Publication Date: 1 December 2023
Page Count: 342
Rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

“He sighed. ‘I meant ask how it is that I let you out of my sight for two minutes and you are knee deep in dead bodies? Again!’”

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Murder on the Cornish Cliffs‘ by Verity Bright. I also was invited to take part in their publication week blog tour.This is my stop.

This is Book 16 in the delightful Lady Eleanor Swift series of historical cosy mysteries set in the early 1920s. I again complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Karen Cass.

Background is provided for new readers and each book works fine on its own, though I feel it’s rewarding to read these books in order to appreciate how the characters have developed over the course of the series.

In this outing Lady Eleanor (Ellie) and her faithful butler, Clifford, head to Cornwall just before Christmas. Mr Godfrey Cunliffe, an old friend of her late uncle, has written with concerns that his life is in danger. He doesn’t want to involve the police but hopes Ellie can help.

So along with Clifford, Gladstone, the bulldog, and Tomkins, the ginger cat, they arrive at the picturesque manor, Gwel an Mor, and find that the police are in attendance. Are they too late?

Yet it quickly emerges that it is Cunliffe’s gardener, Jerome St Clair, who is dead. His body was found on the beach at the bottom of a steep cliff. In addition, his plans for restoring the gardens to their former glory are missing. It seems that Mr Cunliffe had suspected that St Clair was the one threatening his life, though given their similar build, he now is concerned about an unknown third party having killed the wrong man.

As her reputation for solving murders proceeds her, Inspector Trevilick of the local police seems quite happy for Eleanor to question family members and staff to discover the truth. It emerges that there are plenty of secrets and the rather stuffy Mr Cunliffe remains scared for his life.

As Christmas is approaching, Eleanor invites her fiancé, Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, to join them in Cornwall though it is decided that he do so under an alias as not to upset the local police. Still, this allows him to make his own discrete enquiries without stepping on any official toes. No further details to avoid spoilers.

This was quite a complex whodunnit with plenty of interesting twists and some scary situations for Ellie and Clifford. Verity Bright made great use of the Cornish setting with its rich folklore and history of shipwrecks and smuggling.

Still, while there are some life threatening situations, the authors find a good balance and include the antics of Gladstone and Tomkins as well as plenty of Christmas cheer.

I especially enjoyed the tour undertaken by Ellie and Clifford of the extensive gardens at Gwel an Mor with its many features seeking to solve the coded clues that they had found in the murder victim’s notebook. It was described very vividly and I felt as though I was witnessing it first hand.

The banter between Ellie and Clifford is delightful as always as are the antics of the animals. It was lovely to see Hugh being more playful as he adopted his new identity while in Cornwall.

Verity Bright closes the book with a few historical notes on Cornish customs, lighthouses, seagull recipes, Cornish pixies, and the like.

Overall, I found ‘Murder on the Cornish Cliffs’ another delightful adventure for Lady Eleanor Swift and friends. I am always happy to recommend this book and the series as a whole. Given its Christmas theme, it also is ideal for a cosy festive read.

Publication Date: 27 November 2023
Page Count: 306
Rating: 🚂🚂🚂🚂

“Cressida beamed at him. ‘That’s the spirit. And you never know, Andrews, three aristocratic noses might end up being even better than one.”

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Death on the Scotland Express’ by Fliss Chester.I was invited to take part in the publication week blog tour. This is my stop.

This is Book 4 in Chester’s series of historical cosy mysteries set in Britain during the mid-1920s. I have read all of the previous books and while it is fine as a standalone, I appreciated reading them in order for the character development.

The Hon. Cressida Fawcett is an independently minded young woman. While she has no need to work, Cressida has a keen interest in interior design and is often consulted on the subject by members of high society. In recent months she has also become something of an amateur sleuth as murders and country estates seem to go hand in hand in this type of Golden Age style mystery.

This novel takes place days after Cressida, accompanied by her best friend, Dotty (Lady Dorothy Chatterton), and Dotty’s brother, Alfred, had solved the mystery chronicled in ‘Death in the Highlands’. Now the three are travelling home to London on the Scotland Express.

Cressida is enjoying a martini in the lounge car when a gunshot resounds through the carriages. It is revealed that a fellow passenger has been shot dead. As this is an express train, the culprit must be among Cressida’s fellow passengers…

Cressida teams up with D.C.I. Andrews of Scotland Yard, who is also on board. They question the various suspects seeking to uncover the truth. When the murder weapon is found it seems that they have identified the murderer. Then there’s another gunshot, throwing the investigation into turmoil. Cressida struggles to stay calm. Can she solve the murder before they reach their destination?

An express train is a great place to set a locked room mystery, especially an express train as it heightens the sense of claustrophobia and keeps the suspect pool contained.

It seems that D.C.I. Andrews, who is a friend of Cressida’s father, is becoming more receptive to accepting Cressida’s help. Given the social structure of the period, her being an aristocrat does mean that those of her class are more receptive to answering her questions.

It’s also nice to see some of Cressida’s barriers coming down as she starts looking at Alfred with more favour. Is a romance on the cards? I am glad that Fliss Chester is taking her time developing this aspect of the ongoing story.

Overall, I found ‘Death on the Scotland Express’ another successful whodunnit that contained some delightful twists. I enjoyed the mention of the Orient Express, which seemed to be a gentle tip of the hat in the direction of Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery.

Publication Date: 9 November 2023
Page Count: 366
Rating: 🏍️🏍️🏍️🏍️

My thanks to Headline Review for an eARC and to Headline Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition, both via NetGalley, of ‘The Girls Left Behind’ by Emily Gunnis. The audiobook was narrated by Clare Corbett. I was also invited to take part in their publication week blog tour. This is my stop.

This work of crime fiction has quite a complex plot that enfolds between four timelines! In 2015, the novel’s present, Superintendent Jo Hamilton is due to retire from the Sussex Police. When the remains of a young woman are discovered in the woods close to Saltdean, she reflects on her early career as a constable when she had often been called out to deal with runaways from Morgate House, a local children’s home located on the Saltdean cliffs.

In 1975, Jo had attended a domestic incident that ended in tragedy. Sisters Holly and Daisy Moore were orphaned and housed at Morgate House. In 1985, Holly has become a troubled teenager desperate for love. When she meets a man who promises to take care of her, Holly hopes her luck has finally changed. Then she is reported missing and was never found.

In 2015 as the clock ticks down to her retirement, Jo recalls an incident when another female resident of Morgate had fallen from the cliffs. Jo has long been convinced the couple who had run the home before its closure were hiding something. She decides to track down Daisy and seek to re-open the case. The fourth timeline is set in 1944 as Jo’s mother, Olive, becomes part of the dispatch team at Bletchley Park.

While the chapters are clearly marked with the date and viewpoint character, this constant hopping about in time meant that close attention was needed to avoid confusion. There were also a few minor anachronisms with respect to period details, that proved slightly distracting.

In her Author’s Note Emily Gunnis shares that she drew on her mother-in-law’s experiences as a Sussex Police constable during the 1970-80s to highlight difficulties faced by women serving in the police as well as the inadequacies of social services, especially when dealing with vulnerable teenagers, who often fell between the cracks.

She also sought to highlight the roles of women who served as motorcycle dispatch riders at Bletchley Park. There are also explorations of the often fraught relations between mothers and daughters.

With respect to the audiobook, Clare Corbett is a highly experienced narrator with an impressive 350 titles to her CV. She is a very versatile reader and was able to confidently voice the novel’s many characters whose ages ranged from children to the elderly.

Overall, I found ‘The Girls Left Behind’ an engaging police procedural. However, while I appreciated that the author had wanted to focus on various historical social issues and character development, I felt that this resulted in rather a lot going on in its pages despite the modest length.

Having said that, I expect that it would prove a suitable choice for reading groups that are seeking a work of crime fiction that goes further than the search for whodunnit.

Publication Date: 8 November 2023
Page Count: 345
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

‘They’re everything to each other. Until she remembers the truth…’- cover tagline.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC and to Bookouture Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition, both via NetGalley, of ‘Such a Loving Couple’ by Hayley Smith. The audiobook is narrated by Candida Gubbins.

I was also invited to take part in the publication week blog tour. This is my stop.

This psychological thriller was the very essence of a page turner. As a result I would recommend that it is best to read it ‘cold’. So just a few details for context.

A woman awakes in a hospital room, surrounded by beeping machines and completely disoriented. At first she doesn’t remember anything including the identity of the man that the nurses tell her has been by her bedside since the accident. Eventually flashes of her memory return including the realisation that her name is Becka.

Yet she doesn’t remember anything about her life though the man, Freddie, assures her that they have been happily married for seventeen years and he has the receipts. They have a beautiful house and a seemingly perfect life. Yet something still feels wrong. Becka wonders if her memories will ever return and if she will discover the truth. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Like many psychological thrillers the narrative perspective moves between a number of characters and includes some flashbacks to earlier events that fill in important details. In Part One the focus is solely upon Becka though in Parts Two onward other characters contribute to the narrative.

With respect to the audiobook, British actor Candida Gubbins has had a varied career in film, television, and as a voice actor. This was my first experience of her as a narrator and I was very impressed with her narration feeling that she brought the characters and story vividly to life.

Following the main text in both print and audio editions there’s a taster for Hayley Smith’s debut novel, ‘The Perfect Girlfriend’.

Overall, I found ‘Such a Loving Couple’ an engaging thriller with plenty of satisfying twists and turns. After such a positive experience I am keen to read her first novel and plan to keep a look out for her future projects.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

“Fiona had three thoughts all of which arrived together. … Fiona’s third thought was the one to pierce her psyche with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel; not again. Twice in the past year Fiona had been trapped in a solitary location by freakish weather, and on both of those occasions a murderer had been among the people isolated alongside her.”

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Shelter’ by G.N. Smith. I was also invited to take part in the publication week blog tour. This is my stop.

This is Book 3 in the Fiona MacLeish series of crime thrillers.

Police officer Fiona MacLeish is on a mountain hike in the Scottish Highlands with her long time friends Donna and Jack. Then the weather quickly turns as a blizzard is on its way. They decide to head down the mountain, passing a group of six hikers. Shortly after a scream cuts through the air and turning Jo sees that only five hikers remain as one of their party has fallen off the path!

On the way down the slope to attend to the critically injured man, Fiona finds evidence that it was no accident. Yet who would do this and why? With nightfall approaching and the snowstorm increasing, the two groups of hikers only just make it to a nearby stone hut that has been outfitted as an emergency shelter. Two other hikers are waiting there, both associated with the larger group of hikers, thus adding to Jo’s suspect pool.

Concerned that one of the group is a potential murderer, Fiona shifts into investigative mode while concealing her role as a police officer. She questions the hikers, unearthing secrets along the way. Then another attack occurs, removing all doubt that there is a dangerous killer in their midst. No further details to avoid spoilers.

As the quote above demonstrates PC Fiona MacLeish is quite aware that she has again found herself in an isolated location during extreme weather conditions with a murderer about. She is still not a detective as due to previous trauma, she panics in exam situations and so hasn’t been able to sit the required Detective Exam.

With that ‘not again’ at least Fiona (and by extension the author) is aware that this is the third time that she’s found herself in this kind of situation. If I were her I might decide to stay at home unless it’s a bright sunny day with no mega storms, floods, gales, or blizzards in the forecast.
Maybe the universe is trying to tell her something?

Fiona’s inner dialogue certainly is brimming with anxiety almost to the point of paranoia as she suspects pretty much everyone is the guilty party poised to kosh her or knock her down the mountain. Only Donna escapes suspicion as she was standing next to Fiona when she had heard the scream.

As with the previous two novels G. N. Smith creates a powerful sense of the ferocity of the weather and how it affects his characters and their environs. There was also the claustrophobia experienced as the group squeezes into the small hut with the snowstorm howling around them. Every time anyone went outside, I was reaching for an extra jumper.

Overall, I found ‘The Shelter’ an engaging mystery that was enjoyable. I certainly wasn’t able to figure out whodunnit before the final denouement.

However, I do hope that ‘three’s the charm’ and that if the series continues Fiona MacLeish won’t be faced with further singlehanded sleuthing in such extreme weather conditions. The woman deserves a break though I would suggest avoiding tropical islands during hurricane season….

Publication Date: 6 September 2023
Page Count: 332
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

‘She thought she’d found the one… But then she found him dead…’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC and to Bookouture Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition, both via NetGalley, of ‘The Perfect Date’ by Julia Crouch. The audiobook is narrated by Sarah Durham.

I was also invited to take part in the publication week blog tour. This is my stop.

Well, my attention was certainly snagged by that tag line! Caroline (Caz) Sessions has recently returned to Brighton to look after her ailing mother, Ruth. However, there was another reason to leave London. The last man that she dated had been murdered and for a short time she had been the prime suspect! Recently she tried using the dating app again and met Harry with whom she had shared two successful dates. She has a good feeling about him.

Caz has started a dog walking business that keeps her busy. When out walking some of her charges, she lets Joey, her own dog, off his leash. He runs off, comes back and seems very agitated. Then she sees that he’s found a dead body! As Caz draws closer, she realises that it’s Harry. She faints …

What an opening! When the police interview Caz she doesn’t mention that she knew the victim. After all dog walkers are always coming across dead bodies! Plus, surely it’s just a coincidence that another man she was dating met a sticky end.

Then Marcy, one of Caz’s clients, sends her a message offering her a lucrative week long job as pet sitter for Bridget Jones, her pampered Maltipoo. Caz moves into Marcy’s luxurious home and fantasises that it could have been hers. We learn that years before Marcy and Caz had been best friends until Mark, Caz’s boyfriend, had dumped her for Marcy. Ouch! Since they are now divorced, Caz is trying her best to reconnect with her old friend. Yet she feels that something isn’t quite right at the house. No further details to avoid spoilers.

There’s a lot going on in ‘The Perfect Date’. At times I was concerned that it was too much though Crouch clearly knows her craft and brought together its various threads in what I found a satisfying conclusion. It was a very twisty journey.

I found myself quite invested in the narrative, even though Caz’s behaviour was sometimes frustrating. In addition, any thriller that contains animals, especially much loved pets, always provides an extra degree of tension.

With respect to the audiobook, British actor Sarah Durham has narrated a number of titles, many in the mystery and thriller genres and I have enjoyed her readings of a few. She has a versatile range that infused the characters with distinctive voices.

Overall, I found ‘The Perfect Date’ a gripping psychological thriller, that was almost impossible to put down. While it was the first novel I have read by Julia Crouch, it certainly won’t be my last.

Publication Date: 27 September 2023
Page Count: 363
Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑

“Anti-royalism, Hugh? This is Little Buckford! It’s the most conservative and traditional village in all of England. It’s exactly everything this country, and King George, stand for personified.’”

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Murder by Invitation’ by Verity Bright. I also was invited to take part in their publication week blog tour. This is my spot.

This is Book 15 in the Lady Eleanor Swift series of historical cosy mysteries set in 1920s England. As usual, I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Karen Cass.

The residents of Little Buckford are busy making preparations for a huge royal celebration in honour of the King’s birthday. Lady Eleanor (Ellie) Swift and her loyal butler Clifford are lending a hand along with the Henley Hall staff. Gladstone the bulldog and his new friend Tomkins, the ginger cat, are observing from the sidelines always on the lookout for treats.

Then just days before the event the body of Mr Prestwick-Peterson, the chairman of the celebrations committee, is found in the vandalised village hall. He was strangled with a length of red, white and royal blue bunting!

Eleanor’s beau, Detective Hugh Seldon, is assigned to the case, and together they question locals. They discover that Prestwick-Peterson was considered a busybody and was not well liked by many in the village. Then another body is found and the murder weapon again links to the upcoming royal celebrations. In addition, a ‘calling card’ was found with both bodies bearing an unknown symbol.

When Whitehall determines that the symbol links to a London-based anarchist group, the investigation takes on a political angle as there is concern that anarchists and anti-monarchist activists are seeking to disrupt the royal celebrations throughout the country, including its bucolic villages.

The plot thickens and the suspect lists grows. Then an arrest is made and the suspect imprisoned in the Tower! Yet Ellie is convinced that the police have made a mistake. Can she uncover the real murderer before there is a serious miscarriage of justice?

I am quite familiar with the characters and previous events as I have been following this series since its inception. However, for new readers some background (without spoilers for previous cases) is provided.

I was quite amused by the lengths that Clifford and Hugh undertook to ensure there was no hint of impropriety in their interactions with Ellie. Of course, this is in keeping with the social etiquette of the period and I felt that it was an important detail to honour the authenticity of the historical setting.

I will note that there was a heightened level of threat in the closing chapters that I feel moved this story more into semi-cosy territory.

Overall, I found ‘Murder by Invitation’ another engaging mystery for Ellie and company with a well realised historical setting. After the main narrative Verity Bright includes notes that provide background on certain historical details that feature in the plot.

Highly recommended book and series.

Publication Date: 22 September 2023
Ratings: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

My thanks to Bookouture for eARCs via NetGalley of ‘The Flood’ and ‘The Island’ by G.N. Smith. In addition, I received from Bookouture Audio a review copy, also via NetGalley, of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Flood’, narrated by Helen McAlpine.

I was also invited to take part in the publication week blog tour for both books. This is my stop.

These are the first two books in Smith’s Fiona MacLeish Crime Thriller series set in Scotland. Here are brief summaries of the two plots for context.

The titular character is a constable with Police Scotland. In ‘The Flood’ she is on a mandated break from duty following a traumatic case and is visiting her Aunt Mary at a remote cottage in the Scottish Borders. They are evacuating as the area has been hit by a mega storm and is quickly flooding. Just before the valley is cut off, Fiona discovers the murdered body of a neighbour.

With the realisation that the torrential rain has already cut off the small farming community, Fiona thinks it likely that the murderer remains nearby. She and Mary take refuge with other local residents at the highest standing farm.

Fiona has kept her work with the police a secret and undertakes the investigation on the quiet. Then another victim is found and everyone is on high alert. Tempers fray and the storm continues to wreck havoc.

In ‘The Island’ PC Fiona MacLeish has returned to duty. When an eight-year-old girl goes missing on a remote island off the coast of the Scottish Highlands, Fiona is sent ahead to begin coordinating the search. When bad weather halts ferry crossings, Fiona is left on her own though is in touch via phone with Police Scotland.

The situation becomes more complicated when a pleasure boat founders off the coast. Just before the boat sinks Fiona discovers the body of a man, clearly murdered. She realises that the killer will have been among the rescued. Fiona needs to identify the murderer as well as find the missing girl. No pressure!

