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Flora Lively Investigates #1
Murder at the Maples
A tragic death. A reluctant sleuth. A childhood prank that went horribly wrong.
When Flora Lively inherits her father’s business she’s totally out of her depth. Shakers Removals is in trouble, and manager Marshall isn’t helping one bit – the ex-pat American delights only in winding her up. But Flora has other things on her mind, like Joy: surrogate grandmother and resident of the Maples Retirement Village. When Joy’s pet pug has a brush with death, Flora is pulled into a series of bizarre incidents at the Maples, where fear is starting to take hold.
Could harmless old Mr Felix really be the boy from Joy’s past, determined to exact his revenge, or is it Joy’s guilty mind playing tricks on her? And what about the Captain’s death? Accidents happen, even to the most careful people, but Flora’s not convinced the old man simply fell down the stairs ... Playing detective seemed like a good idea at first, but before long Flora realises the stakes are far higher than either she or Joy imagined.
Full of warmth and humour, this gripping puzzle will appeal to fans of M. C. Beaton and Edie Clare.
When Flora Lively inherits her father’s business she’s totally out of her depth. Shakers Removals is in trouble, and manager Marshall isn’t helping one bit – the ex-pat American delights only in winding her up. But Flora has other things on her mind, like Joy: surrogate grandmother and resident of the Maples Retirement Village. When Joy’s pet pug has a brush with death, Flora is pulled into a series of bizarre incidents at the Maples, where fear is starting to take hold.
Could harmless old Mr Felix really be the boy from Joy’s past, determined to exact his revenge, or is it Joy’s guilty mind playing tricks on her? And what about the Captain’s death? Accidents happen, even to the most careful people, but Flora’s not convinced the old man simply fell down the stairs ... Playing detective seemed like a good idea at first, but before long Flora realises the stakes are far higher than either she or Joy imagined.
Full of warmth and humour, this gripping puzzle will appeal to fans of M. C. Beaton and Edie Clare.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2013
405 people are currently reading
1204 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Phillips
25 books127 followersJoanne Phillips lives Cheshire, England with her nine-year-old daughter Lulu, and spends her days (and often nights!) writing commercial fiction, romantic comedies and contemporary mysteries. Her first novel, Can’t Live Without, was an Amazon top 100 bestseller in 2012, and the stand-alone sequel, The Family Trap, won the coveted SpaSpa award in 2013 for Best Romantic Comedy.
Joanne developed a love of writing early on, when she would retreat into imaginary conversations and invent fantasy worlds. She carried on writing through her twenties, studying with The Writers’ Bureau and the Open University, and has recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Her latest novel, This Beautiful World, was shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead award, and also made it to the shortlist for publication with the renowned Valley Press. Joanne is currently working on a new 'domestic noir' thriller and the next Flora Lively mystery.
Joanne developed a love of writing early on, when she would retreat into imaginary conversations and invent fantasy worlds. She carried on writing through her twenties, studying with The Writers’ Bureau and the Open University, and has recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Her latest novel, This Beautiful World, was shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead award, and also made it to the shortlist for publication with the renowned Valley Press. Joanne is currently working on a new 'domestic noir' thriller and the next Flora Lively mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
April 30, 2014
I'm afraid I had to put this on my "put aside" shelf. The fighting between the main character and the employee just got under my skin. They simply didn't feel like happy people. I'm usually the first one to read anything that takes place in the UK...but this is an exception. Sorry. I wanted to like this.
September 15, 2013
I came to this book having enjoyed Joanne Phillips' first two novels - intelligent, entertaining tales in the women's fiction category - so I was interested to see whether she could also pull off a shift into a different genre: the "cozy mystery" as people seem to call it these days (I SO want to spell "cosy" with an s!)
I discovered a slick transition, retaining many of the characteristics of her previous books - assured writing, strong sense of place, evocative description, clearly defined and likeable characters - while adding the eponymous cosy mystery to solve (ie death without grisly details - I don't read violence or gore! - and a happy ending.)
