carolsnotebook's reviews
1603 reviews

 

Paul, still grieving after the loss of his partner and not in a steady job, takes over a cookery class from his old friend, Christian, who has broken his arm. It’s a residential cooking school held in an old mansion in Belgravia, just a short walk from Paul’s own house. Paul is not thrilled with the situation, not only because he has no idea what he’ll be paid, but all of the students are major Christian fans and are disappointed that Paul has taken his place. And then he discovers Christian’s body, clearly murdered, and Paul becomes one of the main suspects.

The mystery’s good enough. Each of the students and even the cooking school owner have secrets and possible motives for wanting Christian dead. We have several clues and a few red herrings. It’s a bit like a house party mystery, especially when Paul ends up having to stay there too. The suspects are limited to those in the house at the time and all the individuals are only loosely connected. I like Paul. He was funny and real. I also liked his best friend, Julie, who works for a lifestyle magazine and sends him daily horoscope texts. The other characters are appropriately quirky.

This is a culinary mystery, so you might pick up some skills, bits or trivia or even a recipe you want to try out. Paul finds Christian’s diary and the entries contain details about his life and several of his recipes. It’s a good way to get to know Christian better and gives a bit of variety to the narrative.

Towards the end, it did go off the rails a bit. And the wrap up, with Paul telling Julie everything that happened was sooo long and detailed. I was listening to the audio – the narrator does an excellent job – and the book ended up finishing at 106% so that might have thrown off my expectations too.

I think this is the first in the series. I will definitely pick up the second when it come out. 

I love visiting Raven’s Edge, a lovely English village that leans into its history and folklore. The series is a bit cozy, a bit police procedural, and a bit Gothic. This time around, DS Harriet March and DI Ben Taylor are called in when a skeleton is discovered behind the florists. Actually, Harriet is already on the scene- she rents the apartment upstairs. Of course, the discovery leads to the reopening of a cold case involving a man who was reported missing over 25 years ago. At the same time, Iris Evergreen, a novelist with a mysterious past, has moved into Raven’s Hollow, a fascinating old mansion, and is asking questions around town about a photo of a man she found in her dead mother’s belongings.

Murder at Raven’s Hollow focuses on Harriet. The case is intricately connected Harriet’s past and her family and what she has always believed about her father. But Iris too is connected. We get glimpses of the past throughout as the secrets are revealed and both women have to confront things they’d rather not. Then another body is found, this one still warm, and the story becomes more complicated.

I can’t put my finger on quite why I enjoy this series so much, but this one is just as good as the first two. The characters are complicated and not spared personal and professional difficulties. The town is picturesque but also eerie. The mystery was complex and kept me guessing. They appreciate history and fairy tales and books. This one probably works as a standalone, but I’m glad I’ve read the three in order. Nothing from the earlier books really comes into play, but it gives a better feel for the relationships and the atmosphere.

 Brooks Shields has been a well-known actor/model my entire life. She’s 9 years older than me and this book about growing older resonated with me in several ways.

Yes, Brooke Shields is famous and beautiful and can afford fancy clothes, but she’s also funny and down to earth and relatable. She shares personal anecdotes and mixes in observation on society and statistics that back up her points. She discusses gaining confidence as she gets older, about worrying less about others’ opinions and finding joy in middle age. But also about being overlooked and undervalued as a “woman of a certain age.”

Shields discusses her recent interactions with the healthcare system and how we need to advocate for ourselves, even if we’re sometimes (often) seen as difficult. She points out, from personal experience and research studies, that there is a definite lack of knowledge surrounding perimenopause and menopause and considering how many women are in those life stages, that’s ridiculous.

Shields narrates the book herself, which was a perfect choice. She can laugh at herself and allow her emotions to come through. I like that she is purposefully still growing, learning, strengthening her body, and focusing on what makes her happy and fulfilled. 

 

This time around the Secret Bookcase bookstore is hosting a gingerbread house competition, with celebrity host, baking influencer Lily. Really, what could be more Christmassy than a decorate bookstore and gingerbread? The event is going well, with only a bit of minor drama, until Annie finds Lily’s dead body. Of course she’s been murdered, and Annie decides to start investigating, assuming the woman was poisoned. At least the local police detective/ Annie’s mentor appreciates her efforts and insights. This is a series where the main character and the authorities work well together.

I like Annie. She’s smart and has made a couple life decisions that have been weighing on her for a book or two. This is the fourth in the series and does pick up strands from the previous installments. I’m not sure how I feel about her love interest, Liam, yet. I think he’s supposed to be sweet and caring, but he totally overreacted a time or two. Turns out he had reason, but not based on the information he knew. The bookstore is fabulous! I wish I could visit and stop for a coffee at Pri, Annie’s best friend’s, coffee shop.

The killer was a bit obvious, even with a couple red herrings and potential suspects thrown in. We’ve also got an overarching mystery surrounding the murder of Scarlet, Annie’s best friend, years ago. Annie gets a potential break through here, but I’m not a big fan of the plotline. I really like each cozy mystery to be self-contained.

I listened to this on audio, as I do so many of the books I read. The narrator was good. She kept the tone light and distinguished the characters well. 

 

The Lady Eleanor Swift books always catch my eye, but this is the first I’ve actually picked up. It worked fine as a stand alone for me. All of the characters were introduced well and I had a good understanding of the relationships. The mystery itself was self-contained with no threads lingering from previous books.

Lady Eleanor has to give up her plans for a holiday at home and has to attend the Duke of Auldwyke’s shooting party instead. At least everyone is invited, including her fiancé/detective chief inspector, Hugh, and her staff has use of a cottage on the estate. Of course, a body is found not long after Lady Eleanor arrives – the duke’s secretary, clearly murdered. A local policeman and Hugh end up investigating, but the duke, and the guests for that matter, are less than helpful.

I do love a good Christmas manor house party murder. Here we’ve all the decorations and food and sledding I could ask for. We’ve also got plenty of secrets, motives, suspects. The mystery itself was put together well. The plot moved along at a good pace and kept me guessing.

The narrator is easy to listen to and captures the tone of the book well. She gives each of the character’s their own voice and personality.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It was a good December read.

 

 

Mystery on Hidden Lane is thirst of the Eve Mallow mysteries, a series that is longer than I realized when I picked this audiobook up at NetGalley. Eve is an obituary writer (think feature length obituaries for magazines), which is a career I haven’t run into before. She also holds a job at a school to supplement her income, but she’s taken a small break from that to head off to the small village of Saxford St Peter to research recently deceased cellist, Bernard Fitzpatrick. On the day of her arrival, however, the police release news that the man had been murdered.

Turns out Eve is in the perfect position to investigate the case, especially when she thinks the detective in charge of the case is incompetent. Eve makes a good amateur sleuth. She’s naturally curious and has practice putting people at ease as she pumps them for information. She’s observant and does her research on both her subject and those around him. Eve also has an adorable little dachshund, Gus, who goes most everywhere with her and who she talks to regularly, which I can relate to. She fits easily and quickly into village life.

The mystery is well done. There are a lot of secrets being hidden in the town and Eve has several potential suspects. I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be.

I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job. She brought out Eve’s emotions and thoughts well and kept the other characters. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and this one was fine, the narrator stayed out of the story’s way, if that makes sense. I’ll probably pick up the next one on audio at some point.