A TV baking show leads to frayed nerves and murder. The Countess of Rossex and her business partner are thrown into an investigation to prove her brother’s girlfriend is innocent…
Dying To Bake is part of the Right Royal Investigations series of cosy murder mysteries.
When a TV cook/personality is murdered on set at a royal residence, Bea’s brother Fred calls upon her, Perry and Rich to prove his girlfriend’s innocence. Vera seems to have made plenty of enemies so there is a wide range of suspects and motives for the sleuths to unpick. However, it is Summer that the police are focussed upon. Bea and Rich’s efforts are not welcomed by the police officer in charge so they have to use their contacts to help find crucial information to unravel the case.
I’ll be honest and say that I was a little disappointed by the last book but this one is back up to the usual high standard! I loved being immersed in the fictional royal family again and this had the added enjoyment of a popular baking show as the backdrop to the plot. There is a subplot about a mysterious young woman: I figured out her identity immediately but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment as I waited for the characters to work it out.
Rich is recovering from being shot and is recuperating on the royal estate so is frustrated that he cannot play an official role in the investigation. Bea and Perry are finishing off the refurbishments so that she can move back in to the Dower House and I felt happy that she is finally ready to move on with her life after the death of her husband many years previously. Daisy the dog features prominently throughout the book, hurrah! The romantic tension between Rich and Bea is almost unbearable as they both want to give in to their attraction (no spoilers about whether they do!)
Dying To Bake is a hugely enjoyable cosy murder mystery.
Dying To Bake
Bake Off Wars is back! Get your aprons on and let the sleuthing begin!
Vera Bolt, Queen of Bakes, dies unexpectedly aged 66
In a shocking announcement this afternoon, Vera Bolt’s agent confirmed that the Bake Off Wars judge and national treasure died yesterday. Ms Bolt was in the process of filming the next series of the hugely popular television show at Francis Court, the home of the King’s sister and her family. It’s believed that the renowned pastry chef was stabbed in the heart, and the main suspect is rumoured new royal girlfriend, Summer York.
What am I supposed to do? Lady Beatrice has promised DCI Richard Fitzwilliam that she won’t get involved in the investigation into Vera Bolt’s death. But when her brother’s new love interest, Summer York, becomes the top suspect for Vera’s murder, Fred begs Bea to find out who the real killer is. In a race against time, can Bea navigate a labyrinth of secrets and lies, evade danger, and safeguard her friendship with Fitzwilliam? The answer may determine not only Summer’s innocence but also the fate of Bea’s and Fitzwilliam’s burgeoning feelings for each other.
Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
Previously, I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.
It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes
Hannah regrets dumping Mark 20 years ago and is determined to win him back. The only problem is he is married to Susan…
The Mistress is a psychological thriller set in the UK.
Hannah had a tough start in life and has always used men and then discarded them. Her husband violently attacks her when he discovers she’s been lying to him and Hannah yearns for the happiness she remembers from 20 years ago when she dated Mark. She seeks out Mark with the intention of stealing him from his wife.
Susan, meanwhile, is suffering from empty nest syndrome when her only child goes to university at the other end of the country. She has had a troubled past too and had to support her younger sisters while putting her own life on hold. Now her happiness is at risk again and she will do anything to protect her marriage.
I really liked this book. Both women are damaged by past and present events. Hannah’s chapters are written in the first person and Susan’s from the third person, yet I felt equally immersed in both women’s lives. I wanted both of them to find the happiness they crave to try to make up for the pain in their lives. My sympathy was more aligned with Susan as she has always been selfless whilst Hannah uses her past to excuse her behaviour.
The pace of the plot was spot on for me. There are some big issues handled in this book and I felt that the emotion of the characters was balanced by their open expression of their backgrounds. I thought that both women deserved someone better than Mark who was weak so wasn’t sure how I wanted the plot to conclude. The ending was abrupt and shocking, but wow!
The Mistress was an emotional and tense psychological thriller with an unexpected ending.
The Mistress
She wants what you have…
Hannah Parker is a woman who always gets what she wants.
When her current husband discovers she has been lying to him – again – she knows it’s time to move on and find someone who can give her the life she desires… The life she knows she deserves…
But who will be the lucky man?
When her eye catches a glimpse of an old flame in a photograph, she’s sure it’s a sign. Mark Shepherd has always been in her thoughts – they’d been happy once, he’d adored her, but she’d made a mistake and let him get away. She won’t make the same mistake again….
Hannah is older now and wiser. She knows what men want and she knows how to keep them happy.
So what if Mark is happily married with a family of his own?
Valerie Keogh lives in Wiltshire with her husband and a huge black cat, Fatty Arbuckle. She grew up reading Agatha Christie and initially wrote crime novels – she now writes psychological thrillers. The Little Lies was shortlisted for the Crime Fiction Lovers Award 2021
Hannie’s beautiful red hair is striking and brings her to the attention of others. A dangerous situation while her homeland is occupied by Nazis and her best friend is Jewish…
The Girl With The Red Hair is an historical book set in the Netherlands during WW2.
Hannie is horrified by the invasion and occupation, followed up by the terrible scenes she witnesses on the streets of Amsterdam. She and her parents offer to hide her best friend Sonja who is Jewish and therefore in danger of arrest and deportation. Sonja gets a fake ID which allows her to leave the house and Hannie takes her chance to move out into a less constricted student residence.