I particularly like the way she celebrates elderly people in this book (echoes of her book "The Family Trap"). She turns expectations/prejudices upside down from the first page, with an elderly lady proving far more adventurous than her younger (29) friend. There were far fewer laugh-out-loud moments than in her other novels, but still a great sense of fun and of the ridiculous. I guess this is the right balance for a book that features murder.
I'm a big fan of M C Beaton,Dorothy L Sayers, and Arthur Conan Doyle, and I have also read quite a bit of Agatha Christie, who together set the highest standards in this genre, so for me at least Joanne Phillips had a hard act to follow. But by the end of this story, I had the same sense of urgency to read the next one, just as I do with Beaton et al. The highest compliment a proposed series can hope to achieve!
What I particularly liked about it is that there is much more to the story than a mystery to solve. The mystery is underpinned by important and thoughtful considerations of the nature of love, loss, grief and old age - much more so than, say M C Beaton. This serious undercurrent adds depth to the book, likely to make the reader think about it for long after they've solved the mystery and read the final page.
One big difference from the other authors I've listed is that there's less of a precise Poirot-style "the reason I've called you all together here today is..." reveal than in Christie et al. There's a more gentler rise and fall of mystery and resolution than with Lord Peter Wimsey, where I find myself turning the pages faster and faster as I sense the solution coming up. This is because the heroine in the detective role solves the mystery almost in spite of herself, rather than by natural Sherlock-Holmesian sleuthing powers. You don't end the book thinking, "My goodness, what must it be like to have as sharp a brain as Flora Lively?" So it's a different kind of experience than to a classic solve-the-mystery type of book - but still a very satisfying read.
Having said that, I think it's a great idea to have a heroine who is not a ready-made detective in the Miss Marple mould, but still unsure of herself, finding her way after losing both her parents, and with a troubled past. She's a character who looks set to develop, and it will be interesting to see how she evolves.
Finally, I love the idea of a detective-style heroine who has a psychology degree but runs a removal company - though I must admit I did wonder about Shakers' financial viability, given the amount of time its staff spend drinking coffee and going on outings rather than doing serious removals! What a great set-up for future adventures - I can think of all kinds of interesting scenarios for her next jaunt, which I very much hope will be available soon!
I discovered a slick transition, retaining many of the characteristics of her previous books - assured writing, strong sense of place, evocative description, clearly defined and likeable characters - while adding the eponymous cosy mystery to solve (ie death without grisly details - I don't read violence or gore! - and a happy ending.)
I particularly like the way she celebrates elderly people in this book (echoes of her book "The Family Trap"). She turns expectations/prejudices upside down from the first page, with an elderly lady proving far more adventurous than her younger (29) friend. There were far fewer laugh-out-loud moments than in her other novels, but still a great sense of fun and of the ridiculous. I guess this is the right balance for a book that features murder.
I'm a big fan of M C Beaton,Dorothy L Sayers, and Arthur Conan Doyle, and I have also read quite a bit of Agatha Christie, who together set the highest standards in this genre, so for me at least Joanne Phillips had a hard act to follow. But by the end of this story, I had the same sense of urgency to read the next one, just as I do with Beaton et al. The highest compliment a proposed series can hope to achieve!
What I particularly liked about it is that there is much more to the story than a mystery to solve. The mystery is underpinned by important and thoughtful considerations of the nature of love, loss, grief and old age - much more so than, say M C Beaton. This serious undercurrent adds depth to the book, likely to make the reader think about it for long after they've solved the mystery and read the final page.