In both books Fiona is essentially left to her own devices and does a great deal of sifting through clues and possible suspects as internal dialogue. She often makes mistakes though as she is always quick to point out ‘I am not a detective’.

Fiona does have aspirations to train as a detective and I certainly hope that over the course of the series that she will attain this.

While ‘The Flood’ wasn’t quite what I would categorise as a police procedural, ‘The Island’ did have Fiona receiving some support from her colleagues at Police Scotland. In both novels I was impressed with Smith’s ability to recreate on the printed page how it feels to be caught in the midst of severe weather, which added to the tension and sense of danger for all involved.

With respect to the audiobook edition of ‘The Flood’, Helen McAlpine is an experienced voice actor whose narration of a series of Scottish cosy mysteries I have been enjoying. Clearly ‘The Flood’ is more serious crime fiction though I felt that she found the right pitch to convey the sense of threat being experienced from both nature and humans.

While the audiobook edition for ‘The Island’ wasn’t available to review, I purchased my own copy. It was also narrated by Helen McAlpine.

Overall, I found both ‘The Flood’ and ‘The Island’ engaging reads. While I felt that ‘The Flood’ was a little rough around the edges, ‘The Island’ seemed to be a more polished tale. I plan to continue with the series.

My rating for ‘The Flood’ was 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 and for ‘The Island’ 4 stars.

Publication Date: 29 August 2023
Length: 416 pages/12 hours, 22 minutes
Rating: 🦅🦅🦅🦅

My thanks to Quercus Books MacLehose Press for an eARC and to Quercus Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition, both via NetGalley, of ‘The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons’ by Karin Smirnoff. It was translated from the Swedish by Sarah Death. The audiobook is narrated by Kajsa Mohammar.

This is Book 7 in the Millennium series that began with ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ by Stieg Larrson, first published in English in 2008. Following Larrson’s untimely death and the publication of the original trilogy, David Lagercrantz was commissioned to write a further three books. Karin Smirnoff has now taken over for a new trilogy featuring Larsson’s characters and setting.

Smirnoff is a best selling crime author in her own right and said in an interview “The Millennium books are classics in their genre, where the combination of unforgettable characters and the strong political and societal engagement still fascinates readers. I will continue to build on Stieg Larsson's core themes, such as violence, abuse of power, and contemporary political currents.”

Those themes are apparent throughout ‘The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons’. In Sweden’s far north change is coming. Its untapped natural resources are sparking a gold rush with members of the criminal underworld, corrupt politicians, and greedy business types all competing for position.

Both Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist are headed to the region, though neither due to these shady activities. Lisbeth has been named guardian to her niece Svala, whose mother has disappeared. She is reluctant to take on the role, though Svala proves a remarkably gifted teenager yet one in danger from shadowy forces.

Mikael’s journey north is also related to family as his daughter Pernilla is about to marry. Yet there are rumours that her intended husband’s involvement in the building of local wind farms could be dodgy. Luckily when Blomkvist’s situation escalates, Salander is close to hand to bring her unique skills into the mix.

Prior to this I had read the original trilogy as well as the first novel by David Lagercrantz. While there is plenty of action along with labyrinthine conspiracies (and sea-eagles) in ‘The Girl in the Eagle's Talons’, for me it had similar issues to ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ (Millennium 4) in that it lacked the sheer raw brilliance of the original trilogy. I did also feel that it relied a little too much on coincidences.

However, I was pleased that a woman had been chosen to continue the Millennium series into this new phase. I felt that Karin Smirnoff demonstrated respect for the source material and characters. Still, the narrative did at times feel restrained. Hopefully as Smirnoff continues writing the rest of her trilogy she will gain more confidence with these iconic characters.

With respect to the audiobook, this appears to be
Swedish actor Kajsa Mohammar’s first foray into audiobook narration. I thought that after six audiobooks with male narrators it was appropriate given the prominence of Lisbeth Salander that a woman be its reader. I felt that she did well and that her voice was light and clear, proving a pleasure to listen to.

Overall, I felt that ‘The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons’ was a perfectly fine crime thriller that addressed the kind of social issues that often feature in Scandinavian Noir. It might not attain the level of the original trilogy but still was an engaging read. I feel that I will likely continue reading the series as they are published in English.

Publication Date: 15 August 2023
Page Count: 129
Rating: 🏰🏰🏰🏰🏰

‘There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story.’ - cover tag line

My thanks to Titan Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Thornhedge’ by T. Kingfisher.

This was my first experience of Kingfisher’s writing and based on this experience it certainly won’t be the last. It was a beautifully crafted faerie tale that captured my heart from its opening page.

At the hour of her birth a baby is stolen from her cradle and a changeling left in her place. In the Faerie world she is raised by the greenteeth, slimy swamp-dwelling fae. They name her Toadling. When she is fifteen the Hare Goddess comes to her and carries her away to a backwater faerie court where she is educated by the catfish-faced Master Gourami.

She eventually learns that she was born human, the daughter of the king of a small kingdom. While years have passed in Faerie only five days have passed in the mortal world. Master Gourami says that her education will continue and that she will then be sent back to the mortal world to stand on the seventh day as faerie godmother to the changeling baby who had taken her place!

Centuries later, a young Muslim knight named Halim approaches an impenetrable wall of brambles. He is the younger son of a poor noble family and had come across an old book with a tale about a tower and a maiden under a curse. Of course, he felt that as a knight it is his duty to seek the tower, break the curse, and rescue the maiden. Then he encounters Toadling, who will do anything to uphold the curse.

You will need to read this little gem of a novel yourself to find out what happened at the christening, why Toadling is guarding the wall of thorns and the tower hidden within as well as how Halim fares on his quest.

This excellent storytelling is accompanied by a wealth of descriptions of the peoples of Faerie, including a silver furred hare goddess with eyes full of moonlight, fickle natured kelpies, and of course Toadling, who is able to change from her woman-shape into a toad. This lyrical tale is tempered by touches of the macabre and dark humour.

I especially enjoyed the interaction between Toadling and the gentle Halim from their first encounter when she seeks to think him on his way and then sneaks up on him while he sleeps too close to her brambles and starts to weave elf-knots in his curly hair through to its magical final pages.

