Stephanie Dagg's Blog, page 2

November 17, 2022

Crazy for You by Domhnall O’Donoghue

‘Genuinely hilarious, charmingly intelligent’ – The Irish Times?‘Assured, astute and wickedly funny’ – Woman’s Way  ‘Witty and charming and very, very funny’ – The Irish Examiner    

 

When Clooney Coyle promises Vonnie Gallagher they’ll be friends for life, he has no idea what he’s letting himself in for. The lonely and eccentric Vonnie quickly becomes obsessed with the kind-hearted but insecure actor, and her misguided crush soon develops into something much more sinister, which leaves Clooney’s career in tatters.

But when fate takes a strange turn and elevates the pair into an overnight celebrity couple, Clooney must decide whether to embrace the fame he has longed for since childhood or end the ridiculous charade before Vonnie’s jealous – and murderous – inclinations spiral out of control.

 

My review

This author is guaranteed to dish up an entertaining helping of crazy escapades and eccentric characters. Crazy For You ticks all those boxes. It’s fast-paced, witty, scary, funny, satirical, different and utterly absorbing.

Nothing escapes the author’s sharp eye. In this book he turns his unforgiving attention to the vanity and desperation of some actors. Just how far are they prepared to go to achieve that longed-for fame, and do they ever stop to wonder if it’s really worth it?

Not only are Vonnie and Clooney fascinating characters, there’s a whole host of unforgettable secondary dramatis personae who make the book very lively and interesting.

Great fun and a joy to read.

 

Purchase Links

Amazon: Amazon Crazy for You

Mercier Press: Mercier Press Crazy for You

Book Depository: Book Depository Crazy for You

Itunes: ITunes Crazy for You

 

Author bio

Hailing from Navan, Co. Meath, Domhnall is a graduate of the Bachelor in Acting Studies Programme, Trinity College Dublin, later completing a Master’s in Screenwriting at Dún Laoghaire IADT. He now works as a journalist, author and actor.

In 2016, Tirgearr Publishing released Domhnall’s first novel, Sister Agatha: The World’s Oldest Serial Killer (‘We loved it’ – Woman’s Way). Pink Spear, an American, Emmy-winning production company, holds the TV and film rights.

Mercier Press, Ireland’s oldest publishing house, released Domhnall’s second and third novels, Colin and the Concubine (‘Hilarious’ – RTE.ie) and Crazy for You (‘Genuinely hilarious, charmingly intelligent’ – The Irish Times).

For four years, Domhnall enjoyed the responsibility of being Assistant Editor at Irish Tatler Man. Thanks to this role, he interviewed high-profile names such as Tommy Hilfiger, Kevin Spacey and Chris Pine. He writes a monthly column for Woman’s Way and is a features writer for Ireland of the Welcomes, the world’s largest Irish-interest magazine.

As an actor, Domhnall appeared as Pádraig in TG4’s award-winning series Ros na Rún for nine seasons.

 

Social Media Links –

FB – Domhnall O’Donoghue (facebook.com)

T – https://twitter.com/Domhnall1982

IGhttps://instagram.com/domhnall82

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Published on November 17, 2022 09:46

The Wrong Ghost by Victoria Connelly

When Beatrice Beaumont loses her husband, George, she finds herself raising their young daughter alone in the ancestral home, Ketton Hall, deep in the Suffolk countryside. With Christmas approaching and marking the first anniversary of George’s death, there’s nothing Bea wants more than to have him back again.

One night, she makes a wish for him to return and gets the shock of her life when a ghost appears. But it isn’t her George…

The Wrong Ghost is a delightful Christmas tale, full of warmth and charm, perfect for a dark winter’s night in a cosy, candle-lit room.

 

My review

This is an utterly charming festive tale. Yes, there’s gentle sadness, but Christmas is a time that’s can be a little melancholic as you remember your childhood Christmases long gone and think of those who are no longer here.

The characters we meet (both living and dead!) are strong and interesting and interact well. There’s a bit of family tension in Bea’s over-concerned mother and sister, but they work through it the way families do. Bea is a loving mum, sister and friend, and still coming to terms with no longer being a wife to George, just his widow.

Touching, sweet, definitely different, it’s a quick and enjoyable seasonal read.

