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Abbot Agency #1
False Charity
An English widow turns amateur sleuth when she matches wits with a killer in the first book in an “ingenious series” of cozy suspense
After the death of her husband, all Bea Abbot wants is a little quiet time to collect herself in her pretty Victorian home in Kensington, London. Despite the pressure from her well-intentioned son, the one thing Bea isn’t ready to do is to sell the domestic agency she shared with her beloved Hamilton, especially when there’s still business to settle. Bea’s old friend Coral has been stiffed by a client, big time, and now her catering firm is in the red.
With the help of her unlikely new partners―a flighty pink-haired temp and a hyperactive teenage computer geek―Bea discovers that there’s more to this case of fraud than meets the eye. Bounced checks and disappearing funds are just the beginning of an increasingly deadly investigation. And it’s all Bea can do to stay one step ahead of a killer.
After the death of her husband, all Bea Abbot wants is a little quiet time to collect herself in her pretty Victorian home in Kensington, London. Despite the pressure from her well-intentioned son, the one thing Bea isn’t ready to do is to sell the domestic agency she shared with her beloved Hamilton, especially when there’s still business to settle. Bea’s old friend Coral has been stiffed by a client, big time, and now her catering firm is in the red.
With the help of her unlikely new partners―a flighty pink-haired temp and a hyperactive teenage computer geek―Bea discovers that there’s more to this case of fraud than meets the eye. Bounced checks and disappearing funds are just the beginning of an increasingly deadly investigation. And it’s all Bea can do to stay one step ahead of a killer.
219 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2007
1330 people are currently reading
1114 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Heley
96 books128 followersVeronica Heley has published more than fifty books, including crime fiction, historical, and children's titles. She is currently involved in the Ellie Quicke series of crime stories and a variety of other projects. A full-time writer, she has been married to a London probation officer since 1964, and has one musician daughter.
AKA Veronica Thorne
AKA Veronica Thorne
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
November 9, 2022
Obnoxious characters who I couldn’t even like to hate and repetitive exposition would’ve probably given this story two, maybe three, stars. What I couldn’t excuse was the completely cavalier way one character’s date rape was treated by the main character, even getting pretty close to victim blaming for it. And then how everyone behaved when the same girl was nearly raped again (and another girl assaulted) like it was more important to get money than to get a rapist off the streets? If I hadn’t been reading this for a work thing, I would’ve stopped after the date rape. Shame on this author for how she belittled and downplayed what happened. I’ll never read anything by her again.
February 6, 2023
I so wanted to enjoy the characters…
Nice cozy mystery…. but so terribly tone deaf to rape and humanity. Really?? Gloss over your apprentice’s rape… because at least we figured out the case and got our client’s money back. What????
Well, I mean really… it is hard to prove date rape anyway, so thank goodness she plucked up, got back to work and didn’t complain too much when she was kidnapped and nearly raped again. PTSD? What PTSD?? Stiff upper lip and all that. She still considered firing the rape victim because she had an annoying laugh… but how nice of the main character to get over that so she could keep her around as a house keeper. WTF???
Nice cozy mystery…. but so terribly tone deaf to rape and humanity. Really?? Gloss over your apprentice’s rape… because at least we figured out the case and got our client’s money back. What????
Well, I mean really… it is hard to prove date rape anyway, so thank goodness she plucked up, got back to work and didn’t complain too much when she was kidnapped and nearly raped again. PTSD? What PTSD?? Stiff upper lip and all that. She still considered firing the rape victim because she had an annoying laugh… but how nice of the main character to get over that so she could keep her around as a house keeper. WTF???
November 17, 2014
False Charity, the first in a series to feature feisty but generous English widow Bea Abbott, won’t appeal to everyone. It will be too religious for some, and a bit implausible for others. But I thoroughly enjoyed this British cozy, and I’m eager to get the second installment on Audible. I found Bea lovable, if a bit grumpy at times; however, that just served to humanize her. Bea doesn’t know all of the answers — indeed, she’s overwhelmed by the difficulty of her assignment — but she tries her best, and she plays a reluctant mother hen to two waifs who have stumbled into her care. I adored every minute I spent with her.
Sixty-something Bea Abbott returns home to London widowed; she and her wonderful second husband Hamilton had decided to take a round-the-world trip before he died from cancer, but Hamilton never made it home. Saddened and still weepy, Bea expects to settle into a quiet retirement. Instead, she’s confronted with some important unfinished business for the Abbott Agency: Her longtime friend and caterer, Coral Payne, has been bilked out of thousands of dollars in catering expenses by a fraudulent charity. Bea’s only son Max, newly elected to Parliament, had no time for Coral, but Bea lives up to righteous Hamilton’s conviction that one should always do what’s right, even though she herself is agnostic.
With the help of a fragile computer whiz, Oliver Ingraham; Bea’s unreliable but charming ex-husband Piers, and the bossy, pink-haired 20-year-old Maggie (who’s hopeless at her office job), Bea proves able to track down the wicked miscreants and uncover even worse malefactions than exploiting Coral. Know thyself: If you enjoy mysteries by J.G. Goodhind, M.C. Beaton, Melanie Jackson, or the early Janet Evanovich, then you’ll love Veronica Heley’s Bea Abbott.
Sixty-something Bea Abbott returns home to London widowed; she and her wonderful second husband Hamilton had decided to take a round-the-world trip before he died from cancer, but Hamilton never made it home. Saddened and still weepy, Bea expects to settle into a quiet retirement. Instead, she’s confronted with some important unfinished business for the Abbott Agency: Her longtime friend and caterer, Coral Payne, has been bilked out of thousands of dollars in catering expenses by a fraudulent charity. Bea’s only son Max, newly elected to Parliament, had no time for Coral, but Bea lives up to righteous Hamilton’s conviction that one should always do what’s right, even though she herself is agnostic.
With the help of a fragile computer whiz, Oliver Ingraham; Bea’s unreliable but charming ex-husband Piers, and the bossy, pink-haired 20-year-old Maggie (who’s hopeless at her office job), Bea proves able to track down the wicked miscreants and uncover even worse malefactions than exploiting Coral. Know thyself: If you enjoy mysteries by J.G. Goodhind, M.C. Beaton, Melanie Jackson, or the early Janet Evanovich, then you’ll love Veronica Heley’s Bea Abbott.
January 3, 2023
****Trigger warning - rape***
The casual way the dealt with rape disgusts me. The characters were more concerned about money than seeing Noel punished for rape because of the hassle. No mention of help for the victims, just a hot shower. Really??? How is this book classified as a cozy mystery?
The casual way the dealt with rape disgusts me. The characters were more concerned about money than seeing Noel punished for rape because of the hassle. No mention of help for the victims, just a hot shower. Really??? How is this book classified as a cozy mystery?
February 8, 2023
This is the first time I’ve ever left a review. I could barely finish this book but I always finish a book.
From the questioning of who was anorexic, Nicole? Maggie? Oliver was way too skinny….. to the idea a teenage boy would be dis communicated by friends et al for having porn on his laptop…. please!!
The Bible/religious references just did not fit in, at all!!
An eighteen and twenty year old with no cell phone or texting…. Hmmmm
A search of a house for an 18 year old hiding in a box…. who does that??
The constant references to phones ringing…. and no one answers them or ever returns phone calls…. endless!
So much more I can’t be bothered to recall….
But the clincher, the rape of a girl that’s soothed over with a shower, cup of tea and back to the housework to sort her out. And when she’s attacked a second time by her rapist, it’s all used to the cause of recouping stolen monies… no police, no pursuing the assailant…. no medical assistance for the receptionist….. yes, all very cosy.
From the questioning of who was anorexic, Nicole? Maggie? Oliver was way too skinny….. to the idea a teenage boy would be dis communicated by friends et al for having porn on his laptop…. please!!
The Bible/religious references just did not fit in, at all!!
An eighteen and twenty year old with no cell phone or texting…. Hmmmm
A search of a house for an 18 year old hiding in a box…. who does that??
The constant references to phones ringing…. and no one answers them or ever returns phone calls…. endless!
So much more I can’t be bothered to recall….
But the clincher, the rape of a girl that’s soothed over with a shower, cup of tea and back to the housework to sort her out. And when she’s attacked a second time by her rapist, it’s all used to the cause of recouping stolen monies… no police, no pursuing the assailant…. no medical assistance for the receptionist….. yes, all very cosy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2023
Really dislikeable characters, weird porn-shaming sub plot that just felt so outdated for a book set in current date. Hoped I was getting into a series I could commit to but won't read any further as I couldn't stand any of the characters.
April 10, 2023
No Agatha Christie fan will like this, unlike what the cover says. False piety. Victim blaming for a woman that was raped. And a main character who tries to talk religion, but is the one who does the victim blaming. Disgusting.
March 28, 2017
This is the first book of the Abbott Agency series. The characters capture my attention in FALSE FIRE that I wanted to know more about them. I will read the series as time allows. In this book, Bea Abbott is returning to her London home after the death of her husband. Still working through her grief and tired from the long journey she longs for peace and quiet. However, Bea found a surprise Welcome Home Party hosted by her son, Max and his wife, Nicole. Max has been elected to House of Commons and plans on shutting down the Agency and moving into her house. The Abbott Agency is well known for solving domestic crises. Bea finds that Max has hired one teenager to run the Agency. Maggie has no office skills so her boyfriend, Oliver does her work and she lets him live in the rooms at the top of the house.
The phone and doorbell are ringing constantly. Bea must solve several problems before she can find peace and quiet. Her first husband and Max's Father, Piers shows up and informs her that her husband asked to help her. An old friend, Choral tells Bea she lost money doing work for a charity and the check bounce, not once but twice. Max recommended the client. Bea feels she must help her. Her investigation turns up many abnormalities and appears that it is an enormous scam. Bea sets out to stop the scam and return the money to those too off. Will she succeed? I highly recommend this book.
The phone and doorbell are ringing constantly. Bea must solve several problems before she can find peace and quiet. Her first husband and Max's Father, Piers shows up and informs her that her husband asked to help her. An old friend, Choral tells Bea she lost money doing work for a charity and the check bounce, not once but twice. Max recommended the client. Bea feels she must help her. Her investigation turns up many abnormalities and appears that it is an enormous scam. Bea sets out to stop the scam and return the money to those too off. Will she succeed? I highly recommend this book.
June 13, 2023
TW: sexual assault
I never usually write reviews but: The main character is unlikeable and equally displays no real care or affection for any of the other characters, making the book unenjoyable and slow moving. Several of the storylines don't make sense (e.g., teenage boy being kicked out for finding porn on his dad's laptop even though he doesn't mention it, and then being shunned because the dad told his family it was the boy who had watched porn - does the author believe families would or should be angry at a teenage boy if they had been watching porn? It's not a typical response and did not read well, I wonder if this attitude links to the repeated religious references throughout the book).
However the main disappointment (and the reason I nearly didn't finish the book), was that one of the characters (Maggie) was raped and then sexually assaulted and the other characters (her supposed friends/ found family) were repeatedly more concerned with whether she could still function as a housekeeper, describing her as irritating in internal monologues, and pushing her to accept scenarios that would enable them to get money out of the situation, rather than her wellbeing. Obviously, unpleasant and unsympathetic characters happen in books, BUT this is sold as a "cosy mystery" and these people were written as the good guys, hence why their behaviour was so jarring, and taking any authenticity away from the intended character archetypes.
TLDR: unlikeable characters, plot holes, poor handling of sexual assault making it unpleasant to read and completely disrupting the intended narrative.
I never usually write reviews but: The main character is unlikeable and equally displays no real care or affection for any of the other characters, making the book unenjoyable and slow moving. Several of the storylines don't make sense (e.g., teenage boy being kicked out for finding porn on his dad's laptop even though he doesn't mention it, and then being shunned because the dad told his family it was the boy who had watched porn - does the author believe families would or should be angry at a teenage boy if they had been watching porn? It's not a typical response and did not read well, I wonder if this attitude links to the repeated religious references throughout the book).
However the main disappointment (and the reason I nearly didn't finish the book), was that one of the characters (Maggie) was raped and then sexually assaulted and the other characters (her supposed friends/ found family) were repeatedly more concerned with whether she could still function as a housekeeper, describing her as irritating in internal monologues, and pushing her to accept scenarios that would enable them to get money out of the situation, rather than her wellbeing. Obviously, unpleasant and unsympathetic characters happen in books, BUT this is sold as a "cosy mystery" and these people were written as the good guys, hence why their behaviour was so jarring, and taking any authenticity away from the intended character archetypes.
TLDR: unlikeable characters, plot holes, poor handling of sexual assault making it unpleasant to read and completely disrupting the intended narrative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2012
‘False Charity’ by Veronica Heley
Bea Abbott returns home to London from New Zealand after an absence of three years. She returns a widow, her beloved husband Hamilton having died during their round the world trip. She is 63 and the Abbott Agency founded by her husband, and passed to her son Max is now being wound up. For Max is now an MP and his wife, the anorexic Nicola is keen to only to get her husband up the ladder of social success.
So Bea expects to return to a quiet house, and a quiet life. But life is rarely what we expect it to be, and Bea discovers that far from peace and quiet she has two people living in her house, a hang over from the Agency that is not yet totally defunct, and a couple of unhappy clients, that Max has washed his hands of. One of them Coral Payne, an old friend and long-time client falls on Bea’s return with thankfulness’, now she declares things will be sorted. But on cursory investigation it is clear that Coral’s problem is not that straight forward, and still suffering from jet-lag and the grief on the loss of her husband, Bea finds herself somewhat overwhelmed by events.
Whilst an excellent mystery that kept me glued to my cassette player, I found Bea’s reliance on what would Hamilton do in these circumstances very endearing – it was clearly her way of working through her grief and I can only conclude that the writer has some experience of this. It was certainly very well done.
Patience Tomlinson, was an excellent Bea, and her range of voices for the other characters is astounding. The hesitant Oliver, the slightly shrill Maggie, pompous Max, and Bea’s first husband, Piers, all took on their own sound read by Patience Tomlinson. Very enjoyable listening.
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Lizzie Hayes
Bea Abbott returns home to London from New Zealand after an absence of three years. She returns a widow, her beloved husband Hamilton having died during their round the world trip. She is 63 and the Abbott Agency founded by her husband, and passed to her son Max is now being wound up. For Max is now an MP and his wife, the anorexic Nicola is keen to only to get her husband up the ladder of social success.
So Bea expects to return to a quiet house, and a quiet life. But life is rarely what we expect it to be, and Bea discovers that far from peace and quiet she has two people living in her house, a hang over from the Agency that is not yet totally defunct, and a couple of unhappy clients, that Max has washed his hands of. One of them Coral Payne, an old friend and long-time client falls on Bea’s return with thankfulness’, now she declares things will be sorted. But on cursory investigation it is clear that Coral’s problem is not that straight forward, and still suffering from jet-lag and the grief on the loss of her husband, Bea finds herself somewhat overwhelmed by events.
Whilst an excellent mystery that kept me glued to my cassette player, I found Bea’s reliance on what would Hamilton do in these circumstances very endearing – it was clearly her way of working through her grief and I can only conclude that the writer has some experience of this. It was certainly very well done.
