Tag: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Cotswold Manor Mystery – Maxine Barry

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❤ Friends to enemies to lovers

❤ Childhood best friend

❤ Amateur sleuth

❤ Small-town setting

❤ Slow burn

❤ Second chance romance

Welcome to Nether Dene — the cosy English village where a crumbling manor, a long-buried secret and a second chance at first love are about to collide . . .

After thirteen years away, Oriana Foster has come home to the village that broke her heart — and bought the one house nobody thought she’d dare to touch: the Manor House, ancestral home of the very family who once helped send her away.

With a fortune from an anonymous benefactor and a heart full of unanswered questions, her plan is simple. Move in quietly, clear her name and finally uncover the truth about the night Rollo Seton died. Because she didnʼt kill him, but somebody knows who did.

What she didnʼt count on was Lowell Seton. Rolloʼs infuriating but handsome younger brother is convinced Oriana is guilty — and heʼll do anything to win his family’s houseback.

But he canʼt deny that the spark that flared between them when they were sixteen has never quite gone out . . .

With her first love convinced of her guilt, can Oriana uncover the truth before the killer strikes again?

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Faith Martin was born in Oxford, and has spent all her life within twenty miles of the university city, even working at Somerville College for six years before turning to writing full-time.

Faith has been writing for nearly 30 years under four different pen names and has had nearly 50 books published so far. She began writing romantic thrillers as Maxine Barry, which Joffe Books are in the process of re-releasing as brand new eBooks.

Then she turned to crime, and as Joyce Cato wrote classic-style whodunits, since sheʼs always admired the golden-age crime novelists.  But it was when she created her fictional DI Hillary Greene, and began writing under the name of Faith Martin, that she finally began to become more widely known. 

Her latest literary characters WPC Trudy Loveday, and city coroner, Dr Clement Ryder, take readers back to the 1960ʼs and the city of Oxford. Having lived within a few miles of the city of dreaming spires for all her life, both the city and the countryside/wildlife often feature in her novels.

Although she has never lived on a narrow boat (unlike DI Hillary Greene!) the Oxford canal, the river Cherwell, and the flora and fauna of a farming landscape have always played a big part in her life – and often sneak their way onto the pages of her books.

Her hobbies include walking her now ageing dog, wildlife-watching, reading and (reluctantly) gardening.

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My thoughts: This was really good, and when I discovered it was written by the very excellent Faith Martin under one of her pen names, it became clear why!

Oriana Foster hasn’t had an easy life, her parents died in a car crash when she was a child, and then she was framed for the murder of her boyfriend, and sent to prison at only 16. Now she’s out and determined to find the truth.

Armed with a sharp intellect, several million pounds from an anonymous benefactor, and an incredible amount of courage, her first move is to buy the slowly crumbling old Manor House her childhood friends lived in, aka the scene of the crime, hire a team of PIs and a bodyguard called Connor. She doesn’t know who the real killer is yet, but she’s sure they’ll be coming for her when they realise where she is. 

It does also mean dealing with the people who think she’s guilty – her best friend Mercy and her brother Lowell. Who also happen to be the younger siblings of the boyfriend, Rollo, she was convicted of killing. And they now live next door.

Lowell has always felt guilty about his feelings for Oriana, she was his brother’s girlfriend and killer, but he couldn’t help fall for her. His girlfriend Margaret is the jealous kind, and his mixed up feelings for Oriana aren’t very well hidden.

With all the emotions – guilt, jealousy, love, you name it, in the air, things are bound to get fired up! And as Oriana starts to put the pieces together about the real killer and their reasons, she’s in danger. And not just her.

Absolutely cracking stuff, and bit by bit we’re given the reasons and the killer, all while Connor and Mercy and Lowell and Oriana fall in love and connect 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶.

Really enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next Maxine Barry book as the marvellous Joffe Books are re-publishing them all.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Book Blitz: Vengeance is Mine – John Macrae

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The Vengeance Man is back from the dead. For one last mission.