One big difference from the other authors I've listed is that there's less of a precise Poirot-style "the reason I've called you all together here today is..." reveal than in Christie et al. There's a more gentler rise and fall of mystery and resolution than with Lord Peter Wimsey, where I find myself turning the pages faster and faster as I sense the solution coming up. This is because the heroine in the detective role solves the mystery almost in spite of herself, rather than by natural Sherlock-Holmesian sleuthing powers. You don't end the book thinking, "My goodness, what must it be like to have as sharp a brain as Flora Lively?" So it's a different kind of experience than to a classic solve-the-mystery type of book - but still a very satisfying read.
Having said that, I think it's a great idea to have a heroine who is not a ready-made detective in the Miss Marple mould, but still unsure of herself, finding her way after losing both her parents, and with a troubled past. She's a character who looks set to develop, and it will be interesting to see how she evolves.
Finally, I love the idea of a detective-style heroine who has a psychology degree but runs a removal company - though I must admit I did wonder about Shakers' financial viability, given the amount of time its staff spend drinking coffee and going on outings rather than doing serious removals! What a great set-up for future adventures - I can think of all kinds of interesting scenarios for her next jaunt, which I very much hope will be available soon!
October 14, 2017
DNF. Life is too short for boring books.
September 3, 2016
Murder at the Maples by Joanne Phillips is the first in the Flora Lively Investigates Series. In this cozy little mystery we get to know amateur detective Flora Lively. Flora has inherited her parents' moving business, but she is floundering at handling the pressure of running it day to day. Adding to her frustration is her handsome, but infuriating business partner, Marshall. One of the few bright spots in Flora's life is her friendship with Joy, who lives at the Maples. But when the mysterious Mr. Felix moves into the facility, Joy is convinced he is an old enemy out to get her. At first Flora shrugs off Joy's concerns as silly paranoia, but after some unexplained accidents and the untimely death of a well-liked resident Flora realizes she must find some answers. Murder at the Maples shows promise at the beginning. The tension between Flora and Marshall leads the reader to believe that there may be an attraction between the two characters, but by the end the reader is just bleary eyed at all the pointless and juvenile bickering between the two. As Flora is solving the mystery she seems to be one step behind the reader instead of one step ahead. The character of Flora shows a lot of promise, and I really wanted to like her, but just got tired of her whining and cluelessness. I would like to see her be more resilient, unique, and intelligent. I downloaded this free from the Amazon store for the Kindle app. The next book in this series is due out some time in 2014.
October 20, 2013
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Murder At The Maples when I started reading it. Flora and I just didn't click and Joy's backstory troubled me. (I really have issues with anything that involves an animal getting hurt). But I kept on reading and I was really glad that I did.
About mid-way through the book, Flora comes into her own as a sleuth and it becomes more of a good cozy mystery and there are a lot of things going on at The Maples Retirement Village that would have red flags going off.
The book has a lot going for it, with the characters at The Maples and at Shakers, especially Marshall, Flora's manager that you'll come to see she has a love/hate relationship. Her boyfriend Heston, the librarian (love a male librarian) and the dog Otto!
There's also a mystery within a mystery. What's happening at The Maples...starting with the Captain's death, which doesn't seem quite right, and then there's Joy and her paranoia about that event from her teenage years. (That in itself makes me shudder)
Flora takes awhile to come around to Joy's way of thinking. Things really come to a head when they plan to move Joy to the 3 floor..the special needs floor of the retirement community. (The Maples reminds me of that Britcom Waiting For God)
There's a good mixture of Flora's personal life, with her moving company, as well as the mystery at the Maples to give the story balance.
Though it started out slow for me, this book really wowed me in the end.
About mid-way through the book, Flora comes into her own as a sleuth and it becomes more of a good cozy mystery and there are a lot of things going on at The Maples Retirement Village that would have red flags going off.
The book has a lot going for it, with the characters at The Maples and at Shakers, especially Marshall, Flora's manager that you'll come to see she has a love/hate relationship. Her boyfriend Heston, the librarian (love a male librarian) and the dog Otto!
There's also a mystery within a mystery. What's happening at The Maples...starting with the Captain's death, which doesn't seem quite right, and then there's Joy and her paranoia about that event from her teenage years. (That in itself makes me shudder)
Flora takes awhile to come around to Joy's way of thinking. Things really come to a head when they plan to move Joy to the 3 floor..the special needs floor of the retirement community. (The Maples reminds me of that Britcom Waiting For God)
There's a good mixture of Flora's personal life, with her moving company, as well as the mystery at the Maples to give the story balance.
Though it started out slow for me, this book really wowed me in the end.
December 20, 2015
This is a delightful book, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a refreshing departure from the dark and desperate themes one so often sees crowding the front shelves of bookstores. Murder at the Maples is a good old-fashioned tale told very well, with delightful and richly drawn characters, witty dialogue, clever plotting and a satisfying conclusion. The quasi-affectionate bantering/bickering-and obvious chemistry-between the British Flora and her sexy American work colleague Marshall is great fun, and the poignant reflections on family and friendship give the story an added dimension. I could easily see a "Masterpiece" adaptation for their "Mystery" series, the camera wandering down the cobbled lanes of Shrewsbury, getting dramatic angles of the cliff railway at Bridgnorth. "Flora Lively investigates" indeed! I look forward to her further adventures!
February 5, 2017
This book DOES say it's a cozy mystery but I'd read two other books by this author so downloaded it regardless. However, it was all a bit TOO cozy for my liking. There wasn't any murderation happening and I just got bored with it. It's probably what I'd refer to as "twee".
There was an odd passage where she refers to a little girl she sees at a tourist spot holding an ice-cream "in one chapped-looking hand"....which I thought a bizarre observation !!
There were mistakes too-balling out and not bawling out and shoe-in and not shoo-in (!!), then "things had picked recently" lost up and finally, stoking and not stroking at 21% and I packed it in.
All in all, it was too slow for me and didn't have enough action to retain my interest. I'll stick with the author, though.
There was an odd passage where she refers to a little girl she sees at a tourist spot holding an ice-cream "in one chapped-looking hand"....which I thought a bizarre observation !!
There were mistakes too-balling out and not bawling out and shoe-in and not shoo-in (!!), then "things had picked recently" lost up and finally, stoking and not stroking at 21% and I packed it in.
All in all, it was too slow for me and didn't have enough action to retain my interest. I'll stick with the author, though.
June 18, 2015
A really enjoyable summer read, it had me hooked from the first page.
I would swap the word " cozy" for " warm", less naff.
Warm, lively characters. Lots of happenings. Quirky.
And actually quite funny from time to time.
Flora is a feisty, believable young lady. Not too OTT as so often happens, especially in American novels.
She has reluctantly inherited her fathers removal firm, Shakers, and its staff, in an uncertain economic climate.
Her main client is a newly opened retirement village, where Joy now lives, a rather special elderly lady who becomes Floras good friend.
Lots of mysterious happenings begin to occur....
I would swap the word " cozy" for " warm", less naff.
Warm, lively characters. Lots of happenings. Quirky.
And actually quite funny from time to time.
Flora is a feisty, believable young lady. Not too OTT as so often happens, especially in American novels.
She has reluctantly inherited her fathers removal firm, Shakers, and its staff, in an uncertain economic climate.
Her main client is a newly opened retirement village, where Joy now lives, a rather special elderly lady who becomes Floras good friend.
Lots of mysterious happenings begin to occur....
December 16, 2013
This book was so annoying. The bickering between the two main characters combined with the obvious underlying sexual tension between them, the patent pedestrian nature of the core mystery, the absurdity and inconsequentiality of Flora...it is all I can do to finish it. I read books on a device with a Kindle app, and I know how much if a drag a book is by the degree to which I am toggling between apps. With this book I could barely read a page without switching away.
