Death by killer mop doll : an Anastasia Pollack crafting mystery

Overdue bills and constant mother vs. mother-in-law battles at home are bad enough. But crafts editor Anastasia Pollack's stress level is maxed out when she and her fellow American Woman editors get roped into unpaid gigs for a revamped morning TV show. Before the glue is dry on Anastasia's mop dolls, morning TV turns crime drama when the studio is trashed and the producer is murdered. Former co-hosts Vince and Monica- sleazy D-list celebrities- stand out among a lengthy lineup of suspects, all furious over the shows' new format. And Anastasia has no clue her snooping has landed her directly in the killer's unforgiving spotlight.--From back cover.

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Summary

Overdue bills and constant mother vs. mother-in-law battles at home are bad enough. But crafts editor Anastasia Pollack's stress level is maxed out when she and her fellow American Woman editors get roped into unpaid gigs for a revamped morning TV show. Before the glue is dry on Anastasia's mop dolls, morning TV turns crime drama when the studio is trashed and the producer is murdered. Former co-hosts Vince and Monica--sleazy D-list celebrities--stand out among a lengthy lineup of suspects, all furious over the show's new format. And Anastasia has no clue her snooping has landed her directly in the killer's unforgiving spotlight.

Also includes instructions for creating holiday-themed mop dolls!

Critical acclaim for Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series

"Oddball characters, uproariously funny situations, and a heroine with a strong sense of irony will delight fans of Janet Evanovich, Jess Lourey, and Kathleen Bacus."--Booklist, (starred review)

"Crafty cozies don't get any better than this hilarious confection. Anastasia is as deadpan droll as Tina Fey's Liz Lemon."--Publishers Weekly, (starred review)

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In Winston's droll second cozy featuring crafts magazine editor Anastasia Pollack (after 2011's Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun), Anastasia's high-maintenance mother, who's started dating Louis Beaumont, the producer of You Heard It Here First, persuades Anastasia, despite her initial opposition, to become a regular on the popular morning TV talk show, whose ratings are down. When someone sticks Lou with a knitting needle that pierces both one of Anastasia's mop dolls and Lou's heart, Anastasia once again turns sleuth. As Anastasia stumbles on more and more clues, she has to wonder whether her amateur detective skills are putting her in danger. The kooky characters, their laugh-out-loud banter, and the crazy plot may be more kitsch than crime caper, but readers who relish the offbeat will be rewarded. Agent: Denise Dumars at Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

An overworked, underpaid crafts editor at a women's magazine, Anastasia Pollock has no peace at home, either. Widowed and left in deep debt by her husband, she must manage a household including her sons, a boarder, her mother and her cat, her mother-in-law and her dog, and a Shakespeare-quoting parrot. Her mother is recently engaged to an executive of the magazine's corporate owner, jubilant that he is pursuing her idea for a new reality TV show involving the magazine's editors. More work, no more pay for Anatasia, whose assignment for the pilot is to build a program around making mop dolls, a craft from an earlier decade (yes, there are instructions for making one). The show's crew, already tense from the new assignments, becomes suspicious when the rag doll samples are trashed; a Christmas angel mop doll, left at the scene, suggests an inside job. A few days later, the Valentine mop doll is found at the scene of a murder. Anastasia is a crafting Stephanie Plum, surrounded by characters sure to bring chuckles as she careens through the narrative, crossing paths with the detectives assigned to the case and snooping around to solve it.--Muller, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist

Kirkus Review

Library Journal Review

The editors of American Woman magazine, including crafts editor Anastasia, must take on additional responsibilities for a morning TV show. Then the producer (who happens to be engaged to Anastasia's widowed mother) is found dead on the set, with a knitting needle through his heart. Shortly thereafter, a disgruntled TV staffer is also attacked. All is not well on the set, and Anastasia can't help but snoop for clues. Her own household is just as chaotic, with her cantankerous mother-in-law, two sons, too-good-to-be-true tenant Zack, and myriad other problems connected with her late husband's swindling. If Anastasia can figure out who's mad enough to kill, she will rest easy. VERDICT This cozy is almost over the top, with a 30 Rock vibe, but Winston turns outs another lighthearted amateur investigation. Laden with one-liners, Anastasia's second outing (after Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun) points to a successful series in the works. Craft directions included. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Excerpts

Excerpted from Death by Killer Mop Doll by Lois Winston All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review

Kirkus Review

Library Journal Review

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