When Lacey and Vic arrive at the factory they find Rod dead, lashed to a roll of velvet submerged in a vat of midnight blue velvet dye. Police find that Rod was bashed on the head and shot before being lowered into the dye. There is no shortage of suspects, including Rod’s soon to be divorced wife and a factory of now out of work employees. 

When Lacey calls her editor to report the story she learns that the publisher, Claudia Darnell, is a Black Martin hometown girl and part owner of Dominion Velvet, along with politician Tazewell Flanders, possibly causing a conflict of interest.  Lacey turns the focus of her story from the demise of American textile factories to murder. With Vic’s help, she interviews the company’s employees when a member of Lacey’s staff is murdered and two more people receive blue velvet ties, making Lacey wonder who, possibly even herself, might be next.  

Shot Through Velvet address some serious subjects (beyond murder) such as the closing of American textile factories to the downsizing of newspapers, and the effects of this on the average American worker. Even though Lacey is on assignment and writes a regular column, she knows each story she files could be her last. She and Vic are becoming comfortable with their relationship and when Lacey needs an extra pick me up, she turns to the trunk of vintage clothing, patterns and fabric left her by a favorite aunt. 

There are plenty of suspects who would have wanted the smarmy factory owner dead.  When Lacey finally gets her story, it is more bittersweet than she would have imagined.  Shot Through Velvet is a thoughtful mystery with an energetic, very likable heroine that will attract new readers to this established series.                                           

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry