Laced with Poison

A Sweet Nothings Lingerie Mystery #2

by Meg London

You’re invited to the Sweet Nothings trunk show. See what the shop has to offer, taste some wonderful food, catch up with friends, and solve a murder…

Emma Taylor is happy to be drawing in customers at her aunt Arabella’s lingerie shop, Sweet Nothings, but replacing the store’s broken window is going to cost a small fortune. Hoping to hoist up their sagging profits, Arabella arranges to have a trunk show at the home of a local socialite who will invite all of her friends and take care of the catering. All Emma and Arabella have to do is show up and show off their wares. Seems simple enough…

A gorgeous spread is prepared for the event, including delicious cupcakes topped with edible flowers. But after one of the partygoers takes a bite and winds up dead, the guest list becomes a suspect list. Now Emma must separate facts from idle gossip before the killer gives the cops the slip…

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Cozy, Fiction

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 2, 2013

About the author

Meg London is the pseudonym for Peg Cochran.

Peg grew up in a New Jersey suburb about 25 miles outside of New York City. After college, she moved to the city where she managed an art gallery owned by the son of the artist Henri Matisse. When her first daughter, Francesca, arrive, the new family moved back to the New Jersey suburbs where her second daughter, Annabelle, was born.

After her husband died, Peg remarried and her new husband took a job in Grand Rapids, Michigan where they now live (on exile from New Jersey, she likes to joke). Peg managed to segue from the art world to marketing and is now the manager of marketing communications for a company that provides services to seniors.

Her greatest love though as always been writing - particularly mysteries! She has two cozy mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime: The Gourmet De-Lite series set in Connecticut and featuring Gigi Fitzgerald, who provides gourmet diet meals to a select group of clients, and the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series, written as Meg London, set in Paris, Tennessee with Emma Taylor who finds murder and mayhem in this quiet country town.

As for pets - she has a schizophrenic cat (really!) named Frazzle and a Westhighland White Terrier, Reggie, who is desperately in need of losing a few pounds. But you know what they say: If your dog is overweight, it means YOU aren't getting enough exercise!

When she's not writing, Peg can usually be found cooking, which she loves. When asked to bring a dish to a potluck she invariably opts to bring dessert - partly because she loves making sweet dishes and partly because she and her husband always manage to be late so there's no point in putting them in charge of appetizers!

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Looking for ways to increase their revenue stream Arabella suggests holding a trunk show at the home of one her well to do friends. The party is a wonderful success until one of the guests becomes sick after eating a cupcake. She later dies at the hospital and the baker and the woman who provides the edible flowers she decorates with both end up suspects in her murder. Emma and Arabella are close friends with both women and know there is no way they would kill anyone. With a room full of suspects Emma is going to do her best to uncover the real killer.

I love the three main characters in this story. The bond Emma has with her aunt Arabella is strong and they make a terrific team running Sweet Nothings, but the character that grabbed me this time, just like in the first book was Sylvia. In this story, she is forced by her children to move to Sunny Days, the nearby senior living facility. She doesn’t let it slow her down, she still comes to work to do her bra fittings every day at Sweet Nothings, dragging her oxygen tank behind. She is a spitfire and to know her is to love her, just ask Emma or Arabella. She doesn’t like the welcome she has been receiving at Sunny Days, so Emma signs up to be a volunteer. It is also a great place for gossip, so she just may hear something to solve the murder too.

Ms. London has penned a funny mystery. She has Emma all over the place following one clue after another and I really enjoyed following along. I thought I had it all figured out but one twist after another had me completely stumped until Emma had everything fall into place.

Great characters, great mystery, great setting – A Perfect Escape!

It took me way too long to read this second book in the series. The third and last book in the series is screaming at me from the shelf so I will be grabbing that one soon.

[bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sign that I really love a series is when I read the books in that series back-to-back. This is exactly what I did with Murder Unmentionable and the second book in the series, Laced with Poison.

Laced with Poison picks up the happenings in Paris, Tennessee. A few months have passed and Arabella and Emma are watching Sweet Nothings, their lingerie store, slowly flourish. However, they aren't quite in the black yet, so Emma comes up with the idea to hold a "trunk show", hosted by the wealthy Deirdre Porter. The trunk shows seems to be a hit, that is until one of the guests is poisoned and dies on en route to the hospital. Suddenly Emma is back to trying to solve a crime, this time the crime implicates her best friend, Liz, and friend, Bitsy, who supplied the killer cupcakes. With the help of her friends, Emma is determined to get to the bottom of it.

