The Widows' Guide to Backstabbing

 The Widows' Guide to Backstabbing

The Widows' Detective Club #2

Amanda Ashby

Reviewed by Helen

I loved being back in Little Shaw with Ginny and her widow cohorts, JM, Tuppence and Hen, these four ladies are great friends and rather enjoy investigating murders together even when asked not to by DI Wallace and now Ginny has discovered her second body in a matter of months since moving to Little Shaw, this time Timothy Harlow owner of the haberdashery shop and celebrity judge in the Little Shaw Spring Fete, he has been stabbed in the back by a pair of scissors, lots of question to find the answers to and will the fete go on?

The police have a suspect in custody fairly quickly but when the widows meet up with Megan Harlow daughter of the murder victim she convinces them that their suspect is not the murderer so the ladies start their investigation and soon are adding suspects and crossing them of on their murder board (a new on this time) there are many people to question, add to that Ginny’s cat Edgar has taken to arriving home with items that he appears to have taken and this leads Ginny be acting as negotiator between two locals, could this lead to more information?

This really is another great story in this series, what the ladies discover is secrets, love affairs, riverly and so much more, but will they discover the truth before DI Wallace and will they be safe? This is a fabulous page turner of a story, fabulous characters, setting and mystery to uncover and one that I would highly recommend to any lover of a good cosy mystery, bring on book three, I say.

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

5 stars

March 10, 2025 by Storm Publishing

A Killer in Kensington

 A Killer in Kensington

The Lady in Blue Mysteries #4

H L Marsay

Reviewed by Helen

Another fabulous book in this series Dorothy Peto has come a long way since her and a group of suffragettes were given permission to help the police department at the start of World War One and form the Woman’s Police Volunteers, it is now 1918 and Dorothy has been seconded to Scotland Yard and is working with DI Derwent, when a young woman’s body is found in Kensington Gardens and it has all the hallmarks of Jack the ripper and the Whitehall murders that happened thirty years ago, is he back?

DI Derwent is sure he is and this case gets very personal for him but Dorothy is not convinced that is the case, Dorothy sets out to uncover the truth and is asking lots of questions and doing her best to support her boss, and then when another young woman is found dead things heat up and they are all working hard to find the killer or is it killers.

Dorothy is struggling when she loses a very good friend and the pressure is on to get to the truth her investigation is going in a complete different direction at times to her boss but she feels that she is getting closer and linking the two deaths and then they set a trap and puts herself in danger and the penny drops has she discovered the truth?

This is a page turner of a story the case is intriguing and emotional for many of our friends I have made in this series and yes, I shed a few tears in this one but am really hoping that we see more in the series, HL Marsay is one of my favourite mystery authors and I can highly recommend this book and the series. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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

5 stars

March 5, 2025 by Tule Publishing

The Widows' Guide to Murder

 The Widows' Guide to Murder

The Widows' Detective Club #1

Amanda Ashby

Reviewed by Helen

This is the first book from Amanda Ashby that I have read, I will need to rectify that and soon, I loved this one from start to finish getting to know Ginny Cole and the widows she has met when she moves to the village of Little Shaw, come a long and meet the Ladies you are sure to be kept thinking.

When Ginny loses her dear husband, Eric she follows the plan they had for retirement and moves to middle cottage in Little Shaw here she decides that getting a job will be needed and before she knows it she is hired as library assistant at the local parish library where her boss Louisa is not a very nice person, her second day on the job she discovers Louisa’s body and here starts her sleuthing never realising that it was something that she would get into making friends with three other widows, Hen, Tuppence and JD together they make a formidable team and Ginny is soon doing things she never thought she would and what’s more getting on the wrong side of the law and pushing the Detectives buttons along the way.

It takes a bit, but Ginny is soon settling in to her new life in Little Shaw and loving her new friends and the cat Edgar who has adopted and her job at the library, as well as uncovering murderers, this is such a well written cosy mystery that had me thinking all the way through I was cheering Ginny and the widows on as they uncovered secrets and did their best to save lives.

This is the start of a new series and it is one that I would highly recommend, I loved it and book two is realeasing very soon, can’t wait to read it.

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

5 stars

March 3, 2025 by Storm Publishing

The Body at the Roman Baths

 The Body at the Roman Baths

A Georgina Drake Mystery #5

Kate Hardy

Reviewed by Helen

Excitement is growing at Little Wenborough Manor the home of lord and Lady Wyatt better known as Sybbie and Bernard when the remains of a roman bath have been discovered this dig was started after an archeologist, Trish had discovered that her great, great, great, great uncle had also discovered this over one hundred years ago now the mosaic floor has been uncovered for a second time, Georgie has been asked to photograph it but when the tarpaulin is pulled back there is a body and it is that of the head archeologist, Simon.