April 28, 2016
Because I've started it, I'll likely finish the book but it's not my cup of tea. Flora's character is whiny, immature and annoying. She fusses and gripes about Marshall non-stop. Ok- I get it that there's some delayed romance in the air- it's so patently obvious you'd have to be blind to miss it. But seriously- Marshall must be the biggest dummy on the planet to all be taking her garbage. I cannot fathom why he hangs around. Are real humans really like this?
September 11, 2015
I ended up totally loving this book. It starts a little slowly and it took me awhile to get into the characters, but I'm really glad that I persevered as it became more and more thrilling as it went along. I'm anxious to read the next in the series to see what Flora gets into next.
November 30, 2025
The last two books I've read have highlighted the weakness of the five-star rating system. This book doesn't really rate 4 stars, but it is so much better than the previous one I read that I can't give it the same three-star rating either!
Flora Lively has inherited her father's removals business - and has also inherited the business manager, her uncle Max's American step-son Marshall. Shakers Removals has the contract for moving people into local retirement village The Maples. After some strange and worrying incidents at the complex, Flora starts investigating.
I liked the plot, which was well-constructed. I liked a lot of the characters, and I absolutely loved Joy, Flora's 'surrogate grandmother'. I also liked the author's exploration of the impact that childhood events can have on us throughout our lives.
What let the book down for me were the constant arguments between Flora and Marshall. Their squabbling is SO bad that more than once, their employees complain or walk out of a meeting because of it. It's unprofessional and deeply childish. It's painfully obvious that the pair are attracted to each other, and presumably, the author is using these constant rows to signal some kind of sexual tension. But it's just annoying - and if they can't handle their emotions any better than this in the late 20s, it really doesn't bode well for any future relationships.
I also found Marshall's behaviour really infuriating. He continually undermines Flora's authority as the business owner, ignoring her instructions and doing whatever he wants. Please can we STOP normalising men disrespecting, patronising and controlling women, and especially stop presenting this as a sign of the man being attracted.
I would be interested to see how this series develops - but only if Flora and Marshall can grow up a bit!
Flora Lively has inherited her father's removals business - and has also inherited the business manager, her uncle Max's American step-son Marshall. Shakers Removals has the contract for moving people into local retirement village The Maples. After some strange and worrying incidents at the complex, Flora starts investigating.
I liked the plot, which was well-constructed. I liked a lot of the characters, and I absolutely loved Joy, Flora's 'surrogate grandmother'. I also liked the author's exploration of the impact that childhood events can have on us throughout our lives.
What let the book down for me were the constant arguments between Flora and Marshall. Their squabbling is SO bad that more than once, their employees complain or walk out of a meeting because of it. It's unprofessional and deeply childish. It's painfully obvious that the pair are attracted to each other, and presumably, the author is using these constant rows to signal some kind of sexual tension. But it's just annoying - and if they can't handle their emotions any better than this in the late 20s, it really doesn't bode well for any future relationships.
I also found Marshall's behaviour really infuriating. He continually undermines Flora's authority as the business owner, ignoring her instructions and doing whatever he wants. Please can we STOP normalising men disrespecting, patronising and controlling women, and especially stop presenting this as a sign of the man being attracted.
I would be interested to see how this series develops - but only if Flora and Marshall can grow up a bit!
January 3, 2017
Could have been a pretty good book. Warning possible spoilers
Good editing and some fact checking would have gone a long way toward helping the story. First of all, we have a professional mover wearing flip flops? I don't think so. Most movers wear steal toed boots and for good reason. There are workplace safety laws that absolutely require sturdy footwear. Then there is Otto, the dog, after spending a great many pages on the complications of caring for Otto, he disappears when the action starts. We hear nothing more about Otto until the end. It also was peculiar to me that a woman whose business is failing has the time to fly off without notice to snoop. It's sad that this tale didn't have more time spent on it. There's plenty of action, just needs more attention to detail.
