Pillow Stalk

A Mad for Mod Mystery, Book 1

By: Diane Vallere

Narrated by: Susie Berneis

Interior decorator Madison Night might look like a throwback to the 60s, but as business owner and landlord, she proves that independent women can have it all. When a killer targets women dressed in her signature style - estate sale vintage to play up her resemblance to fave actress Doris Day - what makes her unique might make her dead. The local detective connects the new crime to a 20-year-old cold case, and Madison's long-trusted contractor emerges as the leading suspect. As the body count piles up, Madison uncovers a Soviet spy, a campaign to destroy all Doris Day movies, and six minutes of film that will change her life forever.

©2014 Diane Vallere (P)2017 Dreamscape Media, LLC

It took awhile but worth the wait

It took awhile for me to get into the novel. There was something initially annoying about the reader and the protagonist that turned me off. But I kept on and am glad that I did. Good mystery, plot twists and touches of humor.

Mad for Mod!

First time reading this author and found the premise of this story absolutely adorable. As a fan of Doris Day, I loved the numerous references to Doris, her movies and the mod style of interior design and fashion.

I liked Madison and found her to be an interesting character. She and Doris Day share a birthday and I would go so far to say she’s Doris’s biggest fan. She is such a loyal fan that she named her puppy ”Rocky” in acknowledgement of one of Doris’s co-stars, Rock Hudson. Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan and Madison discovers that the villain will murder to get what they want. Unfortunately, the victims, like Madison, were all dressed in the Doris Day style. I quickly began to wonder if Madison were the actual target.

This story is well crafted and the visualization I received at the author’s precise and detailed description of the mod style of décor and fashion gave me the feeling I was standing in the room with Madison. The plot moves at a good pace without feeling rushed and I struggled to the end of the story without ever figuring out who the killer was.

I went with the audiobook format for this story and enjoyed the narration performed by Susie Berneis. Her portrayal of each character brought out their personalities flawlessly. I was easily able to connect and relate to Madison and had a lot of empathy for her situation. Madison is like a lot of other cozy heroines who, through chance or fate, finds herself in the killer’s sights, thus needing to be rescued, as it seemed the killer was always two steps of her.

The supporting characters were great, as well. They balanced the story wonderfully. I’m not sure if there is a relationship in store for Madison in the future, but I really enjoyed that the focus was on the murders instead of romance.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this to be a really good story that will appeal to cozy mystery fans and if you love Doris Day too, then all the better. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Henery Press, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Excellent beginning to a new series

Diane Vallere has written an excellent beginning to a new series. I look forward to the next installment. Susie Berneis gave a wonderful performance as she brought it all to life.

It was okay

This was an okay mystery. The biggest problem was the narrator. I didn't like her voice. I will probably get the next one.

Good mystery that turns absurd

A decent mystery but the last few chapters turn completely ridiculous. There's some cruelty to a cat the main character is supposed to be "caring for", and a police officer who finds sexual harassment entertaining, and those things just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. But the mystery itself is good and keeps you guessing.