1948, Martha Miller is feeling blue on Valentine’s Day with a missing husband and an unrequited love for the vicar. But things get worse when she finds a young man’s dead body…
Death at Lovers’ Leap is the third book to feature amateur sleuths Martha and Luke in an English village shortly after WW2. I have previously read and reviewed the first two books in the series: Poison at the Village Show and Daggers at the Country Fair.
A love triangle seems to have caused the latest shock death in the village. Steven died at a place renowned for a tragic past and may have jumped to his death after his girl showed attention to another. Or was he killed by his love rival? Martha and Luke realise something else may be afoot in the village when another person dies. The murder mystery is maintained until the final chapter. I liked the historical details which add to the plot and depth of the characters.
The sleuthing couple have the added complication of the arrival of Luke’s father and later his sister too. I feel so sorry for Martha and Luke as they are perfect together and their hopes of a relationship seem as far away as ever despite their obvious feelings. I really want them to find happiness but I don’t see how it will happen due to his vocation and her marital history 🙁
Death at Lovers’ Leap is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery.
Death at Lovers’ Leap
Westleham Village 1948
As Valentine’s Day rolls around, Martha Miller finds herself unusually melancholy at the state of her own love life. With husband Stan still missing and with her growing feelings for Vicar Luke still shrouded in secrecy, there’s only one place Martha can go – famous local beauty spot, Lovers’ Leap.
Legend has it that those with a broken heart throw themselves off the bridge that spans the river, but Martha is certainly not about to do such a thing! But it looks like someone else has had other ideas…. Because there in the river, Martha finds a body. But is this misadventure, a moment of lovesick madness, or is foul play afoot? Martha knows one thing…the villagers of Westleham have another crime to solve! Let the investigation commence! Find out if Martha and Luke can catch the killer in a brand new Martha Miller mystery from bestselling author Catherine Coles.
Author Bio –
Catherine Coles writes bestselling cosy mysteries set in the English countryside. Her extremely popular Tommy & Evelyn Christie series is based in North Yorkshire in the 1920’s and Catherine herself lives in Hull with her family and two spoiled dogs.
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Alice runs away from her home in America to become an au pair in Scotland. But a few weeks later, Alice has disappeared and Melanie is working under an assumed name to try to find out the truth…
The Au Pair is a psychological thriller set in Scotland.
Alice is 18 and knows her own mind. Her parents won’t let her go abroad with friends so she steals the money for her ticket and disappears. Her employment with the Davidson family is everything she hoped for despite a grumpy teen and a flirtatious uncle. So questions are asked when Alice disappears, apparently during a swim that she would neve have taken due to a childhood fear of water.
The book is written from Alice and Melanie’s perspectives. The chapters alternate so we see Alice’s experience and then Melanie’s attempts to uncover the truth. Alice’s voice sounds very young and I felt that the author had got into the mind of a headstrong teen very well. Meanwhile we know that Melanie is pretending to be someone else and looking for clues about Alice’s disappearance but what is their connection?
The prologue sets up the mystery of Alice’s apparent drowning. The Davidson family are not particularly nice and they are almost callous in their attitude at times. The mystery is sustained well and I enjoyed the way the two timelines are woven together.
The Au Pair is an enjoyable psychological thriller and mystery.
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Book Blurb
The Davidsons seem like a normal family. But they do have one little secret…
American student Alice Snyder was excited to be spending the summer in Scotland, working as an au pair for the Davidson family at their remote lodge.
But one month after she arrived, Alice disappeared without trace.
Now the new au pair, Melanie, has arrived – and soon notices that the Davidsons are a bit odd. There’s the strange comings and goings at night, the creepy paying guests, and sinister uncle Gray who makes her flesh crawl.
And then there’s the worrying scratch marks on the floor of the au pair’s bedroom.
Did Alice try to barricade herself in?
What could she have been so afraid of?
Are the Davidsons somehow linked to her disappearance?
And is Melanie herself now in danger?
As she desperately tries to find out what happened to Alice, Melanie begins to understand that this old house harbours a truly horrifying secret.
