cozy mystery

Bookouture Blog Tour for Death in the Crypt by Fliss Chester

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I love this historical cozy mystery series so I was excited to receive the latest installment! In this one, Cressida and her sweet pug Ruby are solving a murder/theft mystery at an old church. It was pretty tricky to figure out and also fun along the way. Even those this is part of a series, I think you can read each title as a stand-alone.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is expecting the cathedral crypt to be full of dry old bones. But when she finds a body murdered just moments before, she’ll need divine inspiration to solve her most mysterious case yet…

Winchester, 1925. When heiress and amateur sleuth Cressida Fawcett is invited to her aunt’s mansion on Cloister Close, she is looking forward to a quiet stay in the historic town. The views of the cathedral are heavenly – and her aunt’s maid, Nancy, makes devilishly good ginger biscuits! But it seems Cressy and her pug Ruby won’t be allowed to rest in peace… On a tour of the crypt, they are shocked to stumble across the body of Anthony, the gentle, devoted verger. And a wild-eyed Nancy is standing over him, bloodied candlestick in hand…

Since Nancy was caught red-handed and the only other suspect is the Silent Friar, the legendary local ghost, Detective Andrewsof Scotland Yard thinks the case is closed. But Nancy swears she would never have killed Anthony; they were in love. And while Cressy may not believe in ghosts, she does believe Nancy. So, whose soul is full of murder most foul? And will they strike again?

As she digs through parishioner gossip, Cressy discovers that for a man of the cloth, the verger had a surprising number of enemies. Was a local antiques dealer driven to murder over an illegal trade in holy relics? Would the head bellringer kill to achieve his musical ambitions? Or is the saintly Dean, whose black-cloaked figure resembles the Silent Friar and whose wife recently drowned, hiding a deadly sin?

The cathedral conceals many secrets, and it seems Cressy will need a miracle to uncover the truth. But then Cressy finds a hidden passageway to the crypt. Is this how the murderer escaped? The sceptical police lack faith in her theories, but can she catch the killer and save Nancy from the hangman’s noose? Or will she be too late to prevent another funeral march?

A totally gripping and deliciously witty historical murder mystery with a gasp-out-loud reveal, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.

Author Bio:

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

https://www.instagram.com/flisschester

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Fliss Chester here: https://www.bookouture.com/fliss-chester

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CNTRG61Xsocial

A Country Wedding Murder by Katie Gayle

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

If you read me, you know I love the Julia Bird mystery series! Julia is middle-aged and always seems to be bumping into mysteries, but she isn’t annoying (like Jessica Fletcher) or as elderly as Miss Marple. And I love that she has her black lab in tow for her adventures.

This one focuses on her ex-husband’s wedding and a death that happens as part of the events. I did find the pacing of it a bit slower than in the former books, with more dialogue and less description and actions — but that could just be me. I didn’t do an analysis or anything, it was just my feeling as I read it. It was well-plotted and once again, I enjoyed reading about the characters of Julia’s small village!

Thank you for my review copy through Net Galley!

Here’s the scoop:

Description

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?

An utterly gripping, charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.

Bookouture Blog Tour for: Death on the Scotland Express by Fliss Chester

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I love the Cressida Fawcett cozy mysteries so I was thrilled to take part in Bookouture’s latest blog tour featuring the newest mystery by Fliss Chester. These stories are always well-plotted and fun to read. You can read them in order or individually as stand alones (always helpful!). Cressida is the type of person I’d like to be friends with — intelligent, intrepid, and funny!

Book Description:

Someone on board has a deadly destination in mind… can Cressida stop them before it’s too late?

After an eventful trip to the Scottish Highlands, Cressida Fawcett is looking forward to being back among her society friends in London. Enjoying an ice-cold martini in the lounge car of the express train, loyal pug Ruby on her lap, she’s ready to blow off some steam!

But Cressida’s hopes for a relaxing journey are dashed when a gunshot resounds through the carriages. Industrial tycoon Lewis Warriner has been shot dead in his cabin. And as this train has been racing through the countryside, the culprit must be among Cressy’s fellow passengers…

Teaming up with Detective Andrews of Scotland Yard, also on his way back to London, they work their way through the suspects. Did Warriner’s mistress, a famous dancer, see his death as her ticket on to the silver screen? Or was it the mysterious man who can’t take his eyes off Lewis’s close companion?

When the murder weapon is found in the compartment Mr Warriner’s wife occupies alone, she becomes the chief suspect. Until there’s another gunshot. When Cressida finds out that Andrews is hit, panic sets in, but she must try to stay calm.

But with her friend and co-investigator out of action, can Cressida get the journey, and the investigation, back on track? And will she catch the murderer before they reach their final destination?

Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss will absolutely love this addictive Golden Age cosy mystery.

Author Bio:

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

https://www.instagram.com/flisschester/

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Fliss Chester here: https://www.bookouture.com/fliss-chester

Buy Link: (Not affiliated with BBNB)

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CF2FHC6Rsocial

Thank you so much for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Double Murder at the Grand Hotel Miramare by Elena and Michela Martignoni

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I received an e-copy of this book to review from Kazabo Publishing. It was a quick and engaging read. I really liked the main character, Luigi Berté. He is the protagonist of several cozy mysteries and this is the first title to be translated from Italian into English. It has that beautiful flow of Italian still!

I enjoyed this one and I think you will, too.

Thank you for my review copy!

“Double Murder at the Grand Hotel Miramare” by Elena and Michela Martignoni

Length: 180 pages/67,000 words

Genre: Mystery / Cozy Mystery

Release Date: 7/11/23

Print ISBN: 978-1-948104-24-1

Price: $12.99

Ebook 978-1-948104-25-8

Price: $7.99

Description:

Ever since his punitive transfer to Lungariva, the sleepy village has quickly become the Cabot Cove of the Italian Riviera.

This time, Deputy Assistant Chief of Police Luigi Berté has to investigate a double murder in the Grand Hotel Miramare, Lungariva’s historic luxury hotel, playground for old nobility, international business tycoons, and polo players. But one of the guests is not what they seem and Berté has to work quickly before his suspects scatter to the four corners of the earth – with deadly results.

Set in the very real Grand Hotel Miramare in the village of Santa Margherita Ligure, this novel features Luigi Berté, one of the best-known characters in modern Italian fiction. Appearing in a dozen murder mysteries and counting, Berté, a truly unique Italian creation, is beloved for his quirky approach to solving crimes, his kibitzing conscience, and his love for good food. Double Murder at the Grand Hotel Miramare is the first of Berté’s adventures to be translated into English.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Sisters Elena and Michela Martignoni, who also write under the pen name Emilio Martini, have published a dozen novels featuring Deputy Assistant Chief of Police Luigi Berté as well as several historical novels. Their works have been translated into English, Spanish and German.

BOOK TRAILER: https://youtu.be/XMN5pe24hi0

Amazon link:  Not affiliated with BBNB

Reviews:

“Berté is not a genius, like Poirot. He is a bloodhound. He digs the dirt and immerses himself in the murder he is investigating.” Il Corriere della Sera

“An apparently perfect murder.” Milano Nera

“Luigi Berté is rationality forged with passion.”

  Sugar Pulp

“Luigi Berté is one of the most beloved protagonists in Italian noir.” Thriller Nord

“Filled with irony.” Mangia Libri

Bookouture Blog Tour for MURDER AT THE INN by Katie Gayle

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I love the Julia Bird mysteries, set in the Cotswolds with intelligent and thoughtful retiree Julia solving murders that happen on her doorstep. This one was fun as it centered on a trivia contest at a local pub. It kept me guessing! I do love these characters, including Julia’s cumbersome Black lab!

Thanks for my copy and for including me on the tour!

Book Description:

Julia Bird loves the village pub quiz, but it seems one of her team won’t make it to the next round alive…

On the first Tuesday of each month, Julia Bird and her Agatha Quizteam teammates take part in Berrywick’s village pub quiz. They take it seriously – what’s the point of playing, after all, if you aren’t in it to win it? But it seems someone connected with the quiz night has taken the competition to a whole new level when Lilian, the local police constable and all-round general knowledge expert, is found fatally stabbed after the evening’s final round.

With local DI Hayley Gibson stuck home with a broken leg and an incompetent Superintendent brought in from the nearby town, it’s up to Julia to make sure the investigation stays focussed – whether they like it or not! While the police are convinced that the murderer is linked to Lilian’s professional life, Julia turns her amateur sleuthing eye to suspects much closer to home. Perhaps Lilian’s personal life could have something to do with the dreadful crime?

When another quiz team member is attacked, Julia is finally put on the right track. But what could possibly be important – or dangerous – enough for two attendees of the pub quiz night to meet such foul ends over? Could the culprit really be among them on that busy Tuesday night? As Julia’s race to identify the killer ramps up to desperate heights, she wonders, where will the murderous spree end?

Perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands, Murder at the Inn is a brilliantly compelling English cosy mystery.

Author Bio:

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. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.

https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Katie Gayle here: https://www.bookouture.com/katie-gayle

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0C1KPSVX2social

Bookouture Blog Tour for: Death in the Highlands (a Cressida Fawcett Mystery) by Fliss Chester

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m thrilled to be part of the blog tour for Fliss Chester’s new historical cozy mystery DEATH IN THE HIGHLANDS, featuring her intrepid protagonist Cressida Fawcett. I love this series and have read them all! I love the time period (1920s) – it reminds me a bit of another series I adore: the Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen. Cressida is smart and fearless and funny, too. Plus she has a cute dog – what’s there not to like?

Here’s the scoop:

Book Description:

There’s a dangerous killer lurking by this loch… and only canny Cressida can track them down.

Scotland, June 1925.Socialite Cressida Fawcett has been invited to cast her interior design eye over the Stirling family’s new seat, Ayrton Castle, up in the Scottish Highlands. Thrilled to be spending the summer at the historic estate, Cressida fills her suitcase with this season’s hunting jackets – and some tartan for her little pug Ruby, of course!

But before the party is ready to tramp through the glens, shocking news puts paid to their plans. Hamish Glenkirk, former owner of Ayrton, has been found dead inside a turret room of the castle. The door was bolted from the inside, and the room is three storeys up, surrounded by impenetrable stone walls… How did the murderer get in? And out?

With Detective Andrews of Scotland Yard at least a day’s journey away, Cressida knows she needs to get to the bottom of this case – and fast. There’s no end of suspects among the hunting party. Could it be the local doctor whose wife left him for a fling with the now-dead laird? Or is the gamekeeper hiding secrets under his kilt?

Just as Cressida is closing in on the truth, a blood-curdling scream echoes through the mist. Another member of the party, and one of the suspects, has been shot. With a wee dram in hand, can Cressida find the killer before the bagpipes play for another victim?

An unputdownable and gripping cozy mystery which fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss will love.

Author Bio:

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

https://www.instagram.com/flisschester/

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Fliss Chester here: https://www.bookouture.com/fliss-chester

Buy Link: (not affiliated with BBNB)

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0BWYKCZWGsocial

Thanks for my galley and for making me part of the tour. I look forward to the next installment! Just a note that you do NOT have to read this series in order to enjoy it. Each title can be a stand alone as well.

Blog Tour for: The Kensington Kidnap by Katie Gayle

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m thrilled to take part in the Bookouture Books-on-Tour blog tour for The Kensington Kidnap. This was a great cozy mystery that I really enjoyed. I love the main character Pip, and I be thrilled to read more mysteries featuring her. She reminded me a bit of my favorite sleuth Agatha Raisin — sometimes fumbling, always intrepid, and laugh out loud funny!

This book was written by two authors, but the final product is seamless.

Highly recommended if you enjoy cozy mysteries! Thank you for making me part of the tour and for my kindle copy!

Here’s the overview:

A missing teenager, a mysterious cult and a case of mistaken identity – just another day’s work for Epiphany Bloom.

Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom is down on her luck. She can barely afford cat food, and just because Most has three legs doesn’t mean he eats any less. So she absolutely can’t afford to mess up her latest temp job. But when she walks through the door of the private investigation firm, her new boss mistakes her for a missing persons expert. He then charges her with finding Matty Price – the teenage son of two A-list celebrities – who has mysteriously disappeared from his home in Kensington.

It ought to be a disaster, but Pip reckons it’s actually an opportunity. She’s always been curious (nosy, her mother calls it) and has an uncanny knack for being at the wrong place at the right time (she doesn’t want to know what her mother thinks of that). After years of trying to find something she’s good at, has Pip managed to walk straight into the job she was born to do?

She owes it to herself and poor missing Matty to find out.

But searching for Matty takes Pip into the strange, intimidating world of the rich and famous. And it soon becomes clear that some of these people’s love for themselves doesn’t extend to their fellow humans.

As Pip investigates further, she realises the question isn’t whether Matty ran away – it’s whether Pip will find him alive and make it home safely herself…

An absolutely brilliant, light-hearted cozy mystery for fans of M.C. Beaton, T E Kinsey, Lauren Elliott and Joanne Fluke, featuring an irresistible new heroine.

Author Bio:
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. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet. 
https://twitter.com/KatieGayleBooks

Buy Links : These are not affiliated with BBNB Amazon: https://bit.ly/396HfGhApple: https://apple.co/33eKAi1Kobo: https://bit.ly/35pAIF0Google: https://bit.ly/2FobH1R

A Merry Murder by Kate Kingsbury

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I found this little gem on Net Galley — I was not familiar with this series of cozy mysteries set in an Edwardian hotel — and it was a delightful read! It was just what I needed to start thinking about the holidays (though the mystery was the main part of the story, not the holidays).

I will look for more by Ms. Kingsbury! Thank you for my copy!

Description

It is an Edwardian Christmas, and the Pennyfoot Hotel is all dressed up. But when one of the guests turns up dead, owner Cecily Sinclair Baxter realizes it is not only the Pennyfoot that is back in business—the hotel’s Christmas curse is, too…

The Pennyfoot halls are decked with boughs of holly, a magnificently decorated tree graces the lobby, and the hotel’s bookings are finally looking up. Owner of the Pennyfoot, Cecily Sinclair Baxter is in high holiday spirits until disaster strikes, threatening to ruin yet another Yuletide. Her chief housemaid Gertie McBride has found a man’s body in the hotel laundry room—with a woman’s scarf wrapped around his neck and a note in his pocket from the hotel’s new maid.

Cecily is determined to track down the culprit, but with multiple suspects icing her out of crucial clues, she realizes this killer may be more slippery than most. With Christmas right around the corner, it is up to Cecily to prevent this holiday season at the Pennyfoot from turning out more fatal than festive.

The Dead Ringer by M. C. Beaton

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

 

cover147351-medium.png

Description

 

 

I love all the Agatha Raisin books and this one was particularly good. It’s funny but I feel like this installment, as compared to the most recent one, had a different tone to it, and it was more like the tone of the earlier Agatha Raisin books. Sometimes the jocularity can be a bit overdone and the characters seem caricaturist, but not in this one. Agatha has her issues – with romance, men, and jealous women – and she is as cranky as ever, but she’s not as irascible as she’s been in the past few novels. The storyline with her and Charles is heating up again as well.

I love the Acorn tv series and may have to purchase Acorn so that I can get it more easily (along with other awesome British series — the Brits just do television better than we do in the States!).

If you enjoy Agatha, don’t miss The Dead Ringer!

Thank you for my review e-copy!

The Corpse at the Crystal Palace by Carola Dunn

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

1the corpse at crystal palace cover.jpg

When I discovered this title on Net Galley, I had never heard of Daisy Dalrymple and this absolutely delightful cozy mystery series that takes place in England in the 1920’s. I love the cast of characters in this novel, which includes more than just the intrepid Daisy, but also her friends and children. While this is part of a series, it can certainly stand alone (it did for me!). I will definitely go back and read earlier installments in this well-written and plotted series; and I will look forward to new ones.

Thank you for my review copy! Description is below and a bit on the real Crystal Palace (which I had never heard of perhaps because it burned down in 1936) is at the end, compliments of You Tube.

Description

 

Here’s a glimpse of the original Crystal Palace (with sad Beethoven music):

And here’s a video from the V&A Museum with no sound that shows how it was built:

I also found this video about the walkway that used to lead to it from the subway – interesting!