Grace Kelly can’t escape the draws of Emerald Bay; the sweeping cliffs, the sparkling sea… and her gorgeous new flatmate. The problem is, she has to keep him a secret from her family. And she isn’t the only one in the village with something to hide this summer…
Grace really needs someone to help cover the rent for her London flat, but Christopher Dorrance? Everyone in the little Irish village of Emerald Bay knows about the feud between their families, though no one knows how it started. But, both being in a tight spot, they try and make it work, swearing to tell no one back home. Until a mutual friend and her son in the bay are left homeless after a storm. Grace and Christopher must head back to Ireland to help… together. As they flesh out their idea to raise money for their friend with a village charity concert, Chris’s blue eyes light up. Even though they have to hide out for every planning session, and after all her father has said about the Dorrances, Grace can’t believe how kind he is. Soon sparks are flying as they laugh together, chasing dairy cows from a field to set up the stage. Could Chris be more than just a flatmate? But their hopes that a good cause will soften the hostility between their dads are dashed. The two men still argue constantly. And with a happy future for their friend depending on the concert running smoothly, the truth behind the feud threatens to come out and destroy everything…
Could the events of the past destroy any chance of a future for Chris and Grace? Or, if Grace follows her heart, could she finally heal the rift between their families?
My Review: This is the second book I read in the Little Irish Village series and it was the right book at the right moment. I needed some escapism, a good and honest enemy to lover story, and a lovely setting. There’s also a very funny pet but you have to read this book to know more. I had fun, rooted for the characters, and had some good time in reading this heartwamring and cute story. Even if it’s the 4th book in the series it can be read as a standalone but, beware, this series can be addictive. 4.5 upped to 5 Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.
Saxford St Peter is having an open gardens day! But one of the villagers has murder, not marigolds, in mind… And now Eve Mallow needs to unearth a killer.
Everyone in Saxford is delighted when jeweller Cleo Marbeck suggests a prize for the village’s best garden. Flowers are planted, grass is cut, and the competition is on. But the event only digs up dirt… Twenty-five years ago, a young woman fell to her death in Cleo’s house, and rumours soon resurface about Cleo’s part in the tragedy. Eve’s best friend Viv is hosting Stevie, her son’s fiancée, ahead of the wedding. On the open garden day, Stevie has a horrible flashback: the memory of a woman lying at the bottom of a staircase. But she sees it in a totally different house from the one where Honor died… Hours later Cleo’s body is found, drowned in her own pond. Almost everyone in Saxford has been in and out of her garden, sowing suspicion everywhere. But Eve is convinced the flashback has triggered the crime… and when the police turn their sights on Stevie, she’ll have to work fast to solve the case and save the wedding. So who wanted Cleo in the ground? The son of the woman who died, out for revenge? The employee passed over for promotion? Her long-term lover, who she refused to marry? And why do so many suspects live on Meadowsweet Grove? When someone else takes a tumble downstairs, Eve knows she’s close to grubbing up the truth. But can she catch the killer or is she heading for a fatal fall?