I felt that ‘Thornhedge’ was an enchanting reimagining of ‘Sleeping Beauty’, a perfect faerie tale. I loved it so much and now plan to explore T. Kingfisher’s back catalogue.

Very highly recommended.

Publication Date: 3 August 2023
Page Count:342
Rating: 🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K. Manilla Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Fair Rosaline’ by Natasha Solomons.

This work of literary historical fiction made quite an impression on me. First, some plot details for context.

Verona is just emerging from the devastation of the plague. Fifteen-year-old Rosaline Capulet is upset to learn that her father intends that rather than be married, she is to enter a convent. After all, her older brother has already supplied the requisite heir and dowries are expensive. To add to her woes, it appears that her recently deceased mother had supported this plan. She stamps her feet in frustration at being locked away from the world.

Rosaline manages to get her father to agree to a twelve day grace period before she is sent away and she is determined to pack as much living into those days as possible. Her cousin and best friend, Tybalt, is all for them running off to the Greenwood to join Robin Goodfellow and Titania’s faerie revels. Yet Rosaline feels that sneaking into the Montague ball might be more her style….

At the ball her path crosses with that of Romeo Montague and it’s a case of insta-love. He proceeds to woo her with familiar lines and pretty soon she is dreaming of a secret marriage and running off with Romeo to Mantua. However, she soon has reason to doubt his honeyed words. Then Rosaline realises that Romeo’s gaze has swiftly shifted to her thirteen-year-old cousin, Juliet, who is even more naive than she had been.

As things heat up in the streets of Verona between the houses of Montague and Capulet, can Rosaline save her cousin from what appears to be the fate of all star crossed lovers?

Rather than describe her latest novel as a retelling of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Solomons has defined it as an ‘untelling’; asking “was the greatest love story of all time a lie?” As such, she subverts key elements of the story turning it on its head.

Having read her novel, ‘I, Mona Lisa’, I knew that Solomons was capable of taking risks in her approach to literary fiction. Here the story is told from the perspective of Rosaline. In Shakespeare’s play before Romeo met Juliet he had loved Rosaline. She never speaks in the play although she is the reason that Romeo sneaks into the Capulet ball thus setting in motion the meeting between he and Juliet and all that later occurs. As such, Rosaline serves as an important catalyst.

There is a lot to admire in this novel, including the expansion of the character of Tybalt, who was my favourite, while Rosaline generated mixed feelings given her whining and petulant behaviour. Many of the novel’s scenes were vividly described allowing me to feel immersed in its characters and events. The sword fights that took place were especially well executed and thrilling.

However, despite these positive points I had a turbulent relationship with this novel with my feelings about it shifting considerably during the course of my reading. I was initially unsettled by some of the changes that Solomons had made to the story as well as the muddling of time and place, between the original 14th Century Italian setting and late 16th Century England.

Rosaline’s constant angst about the restrictions of convent life jarred as this was not true of the original 14th Century setting although such had been imposed in the 16th Century by the Catholic Counter Reformation. Yes, it’s a small niggle likely only noticeable to history nerds aware that convent life had allowed women more agency in this male dominated society.

Solomons’ concluding Author’s Note did clear up some of my reservations as she clarified that her novel is set in ‘Verona-Upon-Avon’, so although the story is intended to take place in late medieval Italy there were recognisable elements of Elizabethan England as indeed there was in Shakespeare’s day.

By the time I reached the concluding chapters, I had come to better appreciate the reasons for her various changes, though I did continue to feel that some reflected modern sensibilities rather than those of the novel’s period settings.

I also appreciated the interview with Natasha Solomons that was included at the end of the audiobook edition. In it she expressed her worry about negative reactions to her untelling. A close friend, who is a director, suggested that she should imagine herself not as a writer but as a director and that the novel is her production, her version of the story of Romeo and Juliet. That ‘Fair Rosaline’ wasn’t negating the other versions of ‘Romeo and Juliet’; they still exist.

However, one thing that did remain constant throughout my reading was my admiration for Natasha Solomons’ exquisite writing. I also appreciated the numerous allusions to other works of Shakespeare. I would love an annotated edition of this novel as I am certain that I only caught a fraction of them. It also made me long to revisit his various plays.

Overall, I found found ‘Fair Rosaline’ an extraordinary novel even though I found some aspects challenging. It certainly is the kind of novel that is bound to generate plenty of discussion. I plan to reread it in due course and hope to see it nominated for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Publication Date: 3 August 2023
Page Count: 416
Rating: 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈

We finally have everything back from the lab. The diagnosis is very clear,” Dr. Ramirez said briskly to mask the gravity of what came next. “You’re in the early stages of a Carcharodon carcharias mutation.”
“Carcharo— What?”
“Carcharodon carcharias. Great white shark.”

My thanks to Quercus Books Jo Fletcher Books for a review copy of ‘Shark Heart A love story’ by Emily Habeck.

I know that it can be unwise to judge a book by its cover but my eye was immediately drawn to the cover image of a shark made of bright flowers against a soft green background. Add to this the novel’s unique premise definitely caught my attention.

In April 2016, Lewis Woodard, a high school drama teacher, marries Wren, his girlfriend of four years. In May after being concerned about a few unusual symptoms, he receives the diagnosis that he is gradually transforming into a great white shark. Well consider me well and truly hooked!

In many ways the narrative follows a traditional love story as we visit their younger years, including the beginnings of their relationship as well as their journey through Lewis’ transition. I appreciated Wren’s response to Lewis’ diagnosis, “They say the first year of marriage is the hardest”.

The novel at times takes on the structure of a play and many chapters are quite short. Part One is dedicated to the story of Lewis and Wren; Part 2 goes back to 1980 and follows Wren’s mother, Angela. Part Three is set in various oceans and in the Epilogue we return to Wren in Texas.

Aside from the strangeness of Lewis’ transformation there are other fantastical elements throughout the novel. Given that I enjoy science fiction and fantasy and have a soft spot for DC Comics’ King Shark, I certainly was able to embrace the weirdness and go with the flow.