 

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wrong-Ghost-Victoria-Connelly-ebook/dp/B0B623PT2Y

US – https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Ghost-Victoria-Connelly-ebook/dp/B0B623PT2Y

 

Author bio

Victoria Connelly lives in a 500-year old thatched cottage in rural Suffolk with her artist husband, a springer spaniel and a flock of ex-battery hens. She is the million-selling author of two bestselling series, The Austen Addicts and The Book Lovers, as well as many other novels and novellas. Her first published novel, Flights of Angels, was made into a film in Germany. Victoria loves books, films, walking, historic buildings and animals. If she isn’t at her keyboard writing, she can usually be found in her garden either with a trowel in her hand or a hen on her lap.

 

Social Media Links –

www.victoriaconnelly.com

Instagram: @victoriaconnellyauthor

https://www.instagram.com/victoriaconnellyauthor/

Facebook: @victoriaconnellyauthor

https://www.facebook.com/victoriaconnellyauthor

Twitter: @VictoriaDarcy
https://www.twitter.com/victoriadarcy

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Published on November 17, 2022 09:41

October 30, 2022

Pepper River Inn by K T Dady

 

Synopsis

Welcome to Pepper Bay. A small close-knit community where you’ll find chocolate box cottages, quaint shops, love drama, and a happily ever after.

Snuggle down with this cosy, feel-good, comfort read that whisks you away to a beautiful bay on the Isle of Wight – Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Phillipa Ashley, and Holly Martin.

The Pepper Bay books are standalone stories, best when read in order, that intertwine with recurring characters.

Pepper River Inn: There has been a longstanding family feud in Pepper Bay between the Renshaws and the Trents, and it’s about to get even more messy.

Rosie and Belle Trent have just inherited their uncle’s rundown hotel and have decided to see if they can rebuild the unloved business. They don’t rate their chances of having a successful inn, not with the perfect one right next door owned by Elliot and Ned Renshaw.

The two sisters and two brothers aren’t meant to be friends, so when Elliot saves Rosie from drowning and they fall in love, it’s down to Belle and Ned to keep the family feud alive. All they have to do is continue to hate each other. How hard can it be?

 

My review

This is an easy, enjoyable read, perfect for the run-up to Christmas.

Tensions are sometimes bubbling below the surface during the festive season – well, we’re only human! – so this fun book with a feud as its centre is very appropriate. There’s a touch of tongue in cheek, as you might have guessed from the book’s description and the mention of an obligation to keep the feud going and the idea that it can’t be hard to hate each other! As we find out, the author is teasing us and her characters.

We move from character to character with the chapters, and that keeps the reader on their toes. We get to see the same situation from different angles, which enriches the story no end. Our four main characters, Rosie and Belle, Ned and Elliot, are very different personality-wise and all fascinating to get to know. We share their thoughts, which brings even more depth to them.

All in all, lots to enjoy in this lively festive story. It’s part of a series, but works perfectly as a standalone. However, you might well be tempted to discover more of the series after reading ‘Pepper River Inn’.

 

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pepper-River-Inn-Bay-Book-ebook/dp/B09RQVB3N9

US – https://www.amazon.com/Pepper-River-Inn-Bay-Book-ebook/dp/B09RQVB3N9

Author bio

Bestselling author of the Pepper Bay series, mum to one grown-up daughter, chocolate lover, and a huge fan of a HEA. I was born and raised in the East End of London, and I’ve been happily writing stories since I was a little girl. I published my first romance book in 2020, and I have loved writing about soulmates ever since. When I’m not writing, I’m mostly reading, usually romance stories, but I do like the occasional thriller.

Social media links

https://ktdady.com

https://www.instagram.com/kt_dady

https://twitter.com/kt_dady

https://www.facebook.com/ktdady

 

 

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Published on October 30, 2022 07:20

August 30, 2022

Gerard Philey’s Euro-Diary: Quest for a Life by Brendan James

Gerard Philey’s Euro-Diary: Quest for a Life

‘Could there be a world of interest and adventure beyond the Midlands? A world of confidence, sex and excitement? A better life – a better me?’ These are the questions Gerard Philey grapples with over New Year, 1995. Sitting in his rented Black Country room, reflecting on his thankless teaching job and miserable love life, he courageously decides to abandon his humdrum existence and embark on a quest for Euro-fulfilment, fun and fitness on the Continent.

