BOOK BY: Donna Mumma
What a fun story!
Donna Mumma takes readers to 1950s Florida, to Wynton’s Department Store where someone is out to destroy Mr. Wynton; and the people who work for him.
A slew of characters make this an interesting read. The story is told from the points of view of several women who work in Wynton’s Department Store:
- Audrey (Mr. Wynton’s mysterious but trustworthy secretary of whom the whole story surrounds);
- Mary Jo (a working housewife who wants to stay home, but needs to work to support her invalid husband and children);
- Miss Vivian (bridal designer and consultant extraordinaire);
- Gigi (trying to work her way up to accessories from cafeteria duty).
These unlikely women will strike up an alliance to save Wynton’s Department Store from closing, or being sold to the highest bidder.
There is a menu of characters with plenty of motive to commit the recurring crimes. Just when it appears one character is responsible, a crazy twist is thrown at readers. It’s wonderful.
The story was intriguing. The narrative pulled me in from the first sentence. This story has all the feels – tissues required for the ending. The story gives the reader a sense of time and place while delivering a well-developed mystery without all the suspense (or violence).
There are some topics that may be triggers for some readers: attempted murder, murder, house fire, and abuse.
A beautiful spiritual thread of hope and forgiveness is sewn throughout the entire novel as characters wrestle with the situations they find themselves in. A refreshing read for those who want a strong spiritual thread in their novels
I received an ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.