The Museum Murder (Epiphany Bloom Mysteries Book 2) By Katie Gayle

Dastardly deeds, daring deceptions and a dress to die for… Epiphany Bloom is back on the case!

Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom, would-be detective and London’s unluckiest woman, finds herself in a real costume drama when she unearths a theft at a fashion museum.

The missing dress is a proper piece of Hollywood history, worth a fortune. And as Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone. From fancy boutiques to sketchy back alleys, Pip discovers the fashion world is not all glitz and glamour as she hunts down her prize.

As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, Pip also has her growing feelings for her housemate Tim to contend with, a family of cats to feed and her mother keeps phoning about a shipment of llamas arriving any day now from South America.

But there’s no time for distractions because Pip’s not the only one after the dress. And for the most dedicated collectors, a piece like this is worth any price – even murder…

A laugh-out-loud, light-hearted cozy mystery for fans of M.C. Beaton, T.E. Kinsey and Joanne Fluke, that will have you reading late into the night. The Museum Murder (Epiphany Bloom Mysteries Book 2)

OK, so, I'm a huge fan of Pip and I want to read about her life forever. Sure, she seems to attract murder and mayhem. Attracting mayhem seems to be her thing, except she was always fired for it in her previous jobs. I'd be tempted to say that Pip lives in or near Midsomer, with the number of murders she's been directly connected to. Murder aside, Pip seems to have found her calling; she's becoming known for solving mysteries, and she's actually getting paid a decent sum for solving said mysteries; and if when things do go kablamo, she's finally in the position where she's no being blamed, sacked, or screamed at. It's no doubt Pip will continue to make a name for herself as That tall woman who solves mysteries, and I can't wait to read more about her adventures!

This book is short (at around 240 pages) and it reminds me of the movies from the 90's that I absolutely adored; it goes for 80 minutes, but the writer somehow manages to cram heaps of stuff into that 80 minutes. I would adore if the author wrote longer tales of Pip's adventures. I would lap. them. up. I would love to read memoirs of Pip's past employment woes. I would adore a 'Holiday Romance/Mystery Novel where Pip goes on holidays with Jimmy or Tim, and the other ends up being there too, and there's also a murder (or some such crime)'. I would read about Pip's childhood; I'd love to learn more about her relationship with her Mummy and her big sister Flis. Did I mention I'm a huge fan of Pip? But, the books as they are are perfect, in my opinion, and I will continue to read them.

The Kensington Kidnap talked quite a lot about environmental issues and bloggers, while this book was more about fashion, and both books discuss these issues in quite a detailed way. That's not to say that there isn't some action (there is) or elements of romance (I'm not sure if I'm team Jimmy or team Tim). And there's also a lot of humour. I chortled a couple of times, and there was one or two instances where I burst out laughing!

Pip manages to find a job, with thanks to her sister Flis, working in a museum which specialises in vintage clothing. The job quickly turns into something else entirely; one of the main pieces of the exhibition, the stunning red dress worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman has disappeared, and Pip's boss, Arabella, has asked Pip to recover the dress, under the guise of sourcing clothing for an upcoming exhibition at the museum. Pip's recovery mission quickly goes pear shaped (but at least this time it's of no fault of her own) and she realises that there is a seedy underbelly to the 'fashion world.' Pip attempts to locate the dress with the help of her cute flatmate Tim, her equally cute boxing friend Jimmy, her sister Flis, contacts she makes at the museum, and even through a friend of her mother. While she does get a great deal of help from those around her, Pip's has the ability to see things that others don't and connect the dots. A lot of Pip's determination comes from her curiosity and her being clever at solving things, while a big part of it is also just so she can pay this month's rent cheque. Katie Gayle She’s back! Come and join Epiphany Bloom on her latest comedy of errors … erm … adventure in THE MUSEUM MURDER.

We left Pip on a high after her first outing as a trainee private detective (The Kensington Kidnap) but things didn’t go as planned. We find Pip unemployed – again. But she’s got her kittens to play with and a flatmate to ogle, so life could be worse.

Never fear! With the help of sister Flis and some dissembling on her part, Pip is soon working at a vintage fashion and movie memorabilia museum. Stepping over the threshold on the first day, Pip discovers a famous movie dress has been stolen. It’s up to Pip to use her basic – let’s face it, beyond basic – detective skills to figure out where it’s gone. Was it a robbery or an inside job?

