SILK STALKINGS - Diane Vallere

The third in Vallere's popular "Material Witness" series finds heroine Polyester Monroe finally feeling as if she's settling into her new home and business.  She's helped decorate her friend Genevieve's tea shop with a "Midnight in Paris" theme that catches up the entire town of San Ladron, California and helps to put Poly's store on the radar.  But later that night, on the luscious grounds of nearby Waverly House, Poly and her potential beau Vaughn spot local billionaire Harvey Halliwell - the man who put San Ladron on the map by bringing the tangorli fruit tree to the States, making him rich in the process - passed out in the grass soon after having what appeared to be an argument with a stranger.  Halliwell comes to and refuses to seek medical attention ... but when Poly finds the man dead on the same grounds the following day, she starts following a twisted thread that wraps itself tightly around the upcoming Miss Tangorli beauty pageant - and sees Poly's mechanic friend Charlie as a potential suspect.  This was my first time reading this author, let alone this series, and while I did find Poly charming in her way and the ending - the revelation of the murderer - pretty compelling, to me the book itself seemed to fall a bit short in both pacing and story.  A few stylistic errors in the book threw me out of being fully caught up in the novel as much as I would have liked, as well, though better editing would have caught those.  Overall, I do like Poly and world Diane Vallere has created here, even finding interest in the fabric store theme, and would like to know more about her and the characters around her by reading more in the series.  And as I did enjoy the resolution of the mystery, to me one of the biggest components of a cozy, I am sure Poly and I will be crossing paths again!  ***

Note: I received a free ARC of this title via author and publisher, in exchange for an honest review.