Good editing and some fact checking would have gone a long way toward helping the story. First of all, we have a professional mover wearing flip flops? I don't think so. Most movers wear steal toed boots and for good reason. There are workplace safety laws that absolutely require sturdy footwear. Then there is Otto, the dog, after spending a great many pages on the complications of caring for Otto, he disappears when the action starts. We hear nothing more about Otto until the end. It also was peculiar to me that a woman whose business is failing has the time to fly off without notice to snoop. It's sad that this tale didn't have more time spent on it. There's plenty of action, just needs more attention to detail.
July 5, 2017
This was a fun read, but frustrating. Flora is supposed to have a degree in psychology and yet she is always picking fights and reacting to triggers that Marshall throws out to her. Flora inherited the moving business from her father. Marshall is the manager, or tries to be. They get involved in a contract with a home for the elderly. Old people start dying...as old people do? Not if they just visited their solicitor and gave all their estate to a bogus charity. Sign the will and be dead in a week...seems to be the deal. When Flora's friend Joy and her dog seem to be targeted, Flora is drawn in to solve the mystery. It's a good thing her Uncle Max has some useful info. And that Marshall, what is she going to do about that good looking hunk...I mean annoying, smarty pants manager.
March 4, 2022
This is the fun start to a new series involving Flora, who has moved home to take over the family business after her father died. The business involves moving older people from their homes to assisted living homes. Flora has inherited an assistant whom she finds extremely annoying. It doesn't take a detective to know that this love/hate relationship will continue in future books. This is the first of a cozy mystery series.Flora starts to hear about strange things happening to people who live in the home. Flora, of course, is curious and tries to find out what's happening. This is just a nice book to read. No sex, no cursing, just a pleasant British mystery.
August 26, 2025
Murder At The Maples
I liked this book! It has a few slow points, but overall, it kept me guessing! I'd think I had it all figured out, then the storyline would do a 180 & I'd have to start over again! No Spoilers, but I was correct with two of my theories! I love mysteries, & especially cozies! I love that they are clean & wholesome, the crimes/murders are left mostly to the reader's imagination. Not violent & gory! Little to no profanity. AND most especially because little animals are big characters in them! This story hit on all cylinders!
I liked this book! It has a few slow points, but overall, it kept me guessing! I'd think I had it all figured out, then the storyline would do a 180 & I'd have to start over again! No Spoilers, but I was correct with two of my theories! I love mysteries, & especially cozies! I love that they are clean & wholesome, the crimes/murders are left mostly to the reader's imagination. Not violent & gory! Little to no profanity. AND most especially because little animals are big characters in them! This story hit on all cylinders!
October 22, 2017
Murder at the Maples by Joanne Phillips is the first book in the Flora Lively Investigates mystery series.Flora inherits a moving business, Shakers and makes friends with several clients who have moved into the Maples Retirement Village, particularly Joy. She becomes concerned regarding several deaths and investigates. Flora comes across as a bit of a weak character and it seemed to take her a while to see what seemed obvious. The mystery itself was also a bit sluggish and not very believable.
April 9, 2018
Surprisingly good for an Audible bargain (the previous one was dreadful). I know the city, Shrewsbury, where it is set, and the characters are interesting and believable. Several threads to a mystery, well-resolved.
October 19, 2023
2.5 stars. Flora has inherited her family's moving/relocation business. They have a contract with the local retirement home. When mysterious happenings start occurring, Flora takes it upon herself to help figure out what is going on in order to help and protect her elderly friend.
July 11, 2017
Great read!
Entertaining mystery. Even with hundreds of books on my shelf, I had to buy the second novel in the series. I just love Flora Lively!
Entertaining mystery. Even with hundreds of books on my shelf, I had to buy the second novel in the series. I just love Flora Lively!
August 6, 2017
Twists and Turns
Murder at the Maples kept me guessing until the end with plot twists galore. The characters and story made for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon read.
Murder at the Maples kept me guessing until the end with plot twists galore. The characters and story made for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon read.