After a shaky start in Brussels, events manoeuvre him to Amsterdam where chance encounters shift his world well and truly into fifth gear. He samples the trials and tribulations of new relationships, alongside managing a sex shop in the city’s Red Light Area – on top of the challenges of fat-free living and international travel!

Through his bittersweet diary, we see how Gerard steers a laugh-out-loud course through farcical episodes and fanciful characters…and how entanglements from past and present draw him unwittingly into a criminal underworld where events ultimately take their toll.

 

My review

This is an enjoyable, entertaining and energetic book, despite the apparent lethargy of our hero at the start of the book. But he unearths his inner explorer and excitement-seeker and begins his search for a better life.

But better comes with complications. Gerard is soon being swept along by a strong current of events, most of which he doesn’t have a lot of control over. But he’s nothing if not resourceful in this new existence, and he rises, in one way or another, to all the various challenges that threaten to overwhelm him, to the reader’s fascination. There really isn’t a dull moment in the novel, once we get out of Gerard’s room.

The book gives a wonderful, atmospheric glimpse of 1990s Europe. It’s great fun being transported to the different destinations with Gerard.

A super book that’s a rewarding and absorbing read. Thank you Brendan!

 

Purchase Link –   https://amzn.to/3spEKZ9

Author bio

Brendan James is the author of the new comedy novel, “Gerard Philey’s Euro-Diary: Quest for a Life”. Though this is his first novel, he has a large number of non-fiction publications (under the name Brendan Bartram) as a former university lecturer and researcher. A passionate linguist and Europhile, he spent a number of years working in the Netherlands, France and Germany. He lives in the West Midlands with his husband.

 

Social media links

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/450811.Brendan_James

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-james-4343a8237/

Twitter @Brendan23015569

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Published on August 30, 2022 10:48

June 19, 2022

Sister Agatha: The World’s Oldest Serial Killer by Domhnall O’Donoghue

Sister Agatha is 118 years of age, whose vim and vigour would put the most robust athletes to shame. However, during a routine check-up, her doctor claims that she has just a week to live – inconvenient, seeing as the beloved sister once made an improbable vow: to be the oldest person in the world. At last count, she was the fifth.

Never one to admit defeat, Sister Agatha concocts a bold Plan B. Using her final days, she intends on travelling the world to meet the only four people whose birthday cakes boast more candles than hers.

And then, one by one, she will kill them.

 

My review

Being exactly half Sister Agatha’s age, I’m particularly full of respect for and envy of this elderly lady’s amazing good health, irrepressible feistiness and single-minded ambition. She has no shortage of personality, and has led a very fulfilling life, despite most of it being spent in a religious institution. But in this quirky story, she finally comes into her own when, with the credit card she’s ‘borrowed’ from the convent, she sets out to bump off the four old biddies who are standing between her and her goal. She hasn’t thought things through very hard, content to rely on her wits, which are as sharp as they’ve ever been, but with some fortuitous coincidences and several huge dollops of luck, she rapidly gets underway.

‘Sister Agatha: the World’s Oldest Serial Killer’ is a hoot, with a lively plotline, a cast of eccentric characters (including two particularly horrendous mothers), settings all over the world and tongue-in-cheek comedy that’s decidedly dark in places.

It’s totally original and a joyous riot of a book!

 

Purchase Links

UK- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sister-Agatha-Worlds-Oldest-Serial-ebook/dp/B09X21ZNY2/

US – https://www.amazon.com/Sister-Agatha-Worlds-Oldest-Serial-ebook/dp/B09X21ZNY2/

 

Author bio

Hailing from Navan in the royal county of Meath, Domhnall is a graduate of the Bachelor in Acting Studies Programme, Trinity College Dublin, later completing a Master’s in Screenwriting at Dún Laoghaire IADT.

He now works as an actor and a journalist, dividing his time between Galway, where he films TG4’s award-winning series, Ros na Rún, Dublin and Venice, where he and his Italian lover continuously promise their well-worn livers that they will refrain from quaffing so much Prosecco. (Unfortunately, it seems some vows, just like nearby Rome, were not built in a day.)