You wouldn’t think a sophisticated city like London would be a suitable setting for a cosy mystery, but Katie Gayle has made it work. The mysteries Pip is solving are not complex enough to make your brain hurt, but they are plotted well. Sure, you need to suspend some belief, but the books make for fun entertainment.

I like Pip. I like her inner monologues, her approach to her wacky family, her clumsiness and her uncertainty about her relationship status with her flatmate, Tim.

Add it to your list if you’re after an undemanding yet entertaining read.

Review copy courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher
Katie Gayle {Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.}

Epiphany Bloom is a walking disaster. She has trouble keeping a job because she keeps making mistakes she justifies by saying they could have happened to anyone. She was successful in her previous job at a firm of private investigators, until she made a crucial spelling mistake on a background check, which got her fired. When she arrives at a job interview at a fashion museum specializing in film, television, and celebrity items, she notices that the centrepiece of the exhibition, the red dress worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, is a fake. Because of her experience as a private investigator, she is hired to find the real dress before the owner returns and learns it is missing.

This book is completely delightful. I usually associate cosy mysteries with small villages, not bustling cities like London, but this has all the trappings of a true cosy mystery: the quirky cast of characters, the bloodless murder, and the amateur detective. The tone is one of heightened realism, where the people and events are just a bit too eccentric to be quite real, which is one of the greatest charms of the book. Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is a great main character. It is hard to describe her because she is a grown woman (I think the story says she is thirty-five), and from hints she drops here and there she has led quite the eventful life, but in many ways she has the guilelessness of a twelve-year-old. She reminded me strongly of Alexis Rose of Schitt’s Creek, especially the way in that she’s always saying (thinking) “when this thing happened” followed by some outlandish detail, yet the story is never mentioned again. The secondary characters who form the pool of suspects are endearing, I’m almost sad that if there is another book in this series Pip will likely have lost this job and we will not see them again.

The mystery is pretty straightforward, but there are enough red herrings and twists to keep things interesting, not to mention the death that Pip suspects was a murder, which ups the stakes considerably. There is a hint of romance, but that portion of the plot is not resolved in this book, so it is likely to be a very slow burn across multiple books. The Museum Murder was the second book in this series, it is very likely that I will go back and read the first one, and I am very interested in reading the next adventure of Epiphany Bloom. Katie Gayle I have read and reviewed the previous book of the series. I liked the characters, and when I got a chance to visit with them again, I took it. This happens often, and being a fan of a good working series, I am always game to pick up a subsequent book.
The tone of the story and our leading lady Pip's style stays the same. At the end of the previous book, she had two possible love interests and one job. Taking that as the status quo, not much changes during this book except for maybe the job and the balance in the relationships. I liked her mother's part in this and her sister's continuing mixups of the English language. Pip herself was a little hard to like in this one, at least for me. She does not seem to grow much from when we first met her, like her mental attitude towards jobs and why she keeps being out of one. I must admit that this has diligent leg work being detailed while there are a few advantages of knowing the right people and being at the right place at the right time.The case this time focuses on a dress that goes missing, and Pip is tasked with identifying its whereabouts. Overall, a quick read, and if you are on the lookout for a book with wacky side characters, kittens, and even some actual martial arts by the leading lady, this is a series one can try.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
https://superfluousreading.wordpress.... in a new tab) Katie Gayle This is essentially a comedy of errors – everything Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom seems fraught and liable to be a disaster but in such a light hearted, fun way you just can’t help smiling (and cringing) at times. Her sister, Flis, has a serious case of mixed vocabulary – if there’s a similar sounding word, she’s most likely to use it making her absolutely hilarious! As for their Mummy’s llama dramas . . .