January 27, 2018
Entertaining
June 17, 2018
Interesting concept and characters. I would read another in this series if I happened to come across it, but probably wouldn't go out of my way to look for it.
February 23, 2019
Enjoyed reading it
A sweet mystery book with sweet characters and a nice who done it plot. A good read for those who love classic mysteries.
A sweet mystery book with sweet characters and a nice who done it plot. A good read for those who love classic mysteries.
January 9, 2022
fast paced!!
It was no stopping! I will read more by her!! This was definitely a great book, I hope this becomes a series?!?!
It was no stopping! I will read more by her!! This was definitely a great book, I hope this becomes a series?!?!
November 12, 2023
A cute read, bit of a slow start but did enjoy. Can see this being a fun series.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
October 29, 2013
A promising start...
When Flora Lively is left to run her father’s removals business after his sudden death, it’s not what she’d planned to do with her life. Constantly at loggerheads with her father’s manager, Marshall, who happens also to be her uncle’s step-son, and with a big new competitor moving in on the territory, this is no time for Flora to be concentrating on other things. But her friend Joy, an old lady recently widowed and now living in the Maples Retirement Village, is getting increasingly upset about odd events that are happening there and wants Flora’s help to investigate. At first Flora thinks Joy is imagining things but gradually she is forced to accept that all is not what it might seem on the surface…
This ‘cosy’ mystery is very well-written and is a promising start to a new series. Phillips gets the balance between plot and humour just about right and on the whole her characterisation is strong. I particularly enjoyed the character of Joy – although elderly and not particularly well, she’s feisty and funny and is determined to get to the root of what’s going on, and it’s refreshing to see an older person get a big role as something other than helpless victim.
Flora’s character is also very well-drawn – a kind-hearted and caring person with a lively interest in people, her interactions with Joy and the other elderly residents are believable and enjoyable. Unfortunately, though, in other ways I found her rather annoying. Aged 29, she behaves like someone a decade younger and I found myself getting progressively irritated with her ‘sexual tension’ wrangling with Marshall, especially since as two single adults there was absolutely no reason for them not to get together if they wanted. I felt we’d all have been a lot happier if they would just get on and get it over with (a point made repeatedly by their employees, though perhaps more tactfully). I was also a little disappointed that she was so rubbish at running the business and yet wouldn’t stand aside and let Marshall do his job. However these are small niggles and first books in series often have these kinds of issues because so much character development has to be packed in all at once.
The plot is complex enough to keep the reader’s attention throughout, with a nice twist or two towards the end. Overall, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable read which will certainly encourage me to stick with the series and see how it develops. Recommended.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When Flora Lively is left to run her father’s removals business after his sudden death, it’s not what she’d planned to do with her life. Constantly at loggerheads with her father’s manager, Marshall, who happens also to be her uncle’s step-son, and with a big new competitor moving in on the territory, this is no time for Flora to be concentrating on other things. But her friend Joy, an old lady recently widowed and now living in the Maples Retirement Village, is getting increasingly upset about odd events that are happening there and wants Flora’s help to investigate. At first Flora thinks Joy is imagining things but gradually she is forced to accept that all is not what it might seem on the surface…
This ‘cosy’ mystery is very well-written and is a promising start to a new series. Phillips gets the balance between plot and humour just about right and on the whole her characterisation is strong. I particularly enjoyed the character of Joy – although elderly and not particularly well, she’s feisty and funny and is determined to get to the root of what’s going on, and it’s refreshing to see an older person get a big role as something other than helpless victim.
Flora’s character is also very well-drawn – a kind-hearted and caring person with a lively interest in people, her interactions with Joy and the other elderly residents are believable and enjoyable. Unfortunately, though, in other ways I found her rather annoying. Aged 29, she behaves like someone a decade younger and I found myself getting progressively irritated with her ‘sexual tension’ wrangling with Marshall, especially since as two single adults there was absolutely no reason for them not to get together if they wanted. I felt we’d all have been a lot happier if they would just get on and get it over with (a point made repeatedly by their employees, though perhaps more tactfully). I was also a little disappointed that she was so rubbish at running the business and yet wouldn’t stand aside and let Marshall do his job. However these are small niggles and first books in series often have these kinds of issues because so much character development has to be packed in all at once.
