The Brief Luminous Flight of the Firefly: The 1940s Prequel to THE CRIME OF FASHION MYSTERIES: 12

not usually keen on prequals but this was wonderful, getting the backstory on Mimi. It would work well as an introduction to the series too if you are new to Ellen's books. With war in Europe it felt timely to be reading about privations of 1943 and how people coped. Thoroughly enjoyable and thoughtful book, didn't guess the killer until the end!

I've loved Ellem Byrreum's Crimes of Fashion books right from the start, but this book is special.It's a prequel to the series set in WW2 era America, and focuses on Lacey Smithsonians Great Aunt Mimi. Those of you who read the series know that Aunt Mimi bequeathed Lacey a trunk ful of goodies ( fabric, patterns ,ephemera) Now we get to find out about the daring, ambicious woman behind (inside?) the trunk. The amazing research that the author does strikes again. This book works equally well as a stand alone- enjoy;I did.

As with all of the novels by Ellen Byerrum, this will stay with you long after you finish. Set on the east coast during WWII, the story revolves around the women who stay behind and work in the munitions factories. There is death and murders to solve. I confess that this story nearly broke my heart.The writing is superb, as always. You feel as if you were there and, seriously, the story stays with you.SPOILER ALERT: this is a sad story. 😢 True to life - and sad. It is war, after all.

A charming story that immerses the reader in the world of World War II era Virginia. The immaculately detailed history tidbits are matched by the immaculately detailed fashion, with a plot and story that carry the reader through. With extremely likable characters, its easy to find oneself rooting for the protagonist and her ‘wartime family’ as the story unfolds. Byerrum captures realistic portrayals of the poorest of West Virginia and the folks in the middle working honestly to make do and mend, all while leading the reader through a mystery to find a killer. With a loose theme of black market goods throughout the tale, its obvious that while some small allowances (like a little extra gas) were easy to look away from, that at the heart of the black market trade lurked something more sinister, that ultimately led to murder. An enjoyable and satisfying story that makes the reader want to dive into the sequel books, the Crime of Fashion mysteries next!

Loved it ! This prequel about Lacys Great Aunt Mimi did not disappoint, I couldn’t put it down….but I suspected as much before starting my read because Ellen Byerrum has the gift of telling spellbinding stories, I hope this is just the beginning of getting to know Mimi!