Michelle KellyRecensioni

Interesting British cozy that is a lot darker than most of the American cozies I've read. Usually in the American cozies I've read the small town the book is set is is very idealized with mostly very sweet characters especially those that the protagonist, in this book Keeley at best seems to be ignored by her townsfolk if not downright reviled by them.


I'm going to read the second book in the series, now wondering if things will be different then this introductory book.

Unfortunately the series didn't get any better in fact I liked this book less then book 1. The characters are all so unlikable, side characters Megan and Jack are the only characters I care to have a conversation with. Keeley and Ben are both so self absorbed, I'm sure they'll break up each book if this series continues, if it does it'll do so without me. It seems the way Keeley solves a mystery is to annoy everyone around her until the killer finally decides to take her out.

Being interested in yoga and a 20 year vegetarian, I had high hopes for this series too bad it didn't live up to expectations. There's another yoga mystery series by Laura Weber I hope that might be a better fit for me.

The most noticeable element of this formulaic mystery is a town full of obnoxious and thoroughly unlikeable characters; it really is a shame that more of the aggravating Belfrey residents and visitors did not get marked for death. As the book went along, the continued presence of Darla (narcissistic, verbally abusive mother), Megan (manipulative & smelly New Age shop owner), Raquel (village slut & hostile rival café owner), Ben (patronizing boyfriend), etc. became increasingly annoying and—quite frankly—intolerable.

The book also features an easily solvable mystery (the murderer is glaringly obvious the moment the character is first introduced),and an implausible plotline…what woman in her right mind is going to go out of her way to help someone who is vicious and persistently tries to sabotage her & her fledgling business? The answer, of course, is no one; that’s what really renders this book a full blown dud.

A veritable truckload of abhorrent characters, a painfully obvious murderer, and an amateur detective who spends all of her time serving as a hapless victim to the bullies surrounding her are the essential elements that make this a very tiresome read.

Unless you are an absolute glutton for punishment, avoid this one.

Keeley Carpenter has a lot on her plate at the Yoga Café in Belfrey, England. The mayor of the village has been murdered, her difficult mother has just arrived in the village, and her boyfriend, local detective Ben Taylor, suspects the mayor's girlfriend and Keeley's nemesis, Raquel, of the murder. Keeley isn't so sure about that. While she doesn't care for Raquel, she can't actually see her as the murderer. Meanwhile, Ben is determined to stop Keeley from investigation on her own, but Keeley just can't stop what comes naturally - - until there's another death. Balance at the Yoga Café is soon shattered, and it might take more than a few yoga poses to help Keeley find the murderer.

This charming, cozy mystery has it all: eccentric characters, a likable heroine, and enough twists and turns to keep mystery readers turning page after page. The inclusion of the cafe's recipes and a few yoga poses just adds to the fun.

This review was written by me and originally published by City Book Review

More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com

Keeley Carpenter moved back to her hometown in the midst of a murder case that she was unknowingly connected with, and now she is involved in another. She has fulfilled her dream of starting to build a yoga business, along with opening a vegetarian cafe. Both are successful, and she has found a wonderful boyfriend. Life seems like it is going well, and then the mayor is murdered. And Keeley was one of the last to see him alive, arguing with his girlfriend. Now, another member of the community has been murdered, and the town wants a resolution. Once again, Keeley is being drawn into this case, even though she tries to stay away: her friend is asking her to find out information; her boyfriend is the Detective Constable; her cafe is a gathering spot for locals who gossip. Will Keeley be the one to solve the case, or will the police figure it out first? I confess: I just grabbed this book at the library while chasing after my son. I practice yoga, and I needed a lighter read. And I found it was a kind of typical mystery. It was light, but I also got annoyed with it. Mysteries are not my genre, and this one just bugged me for the fact that a girl who has no police background was the one the townspeople were going to for help with the investigation. Also, the death wasn't even at her cafe! And the love story part annoyed me, too. Also not my cup of tea. But, if you want a quick read that isn't gory, this would be a choice.½