My Review: There’s always something new and exciting, like a character, a happy event, or something in Eve’s life. This is one of my favorite aspects, as each book is better than the previous and very entertaining. The start of this book add something my bucket list, as I love gardening and view an open garden day in an English village as paradise on Earth. It would be better if no-one is murdered but, as this is a mystery, it’s part of the game and finding the culprit is what you expect. Eve will investigate, write an obituary, and the balance of the universe will be reestablished at the end of the story. Another whodunit with plenty of secrets, twists, red herrings, and a very satisfying solution.. Another novel by Ms Chase that kept me reading till late in the night. Read it and have fun. Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations. Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award. Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium. As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books. You can find Clare’s website and blog at http://www.clarechase.com
This is a common review of these two mysteries as I read one after the other and there’s an interesting character’s arc. I’m not a fan of Freya. As soon as she appears she starts to insult anyone who’s not an early bird because she can’t understand how they can spend daytime in bed. I’m a night owl and this marks the beginning of our rocky relationship. That said Freya slowly changes and we go from a stubborn and not very empathic character to one who’s more soft and ready to understand people around her. The mysteries are well developed and kept me turning pages. They require some suspension of belief but they’re well done and the twisty and gritty plots kept me hooked. I think that the second is better as we do not know why Freya is disliked by part of the small town and what is really happening when she’s being shunned by parts of the inhabitants and this is a sort of mystery in the mystery even if you know if you read the blurb. Freya’s a good leader and I liked the member of her team, Candy and Brad, and Esther, the woman who acted as Freya’s mother. There’s a lot of potential, well plotted thrillers and I had fun in reading both novels. The rating is 4.5 upped to 5 Recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for these arcs, all opinions are mine
Three Drowned Girls
When Freya Sinclair was a little girl, she had no idea what her parents were hiding in the basement of her childhood home…
After five years away from her hometown of Fawn Lake, Detective Freya Sinclair isn’t expecting a warm welcome from the people she’s sworn to protect. She became a detective to bring serial killers like her parents to justice, but the tight-knit North Carolinian community can’t see past her twisted roots. Minutes after stepping foot back home, the body of a dark-haired young girl is pulled from the river and Freya races to the scene. She’s determined to identify the child and finally prove herself, but before Freya even has a chance to search through missing persons, another girl is reported missing. Freya’s heart breaks at the sight of little Isa’s blonde ringlets and pristine soccer uniform in the photo her father clutches, but the look on his face says he doesn’t trust Freya. Does he think she’s just like her parents, or does he have a sinister secret of his own? But when another innocent girl is found drowned, Freya finds a white hair ribbon snagged on a branch, and instantly recognizes it as part of the soccer team uniform at the local school…
Two drowned girls. One daughter still missing. Can Freya save Isa before she becomes the third victim? Or has the killer already set their sights on Freya next?
One Liar Left
The one killer Detective Freya Sinclair never caught is back…
High up in the mountains of Clear Creek Forest, where mist clings to the pines, the bodies of Millie Woodward and Jolie Marin are discovered by their fading campfire. Could this be the work of the notorious Fawn Lake Killer? This forest was once his hunting ground. And Freya knows the tattered, red woolen scarf wound tightly around Jolie’s neck is hiding his chilling MO. Her throat has been cut.
The one case Freya has never solved has haunted her for years. She knows the Fawn Lake Killer is organized, that he never leaves any DNA. But why did he stop, and why has he resurfaced now? Before she can even search the forest, Freya makes a heart-breaking discovery in her own backyard: the body of Annaliese Nowland, her long blonde hair fanned out in the tall grass. Annaliese’s tongue is missing. Freya knows it’s a message: he’s silencing these women. And taunting Freya. Working day and night to make a connection, Freya finally uncovers the missing puzzle piece: a photograph of all three victims in high school together. But there’s a fourth woman in the photo, her face turned slightly away from the camera. Freya must track her down before it is too late. Freya won’t let the past repeat itself. Did these women die because of her failure, or is she overlooking a vital clue that points to someone close to home? Freya must face her demons if she’s going to stop this predator taking another innocent life. But he’s one step ahead. And he’s coming for her…
Sara’s eyes fill with tears as she reads the letter, her last words from her dearest friend: ‘I’m buying you your freedom. You don’t need to ask your husband’s permission and you have to put yourself first for once. Have an incredible adventure before it’s too late for both of us…’
Sara has lost her zest for life. Trapped sharing a house with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, with grown-up children who still need her but take her for granted, working in a job where her boss bullies her, the final straw is the heartbreak of losing her beloved best friend Lainey. But Lainey’s death could be the beginning of Sara’s new life… as the last gift Lainey gives to her friend is a sum of money and a request: that Sara travels to Italy, the scene of the pair’s youthful adventures, and scatters Lainey’s ashes on the beach at Portofino. For once, Sara decides to be brave. She quits her job, tells her family they can manage without her, and sets off on the trip of a lifetime. Swept up by new friends and relishing the freedom of being away from home in beautiful Florence, Sara finds herself drawn to Carlo. Handsome and charming, he is everything Sara finds it so hard to be: carefree, impulsive, living in the moment without worrying about the future. And then Sara sees something she shouldn’t… and discovers a secret about Carlo that makes her question everything she thought she knew. Stuck at a crossroads in her life and her travels, she can’t face returning home yet, but nor is she brave enough to continue the challenge that Lainey set her. And then she meets an English woman who tells her about an apartment in Rome, that could just be the answer to everything… Return to the sunny streets of beautiful Rome with this heart-warming and romantic story about discovering your true path in life. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Elin Hilderbrand and Sheila O’Flanagan.
Kerry Fisher is a million-copy bestselling author. She writes women’s contemporary fiction, is a USA Today bestseller and her books have been translated into twelve languages. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent several years living in Spain, Italy and Corsica. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She lives in Surrey with her husband, and a naughty Lab/Schnauzer called Poppy, who joins in the huge dances of joy when her young adult children come home. http://www.kerryfisherauthor.com/ https://www.facebook.com/kerryfisherauthor https://www.instagram.com/kerryfisherwrites/ https://twitter.com/KerryFSwayne
Lainey’s last letter was a gift and a guilt trip rolled into one.
A gift on many levels, including written confirmation that I was her best friend. Even in these circumstances, I was delighted to note that her university friend Angela hadn’t beaten me to first place, with the hand-tied posies from her garden and her ‘tone’ with the hospice nurses, as though she alone knew what Lainey needed. Petty considerations aside, I hadn’t known what to expect when the solicitor had told me Lainey had left me a letter. I’d been surprised that my chaotic, spontaneous friend had been so organised and pragmatic about her last wishes. I could hear her voice, her words as my eyes flicked over her sentences. For the most part, her letter was the glorious summary of everything we’d done together, the recollections of one of those rare people who’d lived my history alongside me. The memories particular to someone I’d known long enough for her to have come on holiday with me and my parents. Who’d loved my guinea pig, Geronimo, who knew cheese was a sure-fire way to entice my old Labrador inside, who had the knack of the sharp kick to close our front door that swelled up in winter. The only person who could remind me about my misadventure on the fairground waltzers after too much candy!oss, our crush on the bingo teller at Butlin’s, Lainey’s ill-advised experiment at her eighteenth birthday party with Galliano. Galliano! Who even drank that any more? I scanned her reminiscences, acutely aware that there were so many more days when we’d laughed and danced and lived. They were lost in time now, days that we didn’t know to treasure. We didn’t understand the recklessness of allowing life to fly past without pausing to commit those golden times to memory. We squandered joyful moments, letting them flutter away like fireflies, glittering against a night sky. Instances when we should have noted the heat of the summers that seemed to last forever, the euphoria of laughter that reached peak hysteria whenever my mum told us to go to sleep. Loss obscured the warmth of the occasions she listed. When Lainey had died, people had often told me to take solace in my memories. What they forgot to tell me was that the good times smile innocently, presenting a veneer of comfort, but get too close, try to hug them too tightly and they explode in your heart. It had taken me several attempts to read all the way through, the sight of her sloping writing transporting me to school, when she’d practised her ‘married’ name to a variety of different boys on her exercise books. My eyes skimmed over the funny stuff until I reached the purpose of her letter. So it’s up to you now to recreate the summer of ’84. Not the concert at Wembley, obviously, though I’m always up for a burst of Nik Kershaw’s ‘I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’. I breathed out, feeling the phantom weight of Lainey swaying on my shoulders, arms high above her head in the afternoon sun. Eighteen years old, just finished school, the whole summer ahead of us. We thought we’d live forever. It’s all on you now. I want you to take me to Italy. I know this might be a big ask, but I’m hoping that enough time has elapsed that you won’t hate me for forcing you back there. Who knows, you might even lay to rest some ghosts of your own (while releasing mine – win, win!). I’m not going to suggest you return to Rome… that might be a stretch even for someone as loyal as you, but I’ve become quite taken with the idea of ending up in the sunshine on the Italian coast. Going in a box wasn’t quite what I had in mind, but it feels like a fitting tribute to the best summer of my life. Do you remember sitting by the harbour in Portofino listening to that guy play Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’ on his guitar? Then his cousin invited us onto the yacht where he was a chef while the owners had gone ashore for the day? That day was one of those experiences that encouraged us to shed a bit of who we were, to let go of the rules that had de!ned us until then and to glimpse who we might be now we were free to choose. We’d eaten lobster, smoked Lucky Strikes, flirted and felt as though we were destined for something big. I’d never felt so cool or bohemian before. Or since, probably. We promised ourselves we would come back in the next century – it seemed soooo long until the year 2000 when we’d be thirty-four. Thirty-four! Ancient to us then. And then we never made time for it. Should have told everyone – my work, your family – they’d have to manage without us for a month. So here it is. Twenty thousand pounds. I’m buying you your freedom, my love. You don’t need to ask for Declan’s blessing. You just have to give yourself permission to put yourself first for once. The twins can wash their own pants for a few weeks. Get me to Portofino and let me loose into the sea. I kind of like the prospect of wafting about in the waves, travelling to the far corners of the earth ad infinitum. I think the afternoon we ended up on that yacht was one of the standout events of that century. Lainey and Sara living it large! I’m not sure I’d ever drunk champagne before. And that beach at San Fruttuoso with the monastery built right on the sand – no one there, just us, the chef and his cousin and a motorboat that wouldn’t start… Great memories, my friend. We had no idea what life held for us then, did we? Or how flaming short it would be! You go and live for me, my darling. Have an adventure for both of us before it’s too late. But don’t simply take me back to Italy. Use the opportunity to go where the music takes you, to live freely for a while and let your heart breathe. Con amore, see you on the other side, my friend. My lifelong friend. (Such a bummer that lifelong was nowhere near as long as we’d envisaged!) Lx
A gift of a letter. A homage to our friendship. A written record of the love that existed between us. And a guilt trip because I kept putting off the day when I’d gather my courage to go on a journey with Lainey for one last time.
1922: Amateur sleuth Mabel Canning is surrounded by the bright lights of London as she chaperones a young American woman to a dance. But when someone is murdered, a deadly tango begins…
Meet plucky woman-about-town Mabel Canning, leader of the London Ladies’ Murder Club and trusted assistant to gentlewomen. When she is tasked with accompanying Roxy, a fun-loving heiress, on a glamorous night out, Mabel can’t wait to sip champagne and practice the foxtrot. But just as Roxy sashays out of sight, a mysterious man warns Mabel that the feisty young redhead is in danger. And someone is dead before the music stops… Roxy was the last person to see the victim alive, and she stumbles into Mabel’s arms with her daffodil-yellow dress splashed with blood. Determined to protect her ward, Mabel gathers her dashing beau Winstone and her pals from the murder club. Together they trace the weapon back to the ballroom, but when its twin goes missing, it is clear time is running out to prevent another murder on the dance floor… The police conclude the killer is in Roxy’s family, but Mabel finds herself spinning between a motley troupe of suspects. Mr Bryars, the anxious ballroom manager, is constantly tripping over himself to hide his secrets. But would he kill to protect his reputation? And young Ned Kettle may have looked dashing while waltzing around with Roxy, but he was once a notorious thief. Is the sticky-fingered rogue also a dab hand at murder? Just as Mabel and her murder club friends quickstep closer to the truth, Roxy is kidnapped, and Mabel comes cheek to cheek with the killer. Can she save poor Roxy and herself? Or has she danced her last dance?
A delightfully witty and utterly addictive whodunnit absolutely bursting with 1920s sparkle, from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman, Verity Bright and T.E. Kinsey.
My Review: Mable and her friends are back and it was a one sitting novel, twisty and entertaining. This is one of my favourite historical mystery series, the time we met an American heiress, her complex family, and a murder that could or couldn’t be related to Roxy, the young girl being chaperoned by Mabel. There’s plenty of twists, there’s a complex family situation, a lot of possible culprits and red herrings. Ms Wingate delivers a very entertaining story and I love her attention to the details and her storytelling that never let the story drags. There’re changes in Mabel’s life, there something important and I look forward to read the next story because I want to understand what will happen. We also meet socially Lilian, the owner of The Useful Women agency, and learn about her past and private life. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and it’ highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookcouture, all opinions are mine.
Marty Wingate is a USA Today best-selling author of both mysteries and historical fiction. Marty enjoys weaving humor into her books and creating characters—from quirky and loveable to sinister and duplicitous—that leap off the page. Before embarking on her series about the London Ladies Murder Club with Bookouture, Marty published three contemporary cozy mystery series (the Potting Shed, Birds of a Feather, and First Edition Library books). She has also published two standalone books of historical fiction and found stories of the past to be compelling. She’s delighted to combine her penchant for both mysteries and histories to bring her readers more satisfying stories. Marty currently resides near Seattle, Washington. https://martywingate.com/ https://www.facebook.com/martywingateauthor/ https://twitter.com/martywingate/
Stunning views across the Grand Canal and a hotel suite fit for royalty… Lady Eleanor Swift is having a jolly good time on her Italian vacation, until a gondola ride is cut murderously short!
1924: Lady Eleanor Swift has been on a grand tour around Italy for a month with her butler Clifford. Finally arriving in Venice, she’s thrilled to be attending the famous carnival: all that’s needed is the perfect bejewelled costume for her faithful bulldog, Gladstone. But on her first gondola ride to take in the sights, a passenger collapses into the canal with a knife sticking out of his back. Eleanor saw an argument break out between the gondolier and the victim, Councillor Benetto Vendelini, and it turns out they’re rivals from the city’s two great families. Vendelini’s murder is sure to reignite their centuries-long feud. While attending a glitzy ball that night, Eleanor learns of a plot to steal a precious family heirloom from the Vendelini household. Is the stolen item the key to solving this baffling murder? In this floating city of tiny winding alleyways, Eleanor traces the missing heirloom to an antiques dealer in a far-flung corner of town. But when her handbag is snatched by a cloaked thief, she realises the murderer is dangerously close. Can Eleanor unmask this most cunning of killers, before she joins the other victim at the bottom of the Grand Canal? An utterly gripping historical murder mystery set in Italy, full of intrigue and charming characters. Fans of T.E. Kinsey, Agatha Christie and Catherine Coles will be totally hooked by A Death in Venice!
My Review: This novel is an entertaining addition to this lovely series, a solid mystery and a love letter to Venice. I loved to see Venice through the eyes of someone in another time and with a different background. I visited Venice with locals and I still cherish the memories of the less known corners and the atmosphere. The band of Eleanor and her friend, Gladstone and Clifford plus the ladies, are in Venice during the Carnevale in 1924. There will be murders even if Eleanor is loving the city and what she sees and would prefer enjoy the city and Carnevale. There’s plenty of twists, feuds that go back in the century and a lot of surprising twists. The book kept me reading and I enjoyed the solution. The characters are well developed as usual and the solid and tightly knitted plot kept me reading till late in the night. I cannot wait to read the next one, highly recommended Many thanks Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Confident woman at office with laptop computer, mobile phone, and schedule notebook.Gradients, Blending tool, Clipping mask is used.
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers and… murder?
When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn’t love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead. The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit. Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral?
But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again?
My Review: This is a very entertaining series featuring likeable characters and a solid mystery. This instalment is my favourite as it kept me guessing and surprising with red herring and a high number of twists. There are new characters, Jess and Dylan, and there’s a lot of evolutions in the characters’ arc. I appreciated the descriptions of the settings, the lovely places but also how the authors deal with some characters who are less privileged. It’s a page turner and it will keep you hooked as you want to know who did it and why because any time you think “GOTCHA” something happens. Entertaining, well plotted, compelling. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats.
She can hear the faint lapping of waves nearby as she tries to open her swollen blue eyes. But all she can see is darkness, there is nothing but the suffocating sand that surrounds her. As her consciousness fades, she wishes she had never trusted him…
When Ruby Evans is abducted on her way home from volunteering at a nursing home in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Detective Casey White’s heart breaks for the inconsolable mother. Terrible memories flood back of when her own darling daughter was taken twenty years ago. Pushing her own pain aside, Casey vows to find Ruby and bring her home. After desperately searching the road where Ruby was last seen, Casey receives a letter from someone claiming to be the kidnapper. In cursive red letters, she is warned that she has less than twenty-four hours to find Ruby alive. And when forensics reveal the letter was written in blood, Casey knows this isn’t a hoax. Working around the clock, Casey is devastated when her team hit another dead end, and she’s shattered when Ruby’s body is discovered buried on the beach—she’s too late. Now looking for a twisted killer, Casey is shocked when she receives a call from an evil predator she put behind bars ten years ago. He says he knows who the killer is, and will help Casey in exchange for his freedom. Casey refuses, but when she receives another letter, she is forced to reconsider. Because the killer promises the next victim will be someone much closer to her, and the clock is ticking.
With only hours left, Casey has to decide if she’s prepared to free one evil monster to catch another, and if she doesn’t, will her loved ones pay the ultimate price?
My Review: It’s always hard to write something new or original when you are reviewing a novel in one of your favorite series because the strong points are those that make you read another instalment. There’s always something very original in this series, Casey and Jericho are a strong and well matched couple, and the setting is fascinating. This is fast paced, twisty and dark. There’s a sort very dark villain, almost a Casey’s Moriarty. There’s murders, someone who’s communicating via bottles and could endanger Casey’s family. Not a cosy or relaxing read but an adrenaline fuelled and fast paced. I enjoyed it and I can’t wait to read the next one. This one was a fast and entertaining read Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The Author: By day, B.R. Spangler pushes pixels, typing lines of code. When he’s not developing software, or elbows deep in hardware, he is writing stories, plotting thrillers, or reading. B.R. Spangler lives in Virginia with his wife and kids, as well as five cats, a parrot, a finch, a lizard.
A gorgeous island off the English coast, a beautiful hotel perched on the cliffs, a group of glamourous friends… and a suspicious death? Kitty Underhay’s invitation didn’t mention murder!
Spring, 1936. As the boat draws into the harbour of Bird Island, Kitty is absolutely delighted to see the stunning hotel for the first time. She and her friend Alice have been asked to join the distinguished guests before the hotel officially opens its doors, but they have barely unpacked when the owner is found dead in his own study… Sir Norman’s death looks like suicide. But Kitty isn’t convinced – she cannot find a note, and he is left-handed but was shot on the right side of his head. Kitty tries to reach the police, but a violent storm engulfs the island and the power goes out. Kitty and Alice need to move quickly before anyone else finds death on their dinner menu!
With several old friends amongst their suspects, Kitty decides the investigation should stay secret. But it’s not until Kitty uncovers Sir Norman’s financial difficulties that she’s on the killer’s trail. Can Kitty and Alice catch the culprit in time for tea, or will they become the next guests on the murderer’s list?
My Review: I’ve been reading this series since the first instalment and I can say this was the one that kept me reading and thinking about it. A hotel on a island during a storm, murder, Kitty and Alice on the island. There’s suspense, there’s fun and there’s a cast of well developed and interesting characters. Most of them could be the killer has they have motives to kill. Killy is the one to recognise it’s a murder and not a suicide, Matt and the policemen will arrive later and they will reveal a lot of surprising secretss. I was fascinated by the closed circle. It’s not a locked room even if the room is locked but it would have been great to read an impossible crime if there was no way to enter or exit the murdered man room. Ms Dixon delivers another entertaining story and a solid mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed and read it as fast as I could. This is the best in this series till the next one. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Helena Dixon splits her time between the Black Country and Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon. She now writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime. Nell enjoys hearing from readers and you can read her news and contact her via her website at http://www.nelldixon.com visit her blog at http://www.nelldixonrw.blogspot.com.
They came in the dark. They took her parents. And now she is the only one who can save them.
Hidden away in an isolated cabin on the edge of her farm, seven-year-old Aisling Connolly shivers as the cold night air whistles through her thin jacket. It’s been two days since the men came, since her mammy told her to run like she’d never run before, to not look back. She hasn’t seen her parents since. And she’s terrified. But when Aisling is finally found by the police, she knows instinctively she can trust Detective Tessa Burns. A former child-witness herself, Tessa understands what Aisling has been through, and that Aisling must remember everything she can about that terrible, dark night if she’s to save her parents. Something Tessa was unable to do for her own parents all those years ago.
As the little girl slowly starts to open up, Tessa uncovers much more than she’d bargained for – another murder, clearly a horrific warning to Aisling not to speak. But time is running out, and any hope of finding Aisling’s parents alive is rapidly fading. And Tessa must do everything in her power to ensure the little girl isn’t next…
Only the Children:
The little girl stares up at Tessa, trembling so hard her whole body shakes. Her brothers stand clutching her hands, both pale with shock. ‘They told us not to speak,’ she finally whispers. But the terror in her tear-filled eyes tells Tessa all she needs to know…
When a cargo ship runs aground off the Irish coast, the police are horrified to find the captain dead at the helm, the crew missing, and three little red-haired children, terrified but unharmed, locked in the galley kitchen.As an expert detective running a child-centred taskforce, Detective Tessa Burns is called in to lead the case. Despite Tessa’s best efforts, the children won’t reveal a thing – not even their own names. Slowly gaining their trust, Tessa uncovers a deadly secret about their past – and the mystery of their missing parents’ whereabouts – that turns everything she thought she knew on its head. But just as it seems she’s cracked the case, Tessa’s team is attacked one dark night, and the youngest boy is kidnapped yet again. It’s clear the children are still in terrible danger. And when another senseless killing sends shockwaves through her team, Tessa realises the murderer is someone much closer to home than they could have ever imagined. Will she be able to uncover the truth in time, or will it be too late for her, and, most devastating of all, for the children…?
My Review: This is a common review for both Little Witness & Only the Children. I love S.A. Dunphy’s thrillers and I always read them in one sitting as the fast paced and twisty stories kept me turning pages. A serious case of just-one-more-chapter and the books in the series are very high in my chart of books-that-caused-sleep-deprivation. I don’t feel any remorse for reading till 3 am as I wanted to know what was going to happen. i loved Tessa, Maggie, Danny and I think that Pavlov is a strike of genius as he’s the best way to reach the heart of children and reads. The characters are all damaged as they had to face a very hard life since a young age. Maggie is a great character and I’m happy to read about a kick-ass heroine who uses her wheelchair as a weapon. There’s a lot of darkness in these stories, there’s children who were abused or had to face horrible situations. The author never uses a pathetic tone and there’s a lot of empathy. I hope to read other stories soon as I love these two. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Shane Dunphy (S. A. Dunphy) was born in Brighton in 1973, but grew up in Ireland, where he has lived and worked for most of his life. A child protection worker for fifteen years, he is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including the number one Irish bestseller Wednesday’s Child and the Sunday Times Bestseller The Girl Who Couldn’t Smile. His bestselling series of crime novels (written under the name S. A. Dunphy) feature the criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his new series of true crime books written for Audible, has been critically acclaimed and the second title in the series, The Bad Place, is an Audible True Crime bestseller.
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