After a fashion museum visit ends with a job offer, Pip discovers the start exhibit is a fraud – and she’s given the additional role of recovering the iconic dress. Get ready for a story filled with quirky characters, packed with humour, two potential love interests and the perpetrator to be caught! Sometimes a little too over the top, but with a murder, a mystery and plenty of laughter, it is an engaging and enjoyable read and a great addition to the series.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed. Katie Gayle

Free download ↠ PDF, DOC, TXT, eBook or Kindle ePUB free ì Katie Gayle

This fast paced cozy mystery is the second installment of the Epiphany Bloom series. The search for a missing iconic dress leads Pip into an incredible adventure full of intrigue, nostalgia and Julia Roberts. Pip, her sister Flis, and a host of quirky, unique characters masterfully fit together in this suspenseful puzzle that’s a perfect combination of humor and suspense. Although this is part of a series, it may be read as a standalone. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a dash of laughs and loads of thrills, this is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC. Katie Gayle The Museum Murder is the second instalment in the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries series and I loved this one as much or more than the first. Epiphany, aka Pip, is a lovable young woman who just hasn't found her niche. Her mom, who is quite well off, has refused to help her out anymore and wants her to get a job and make her own way in the world. Pip and her sister Fliss, are a hoot. Pip seems to constantly mess up in whatever job she has. In the last book, she finds a famous actress's missing son, but she stumbled her way through the case, this book is much the same. Fliss is a well-known blogger who has one vocabulary mishap after another, I just have to laugh at their conversations. In this story, Pip just happens to be in the right place at the right time. She is hired to purchase acquisitions for a vintage fashion museum. When she realizes that the centerpiece of the museum's collection, Julia Robert's red gown from Pretty Woman is a knock off, she is tasked to find the original which was stolen. Pip actually has a method to try and track down the gown, but stumbles upon information that changes her path. One of her sources ends up dead and the owner of the museum has been keeping secrets. Never did she believe, even in such a cutthroat, shady world as the collectors and memorabilia market that it would lead to murder. Can Pip find the culprit who stole the garment whilst also getting to the bottom of the brutal murder?

This is a fun and addictive cozy mystery. It has a cast of quirky characters, both main ones and secondary. Pip has a couple of possible relationships brewing, but she likes both men and does not want to ruin their friendships. I will be interested to see where the authors take this storyline. I have to say that this is one funny cozy mystery series, but also has an interesting mystery to be solved. Yes, there was a murder, but that was not the main mystery. I like that the primary plot was about the missing dress, not the murder. The plots and protagonist are unique and the stories are full of drama and action as well as being lighthearted and fun. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to lovers of cozy mysteries, or fun books that also have a mystery element. Definitely a wonderful break during these stressful times. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own. Katie Gayle A missing iconic red gown worn by Julia Roberts and llamas keep Epiphany (Pip) Bloom busy in this second book of the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries series!

At the beginning of the book, Pip Bloom once again finds herself without a job. Her promising career as a private investigator for Boston Investigations has come to an end after a huge error on her part in carrying out background checks leads to the head of B. I. to discover she is not a genuine P. I. and fires her. Her only consolation is spending time with her cat and her three kittens, her extremely good looking flatmate and landlord Tim and her sister Felicity (Flis) who is now a sought after blogger/influencer .

On a visit to an exhibition at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes and while admiring the costumes on display--especially the iconic red gown worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman--they meet with the museum's manager Arabella Buchanan. When Flis informs Arabella that Pip is good at researching celebrities, their fashion and anything related to pop culture, Arabella offers Pip a job as a buyer for the museum. During her interview, Pip goes to admire the Julia Roberts gown again but it occurs to her that something is amiss about it. Arabella confirms her suspicion when she admits that the gown on display is a replica as the original has been stolen. She then tasks Pip with an additional duty of locating and bringing the original gown back before the museum's owner Henrietta Powell returns from her trip to Morocco.

Pip is more than ready to put her investigative cap on and is soon in her element trying to track down the location of the dress. What she is not prepared to deal with is the shipment of llamas her vacationing mother decides to send her way! But in typical Epiphany Bloom style, she manages to solve both these problems and save the day.

Lighthearted, funny and eccentric in equal doses, this book was as fun to read as the first one in the series. Epiphany is goofy and lovable and Felicity's misinterpretation of words and phrases is a chuckle fest... it makes you wonder what her blog posts actually read like!

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Katie Gayle for the e-Arc of the book. I had read it in the month of May and I apologise for sharing the review late. Katie Gayle I knew when I read the first book of this series, I would be back for more. My preferred genre is usually not a cozy mystery ... but I found myself laughing out loud and not only at the first book. I was so hoping THE MUSEUM MURDER would be just as entertaining as the first ... and I was not disappointed.