Wine-drinking aside, for more than four years, Domhnall has also enjoyed the responsibility of being Assistant Editor at Irish Tatler Man, a title whose various awards includes Consumer Magazine of the Year. Thanks to this role, he interviewed a host of high-profile names such as Tommy Hilfiger, Chris Pine, Kevin Spacey, David Gandy, and Jacques Villeneuve.

Domhnall has written for the majority of Ireland’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the Irish Independent, The Irish Times and RTE. He also writes a monthly column in Woman’s Way, the country’s biggest-selling weekly magazine.

His first novel, Sister Agatha: the World’s Oldest Serial Killer, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim (Tirgearr Publishing). His second and third books, Colin and the Concubine and Crazy for You were published by Mercier Press, Ireland’s oldest publishing house.

 

Social Media Links –

FB – Domhnall O’Donoghue (facebook.com)

T – https://twitter.com/Domhnall1982

IGhttps://instagram.com/domhnall82

 

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Published on June 19, 2022 02:20

January 2, 2022

Empty Corridors: Learning to Fail by Paul Douglas Lovell

Synopsis

Paul isn’t at school to learn, he’s there to be fed.

Though they often have no voice, a problematic child will more than likely have a tale to tell. Not that Paul would ever let slip the shame he hides. Weighed down for so long with insecurities, the scruffy kid already feels isolated from his peers. These formative years of secondary school, where confidence can be shattered by a single taunt, do not encourage children to speak out. If Paul’s secrets were ever known, no good would come of it, only humiliation.

So he disguises his anguish behind a facade of roughness. Paul excels at naughtiness; takes pride in being the baddest. It’s his only talent, and it’s been sharpened by his wayward upbringing. And if anything is going to break the monotony of learning, it’s being sent out to the empty corridor.

Glimpse Paul’s life in the 1980s, follow him through school and the streets, witness his crimes. Understand his motives but don’t judge him too harshly. Real life is never straightforward and the choices we make are not always sound. Why should Paul’s be any different?

 

My review

This is the third memoir by this irrepressible and talented author. It fills the gap between ‘Playing Out: Swings and Roundabouts’ and ‘Paulyanna International Rent-boy’ and recounts Paul’s experiences at secondary school.

Adolescence is a tricky time generally, but even more so for someone coming from a deprived background, and gradually realising they’re gay. Paul feels excluded a lot of the time. His family – five children raised by a single dad, who himself was raised in an orphanage – has to do without the latest fashions and gizmos, the trips and holidays that their peers take for granted. However, Paul’s in-built optimism seems him through. He accepts what he can’t change and gets on with life. He has a flexible approach to rules and the law, and whilst it’s true that at times he disrespects authority, it must be pointed out that authority disrespected him. The approach of schools at the time to ‘difficult’ pupils was brutal, intolerant and unsympathetic.

The writing is characterised, as always, by the author’s sharp wit and sense of humour. His style is upbeat and entertaining. He doesn’t spare himself as he shares his adventures, and he never wallows in self-pity. He always addresses his reader with honesty and good humour. He has a very engaging story to tell which at times is shocking, but mainly is life-affirming, even though Paul himself led a challenging life during these years.

It’s an immensely enjoyable book and vividly evokes (or re-evokes for those of us who where there!) the 1980s. It’s true to say this book can be classified as social history because of all the carefully observed detail and its authentic atmosphere. It’s a bit of a time machine.

I can’t recommend this compelling, extraordinary memoir enough. Available in all Amazon stores.

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Published on January 02, 2022 05:28

December 8, 2021

Christmas Carols and a Cornish Cream Tea by Cressida McLaughlin

All Meredith Verren has ever wanted is to escape the holiday season without having to wear a Christmas jumper. Her new job at the cosy gift shop in a picturesque Cornish tourist spot is making it impossible for her to maintain her scrooge-like manner.
With their seasonal hampers on everyone’s wish list, Meredith must paste on a smile and fake some holiday cheer. Then she meets handsome new arrival, Finn, who wishes it could be Christmas every day and wants her to feel the same way too.
Can she embrace the holly and the ivy before the decorations are packed away for another year?

My review

Cornwall seems to be a very popular setting for Christmas novels. It must be something to do with the wild scenery, and whilst there may be plenty of festive books based there already, there’s always room for one more when it’s as enjoyable as this one.

