The Women of Wynton’s
by Donna Mumma
Summary
Get swept away to the glamor of a 1950’s department store where four women’s loyalties, vanity, friendship, and detective skills are put to the test.
Audrey Penault once led a glamorous life as a model but now works as devoted secretary to Mr. Wynton. To her fellow employees, she is too vain and uppity.
Mary Jo Johnson, a wife and mother, longs to find her worth in the cosmetics department, but it may take a while for the shy housewife to discover her voice.
Vivian Sheffield owns and runs the bridal salon within Wynton’s. She is proud of her accomplishments and won’t let anyone take them away.
Gigi Woodard dislikes her job as a waitress in the store’s lunchroom, but she is determined not to let her secret shortcomings cause her to lose the position.
These four women have much to dislike about each other, but they unanimously agree that Mr. Wynton is the best of employers and must be protected at all costs from someone who seems determined to see him gone for good. When other employee deaths occur, can the women band together to solve the murders, or will they discover it is one of their own bent on destroying Wynton’s from within?
My Review
3.5 stars
This was my first time reading this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed the cozy mystery set in the 1950s. I appreciated that it contained no explicit language or sexual content. However, it is important to mention that, due to the story’s time period, there are some sexist and racist comments.
From the very beginning, I felt transported back to the 1950s. Mumma does a wonderful job of incorporating details from this era, from the clothes to the stores, buildings, decor, cultural behavior, and attitudes. It’s evident that she conducted in-depth research on both the time period and the geographical location of Florida.
Initially, I found the number of characters a bit overwhelming, but as I delved deeper into the story, it became easier to follow. The four main characters each have distinct voices and personalities, making it easy to differentiate between them. The multiple POVs from each main character added depth, making the story more compelling and immersive. Watching the murder mystery unfold from various perspectives was enjoyable.
Audrey Penault, who once graced the runway as a glamorous model, now serves as Mr. Wynton’s devoted secretary. Her colleagues often mistake her elegance and poise for vanity. Meanwhile, Mary Jo Johnson is a shy housewife longing for more than her current position in the cosmetics department. Vivian Sheffield, the determined owner of the bridal salon, fiercely protects her hard-earned success. On the other hand, Gigi Woodard, a waitress in the store’s lunchroom, struggles with her insecurities while trying to keep her job.
Despite their differences, all of the women have their own motives for wanting to uncover the murderer and protect their beloved boss, Mr. Wynton. Each of the ladies values their job and wants to save their store from a scandal that threatens their very foundation.
This book is categorized as Christian fiction, but I found it to be lacking in substantial faith content. If not for its classification, I wouldn’t have identified it as a Christian murder mystery. I would have appreciated more integration of faith elements throughout the story.
Another downside for me was the gossiping among the women and how easily some characters were persuaded to think a certain way about others. The women often became quite catty and petty, which I didn’t particularly enjoy.
The pacing was also a bit slow. At times, the writing felt choppy, and the dialogue became confusing because it was difficult to determine who was speaking due to odd paragraph breaks and poor formatting. Reading became challenging, but this might have been specific to the ARC copy I read, and perhaps these issues were fixed before the final publication. Nevertheless, it did disrupt my enjoyment of the book.
Despite its flaws, I found this book enjoyable. It held enough action sequences to keep it gripping and entertaining. Watching the women bond and unite to solve the crime was particularly satisfying; the power of female friendships resonated as a central theme throughout the story. Additionally, unraveling the murder mystery was engaging—I managed to predict some elements while others took me completely by surprise.
If you enjoy slow-paced cozy mysteries intertwined with rich historical detail, particularly the glamour of the 1950s, this book may be a perfect fit for you. It blends drama, suspense, heartfelt moments, and entertainment seamlessly. I look forward to exploring more works by this author in the future and definitely recommend this book!