Murder in a Yorkshire Village by Helena Dixon

 

Part of the Kitty Underhay series doing very well as a standalone, the story combines the serenity and peacefulness of village life, the routine as it stands of England in 1938, coupled with murder with its unpredictable turns and the detective work that goes with it, a subject not quite in keeping with upper class morals.

Kitty and Matt are inadvertently drawn into a murder investigation whilst watching a bicycle race in the village. Discovering the body Kitty has to testify and is drawn into the subsequent proceedings when it is discovered that it was no accident but murder. When a second body is discovered and the focus turns on getting rid of Kitty and Matt, the investigation has to pick up pace before more accidents happen.

A very charming cozy which I enjoyed very much.

Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Housekeeper of Worthley Hall by Beverley Bowry

 

1828 Suffolk. A woman in precarious circumstances. Emma after giving loyal services at the Rectory is summarily dismissed when the new Rector takes over. The new rector under the thumb of his pretentious and overbearing mother sees Emma as a threat to her ambitions of getting her son married to someone of “quality”.  Emma does not suit.

Emma falls on her feet when she is offered a job as ladies maid cum assistant to a reluctant housekeeper at the nearest manor and it looked like things will settle down. It was not to be and a series of mishaps including a drunken episode by her brother and the disastrous robbery of Emma’s possessions including documents and jewellery by the Squires brother put paid to any stability for Emma. The final nail in the coffin is when the squire himself faces bankruptcy and eviction because of the fraud and robbery by his own brother. The manor is put up for auction.

The last bit is a fairy story and gives the happily ever after to this read. 

For readers who like to know what it is to live in the early 19th century in rural England, the lifestyle, the rather helpless position of women, the dominance of men - this is good descriptive reading.

Sent by The Book Guild for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley 

Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly

 

Halloween or All Hallows Eve in Scotland is a time of festivity. Dr Emily recently retired, now finds herself in the midst of a murder enquiry, having discovered a body. There are a number of suspects, the problem is to whittle it down. Constable Ewans also the local laird will like Emily, Abigail, Jasper and 

Mara out of the investigation altogether, but that is not going to happen.

Like other readers, I couldn’t guess who the murderer was and this of course is the push one needs to continue reading. A very good cozy, set in descriptive surroundings with a very nice atmosphere as well.

Sent by Crooked Lane Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Widows Guide to Foul Play by Amanda Ashby

 

Monica Larkwell is back to celebrate a thirty year anniversary to the village and drama group where it all started. Now a star of the past she is hoping to revive a flagged career. It’s not going quite according to plan as there is too much tension, acrimony and underlying secrets that people don’t quite know what to make of. Until the star is murdered and Detective Wallace reluctantly calls on the group of women, who feel they are amateur detectives to help.

Slowly unraveling secrets and relationships of thirty years past, the group encounters broken into homes and offices, another dead body, out of towers with stories and agendas of their own, quick schemes to get rich amongst them, and killers in costume! Specifically bird suits.

A straightforward cozy, lots of humour. 

Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The castle in tge Glen by Rhys Bowen

Iris Blackburn is a world famous author facing a problem of a fading memory. With a novel half written, she employs fellow Australian Emma to research the story on the island of Skye and write the rest of the mystery. The year is 1964 but Emma has to back in her story telling to 1904 to a suspicious drowning of a couple, with a deliberate sabotage of their boat and the consequent disappearance of a young man who was the chief suspect.

The story is so vivid both in the telling of the actual murders, lifestyle of 1904 and then moving to more modern 1964, where old practices and ideas still live on in the memories of people, of the attitude of the rich and powerful of yesterday still continuing today and how they like to keep secrets hidden, just to m

maintain the facade of respectability. Revealing a sad story of the deaths in the past and the actual history as of now, the connections to Emma which were carefully researched and taken into account, when choosing her as a ghost writer form a convoluted, unbelievable but beautiful story. As is usual for this author.

Sent by Lake Union Publishing (many thanks) for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley 

Learning to Breathe again by Tonya Cam

 

1933 America. Women still followed their husbands wishes and Mary and Elena did just that. Mary fearful for her daughter’s life because of advanced bronchial disease and Elena who was a city girl and had not known anything other than the bright lights of Miami.

With Janie’s death life changed for Mary. Her hopes and dreams were dashed and her stay in Clewiston, sugarcane growing country was hard. Herself afflicted with asthma, the burning of the sugarcane made her breathing more difficult. On top of that Elena now with a new born washed her hands off any work connected with her baby and both Mary’s and Elena’s husbands thought it nothing that Mary should take over all the work. The rift in the marriages were growing wider. In Mary’s case her frustration that she could not pursue her studies, and in Elena’s case an extra marital affair. 

The story of loss, grief, frustration at what life throws at you, and a theory that everyone is not born maternal is markedly depicted in the story. This just Book One of the series, which ends on a hopeful note so I am looking forward to Book Two to see how the characters develop from there.

The lack of communication between the four main characters led to silent conflicts with all four not knowing how to deal with each other.

An interesting read sent by Victory Editing Netgalley Co op for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Clockmaker’s Murder by Emily Organ

London 1889. Horace Whitby a highly respected clock maker was found murdered by Charlotte Mellor, who was herself in the time keeping business of selling accurate Greenwich mean time to banks and institutions. Charlotte had come apparently seeking Mr Whitby’s help in resetting a clock. The Mellor family was in the same business and now Charlotte continued the tradition. There was ill feeling and resentment on Mr Whitby’s side towards the Mellor family and this was the chief reason for Inspector Harris to make Charlotte his main suspect.

Charlotte appealed to Penny and Emma the two lady detectives, who had solved crimes before but she was not truthful with them and they discovered discrepancies during their investigation. Their attempts to get into the Royal Observatory was difficult and they used fictitious names and an organisation that did not exist to get into the place and observe people and surroundings that they felt were relevant to the case. 

When a second murder takes place Penny’s husband from Scotland Yard is roped in and together they try to find out who would benefit most from the murders.

Complicated plot, wonderful characters,  a Victorian lifestyle beautifully described make up another captivating story.

Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Sycamore Gap by L J Ross

 

Detective Chief Inspector is never going to have a quiet life. When he thinks one hurdle is behind him he is forced to face another.

This mystery murder is set in Northumberland, alongside the ancient Hadrians Wall and brings the Detective in directly confrontation with the historians and archaeologists and worse his own Police Force with their own agendas. A body is found within the Wall itself and it has been there for ten years. Identifying it was not long in coming and then the dots start to get connected with a serial murderer who is notorious and is in a high security prison. A second copycat killing shows a killer who is determined to out manoeuvre the Police. The detection has to be carefully followed because Ryan does know that opponents to him are within the Department and though most imagine The Circle (The cult which has caused them grief in the past is dead and buried), it is very much alive and wanting to consolidate their position.

A touch of romance adds another genre but adds to the overall danger because it becomes a tool for the opponents to manoeuvre a situation to their advantage and highlight the weaknesses of the Chief Inspector.

My second read of this author within a week but it still held my interest very much.

Sent by Poisoned Pen Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Brothers Shaughnessy by James Snyder

 

1880s New Orleans was rough. Rival gangs, a hugely corrupt political and police force and distinct divisions in a society marked by the very poor and the very rich. Life went on, but the undercurrents of murder and mayhem was high.

The brothers with a rich Irish background, brings a mystery to life. Working in unorthodox ways but trying to set a right is not easy and there is heartbreak ahead for one of them. The rival gangs were a tad confusing at the beginning, but sorted itself out as you read. There is a sequel which I am looking forward to as there is some closure necessary.  The story gave the reader a no frills perspective of New Orleans at the time.

Sent by Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Heavenfield by L J Ross

 

DCI Ryan has got an anonymous message giving him details of a meet up at a very isolated church in Heavenfield. He finds a murdered man, known to him and then becomes the chief suspect in a murder.

Unsettling as that may be the systematic killing of people connected to a cult called the Circle, Ryan finds himself as a target himself. Speed is of essence to uncover the chief in the cult, and this is no easy task because it has permeated even the Police Department at every level.

The combination of strong characters, the deviousness of the plot, the almost gothic descriptions of the church and its environs adds to the heightened tensions in the story. Adding touches of humour and deep senses of loyalty within a group adds realism to the read. 

Part of a series and I was lucky I read the previous story but it does not do badly as a stand alone.

Extremely tense, one cannot wait to see the outcome.

Sent by Poisoned Pen Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley 

Hail Holy Queens by Chris Mcginley

 

1887 Berkshire. A convent isolated by winter, unprecedented snow but continuing their normal life under the dictatorial supervision of Mother Superior. 

Their lives are disrupted by the appearance of beasts of almost demonic proportions and appearance. Their lives are nuns are attacked and with the initial deaths, the group of quiet nuns turn into a fighting force, they become the hunters and unleash almost super human power on the destruction of these beasts.

The story is loud and violent and the setting was epic. Related by Henrietta who has been dumped there by her husband (convents were convenient places to get rid of unwanted relatives) and she describes each encounter really well. 

Sent by Lee Matthew Goldberg for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder on Devil’s Ridge by Irina Shapiro

 

A Victorian mystery which highlights this authors attention to detail and meticulous descriptives which bring the entire story alive.

