A Ghostly Shadow

 A Ghostly Shadow

Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery #3

H L Marsay

Reviewed by Helen

This is such a great series and I am loving visiting York and catching up on Shadow and is mysteries, this time it is Halloween and all the ghosts of the past have come out on the many ghost walk tours that happen around York, supposedly on of the most haunted cities in all of England, Shadow is not happy with all that is happening and they are terribly short staffed at the moment making him grumpier than usual.

When the infamous Dick Turpin is found at the end of a rope hanging from a tree Shadow and Jimmy are on the case this was one of the ghost tour walkers and then a few days later his partner who plays Guy Fawkes is blown up in their office things are really heating up, the pressure is on, is there a psychopath on the loose in York, or is it one of the other business’s? Will they find the culprit before there are any more murders?

I am loving these stories, Shadow who prefers to work alone and think things through quietly and Jimmy who jumps in and really pushes Shadow’s buttons, always has me smiling, I do highly recommend this one and the series, it is witty and brings out the sleuth in me as I do my best to work out who the murderer is, a must read.

5 stars

October 14, 2021 by Tule Publishing

A Viking's Shadow

 A Viking's Shadow

Inspector Shadow #2

H L Marsay

Reviewed by Helen

I am loving this series, I came into it late and have read books one, two and eight and truly I can highly recommend them and am looking forward to getting to them all.

This time Chief inspector John Shadow is not happy about the Viking Festival, way too many people about stopping him from is normal, way too much madness but of course when there are many people about there will be problems, when the body of a wealthy local business man, one who seemed to be running the festival and playing the role of Viking King is found and soon after the body of his girlfriend, Shadow and his partner Sergeant Jimmy Chang jump in and start the investigation.

Shadow likes things old school were as Jimmy is up with all the new tech available and Shadow is good at watching and listening and soon they have uncovered a web of corruption and stolen goods, and family drama is this linked to the murders or is there another reason these two people were murdered.

I do highly recommend this one I love Shadow and Jimmy and the wonderful local characters who live in York and add to the story, Shadow always gets his man or woman, in the best possible way, slow and steady and hopefully without missing a meal.

5 stars

August 12, 2021 by Tule Publishing

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret

 Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret

Ernest Cunningham #3

Benjamin Stevenson

Reviewed by Helen

Ernest is at it again solving a murder or two, this time his ex-wife Erin rings him just on Christmas and while he is busy with plans for his wedding to Juliette, she is in jail accused of the murder of her boyfriend Lyle Pearce he cannot not get himself involved so off to the Blue Mountains he travels.

If you have read the first two books in the series you will know that Ernest’s way of unravelling the clues is different to say the least and this one is no different, arriving at the jail to talk to Erin he gets started Lyle was a philanthropist helping young people overcome their problems and he has sponsored a magician Rylan Blaze to do a tour this year, but as Ernest investigates at the venue Rylan also loses his life in such a bizarre way, will Ernest find the killer or killers? There are quite a few suspects to choose from.

This is another very interesting story in this series one that I did very much enjoy, I love the authors style of writing and the clues along the way had me thinking hard I didn’t pick who done it till the end, this is one that I do highly recommend a good mystery that is witty and different.

4 stars

October 22, 2024 by Penguin Random House Australia

Widows Walk

 Widows Walk

Martha's Vineyard Murders #3

Raemi A Ray 

Reviewed by Helen

Another brilliant story in this series this time Kyra and Tarek find themselves solving a few murders when they are invited to a Thanksgiving dinner at the historic mansion on Chappaquiddick but who is the killer and will Kyra survive this one.

Kyra did not want to attend this dinner but when her boss has come from London and her client insists that she be there, she and her friends attend on Thanksgiving Day, Chappy is meant for the very wealthy and it is cut off and can be very dangerous when the wind blows and the weather and tides move in, when the first body is found at the bottom of the servants stairs, they are all wondering if it was an accident or murder vital papers for a take-over are signed as soon as they declare the victim is dead, this is a worry and off course having Julie and Wes there adds to the tense atmosphere knowing how much they dislike Kyra, but when a second body is found and the internet also goes no phone lines they are totally cut off, the pressure builds and Tarek gets everyone into one room but which one of them is the killer?

This is a page turner of a story the tension builds with each turn of the page, how many victims will there be? Will her friends Chase and his friend Gerry and her aunt and uncle all survive? How will Tarek and herself come out of this one? This is a must read story that I highly recommend to any reader who loves a classic who done it. I loved this one and look forward to many more mysteries on Martha’s Vineyard, thank you MS Ray for another fabulous story.

