Series: A Hopgood Hall Murder Mystery #2 (Standalone)
Publication Date: 10th May 2023
Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Engaging
The owners of Hopgood Hall, Alexis, Cheryl, and Drew, agree o host a reality baking show. They could do with some money to repair and maintain the estate. Their temperamental chef, Marcel Gasquet, heads the show, promising good ratings and extra business for the estate.
Of course, things are complicated off-screen. Juliette Hammond, one of the contestants, makes enemies in a blink, and everyone seems to know she’ll do anything to win the contest. However, none of them imagine she’d get killed in the process.
With Marcel as the prime suspect, Alexis once again has to play detective and find the killer to save the estate. The local PI, Jack Maddox, is more than happy to help, and together with Alexis, they will get to the bottom of the case.
The story comes in the limited-third person POV of Alexis and Jack.
My Thoughts:
I missed out on book one of the series, though it wasn’t a problem in reading book two. This works well as a standalone with enough information to fill the gaps and provide the backstory.
The plot moves at a decent pace (slow in the second half) but has enough twists, developments, and red herrings to keep the reader invested.
There’s a subplot of Alexis and Jack’s ‘will they/ won’t they’ relationship. I didn’t feel much invested in it, but I dislike Patrick (the other guy), so Jack has my vote.
The book also takes up a couple of social issues and weaves them into the plot. It doesn’t get preachy and stays true to the genre.
I’m not too impressed by the reveal (though I guessed 70% right). While I see the intent, the whole thing feels a little bland (even cozies need some excitement). A bit of drama might have enhanced the scene.
Cosmos is Alexis’ black feral cat, larger than average and something people might mistake for a panther. I see his appeal, though I want to ‘really see’ how he terrorizes others instead of hearing about his growling, hissing, etc. Cosmos’ aggressive personality doesn’t come all out in this book. His playfulness and love for Alexis and Jack are easy to see.
The baking contest is the main theme. However, we don’t get much of it. I expected there would be at least a couple of full-fledged scenes where we actually see the contestants baking. There are only passing references. We get a lot of ‘love cooking’, ‘passion of baking’, etc., but see none of it.
Though the book is set in a small town, it doesn’t exactly give the same vibes as a small-town cozy. This one is limited to the estate, which works for the plot. There’s already a filming crew, so it makes sense to limit the characters.
Alexis is level-headed, and Jack has good instincts. They do make a good pair (investigation-wise and otherwise). I feel I’ll connect more with them when I read the next book or two (I sure intend to).
To summarize, A Contest to Kill is an engaging cozy mystery with characters I could grow to love. Cosmos is already a favorite for being a smarty. Looking forward to the next in the series.
Thank you, NetGalley and Marcela Torres from Boldwood Books, for the eARC.
#NetGalley #AContestToKill
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