Great fun and a good mystery! Mme Koska flawlessly mimics the Russian accent but doesn't really speak a word of it. But she is a gifted designer of haute couture with a real knack for handling customers and choosing the perfect seamstresses. She has come up with a design scheme for the 1920s with a classic Russian twist and is aided by a friend who has this young woman whose beading skills are incredible. But don't forget about intrigue, others with spurious identities, thefts, and interesting law enforcement personnel. I absolutely loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from BHC Press via NetGalley. Thank you ( )

This is a mystery set in the years after the first World War; it is the first in a series. Madame Koska, supposedly Russian royalty who has fled from the revolution, is opening a couture house. She seems to have money, or money behind her. In the middle of opening the shop and creating a whole new line to display, she gets involved in solving the theft of a brooch that belonged to the Romanovs. No one seems to be who they claim to be, so who is telling the truth, and who has the jewels?

It wasn’t bad for a first in a series; it was short and fluffy but the plot seemed sound. Being a fashion/beading/sewing/vintage nut, I loved the descriptions of the clothing and the work the seamstresses and beaders were doing. There were a lot of characters, though, and they were very lightly touched on and I found myself getting confused as to who was who. I assume that Koska and her crew will get some character development as the series goes on. Most ‘origin stories’ are rather clumsy, being short of depth and an interesting plot, and this book does better than average. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was light and easy to read. Madame Koska runs a "fashion house" and I really enjoyed the details of how the atelier worked. I liked Madame Koska and the style of writing. A book that didn't require much thinking, but then sometimes that's exactly what you need. ( )

A light, frothy novel with a dash of mystery and plenty of charm. Its descriptions of Madame Koska’s endeavours in the world of haute couture are its chief appeal - I spent time googling “Russian pearl embroidery” just to get a better sense of the garments being created in the atelier! A perfectly pleasant read. ( )

This novel told the story of a minor character first introduced in the Barchester books. It took place in 1920's London, involving Russian refugees, and Eurasian gang activity. The story developed primarily through the conversations of the title character, her friends, and her employees in her haute couture house. It was a delightful story that developed at a leisurely pace with the conversations among the various characters giving it a real life kind of feel. The mystery developed at a similar leisurely pace and was solved in a logical manner. Clues were given along the way but they didn't necessarily seem like a clue until the end. While there were surprises along the way, the conclusion made sense based on what you knew that the characters knew. Delightful and satisfying. ( )