A little girl taken out in the middle of the night. An extremely well secured home, two nursery maids plus many servants. Murdered in cold blooded apparently with all the signs of a ritualistic pagan death abd her body kept on Devils Ridge.

Sebastian and Gemma he from Scotland Yard and she a nurse are visiting family when they are summoned  and then given the authority to investigate the killing by Viscount Ravenel, the father of the dead child. 

The story unravels slowly because none of the servants wants to divulge secrets of the family, well known to them and hidden to outsiders. They are bound by a sense of fear, of losing their livelihood. The binds out of a sense of loyalty is a poor third. Gemma starts with the women of the household, making little headway though she begins to realize deep undercurrents within and Sebastian handles the males of the household. Almost all resent the outsiders in their midst and it is when a second child goes missing (again in the middle of the night) that tongues are loosened with the conviction amongst the household that the stories are going to come out and a very complicated story emerges. The need for a male heir, the dominance of a mother in law, homosexuality rumours which have to be kept hidden from society, the brutality and contempt that the aristocracy felt for anyone in their world who they felt inferior, and most importantly the helplessness of women whether rich or poor are amply shown in this novel.

Apart from the death of a young child, the lifestyle of Victorian England both upper, middle and poorer classes are seen very clearly. How the rich literally get away with every wrongdoing possible is sad, but inevitable. The story like all her stories was emotional, tense and a page turner.

I am always very appreciative when I get the opportunity to read her books.

Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Chalk Dust abd New Chapters by Gervase Phinn

 

Post war Britain had to face many changes. Trying to cope with economic hardships, the changing attitude of young women seemed to go head to head with the old guard who just could not accept that women were not willing to be silent or quiet in the face of injustice, and some men not accepting that times have changed.

Set amongst the Yorkshire Dales, Helen is a bright, determined teacher just returned from a stint in Germany, to a sadly neglected, run down school. As a supply teacher she is filling a temporary gap, but she is appalled by not just the conditions of the  classrooms but also the out of date practices and the apathy of teachers indifferent to their charges. The Head Teacher has a policy of not interfering or trying to improve the situation. Despite opposition, Helen steps in to improve her class. Moving on to the next school, the Head is only concerned with results at the Eleven Plus exams. Anything else is not necessary. Here too Helen sets things right. Her next assignment takes her to a modern school where romance also follows with not one, but two suitors.

The story is a good informative one about lifestyles, attitudes of the working class and middle class in Yorkshire at the time and the manner in which change was coming. A very good read. 

Sent by Boldwood Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

A Lark’s Gambit by Lynn Messina

 

Verity Lark has many persona. She is an avid reporter, a spy amongst the aristocracy, running a complicated household, madly in love with Coulson son of the Marques of Ware. Complicated enough but she is now pursuing tge opium trade in London, in disguise of course and now has to account how and why tge Marques of Ware is patronizing an opium den. Explaining that to his son is going to take gumption, explaining why she is kissing said Marques is going to be much more troublesome.

I love the historical details and snippets that flavor the entire read. The lifestyle and autocratic style will leave one puzzled as to how the aristocracy in Britain got away with it, for as long as they did, and did not face the way the French went. The sheer bigotry, the powers that were vested in them was unbelievable. Still that is history and we have Verity and Coulson, Delphine, Freddy and Lucy all playing a role in righting society’s ills.

Excellent reading of a historical fiction, romance, mystery read rolled into one very illuminating read.

Sent by Book Whisperer for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Harrogate Spa Murders by Mona W Gloss

 

The Thorne Spa offers pampered luxury - a Three Heat treatment guaranteed to relax and reinvigorate tired people. On this day eight people registered and only six were left alive at the end. Seemingly unconnected, people were linked by a twenty year old unexplained murder of a young woman. Brought together through very clever, invidious means they did not know they were in for an upheaval, with two ending dead.

A real closed room mystery thriller, with strong characterization. Good reading.

Sent by FMWG Creative Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Spy and tge Snake by M J Robotham

 

Maggie works for M15 but she finds the routine boring. When an opportunity arises to visit Budapest, abd decamp with a defector British to boot, who now wants to re defect back to Britain, Maggie sets out with fervour. What she totally did not expect was to be copped at the final post by M16, her captor taken over and to return empty handed to face another betrayal in the corridors of power by someone she trusted.

Whilst describing spy tactics, surveillance and the antics of the KGB and other agencies, there was a great deal of humour and camaraderie that Maggie found in Budapest. Colorful characters and you get a lot out of middle aged characters in this story.

Sent by Aria & Aries for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.