Murder in velvet by Sarah Wynne

An intriguing and gripping murder mystery tale with elements of the mystical, with visions from the past intruding into the present. Young 13-year-old schoolgirl, Grace, purchases an op shop coat that replaces a too-small and derided coat. The discovered velvet coat, with its glamour from the past, improves Grace’s appearance amongst her peers but it also mysteriously transports her into the past and gives her a vision of the life and death of its previous owner. These visions lead her and her friend Suzy into a search for the murderer, who may still be alive despite the passing years. Grace and Suzy’s intelligence gathering mostly happens without adult help, because who would believe the premise that you had ‘dreamed’ the evidence? 

As a murder mystery fan, I quite enjoyed this youthful journey into the genre. With 13-year-old characters, this story begins as a teen growing-in-independence tale with coloured hair, school mean girls and classes to attend, but transitions into the murder mystery genre quickly. The tension increases fairly rapidly because the young girls become targeted in a more adult violent way and their own lives are threatened. The suspense grows in a mature murder-mystery style and this story rapidly becomes more stressful as the investigation continues. Readers who enjoy the mystery genre (and dabble in fantasy realism) will enjoy this book. There are some minor believability aspects, but not enough to destroy the entertainment value. Readers aged 11 - 15 will enjoy this book, with the independent young teens experiencing an edgy uncertainty through most of the tale.

Themes: Murder mystery, Dreams and visions.

Carolyn Hull