Murder on the Toy Town Express (Vintage Toyshop Mystery Series #2)

by Barbara Early

Overview

Liz McCall has come to love running her father’s vintage toyshop back home in East Aurora, NY, so when the Train and Toy Show comes to town, she’s all aboard for a fun toy-filled weekend. The only hitch is that her childhood bully Craig McFadden, now local business rival, has set up a booth next to hers. But the fun and games are over when Craig falls from the ceiling in a publicity stunt gone wrong.

What was initially thought to be a fatal accident proves much more sinister. Pulled into the case by her feelings for both Ken, the police chief, and Jack, her high school sweetheart whose brother is one the prime suspects, Liz dives headfirst into the investigation. But as she digs deeper, she’s shocked to learn her father may have been the intended target.

The trouble train is barreling down and Liz may have just bought herself a first class ticket in Murder on the Toy Town Express, Barbara Early’s delightful second installment in her Vintage Toyshop mysteries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683313106
Publisher:	CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Publication date:	10/10/2017
Series:	Vintage Toyshop Mystery Series , #2
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	436,556
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Barbara Early earned an engineering degree, but after four years of doing nothing but math, developed a sudden allergy to the subject and decided to choose another occupation. Before she settled on murdering fictional people, she was a secretary, a school teacher, a pastor’s wife, and an amateur puppeteer. After several years living elsewhere, she and her husband moved back to her native Western New York State, where she enjoys cooking, crafts, classic movies and campy seventies television, board games, and posting pictures of her four cats on Facebook. This is her fourth mystery, and the second in her Vintage Toyshop series.

Editorial Reviews

08/14/2017
The train and toy show comes to East Aurora, N.Y., in Early’s delightful sequel to 2016’s Death of a Toy Soldier. Liz McCall, who owns a vintage toy shop in town with her retired police chief father, Hank, is looking forward to the event, until she discovers that comic book dealer Craig McFadden, who bullied her all through grade school, has the booth next to hers. The first day of the show, Craig climbs onto a catwalk high above the floor, dressed in a superhero costume, to perform a publicity stunt. Just before he’s due to make a big announcement, he loses his balance and falls onto the train layout below. Craig later dies in the hospital. Hank, who observed Craig’s fall, suspects it was no accident. Liz can’t resist joining the subsequent investigation, especially since she feels sorry for Craig’s sole employee, a friendly older woman named Maxine. Well-drawn characters and an intriguing plot will keep cozy fans turning the pages. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds Literary Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Murder on the Toy Town Express:
"Worth a read...droll."
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

“Well-drawn characters and an intriguing plot will keep cozy fans turning the pages.”
—Publishers Weekly

"An especially enjoyable cozy for lovers of vintage toys and surprise endings."
—Kirkus Reviews

“Share with readers who enjoy mysteries with women business owners like Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen or Jane K. Cleland’s Josie Prescott.”
—Booklist

“Charming and surprising, with a thrilling twist, humor, and heart.”
—San Francisco Book Review

Praise for Death of a Toy Soldier:“Delightful...The cozy hometown setting and a lovable cast of characters add to the story’s charm.”
— Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile mysteries

“An absolutely delightful cozy mystery.”
—Julie Hyzy, New York Times bestselling author of the Manor House mysteries

From the Publisher