Former intelligence operative Mike Farrah thought he was done with spies, assassins and secret wars.
Then his old handler comes calling.
A ruthless enemy cell is operating on British soil.
The government needs bait.

Mike must become The Vengeance Man. A black-ops legend. A vanished assassin. A ghost everyone believes is buried.

Then Mike learns the truth about Dawn. The woman he loved didn’t die by
accident. She was murdered.
And the people who killed her are the same people now hunting him.

This isn’t just a mission. It’s revenge.

Because Mike Farrah has one chance to expose the killers.

One chance to avenge Dawn.

And one chance to survive being the most wanted ghost in Britain.

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John MacRae is the cover name of a former senior Intelligence Officer with a Special Forces background. He has written extensively on intelligence and military history, and has worked for BBC television and other TV companies as an advisor on military and intelligence subjects. He saw active service in the Falkland Islands, Cyprus, Arabia, and Northern Ireland.

My thoughts: Told he just has to be the mysterious Fritz, the Vengeance Man, a voice on the end of the phone for the various government spooks involved in what becomes Operation Ajax, Mike Farrah agrees, although he still isn’t happy with the last job he did for the intelligence services, ending as it did with two dead women, and a plate in his head.

But of course, it doesn’t go to plan, and he’s up to his neck in rogue Israeli agents, dodgy documents, gun fights, questions about his finances, several guns that he has supposedly been officially given, suspected of killing a mugger, his flat being ransacked and other nonsense.

But he is sort of enjoying it, helped by his developing relationship with Anna, a woman who also knew Dawn, and wouldn’t mind getting some revenge on her killers too. Anna has her own money, her own flat and is far too savvy to fob off with his cover story, so she’s soon drawn into the plot.

There’s a lot of meetings both in Whitehall and various London pubs, dinners out and a dodgy but on paper stunningly clean Irish gangster/businessman who might have some work for Mike down the line. Seems like the Vengeance Man can retire but keep his hand in with the intelligence crowd, just in case.

At moments funny, then action packed, I really liked Mike and Anna, and was pleased nothing horrible happened to either of them. The whole case hinges on passing off some fake documents as the real thing and following the money to see who is so keen to get their hands on what they think is solid gold blackmail material.

It’s a clever premise and I think that Mike will continue to prove to be an asset as the series goes on, and possibly Anna as well, as she’s clever and well connected.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The History of Medicine in Twelve Objects – Dr. Carol Cooper

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Discover the fascinating history of medicine from its primitive beginnings to the lifesaving technologies of today.

Award-winning author Dr Carol Cooper takes you on a journey through the 12 objects that have come to define medicine through the ages – from the barbaric and bizarre to the inventive and impressive, this captivating read is peppered with fascinating anecdotes.

In this unique history, you will discover how ill health has been with us for as long as humans have existed, as has the drive to treat and understand it. Over the course of centuries, the ways in which doctors have engaged with sickness has changed drastically, and so too have the tools at their disposal.

And as these tools have morphed and evolved, our knowledge of health and disease has expanded. Medical theories have slowly advanced, allowing people to live longer and healthier lives.

The 12 groundbreaking tools explored in this collection include:

THE TREPHINE
THE BONE SAW
THE MASK
THE MICROSCOPE
THE STETHOSCOPE
THE ETHER INHALER
THE HYPODERMIC SYRINGE
THE OBSTETRIC FORCEPS
THE X -RAY MACHINE
THE ECT MACHINE
THE HIP PROSTHESIS
THE HEART-LUNG MACHINE

The history of these medical tools is truly astounding, revealing the true extent of human ingenuity, curiosity, and compassion. This is a book for anyone interested in medical history or looking for a fresh and dynamic take on their specialist subject. With her immense knowledge and engaging writing style, Dr Cooper delivers a history that is not for the faint of heart.

