the loud argument she overheard between Marya and Ken the night before. There could have been other motives...Was Marya going to cut into a competing hairstylist business? Who is the bumbling private investigator hanging around and why won’t he explain himself?
All eyes are on Liz, including those of an odd matryoshka doll in the shop which seems to move of its own accord, to unravel this entertaining riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is Death of a Russian Doll, the third jolly Vintage Toy Shop mystery from Barbara Early.
What people are saying about the Vintage Toyshop Mysteries:
Praise for Death of a Toy Soldier:
“This well-turned mystery…is filled with interesting characters, old-fashioned lore, and a million puns.”
--Kirkus Reviews
“Details about the antique and vintage toy business frame this cozy mystery, which is narrated by the charming Liz and offers a satisfying portrait of a close father-daughter relationship.”
--Booklist
“This holiday-themed tale gets Early’s fresh cozy series off to a lively start.”
--Library Journal, Killer Holidays Feature
“A mystery lover’s delight and a solidly entertaining read from cover to cover.”
--Midwest Book Review
“The characters are captivating, the plot is well-constructed, the mix of crime and laughter is balanced. Cozy mystery fans have been presented with a charming gift for themselves and their mystery-reading friends this Christmas season. Don’t miss it!”
--Noir Journal
“Liz McCall, the resourceful amateur sleuth at the heart of Death of a Toy Soldier, finds herself playing a deadly game of whodunit after a murder in her family’s vintage toy shop. This first-in-series from Barbara Early is an engaging romp sprinkled with humor, warmth, and romance. An absolutely delightful cozy mystery!”
—Julie Hyzy, New York Times bestselling author of the Manor House mysteries and the White House Chef mysteries
“I was hooked on page one of Death of a Toy Soldier, the first book in Barbara Early’s delightful new Vintage Toyshop Mystery series, and the fun and suspense didn’t let up until the very last sentence. The cozy hometown setting and a lovable cast of characters add to the story’s charm and the fascinating world of vintage toys offers a unique backdrop for a smart and savvy protagonist to solve a complex mystery that will keep readers guessing late into the night.”
—Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile mysteries
“A vintage toyshop set in a winter wonderland with friends we wish we had makes for a fun and heartfelt read beginning to end.”
—Duffy Brown, national bestselling author of the Consignment Shop mysteries
“What’s a gal to do when her retired police chief dad won’t stop playing cop? Well, help him, of course! Add to the mix a vintage toy shop, a cast of memorable characters, a murder and a séance…well, it’s hard to tell where the fun stops and the sleuthing begins. One thing’s for sure, you’ll be wanting to read more!”
—Erika Chase, aka Linda Wiken, national bestselling author of the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries
“This well-turned mystery…is filled with interesting characters, old-fashioned lore, and a million puns.”
--Kirkus Reviews
“Details about the antique and vintage toy business frame this cozy mystery, which is narrated by the charming Liz and offers a satisfying portrait of a close father-daughter relationship.”
--Booklist
“This holiday-themed tale gets Early’s fresh cozy series off to a lively start.”
--Library Journal, Killer Holidays Feature
“A mystery lover’s delight and a solidly entertaining read from cover to cover.”
--Midwest Book Review
“The characters are captivating, the plot is well-constructed, the mix of crime and laughter is balanced. Cozy mystery fans have been presented with a charming gift for themselves and their mystery-reading friends this Christmas season. Don’t miss it!”
--Noir Journal
“Liz McCall, the resourceful amateur sleuth at the heart of Death of a Toy Soldier, finds herself playing a deadly game of whodunit after a murder in her family’s vintage toy shop. This first-in-series from Barbara Early is an engaging romp sprinkled with humor, warmth, and romance. An absolutely delightful cozy mystery!”
—Julie Hyzy, New York Times bestselling author of the Manor House mysteries and the White House Chef mysteries
“I was hooked on page one of Death of a Toy Soldier, the first book in Barbara Early’s delightful new Vintage Toyshop Mystery series, and the fun and suspense didn’t let up until the very last sentence. The cozy hometown setting and a lovable cast of characters add to the story’s charm and the fascinating world of vintage toys offers a unique backdrop for a smart and savvy protagonist to solve a complex mystery that will keep readers guessing late into the night.”
—Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile mysteries
“A vintage toyshop set in a winter wonderland with friends we wish we had makes for a fun and heartfelt read beginning to end.”
—Duffy Brown, national bestselling author of the Consignment Shop mysteries
“What’s a gal to do when her retired police chief dad won’t stop playing cop? Well, help him, of course! Add to the mix a vintage toy shop, a cast of memorable characters, a murder and a séance…well, it’s hard to tell where the fun stops and the sleuthing begins. One thing’s for sure, you’ll be wanting to read more!”
—Erika Chase, aka Linda Wiken, national bestselling author of the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries
