Mistletoe and Murder by Laura Stewart - Book Review

Mistletoe and Murder by Laura Stewart

Series: Amelia Adams #2 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 19th Oct 2022

Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery 

4 Stars 

One Liner: Slow but entertaining 

***
Amelia Adams has turned her Scottish inheritance into a hotel. The Stone Manor Hotel is set to host its first-ever Christmas wedding of a millionaire and his young fiancé. Naturally, this resulted in an assortment of guests, quirky and annoying personalities, old grudges, buried secrets, blackmail, and high-voltage drama (with loads of booze).   

Amelia gets a call from a mysterious stranger who wants to tell her something important. This sets things in motion, resulting in a few attacks, deaths, and chaos. As if that’s not enough, her friend and celebrity painter, Lorcan, seems to be in trouble. 

With the impending wedding celebrations and a killer on the prowl, it’s up to Amelia to get to the bottom of the mystery and save the day (without becoming the killer’s next victim).  

The story is in Amelia’s third-person POV, with a few chapters in Lorcan’s POV. 

My Thoughts: 

The book is the second in the series but works well as a standalone (I haven’t read the first and could follow this without much effort). There’s enough info about the previous book but scattered in bits and pieces. This prevented info dump and kept the focus where it should be. 

The pacing is slow and steady. It doesn’t pick up the pace, but the writing is easy and engaging. Also, the book is 400 pages, so the plot is detailed, and takes time to get to murder and sleuthing. While this usually irks me, I liked the (recurring) characters and their interactions, so it wasn’t boring at any point. 

The generous doses of humor and the setting are major plus points in the book. The rooms in the hotel are pretty interesting and named after famous mystery writers. Guess what’s the best room in the hotel? Agatha Christie’s suite, of course! 

The main characters seem easy to like and have a few quirks that make them a wee bit flawed. There are a few eye-roll moments (which are expected). 

The climax and ending are well done without being over the top. It took me a good while to guess the killer, but I’m glad I got it right. A certain revelation was unexpected though it fits with the overall plot. 

To summarize, Mistletoe and Murder is a solid cozy mystery and a wholesome entertainer. It is lighthearted, funny, and satisfying. A bit of pace could have made it even better. 

I’m tempted to check out the previous book to know Amelia’s complete story and look forward to reading more from this series. 

Thank you, Bloodhound Books, for the eARC. 

The House of Lost Wives by Rebecca Hardy - Book Review

The House of Lost Wives by Rebecca Hardy

Publication Date: 13th Oct 2022

Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance (and Mystery)

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: A mixed bag 

*****

1813, Sussex

Lizzie and her older sister Esme have a tough time dealing with their father’s debts. Esme is sold off as a wife to an aging Lord Blountford to clear the debts. However, Esme dies within a year of the marriage, and Lizzie is ordered to take her dead sister’s place. 

Lizzie is taken to Ambletye Manor as Lord Blountford’s fiancé to discover that she would be his fifth wife. Apparently, all four wives have died in the manor. Can Lizzie find the truth behind their deaths and save herself? 

With growing feelings between Charles Blountford (the old man’s nephew) and Lizzie, she has a lot more at stake in getting to the bottom of the truth. It certainly helps that Lizzie has a special gift. But what will this cost her?

The story comes in Lizzie’s first-person POV. 

My Observations: 

The blurb makes the book sound like an atmospheric paranormal mystery. However, the story is more of a romantic drama with a couple of ghosts and some social issues. 

The pacing is great, an advantage, as I could breeze through the book in a couple of days. 

There is no atmosphere despite the book being set in an old Manor with a vast estate. Imagine cloudy days, dark manor rooms, and secret spots in the estate. All of these are used, but none create the atmosphere. 

Lord Blountford is supposed to be some sort of villainous old man with too many secrets. But most of his secrets aren’t the kinds that send chills down the spine. In fact, when Lizzie herself feels sad for him on multiple occasions, it’s hard to consider him ‘the villain’. He ends up being more of a controller than sinister. 

The book is a blend of romance, mystery, and family drama. It has a bit of everything though none of them feel intense. One theme gets extra focus and is handled pretty well. 

How you like the book depends on what you expect from it. If you’re looking for a slow-burn gothic setting with intense scenes, this isn’t for you. However, if you like something fast-paced with zero spookiness, you’ll enjoy the book more. 

The book doesn’t require any effort from the reader’s side (be careful of the triggers), which is an advantage and a disadvantage. I liked it okay and enjoyed the pace, so it worked decent for me. 

The ending is satisfactory, though the climax is as dramatic as it can get. Lizzie has to do something idiotic, right? Still, the following scenes could have been used to bring out the real darkness in Lord Blountford, but that doesn’t fully happen. 

The side characters are a treat. Jordie, Price, Judith, etc., deliver their best and shine better than the main leads. I’d love it if Jordie and Price get a book each. Such potential! 

To summarize, The House of Lost Wives is a regency romance (clean) with some friendly ghosts and great side characters. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Headline, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheHouseofLostWives 

P.S: It gets easy to root for the heroine when her opponent is a true baddie. Giving him a soft side is okay if it doesn’t dilute his villainous nature. If the heroine alters between feeling sad for him, lashing out at him, realizing his ‘true’ side, and feeling bad for him again, it puts the reader in the same position (this being first-person POV). 

**

TW: Sexual assault (multiple mentions), gambling, death 

Statuesque by Ada Rossi - Book Review

Statuesque by Ada Rossi

Genre: General Fiction 

2 Stars 

One Liner: Wasted potential 

*****
Hannah joins Emily’s troupe as a statuesque in an attempt to climb the social ladder and achieve her dreams. Emily guarantees a perfect match for her troupe members, which leads Hannah into dark waters. Emily’s socialite status gives Hannah a luxurious life. But what does it cost her? Can she have a life of her own and get what she wants? 

The story comes from a limited third-person POV of Hannah. 

What I Like: 

It’s rare for books to have a lead character that makes a living as a live statue. The scenes where Hannah describes her preparation and process to play her role (rather, not ‘play’) were the best part of the book. 

The narration gains pace over time, though it doesn’t help much by then. Freddie is adorable, and Xe does what he was meant to do (it does feel like an overused trope, but it still works). 

Hannah’s POV makes her sound like an immature girl with her head in the clouds. Since I think that’s what the author was aiming for, this point stays here. If it’s not, I’ll have to move it to the next section. 

What Didn’t Work for Me: 

The foreshadowing was too much. I still don’t see the need for it, and as much as I like the concept, I don’t want to be hit in the face with a brick in every chapter. 

Emily was the farthest thing from a 'subtle' manipulator. She was blatantly obvious. Hannah’s lack of common sense cannot be portrayed as Emily’s success at manipulating her. 

I knew what would happen (a certain gruesome incident) halfway through the book. It was so obvious that I only had to wait for the climax to arrive. 

The excessive foreshadowing made me imagine a dark story and increased my expectations. What I got was a watered-down version with the supposedly important character having almost no role to play. 

I was looking for something intense (not to be confused with ‘hyper’, which is what I got at the end), given the introduction and the first chapter, but man, that was the most disappointing part of the book. Why create a character so magnetic when they don’t have a solid role in the story? 

The other twist was super easy to guess. All thanks to excessive clues and foreshadowing again. This concept doesn’t work for all plots and overdoing it will ruin the story for the reader. 

The ending was (a little too) easy, but I was glad that the book would be over when I saw the remaining page count. There weren’t enough to continue the drama. 

To summarize, Statuesque as a plot had great potential, but much of it was wasted (unless the book was never meant to be dark, in which case, the foreshadowing and hints of sensuality were misleading the reader). 

Thank you, NetGalley and Butterdragons Publishing, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #Stauesque 

*****

P.S: I read The Condemned Oak Tree by the author and loved it. This one could have been so much better but ended up diluted. 

**

P.P.S: I read my friend’s review after writing mine and saw that the book is a retelling of a classic. Since I had to ask her about it, my review stays the same. And did I say that cover is bad? 

**

TW: Animal cruelty and murder

Murder in Tuscany by T.A. Williams - Book Review

Murder in Tuscany by T.A. Williams

Series: An Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery #1 

Publication Date: 18th Oct 2022

Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Fun but slow 

*****

Retired DCI Dan Armstrong isn’t a writer but has no choice but to attend the two-week writing workshop in Villa Volpone in Tuscany. He is not happy about it, though the setting gives him hope. Maybe he can decide what to do with his life. 

The last thing Dan expected was a murder, that too of Jonah Moore, the famous writer who hosted the workshop. With eleven suspects and buried secrets surrounding him, Dan knows he has to get back on duty, albeit unofficially. 

Can Dan and Italian Commissario Virgilio Pisano (who is happy to have some help) solve the crime before there’s another murder? 

The story comes in the first-person POV of Dan Armstrong. 

What I Like: 

• The setting becomes a part of the story with ease. The descriptions are detailed but not overly so. The book does justice to the title and shows Tuscany to the readers. 
  
  
• DCI Dan Armstrong is a good man. He is smart, but many mistakes. He grumbles but knows to take things in stride. He shows his soft side and isn’t afraid to be emotional. 
  
  
• Oscar is an adorable black lab. I like that he is a constant part of the book and will be a part of the other books too. You can’t help but love a dog like him. 
  
  
• The mystery is well done, and the subplot progresses along with it. In fact, there are instances when the subplot has more progress than the case, but that’s expected in a cozy mystery series. 
  
  
• There’s loads of food in the book. Though I’m a vegetarian, I enjoyed the scenes with food. And who can resist macaroons, velvety ice creams, tiramisu… yum. ;) 
  
  
• Oh, by the way, the book is squeaky clean (except for the murder, which is not graphic either). 

What Didn’t Work for Me: 

• The pacing is real slow. I understand why it was necessary for the first quarter, but the story refused to pick up the pace even in the latter half. It’s either that or the page count is off by 100. It definitely feels like a 330+ book instead of 260 pages. 
  
  
• The chapters are too long. They were separated based on the days. But with a linear narration, this doesn't really matter. Shorter chapters would have been the same, maybe even easier to read.   
  
  
• There’s quite a bit of repetition that further slowed down my reading. Some of it was necessary, but the rest only weighed down the narration. 

To summarize, A Murder in Tuscany is a decent start to a new cozy mystery with a retired DCI and his adopted doggy. It’s a clean read but has a few triggers (mentions). 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #AMurderinTuscany 

Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden - Book Review

Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden

Series: Inspector Corravan #2 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 11th Oct 2022

Genre: Historical Mystery 

4.5 Stars 

One Liner: This is good! 

*****

Sep 1878, London

Pleasure boat Princess Alice collides with an iron-hulled collier, Bywell Castle, in the Thames. Princess Alice is torn apart, and 600 passengers are in the waters. With only 130 of them surviving, the case is one of the biggest accidents on the river. 

However, the problem is that the collision may not be an accident. It appears that the Irish Republican Brotherhood planned the incident as a way to demand the restoration of the Irish Home Role. 

Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan is on the case. His Irish roots and connection could help him solve the case or put his life at risk. The increasing violence in Whitechapel adds to his troubles. Colin, the youngest Doyle, seems to be in the middle of it. Corrovan has no choice but to save the Doyle family. After all, they are his family, albeit adopted. 

But can Inspector Corrovan get to the heart of the matter before it’s too late? The life of the Irish in London is horrible as it is. Will his investigation make it worse? What will it do to him? 

My Observations: 

The book works very well as a standalone (I read book one though I confess I don’t remember much, which isn’t uncommon). 

Corrovan’s character arc is getting better and better. I love that he has issues but does justice to his job as a policeman. 

The side characters are just as important and do their bit to keep the story going. They aren’t mere cardboard pieces but are growing similar to the main character (except for a couple, maybe). 

What I love in the book is the theme. It deals with the Britishers’ hatred for the Irish and how this causes long-lasting repercussions on the poor and innocent. The writing is hard-hitting and straight to the point.

The themes of politics, gang wars, racism, personal prejudice, deliberate misinformation (some things don’t change), etc., are handed with a deft hand. The book is darker than the previous one, but nowhere does it get hyper, dramatic, or preachy. 

There’s quite a bit of philosophical introspection (which reduces the pace), but it is a part of character development. I see how this might led to crucial revelations and developments in book three. 

What could have been better are the pacing and the blurb. I didn’t read the blurb until I finished the book (I requested a copy when I saw the series title and didn’t bother with the blurb) and noticed that it reveals a little too much information. A tighter blurb will make the book more intriguing and effective. And maybe Belinda could have had more space. 

To summarize, Under a Veiled Moon is an excellent and strong continuation of the series. Pick it up when you want something thought-provoking and slow-paced. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #UnderaVeiledMoon 

A Song of Comfortable Chairs by Alexander McCall Smith - Book Review

A Song of Comfortable Chairs by Alexander McCall Smith

Series: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #23 (Standalone)

Genre: Mild Drama, Cozy Mystery (without murder) 

4.3 Stars 

One Liner: Heartwarming; a comfort read (but go with the right expectations) 

****

Grace Makutsi's husband has a furniture business, which is in trouble. An international is selling furniture for cheaper prices. While Phuti Radiphuti is particular about quality and comfort, the new competitor is intent on sales and profits. 

Grace and Mma Ramotswe meet Grace’s childhood friend Patience, who appears to be dealing with her own issues. Mma Ramotswe comes up with ideas that might solve both issues and provide a happy solution for all of them. 

But are things as easy as the plan? How will Grace Makutsi and Mma Ramotswe handle the latest complexities?

The story comes in the third person POV. It alters between limited third-person (of both the leading ladies) and omnipresent narration. 

The last time I read a book from the series was about a decade ago. I picked it up at random from the library and wasn’t impressed by the lack of dead bodies in a cozy mystery (blame it on my bloodlust). Comparing it to Agatha Christie’s book didn’t help. Still, I was compelled enough to finish the book before turning to a murder mystery. 

Now I see why the series is successful and much loved. The book doesn’t really fit any genre. The mysteries are not ‘mysteries’, but aspects of one’s life- things we see in society, issues someone has to deal with, and decisions people need to make. 

The narration is relaxed and takes time to gather momentum. Even then, it is languid and lingers here and there before coming to the main point. The writing has a semi-stream-of-consciousness style (an incident happens/ new info is revealed, and one of the leading ladies thinks about something relevant from the past). Once I got used to this, I could sync my reading style with the narration. 

The book has a good dose of social commentary but doesn’t overdo it at any point. Mma Ramotswe’s calm acceptance of whatever life throws at her helps ground the narration. 

Coming to the main issues in the story, things don’t take off until the second half. The first half gathers information in bits and pieces, while the ‘solving process’ begins in the latter part. Of course, we know what and why already. It’s how that matters. One solution is simple, and the other is well… elaborate and dramatic. The teeny twist at the end adds a cheeky charm to the book. 

To summarize, A Song of Comfortable Chairs is the kind of book you want to sit with on cold noon and warm your heart. It isn’t a typical cozy mystery or drama. It’s a comfort read that’ll make you think and smile at the same time. 

Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Knopf Canada, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley 

*****

P.S: The book works as a standalone but reading at least one book in the series might be better.