Georgina again finds herself investigating another death and without her trusty dog Bert there to dig up old bones, could there be only one murder this time when her friendly ghost Doris arrives by her side telling her that there is another mystery all those years ago when archeologist Trish’s uncle disappeared and it looks very much like he was murdered, will Georgie with the help of Doris discover the truth about the heritage death and Georgie’s partner DI Colin Bradshaw get to the bottom of the current death?

The more Georgie digs the more there appears to be a link between the past and present here at Little Wenborough Manor what’s more with Georgie and Colin’s relationship getting stronger maybe it is time for Georgie to open up about Doris to a Colin and her friends but how will that turn out?

This is another fabulous story in this series, I love Georgie, Doris, Colin, Bert as well as the other fabulous characters that all add to the story, it is engaging and had me thinking I do highly recommend this one and the series and I can’t wait for the next book in the series and to see where Kate Hardy Takes Georgie and Doris.

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

5 stars

February 26, 2025 by Storm Publishing

A Cold Dose of Murder

 A Cold Dose of Murder

Cannabis Cafe Mysteries #3

Emily George

Reviewed by Helen

Chloe’s cannabis café, Made by Chloe is heading forward in leaps and bounds, and when she is on a podcast by Calista Bryant, which is very successful just before the ice-cream festival, it is looking like a very busy weekend especially since Chloe has worked hard and created some very yummy cannabis ice-cream for the weekend. Everything is moving smoothly and it looks like it is not only going to be busy but a fun weekend, that is until Chloe and her boyfriend Jake discover a body under one of the food trucks the opening day of the festival and it is podcaster and food critic Calista Bryant.

Chloe does not want to get involved in sleuthing this time but when fellow business owner Starr Bright is the person the police are looking at for the murder, Starr comes to Chloe and begs her to help clear her name and soon Chloe is uncovering so many clues she cannot help but get involved and of course this puts her in danger again, will she discover the real killer before any more people are hurt?

I did thoroughly enjoy this one, catching up with the characters that we have met in the first two books was so good and I do love Chloe she is one very caring and determined woman who wants to see justice done, there are so many fabulous characters in this series if you have not tried this series then I do highly recommend them, not only are they great mysteries but they are very informative regarding how cannabis is used in cooking and why and of course Chloe who is a French trained chef creates the most delectable deserts, they sound yummy.

Thank you MS George for another fabulous read.

My thanks to Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

February 25, 2025 by Kensington Cozies

A Roman Shadow

 A Roman Shadow

Chief Inspector Shadow Mystery #4

H L Marsay

Reviewed by Helen

It is just about Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year which fall on the same day this year and the town of York is in full swing for the two days much to Chief Inspector Shadow’s delight, not, the town is really busy when they receive a phone call about missing rare gold coins from the museum and then a young Chinese visitor goes missing, for Shadow the big question is are the two linked or not, Jimmy is not thinking that, but the investigation brings them in contact so many people from all walks of life, any of them could be involved, my thoughts were jumping all over the place but as usual quiet and someone who notices all Shadow gets the job done with the help of Jimmy who has his own dilemma this year that adds to the story.

I did love this one and I am loving this series, they are witty and thought provoking as Shadow and Jimmy work through the clues and get their answers, I love the setting and learning about the history of York along the way, their personal lives enter the stories and getting to know Shadow and Jimmy better is fabulous, I highly recommend this one (and the series) if you love a good mystery, I am looking forward to catching up with all of the series.

5 stars

February 3, 2022 by Tule Publishing

Frightened to Depths

 Frightened to Depths

The Cruising Sisters #3

K B Jackson

Reviewed by Helen

Book three in this wonderful series, this time the ship is going to Hati and it is the anniversary of Charlotte’s husband’s death this caused big changes in her life some very good, her and her sister Jane are enjoying living aboard the cruise ship, if only murder would stop happening, although they are both good at sleuthing and enjoy finding the clues and working everything out.

While spending a few days in New Orleans Jane runs into someone from her past, Emmett someone she had a crush on many years ago and soon he has decided to cruise with them, he is working on a new book about myths and the legendary Werewolf, Charlotte is unsure of him and this is causing a rift between the two normally very close sisters.

They are all eager to see the reunion of a jazz band who have been hired to perform on the cruise, but when the leader of the band is found dead with a silver bullet to the heart one of the main suspects in Charlotte’s eyes is Emmett but in saying that all of the other band members could be suspects as well.

Charlotte is keen to help head of security Xavier to solve the murder when another of the band members is found dead, the rift between Jane and Charlotte is growing with Charlotte determined to keep Jane safe, and feeling between Xavier and Charlotte are hitting high levels. Will they find the murderer before any more deaths and will they be safe and what of the future is there one with Jane and Emmett and Xavier and Charlotte? I look forward to finding out how things will go.

Another page turning mystery set on the high seas with a trip to New Orleans, the author had me guessing till the very end again, this is one that I highly recommend to any reader who loves a good mystery.

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

4 stars

January 20, 2025 by Tule Publishing