Overall, ‘Shark Heart’ is undoubtedly an impressive debut. Emily Habeck’s prose is lyrical and immersive. I found it both heartbreaking and heartwarming; a love story about loss and hope and of course, sharks.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: 26 July 2023
Page Count: 317
Rating: 🎶🎶🎶🎶

“Maud bit her tongue. If the man wanted to think that, so be it. But she had learned her job at Sherlock Holmes’s knee…”

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Mystery in the Highlands’ by Lydia Travers. I was also invited to take part in their publication week blog tour.

This is Book 3 in The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency series of historical cosy mysteries. In the opening chapter there is background provided though it is such an engaging series that I would recommend reading the books in order for continuity.

November, 1911. Two months have passed since Maud McIntyre and Daisy Cameron, her former ladies’ maid now friend and assistant, wrapped up their last case. They are both more than ready for their next big case.

It comes in the form of a letter from Daisy’s cousin, Clara, who shares her fears that two recent deaths in her local choir weren’t accidental. Clara asks if Maud and Daisy would come to the Highlands for a few days to investigate. While Daisy thinks that her cousin is overreacting, Maud’s detective senses are tingling. The choir is soon to take part in a competition to find the best choir in Scotland and tensions are running high. Could someone from another choir be bumping off their rivals?

On arrival, Maud and Daisy decide to go undercover in the choir in order to keep an eye on potential victims as well as identify suspects. Then they start to receive anonymous letters containing rhymes that appear to be clues to the next murder. Meanwhile, the local police are completely dismissive that there is anything suspicious about the deaths. Clearly they are out of touch with how aggressive singing competitions can be!

Along the way the rather dishy Lord Hamish Urquhart turns up again as he is visiting a local stately home. He does appear to spend all his time popping from one country house party to another. Oh, and added to his many positive attributes, he proves to be a strong bass as Maud discovers when he temporarily fills a vacancy in the church choir. Will Maud be able to focus on the case with Hamish being so very distracting?

This was another witty historical cosy and I felt that the author did well in capturing the beauty of the Highlands setting. There was a slight change in that here Maud and Daisy are focusing on a single mystery rather than interlinked ones.

Overall, I found ‘Mystery in the Highlands’ a delightful read. I feel that Lydia Travers has continued to build on her intriguing premise of two fledgling lady detectives seeking to establish themselves in a male dominated world, with a little aid from Maud’s fictional mentor, Sherlock Holmes.

She also blends in just enough serious historical detail, such as the campaign for women’s suffrage and rumblings of war in Europe, to remind her readers that it’s not all about solving mysteries and sparkling house parties.

I have quickly added this series to my list of ‘must read’ historical cosy mysteries and am looking forward to more cases for the Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency.

Publication Date: 20 July 2023
Page Count: 321
Rating: 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

My thanks to Quercus Books/Jo Fletcher Books for a review copy of ‘The Night Field’ by Donna Glee Williams. I was invited to take part in their Publication Day social media blast. This is my stop.

This novel is a beautifully constructed fable, set outside known time and space, that focuses upon the destruction of the environment and humankind’s relationship with nature; contrasting those peoples that honour the Earth with an authoritarian society that exploits and damages it.

In the Real the clans of the People live in harmony with nature until a creeping threat imperils their whole world as the annual rainfalls bring with them a noxious stench that begins to poison people, animals, insects, and plants alike.

The novel’s young protagonist, Pyn-Poi, feels a strong empathy with the trees, having learned from her father how to communicate with them. The distressed trees, who have their own short chapters, reach out to Pyn-Poi and urge her to climb to the land beyond the Wall, where it is believed that the Ancestors live and to seek their help.

Yet what she discovers there is nothing like anything that she could have imagined, a world and people very different to her own. Will she discover what is killing The Real? No further details to avoid spoilers.

Donna Glee Williams moves smoothly between a wide number of points of view, exploring Pyn-Poi’s life before and after her ascent of the Wall. These include a variety of people that she encounters in the town and later on the Farm, where all ‘tractees’ are forced to pick the white bolls of fibre, clearly referencing cotton fields. As noted above even the Trees that have sent her on this quest contribute to the narrative.

I loved the descriptive language used by Pyn-Poi; including of bees as whizzwings, biting insects as nibblers, and the vicious guard dogs of the Farm as fang-foes, though as she becomes used to her new life her language begins to change and she just refers to these as dogs and insects.

In her Acknowledgments Williams highlights the serious nonfictional issues that had inspired her to write ‘The Night Field’. I am very drawn to novels that feature nature, the environment, and trees, so this environmental fable proved a good fit.

Overall, I found ‘The Night Field’ powerful and moving and applaud Donna Glee Williams’ skill in creating such a memorable novel and providing a vehicle for Pyn-Poi’s story.

Publication Date: 18 July 2023
Page Count: 321
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Give me your hands, dearest brother and sister, for now we call upon the Lords of Air, the Princes in Yellow, to witness our rites.”

My thanks to Quercus Books Jo Fletcher Books for a review copy of ‘Silver Nitrate’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I was also invited to take part in their publication day blog tour. This is my stop.

Ever since I read my first Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel in 2019, I have admired her storytelling. She moves effortlessly through a variety of genres and her novels always feel fresh rather than repeats of her previous successes. In this work of supernatural suspense she combines three subjects that interest me: the occult, gothic horror, and the film industry, specifically classic horror films such as those made by Hammer Studios.

In 1993, Montserrat is a talented sound editor, though she's left out of the boys' club running the film industry in Mexico City. She’s also all but invisible to her best friend Tristán, a handsome former soap opera star, even though she's been in love with him since childhood.

When Tristán moves to a new apartment building, he discovers that his new neighbour is cult horror director Abel Urueta. In conversations about films the legendary auteur relates a fantastical tale of a German occultist who sought to imbue magic into one of Urueta’s films utilising its highly volatile silver nitrate stock. The film, ‘Beyond the Yellow Door’, was never finished and Urueta swears that it was cursed and had resulted in his career vanishing overnight.

The director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him finish the film by completing its soundtrack in the belief that it will lift the curse and also bring luck to all three of them. What could possibly go wrong? Montserrat and Tristán may not believe in the occult and curses, but horror buffs will know that such scepticism offers no protection against evil forces. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I found Montserrat such a relatable character including her unrequited love for Tristán. Many of Moreno-Garcia’s leads have been spectacular beauties, so having a quiet, plain girl was a welcome change. She also has a fierce intelligence and powerful will, essential qualities for a magician.

