An Interview with Author Elizabeth Penney by E. B. Davis

Welcome to the first in the Apron Shop mystery series by Elizabeth Penney, set in the quaint village of Blueberry Cove, Maine where an expert seamstress turned amateur sleuth is getting measured for murder. . .

Iris Buckley is sew ready for a change. After the death of her beloved grandfather, Iris decides to stay in her Maine hometown to help out her widowed grandmother, Anne—and bring her online hand-made apron designs to real-time retail life. Her and Anne’s shop, Ruffles & Bows, is set to include all the latest and vintage linen fashions, a studio for sewing groups and classes, and a friendly orange cat. The only thing that they were not planning to have on the property? A skeleton in the basement.

Anne recognizes the remains of an old friend, and when a second body shows up in the apron shop—this time their corrupt landlord, whom Anne had been feuding with for decades—she becomes a prime suspect. Now, it’s up to Iris to help clear her name. Enlisting the help of her old high-school crush Ian Stewart who, like certain fabrics, has only gotten better-looking with age and her plucky BFF Madison Morris, Iris must piece together an investigation to find out who the real killer is. . .and find a way to keep her brand-new business from being scrapped in the process.

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In Hems & Homicide, main character Iris Buckley is trying to open a shop despite her irritating landlord, an over-zealous building inspector, and a murdered skeleton in the shop’s basement. At first, I found it unlikely that anyone could earn a living by selling aprons and linens in a coastal shop. But then I realized that was untrue.

I had bought a table runner, designed and printed by a local artist, from a local shop on Hatteras Island, where I live. Her biography was attached to the sales tag. Her background was nearly identical to Iris’s. After graduating from a design school, she created linens for a large home goods store and then went out on her own, designing and selling her own creations to the public. Yes, it surely can be done, well done, in fact. I love my table runner.

Hems & Homicide is the first book in The Apron Shop Mystery Series. Although I identified more closely to Iris’s grandmother, I found Iris a likeable and logical character. The discovery of a skeleton in the basement of Iris’s shop, Ruffles & Bows, begins the mystery of a missing woman from the early 1970s. I love when an old mystery leads to a new one. Iris’s grandmother’s memories felt like a nostalgic journey. Iris takes chances to solve the mystery, even risking a possible romance. She’s got pluck and good priorities.

Please welcome Elizabeth Penney to WWK.                                                                              E. B. Davis

Please describe Blueberry Cove, Maine, your setting, to our readers. Do you live in a place like Blueberry Cove?

Blueberry Cove is inspired by two real towns, Belfast and Camden, Maine. Like Camden, my fictional town is small, set between rounded hills and a curved bay filled with islands. The Main Street is a mix of brick and clapboard structures filled with interesting small stores and restaurants. Homes are a mix of periods, ranging from classic sea captain’s homes to elegant summer cottages to bungalows and ranches. But while Blueberry Cove resembles Camden a great deal, it isn’t quite as gentrified. There’s still a working harbor and more of a mix of residents, like Belfast.

How did Iris and Grammie Anne come to have such a close relationship?

When Iris was eight, her parents were killed in a car accident, and she came to live with Grammie Annie and Papa Joe. This shared loss forged a strong relationship between Iris and her grandparents. Plus Anne is energetic, open-minded and fun, someone people trust and confide in. Iris and Anne respect each other, acknowledging the strengths each bring to their shared life and new business.

Madison, Iris’s best friend, drives a Mini Cooper. Iris drives a 1963 Ford Falcon. Grammie drives a 1988 Jeep Wagoneer and a Saab 900S. What does each car say about its driver?

Iris adores mid-century design in her clothing—and her cars. The Ford Falcon isn’t flashy but it’s stylish and very cool, like Iris.

The Mini suits Madison because it is nimble, fast, and fun to drive. Madison is graceful and athletic, a bit of a dare devil, and full of energy.

As for Grammie, she’s both practical and sophisticated. The Wagoneer is perfect for winter and for hauling big loads. The Saab 900S is good in snow too, but it also hugs curving coastal roads like a dream. Grammie has a bit of a lead foot at times.

When helping Iris open Ruffles & Bows, what marketing strategy does Madison recommend?

