The Whores' Dressmaker

by Lainie Montgomery, Shannon DaGrava (Photographer)

A mysterious old dressmaker, a secretive school teacher, a serial killer, a charming Scottish aristocrat, a former schoolyard bully, or newly found relatives…which of them want Cammie dead? And which one possesses the secret diary that could answer all her questions? Camelia Martin is a bastard. Her mother swore that her father, Ben Cameron, planned to come back to them, but that dream died on the battlefield at Chickamauga. Left with only his small Bible, a lock of his hair, and a cameo necklace, Camelia is determined to prove her heritage despite the obstacles she faces. Desperation drives her to accept a job with the mysterious, but highly successful, “whores’ dressmaker”. After becoming an excellent dressmaker in her own right, she encounters Katie McLain who might provide the connection Cammie needs to find the answers she's been seeking. Their unexpected friendship leads to more information about her father, but her acceptance by some of his family also coincides with a number of suspicious accidents, that appear to be more than chance, and soon, even the decades old legend of a serial killer is connected directly to Cammie. But how? And why? “The Whores’ Dressmaker” is an intricate tale that binds a masterful mix of empathetic characters together in a mesmerizing cohesive story of love, loss, deceit, madness, and murder.

Genres: Fiction

375 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2017

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the storyline of this book. The book builds an interesting world. Unfortunately, the writing is so bad it's distracting. The story shifts narrator sporadically, and most of it is written in an awkward past third person. It would be great with the overhaul of an editor.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good perspective of the time period where class distinctions and manners depended upon your family history. A young unmarried woman must find a way to raise her daughter knowing the stigma will determine both their futures. A chance meeting between a dressmaker and the young desperate daughter turn the future into a mixture of family secrets, murders, and the chance to move into a profession of esteem . Determination and hard work take Cammie into multiple situations she cannot foresee. The endings are answers to the biggest questions in Cammie's life. "Who am I?" "Why does someone want to kill me?"

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book as a first-reads giveaway.

Let me start by saying that I did not read book 1 in this series. From reading the description, it seemed this book could stand on its own and not have to be part of a series. After reading it, I stick by that opinion.

My biggest issue with this book is that it is in serious need of a proofreader. Some basic words were missing (words like is, the, etc.) and others were the wrong word altogether (such as they instead of then). My other issue with the book is that there was way too much going on. It really could have been split into two books and some of the details could have been expanded on. When you need to take the last 20% of the book to explain everything that happened, there is just too much going on.

That being said, it wasn't a bad book. It kept you on your toes not knowing what was coming next.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The editing on this was such a mess that I gave up less than a quarter of the way through. The author overused exclamation points (hope you like them! Lots of them!), changed from first person to third person with head snapping speed, and pages are littered with errors in tenses, spelling, etc. It's too bad because I think there might be a good story underneath all that, but who's going to stick it out long enough to find out?

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Absolutely loved this book! The story of these families and how they all intertwine is so well thought out. I couldn’t put it down!! I Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Painful

I was so intrigued by the title of this book and had high hopes. The grammar and punctuation were terrible, and the basic storyline was completely predictable. I made it to the fourth chapter and considered that a respectable accomplishment.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept my interest from the first page to the last

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book - great story and interesting characters.
I'll be watching for more from this author.