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Harlow Cassidy (Magical Dressmaking) Mysteries book cover 1
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Harlow Cassidy (Magical Dressmaking) Mysteries
Series · 7 books · 2011-2023

Books in series

Pleating for Mercy book cover
#1

Pleating for Mercy

2011

When her great-grandmother passes away, Harlow Jane Cassidy leaves her job as a Manhattan fashion designer and moves back to Bliss, Texas. But when she opens a dressmaking boutique in the turn-of-the-century farmhouse she inherited, Harlow senses an inexplicable "presence". Her old friend Josie orders a gown for her upcoming wedding, but when Josie's boss turns up dead, Harlow has to find the killer-with a little help from beyond.
A Fitting End book cover
#2

A Fitting End

2012

Former Manhattan fashion designer Harlow Jane Cassidy has a gift for creating beautiful dresses. But when Harlow becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation, she'll need more than her sewing skills to unravel the mystery... Business is booming at Harlow's custom dressmaking boutique, Buttons & Bows, even with the presence of her great-grandmother's ghost hanging around the shop. But thanks to the fast approaching Margaret Moffette Lea Pageant and Ball, Harlow has her work cut out for her when Mrs. James hires her to make her granddaughter's pageant gown. With the debutante ball getting the whole town of Bliss, Texas, into a tizzy, Harlow knows her dress has to be perfect. But when a local golf pro is found stabbed to death with dressmaking shears, the new deputy thinks Harlow and Mrs. James conspired to commit the crime. Now, Harlow has to finish the dress on time and clear her name, before the next outfit she designs is a prison jumpsuit...
Deadly Patterns book cover
#3

Deadly Patterns

2012

Bliss, Texas, is gearing up for its annual Winter Wonderland festival, but when a mysterious Scrooge ends the merriment with murder, it'll take more than a ghost from Christmas past to set things right. Designing a holiday fashion show set in the town's most prominent historic mansion seems like a job tailor made for dressmaker Harlow Jane Cassidy. But with the mansion's restoration still in progress and threatening weather on the horizon, she's feeling on pins and needles more than reveling in holiday cheer. Having volunteered to play Santa in this year's festival, Dan Lee Chrisson was ready to move on after his divorce—until Bliss became his final resting place. Discovering his body puts Harlow at the scene of the crime. She'll need plenty of help from friends and even her late great-grandmother's spirited sleuthing if she's to have a ghost of a chance of catching a killer who's just jumped to the top of the naughty list....
A Custom-Fit Crime book cover
#4

A Custom-Fit Crime

2013

After a year of hard work in her Texas hometown, Harlow Jane Cassidy’s dreams are finally within reach—if she can just get it all done in time… Harlow’s designs will be featured in a big magazine spread, but she only has a few days to finalize her collection. Plus she’s busy helping to plan her mother’s upcoming wedding, playing host to her old friend Orphie, and avoiding a competitive Dallas designer set on stealing Harlow’s ideas. Harlow’s making it all work—until someone breaks into Buttons & Bows and the rival designer is found dead. But when a near miss makes it clear that Orphie could be the next victim, Harlow will have to untangle the threads of evidence if she wants to save her friend, her mother’s wedding, and her business from becoming fashion road kill…
A Killing Notion book cover
#5

A Killing Notion

2014

Harlow Jane Cassidy is swamped with homecoming couture requests. If only she didn’t have to help solve a murder, she might get the gowns off the dress forms.... Harlow is doing everything she can to expand her dressmaking business, Buttons & Bows—without letting clients know about her secret charm. When she has a chance to create homecoming dresses with a local charity and handmade mums for several high school girls—including Gracie, whose father, Will, has mended Harlow’s heart—she is ready to use her magical talents for a great cause. But when Gracie’s date for the dance is accused of murder, Harlow knows things won’t be back on course until she helps Gracie clear the football player’s name. If Harlow can’t patch up this mess before the big game, her business and her love life might be permanently benched. INCLUDES SEWING TIPS
A Seamless Murder book cover
#6

A Seamless Murder

2015

With a needle and thread, Harlow Jane Cassidy is capable of magic. Her neighbors in Bliss, Texas, on the other hand, are capable of murder.... Any garment Harlow stitches together has the power to grant the deepest desire of whomever wears it. So when she’s asked to sew aprons for a local women’s group, Harlow must get to know each member. First up is Delta Lee Mobley, who doesn’t care much for Harlow’s family—or anyone else in Bliss, for that matter. Granting Delta’s greatest wish could only lead to trouble.... But trouble finds Delta all the same. The day after Harlow delivers her apron, Delta’s body is discovered in the cemetery. It seems one of the townsfolk harbored ill will toward one of their own. Harlow’s sleuthing skills are a cut above the rest, and with a few magical tricks up her sleeve, she is determined to cuff this killer once and for all.
Bobbin for Answers book cover
#7

Bobbin for Answers

2023

As the Halloween season approaches, Harlow Cassidy finds herself entangled in the spookiest of mysteries, racing against time to untangle the threads of deceit before they weave a chilling and inescapable knot… It’s autumn in Bliss, Texas, and Harlow Cassidy is creating the perfect costume for her friend Josie’s Halloween party. She hopes she can sew her own wishes and dreams into the Wednesday Addams dress. But fashion turns fatal when the Halloween party takes a dark turn. One of the party-goers is found dead next to the toppled barrel of apples and so many people have a potential motive, including Harlow’s good friend Orphie. Not only does Harlow need to get to the truth about the murder, but she also needs to keep her ghostly great-grandmother under wraps before the secret Cassidy charm isn’t so secret anymore.

Author

Melissa Bourbon
Melissa Bourbon
Author · 24 books

Melissa Bourbon is the national bestselling author of more than thirty mystery books, including the Pippin Lane Hawthorne Book Magic mysteries, the Harlow Cassidy Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, the Lola Cruz Mysteries, and the Bread Shop Mysteries, written as Winnie Archer. A former secondary English/Language Arts teacher and Creative Writing teacher with Southern Methodist University’s CAPE program and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institution with North Carolina State University, she has applied her love of teaching to the creation of WriterSpark Academy, an online school for aspiring and new writers seeking to hone their craft. Learn more about Melissa at her website, www.melissabourbon.com, on Facebook @MelissaBourbon/Winnie ArcherBooks, and on Instagram @bookishly_cozy, and learn about about WriterSpark at www.writersparkacademy.com.

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