Betty RowlandsRecensioni
Autore di A Little Gentle Sleuthing
Recensioni
This is a blend between a cozy/cosy read and a typical English village murder. But it works,it doesn't sound too simplistic, the characters are not overly "vaudeville"and people do more than drink tea and have a chat with the vicar.
And then,an English(Cotswolds I think) village in the winter is always a bit of a winner.
I've read later books about Melissa Craig but never knew how it all began. She was a crime novelist with a good life but wanted to get away from the city and a smothering sort of boyfriend now that her son was not only out of house, but working in the states. The first week she meets an older neighbor and shortly that neighbor finds a body in the garden. A young news reporter talks her into helping him look into some inequities in the the story, and the story goes on to more intriguing and dangerous things ending with a total blindsiding. Loved it!
Joan Walker gives a fine performance as narrator.
Not quite Christie, but I'll read more in the series
.
PLOT OR PREMISE:
A mystery writer moves to the country to find some peace and quiet in her life and for her writing.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
The feel is very much an Agatha Christie-style small village with priests, neighbours and a local mystery, with a body dropping shortly after things get settled.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The romance side doesn't work, as it's hard to get a feel for the lead character's age…one minute she seems like a woman in her late 50s and the next she seems like a girl in her early 20s. Worldly, calm, centred and then naïve, unsure, flighty. The ex and her son seem superfluous, and some of the other characters are a bit superficial with their secrets wildly apparent long before they are "revealed". She isn't as bumbling as, say Stephanie Plum, but she's hardly Miss Marple either, or even Jessica Fletcher. But they are minor complaints for a rich world and sense of Christie mystery.
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.
My rating 3.5 Stars
If you enjoy cozy mysteries set in a nice little village, before the age of cell phones and modern policing, then you may very well find Murder in the Morning to your liking. This story is the second in the Melissa Craig series. I enjoyed the first story, which allowed me to get to know the primary character, as well as a few others.
In this entry, Melissa is currently working on her next novel, but is also enjoying a new teaching job. She is happy where she moved a while ago and has found some good friends. However, a colleague has been murdered and Melissa gets involved - in more ways than one. There are several suspects immediately, yet Melissa develops a relationship with one of them, with a firm conviction that he could not possibly be the murderer.
Although cozy mysteries are generally easy reads, I did not find myself as engaged in this book as much as I was with the first one. It is not that there is anything wrong with story, it just plodded along. I did feel that Melissa was a bit reckless in trusting the primary suspect, but it was a relief when others cautioned her. The mystery itself is well done, especially as there are things about the victim that are revealed. I indeed was able to be surprised at the ending.
I will continue on in this series, because it is a nice break from some of the tough psychological thrillers that I read. As noted above, this is a reprint. I do look forward to the next release in this series. It can be read as a standalone, but I think if you want to know Melissa well, then reading the series in order might be beneficial.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Murder at Hawthorn Cottage, the first book in this absolutely unputdownable series, will publish in August, with the next eleven books to following monthly intervals.
Melissa Craig, a successful crime novelist, has just moved to a countryside cottage in the village of Upper Benbury. Not only does she receive a worrisome phone call almost immediately upon arriving, a shocking discovery is made: that of the bones of a young woman. As a seasoned crime writer, her desire to solve the murder takes over, especially when prodded along by a local journalist.
Murder at Hawthorn Cottage is a curious mystery that captivated my interest from the very start. I have always loved amateur detectives and Melissa joins those ranks marvelously. This cozy mystery was very well-written and is a teriffic beginning to the series and is also a very quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed the danger and surprising twists in this story, as well as the unexpected humor. It is always a pleasure when publishers can revive classics of this sort. I truly look forward to devouring the rest of the series.
Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC to review in exchange for an honest opinion.