‘Silver Nitrate’ was deliciously creepy and Silvia Moreno-Garcia took her time introducing her characters before bringing in the supernatural elements in a manner that felt organic in relation to the narrative as a whole. That its Epigraph quoted ‘Casting the Runes’ by M.R. James seemed fitting as the understated literary horror within ‘Silver Nitrate’ was very much in this tradition. The film title, ‘Beyond the Yellow Door’ resonated for me with the Robert W. Chambers’ classic story, ‘The King in Yellow’.

The sense of authenticity was aided by her incorporating details of occult history including Aleister Crowley’s Rites of Eleusis theatrical productions that were also magical rituals. Indeed, the concept of utilising film as a vehicle for magic and spell casting is a natural progression from these ideas. 

In addition, Silvia Moreno-Garcia provides a free downloadable Book Club Kit via her website that provides background material on the novel, reading group questions, classic horror films mentioned in the text, her short story ‘Flash Frame’, a movie poster for ‘Beyond the Yellow Door’ and a Spotify playlist for ‘Silver Nitrate’.

Overall, ‘Silver Nitrate’ was an amazing read! It’s a well crafted slow burn horror novel that hooked me from the start. As I said above, I have enjoyed all of her novels and consider this one of her best.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: 26 May 2023
Page Count: 323
Rating: 🚂🚂🚂🚂

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Murder in the Scottish Hills’ by Lydia Travers. I was also invited to take part in the publication week blog tour. This is my stop.

This is Book 2 in The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency series of historical cosy mysteries. In the opening chapter there is background provided though it has a few spoilers about the initial cases covered in Book 1. However, as that previous book was such fun, I have no hesitation in recommending it.

September 1911. Maud McIntyre’s recently opened detective agency currently has no cases. She accepts an invitation to write an article for the Edinburgh Times on women’s rights. Following a positive response, the editor tells Maud that they have received a number of letters, some asking questions. He suggests that she might start an advice column. So together with Daisy, her former lady’s maid who has since become a close friend, they answer various letters.

One from Rose, a housemaid at a stately home in the Highlands near Balmoral, writes about unusual goings on at the house. They decide to take on her case pro bono. During their train journey north they change trains. As Maud opens the door of a seemingly empty carriage, the body of a man rolls out. The police conclude that he had taken his own life. Yet Maud is not convinced as apparently he was not a popular chap and plenty would welcome his demise. Could it have been murder?

Aside from that mystery when they reach their destination, they approach Rose’s employer and begin to investigate. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Again, this proved another delightful historical cosy in which Maud and Daisy investigate a few local mysteries. Maud also meets King George V, who is in residence at nearby Balmoral and encounters Lord Hamish Urquhart again. His presence causes her heart to speed up and Maud chastises herself for such feelings.

As someone interested in art history, I appreciated the inclusion of references to Picasso, Cubism, and the like as well as snippets of Scottish history. Maud’s enthusiasm for the stories of Sherlock Holmes continues with her referencing a few of his cases.

Overall, I felt that with ‘Murder in the Scottish Hills’ Lydia Travers has built on the promising first novel, establishing her resourceful lady detectives as they undertake further investigations. She blends in just enough humour to lighten the more serious aspects of the story.

Definitely a ‘must read’ for lovers of historical cosy mysteries and I am pleased that there’s not a long wait for Book 3, ‘Mystery in the Highlands’, which is due for publication in late July.

Publication Date: 18 May 2023
Page Count: 391
Rating: 💀💀💀💀💀

“Royals. Doesn’t matter whether it’s the Old Firm or truly ancient, they’re all about cosplaying the good old days, back when kings were kings, queens were queens, and peasants like us worked in the fields. So this is about two hundred years out of date, which I’d say puts you right on the mark?”

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group U.K. Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Season of Skulls’ by Charles Stross. I bought its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Imogen Church and listened alongside reading.

This is Book 3 of the New Management, the final novel in the Laundry Files spin-off trilogy that began with ‘Dead Lies Dreaming’ and continued with ‘Quantum of Nightmares’. As it is an ongoing story I won’t say much about the plot, though I appreciated that Stross did a little sum up towards the end of the opening chapter.

In Britain under the New Management the Prime Minister is an eldritch god of unimaginable power. There is hardly any crime as almost every offense is punishable by death and people with strange powers are everywhere as magic as reemerged throughout society.

It was good to rejoin the formidable Eve Starkey, her feckless brother, Imp, and thief-taker Wendy Deere as they negotiate the dangerous world of the New Management.

As in the other books there are plenty of pop culture references. An early throwaway quip addressing Eve as Lady Bridgerton proved a teaser for the story entering Regency romance territory. Added to this are references to the 1960s avant-garde tv series, ‘The Prisoner’. These begin in a chapter titled: ‘You Are Number Six’ as Eve finds herself in an eerily familiar seaside village. Many characters sign off with the iconic ‘Be seeing you’ and its matching salute.

In his Acknowledgements Stross notes his recent interest in the Regency period along with the sub-genres of Regency romance and Gothic romance. As such characters from Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and John Polidori’s ‘The Vampyre’ make appearances in ‘Season of Skulls’.

Overall, ‘Season of Skulls’ is a triumphant conclusion to this genre-spanning trilogy. Stross has skilfully blended urban fantasy, dry humour, adventure, Lovecraftian horror, science fiction, historical fiction, and yes a touch of romance.

I was sad to come to the end of ‘Season of Skulls’ though clearly there is the option for more novels set in the world of The Laundry Files and he even says that there’s room for Eve’s story to continue. Hurrah! Mind you I still have his earlier books to explore while I await news of Stross’ next project.

I highly recommend this novel and the New Management trilogy as a whole. Be seeing you.

Publication Date: 3 March 2023
Page Count: 340
Rating: 🪘🪘🪘🪘🪘

“I turn on some old, favourite dub tracks. I grew up listening to Irving play his Trojan records. Ska into rocksteady into reggae. The offbeats and rhythmic patterns of my growth synced to the emerging sound of dub. The dead come to us through familiar sound waves. I chant, call Muma inna fire-rush tongue: ‘Weh you deh?’

My thanks to Random House U.K. Vintage/Jonathan Cape for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Fire Rush’ by Jacqueline Crooks.

