Amy Myers (1)Besprekingen

Oh, I'm so disappointed. This book looked and seemed so good, but alas I couldn't find myself getting into the story and towards the end did I find myself pretty bored.

Now, the book did feel promising in the beginning, but somewhere along the way when Miss Marple ... Eh I mean Nell started to investigate the case because the lady of the house trusts her to be able to talk to the servants, the family, and guest and find out the truth about the murder. Yeah, because the chef is the obvious person to go to when someone has been murdered. Anyway, the book was OK, in the beginning, thanks to the list of characters, in the beginning, was it not so hard to know who was who. The story seemed interesting and I was curious to see who would get killed.

However, the book started to go downhill somewhere along the way as Nell was trying to find out where everyone was during the murder. And, the ghost thing? It was just ridiculous. It should perhaps have been seen as a funny thing with the Lord Ansley's sister being quite positive about the house being haunted by a legion of ghosts. It wasn't!

By the time the inspector at the end revealed the truth had I already abandoned this book mentally and was just reading to find out who the killer was. Would I read more books in this series? No, Nell was not an interesting person to read about, too dull for my taste and she felt not very substantial, which I felt is the big problem with most of the characters in the book. They just didn't come to life.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

The steward at Stockbery Towers is found dead in his parlour. Surely that renowned chef, Auguste Didier, couldn't have put poisonous leaves in the salad by accident? He investigates to clear his name.

Although the mystery itself was quite well done, the 1890s historical background felt unconvincing, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why. I don't think I will be continuing with the series.½

It's 1906 and Didier is hosting a dinner for the King and some of his friends. When a wager is taken on whether there is a ghost of Marie Antoinette at Le Petit Trianon, Paris. On arriving in Paris revenge is on the menu and murder is the result.
Probably say that I just about liked the tale, still can't quite make up my mind about the characters and food content though, my problem might be that I not actually interested in French cuisine.
A NetGalley Book

In Victorian England chimney sweep Tom Wasp is delighted to model for painter Valentine Drake. Especially as his co-model is the lovely Bessie Barton. But when her body is discovered in the mud of the Thames he is determined to find the guilty party. The story is told from Tom's point of view.
An enjoyable mystery

1863 and chimney sweep Tom Wasp has visited his friend Eliza Hogg in Newgate Prison where she is due to be hung for the murder of her husband. As he leaves she gives him a piece of paper. This turns out to be a pawn ticket for an old sailor doll. But what do Tom and Ned discover inside and what troubles will it bring them.
Another enjoyable well-written mystery.

Georgia and father Peter Marsh investors of "Fingerprints in Time". They believe they have a new idea for their next book. The 1929 murder of Ada Proctor, a doctor's daughter, by Davy Todd in the village of Wickenham in Kent. Mary Elgin knows her young love was innocent of the murder but she was not believed at the time.
Then a skeleton is found at the bottom of a denehole in the woods of the Wickenham Manor Hotel, will this help her cause or not. But then long held feuds in the village come to a head over the selling of the village sports fields resulting in a death.
Is there any connections between all the various deaths over the years.
An interesting story. A good start to a new series

In the Spring of 1905 American heiress Getrude Pennyfather is all set to marry Lord of the Manor Arthur Montfoy at his estate of Farthing Court. A guest of the wedding will be Edward VII, and as the invited chef Auguste Didier.
Unfortunately all it not what it seems or who it seems and in consequence a murder is committed.
This brings Scotland Yard's Inspector Rose to Kent.
As this is actually Number 10 in the series there is some reference to previous stories but it can be read as a stand-alone.
It was an interesting story and I will probably want to read from the start of the series. Whether I get bored with the talk of French cuisine remains to be seen. Without them I would probably give the book 4 stars.
A NetGalley Book

1926 Strange happenings occur when Sir Gilbert Saddled, painter, holds the first Festival de Chef at his new home of Spitalfrith Manor. When Charlie Briggs, valet, is arrested, Nell Drury, chef, at Wychbourne Court investigates. But soon DCI Alexander Melbray of Scotland Yard is called in.
An enjoyable cozy historical mystery though I really didn't take to the character of Nell
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 1926, Kent former Gaity girl Lady Ansley hosts a reunion of the actors. Does a murder of one of the house guests have any connection to a disappearance nearly 30 years ago.
Overall an enjoyable enough mystery though there were too many food references for me, with seemingly all the cast of characters being introduced within a few pages, which did slow the opening of the story, and lead to some lack of interest.
A NetGalley Book

I received this book as a present, and I really, really liked.

With a setting in a countryside village and a disabled main character, this is a book that keeps surprising you.

I particularly like the way that past and present are intermingled, how through investigating the crimes of the past brings light to the struggles of the present.

A truly entertaining book, that will keep the intrigue until the very end.

‘’Friday Street likes to keep itself to itself.’’

I find that the beginning of summer is always an appropriate time to read a British Cozy Mystery. Now, my relationship with cozy mysteries has been stormier than the European affairs during the last few years. Once they became ‘’fashionable’’, they lost all credibility in my book. They became worse than the worst soap - opera and I intended to stay away from them once and for all. However, I saw this one on NetGalley and I was attracted by the cover and the title. Friday has some quite negative connotations in Britain and when I read the blurb, I was sold. I’m now happy to report that it was a successful choice.

Georgia and Peter, her father, occupy themselves with cold cases. Peter is a retired policeman and Georgia writes books based on their experiences in the field. A murder of a successful musician that took place 40 years ago is linked to a recent death, both of them connected to a haunting tune that is heard in the village when an injustice seeks resolution. Swinging ‘60s? Check! A father-daughter duo? Check! A village community with terrible secrets and legends along with its very own haunted tune? Check! What could go wrong? Fortunately, nothing went wrong and Murder in Friday Street managed to revive my comatose interest in British Cozy.

This is the 2nd book in the series but I didn’t notice it at all. What I did notice was how successfully depicted the atmosphere of the village was. A village that fights desperately to hide its secrets. ‘’We don’t talk about it, so it doesn’t exist.’’ That’s the logic. However, there is a piece of music that screams of malice and impending death and the very essence of this place is full of superstitions and mystery. Friday was the day when the convicted would start their journey to the execution, the way of the Gallows. In addition, Friday is considered unlucky and laden with misfortune and sadness. Take Good Friday for example. Therefore, despite the quaint scenery, there is something that still haunts the residents. A hideous crime and secrets that beg to come to surface.

Peter and Georgia are very sympathetic characters, I loved Georgia and I especially enjoyed the structure of her character. She doesn't come across as a know-it-all, even though she has some moment of utter stubbornness. She does have her own secrets and wounds as does her father and this makes them all the more realistic and approachable. The mystery itself is very interesting and despite the significant number of suspects, each character is well developed. I never felt ‘’lost in the mystery’’.

I have a strange rule. I never grant more than 3 stars to a Cozy Mystery. This one was good enough to make me break my rule, so I guess this counts for something. I enjoyed it so much and I will definitely try to continue with the series. Amy Myers has done a wonderful job.

Many thanks to Endeavour Media and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com

Quinn
April 17, 2017


Is her whole life a lie...?

Ellie and Quinn Peters are happy newlyweds, ready to embark on their new life together.

However, their happily ever after is turned upside down when Ellie’s Aunt Columba drops them a visit.

She remarks on how similar Quinn is to Ellie’s mother’s first husband – the famous sixties pop-star The Mighty Rich of the Coinmakers.

The statement sparks an upheaval of the past as there seems to be an unsettling connection between Quinn and Ellie’s deceased half-brother Marcus.

A brother who she thought had died in childhood…

But Ellie and Quinn soon find that there may be more to the story and a web of family secrets soon start to emerge.

Can they track down what really happened to Marcus all those years ago?

Will they be able to uncover who he really is and why he’s clouded in secrecy?

Faced with the prospect that her entire life has been a lie, can Ellie separate the truth from the spiraling web of lies and deceit?

She would give anything to get her perfect life back, but once the truth is out there's no going back...
Quinn is a literary soap opera that has everything from questionable marriages to a husband that may be his wife’s long lost brother. I have to admit sometimes the story was a little hard to follow because there were so many subplots and tons of characters it was hard to keep track of how each person fit into the story.

The writing was good so you could see where each setting was taking place, adding historical elements like Woodstock and getting to listen to a character describe what it was like to be there and why it occurred was fun.