Patience Tomlinson, was an excellent Bea, and her range of voices for the other characters is astounding. The hesitant Oliver, the slightly shrill Maggie, pompous Max, and Bea’s first husband, Piers, all took on their own sound read by Patience Tomlinson. Very enjoyable listening.
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Lizzie Hayes
February 2, 2023
An easy read when you want to take a break from more serious reading. I found the plot to be a bit convoluted and the characters don’t really inspire you to root for them as much as you root for the villains to be brought down. Curious that there are so many religious references when the morals and ethics of the “good guys” seem shady. Not sure how this is a series when I just don’t care that much what happens to the protagonists and we don’t really get proper justice.
August 6, 2013
It was right on time. I couldn't put it down. It is a must read.
December 25, 2021
Some suspension of disbelief is necessary but overall an enjoyable story. I shall read the next in the series.
March 31, 2023
This is a new series I’ve started. I wasn’t sure about the story when I started. It was slightly confusing going from the main character and the murderer in each chapter. As the book progressed everything started to become clearer and the story took shape.
I enjoyed the characters, although some of them could use more development. This is the first book, so I am allowing more grace on character development. I have the second one started, so I’ll write a review after as to whether I’ll continue the series or not.
I enjoyed the characters, although some of them could use more development. This is the first book, so I am allowing more grace on character development. I have the second one started, so I’ll write a review after as to whether I’ll continue the series or not.
August 30, 2024
A little disjointed but good story
The dialogue in the book felt disconnected, making it difficult to discern the speakers at times. However, the overarching narrative was quite engaging. Certain events were unexpectedly unsettling for what seemed to be a cozy mystery, yet I chose to see it through to the end. Nonetheless, this book may find its audience.
The dialogue in the book felt disconnected, making it difficult to discern the speakers at times. However, the overarching narrative was quite engaging. Certain events were unexpectedly unsettling for what seemed to be a cozy mystery, yet I chose to see it through to the end. Nonetheless, this book may find its audience.
December 21, 2022
Fun!
Very good start to this series. Love the characters and all the variety among them. Looking forward to more from this author.
Very good start to this series. Love the characters and all the variety among them. Looking forward to more from this author.
April 4, 2024
I insist that my cozy mysteries not have repeated praying scenes and references to the Lord. I feel like this book was very heavy-handed and dismissive of the rape and abuse victims in the book- blaming them for what happened to them. Tone-deaf and irritating.
August 11, 2023
What a delightful book!
August 14, 2016
I enjoy Veronica Heley's series that features Ellie Quicke so I wanted to try the other series The Abbott Agency series that features Bea Abbott. How did it compare for me to the other series that I like so much. I liked it and enjoyed the book. The similarities are that both women are recent widows and live in London or London suburbs. The main difference is the personalities differences. Bea Abbott is more assertive and a business woman. She seems a little grumpy at times but really has a sort heart.
The series leads off with Bea returning home from a trip she and her husband were on. He knew he was very ill and wanted to go on this trip but died while on it.. Their business is called the Abbott Agency that helps people with various requests-find caterers, house keepers etc. The plan is the Agency is closing down. A friend caterer comes to Bea with a story that she was scammed out of money from a service she provided to a charity event. Bea reluctantly becomes involved with helping her friend. She often thinks what her husband would do but ends up going with her own solution.
I felt that best part of the books were the characters. When Bea returns home, she finds her son has employed a young girl Maggie for office work which she is not good at and some housekeeping. To Bea's surprise, Maggie has hidden a teenager names Oliver who has computer skills and has been thrown out of his house by his dad. Maggie annoys Bea with her loud clumsy ways and her laugh. To top it all off, her first husband arrives to help Bea out. He said her last husband told him to help out Bea when he is gone. So this provides the unlikely nucleus of a team working on the charity scam.
