Author: ramblingmads

Nobody should be in the market… for murder!

Even though its famous opera house has shuttered its doors for the war, Covent Garden remains one of the most exciting, bustling areas of London. It’s where Hannah Merrill and Aunt Violet have their
bookshop and, in spite of the recent spate of burglaries in the area, it’s generally thought to be a good neighbourhood.

So Hannah is surprised when she sees a fellow shopkeeper – a jeweller named Jacob Cornelis – having a heated argument with a stranger. Especially when the next day Cornelis is found dead in his shop, apparently the victim of another burglary.
But what shocks Hannah more is when she meets the policeman supposedly there to investigate the crime. Because he is none other than the man who Hannah saw arguing with Cornelis the day before.

Hannah knows it’s up to her and Violet to investigate. But they don’t know they’re about to uncover a secret underworld of theft, murder and blackmail. And they must act fast, before the Covent Garden Killer strikes again…

A gripping and unputdownable Golden Age cozy crime mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Helena Dixon and Verity Bright.

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Anita was brought up in London, a city with a history that has always fascinated her and influenced her first attempts at writing. Her first three novels featured a 17th Century West Country family on
the losing side of the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685. Other previous work includes an Edwardian Cosy Mystery series featuring amateur sleuth, Flora Maguire set in early 20th Century London and Cheltenham. Anita’s most recent work is the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mysteries set in WWI from Boldwood Books.

Twitter: @AnitaSDavison
Instagram: @anitadavison3740

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My thoughts: Aunt Violet is a little preoccupied as her one great love is in town, and there’s also Aiden to think about, so Hannah involves Archie and Penny, the bookshop’s staff, in this caper.

Determined to solve both the spate of burglaries and the murder of the jeweller Mr Cornelis, she goes undercover to try to find out who is selling on stolen goods, and almost meets her maker in an upmarket Gentleman’s club that hides plenty of secrets.

It’s another fun WW1 set adventure as a senior police officer is implemented and Aiden has set his own traps to catch the crooks. Hannah wants to help the Cornelis family, but discovers more than she bargained for and the spectre of the war looms closer when Aiden’s newest DC is conscripted and sent to the front.

Hannah’s relationship with Darius comes under strain as she feels he will want her to give up investigating when they’re married and her mother is driving her a little mad with wedding planning as though nothing has changed.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

A cosy dinner party, a playful game… and a very real murder.

London, 1923

Kitty Goring seems to have it all—lavish nights at London’s finest clubs, elegant soirées, and a parade of charming bachelors vying for her hand. But despite the glamour, Kitty longs for something a little more… thrilling.

In a bid for excitement (and to avoid her mother’s constant reminders that she really ought to be searching for a husband), Kitty dreams up the perfect diversion. A playful mock robbery at her
family’s grand estate, Merivale Manor. It’s all meant to be fun—until one of the guests turns up very much dead.

With a real killer on the loose in quaint little Hampstead Village, Kitty’s keen instincts kick in. Forget matchmaking—Kitty’s determined to unmask the culprit before anyone else falls victim. With a sharp wit and a flair for mischief, she dives headfirst into the investigation. But getting to the truth won’t be easy, especially with the brooding Detective Inspector Henry Burton underestimating her at every turn.

Murder, mystery, and a dash of romance—Kitty’s got her hands full in this charming whodunit!

Murder at Merivale Manor is the delightful first book in the Kitty Goring Investigates historical cosy mystery series.

Author’s note:
London in the 1920s is a glamorous and exciting city, but danger and death are never too far behind.
Join Kitty Goring and her group of Bright Young Things in the adventure of a lifetime, as they race to catch a killer who lurks amongst them.
Each book in this series is a cosy period mystery that features our plucky heroine, aided in her investigations by a gang of eccentric and lovable characters.

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Ella Strike, cat lover and author of historical cosy mysteries, lives in London with her husband and twins. When she’s not penning murder mysteries or drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey, you can
find her with her nose buried in a book or listening to true crime podcasts as she cooks.
Her stories are a mix of history, a dash of intrigue, and a whole lot of cosy, old-world charm.

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My thoughts: Yay! Another historical crime series with a smart and intrepid female lead, I love these.

I really liked Kitty. She’s got great instincts for crime solving, although the game of “burglary” was a bit silly. I know it’s the sort of thing the 20s Bright Young Things did, as well as drinking an absurd amount, but surely she should have guessed it wouldn’t end well!

Not only does she find the killer, the jewellery thief and a couple of car thieves, she thoroughly annoys the Scotland Yard detective sent to investigate, thereby guaranteeing they’ll be bickering over crime scenes forever more. She also rescues an abandoned pup, her new sidekick, Scottie.

With her playboy brother and neurotic mother, Kitty’s got plenty of reasons to take up crime solving as a hobby, hopefully it’ll stop her mum from trying to marry her off every five minutes!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.