Alice was its last victim, but she might be its next…
Jane’s Bio
As a child, Jane spent a lot of time in elaborate Lego worlds populated by tiny plastic animals and people. Crime levels were high, especially after the Dragon brothers set themselves up as vets and started murdering the animals in their ‘care’. (They got away with it by propping the victims up with Plasticine and pretending they were still alive…)
As an adult, she is still playing in imaginary worlds and putting her characters through hell – but now she can call it ‘writing’ and convince herself that she is doing something sensible. In real life, she has a PhD in genetics and copy-edits scientific and medical journals.
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Martha’s dislike of her sister’s fiance is heightened when he tries to kiss her! She is still reeling from her own cancelled wedding so her family send her abroad to heal her heart…
The Island of Dreams is a romantic novel set in the UK and the Greek island of Paxos. I loved the geographical detail to the settings which underpin the plot.
Poor Martha. She made the brave decision that she didn’t love Joe enough to marry him. Now she is accused of trying to split up her sister’s relationship with the horrendous Toby when in reality he tried to kiss her. A break in the sun is just what she needs! She doesn’t have the smoothest journey and meets a young boy trying to get back to the island. This leads to a number of friendships which bolster the plot, characters and relationships.
The book is written from the third person perspective and we see mostly Martha’s experience, intertwined with some details of Harry and Connie’s thoughts. The characters are so easy to like and all have been through the wringer emotionally. Martha’s issues are at the forefront initially as she worries about her lost love life and the behaviour of her prospective brother in law. Meanwhile, Connie, Harry and Milo are all still affected by the disappearance of Asya (daughter/wife/mother).
This is a quick read but I felt fully invested in the characters and plot. Martha always tries to do the right thing and I really wanted her to find love and contentment. There are some big issues dealt with in the book but they are handled sensitively and in quite a light hearted way.
The Island of Dreams is a heartwarming book, equally great for the depths of winter or a beach read.
The Island of Dreams
Martha is the youngest of three sisters and, in her mid-thirties, has the dubious honour of being the only one to call off a wedding at the last moment.
Now, feeling as if she’ll be single forever, and trying to keep her low opinion of her sister Iris’s fiancé to herself for risk of looking bitter, Martha needs a change of scene.
When she is given the opportunity of a holiday to Paxos it seems too good to turn down, though the idea of travelling alone is daunting. And when the trip to the Greek island gets complicated, Martha wonders if this has all been a mistake.
But soon the island and its residents start to work their magic on Martha, and when she meets single father Harry and his adorable son Milo, a new way of living is revealed in contrast with the drab routine of her life back home. How can Martha leave behind the warmth of the people, the freedom and the fun, not to mention Harry and Milo when it’s time for her to go home…
Let Helen McGinn magic you away to a world of sunshine and serenity, romance and relaxation. Perfect for fans of Erica James, Carol Kirkwood and Karen Swan.
Author Bio –
Helen McGinn is a much-loved wine expert on TV and in print and an international wine judge. She spent ten years as a supermarket buyer sourcing wines around the world before setting up her award-winning blog (and now best-selling wine book) The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club. She is the drinks writer for the Daily Mail and regularly appears on TV’s Saturday Kitchen and This Morning. Helen lives in the New Forest.
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Susan has moved house after an experience with a murder. Now, as she settles in, she is in the midst of another investigation into a suspicious death when the local head teacher dies after plummeting from the church…
Death At St Jude’s is the second book to feature Susan but the first that I have read.
Susan was watching bats with Lawrence in the church bell tower. She knows how careful he was up there due to being scared of heights. So she finds it very strange that he would have gone near enough to the edge to fall over. The alternative is that he was pushed but who, why and how?
There was a big argument at the start and Lawrence upset many people but is there a strong enough motive for murder? Susan looks into the range of suspects and their alibis and motives as the police still think it was an accident.
Having not read the first book, I liked Susan’s character and felt sorry for her having been through a divorce and trying to find a new direction for her life. I felt that there were a lot of characters: those in the village as well as Susan’s other friends and family. The plot is a little slow and Susan seems to chat to many characters that don’t seem to have a direct connection to the death.
Death At St Jude’s is an intriguing murder mystery.
