Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen is book 2 in the Maple Bishop series but is easily read as a standalone novel.
Set in 1947, recently widowed Maple Bishop is the owner of a small business making dollhouses, and on the side she has begun creating miniatures of crime scenes to aid the local police in solving crimes. Unlike many books in the mystery genre that involve amateur sleuths, Maple has been accepted, and even hired as a consultant by the local police chief. When the body of a young firefighter in training is found burned in his bed, the police sheriff asks Maple to assist in determining if the fire was an accident or arson.
I found Maple to be interesting, but a bit unlikeable, she seemed quick to jump to conclusions about people and didn’t always treat people with even the slightest degree of civility. At times I found her behaviour to be quite rude, which kind of put me off her character. I thought it was a shame because otherwise, she presented a strong, intelligent woman, running a small business at a time when I don’t believe that was the norm for women.
With ties to the Irish mob, a secondary mystery involving a bank heist, arson, and murder, there were a lot of threads running through this mystery that kept me guessing what was really going on and kept me turning the pages of this book.
I think Murder in Miniature would appeal to people who love a slower, more procedural mystery. If you’re looking for something fast paced with a lot of action, this book is probably not for you.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Murder in Miniature will be available on September 23 2025.
Life, Tea, and Everything 