A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders marks the debut of Samantha Clair, a London book editor caught up in a criminal investigation (available February 24, 2015). I read a lot of mysteries featuring amateur sleuths. A lot. There are those with crafting themes, various types of cooking and baking, and many featuring pets. All…
The unbeatable bargain has been a lure used by con artists since even before 19th-century Europeans recognized the commercial value of a topical preparation used by foreign laborers, an oily substance derived from the Chinese Water Snake. Fast forward and you can get a brand new iPad for $20! A Louis Vuitton purse for 90%…
“Death Becomes Her,” the fall exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anna Wintour Costume Center presents a stitch-by-stitch account of what the well-dressed widow was wearing a century or two ago. There were rules for such things, naturally, and we can thank high-profile mourners, such as Queen Victoria and her daughter-in-law Queen Alexandra for…
The ink is barely dry on the new law in Illinois that allows some degree of concealed weapons before Chicago designers are taking to the streets to provide clothing for the firearms fashionista. One of the designers, Karen Bartuch, is a former Chicago police officer who wanted to provide designs for women who carry guns…
Death of a Mad Hatter by Jenn McKinlay is the second cozy installment in the Hat Shop Mystery Series about two women whose London store falls under investigation after poison from a murder is found on one of their hats (available May 6, 2014). The second in prolific cozy author Jenn McKinlay’s London hat shop…
The Curse of the Brimstone Contract by Corrina Lawson is the Steampunk Detectives series debut, featuring a woman who learns she possesses magical abilities after a garment of her design kills a client (available April 29, 2014). Joan Krieger is very excited to present her new clothing creations to the fashion forward Lady Grey, but…
Taking a page from James Bond’s friend Q, the tailors at Garrison Bespoke in Toronto have devised impeccable attire for gentlemen in what we’ll call “high risk businesses”: the bulletproof suit. The company website explains: … the patented suit material is a lot thinner and flexible; fifty percent lighter than Kevlar (the material commonly used…
We've heard people decry the degradation of the modern adult Halloween costume: slutty nurse, slutty kitty, slutty [fill in the blank]. Does this one represent a new acme of awesome or a foul new low? Of course, you must decide for yourself, but can you un-see it? Nevermore! Happy Halloween from Crime HQ! h/t: Boing…
Whether you are looking for a Halloween accessory, or just have a macabre sense of fashion, this Cleaver Clutch might just be the thing for you! And if you really want to creep out your friends, show them these teeth earrings! These and so much more are all available courtesy of kreepsville 666. Splatter yourself!
Among many new ventures one can fund on Kickstarter is this one: Tikker is a death watch that collects health questionnaire answers and your current age to let you proudly sport a digital countdown toward your estimated demise. This is designed to help wearers value life more, and accordingly, not to waste time—most particularly it…