This debut work of literary fiction has recently been shortlisted for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction. It is divided into three parts, set in London, Bristol, and Jamaica between late 1978 and early 1982.

The novel’s narrator is 24-year-old Yamaye. As Book One opens she and her friends, Asase and Rumer, live for the weekends when they leave behind their mundane jobs and go raving at the Crypt, an underground club in the outskirts of London. Yamaye feels the dub music deep in her soul, it connects her to her ancestors as she loses herself in ecstatic dance.

Her life changes dramatically when she meets and falls in love with Moose, a sculptor and cabinet maker. He offers her an opportunity to escape her life. Yet her journey takes an unexpected turn (no spoilers) and in Book Two she ends up in Bristol where she becomes caught up in a criminal gang as well as the police riots sweeping the country.

Finally in Book Three she travels to Jamaica, where she makes a connection with her ancestors facilitated by Moose’s grandmother, who is an Obeah and herbalist. Yamaye needs to find a way to reconcile her past and present.

I loved the way in which the Jamaican traditions of Obeah were portrayed as it invited the reader into Yamaye’s world and to experience through her consciousness the power of the rites.

This was an extraordinary novel though as it’s written partly in patois, includes musical terms unknown to me, and is somewhat lyrical, stream-of-consciousness, it was at times a challenging read. I was grateful for its audiobook edition as combining listening with reading brought its rich language vividly to life.

While the dub and reggae wasn’t a musical genre that I was familiar with, I did find that I was carried along by Yamaye’s experience and emerged with a greater appreciation for it. That is for me an important factor when reading a novel, I didn’t feel excluded from Yamaye’s life but rather granted insight and a sense of sisterhood via her powerful story.

Jacqueline Crooks writes in the acknowledgments that ‘Fire Rush’ is a fictionalised account of her life and also shares a list of books and articles that aided her research into the culture and music of the period.

Overall, ‘Fire Rush’ was an astonishing debut and well deserving of its inclusion on the Women’s Prize shortlist. While a personal journey of a young woman seeking to find love, freedom, and connection, it also addresses social and political issues that remain as relevant today as they did during its period setting.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: 2 May 2023
Page Count: 287
Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Murder at the Beauty Pageant ’ by Helena Dixon. I was also invited to take part in the publication week blog tour. This is my stop.

This is Book 12 in the Miss Kitty Underhay series of historical cosy mysteries set in 1930s Devon. As each book deals with a central mystery they can be read as stand-alones, though reading in order does allow for an appreciation of the characters’ development. However, Helena Dixon does well in providing enough background at the start for new readers. The titles in this series clearly indicate the venue for the central murder mystery.

Spring, 1935. Newlywed Kitty is settling into married life. The Dolphin Hotel is now being run by its new manager and while Kitty is listed as Matt’s partner in his private detective agency, she’s rather frustrated with the more mundane aspects of the job.

Yet Kitty has been asked by former Dartmouth Mayoress, Mrs. Craven, to join the committee organising the Miss Dartmouth Jubilee pageant at the Dolphin Hotel. While Kitty is not that keen on being bossed around by Mrs. Craven, she is excited about the glamorous show being held in honour of the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary.

However, threatening notes have been sent to members of the committee and later the contestants also receive them. Then one of the contestants goes missing during an interval and shortly after her body is discovered. Kitty and Matt are naturally keen to discover if there is a link between the notes and the murder. No further details to avoid spoilers.

There certainly are many changes taking place in Kitty’s world. Along with her marriage she has adopted a sweet new pet. I have to admit that it may take me a little while to get used to Kitty being addressed as Mrs Bryant.

In addition, their ally in the local police force has been promoted and a new Inspector appointed. He’
is rather full of himself, believes in strictly following procedure, and strongly disapproves of private investigators and more so lady detectives. Oh dear! I foresee plenty of clashes ahead though I was confident that Kitty and Matt would run rings about him.

As always Helena Dixon has produced a lighthearted historical cosy mystery that sparkled with wit and proved an intriguing whodunnit.

Overall, I consider ‘Murder at the Beauty Pageant’ a perfect light read for the Coronation weekend (and beyond) and an excellent addition to the series.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: 27 April 2023
Page Count: 340
Rating: ☂️☂️☂️☂️

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC and to Bookouture Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition, both via NetGalley, of ‘The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency’ by Lydia Travers. The audiobook is narrated by Helen McAlpine. I was also invited to take part in the publication week blog tour. This is my stop.

I enjoy historical cosy mysteries and it’s lovely when a new series comes out, especially one as promising as this.

Edinburgh, 1911. Maud McIntyre has just set up a detective agency. She is assisted in this new venture by Daisy, her former lady’s maid who has become a close friend. This book sees these fledgling lady detectives investigating their first few cases.

The first case involves them going undercover at a stately home in the Scottish Highlands. There has been a recent series of jewellery thefts at posh house parties and the Duchess of Duddingston is concerned that the thief might target her upcoming lavish weekend party. However, the case quickly becomes more complicated when one of the house guests is discovered dead.

I won’t say more about that case in order to avoid spoilers. In addition, when Maud and Daisy return to Edinburgh they are hired to solve three other cases including finding a missing heiress, retrieving a cache of compromising letters, and locating a lost Pekingese. Regarding this last case, Maud comments to Daisy that “‘Missing pets are the bread and butter of detective agencies.” They then return to Duddingston House for the final denouement.

This was a delight from start to finish. Maud is a wonderful character and is very keen on following the adventures of various fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes. Indeed, she often takes cues from him in terms of their disguises and sleuthing techniques.

Lydia Travers also includes social issues linked to the period, including the Scottish government’s response to the Women’s Suffrage Movement. There’s also a number of comic incidents that had me giggling.

With respect to the audiobook, its narrator, Helen McAlpine, is an experienced voice actor working across a number of genres. In 2022 she won the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Narrator of the Year.

Aside from bringing Maud and Daisy vividly to life, I was also impressed with her voicing of the novel’s minor characters and found her comic timing spot-on. I hope that if audiobooks are produced for future titles in the series that Helen McAlpine will be invited back as their narrator.

Overall, I felt that ‘The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency’ was a highly promising start to this new series of Scottish historical cosy mysteries. I am already looking forward to Book 2, ‘Murder in the Scottish Highlands’, due out at the end of May.