Iris already had an online store, and as a designer, she’s pretty savvy about making things look good. But Madison helped Grammie and Iris create a coordinated social media and advertising campaign to announce the store’s opening. She also helped them segment their customers into groups, including serious collectors, nostalgic buyers, and trendy Millennials.

The skeleton of Star Moonshine, a transient girl who disappeared in the early 1970s, is discovered when Iris falls down the stairs of her shop and dislodges it hidden behind shelving. How does Grammie know the identity of the skeleton, and what relationship did she have with Star?

Grammie recognized a bracelet and clothing the skeleton is wearing. She loved Star and considered her a good friend. But in the ‘70s, people came and went freely, and Grammie truly believed that Star had moved on. Plus she was busy falling in love with Joe.

What is a Belgian Benedict?

Glad you asked! It’s a Belgian waffle topped with ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Totally decadent and delicious.

What is spoofing?

Spoofing is an email (and phone) trick used by scammers and deceptive people to mask their true identities, using fake addresses. Spam emails claiming to be from legitimate companies (and looking for your personal information) are an example of spoofing.

What types of goods will Iris and grandmother Anne stock in Ruffles & Bows?

The shop stocks a mix of vintage aprons and linens, as well as aprons that Iris and Anne design and sew. They may add other items as they go, for example, vintage-themed kitchenware and decorative accents.

Most of the shop owners in Blueberry Cove seem to get along. In fact, two of them are close friends. But this isn’t the case with gallery-owner Charlotte Ramsey. Why?

New to town, Charlotte is under the wing of wealthy leading citizens Nancy and Elliot Parker, which makes her feel superior to Iris and her friends.

Ian Stewart graduated from high school with Iris. He’s a good-looking man and a carpenter. She asks him to help her renovate the shop, but she is also attracted to him. Why doesn’t Ian’s mother like Iris?

Iris and Ian’s mother get off on the wrong foot because of complications in the murder case that involve Ian. That’s all I can say, ‘cause spoiler!

Although Madison is outgoing and sociable, she has a terrible dating track record. Why does she find the duds?

It’s more that they find her. Madison is so nice that she gives them a chance—if they are halfway presentable and have something in common with her. But once they reveal their true colors, she ditches them immediately. So she has a lot of one or two date relationships. Don’t we all know women like this, with everything going for them but they can’t find the right guy? I sure do, and have experienced this frustrating situation myself.

Iris’s landlord, Elliot Parker, who was in a rock band with her grandfather during the time of Star’s disappearance, seems to have gone from hippie to an arrogant, materialistic snob. Were they too young to know themselves or do people change as they age?

Elliot was always a materialistic snob, even when he wore long hair and tie-dye. Do people change as they age? Sometimes, if they want to, and try. But too many don’t, which provides lots and lots of plot ideas for my cozy mysteries!

Who are the “cupcake ladies,” and why do they remind me that age and maturity don’t necessarily go together?

Like Anne, they are older members of the Women’s Auxiliary, doers of good deeds around town. They thrive on gossip, which spices up their small town lives.

The next book in The Apron Store Mysteries is titled Thread and Dead. What mystery do Iris and her friends have to solve next?

  

Iris Buckley is busier than ever in July, with the town’s annual Lobster Festival fast approaching. In just a matter of days her shop will be jam-packed with tourists eager to lay eyes on its world-class collection of aprons and linens—and Iris’s inventory is running low. Then, just when all hope seems lost, Iris gets a call from Eleanor Brady, a wealthy, reclusive spinster who just happens to have trunks full of vintage fabrics. Would Iris like to come down to Eleanor’s cottage estate Shorehaven and have a look? Before long Iris is on the scene—and on the case. Turns out that Eleanor has rented Shorehaven out to the handsome, charismatic environmentalist Dr. Lukas de Wilde and his flock of students. What begins as an apron-scouting endeavor soon morphs into a full-blown murder investigation when Dr. de Wilde’s beautiful, young teaching assistant turns up dead. Now it’s up to Iris—along with her partner-in-love-and-crime Ian Stewart—to unravel the mystery before the Blueberry Cove killer strikes again.

 

Thread and Dead is available for pre-order.

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250257970