I tell you cozy mystery authors are making it really hard for me to pick my favorites of the year. I've discovered so many great new-to-me series this year, and the Sweet Nothings Lingerie Mysteries definitely is at the top of my list.

I love the sweet town of Paris, Tennessee, and I was more than happy to make another trip there through Emma, Arabella and all their friends. Early on I thought I had the mystery solved, but with all the twists and turns, Meg London had me second guessing myself, as new clues arose.

A lot of the mystery takes place at the retirement home, Sunny Days, where Sylvia now lives, and as we have come to know anything involving the loud and boisterous Sylvia is bound to be a hoot!!

Laced with Poison is the perfect summer read: a light mystery, hilarious, memorable characters and a ending that will have you curling you toes in anticipation of what is to come for the residents of Paris, Tennessee.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this series. I like the characters and the setting. I followed along with every red herring and figured it out about the same time as Emma did.

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one needed a bit more mystery. It was obvious who the murderer was by the the end of the second chapter. Just not the why. It was a nice little twist, but it's nice when you are kept in the dark until the very end of the book to discover who did it. Not just why they did it.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I figured this one out right before the end, next please!

[Karin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many missed clues, unbelievable circumstances and bumbling detection. No improvement over the first book.

[Tambra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series, Im slowly reading it. I love the characters and the story.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/la...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

*Beware of possible Spoilers*

Emma and Arabella, along with their quirky friends, are back on the case when tragedy strikes at Sweet Nothings’ first ever in-home trunk show! One of their guests loses their life when one of Bitsy’s cupcakes has a poisonous flower atop of it instead of the usual edible ones that Liz supplies. Could Liz have made a mistake when choosing the flowers or did somebody tamper with the cupcakes? The cops aren’t moving fast enough on the case so Emma will move Heaven and Earth to clear her friends of the crime.

I was pretty skeptical when I started reading this book, mainly because I really didn’t like the first book of the series, Murder Unmentionable. But I wanted to give the series another shot and make sure the first one wasn’t just suffering from first book of the series syndrome. I’m happy to report that this book was a vast improvement over its predecessor.

The murder wasn’t quite as predictable as the one in the last book. I was able to figure out the culprit easily enough, but I was never completely sure if I was right or not until Emma finally figured it out! So, I did appreciate there being enough suspects to make me doubt my own guesswork:) And, it did keep the book from being dull. But there is nothing like a bunch of small town gossips playing detective!

Then, there is Emma’s love life. Ugh…. Brian, Brian, Brian. I like Brian, but his sad excuse for romance is really starting to drag me down. It was bad enough he called Emma by his ex’s name in the previous book, but now he lets his work keep him from seeing her or even calling her! And, that’s before his ex wants to see him again. I understand that he was hurt and is scared, but come on already! It’s time to grow a pair and move on! Part of me was hoping that Emma would go out with Walker to wake Brian up to what he could lose if he doesn’t act soon! It was bad enough that all the senior citizens have hotter romances than Emma, but now even Arabella’s dog is getting more action! Speaking of … that was the quickest litter of puppies I’ve ever seen born, with only a week or so from them finding out the dog was pregnant to the pups going to their new homes!

I’m hoping that Emma’s love life will finally get on the right track in book three! I’m happy to see the growth London has made since Murder Unmentionable, and I hope the series continues to improve.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in this Sweet Nothings Clothing mystery. So far it is a little better than the first one. I like how Meg works with her characters to bring them to life. Also some fun with the vintage lingerie and using the sweet tea. I will go ahead and continue to read this series for now. Hoping the next one is better.

[❂ Murder by Death · Rating 2 out of 5]

Small southern town with small-town southern charm. A lingerie store that specialises in vintage lingerie. A world travelled aunt and a good looking love interest. A perfect setup. Sadly, the perfect setup is hopelessly marred by really bad plotting and, although to a much lesser degree, stilted writing.

This town the author has created (I know, Paris, TN really does exists, but this Paris is a creation of the author) is great: interesting and fun characters you find yourself liking. But the writing itself comes across stilted and un-natural, and it lacks the flow of authentic conversation a lot of the time. In a really well written book, I don't even notice the 'he said' or 'she said', but I found them really noticeable in this story.