This is easily read as a stand alone, however, I highly recommend reading in order. Epiphany (Pip) is such a unique character and just plain hilarious as she gets in and out of trouble. You cannot dislike anyone who would steal a cat from the vet's office where she worked.

Pip is still looking for work. It seems most things she's tried have not had the desired results. Her last temp post was working with a private investigator. I won't give it all away .. but let's just say that didn't work out well. The temporary office placement won't even take her calls anymore.

Just by luck, her sister drags her into a fashion museum where a well-known dress from a movie is on display. But Pip knows her stuff and this is not the dress it is said to be. It's a fake!

The manager of the museum confesses that the dress in not the original.... someone had stolen the original and she had bought a knock-off until the original could be found.

And that's how Pip found herself employed once again. So who would steal this dress? As Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone.

And she's not the only one hunting for the dress.

This is another laugh-out-loud cozy featuring a lovable woman who blunders her way through job after job trying to find where she fits in the big scheme of things. Her cat has a litter of kittens that she takes care of ... she has kind of a crush on her roommate .. but he's more intent on Pip going to work so she can pay her share of the rent.. and then there's mom who says she's shipping a load of llamas to her. And now there's someone who has eyes on her .. especially when her investigation is close to revealing who the dress-napper is.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the amusing cozy mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Katie Gayle The Museum Murder is the second instalment in the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries series, set in and around London. We are reacquainted with the loveable clumsy clot, aka klutz, Epiphany ”Pip” Bloom and what a delight that is. This time around Pip is musing about how her 3 kittens are the only constant in her life and worrying about how she is going to pay her half of the rent for the flat she shares with hunky flatmate and landlord, Tim, as she is no longer employed by Boston Investigations. Being a private investigator had been a dream job but she had been fired for good reason by gaffer Doug Bradford; she had been sloppily carrying out background checks where she had not been conscientious enough to double-check that she was spelling the name correctly. So whilst looking for new work she decides to accompany her sister, Flis, to an exhibition at the Museum of Movie Memorabilia and Vintage Costumes where they come upon a fiery-red gown form-fitting in the bodice, off the shoulder, with a little plunge at the cleavage and a gather below the waist intended to set the full, silky skirt swishing when the wearer moved; it had been worn in the 90s by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, or so the plaque read. Flis talks to the museum manager, Arabella Buchanan, telling her that Pip is into celebrities, vintage trends and pop culture which leads to Arabella offering her work as a buyer for the museum. Her job would include creative visions as a stylist, sourcing original items, curation and intimate knowledge of celebrity culture. But during her interview, Pip notices on closer inspection that the dress doesn't seem to be quite cut in the same way as it was in the film and the deep red colour didn't appear quite correct either.

Confirming via Google she blurts out to Arabella that it isn't the real deal, and she cannot believe it. It is then her new role becomes not only sourcing garments for upcoming exhibitions but to locate and recover the genuine priceless missing gown. She is tasked with using her investigative skill to recover it before the museum's owner, Henrietta Powell, whose mother, Charise Adderley, was a great beauty, and a Hollywood actress and who is currently away in Morocco, returns. But Arabella admits that everything else is authentic apart from that item. She had come into work two weeks ago and the genuine dress had gone. There was no forced entry, and so in order to keep the museum ticking along, she bought a replica until she knew exactly what had happened and who was responsible. Now Pip has her work cut out for her as she must attempt to locate the dress and facilitate its safe return before Henrietta flies home from North Africa. Realising that it could only be an inside job, Pip begins to interview the staff members, which doesn't make her too popular, and with a little help from friends, she is soon jet setting all over the place following the trail of this inimitable dress. But never did she believe, even in such a cutthroat, shady world as the collectors and memorabilia market that it would lead to murder. Can Pip find the culprit who stole the garment whilst also getting to the bottom of the brutal murder? This is a compelling and compulsive addition to an uplifting, endlessly charming and highly original cosy mystery populated by a cast of quirky and indelible characters, especially Pip herself. The plot is refreshingly unique and filled with drama, action, twists and liberal doses of fun and humour. It's an engrossing, lighthearted and thoroughly entertaining read and a fabulous, and much-needed, piece of escapism in these times. Katie Gayle