Cressida Fawcett travels to Cornwall with her friend Dotty and dog Ruby for a fancy dress ball. During the party, Cressida’s former beau Randolph Canterbury keels over and dies. The local police believe he was poisoned so Cressida wants to help catch the killer…
Death by a Cornish Cove is the second book to feature Cressida Fawcett. I have not read the first book and there are mentions of events but no spoilers.
Cressida has slightly mixed emotions as she meets up with Randolph again as he prepares to celebrate his engagement to another woman. When she discovers he was murdered, she persuades the local police to invite DCI Andrews from Scotland Yard to investigate. Based on their previous encounter, she hopes that he will allow her to join in with the hunt for the killer.
The writing style is warm and brings Cressida’s character to life. She is very determined and at times finds herself a little frustrated at being confined by the 1920s social expectations. I enjoyed the inclusion of her dog Ruby which added extra touches of humour.
I felt that the historical and geographical setting were authentic and the author has researched the era and area well. As expected from a cosy murder mystery, there is no violence or forensic detail. I liked the traditional feel to the book with the focus on looking for clues and interviewing suspects as the method to conduct the investigation (ah, the days before forensics and technology!)
Death by a Cornish Cove is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery.
Book Description:
A seaside party at a Cornish mansion with plenty of fizz, what could be more perfect? But something fishy is afoot… a killer lurks among the guests, and only Cressida Fawcett can stop them.
When Cressida Fawcett is invited to stay at Penbeagle House on the Cornish coast for a fancy-dress ball, she is looking forward to sipping rum cocktails clad as a pirate, watching the red-sailed boats go by and relaxing in the sea air with her good friend Dotty. But before they can raise their glasses to toast Cressida’s former flame Lord Canterbury’s engagement, he drops dead in front of the horrified guests.
The local doctor determines that Lord Canterbury was poisoned, and soon Detective Chief Inspector Andrews is on his way from Scotland Yard. But Cressida is dismayed by the murder of the intrepid explorer who once asked for her hand in marriage, and she cannot simply leave the case to the police. Together with Dotty and her little pug Ruby, Cressida searches for clues only to discover that many of the guests have a motive for murder. Did an irate journalist or a bitter fellow explorer send Lord Canterbury on his untimely final journey?
And when a young maid is found dead, floating in the shimmering waters of the cove, Cressida knows time is running out to catch the killer. Could aclue hidden among some rather pungent crab sandwiches help her solve the case before there is another murder?
A witty and totally addictive cozy mystery packed with intrigue and glamour. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
Author Bio:
Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.
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A support group for widows is targeted by a killer. Detective Inspector Lottie Parker has an emotional and intriguing case to unpick. Can she keep the other widows safe?
Three Widows is the 12th book in the Lottie Parker series. Each can be read as a stand alone novel but the personal side of Lottie’s life has threaded through the books.
Jennifer’s mutilated body is found in a field. The forensic details are quite grisly but delivered in an objective way by the pathologist. DI Parker discovers the victim vanished a month ago and was a member of a widows’ support group. Then another widow disappears and Lottie’s team frantically try to locate her before the killer strikes again.
Most of the book is written from the third person perspective which allows us to see Lottie’s investigation as well as anticipate the next victim. We also see the killer’s viewpoint as they plan and carry out their crimes.
Lottie’s personal life faces turmoil once more. Her mother is becoming more confused as dementia takes hold. Her boyfriend Boyd has been reunited with the young son he didn’t know existed but now his ex is back on the scene. Lottie needs to juggle her homelife with her career and try not to leave either affect the other.
Three Widows is an enjoyable detective murder mystery and thriller.
Book Description:
She kissed her daughter, turned out the light and entered her own room. Too late to run, she stood frozen as a figure stepped out from behind the door and a hand covered her mouth. Fear was a bomb in her chest ready to explode. Her children. They’d already lost their daddy; they couldn’t lose her too.
When young widow Éilis Lawlor disappears in the middle of the night, with her two little children asleep in their beds, it is a chilling case for Detective Lottie Parker. Since her husband’s tragic death, Éilis is all her children have, and when Lottie sees Éilis’s house keys and phone still lying on the kitchen counter, she is terrified for the vulnerable mother’s safety.