As to the plot, well, as with the first book, I knew the murderer and why from the very first moment possible. when Jessica first told her 'story' and the murderer denounced it as gossip. And please, Emma sees the cupcake boxes all tied up on the counter in the kitchen, sees the murderer come in as she's leaving the kitchen and the next thing that happens is the woman comes out of the kitchen with the cupcakes unboxed and on a platter. How Emma missed that one is a mystery for the ages. And the police - no one thinks to ask "who un-boxed the cupcakes and put them on the platter?" "who served them?" It was just so obvious that the fronting of additional suspects just wore my patience thin and I wanted the book to be over with.

It's a shame, because I really want to like these books - they have all the earmarks of what would normally be favorites of mine. But unless the plotting gets much more sophisticated, this will be a series I'll have to pass by.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laced With Poison is the second in the A Sweet Nothings Lingerie Mystery series.

Aunt Arabella has come with a sure way to generate sales for Sweet Nothings. There plan is to have the show at home of Deidre Porter, wo will invite her rich socialite friends. Shortly after the food is served, Jessica Scott excuses herself and is soon found dead. It is determined that she died from eating one of the cupcakes that were decorated with edible flowers. But the one that she was given had a very poisonous flower on it. Jessica was the administrator at a local assisted living facility and had more than one enemy because of it. Sprinkles had provided the cupcakes and Liz Manning had provided the flowers that were put on the cupcakes. Emma is almost certain that Liz didn't provide the killing flowers and starts to sort through some of rumors to see who the murderer might be.

Sylvia, Emma and Arabella's assistant, much to her disappointment is currently living at the assisted living facility and has become Emma's eyes and ears at the facility. Then, what was considered a hit and run accident.

Emma needs to buckle down before there are any more deaths.

All the character are well developed and interesting. I particularly enjoy Sylvia. Let's just say Sylvia has a few years under her belt, but that doesn't slow her or toting her oxygen tank around. She often does or says something to make me chuckle. And Emma's and Arabell's romances for on a steady course.

Definitely looking forward to book #3.

[Ceelee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autumn is a great time for me to get into cozy mysteries. After a summer of hot romance and thrilling suspense it is good to chill on a crisp autumn afternoon with a cozy under a tree. Cozies were written especially for us women who read Nancy Drew as girls and long for a tale of amateur sleuthing. The formula is usually the same....a young (ish) woman who owns her own business or works for a relative/friend, has a guy in her life but for whatever reason marriage isn't on the horizon, there are some quirky characters, a friend will usually be a suspect, a dog or a cat (or both)is featured, there is humor as well as a murder usually with some unusual death of which the main character becomes an amateur sleuth to solve the crime, and everything in the story is themed around the particular business of the main character like vintage clothing, libraries or lingerie the latter of which is the store featured in LACED WITH POISON. This was almost a textbook mystery, I enjoyed it as a fast read but other than entertainment I didn't get much from it except I am glad that foxglove doesn't grow around here! :) This was only the second book in the series so there was minimal reference to the first book and I didn't feel like I had walked into a party and was confused by what was going on. I might read the first novel but not sure if I was inspired enough to read the rest of the series. There were fun characters and suitably unlikable people but not that much depth and was just too much of the cozy formula and a neat package for my taste.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet Nothings is the inspired named lingerie shop owned by Arabella and her niece, Emma Taylor in Paris, Texas. Sales are a bit slow and since the window advertising must be kept tasteful and reflect the modesty of the community, Emma is at a lost as to how to garner new customers. Aunt Arabella comes up with a brilliant plan...give a trunk show!

The ladies find a willing host for their show and are happy to learn their friends are catering both the food and desserts for the event. There is even a special 'touch' to the exquisite cupcakes, an edible flower that is provided by Emma's childhood friend, Liz.

All is successful until one guest falls dead from eating something that doesn't agree with her...actally no one would agree with it! It is murder and now Emma must prove that her friend didn't plan it.

Emma enters the world of Senior Living and finds not all is cheery and smooth. There are thefts, attempted killings, and ...many mysteries for Emma to solve...all in the world of the victim.

This book was a cozy read and I must admit that I did solve it early on. I enjoyed the story line and other sub-stories that wove through the tale. Perhaps, the author and I have the same thought process? The writing is well done and pleasant. I love the setting and characters drawn. The dialog is snappy and cohesive. It was a nice cozy murder mystery.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Meg London's A Sweet Nothings Lingerie Mystery series when I read MURDER UNMENTIONABLE, the first book in the series. LACED WITH POISON does not disappoint!