Christmas Carols and a Cornish Cream Tea is packed with expected festivity in the form of carols, decorations, gifts and parties. Less festively inclined, Meredith, with her preference for a quiet, non-glitzy Christmas, but best of all no Christmas at all, shows that some people have a very different approach to the season, and with reason. The author cleverly and subtly raises the issue of the fakeness of a one-size-fits-all Christmas, with its hollow cheer and shallow sentiment, and emphasises how Christmas has to be what we want it to be, not what we think it should be in order to be meaningful and enjoyable.

We have great characters, enough to provide a sense of community but not too many to be overwhelming. There’s intricate and varied action, a few misunderstandings, humour, poignancy and some beautiful imagery.

A lovely book for anyone’s Christmas stocking.

 

About the author

Cressida was born in South East London surrounded by books and with a cat named after Lawrence of Arabia. She studied English at UEA and now lives in Norwich with her husband David. When she isn’t writing, Cressida spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.

www.cressidamclaughlin.com
@cressmclaughlin

 

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Published on December 08, 2021 23:18

November 23, 2021

The Hapless Husband and his Curious Wife by Helen E Field

Today is publication day for The Hapless Husband and his Curious Wife by Helen E Field, the second in the De’ath Family series.

Follow the madcap lives of the sassy Brooke and her anxious husband Dean, as they navigate the chaos caused by their double lives: secrets, syndicates and stress… money, madness and McDonald’s… political incorrectness, punters and posh people… betting, blood pressure and ballet… haves, have nots and horseracing…diversity, dilemmas and days out…gender, gyms and gentility. TRIGGER WARNING: If you are easily offended, ‘woke’ or work in human resources you may be traumatised by this author’s irreverent sense of humour.

 

Synopsis

Essex girl Brooke secretly works for Lady Townsend, who’s attempting to transform her into a lady, by offering her an eye-opening education. She exposes Brooke to some mind-boggling experiences and a class of people a million miles away from her own, resulting in some seriously funny social faux pas along the way. Brooke’s outlook changes as she takes advantage of these opportunities to better herself, with often comic results! Meanwhile her husband Dean is clueless as to why his normally ditsy wife appears to be acting so weird.

Meanwhile, Dean has been set a challenge by his boss. He’s been tasked with making their workforce the most diverse in the industry, but Dean’s unorthodox approach to recruiting, reveals that he struggles with the very concept of what he considers a ‘woke’ request. In addition, he’s still keeping his mystery shopping side hustle a secret from his demanding wife, ensuring he gets some ‘me time’ away from her and their boisterous toddler Paige.

The farcical situations they find themselves in as a result of their lies, cause off the scale stress for them both. How much longer can they withstand the deceit? Will Brooke’s transformation make her long-suffering husband feel left behind? Or will it improve all their lives? It’s that or even more chaos…

The story pokes fun at a myriad of people and institutions and is a wonderfully eclectic mix of Gavin & Stacey, Pygmalion and Legally Blonde!

 

My review

I loved the first book in the series, which set a very high standard to follow, and I’m delighted to say this sequel is every bit as witty, clever, entertaining and generally excellent.

Dean De’ath really is a hapless husband. He’s a decent, caring but none too bright guy, content to potter along with a few of life’s luxuries and dote on his wife and daughter. Brooke, however, doesn’t want to be doted on. Outwardly rather shallow and self-centred, again she’s another nice person with a good soul who wants to do things, to be better, to learn things. Like her husband, though, she tends to be a bit heavy handed in going about it.

Of the two, Brooke is the more adaptable. She embraces modern life, whereas Dean is a bit puzzled by it. As a result he goes for the easiest solution to the problems that living in the enlightened 21st century throws up. Ensure workforce diversity? Simple, employ ‘one of each’. Problem solved surely. Wife with health issues? No brainer, allow her to live a cosseted life and not have to work. Sorted…?

Each has secrets from the other, which, the longer they keep become the harder to divulge. That’s not an ideal scenario for any couple and especially not this one with their misunderstandings and over-simplified approaches. Chaos ensues, with lots of comedy and layered social commentary for the reader to enjoy.

Do treat yourself to some time in Dean and Brooke’s company. You’ll love every minute!

 

You can buy the book in all Amazon stores.

 

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Published on November 23, 2021 09:56

November 20, 2021

The Custard Corpses, a delicious 1940s mystery by M J Porter

Birmingham, England, 1943.

