Hello. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Kelly Quinn, the protagonist in the Resale Boutique Mystery series written by Debra Sennefelder. When I’m not assisting the police in solving murders in my hometown of Lucky Cove, New York, I’m the owner of the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique. I inherited the consignment shop from my granny when she passed away last summer.
It’s taken a few months, but I’m getting the hang of running a consignment shop. Just like I’m getting used to dressing a little differently these days because of my propensity of stumbling upon murders.
You know, I never thought in a million years would I think a girl Long Island gal with a degree in Fashion Merchandising would ever become an amateur sleuth. If I had bet my beloved Louis Vuitton key holder that I wouldn’t be solving crimes, I would have lost it. So, since we can never say never, I thought I would share some tips for sleuthing in style. Because you never know.
Here are my six fashion tips for sleuthing.
#1 –
Sensible shoes are a must. This has been a hard one for me, but luckily, there are some adorable flats out there. I’ve learned the hard way that you never know when you’ll need to outrun a stranger in the dark or traipse around a deserted farmhouse.
#2 –
Pants/Jeans are a sleuth’s best friend. They are preferable since, as a sleuth, you’ll be chased too many times to count by killers. I adore skirts and dresses, but these days I’m grabbing pants or jeans when I’m getting dressed in the morning. There was this one time when I was struggling with a maniac on the…well, I shouldn’t go into details right now. That incident happened in Silenced in Sequins. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if I had worn a dress that day. I also recommend pants/jeans with stretch, so you have some give in the fabric when you need to kick someone. It’s all about self-defense.
#3 –
A crossbody bag is a perfect accessory. It’s easy to carry while out and about on a typical day, and it gives you easy access to your cell phone. Goodness knows, we always need our phones handy to call for help when finding a body or coming face-to-face with a killer.
#4 –
Wash and wear clothes because you never know when you’ll be tumbling down the side of a road, be tackled in the woods, you get the idea. Clothes that can be washed and dried at home are much more preferable than dry clean only. You’ll not only be saving money; you won’t have to go without your favorite sweater for days.
#5 –
Minimal accessories are strongly suggested when you’re snooping around someone’s home looking for that piece of evidence, or you are engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the murderer. You really don’t want to be wearing dangling earrings or long necklaces. No, it’s wiser to go the minimalist route with your accessories.
#6 –
Long-wearing makeup is the key to always looking good when investigating. Invest in lipsticks and mascaras that won’t fade or give you raccoon eyes because sometimes sleuthing can lead to being arrested for things like trespassing or interfering with a police investigation. So you’ll want to look good for your mug shot. Remember Countess Luann? Not a pretty look.
Applying her Manhattan fashion sense to the sensibilities of a Long Island clientele, Kelly Quinn is setting new trends with second-hand name brand apparel—and finding killers with a deadly sense of style . . .
The fortunes of Kelly’s Lucky Cove Resale Boutique are sinking fast—literally, as the weathered roof of her grandmother’s old consignment shop springs a new leak with every rain. She hopes her latest client, overnight fitness and social media sensation Tawny Nicole, has enough valued and wanted items she can sell fast enough to keep her roof from crumbling down.
When Kelly arrives at Tawny’s home to appraise her attire, she’s stunned to find Serena Dawson, “the Dragonista of Seventh Avenue,” there. The last time she saw her ex-boss was when Serena humiliatingly and publicly fired her from her New York City job. Now Tawny is married to Serena’s ex-husband and is caught in the crossfire of some unfinished divorce settlements.
But when Kelly returns to Tawny’s the following day, she discovers her dead body—and Serena standing over it. Her former employer may be nasty and unrepentant, but she’s no killer—prompting Kelly to pick up the threads to try and find the real culprit . . .