The main characters you got to know very well, understand their motivations and backgrounds. It took me a while to get through this not because it’s a bad book but because there was so much to it.

Believe it or not, you can add an interest in classic cars to my resume along with a passion for crime fiction. To my eyes even a Model T-- the old Tin Lizzie-- is sexier than today's plastic and aluminum contraptions. And don't get me started on Stutz Bearcats or the Hispano-Suiza Boulogne! When I learned about Amy Myer's car detective series, I knew I had to take it out for a test drive.

Even non-car enthusiasts should enjoy this book because the talk never becomes unduly technical. I may like classic cars, but I don't necessarily want to be put to sleep by too much car jargon. Besides, the information Myers gives about car theft rings and the like is truly interesting and fits in with any normal crime fiction fan's education. The mystery and the car fit together well with the list of people wanting to buy the car turning into an excellent suspect list for the woman's murder.

There's only one thing that left me cold about Classic in the Barn: Its main character. Be warned-- my reasons are much more subjective than objective, so your mileage may well indeed vary. Colby is a bit of a lad, although he's not as suave and sophisticated as he likes to think, and his charm and banter need a bit of a brush and polish. All in all Jack Colby reminded me of another lad that I do not care for-- Jonathan Gash's Lovejoy. Always on the lookout for the next great thing that will save the business, forever short of cash, and giving the impression-- whether it's true or not-- that his interpretation of the law changes from day to day. The type of man who only notices a woman if she's well-dressed and beautiful and can do something for him.

Amy Myers' car detective series is a good one if you like the main character. Unfortunately I never could get over my distaste, and it seriously dulled my enjoyment of the book.½

I discovered this 'new-to-me' author during a recent trip to my local library. As a fan of murder mysteries, I decided to give this one a read, and I am happy I did.

Tom Wasp is not a police officer, a 'gentleman' detective or an inquiry agent as per other murder mystery series set in the Victorian time period. Tom Wasp is a poor but honest chimney sweep in London's poverty-stricken East End. He has his letters - can read and write - and has been raised to be God fearing. That being said, he knows that life in the East End is a hard scramble for survival. As a chimney sweep, Tom gets brief glimpses into the homes and lifestyles of the more well to do Londoners and Tom is flattered when a painter in fashionable Chelsea, Valentine Drake, asks Tom to model for a painting with the beautiful Bessie Barton. Bessie models for painters as a way to make ends meet and can relate to Tom's working class background. When Bessie's body is found on the muddy banks of the river Thames a few months later, Tom vows to find her murderer. His investigations, with the help of his 11-year old apprentice Ned, lead Tom down the twisted road of Bessie's hidden past, the mysterious Moonman and her connection to a group of artists, the Angels.

I found this to be a rather good book. IMO, the author has done a great job communicating the 'atmosphere' of Victorian London through Tom's eyes, creating interesting characters, provided the reader with a good mystery to solve and fantastic insight into London of the time period, including the Thames Tunnel, the Ratcliffe Highway and the Cremorne Gardens. The only part of the book that I started to tire of near the end was the continual use of analogies by the narrator between the investigative process and chimney sweeping. Other than that, I would rank this one up there with the other mystery comfort reads I have been enjoying this year.

I was loaned this book as I was going on a long train journey and didn't have anything to take with me. It's not the usual kind of thing I read but I was assured that it was quite good and that I'd enjoy it. It's a murder mystery about a father and daughter paranormal detective team who are looking for their missing son/brother. On the way, they come across a haunted fish and chip shop and decide to look into the mystery of it.

It was a little bit confusing with the fact that the father and daughter are on the trail of a missing family member but decide to stop off in this town and solve a mystery that has nothing to do with who they're looking for. There is a very loose connection with someone in the town who saw the missing person but rather than rushing off before the trail goes cold, they don't seem all that concerned about it. I didn't really see the point of that, but it was probably needed as a reason for them to be in that particular place.

This isn't a difficult book to read, I managed it in a couple of hours. Even though it's not the kind of book I would normally read, it wasn't too bad and kept me engrossed enough. It was good enough to pass the time on the train journey but certainly not something I'd want to read again.

Group H