Jenny Starling is covering her fellow chef friend’s holiday at a country inn and ensuring that the food for its Regency event is authentic and delicious. As well as the food, the inn is hosting ghost walks and an am dram recreation of a tragic local love story.
During the final dramatic suicide scene a spectator causes a distraction and when the audience turns back the lead actress is dead just like her character.
The Country Inn Mystery provides plenty of motives for killing Rachel but who had the opportunity to commit the crime?! With great reluctance, Inspector Franklyn accepts the assistance of Jenny to solve the case.
I felt there was more build up and tension in this book compared to the last one. This allowed for greater introduction to the characters and a better understanding of potential motives and the psychology behind the murder (Agatha Christie would be proud!)
The narrative is easy to read and without any graphic detail. The characters are well developed and Faith Martin has created an excellent lead in her main character of Jenny.
I admit that I found the ending slightly rushed and would have liked to see some more aftermath to the revelations of the motive and murderer. However, once again the overall book was a wonderful read and I look forward to the continuation of the Jenny Starling series.
Read my reviews of books four, five and six!
THE COUNTRY INN MYSTERY by Faith Martin
Discover a new series of whodunits by million-selling author Faith Martin. These charming mysteries will have you scratching your head to work out who the murderer is.
Meet Jenny Starling: travelling cook and reluctant amateur detective.
THIS IS A BRAND NEW, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED FAITH MARTIN BOOK.
Jenny Starling is working at The Spindlewood Inn for the weekend. It’s hosting a Regency Extravaganza, involving historical costume, amateur dramatics and food.
Leading actress of the amateur dramatic society and reputed man-eater Rachel Norman portrays a doomed noblewoman. But when she turns up actually drowned in the pond, there’s suddenly a murder to investigate.
There’s been plenty of trouble at the idyllic country inn. The performers weren’t a happy troupe, and Jenny discovers a simmering romantic tension.
Who wanted Rachel dead and why? Jenny Starling is going to need all her wits to crack this complex case.
This is the seventh in a series of enjoyable murder mysteries with a great cast of characters and baffling crimes which will keep you in suspense to the final page.
Perfect for fans of classic whodunits by authors like Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, TE Kinsey, and J.R. Ellis.
JENNY STARLING
In her late twenties, Jenny Starling is an impressive woman. Physically, she stands at 6ft 1inch, and has shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living the lifestyle that suits her – that of a travelling cook. Her famous (and now very rich) father, is a ‘celebrity’ cook, divorced from Jenny’s mother. Jenny drives a disreputable cherry-red van, and is happy travelling the country catering events and cooking great food. She is on a one-woman crusade to bring back ‘real’ food. And definitely doesn’t like having to divert her attention from achieving the perfect Dundee cake or creating a new sauce recipe by having to solve a murder. She finds crime very distracting, especially when there is chocolate to temper or pike to poach. Nevertheless, she is very good at reading people, and with a quick and agile brain, becomes very good at unmasking killers. And her always-undaunted sense of humour goes a long way in keeping her sane when all around her people are dropping like flies.
THE AUTHOR
FAITH MARTIN is the best-selling author of the DETECTIVE HILLARY GREENE mysteries, which have sold over 1 million copies globally in just over a year.
JENNY STARLING MYSTERIES
Book 1: THE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY
Book 2: THE WINTER MYSTERY
Book 3: THE RIVERBOAT MYSTERY
Book 4: THE CASTLE MYSTERY
Book 5: THE OXFORD MYSTERY
Book 6: THE TEATIME MYSTERY
Book 7: THE COUNTRY INN MYSTERY
FAITH MARTIN
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 five years before turning to writing full-time. The author of the popular DI Hillary Greene novels, she also writes more classic-style ‘whodunits’ under the pen name Joyce Cato, but began her writing career as Maxine Barry, winning an award for penning romance novels! A popular writer for over 25 years, she has had nearly 50 novels published so far. Her hobbies include walking her now ageing dog, wildlife-watching, reading and (reluctantly) gardening.