I enjoyed the book very much and am looking forward to continuing on with the series. It also cemented my opinion that I like Veronica Heley's writing as I am now enjoying both of her cozy series
The series leads off with Bea returning home from a trip she and her husband were on. He knew he was very ill and wanted to go on this trip but died while on it.. Their business is called the Abbott Agency that helps people with various requests-find caterers, house keepers etc. The plan is the Agency is closing down. A friend caterer comes to Bea with a story that she was scammed out of money from a service she provided to a charity event. Bea reluctantly becomes involved with helping her friend. She often thinks what her husband would do but ends up going with her own solution.
I felt that best part of the books were the characters. When Bea returns home, she finds her son has employed a young girl Maggie for office work which she is not good at and some housekeeping. To Bea's surprise, Maggie has hidden a teenager names Oliver who has computer skills and has been thrown out of his house by his dad. Maggie annoys Bea with her loud clumsy ways and her laugh. To top it all off, her first husband arrives to help Bea out. He said her last husband told him to help out Bea when he is gone. So this provides the unlikely nucleus of a team working on the charity scam.
I enjoyed the book very much and am looking forward to continuing on with the series. It also cemented my opinion that I like Veronica Heley's writing as I am now enjoying both of her cozy series
December 6, 2017
This is the first book in the Abbot Agency series. Bea Abbot's husband, Hamilton has died and she is returning home from New Zealand without him and with the intention of winding up the Abbot domestic agency which they ran between them. But it seems others want her to continue with the agency and her old friend, Coral, wants her to look into a dubious charity which has failed to pay her for work she has done for them. Then there's Max, her son, who wants her to sell him her Kensington house at less than market value and wants to see her settled in a bungalow on the South Coast.
Bea's dislike of having others try and organise her life for her soon asserts itself and she decides to investigate the charity with the help of Oliver and Maggie - two young people who seem to have come into her life just when she needs someone to look after. This is a well written and interesting story which introduces some of the series characters. The investigation of the charity is very well done and I liked the clever ending.
If you have enjoyed this author's Ellie Quicke series of mysteries then you may enjoy this one. I found the series has grown on me. I first read this book when it was first published and was less keen on it than the Ellie Quicke series but as the series has progressed I have enjoyed it more and more. This is my second reading of the book and I found I enjoyed it much more this time than I did the first time round.
Bea's dislike of having others try and organise her life for her soon asserts itself and she decides to investigate the charity with the help of Oliver and Maggie - two young people who seem to have come into her life just when she needs someone to look after. This is a well written and interesting story which introduces some of the series characters. The investigation of the charity is very well done and I liked the clever ending.
If you have enjoyed this author's Ellie Quicke series of mysteries then you may enjoy this one. I found the series has grown on me. I first read this book when it was first published and was less keen on it than the Ellie Quicke series but as the series has progressed I have enjoyed it more and more. This is my second reading of the book and I found I enjoyed it much more this time than I did the first time round.
September 10, 2023
Like many, I have started to enjoyably delve into Cosy Murder Mysteries. But how this has such a high rating is truly beyond my comprehension. It is a terrible book! Really badly written, repetitive, characters undeveloped, bland descriptions of environments, lacks thoughtfulness, and is really dull and prosaic. And did I mention repetitive? And the author plonks in religious sermons which are really disconnected. I continued to read it because I thought there were POTENTIALLY interesting characters and the basic crime concept (the False Charity) had promise. But then there is the rape, which we witness being planned by the most stupid childish character. I don't know any other book in this genre that contains rape like this...they may be some. BUT the worst part is the woman who is assaulted is encouraged, by the main protagonist, Bea, to be really happy with a significant sum of money rather than justice, in order to save Bea's friend from being exposed for dodgy accounting work! AM aghast that this can be written in the age of the #Metoo movement, in the guise of a Cozy Mystery. The author's other books may be an improvement but I won't be finding out!