Then Éilis’s broken body is found by a nearby lake, wrapped in an unfamiliar yellow dress, her mouth sealed with duct tape – and Lottie’s worst fears are confirmed. Someone wanted this beautiful widow dead.
Desperate to find the person behind this brutal crime, Lottie discovers that Éilis was a member of a support group for widows. And when Jennifer, a close friend of Éilis’s from the group, is found on a rubbish heap, wrapped in a yellow dress, Lottie vows to get justice.
Lottie dives into Jennifer’s past, and learns that she had lived a reclusive life since her husband died. She hadn’t been seen at work for months and had sheltered inside her immaculate home, only emerging for meetings with the group. But when Lottie questions the other women about Jennifer’s isolation, they claim to know nothing.
Lottie is certain that the remaining widows are hiding something. Can she uncover the truth before another innocent life is lost?
An absolutely gripping and totally addictive thriller that will keep you racing through the pages all night long. Fans of Robert Dugoni, Rachel Caine and Karin Slaughter will devour Three Widows in one sitting!
Author Bio:
Patricia is the million-copy bestselling author of the DI Lottie Parker series. She yearned to be a writer after reading Enid Blyton and Carolyn Keene and even wanted to be Nancy Drew when she grew up. She has now grown up (she thinks) but the closest she’s come to Nancy Drew is writing crime!
In 2009, after her husband died, she retired from her job and started writing seriously. Fascinated by people and their quirky characteristics, she always carries a notebook to scribble down observations.
Patricia also loves to paint in watercolour and lives in the Irish midlands with her children.
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Ten years ago, eight year old Jack stabbed his father to protect his mother. Natasha covered for him but now that Jack is almost an adult she begins to be afraid of his behaviour and even fears he may be a danger to her…
The Good Mother is a psychological thriller set in London.
The first scene is shocking as Natasha reels in horror from a brutal attack from her husband Dean. Little Jack comes to her rescue and manages to stab his own father. The police assumes the murder was due to Dean’s drug dealing and criminal activity and Natasha simply doesn’t correct them. Now, ten years later, Natasha has a secure job and a boyfriend but Jack is having issues due to his behaviour in his last year of school.
There are some graphic scenes in this book that made me gasp. The dilemma Natasha faces is fascinating for imagining how we would react. What lengths would we go to in order to protect our children? At first, I understood and even agreed with her actions but halfway through the book, things get more extreme and I couldn’t relate to her any more.
The plot is very dark, yet totally gripping as Natasha attempts to negotiate her situation. The book is written from her first person perspective so we can see her thought processes and emotions. The control and power in the relationship with her son constantly shifts and is fascinating as it unfolds.
The Good Mother was an absolutely gripping yet disturbing book.
THE GOOD MOTHER by Lizzie Fry
A STUNNING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER PACKED WITH SHOCKING TWISTS FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR LIZZIE FRY.
I’ve always known Jack was different. Ever since he was eight years old and he killed his father. He was protecting me, just like I’ve always protected him.
But now he’s eighteen and this time he’s gone too far. Steve is dead. He was a good man, and god, we could have been really great together — but now he’s bleeding out on our kitchen table.
I must keep my boy safe. No one can ever know what he’s done. What he’s capable of. But Jack’s got a taste for killing. And I won’t let him get caught.
I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him safe, keep him with me. Even if it means becoming a monster myself.
What would you do if your only son was a killer? How far would you go?
This electrifying psychological thriller is a must-read for fans of My Sister, The Serial Killer, We Need to Talk about Kevin and books by Claire McGowan, K.L. Slater, Mark Edwards and Shari Lapena.
LIZZIE FRY
Lizzie Fry is a debut author of high-concept thriller The Coven (published by Sphere books), but you might know her better as L.V. Hay.
L.V.’s previous books, The Other Twin, Do No Harm and Never Have I Ever were published by Orenda and Hodder. The Other Twin is currently being adapted for the screen by Agatha Raisin producers Free@Last TV.
BOOKS BY LIZZIE FRY:
STANDALONES:
Sharni and Clare are new neighbours. Sharni offers to help out Clare who is struggling to juggle work and a toddler. But Clare begins to fear that Sharni is copying her and has sinister motives…
Remember Me is a psychological thriller set in London.
Clare is concerned about her new neighbour’s behaviour. Sharni copies her decor, hairstyle and even clothing. But it is her confident manner with toddler Ben and secret meetings with her husband Chris that scare her most of all.
The first part of the book shows Clare’s first person viewpoint as she becomes increasingly uneasy about her new neighbour. The second part of the book gives us Sharni’s version of events. It is really clever to see both sides of each scene and understand their actions.
The motives are hinted at but not fully revealed until the end. A sinister atmosphere is created and maintained as we catch clues about the secrets both women are keeping. I admit that I did guess the big twists but this did not spoil my enjoyment as I was eager to see how the plot unfolded. Both main characters were easy to identify with, even if their behaviour and actions were unacceptable.
Remember Me was a gripping book with two vividly depicted, vulnerable yet flawed characters.
Book blurb
A new neighbour becomes a new friend. She looks up to you. She admires you, but is it you she wants? You begin to wonder if she wants your husband, or even your child. But then you realise, she wants your life.
When Sharni and Tom move into 24 The Pines, it seems like Clare and Chris have the perfect neighbours. Sharni is always there to help, especially with childcare for Clare’s two-year-old, Ben. But Clare can’t shake off the feelings of anxiety that assail her whenever Sharni is near. Is Clare just being overprotective, or are her feelings justified? As Sharni‘s influence touches everyone around her, Clare finds herself fighting for her sanity as well her family.
Lynda’s Bio:
Lynda Renham is author to many popular romantic comedy and gripping psychological thriller novels. She lives in Oxford, UK. She has appeared on BBC radio discussion programs and is a prolific blogger, Twitter and when not writing can usually be found wasting her time on Facebook.
Social media links: www.renham.co.uk Twitter: @lyndarenham
Six friends gather on a remote island, finally reunited after 10 years apart. but one friend never arrives at the gathering and is found dead the following morning. Her death occurred after the last boat departed so the friends are trapped on the island with a killer…
The Snow Storm is a murder mystery thriller set on a small Irish island.
Police officer Cara has always felt like an outsider on the island. Her husband died 10 years ago and her friends dispersed but she stayed to raise her children. Now Cara is forced to investigate the murder of her formerly close friend Maura.
The claustrophobic atmosphere is maintained well throughout the book. The weather and landscape feautre heavily and provide a lot of description. I found the pace quite slow as Cara needs to battle against the elements to get anywhere physically with the case and then has to take time to warm up or dry out.
The murder itself is quite emotional as the friends consider their wasted years. Memories from the past and tension between the friends stir up various feelings and Cara wonders who she can trust on the island. I was sympathetic to Cara as she is treated as an outsider, is still dealing with her grief, and I really felt her heartache at having to examine the body of her friend.
The Snow Storm is an intriguing and atmospheric murder mystery.
MEDIA PACK
Book: The Snowstorm
Author: Tríona Walsh
Pub Day: February 2nd 2023
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About the Book:
It’s an icy New Year’s Eve. Snow blankets a windswept Irish island as the wild Atlantic Ocean rages.
Six friends gather. It has been ten years since the tragedy that tore them apart. A lot can change in a decade…
Childhood bonds are now lifelong secrets.
Dear friendships have twisted into deep jealousies.
A happy reunion is shattered by a dead body.
The celebrations have barely begun when one of the guests goes missing. As the snow thickens, the body is found.
Then the storm wreaks havoc on the island. Everyone is trapped – there is no way out. No electricity. No phone signal.
Nobody knows who to trust. No one is who they seem. Because one of them is a killer, and one will be dead next…
An utterly gripping thriller that will have you hooked from the very first page until the final jaw-dropping, heart-racing twist. Fans of Catherine Cooper, Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware will be glued to the pages of this unmissable locked-room mystery.
Author Bio
Tríona Walsh loves reading and writing crime novels but is fairly law abiding in real life. A twice winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair competition she lives in Dublin with her four kids, three cats and one husband.
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