My thanks to Tule Publishing for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

November 6, 2024 by Tule Publishing

The Body in the Lighthouse

 The Body in the Lighthouse

A Georgina Drake Mysteries #4

Kate Hardy

Reviewed by Helen

Another fabulous story in this awesome series, this one takes us to a lighthouse in Summerstrand when Georgina has an assignment to take photos and interview the owner, Eliot Manson who is renovating it, much to the dislike of many of the locals, but when she arrives with her trusty dog Bert and her partner DI Colin Bradshaw what they find is the owner dead and then Bert digs up a bone, which means two cases to investigate.

The investigation starts in earnest with Doris helping with the body found buried, and Georgina is enthused to help uncover what happened to them and who they are, but the scene in the lighthouse looks very suspicious to Colin and Georgina and with the fact that the victim is not well liked by anyone only his fiancé there may be a lot of suspects to interview with the forensic team on the case there are some answers coming in and it classed as a murder.

When the victims fiancé is found dead as well more questions are piling up and the pressure is on Colin to find the answers, of course Georgina is there to help she is very good at getting answers to her questions and with Doris helping with the buried body they soon discover who this person is and are uncovering the reason for his death, but will they discover who killed Eliot Manson.

This is a page turner of a book one that I read in one sitting, I could not put it down, so well written it kept my mind turning trying to work out who done it, Kate Hardy brings the characters and the setting to life in her stories and of course Georgina, Colin, Doris and Bert are a formidable team they work through things and get the answers, I do highly recommend this one and the series and look forward to many more mysteries to uncover in this beautiful setting.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

October 29, 2024 by Storm Publishing

A Saxon Shadow

 A Saxon Shadow

Chief Inspector Shadow #8

H L Marsay

Reviewed by Helen

I came into this series late and I have only read book one and now this one, but I loved the first one and this one as well and I am really looking forward to catching up with the others in the series, I am loving Chief Inspector John Shadow set in his ways and not impressed with all of the new ways of policing and then there is Sergeant Jimmy Chang, they make a fabulous team together.

There is a lot happening around York at the moment vandalism in the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey not to mention the break and enters that have been happening and Shadow and Jimmy are on the case when they are called to The Mill house when the owner and eccentric business man and one who obsessed with Saxon history is found dead in his study. It appears that it may have been a burglary gone wrong with another one in the village that same time as well, but is it, can Shadow and Jimmy get the answers they need to discover what happened?

This one is filled with such fabulous characters most interested in the Saxon history of the area and searching for a treasure trove of historical items that people have been searching for, for many years, the list of suspects grows as does Shadow’s indigestion with Jimmy’s mind moving fast and coming up with thoughts as well.

This is such a fabulous mystery, it had me thinking I didn’t pick the culprit till the very end, this story is witty and I love the interaction between Shadow and Jimmy, I do highly recommend this one, I am looking forward to catching up with the series.

My thanks to Tule Publishing for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

October 7, 2024 by Tule Publishing

A Matter of Life and Depths

 A Matter of Life and Depths

Cruising Sisters Mystery #2

K B Jackson

Reviewed by Helen

Book two and Char and Jane are off on another cruise, this time to Japan so the cruise is themed with all things Japanese, it should be a great cruise now that they are living on the cruise ship with hopes of travelling the world meeting new people and enjoying themselves, but at the reception night Char is fuming when she realizes who else is travelling her dead husband’s mistress the woman who had a child that Char always wanted and the woman who tried to take this cruise ship apartment away from her has taken a job as yoga instructor aboard, tempers flare, how will this cruise end?

Char and Jane are both fuming, that Kyrie Dawn and her son Quinton who is the spitting image of her husband are here, sailing towards Yokohama and Chef Elliot is found dead in the yoga studio with Kyrie Dawn standing over him with the murder weapon in her hand, when she is put under arrest by head of security the handsome Xavier, but when he asks that Char look after Quinton, that is a big ask, but she will not say no and the more time both she and Jane spend with Quinton the more they get to love her husband’s love child and the more determined the they both are to prove Kyrie Dawn innocent, especially when there are two more murders and Char and Xavier are put in a very dangerous position.

Another fabulous story in this series, fabulous characters, fabulous settings and a mystery that was throwing red herrings all the way through I had no idea who was doing the killing until the very end, and seeing how Char coming to terms with all that is happening with her new life as a travelling single woman and how things have worked out with Kyrie Dawn and little Quinton.

I do highly recommend this one to any lover of a good cosy mystery, it is fabulous.

My thanks to Tule Publishing for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

August 28, 2024 by Tule Publishing