Death at St Jude’s
The Isle of Wight has always felt like a safe place to live for keen dog-walker and reluctant sleuth Susan. But after being involved in the investigation of a troubling crime near her old home, Susan decides to move to the peaceful village of Bishopstone.
Susan loves the sense of community and immediately throws herself into village life, volunteering at the local primary school and joining the choir of St Jude’s. So, when there is an altercation at the meeting of the choir committee, followed by a shocking accident involving head teacher Lawrence, Susan is dismayed to realise her powers of deduction may be needed again.
There is a dangerous criminal hiding in plain sight and with the police reluctant to help, Susan must put together the pieces of the fiendish puzzle to flush out a killer before they strike again.
A brand new cosy mystery from the author of the bestselling The House Party. Perfect for fans of Frances Evesham, Faith Martin and LJ Ross.
Author Bio –
Mary Grand writes gripping, page-turning suspense novels, with a dark and often murderous underside. She grew up in Wales, was for many years a teacher of deaf children and now lives on the Isle of Wight.
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Ghost hunter Rylan Flynn is feeling awkward when she goes filming at her ex’s home. But things get a whole lot worse when a woman is found with significant injuries and dies despite her best efforts. Can ghosts help Rylan stop another death?
The Whisper House is the third book in the Rylan Flynn series and I love them! Take a look at The Spirit Girls and The Shadow Girls.
Rylan and her camerawoman Mickey are out on location at the home of Rylan’s ex. She spots one ghost but the encounter is rather underwhelming. Going outside, they find a woman who dies and passes to the other side before Rylan can ask her who is responsible. Mickey asks to take a break from the ghost hunting, leaving Rylan devastated, and then the killer strikes again…
The book is written from multiple first person perspectives so we see Rylan’s experience as well as others. I liked the way we can see Rylan and Ford’s contrasting and corresponding emotions and am desperate for them to get together! There is a careful balance of simmering attraction, ghostly escapades, murder and family drama, which all work well together.
It was a very quick read but I was totally immersed in the plot! I continued to like the way the author blends ghosts and faith. However, I wanted a little more development and emotional depth for some of the plotlines and we didn’t get as much of the family ghosts (the situation in Rylan’s home). Aunt Val has a ghost subplot that played out predictably but beautifully.
The Whisper House is an enjoyable paranormal and supernatural murder mystery.
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Book: The Whisper House
Author: Dawn Merriman
Pub Day: Feb 13th 2024
About the Book:
In a haunted mansion, ghosts are not the only danger…
I’m Rylan Flynn. I hunt for ghosts and restless spirits, and solve the mysteries that make them haunt the living.
My ex-boyfriend Declan never believed in my abilities. Now he thinks his home is haunted and he’s pleading for my help. Declan lives in a huge mansion, full of history and secrets.
When I arrive at the house, I find a dying woman in the gardens. It seems like the spirit in Declan’s house may be the only witness to a murder.
For the first time, Detective Ford Pierce asks for my help. Inside the mansion, we find mysterious locked rooms and shattered windows, but the ghost stays hidden. Why won’t it speak to me?
I’m almost ready to give up when my best friend, Mickey, is snatched from her home in the middle of the night. The killer has her, and time is running out.
I’ll do anything to bring Mickey back. But will my desperate search for clues uncover the truth, or lead me right into the killer’s hands?
The Whisper House is the third book in Dawn Merriman’s thrilling and addictive Rylan Flynn series. With twisting mysteries and a touch of romance, it’s perfect for fans of Wendy Wang, Heather Graham and Dean Koontz.
Author Bio
Dawn Merriman writes creepy small town murder mysteries from her small farm in northeast Indiana where she lives with her husband and teenage children. You can often find her with muck boots on her feet and a story in her head. She enjoys animals, auctions, snorkeling and archaeology.
Dawn Merriman grew up a small town farm girl, on a small time pig farm in Indiana. She spent her young adulthood sitting on her bedroom floor scribbling stories in notebooks. She won the “Northeast Indiana Young Writers” award as a sophomore in high school.
After battling severe depression, she wrote her debut novel “How Murder Saved My Life” as therapy, mixing her love of murder mysteries and farming with climbing out of the darkness of illness.
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