Ellen Byerrum Grave Apparel

Grave Apparel

Ellen Byerrum

Signet, Jul 2007, $6.99

ISBN: 0451221788

ISBN:9780451221780

At the capital based Eye Street Observer, editorial columnist Cassandra Wentworth and food editor Felicity Pickles get into an argument over Christmas sweaters; fashion editor Lacey Smithsonian tries to stay out of the dispute as she dislikes both of them and is loathed in turn. An irate Cassandra writes a nasty editorial condemning the colorful holiday garb, but everyone naturally blames Lacey as the fashion writer for the blistering commentary since no name is attached to the article.

Not long afterward someone wearing a Santa cap attacks Cassandra with a candy cane just outside the office. A child uses Cassandra's cell phone to call the last person the editor spoke to which was Lacey. She runs outside to find an unconscious Cassandra wearing a Pickles' Christmas sweater and a boy in shepherd's costume blaming Santa. The child flees as the medics and cops arrive. Lacey vows not to investigate, but somehow she is pushed by her boss who worries about the child, an ungrateful Cassandra who wants justice, and Felicity who is the prime suspect.

The fun in this fashion mystery is Lacey's efforts to stay out of the investigation leads to everyone not believing her as her lover and her work peers assume it is in her blood. The "sweatergate" scandal is cleverly designed while the Santa-dude assault makes for a fine whodunit. Although overall a humorous cozy, there is a subplot involving homeless children living near the seat of American power (K Street) while her boss Mac proves quite the softy.

Harriet Klausner