My thoughts: This was an absolutely fascinating read, complete with gross moments, funny ones and bizarre experiments (why were scientists so keen to experiment on themselves?) that covers the long expanse of medical history and the development of some of the most important medical devices.

When you’re sick you don’t really think about the ingenuity and endless work that went into designing and creating the tools doctors use to diagnose and treat you. When you’re lying in an MRI machine, all you’re thinking about is the noise, the claustrophobia and how hot you are (or is that just me?) You’re not thinking of the scientists, doctors and early patients who all contributed to that machine existing.

With a very readable style that neither talks down to the reader or requires you to stop and look up every other word, this is an engaging and interesting read, about things that we might take for granted these days (stethoscopes, hypodermic syringes, x-rays) but were brand new science at one point, created and refined by brilliant minds, sometimes accidentally, at other times with a definite need.

There were some things I’d read before, and some that were completely new to me, and Dr Cooper includes the women and people of colour who were often conveniently left out of the narrative when it came to naming devices or winning awards for their discoveries. She’s also pretty funny on the rivalries and sometimes gruesome history of medicine.

I think I might get a copy for my friend who’s a cardiologist, I think he’d really it.

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

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Blog Tour: Ghost Notes – Doug Johnstone

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The Skelf women have been keeping their heads down, running the family’s funeral directors and private-investigation businesses. But when a woman collapses at her husband’s funeral and is saved by Dorothy, she finds herself drawn into the murky world of ‘grief tech’ – a booming new industry that creates digital avatars of the dead.

Jenny’s latest case – a simple blackmail job for an old school friend – quickly spirals into chaos as the woman’s tangled love life pulls Jenny towards dangerous old habits.

Meanwhile, Hannah and her wife, Indy, are confronted by the unexpected arrival of Indy’s ex-boyfriend, claiming to be dying and eager for the Skelfs to arrange his funeral. But his arrival uncovers more ghosts from the past, and threatens to upend everything they’ve built.

As their cases collide and their personal lives spiral, the Skelfs face danger from all sides.

Doug Johnstone is the author of twenty novels, many of which have been bestsellers. The Space Between Us was chosen for BBC Two’s Between the Covers, while Black Hearts was shortlisted – and The Big Chill longlisted – for Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. Three of his books – A Dark Matter, Breakers and The Jump – have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize.

Doug has taught creative writing or been writer in residence at universities, schools, writing retreats, festivals, prisons and a funeral home. He’s also been an arts journalist for 25 years.

He is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club and lives in Edinburgh with his family.

My thoughts: Skelfs, Skelfs, Skelfs!!! The Skelf family are back and I am delighted.

As always, Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah have their own cases, stemming in part from their roles as funeral directors, that impact on their own lives.

Dorothy revives a woman at her husband’s funeral, only to become embroiled in the family’s problems and an AI program that resurrects the dead, with troubling results.

Jenny is contacted by an old school friend, who needs her help with blackmail. But as Jenny gets involved, things take a nasty turn and end with a young man dead. Can Jenny work out who killed him and solve the blackmail too?

And we learn a lot more about Hannah’s wife Indy, as her ex, Yannis, appears at the Skelfs’ office, asking for them to arrange his funeral. He’s dying and wants to sort out a few things before he does. Unfortunately for Hannah and Indy he brings trouble with him.

As always, this is a fantastic read, written by an excellent writer. It might seem like the usual crime novel but there’s always something profound and thought provoking in every book. As the Skelfs blend crime solving and funerals, things surface that really make you pause and consider. Masterful. Delighted to have more Skelfs in my life.

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

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Blog Tour: Five Things I See – Wendy Church

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A city-wide conspiracy. A serial killer on the loose. A detective battling her own demons.

If pain is the price of strength, Grace is one of the strongest people you will ever meet. Five crime scenes connected by a visible pattern. A serial killer terrorizes the citizens of Jacksonville, and the entire police force is focused on cracking the case—but will they be able to stop the murderer before more bodies are found?