A family is struggling to deal with the after effects of infidelity when five year old Cassie disappears. It is difficult for the parents to avoid playing the blame game and both are suspects according to the police.
Has Naomi’s stress made her do something unforgiveable? Have Charlie and his mum taken drastic action to be allowed to see Cassie after 5 weeks apart?
DCI Hart and her colleagues need to sieve through the evidence as it becomes increasingly likely that Cassie has been abducted. There are also hints throughout the book of Rachel’s own past which may be influencing her actions and responses to the case.
I felt that a few of the interrogation questions were a bit clunky and jarred slightly as I read them but this could have been the effect the author was trying to convey (the police making the suspects uncomfortable). Other than that, the plot, characters and narrative were fabulous and realistic.
There are some key turning points in Little Girl Missing as JG Roberts expertly guides her readers towards and expected outcome before swiftly revealing a new direction.
The disappearance and the agonising wait for news is well described and as a parent, horrifically believeable. I did guess some of the big twist but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book at all as I liked seeing how and why the plot concluded as it did.
When I got the media pack for this book, I realised that I recognised the author (a TV presenter) and will definitely follow the rest of her writing career and catch up on the other books she has already written!
LITTLE GIRL MISSING by JG Roberts
How can a little girl vanish into thin air?
Five-year-old Cassie Bailey’s mother tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight. This morning she’s missing, her unicorn bedcovers are empty, and her parents are frantic.
DCI Rachel Hart knows that the first few hours after a child goes miss
ing are the most crucial, and that the Baileys are living every parent’s worst nightmare. Rachel knows, because as a child her family lived through it too, when her sister was taken.
The days are ticking by with no sign of Cassie, and the cracks in the Baileys’ marriage are beginning to show. But are the holes in their stories because they’re out of their minds with panic – or because they’re lying?
Rachel’s convinced that Cassie knew the person who took her, but can she find the little girl before she’s lost forever?
A gripping and unputdownable thriller for fans of Close to Home, The Couple Next Door and Behind Closed Doors.
About the author
Julia was born in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, and began her career as a professional singer/dancer. This enabled her to travel the world in her late teens storing up experiences she has since included in her writing.
Following roles as a hostess on The Price is Right and a member of the Beadle’s About ‘hit squad’ in the 1980s, she became a TV Presenter and filmed features for Sky Sports before launching the QVC shopping channel in 1993 where she still presents today. Having always wanted to write, she penned her first book, a memoir sold on QVC, in 2013 and has since written four full length novels, two novellas and several short stories.
Twitter: @JuliaRobertsTV
Facebook: JuliaRobertsTV
Instagram: juliagroberts
This is a carefully crafted book and really well written, however I must give a trigger warning as the book deals with domestic abuse.
Claire and Matt leave the city and move into his late grandmother’s house. Matt is working all hours to set up a veterinary practice while Claire is home alone with baby Olivia. Claire feels isolated and starts to suspect those around her of stirring up trouble but also doubts herself and wonders if she is paranoid.
In tandem with this is a story of an abused wife desperately trying to escape the daily beatings for the sake of her daughter.
How do these two plotlines link up?
The Mother’s Mistake was so good and both women’s perspectives are cleverly written to create mystery and suspense so that we automatically side for them and hope for a better future over the course of the book.
I was instantly hooked with the strength of the plot and the characters, suspecting everyone of making Claire’s life miserable and the identity of the abused woman. There are hints that something has happened in Claire’s past, a ‘mistake’ that haunts her. Meanwhile the abused mum, is she making a mistake in not leaving sooner? There is plenty of misdirection from the author to keep the reader’s attention until the very end.
Obviously the subject of domestic abuse is a very powerful and sensitive one which the author handles delicately. Depression, isolation and the monotonous routine of motherhood are also dealt with in a realistic way. I think almost every mother can relate to Claire’s feelings of loneliness and the natural fears that come with being a parent.