While the whine of the air raid sirens might no longer be rousing him from bed every night, a two-decade-old unsolved murder case will ensure that Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is about to suffer more sleepless nights.

Young Robert McFarlane’s body was found outside the local church hall on 30th September 1923. But, his cause of death was drowning, and he’d been missing for three days before his body was found. No one was ever arrested for the crime. No answers could ever be given to the grieving family. The unsolved case has haunted Mason ever since.

But, the chance discovery of another victim, with worrying parallels, sets Mason, and his constable, O’Rourke, on a journey that will take them back over twenty-five years, the chance to finally solve the case, while all around them the uncertainty of war continues, impossible to ignore.

 

My review

An intriguing title, an enticing cover, this book has your full attention before you even start reading it. And once you do, it’s impossible to put down until it’s finished, just like a lovely bowl of custard!

I adored this book. It’s different, it’s fascinating, it’s lively and also poignant. I think the wartime setting comes over extremely well with the lurking presence of stress, worry and fear for the future. It really gives you food for thought (and I don’t just mean custard).

Mason and O’Rourke make a good team. At first glance they may not appear particularly inspiring, but each has strength and weaknesses, and they work well together.

So much to enjoy in this absorbing, moving mystery.

 

Purchase Linkmybook.to/TheCustardCorpses

 

Author bio

I’m an author of historical fiction (Early English, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest) and fantasy (Viking age/dragon-themed). I’ve recently written a relatively modern mystery novel set in 1943. I was born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building, told from a very young age that it housed the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia and that our garden was littered with old pieces of pottery from a long-ago battle, it’s little wonder that my curiosity in Early England ran riot. I can only blame my parents!

I write A LOT. You’ve been warned!

Find me at www.mjporterauthor.com and @coloursofunison on twitter.

 

Social Media Links

https://twitter.com/coloursofunison

https://www.instagram.com/m_j_porter/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163404.M_J_Porter

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/coloursofunison/_saved/

 

Giveaway to Win 2 x copies of The Custard Corpses (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494455/

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Published on November 20, 2021 03:31

November 19, 2021

Murder at the Abbey by Frances Evesham

Murder at the Abbey

The Exham-on-Sea’s History Society’s annual summer picnic comes to an abrupt end when human bones are discovered in Washford River, beside historic Cleeve Abbey.

Thrilled to find evidence of a possible centuries-old murder mystery, the members of the society organise a ghost-hunting night in the ruins of Cleeve Abbey, despite amateur sleuth Libby Forest’s reservations.

Libby is a woman of many talents, a baker, chocolatier, even a reluctant sleuth, but she’s no fan of the supernatural and her doubts are justified when a friend is attacked under cover of darkness at the ghost-hunt.

Distressed and angry, Libby sets out with her new husband Max and their two dogs Bear and Shipley to uncover the connection between the murder of a sixteenth century monk and a present-day attack in picturesque Somerset.

With friends and neighbours as suspects, Libby and Max close in on the culprit only to find that others are still in danger.

There’s no time to lose as the sins of the past threaten lives in the community.

Murder at the Abbey is the eighth in a series of Exham-on-Sea Murder Mysteries from the small English seaside town full of quirky characters, sea air, and gossip.

 

My review

Murder in the Abbey is an enjoyable cosy with varied and interesting characters, the two protagonists being mature and irrepressibly curious amateur sleuths. There’s a clever plot and a beautiful setting, and the writing gives us tension, touches of humour and some fabulous imagery. The action moves steadily, so the reader is never bored or overwhelmed but always enjoyable entertained.

This is my introduction to the series, and it works fine as a standalone but I imagine it’s more rewarding to have followed the series from the start.

 

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3BJyYn1

 

Author Bio –  Frances Evesham is the author of the hugely successful Exham-on-Sea mysteries set in her home county of Somerset. Boldwood has republished the complete series. Frances has also started a new cosy crime series set in rural Herefordshire, the first of which was published in June 2020.


Social Media Links –

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/frances.evesham.writer/

Twitter https://twitter.com/francesevesham 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/francesevesham/

Newsletter Sign Up Link https://bit.ly/FrancesEveshamSignUp  

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/frances-evesham  

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Published on November 19, 2021 07:32