Three suspects who all tell a different story. Homicide detective Grace Hartwellʼs knack for reading people has never let her down—until now. Is the killer playing a clever game or is she losing touch with herself? One determined detective with a taste for justice.

Grace’s life is dedicated to her work. But she has a dark secret—a secret that could jeopardize not only her job but her life . . .

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Wendy Church is a Seattle-based author known for fast-paced and sometimes humorous crime fiction novels.

Her latest, Five Things I See, is to-date her darkest, and most psychologically complex book that Kirkus referred to as “A textbook case of how to make a police procedural pulse with energy.ˮ

Wendyʼs debut, Murder on the Spanish Seas, was named a Booklist Top Ten Debut Mystery/Thriller novel of 2023, and introduces Jesse OʼHara, an introverted and often inebriated woman with a million dollar brain and a ten-cent personality who travels to interesting places and solves crimes, sometimes on purpose.

Knife Skills, the first in Wendyʼs Shadows of Chicago series, follows a talented chef who is forced to work for the FBI. Knife Skills received a starred review from Kirkus, “Audiences who wish the TV series The Bear could make room for Russian mobsters are in for a treat.”

Wendyʼs propulsive novels are informed by her international travel and many careers. Sheʼs been a bartender, tennis pro, management consultant, nonprofit CEO, PhD researcher, and dive bar cleaner. When sheʼs not writing, doing research, or reading, Wendy spends time with her partner as full time personal valets to a dog and two cats.

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My thoughts: Grace is an excellent detective, but has a habit of going off on her own and not always communicating with her colleagues. She has a theory about the killer and is determined to follow it, despite being told by her boss to stop digging.

Instead she finds a friend, a man in hiding, a former detective in witness protection, and someone she can test her theories out on, especially as a new colleague on the team is annoying her.

But Grace has secrets, her childhood was brutal and it’s left its marks. Marks she isn’t always totally aware of. Things only her psychiatrist knows. If the sheriffs office found out, she’d lose her job, and she has a killer to catch.

I really liked Grace, she’s complicated and brilliant, a smart and savvy detective, who won’t let anyone stop her from solving her cases, she sees things others miss and puts things together. She doesn’t trust easily and has few friends, which is understandable when you know about her childhood and how much she’s suffered.

Her secrets and how hard she works to keep them could be her downfall, but could also help her in solving cases, depending on how she uses them. I look forward to her next case, I’m intrigued to see where this goes.

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

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Blog Tour: Fear in the New Forest – Linda Mather

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Detective Elinor Saxby thinks she’s found her perfect rural retreat: a crooked little cottage amid the towering pines of the New Forest. But bad things still happen in beautiful places . . .

On a lonely stretch of shingle, where the Solent laps the forest’s edge, something terrible is about to wash ashore.
The bloated body of a young man. Several days dead.
A ragged wound gapes in his chest. Because this was no accident. He’s been
shot at close range, then dumped.

City cop Elinor’s on the case — and utterly out of her depth.
The frosty coastguard tells Elinor the victim is a stranger. From out of town.
But Elinor would swear she knows more than she’s saying . . .

Before long, a second body is discovered deep in the forest.
Same wound. Same cold-blooded MO. Same killer?

It’s up to Elinor to unravel the truth from the lies, before more victims die.
But she’d better watch her back.Because here in the New Forest, secrets run deeper — and darker — than the murky waters of the Solent itself.

Trusting the wrong person might just cost Elinor everything . . .

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Linda Mather is the author of the Jo and Macy Mystery series. The 6th book in this series is THE PERFECT HOUSE FOR MURDER, published in August 2023.

Her Jo and Macy Mystery books are Forecast Murder, A Sign for Murder, Murder as Predicted, The Hanged
Man and A Future Murder, all published by Joffe Books and available on Amazon. They feature Jo Hughes and her private investigator boss David Macy. Jo is an astrologer, who also works as a PI and whose tenacious inquiries lead her to twisty resolutions.

The Jo and Macy Mysteries series is set in the West Midlands and Cotswolds. A sense of place is really important to Linda. She likes to research the places she writes about by visiting when she can to absorb the atmosphere, weaving the details into the stories.

The idea for her latest book came to her during lockdown during many canal walks. The cottages with their flower-filled window boxes and the idyllic pubs along the canal path are so pretty and perfect that it looks as if nothing bad could ever happen there. Linda saw this as a challenge.

Linda has recently landed a contract for 3 books in a police thriller series and is currently writing the first of these, which is set in the New Forest.

She also has plans for the next Jo & Macy Mystery.

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My thoughts: Elinor is still trying to find her feet in this new role, her predecessor casts a long shadow and she feels her team don’t always listen, and neither do her superiors.

When a body washes ashore with a gunshot wound, and the coastguard volunteer claims not to recognise the victim, she’s suspicious. Then when another person is killed in the same manner, but this time on land, she and her team know something strange is going on.

I really like Nancy, the DC, she’s new to the role and still learning but has good instincts and a determination to get to the truth, although this does sometimes lead her to go off on her own and put herself at risk.

Elinor is a good detective, she’s got lots of experience and knowledge, but she doesn’t really understand the place or the people yet. The New Forest is very different from inner city Birmingham, and the people aren’t always keen on incomers.

This case follows the adage that murder is always about money or love, sometimes both. There’s plenty of twists and turns, unreliable witnesses and suspicious goings on. The team will have to separate truth from lies to solve it, and with suspects pointing fingers at each other, work out what really happened.

A really enjoyable second outing for this team of detectives and with more of their personal lives, they feel more rounded and interesting as characters. Very good.

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

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Blog Tour: The Little Porto Book Club – Rebecca Raisin

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In a city full of stories, can she write her own…

Introvert and self-described whodunnit enthusiast Viviane has never much believed in living life outside of the pages of a book. But when her interfering mother insists that Viviane needs some
friends who aren’t fictional, she decides to head into the beautiful bustling streets of Porto in search of her community.

What better place to start than by reading her favourite mystery in the corner of a little-known café?

But when one, then two, and then outrageously six other people decide to join her silent book club Viviane realises that she is firmly out of her depth. There’s Thomas, a middle-aged man hiding his
love for romance novels, Lucinda, a chic sixty-something with a penchant for Christie, and then there’s Tiago, the man of every romance novelist’s dreams.

But when one of these newfound friends disappears from the book club without a word, will the community come together to find their fellow lost soul, and will Viviane find love along the way…?

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Rebecca Raisin is an internationally bestselling and RNA awards winning romance writer from Perth, Australia.

Her books are set in stunning locations around the world providing a touch of
escapism for her readers and those who like to partake in a spot of armchair travel from the comfort of their own home. Rebecca writes quirky heroines who haven’t figured it all out yet but are perfectly relatable, flaws and all. You’ll find themes such as friendship, love, new beginnings, food, wine and travel. She’s known for writing books for book lovers.

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My thoughts: I loved this, I happen to be going to Porto later this year so it was very nice to be taken there by book.

Viviane is lonely but won’t admit it, like many book lovers her friends are mostly found between the covers of her favourites, but as for real life ones – not so much. So when she accidentally founds a book club (or silent reading group) and finds herself genuinely liking her fellow readers, having outings, talking to them – outrageous! 

But when Lucinda, one of the members of the group stops attending and Viviane worries something bad might have happened, like her favourite detective she has to investigate, with Tiago as her sidekick.

Will she find real human connection? Fall in love? Will it be sweet and funny and rather charming? Well, you’ll have to read it to learn the answers to the first two, but it’s a big yes to sweet, funny and charming.

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

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Book Review: Slow Burn – Amal Singh

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Slow Burn is published this August and available in the usual places.

Rishi Tripathi has failed as an actor. When an important audition doesn’t go as planned, rage consumes him and he punches a mirror. But instead of getting hurt, he slips right through and arrives in the Mumbai of his dreams.

In this inverted city, Rishi is a superstar, a critically acclaimed darling. Success kisses his feet, and producers flock at his doors. But success, too, comes at a cost, and behind the twinkling arc lights of showbiz is chaos and a sinister scheme.

When this dark reality catches up with him, he wants to leave this new Mumbai right away. But is Rishi truly ready to go back to the life he left? Is he ready to go back to being a failure? And will fate stand in the way of his return?

About the Author

Amal Singh is a Sturgeon Award-nominated writer of science fiction and fantasy from Mumbai, India. His short fiction has appeared in venues such as Reactor, Clarkesworld, Asimov’s and Himal Southasian, among others. His debut novel, The Garden of Delights, was on the Locus Recommended Reading List for 2024.

My thoughts: This reminded me a little of Dostoevsky’s The Double, which I read years ago as a student. The concept of the doppelganger exists in many cultures, often as a fear, something that will take you over. The appearance of your double is usually a harbinger of death or disaster.

Here, aspiring actor Rishi Tripathi slips through a mirror, much like an Indian Alice, and finds himself in a different version of Mumbai, one where he’s a huge film star Rrish Kumar, a man adored by millions but with plenty of dark secrets.

As Rishi attempts to make sense of this new world, and the man he is in it, Rrish finds himself in Rishi’s Mumbai, unknown, poor and invisible. At first he struggles but then he embraces the opportunity to reinvent himself.

Rishi, however, soon tires of the new Mumbai and the life he is living, determined to return to his “real” world, he seeks out the mirror maker himself and asks for a way home.

The book is intelligent, well written and thought-provoking, as both versions of Rishi/Rrish come to terms with their new reality, and what they can make of it. But only one of them is unhappy in the end, and when you come face to face with your double, it always ends badly.

*While I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras – Ellen Byron

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It’s cozy. It’s culinary. It’s Mardi Gras madness!

Step 1 – join a killer krewe.

Itʼs carnival season in New Orleans, and Ricki James-Diaz and her friends from Bon Vee are dressing up for Mardi Gras. Theyʼve joined the notorious krewe of Chew to support Rickiʼs chef boyfriend, Virgil, who is to be crowned this yearʼs king. Itʼs all fun, throws, and over-the-top outfits until the kreweʼs captain is found strangled with his own medallion.

Step 2 – survive the festivities.

The prime suspect is Rickiʼs friend, the deceasedʼs wife who discovered he was cheating on her. It seems a straightforward case, but Ricki isnʼt so sure. The kreweʼs leader had many enemies including his mistress, his krewe co-founder who he ousted, and his college friend whose girlfriend he stole. One thingʼs clear, Rickiʼs at the center of yet another murder investigation. And if sheʼs not careful, her first Mardi Gras could also be her last . . .

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Ellen Byron is an Anthony Award-nominated bestselling author and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, and Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico).

She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents. Ellen was the 2023 Left Coast Crime Toastmaster but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart.

A native New Yorker, Ellen is a graduate of Tulane University and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups.

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My thoughts: This was a really fun read, New Orleans is high on my list of places I’d like to visit one day, and the period of time leading up to Lent when all the carnival activities take place sounds quite something.

Ricki runs a shop attached to a museum, where she sells pre-loved cookbooks, and all sorts of other things. She enjoys what she does and has made some great friends, as well as having a lovely boyfriend with whom she shares two dogs and a kitten.

A relative newcomer to New Orleans, this is the first time she’s been involved with the Mardi Gras excitement and she’s a bit apprehensive. Then the carnival krewe she’s joined is hit by a shocking tragedy – their captain is murdered in the street outside their kick-off gathering.

The cops immediately decide it was his wife – after all the couple were seen arguing earlier that night. But Ricki’s friendly with the wife, Jessica, in question, and doesn’t agree. So she starts her own investigation. But when other things start happening – including someone literally throwing a bag of rocks at her head, it seems the killer might be more dangerous than she thought.

With the help of her friends, Ricki is determined to solve the case and catch a killer, but is something else going on in the carnival krewe and how far is someone willing to go to get what they want?

A really enjoyable, entertaining book with a fun cast of characters and a clever plot with plenty of twists.

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

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Blog Tour: Of Devotion and Death – Anastasia Hastings

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Violet Manville knows everything about manners—and murder.

Violet is looking forward to taking some time away from the advice column she writes under the nom de plume Miss Hermione. She canʼt wait to head off to Venice to spend some time with Eli Marsh, a mysterious, annoying, and extremely attractive American.

Little does she suspect that the specter of death will come calling at her front door in the person of Ash Kumar, a man she once knew—and loved—when she lived in India. She certainly doesnʼt expect Ash to be arrested for his wifeʼs murder on her front door step. As Violet tries to unravel the murder, she is pulled between between the two men.

As the past and present become blurred, she soon discovers that the truth can be deadly.

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For Anastasia Hastings, there is nothing as intriguing as a fog-filled, gas-light street, the clip-clop of a horse pulling a hansom cab, and the possibility of murder and mystery around every corner!

She has been lucky enough to bring it all alive in the Dear Miss Hermione mystery series which follows the adventures of Violet Manville, Victorian Englandʼs most famous (and enigmatic) agony aunt. Book #1, Of Manners and Murder, was a finalist for the 2024 Mary Higgins Clark Award presented by Mystery Writers of America, and The Wall Street Journal said it “evokes the shocking revelations of Wilkie Collins, the social acuity of Jane Austen and the comic melodrama of Oscar Wilde.ˮ Book #2 of the series, Of Hoaxes and Homicide, was called “captivatingˮ by Publishers Weekly.

Under a variety of names and throughout a career than spans more than 30 years, Anastasia has published 70 novels. The Secrets of Bones, written as Kylie Logan, was recently made into a Hallmark Mystery movie.

Anastasia lives in Ohio with her husband and two dogs, an Airedale named Eliot Ness and his best friend (even if he doesnʼt know it yet), Tequila Elizabeth, a Russell Terrier. She enjoys various fiber arts including knitting and spinning, as well as exploring old cemeteries and in the summer, watching the hummingbirds while she contemplates her next murder.

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My thoughts: Violet is much more independent than many Victorian women would have been, which means she can investigate crimes as well as write her advice column without the need for worrying about chaperones and she clearly isn’t too worried about what anyone else thinks of her.

At the beginning of the book she’s about to head off to Venice in pursuit of possible love interest Eli. But a blast from the past, in the form of the man she might have married had things been different, Ash Kumar. His wife has recently died and he drops by to see her.

Then he’s arrested for murder, his wife’s. Violet knows he isn’t capable of it, or of the theft of a priceless ruby due to be presented to Queen Victoria. And it turns out Eli isn’t in Venice either, he’s in London, on the case of the stolen ruby.

As Violet works to clear Ash’s name and find the real killer, she keeps coming face to face with Eli. Can she choose between her past love and a possible future with this American detective? Can she catch a killer in time to save Ash from the hangman and celebrate Christmas with her sister Sephora?

It’s a clever and twisting tale, with Violet rushing all over the place, down to Southampton and across to Windsor as the Christmas season spins around her and she struggles to juggle her feelings with her work. It even comes out in the replies she pens as Miss Hermione. With time running out, the answers might be closer to home (Ash’s home, that is) than she first thought. But what does the future hold for them, if anything?

Enjoyable, funny (Sephora is very entertaining) and with a smart and intuitive protagonist in Violet, I think I’ll have to look for the previous volumes of this series soon.

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