Author: Ruth Heald
Book: The Mother’s Mistake
Publication Day: 11/06/19
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Description:
Everyone makes mistakes. But does everyone deserve to be forgiven?
She runs past the tinkling of children’s laughter that fills the park. Heart hammering, feet stinging, she reaches the riverbank, her breath catching in her throat. And then she sees…
Three years later.
Claire has everything she’s always wanted. A new-born baby. A doting husband by her side. A picturesque home in the countryside.
But behind closed doors, Claire’s life is falling apart. Her husband is barely ever home, she’s struggling to bond with her baby girl, and she swears that she is being watched in the remote, lonely cottage.
And when a threatening note is posted through her letterbox, saying she doesn’t deserve her daughter, it’s clear that someone knows about the terrible mistake that Claire made – someone won’t let her forget it. Three years ago, she would have known who to turn to. But now she no longer recognises those closest to her, or the person she’s become. Who can she trust?
An atmospheric, chilling and absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller about a mother’s worst nightmare. Fans of K.L. Slater, Shalini Boland and The Girl on the Train will love the twists, turns and gasp-worthy shocks of this stunning debut from Ruth Heald.
Author Bio:
Ruth Heald is a psychological thriller writer from a suburban Buckinghamshire town. She studied Economics at Oxford and then worked in an eclectic mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting.
Seeking a more creative environment, she found a role at the BBC and worked there for nine years before leaving to write full time. Ruth is fascinated by psychology and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge. She’s married with one daughter and her novels explore our greatest fears in otherwise ordinary, domestic lives.
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This book is stunningly good and had me hooked from the first page.
We encounter Lucy and Ben in the opening chapter of A Face in the Crowd. He is about to set off on a money making venture that will make their dreams come true.
In the next chapter, the narrative has moved on 5 years. Ben is dead and Lucy is living a miserable existence. She has no money as Ben used her identity to get loans which she has had to repay after his death. On the bus one night, Lucy finds an envelope in her bag containing over £3000. Should she keep it as she is so desperate? Who put it there?
It was so easy to get caught up in Lucy’s story and feel desperately sorry for her at being lumbered with debts that weren’t hers. The characterisation and emotional impact of her story really carries the whole book in a superb way.
The dilemma of whether to keep the money is one that we can all imagine. ‘Find a penny, pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck’ and I always thank my good fortune of finding a coin on the floor. But £3000 is a lot of money. For Lucy it means that she could finally eat proper meals, replace her ruined shoes, even go on a date…
The mystery of who put the money there and why was an intriguing plotline. Lucy is unsure who she can trust except her beloved dog Billy. This meant that we as readers were also distrusting of the other characters.
I felt that the ending twist was a little obvious but this didn’t spoil the book at all for me as the growing anticipation and the connection I felt with Lucy kept it dramatic.
I can’t believe I haven’t read any of Kerry Wilkinson’s other books but I’ll be searching for them from now on!
Title: A Face in the Crowd
PUBLICATION DAY: 06/06/2019
Author: Kerry Wilkinson
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Description:
Lucy gets the same bus every day.
She hopes to get a seat to herself, tries to avoid eye contact, and, if she’s really lucky, reads a chapter of her book.
But it’s a Friday – and the bus is always crammed at the end of the week. Personal space doesn’t exist. She keeps her elbows close and clings to a pole at every juddering stop.
When she gets off, something feels different.
An envelope stuffed with thousands of pounds is in her bag.
Is it the answer to her prayers, or the beginning of a nightmare?
Because, in the end, everything has a price.
A compulsive read that will have you absolutely hooked and reading late into the night.
Author Bio:
Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 bestsellers in the UK, Canada, South Africa and Singapore, as well as top-five books in Australia. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States.
As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy – a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults – a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.
Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry has spent far too long living in the north of England, picking up words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’.
When he’s short of ideas, he rides his bike or bakes cakes. When he’s not, he writes it all down.
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