A Death at the Yoga Café by Michelle Kelly is the second book in A Keeley Carpenter Mystery series. Keeley Carpenter is the owner of Yoga Café in Belfrey, England which serves vegetarian fare. The space used to be her father’s butcher shop before he passed away. Keeley lives in the apartment above the shop and she teaches yoga in her spare time. Keeley is listening to Duane moan about the loss of his girlfriend, Raquel (broke up with Duane to date Gerald Buxby, the local mayor) when her friend, Megan comes in. Megan is assisting with the Belfrey Art Festival. They are asking local shop owners to let artists display their work. Megan wants Keeley to host Suzy’s work. Keeley agrees despite Suzy’s negative attitude and expression. Their discussion is interrupted by an argument in front of the café between Gerald and Raquel (which perks up Duane). After the hubbub settles down, Keeley’s critical mother, Darla arrives for a visit (early). Keeley is grateful to escape for a relaxing evening with her boyfriend, DC Ben Taylor. Unfortunately, their night is interrupted when Ben is called out on a case. Keeley later finds out that Gerald was found stabbed in his home. Raquel ends up being the prime suspect because of their public spat. Ben asks Keeley to stay out of the investigation. Keeley tries to comply, but Raquel asks for Keeley to help in clearing her name. Keeley manages to stay one step ahead of Ben (much to his frustration). Then Edna, Gerald’s longtime housekeeper, is found dead after Keeley talked with her. Keeley has stumbled upon some information that the killer does not want to come to light (at least not yet). Will Keeley be able to clear Raquel’s name without falling victim to the killer? Will Keeley regret letting Suzy display her work at the Yoga Café?

A Death at the Yoga Café may be the second book in the Keeley Carpenter mystery series, but it can be read alone. The author summarizes the first book and provides the needed background information on Keeley. The novel is easy to read and has interesting characters. I also enjoyed the beautiful setting (I love books set in England). I give A Death at the Yoga Café 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery was not complicated and could be solved early in the novel. One word gave away the identity of the culprit. I wish authors would put as much work into the mystery as they do the zany characters (like Mega and Suzy) they include in their books. The whole point of a cozy mystery is the mystery (they are not supposed to be gory, but they can be hard to solve). I had a hard time relating to Keeley. I think I need to be younger (or into yoga). Keeley has self-confidence issues (many doubts). Of course, her overly critical mother did not help. I did not understand why Keeley felt compelled to help Raquel. She states it is because she did not want to see an innocent person go to jail. Would you help your nemesis? Would you be willing to die for your arch rival? At the end of each chapter is a yoga post, definition, method, benefits, and contraindications. I wish they had not been at the end of every single chapter. I found it disrupting to the flow of reading. Some information is repeated frequently throughout the book. Examples are about the mayor’s housekeeper, the case, Ben’s wish to get a promotion, Ben wanting Keeley to stay out of the case, and information about Keeley’s mother. These are just a few examples. Do authors think readers are forgetful? I will not be continuing with this series. It is just not the right cozy mystery series for me.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. This did not effect my opinions of the book or the review itself.

There was a lot to like about this cozy mystery. As a vegetarian who meditates and likes yoga, having the protagonist be a woman opening up a vegetarian cafe/yoga studio was pretty fantastic. There were meditation tips at the end of most of the chapters, which was great as well.

And the ending! The ending had a twist I did not see coming, which always makes me happy, and the buildup was well-done. The setting of this story really came alive as well, as did the various characters. The one main "mean girl" did come across as somewhat one note, but the other characters felt well fleshed out.

The only real negative I can think of centered around the romance. I really enjoyed the love interest and their slow burn, but I felt that Kelly's writing got a bit hokey and cliched whenever it came to describing the more romantic elements of the story.½

Loved this book from the beginning to the end. Extremely well written and enjoyable.in a voyeuristic way. The characters were so well-rounded I really felt I was getting to know them throughout the novel; at times you like them then dislike them and so on. The ending dawned on me like an epiphany and kept me hooked until the very last sentence. A sad fictional novel that reflects the news we watch daily.

This book follows the lives of Lucy Wyatt (formerly Randall), her ex-husband Ethan, her teenage son Ricky and DI Matt Winston, following the release from prison of Terry Prince. Eight years ago, when he was just fourteen, Prince took Lucy and Ethan's three year old son, Jack, and murdered him. This book looks at the repercussions his release has on the family and the police officer who helped to catch him.

This is a very good read. It wasn't what I expected as I thought it would be more of a crime thriller, but it's more a story of family dynamics and how they dealt with something that has such far-reaching consequences for their lives.

It's a well-written story, with interesting perspectives and good characterisations. I enjoyed reading it and there were a couple of nice twists in it which I didn't see coming.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing a copy for review.

Enjoyed - nothing fabulous though. Boys would probably enjoy this book. Recommend for intermediate/senior primary.