The first body might have been an accident, perhaps even the second, but the third was clearly murder. Even due diligence had a hard time finding adequate admissible evidence, and ferreting out the right killer was even harder considering all the lies and misdirection! A truly twisty mystery that kept my nose to the page!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
Talk about twisty! At first, there's just the insistent local doctor who says that the rural death was not simply an accident. Then there's the missing girl whose vanishing too closely mimics another case on the same footpath twenty years ago. Then an unsuspecting motorist finds a decaying hand/arm under a pile of rubble at a lay by. Lots of work for the team, but all the due diligence seems to go around in circles as the mystery keeps unfolding. Along the way Sukey reconnects with her neighbor's journalist son and he is able to be useful to the investigations. Excellent!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
About that title. The first victim is the supercilious author that the partnering DCs observed at the local library along with a woman who loudly vocalized that she wanted the author dead. A few days later the author was dead in her own bath. This whole mystery is full of misdirection, red herrings, twists, due diligence and investigation misjudgments. Fascinating! Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
The first incident seems like a nonstarter but turns into a complex investigation with ties to the drug trade. In the course of due diligence Sukey meets some interesting folks as well as some rather wispy clues. Then there are the tattoos. The other case is that of a dismembered corpse found here and there on the beach with no indication of identity or when she was murdered. The clues in this case are found serendipitously and the first questions are at least partially answered by investigating a gruesome clue found by another innocent. Personal danger seems to follow Sukey even as she takes leaps of disconnected logic to come too close to the truth.
I loved this book and this addictive series!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
In the first case she is called to a hotel where a guest was stabbed, a historical artifact stolen, and there are odd circumstances as well especially involving a professor. Many other oddities surface, there are problems with her immediate superior, the professor's sister is somewhat fragile and believes that her brother is a murderer. And then things really get complicated! The publisher's blurb gives a good intro, and no spoilers here. I enjoyed it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
***** I truly enjoyed it! But I was surprised that the term SOCO was out of fashion and the designation used is CSI. Sukey is a forensic evidence collector with a somewhat hidden relationship with a DI in her precinct, and this makes for some interesting problems. The main mystery is pretty much covered by the publisher's blurb but there's a lot of twists and deliberate red herrings, especially those involving deceptions by the principals in the case. Well written and rather brain grabbing!
Sukey Reynolds is photographing the scene of a burglary at Burwell Farm for the police, when she finds herself drawn to the crumbling building and peaceful surroundings. Burwell Farm doesn’t grow crops or raise animals, but as a retreat, the owners do make some extraordinary claims about healing the soul…
But before Sukey can get too intrigued, she’s called to another break-in at the house of a young widow, whose husband spent a great deal of time at… Burwell Farm. Sukey starts to wonder if there is something more sinister going on behind the perfectly manicured lawns…
After her police colleagues refuse to take her suspicions seriously, Sukey decides the time has come to do some sleuthing on her own. But who is the thorn in the rose garden? Is it the beautiful receptionist, the gardener with a secret to hide, or perhaps the leader who inspires such devotion?
Then someone is murdered in the garden of Burwell Farm while she is there and Sukey realizes she has landed herself in deep water. Can Sukey solve the mystery that has blighted this stunning house? And can she catch the killer before they turn on her?
A completely addictive murder mystery for fans of P.D. James, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis that will have you hooked from the first page!
This book was previously published as Touch Me Not.
I wasn't super thrilled by this book. The characters fell flat, the mystery wasn't really there for me, and there were also a bunch of grammatical and spelling errors that kept me from getting hooked.
*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
The publisher's blurb is kind of sneaky and a bit of a misdirection. There's also a much younger fiancee who has been told things by the victim that cause her to accuse the daughter as well as the daughter accusing the other woman because of misinformation she was given by the victim. If you think that sounds messy,wait until you get a little further into the book! And then there are issues between Sukey and her rather bossy nonresident significant other who is also a DI in her precinct. Lots of twists and red herrings round out this astounding cosy! Wish I could claim that the review is unbiased, but I really love this series and this one is no exception.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
A brilliant entry specialist who is also a wine distributor, his associates who remove the targeted items, the only woman he has come to love but turns out to be police, an opportunistic set of burglars, and an international crime lord drive the action. On the other side is the law including civilian Scenes Of Crime Officer Sukey Reynolds who is a ringer for the other woman. Let the body count begin. This tale is very convoluted and the tension rises with each new body. Excellent!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
Sukey is a civilian Scene of Crime Officer and is called to photograph at an estate, first to a barn arson and then to a break in at the manor house. At the house, things are disordered but it's hard to determine what's missing because the lady of the house is still sleeping following last night's party. Only she's not sleeping. Sukey finds the body. She has to do her job, but the deceased is the woman Sukey's husband left her for. The whole thing is a monstrous mess and just keeps getting worse! It really is a gripping mystery and I really had to keep reading until finished!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
It was unwise of me to begin this book in late afternoon because it held me to the pages until I finished it ! The publisher's blurb is a good set up, and then it starts to unfold its diabolical twists and red herrings. Great new series that does indeed seem addictive!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
I was given this book by NetGalley. This book review is my opinion and is not influenced by the publisher, author or NetGalley.