My time spent at Sweet Nothings was time well spent. Between the beautiful pieces of vintage lingerie and the delicious, always at the ready sweet iced tea, I found myself wanting to be there everyday. And the company is as welcoming as the surroundings!

Ms. London has created a great cast of characters. Emma Taylor is a very likeable lead. When investigating the story's murder, she is intelligent and sharp, but still believable as the amateur sleuth. Her Aunt Arabella is a true delight! I for one would love to have an aunt just like her. Arabella's crusty ex-New Yorker friend, Sylvia, is a riot! You never know what she'll say. And Emma's 'maybe' boyfriend Brain is a perfect match for her.

With a host of other entertaining characters and a solid who-done-it mystery, Meg London has proven yet again that Paris, Tennessee is the place to be.

I look forward to a return visit in the next installment of this wonderful series!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I usually read more intense literature, I have had to develop a different set of valuations for this genre. I used to read a great deal more of this type, but had moved away until Meg's/Peg's work has hit the market. That said, I enjoyed this book much more than the first of the series, possibly because I knew what to expect from the genre, possibly because the author didn't mention "sweet tea" and lemonade" quite as often. In the South, we really don't drink as much as they apparently do in Paris, TN. The plot was more intriguing and I liked that the beginning relationship between the main character and her guy friend is developing at an appropriate pace. I also like that her older aunt has a love life! I can so visualize the good-looking older man! Loving mysteries as I do, whatever the literary style, I appreciated the red herrings Meg threw in, although I did guess the perpetrator pretty quickly. I am looking forward to reading more of this series!

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in this series and I enjoyed it as much as the first. Like with the first, I did figure out who did it pretty quickly but didn't have a lot to back up exactly why I suspected this character. But still enjoyable I like seeing Emma and Brian's relationship grow and even Arabella and Francis...perhaps she isn't too old to find true love. Sylvia is an interesting character and adds some wackiness to the books.

I was surprised that the author used an actual sorority in the book. I don't know if I see it very often so not sure if it is her sorority or why she chose Phi Mu (which is my mom's sorority as a side note!)

I'll be looking for book 3

[Cherop · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me forever to finish this small easy read. Shortly after I started reading it I misplaced in on my bookshelves of all places. It took such a long time to find and once I did I quickly finished it off. It is modern, "who done it" tale as told through the eyes of a big city woman who returns to her small town birthplace to help her elderly aunt run a lingerie shop. It is an interesting book with a bit of romance thrown in and a lot of dealing with senior citizens which I found quite charming.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

My four-sentence or less take on the plot: A bunch of 50+ friends who tap dance decide to go on a cruise to Russia, where, like in all cozy mysteries, people start dropping dead. If you want more, there are plenty of plot explanations on Goodreads/Amazon/whatever.

Rating: 8

What worked: The book was solid. The premise is interesting.

What didn't: I don't know. I just kept putting it down and reading other books. It was good, just not motivating.

Will I continue with the series? Yes

Extras: Nope

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This "car book" was enjoyable. "Car book" is my term for an easy to read book that I keep in my auto's glove box for entertainment while I wait for a doctor's appointment, picking up a grandchild after school, etc.
I liked the plot and the characters. I had no trouble picking off from where I stopped previously. No, I didn't figure out the murderer in the first 2/3 of the book. I would read more of Meg London's books.

[Grey853 · Rating 1 out of 5]

People really buy and wear used nighties just because they call it vintage? Really?

I guess I could get passed that if the writing and characters were more intriguing and I didn't figure out the killer so quickly, but that wasn't the case.

This is not a series for me.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light cozy mystery and a fun read. The main characters are characters--that's the fun part. And in this particular book, the "why" of the story was pretty interesting. As for the murderer, that seemed pretty obvious from the start. All in all, it was an entertaining read.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it was easy to figure out the killer, I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you are looking for a quick and easy read.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not as interesting as the first in the series. I gave up after 2 chapters.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fun cozy mystery. Loved the lingerie theme. Better plot than the first book in the series. I am enjoying the development of the characters and their relationships.

[Sillylittlefishey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a vast improvement over book 1, it's still not great, but it's definitely better. I wish Brian would kick his butt in gear though.....

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Phyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 for me - like this series

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Identified the murderer and motive by page 22.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The who-done-it was obvious from the start. The "why" became obvious later.

[Timi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this series set in Paris, Tennessee even though I knew "whodunit" immediately after the murder.