The plot is complex enough to keep the reader’s attention throughout, with a nice twist or two towards the end. Overall, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable read which will certainly encourage me to stick with the series and see how it develops. Recommended.
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November 23, 2023
This one was very fun to read! I would try more from this author.
October 29, 2013
I knew I was going to love this book for many reasons - I enjoyed the previous books by Joanne Phillips, I live where the story is set, and I have a naturally inquisitive mind like Flora :D. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed when I reached the end, because all loose ends were nicely tied up or left hanging for a further in-depth exploration, and I'm happy to say, there was an announcement of a second book in the series 'coming soon'. Excellent.
The book is advertised as a 'cosy mystery', but there are plenty of themes other than the mystery which get touched on. Age is a key theme throughout, as 'The Maples' is a retirement village. But older adults are not patronised, they are treated with respect by the main character, and rightly so. In a society where being too young gets frowned upon and too old gets pity, it is refreshing to read a book where the real world is represented but also respected. Another topic entrenched in the heart of the book is childhood bullying. I think everyone can relate to school bullying in some shape or form, therefore everyone can understand the pain and suffering it causes. In the story however, Joanne Phillips takes it a step further and shows the dire consequences of this behaviour if it is left to linger and grow for sixty years, without being accepted.
Seriousness aside, there were times I heard myself laughing out-loud (which happens rarely) and I could just imagine being in some of the ridiculous situations Flora is in. I imagine it would be hilarious as a TV series - apart from the murder of course. But whatever Flora gets up to, we know she has the kindest heart and is only ever looking out for other people, even if it does mean postponing her own dream and carrying on her fathers' business. I for one, like kind characters. Shows me there are actually people who care, in a world where selfishness is rife - regardless or not of whether the character is real. But behind every character is a writer ;)
So, overall, I really enjoyed this little read. I can't wait for the next installment. I'd recommend to anyone who is curious about things not being quite as they seem, but do not want to read about graphic details. The plot is not so much trained on the deaths but of the puzzle and intricate weaving of stories surrounding them. One mystery leads into another mystery, and all is revealed in the last few chapters...
The book is advertised as a 'cosy mystery', but there are plenty of themes other than the mystery which get touched on. Age is a key theme throughout, as 'The Maples' is a retirement village. But older adults are not patronised, they are treated with respect by the main character, and rightly so. In a society where being too young gets frowned upon and too old gets pity, it is refreshing to read a book where the real world is represented but also respected. Another topic entrenched in the heart of the book is childhood bullying. I think everyone can relate to school bullying in some shape or form, therefore everyone can understand the pain and suffering it causes. In the story however, Joanne Phillips takes it a step further and shows the dire consequences of this behaviour if it is left to linger and grow for sixty years, without being accepted.
Seriousness aside, there were times I heard myself laughing out-loud (which happens rarely) and I could just imagine being in some of the ridiculous situations Flora is in. I imagine it would be hilarious as a TV series - apart from the murder of course. But whatever Flora gets up to, we know she has the kindest heart and is only ever looking out for other people, even if it does mean postponing her own dream and carrying on her fathers' business. I for one, like kind characters. Shows me there are actually people who care, in a world where selfishness is rife - regardless or not of whether the character is real. But behind every character is a writer ;)
So, overall, I really enjoyed this little read. I can't wait for the next installment. I'd recommend to anyone who is curious about things not being quite as they seem, but do not want to read about graphic details. The plot is not so much trained on the deaths but of the puzzle and intricate weaving of stories surrounding them. One mystery leads into another mystery, and all is revealed in the last few chapters...
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