Button Box Blunder, The: A Cozy Mystery of Fastened Facts and a Snapped Shank

?? Vintage button shop owner Pearl Button is organizing a historical fashion exhibit when the town's most ruthless antique dealer is found dead in her shop—with a rare Victorian button shank lodged in his throat. The police suspect a bizarre accident, but Pearl recognizes the button as part of a missing set from a legendary 19th-century gown and notices the victim's collection contains forged Civil War-era buttons. With her shop temporarily closed and the antique community buzzing with suspicion, Pearl must fasten together an investigation that spans centuries. Assisted by her sewing circle and the handsome museum curator researching local textile history, Pearl uncovers a scheme involving button counterfeiting, stolen military insignia, and a black market for historic fasteners. From suspicious thread holes that reveal modern manufacturing to enamel colors that don't match the period, every button tells a story. But when Pearl discovers the victim was blackmailing collectors about their forged collections and stolen heirlooms, she realizes the killer is protecting a reputation more fragile than porcelain. With the fashion exhibit opening soon and the real culprit still sewing deception, Pearl must stitch together the truth before her own button box gets permanently closed.