Even though this is part of the series, I had not read any of the others in The Melissa Craig books. I didn't feel like it mattered that there were 11 books before this, I was able to connect with the characters and the story quite easily. The author, Betty Rowlands, has a gift with words. She is able to build well-rounded characters. She also was able to develop details with descriptions so I was able to see the story in my mind as I went along.
Moving into their new home, Melissa Craig and her husband have begun to settle, until Melissa discovers that her neighbor, who raises bees, was stung to death. When a second member of the household died in the same manner, Melissa feels she needs to investigate as to why the bees seem to swarm to specific persons. Is there foul play or is it nature doing what it does.
The story will pull you in until you have answers.
I recommend this book to those who like mysteries.
The mystery writer and her new literary agent husband are back from the honeymoon and settling in to their new digs. The newly remodeled adjoining cottage is where her mother resides following surgery to remove the brain tumor. The three are acclimating to the village and it's inhabitants when an odious near neighbor dies under peculiar circumstances and the widow suddenly clings to Melissa for support and help. And then things really get messy! Everyone knows Melissa is a mystery writer and too many of them expect her to become involved, much to her husband's disgruntlement. Even her mum seems to feel a need to get involved. But when things get too odd Melissa runs things past a former police inspector who passes the info on to the local. There are some credible suspects, vicious gossips, strange entanglements, and it's all tied up in a grand whodunit!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
Sylvia needs to get herself back together following surgery for a brain tumor, and while waiting for needed work on her mystery writer daughter's new home she is temporarily ensconced in a pricey retirement home. Sounds boring, eh? Not when first a small dog and then its rather nasty owner are poisoned! Who was this old lady and why would someone in the home want to eliminate her? Sylvia knows the means and opportunity, and seems to be the only one interested in finding out the motive and who. Let the sleuthing begin! Enjoy!!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
This is the tenth book in the Melissa Craig series, but can be read as a standalone. Melissa is a well-drawn character as are the other characters. The book is well-written and moves along at a fast pace. Most readers will be hard pressed to put the book down because they know there’s another twist on the next page or two. For readers who prefer their mysteries cozy, this is the book for them. If cozies aren’t your cup of tea, pick this book up, you’re sure to fall in love with Melissa as she tries to solve her father’s murder, and you might even be tempted to find book one in the series.
The mystery writer, the bossy tycoon with a henchman and two adorable guard dogs and two women strongly interested in him, a chance to write a simple mystery play and watch it performed at a local posh historic hotel, and what seems to be an accidental death of a man who turns out to be more than he seemed. That's the beginning, but there is a whole lot more and the reader gets to come across clues along with the mystery writer much to the disgruntlement of her friends and the local CID man. It was great fun trying to figure out who was up to no good when evidence was sorely lacking and to follow the twists and red herrings! Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
The setting is in sleepy town not far from London and the author uses a number of slang that had me in stitches as they don’t mean the same thing in the USA. The main character is in her forties, but I kept on picturing someone much older and a bit more proper. While it took a bit for the mystery part of the story to unfold, once it did, I found the plot had the right amount of intrigue and twists and turns to keep your interest. The cast of characters had a variety of expected and unexpected including a rector, his prude wife, an eccentric neighbor, a young zealous reporter, and numerous quirky villagers.
The book had the feel of classic Agatha Christie books and fans of hers will find this series delightful.
Questo sito utilizza i cookies per fornire i nostri servizi, per migliorare le prestazioni, per analisi, e (per gli utenti che accedono senza fare login) per la pubblicità. Usando LibraryThing confermi di aver letto e capito le nostre condizioni di servizio e la politica sulla privacy. Il tuo uso del sito e dei servizi è soggetto a tali politiche e condizioni.
The bones of a young woman who had disappeared about two months earlier are found in the woods near Melissa's cottage and she joins with a young journalist to find out the truth behind the murder, on the pretext of researching things for her latest novel. Her journalist friend is full of ideas on how to involve Melissa more deeply in the investigation.
Her research takes her to a ladies daytime strip club, a beauty salon, and eventually to confront the murderer, although she doesn't realise until nearly too late who he is.
Whenever in doubt she thinks about what her sleuth in her books would do.
In the meantime another local is murdered, and Melissa makes friends with a vegetarian living next door.