This is quite a slow burn of a book. The initial drama of the prologue is forgotten as the timeline skips back to show how that situation emerged. The descriptions of the plot, characters and settings are quite vivid and well researched but I did feel the pace was a little slow. There is plenty of emotion for the characters as they are forced to adjust to life under Nazi occupation and the brutality that ensues.
Almost inevitably, Hannie becomes involved with the resistance and needs to save her friend again. I felt quite annoyed with Sonja at times. Whilst I could imagine her frustration at being hidden away, it is for her own protection and she puts herself and others at risk by venturing out. This seems a poor way to thank those that are trying to save your life!
The Girl With The Red Hair is an interesting and well researched novel based on a true story.
The Girl with the Red Hair: Heartbreaking and completely unforgettable World War Two historical fiction inspired by a true story (The Dutch Girls Book 2)
My heart thrashes inside my chest as I watch my best friend get dragged away by German soldiers. I run towards her, begging them to stop, but then I see the gun. ‘No, please!’ I shout as panicked tears stream down my face. ‘Don’t hurt her!’ I’m the only one left who can save her…
1942, Amsterdam. The Nazi occupation has shattered the lives of inseparable best friends Hannie and Sonja. The canals and rainy cobbled streets they once strolled down are now patrolled by soldiers day and night, who arrest people at will and beat those who resist.
Hannie can’t stand by and watch the lives of the innocent be destroyed by the evil occupiers. At great danger to herself, she joins the underground resistance, where she meets the charming and mysterious Jan. She covers her bright red hair to avoid detection by the Nazis while distributing fake IDs. And she makes a promise to Sonja and her little sister Maya, who are Jewish – she will hide them and keep them safe, no matter the cost.
But as the German grip on the country tightens with each passing day, Sonja’s worst fears come true when members of her family are taken prisoner. With Jan by her side, Hannie goes undercover as a nurse to try to free them. But she’s devastated when she discovers they’ve been taken to a concentration camp in the isolated far east of the country. Is she too late to save them?
And when Sonja goes missing, Hannie is terrified the worst has happened – has someone betrayed her best friend? Hannie knows her most dangerous task is now ahead of her. Can Hannie save Sonja, and will she have to make the biggest sacrifice of all to bring her home?
Inspired by the incredible true-life story of a brave young Dutch woman who would stop at nothing to fight for justice and freedom, The Girl with the Red Hair is an utterly heart-wrenching and emotional World War Two novel of one woman’s bravery and sacrifice. Perfect for fans of Heather Morris, Kristin Hannah and Fiona Valpy.
Imogen Matthews writes novels based on true stories about the Netherlands during the German occupation in World War 2. Some stories she discovered by chance, others are based on her Dutch mother’s own experiences of hardship and survival during the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.
Her first novel, The Hidden Village, is set in the Veluwe woods, a beautiful part of Holland that Imogen has visited frequently over the past 30 years. It was in these woods that she discovered the story of the real hidden village which provided shelter in underground huts for Jews during WW2. Imogen retells the story of the hidden village with characters drawn from real life and from her imagination.
Within weeks of publication in 2017, The Hidden Village became an international bestseller, ranking at the top of a number Amazon’s most-read book lists.
Following on from The Hidden Village comes Hidden in the Shadows, which has the pace of a thriller yet is also a love story. It tells the story about two young people who are brutally torn apart and must find a way to be together against all odds.
Imogen’s third WW2 novel, The Girl Across the Wire Fence, is set in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and is based on the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell – the little known Dutch concentration camp called Kamp Amersfoort.
Imogen’s WW2 novels are published by Bookouture, a digital imprint of Hachette.
Well, it’s the end of an era. Zach has completed Beavers, just like Matthew and Anya before him. A big deal for him, sad to be leaving but excited to be going up to Cubs. Also a big deal for me as Beavers has been such a big part of our lives, every Friday night for the last 8 years! In fact, Matthew had his first night at Beavers the day after Zach was born!
And now the weekend is here, the sun is shining and I headed out for my first run of the year. Very slow and I now have a huge blister but feeling very positive!
Emma marries her childhood sweetheart Jesse and they embark on their life together, following their dreams and encouraging each other. Jesse heads off on an expedition by helicopter but doesn’t come home after a fatal crash. Emma re-evaluates her life and slowly learns to live again. She is even brave enough to fall in love again, but, as her wedding day to Sam approaches, Jesse calls to say he has survived and wants to come home to her…
One True Loves is a hugely emotional novel with a massive dilemma which is brilliant for making the reader think ‘what if’ and how they would deal with the situation.
The book starts with Emma and Sam happily planning their wedding whilst surrounded by family. Next Emma gets a phone call which splits her heart in two. Jesse is alive and has returned home after being marooned on an island for two years. Now he wants his wife and his life back but she has moved on whilst never stopping loving Jesse.
I really felt torn in two for Emma as she rebuilds her life and opens her heart again, only for everything to crash back down again. The plot developments are brilliant and I had no idea how things would pan out or even how I wanted the situation to resolve. I loved the characters and felt so happy when Sam and Emma got together after all those years then devastated when their happiness is at risk.
One True Loves is a wonderful novel about true love striking twice.
Book blurb:
In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure. On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.
Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness. That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiance, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants while trying to protect the ones she loves. But who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?