March 23, 2012
This first in a cozy series called the Abbot Agency Mysteries has a clever catch. Bea Abbot has just been widowed and when she returns to London from the round-the-world trip she and her husband were on when he died she faces more than just the misery of life without him. Their event planning/fix it company is in trouble, there is a friend of the woman who has been keeping it afloat living in the attic, and her son and his brittle wife are all but moved into her house and are making plans to sell the company.
At first it looks like Bea, in her despondency, is going to go along with some of this. But as she begins trying to repair the company's tarnished name and to meet its obligations to other small businesses, she finds herself relying on the unreliable minder and her computer whiz friend in the attic to help her solve a murder that is mixed into the Abbot Agency's activities.
Bea Abbot is a particularly likeable protagonist and her son and his wife particularly unlikeable foils. A fine start to a new (in 2008) series that I intend to follow.
2011 No 199
At first it looks like Bea, in her despondency, is going to go along with some of this. But as she begins trying to repair the company's tarnished name and to meet its obligations to other small businesses, she finds herself relying on the unreliable minder and her computer whiz friend in the attic to help her solve a murder that is mixed into the Abbot Agency's activities.
Bea Abbot is a particularly likeable protagonist and her son and his wife particularly unlikeable foils. A fine start to a new (in 2008) series that I intend to follow.
2011 No 199
did-not-finish
January 14, 2024DNF @ 45%
I wasn't particularly enjoying this book, but it was short and I was in the mood for another cozy mystery series so I was going to keep going, but I reached a point that I just couldn't. Bea is not very likeable, she is very judgemental of everyone and I don't know why people like her - she's especially not kind to anyones weight. The mystery was also just not very interesting and neither was the 'investigation' (at least up to the point I stopped). But what officially turned me off is what happened to Maggie, she is sexually assaulted and I'm not happy with how it was dealt with - it kind of felt like the author just threw it in there for the sake of it and I'm not hopeful that it will be dealt with appropriately. So I am giving up.
I wasn't particularly enjoying this book, but it was short and I was in the mood for another cozy mystery series so I was going to keep going, but I reached a point that I just couldn't. Bea is not very likeable, she is very judgemental of everyone and I don't know why people like her - she's especially not kind to anyones weight. The mystery was also just not very interesting and neither was the 'investigation' (at least up to the point I stopped). But what officially turned me off is what happened to Maggie, she is sexually assaulted and I'm not happy with how it was dealt with - it kind of felt like the author just threw it in there for the sake of it and I'm not hopeful that it will be dealt with appropriately. So I am giving up.
January 10, 2023
Takes a while to get in to. I was a little confused at the start to what was happening. Once the book gets going its not that bad. The story line is actually quite good. However I hated all the characters. It is such a shame because I really wanted to give this book more stars. The characters were impossible, obnoxious and rude.
March 3, 2023
This book provides an introduction to the characters inhabiting this lengthy series. The main character never really gets over her jet lag as she stumbles around London. We know all along ‘who dunnit’; this is the story of catching them and getting restitution. I’m not certain I care enough about any of the characters to pick up the second book.
February 18, 2023
I appreciate all the work gone into writing a book, nevertheless, as a reader I must say that I really didn't like the book, the story or the characters of this detective novel. For me it lacked empathy and consistency.
August 16, 2023
I thought Bea was an unlikeable character, the plot lines were questionable, and the reactions and handling of serious incidents made for unpleasant reading.
This book is marketed as a cozy mystery, which it most certainly isn't.
This book is marketed as a cozy mystery, which it most certainly isn't.
December 19, 2023
Really meh. It started off fairly strong, but the repetitive plot took way too long to wrap up, and the attitude towards rape was really disappointing. I skimmed the second half just to finish it, but I should have skipped to the end. Blegh.
August 21, 2020
12th May 2010
A nice easy read, quite a gentle story with a build-up to quite an exciting end. Not exactly nail-biting but likeable characters and not a bad plot.
A nice easy read, quite a gentle story with a build-up to quite an exciting end. Not exactly nail-biting but likeable characters and not a bad plot.
April 4, 2019
a "good read!"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews