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Smart Woman's Mystery #2
Den smarta kvinnans överlevnadsguide
En obebodd skotsk ö. Tio strandsatta främlingar. En mördare på fri fot. Tillsammans med sin något dysfunktionella familj åker Ursula Smart till Yttre Hebriderna för en mysig helg. Men innan de ens hunnit iland kapsejsar båten. Uppspolade på en öde ö måste resekamraterna tampas med svält och kyla, utan vare sig mobiltäckning eller andra nödvändigheter. Det som skulle bli en härlig semester förvandlas snabbt till en kamp för att överleva. Och snart börjar en efter en att dö. Kommer sällskapet lyckas fly, eller står någon av dem näst på tur?
Med sin ljuvligt mörka humor och sitt sätt att skriva ohämmad spänning får Dowd Den smarta kvinnans överlevnadsguide att likna en Agatha Christie-deckare.
Med sin ljuvligt mörka humor och sitt sätt att skriva ohämmad spänning får Dowd Den smarta kvinnans överlevnadsguide att likna en Agatha Christie-deckare.
344 pages, Hardcover
Published October 26, 2023
121 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Dowd
19 books82 followersVictoria is a crime writer and her first novel, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Murder, won The People’s Book Prize 2020/2021. It was also In Search of the Classic Mystery’s book of the year 2020. It’s the first in the Smart Woman’s mystery series. The second is Body on the Island and the third, The Supper Club Murders is out on 16th September. They are a dark comedy take on the classic whodunnit.
She is also an award winning writer of short fiction, having won the Gothic Fiction prize for short fiction by Go Gothic. She was the runner up in The New Writer’s writer of the year award and her work has been short listed and Highly commended by Writers’ Forum magazine. She was also long-listed for The Willesden Herald International Short Story Competition. She has had short stories published in various literary and arts journals such as BTS Literary and Arts Annual, Gold Dust magazine and Dream Catcher. She has spoken at various literary festivals, most recently in Bath, and at various schools and book groups. Her historical fiction, The Painter of Siena, was published in 2016.
After studying law at Cambridge University, she was a criminal law barrister for many years, but finally hung up the wig in favour of more fictional crimes.
She is also an award winning writer of short fiction, having won the Gothic Fiction prize for short fiction by Go Gothic. She was the runner up in The New Writer’s writer of the year award and her work has been short listed and Highly commended by Writers’ Forum magazine. She was also long-listed for The Willesden Herald International Short Story Competition. She has had short stories published in various literary and arts journals such as BTS Literary and Arts Annual, Gold Dust magazine and Dream Catcher. She has spoken at various literary festivals, most recently in Bath, and at various schools and book groups. Her historical fiction, The Painter of Siena, was published in 2016.
After studying law at Cambridge University, she was a criminal law barrister for many years, but finally hung up the wig in favour of more fictional crimes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
February 27, 2021
Ursula Smart is back with her mother, aunt, and a few other familiar faces after surviving a book club retreat gone wrong in The Smart Woman’s Guide To Murder.
“People died in a variety of gruesome ways. Book club stopped after that...Perhaps ours ended in a more dramatic fashion than most but you’d be surprised the tales people now tell me about their book clubs.”
The slaughter house left many for dead, and now Ursula has nightmares. She decides survival skills are just what she, her mother, and aunt need, and signs them up for a lovely weekend of foraging and camping in the forest...and learning how to survive. Unfortunately, others members of the ex-book club are taking the trip as well.
What’s even more unfortunate is that the boat they are on capsizes. They end up on a desolate island with no food, no WI-FI, and bodies dropping like flies.
I enjoyed the first book in the series (solid 3 stars, maybe 3.5). While it wasn’t groundbreaking, it had some biting dialogue, laughs, and some nice “locked-room” vibes.
There are things I enjoyed about this one too. The biting dialogue is still present, and the setup is very intriguing. However, I started losing interest in the second half as things became complicated (maybe convoluted). The new characters were odd and not too enjoyable, but they were necessary to add to the body count and suspect list.
By the time all was revealed, I was over it.
And yet, I’m glad to have read this. I needed something amusing and on the lighter side to reset my reading batteries. While I’m not sure I will continue the series, I can appreciate the subtle entertainment it provides. I also chuckled at a few nuggets like this one:
“Mother...doesn’t like surprises, not since Dad bought her a Segway for her fiftieth instead of a Steinway. She doesn’t play the piano but an interior designer friend had said they were that season’s must-have photo shelf. Mother doesn’t have any photos either and didn’t warm to my suggestion that she could maybe take a few shots while she was touring around on her Segway.”
2.5 stars. Available now.
TW: Poor rabbit. 😢 You can skip Kindle location 849 (14%) without missing anything...although there are a few brief references to this scene.
Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
“People died in a variety of gruesome ways. Book club stopped after that...Perhaps ours ended in a more dramatic fashion than most but you’d be surprised the tales people now tell me about their book clubs.”
The slaughter house left many for dead, and now Ursula has nightmares. She decides survival skills are just what she, her mother, and aunt need, and signs them up for a lovely weekend of foraging and camping in the forest...and learning how to survive. Unfortunately, others members of the ex-book club are taking the trip as well.
What’s even more unfortunate is that the boat they are on capsizes. They end up on a desolate island with no food, no WI-FI, and bodies dropping like flies.
I enjoyed the first book in the series (solid 3 stars, maybe 3.5). While it wasn’t groundbreaking, it had some biting dialogue, laughs, and some nice “locked-room” vibes.
There are things I enjoyed about this one too. The biting dialogue is still present, and the setup is very intriguing. However, I started losing interest in the second half as things became complicated (maybe convoluted). The new characters were odd and not too enjoyable, but they were necessary to add to the body count and suspect list.
By the time all was revealed, I was over it.
And yet, I’m glad to have read this. I needed something amusing and on the lighter side to reset my reading batteries. While I’m not sure I will continue the series, I can appreciate the subtle entertainment it provides. I also chuckled at a few nuggets like this one:
“Mother...doesn’t like surprises, not since Dad bought her a Segway for her fiftieth instead of a Steinway. She doesn’t play the piano but an interior designer friend had said they were that season’s must-have photo shelf. Mother doesn’t have any photos either and didn’t warm to my suggestion that she could maybe take a few shots while she was touring around on her Segway.”
2.5 stars. Available now.
TW: Poor rabbit. 😢 You can skip Kindle location 849 (14%) without missing anything...although there are a few brief references to this scene.
Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
March 8, 2021
I'm torn between two and three stars. This is the second in this series and while I enjoyed parts, I was also rather tired of some of Ursula's quirks. Like seriously, I stopped caring about the green eyes she kept seeing (it turns out to be important to the solution but the repetition of it was too much), along with her dearly departed father fixation (which I was really over in the first book), whatever is going on with those possibly supernatural visions and hints or whatever and even her acerbic wit wore thin.
The mystery itself was fine enough even if it did feel a bit lost and weighed down under all the other stuff (the group dynamics, Ursula being herself and the "there be ghosts!" segues). I did like that the description of the island and environs was well done. Very atmospheric. The murderer and their motive was well done and tied together well. And I'll even give that Ursula and Pandora reached a sort of pax as a welcome development.
I don't know if I'll jump into another trek with the Smart women plus Mirabelle, Bridget and the dog. Charlotte remains my favourite but she's not enough to do all this lifting.
The mystery itself was fine enough even if it did feel a bit lost and weighed down under all the other stuff (the group dynamics, Ursula being herself and the "there be ghosts!" segues). I did like that the description of the island and environs was well done. Very atmospheric. The murderer and their motive was well done and tied together well. And I'll even give that Ursula and Pandora reached a sort of pax as a welcome development.
I don't know if I'll jump into another trek with the Smart women plus Mirabelle, Bridget and the dog. Charlotte remains my favourite but she's not enough to do all this lifting.
February 27, 2021
"Lies can find a way through the smallest of cracks and when they do, they take root."
Body on the Island is a deliciously witty and gruesome whodunnit which will entertain and engross you to no end. From the beginning to the end i couldn't stop chuckling and biting my nails at the same time.
They are called the Slaughter House five, but they have dubbed themselves the Smart Women.
Now they have signed up for a survival course in the Outer Hebrides to better their survival skills.
What could possibly go wrong?
On their way to their destination their boat capsizes and they find themselves on an abandoned island.
An island of the faeries and witches. An island more for the ghosts than the living.
In the middle of which there is a deserted house, an old burying ground and a dilapidated Chapel.
"There be monsters here."
Then the bodies start piling up.
Thanks to the author, Joffe Books and the NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book.
Body on the Island is a deliciously witty and gruesome whodunnit which will entertain and engross you to no end. From the beginning to the end i couldn't stop chuckling and biting my nails at the same time.
They are called the Slaughter House five, but they have dubbed themselves the Smart Women.
Now they have signed up for a survival course in the Outer Hebrides to better their survival skills.
What could possibly go wrong?
On their way to their destination their boat capsizes and they find themselves on an abandoned island.
An island of the faeries and witches. An island more for the ghosts than the living.
In the middle of which there is a deserted house, an old burying ground and a dilapidated Chapel.
"There be monsters here."
Then the bodies start piling up.
Thanks to the author, Joffe Books and the NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book.
May 6, 2021
The Smart Women (or as the press has christened them 'The Slaughterhouse Five') are back again. It's been a year since their bloody and deadly book club retreat episode and to avoid/tackle any future deadly encounters, Ursula Smart signs up the family to a survival course in the Outer Hebrides to better hone their survival skills. However, the boat they are travelling in with a few other new faces, capsizes due to a storm and they find themselves boat wrecked on a gloomy and abandoned island, but not before Ursula witnessing the murder of one of the passengers who is forcefully drowned by another person while the passengers are trying to survive the choppy waters. But this murder is just the beginning and before any hope to be rescued is fulfilled, more bodies start piling up.
I actually enjoyed this second installment more than the first book since it was more easy to follow... I did struggle a bit with the first book. Also, like in the first book the dark and witty humour is very much present. The Smart Women continue to be snarky/bitchy towards each other and it's a wonder that these ladies require any survival skills at all considering they have so far managed to survive each other's company without drawing blood.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Joffe Books and the author Victoria Dowd for the e-Arc of the book.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨💫
I actually enjoyed this second installment more than the first book since it was more easy to follow... I did struggle a bit with the first book. Also, like in the first book the dark and witty humour is very much present. The Smart Women continue to be snarky/bitchy towards each other and it's a wonder that these ladies require any survival skills at all considering they have so far managed to survive each other's company without drawing blood.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Joffe Books and the author Victoria Dowd for the e-Arc of the book.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨💫
February 16, 2021
Ursula Smart (not her real name) signs herself up for a survival course - along with her mother, aunts Charlotte, Mirabelle and Bridget. But the promised gentle weekend of foraing and camping in the Outer Hebrides swiftly turns into a desperate battle for survival.
What a cozy murder mystery this book is. I didn't realise that this is the second book in the series but it does read well as a standalone. Wheb their bost capsizes, Ursula and her family find themselves on a deserted island with no wifi signal. There were five other people with them. Then, one of them is murdered. There's some humor along with murder in this book that reads like an Agatha Christie novel. It's descriptively written and easy to follow.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #VictoriaDowd for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a cozy murder mystery this book is. I didn't realise that this is the second book in the series but it does read well as a standalone. Wheb their bost capsizes, Ursula and her family find themselves on a deserted island with no wifi signal. There were five other people with them. Then, one of them is murdered. There's some humor along with murder in this book that reads like an Agatha Christie novel. It's descriptively written and easy to follow.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #VictoriaDowd for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2021
Body on the Island is the second instalment in the Smart Woman’s Mystery series, set in the Outer Hebrides, a remote and stunning island group off the west coast of Scotland. Chapter one begins with Ursula Smart, her mother, Pandora, two aunts — Charlotte and Mirabelle and Pandora’s friend Bridget Gutteridge and her dog Mr Bojingles in a precarious position. They are each trying to stay alive and fight to keep their heads above water as they float in the ocean trying not to let the current pull them under. Suddenly Ursula hears bloodcurdling screams coming from her travelling companions and sees a green eyed woman being manhandled by someone who has their hands on her shoulders. The hands reach her head and green eyes disappears beneath the icy water. She struggles. Gasping. Wriggling. Breaking free. Before she's pushed under the surface once more. This was the first murder but it would be far from the last. We are then taken back to twenty-four days before the shipwreck when the ladies are just getting over their experience surviving Ambergris Towers, or as the press liked to call it the Slaughter House, that occurred last year in which four people were murdered. Ursula then decides that what the group really need to be ready for any upcoming horrors is a survival course. We then move to twenty-four hours before the shipwreck when they have embarked on the journey towards the camp.
They arrive on the Isle of Harris and stop at Stornoway Airport for a meal before continuing onwards to Leverburgh. When they locate the conference they are given a pep talk by Ross Kemp’s doppelganger but once they're shipwrecked all of this advice will go out of the window and it's every woman for herself. Can they survive this Tartan Horror story set against the backdrop of the exquisite, isolated and often unforgiving Hebridean archipelago? This is a compulsive and richly-atmospheric cosy mystery with more grit and depth than most of the genre, which right off the bat had me captivated. There is a dark, sardonic humour and banter throughout, especially between Ursula and her cantankerous mother, and they are constantly snarky and sniping at one another, which is certainly a unique feature of the story. Although it moves at a fairly slow-burn pace and is padded with quite a bit of adjunct I found that it was worth persevering. There are twists, turns and red herrings aplenty and you never quite know where danger may be lurking. The atmosphere is one that was impossible to resist with an intense claustrophobia taking over when the group are seemingly trapped on an island with a murderous madman. I loved the clever conclusion as it wrapped things up superbly and was totally unexpected. All in all, a richly-described, humorous and suspenseful thriller.
They arrive on the Isle of Harris and stop at Stornoway Airport for a meal before continuing onwards to Leverburgh. When they locate the conference they are given a pep talk by Ross Kemp’s doppelganger but once they're shipwrecked all of this advice will go out of the window and it's every woman for herself. Can they survive this Tartan Horror story set against the backdrop of the exquisite, isolated and often unforgiving Hebridean archipelago? This is a compulsive and richly-atmospheric cosy mystery with more grit and depth than most of the genre, which right off the bat had me captivated. There is a dark, sardonic humour and banter throughout, especially between Ursula and her cantankerous mother, and they are constantly snarky and sniping at one another, which is certainly a unique feature of the story. Although it moves at a fairly slow-burn pace and is padded with quite a bit of adjunct I found that it was worth persevering. There are twists, turns and red herrings aplenty and you never quite know where danger may be lurking. The atmosphere is one that was impossible to resist with an intense claustrophobia taking over when the group are seemingly trapped on an island with a murderous madman. I loved the clever conclusion as it wrapped things up superbly and was totally unexpected. All in all, a richly-described, humorous and suspenseful thriller.
February 23, 2021
After a harrowing experience (Book 1 - THE SMART WOMAN'S GUIDE TO MURDER), Ursula decides that she, her mother, two aunts and a dog should enroll in a survival course. Supposedly it's a weekend of camping, foraging for food, learning what to carry with you, what tools will help, etc.
Well, it doesn't exactly go the way they were expecting.
They wind up on the wrong boat with an alcohol-impaired skipper. The boat capsizes .. thank goodness they can all swim (sort of). Washed up on an uninhabited island, the women and a few of those who were on the boat with them, face starvation and frostbite.
Than the murders begin .. one by one someone is killing the survivors.
Murder is usually not funny, but I admit I laughed and chuckled through most of this book. The Smart family is one of the funniest I've ever had the pleasure of being introduced to. In turn they are funny, sarcastic, taunting, insulting ... but always with love. The plot is well-written, lots of action, and a page-turning experience you don't want to miss. The conclusion was a bit of a surprise.
Although second in the series, it is easily read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading them in order. I look forward to see what's in the future for this Smart family.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this darkly comic murder mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Well, it doesn't exactly go the way they were expecting.
They wind up on the wrong boat with an alcohol-impaired skipper. The boat capsizes .. thank goodness they can all swim (sort of). Washed up on an uninhabited island, the women and a few of those who were on the boat with them, face starvation and frostbite.
Than the murders begin .. one by one someone is killing the survivors.
Murder is usually not funny, but I admit I laughed and chuckled through most of this book. The Smart family is one of the funniest I've ever had the pleasure of being introduced to. In turn they are funny, sarcastic, taunting, insulting ... but always with love. The plot is well-written, lots of action, and a page-turning experience you don't want to miss. The conclusion was a bit of a surprise.
Although second in the series, it is easily read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading them in order. I look forward to see what's in the future for this Smart family.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this darkly comic murder mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
March 14, 2021
ARC provided by NetGalley for Honest Review
2.5 Stars
Unfortunately this book did not work for me. In fact it muddled my brain and the choppy writing kept me confused from the start. I don’t think this has to do with me not reading book one either, the book and I just did not get along. The heroine/narrator’s thoughts are all over the place and her and her family rather than going to a survival course needed badly to go to therapy. Honestly I found them all pretty annoying and their constant squabbling only made me dislike them more. The solving of the crime was also the cheesiest part of the book since they literally go down the list and blame everyone until of course they finally come to the last possible choice. 🤦🏽♀️ And even then the climax was kind blah. I mean it had nothing to even do with the heroine and her family which makes me think they just have the worst kinds of luck having just survived being in a murder house from book one. Really it was the authors writing style that kept me so disconnected from the book. It was extremely hard to focus when the narrator was constantly changing topics and more. Did have some old school cozy mystery vibes so I’m sure some will enjoy this, sadly I did not.
2.5 Stars
Unfortunately this book did not work for me. In fact it muddled my brain and the choppy writing kept me confused from the start. I don’t think this has to do with me not reading book one either, the book and I just did not get along. The heroine/narrator’s thoughts are all over the place and her and her family rather than going to a survival course needed badly to go to therapy. Honestly I found them all pretty annoying and their constant squabbling only made me dislike them more. The solving of the crime was also the cheesiest part of the book since they literally go down the list and blame everyone until of course they finally come to the last possible choice. 🤦🏽♀️ And even then the climax was kind blah. I mean it had nothing to even do with the heroine and her family which makes me think they just have the worst kinds of luck having just survived being in a murder house from book one. Really it was the authors writing style that kept me so disconnected from the book. It was extremely hard to focus when the narrator was constantly changing topics and more. Did have some old school cozy mystery vibes so I’m sure some will enjoy this, sadly I did not.
March 21, 2021
Actually 2.5 stars
The writing (sentence structure, word choices, phrasing) is generally very good, however, the plot is disjointed and jumpy, and it seems like the author put more thought into making the characters sound clever than actually being clever. The "Smart" women seem to be misnamed, because none of them are terribly smart in this novel. Also, for a murder mystery they murders themselves are barely described and almost seem to be afterthoughts. While I think this writer has potential, this book doesn't come close to living up to it.
The writing (sentence structure, word choices, phrasing) is generally very good, however, the plot is disjointed and jumpy, and it seems like the author put more thought into making the characters sound clever than actually being clever. The "Smart" women seem to be misnamed, because none of them are terribly smart in this novel. Also, for a murder mystery they murders themselves are barely described and almost seem to be afterthoughts. While I think this writer has potential, this book doesn't come close to living up to it.
May 11, 2025
You might think that I have now experienced my full quotient of dramatic horror. My dad died thirteen years ago and then there was the whole business of the Slaughter House last year. But people who live through disaster somehow seem to attract even more tragedy, as if fate has found a new lightning rod. Calamity and chaos seem to gravitate towards certain individuals. I decided we should be ready for it next time.
And that is why I signed us all up for a survival course.
A year has passed from the events of "A Smart Woman's Guide To Murder" and Ursula Smart decides she's done being a victim. So, to make sure her family has the survival skills needed, should they ever end up in a closed space with a murderer on the loose again, she signs her family - herself, her Mother and Aunt Charlotte - up for a survival course. When Mother Pandora resolutely declines to attend without her bestie (and Ursula's godmother) Mirabelle, Ursula reluctantly agrees to include her. The trip is gate-crashed again, the interloper this time being Bridget, last of the Slaughterhouse Five, as they have been christened by the press, who gets the details of the trip because Aunt Charlotte is still putting things into the group chat of the now defunct Book Club, and her new dog, Mr Bojingles (Mr Bojangles having dearly departed off screen).
There are another two women and four men signed up for the course, and they all take take the introduction course together on the first day on the trip. Next day, they are meant to sail out to one of the deserted islands where the group would have to rely on the survival skills they learned for a week. It's only when they are already far from the shore, with a storm drawing up, that our ladies discover they just might have boarded the wrong boat, as half of the people on their course are absent. They have been mistakenly picked up instead of participants of another, more extreme survivalists' course and are now travelling with Spear (the group leader), Captain Bottlenose (the drunk of a captain of their boat, The Terror), Nell (Spear's wife and the group's foraging expert), Jess and Ryan (a v-logger-couple whose great idea of an engagement trip is a survival course), Angel (who runs a botanica) and Nate (the boat boy).
The boat does turn around to take them back, but it's too late. The storm has grown too strong, and the boat capsizes. And that's when, while trying to stay alive in the high waves, Ursula sees someone make sure one of the green-eyed ladies of their group does not make it alive to any shore, shoving her head under water.
And so begins the annual murder trip (hey, it's already the second one!) for the ex-members of Book Club, stranded in an isolated location (shipwrecked on a deserted island this time around), cut off from civilisation, with dead bodies piling up around them.
I have to say, even though no-one in Ursula's little group was happy to discover Bridget (and her ever-present four-legged companion) had decided this had to be a Book Club trip, which she, of course, had to attend, I, for one, was glad to have her back in the cast. She was, after all, the one to actually solve the case last book.
The ladies are as snarky as ever. Mirabelle still seems to hold a grudge on Ursula for even existing. Aunt Charlotte is still unable to recognize any reference to literature or movie trivia (and there are a lot of those flying around). Bridget seems to have a newfound hatred for the whole family, probably because of her perceived abandonment by them after the experiences from their last trip together (I honestly do wonder whether anyone thought to inform her of the dissolution of Book Club). Pandora is switching between hovering over Ursula like a helicopter parent and ignoring her existence. And Ursula has developed a habit of seeing her father's ghost from the corner of her eye.
Still, they need to pull themselves together and cooperate if they want to survive another murderous holiday.
And that is why I signed us all up for a survival course.
A year has passed from the events of "A Smart Woman's Guide To Murder" and Ursula Smart decides she's done being a victim. So, to make sure her family has the survival skills needed, should they ever end up in a closed space with a murderer on the loose again, she signs her family - herself, her Mother and Aunt Charlotte - up for a survival course. When Mother Pandora resolutely declines to attend without her bestie (and Ursula's godmother) Mirabelle, Ursula reluctantly agrees to include her. The trip is gate-crashed again, the interloper this time being Bridget, last of the Slaughterhouse Five, as they have been christened by the press, who gets the details of the trip because Aunt Charlotte is still putting things into the group chat of the now defunct Book Club, and her new dog, Mr Bojingles (Mr Bojangles having dearly departed off screen).
There are another two women and four men signed up for the course, and they all take take the introduction course together on the first day on the trip. Next day, they are meant to sail out to one of the deserted islands where the group would have to rely on the survival skills they learned for a week. It's only when they are already far from the shore, with a storm drawing up, that our ladies discover they just might have boarded the wrong boat, as half of the people on their course are absent. They have been mistakenly picked up instead of participants of another, more extreme survivalists' course and are now travelling with Spear (the group leader), Captain Bottlenose (the drunk of a captain of their boat, The Terror), Nell (Spear's wife and the group's foraging expert), Jess and Ryan (a v-logger-couple whose great idea of an engagement trip is a survival course), Angel (who runs a botanica) and Nate (the boat boy).
The boat does turn around to take them back, but it's too late. The storm has grown too strong, and the boat capsizes. And that's when, while trying to stay alive in the high waves, Ursula sees someone make sure one of the green-eyed ladies of their group does not make it alive to any shore, shoving her head under water.
And so begins the annual murder trip (hey, it's already the second one!) for the ex-members of Book Club, stranded in an isolated location (shipwrecked on a deserted island this time around), cut off from civilisation, with dead bodies piling up around them.
I have to say, even though no-one in Ursula's little group was happy to discover Bridget (and her ever-present four-legged companion) had decided this had to be a Book Club trip, which she, of course, had to attend, I, for one, was glad to have her back in the cast. She was, after all, the one to actually solve the case last book.
The ladies are as snarky as ever. Mirabelle still seems to hold a grudge on Ursula for even existing. Aunt Charlotte is still unable to recognize any reference to literature or movie trivia (and there are a lot of those flying around). Bridget seems to have a newfound hatred for the whole family, probably because of her perceived abandonment by them after the experiences from their last trip together (I honestly do wonder whether anyone thought to inform her of the dissolution of Book Club). Pandora is switching between hovering over Ursula like a helicopter parent and ignoring her existence. And Ursula has developed a habit of seeing her father's ghost from the corner of her eye.
Still, they need to pull themselves together and cooperate if they want to survive another murderous holiday.
July 23, 2025
En överraskande spännande och rolig deckare. Mörk och skruvad på ett riktigt bra sätt, med helt outhärdliga karaktärer och galna plottwists.
March 5, 2021
I really enjoyed Victoria's book. Read it in a couple of sittings. It was a fun, light read that had me chuckling a few times. The Smart women and their little entourage are endearing characters. The plot is delightfully improbable and beautifully tongue-in-cheek.
February 26, 2021
In a greatly over-crowded genre, Victoria Dowd's talent shines like the brightest star in the night sky. Filled with the tropes of a century's worth of great crime novels, Victoria has still permeated every page with a sparkling originality.
If you thought the Addams family were a bit strange, wait till you meet the Smart women. The dark humour is delivered with aplomb.
An outstanding novel, right up there with the very best of anything by Agatha Christie.
If you thought the Addams family were a bit strange, wait till you meet the Smart women. The dark humour is delivered with aplomb.
An outstanding novel, right up there with the very best of anything by Agatha Christie.
February 26, 2021
Ever since I had the pleasure of reading book one, The Smart Woman’s Guide To Murder, I have been looking forward to meeting this fabulous family of quirky characters again and I most certainly was not disappointed!! After their terrible ordeal in the aptly nicknamed Slaughter House, Ursula decides they need to toughen up a bit and so she books a family survival course on an island in the Hebrides. The trip is arranged for Ursula and her mother, snippy snobby Pandora, (pseudo-names we understand) together with Ursula's wonderfully confused and vague Aunt Charlotte, and Mirabelle, Mother's large best friend who clings to Mother like a limpet and staunchly defends her against everyone, Ursula in particular. At least the book club has been disbanded (after all, there were five deaths last time they met) so thank goodness they won’t have to put up with the highly irritating Bridget and her yappy dog Mr Bojangles this time. What they don’t realise is that, very soon, they will find themselves shipwrecked and most of the group will not survive! The party lands at Stornoway on Lewis and they travel onto the Isle of Harris. It all looks a bit bleak outside as the bus takes them onto their final destination which looks even bleaker. Much to their dismay, they find Bridget and dog waiting for them, determined not to be left out. This will definitely be a survival course in more ways than one!! The first day is bad enough, culminating with the demise of Mr Flopsy, and the following morning they board the boat taking them to their new home for the next week. Together with the captain and cabin boy, and instructors Spear and Nell, also on board are a couple of vloggers, Ryan and Jess, and a strange young man called Angel. Not a great omen, considering what happened to the last Angels this little group encountered! There’s a storm brewing too. The boat capsizes and the survivors are washed up on an uninhabited island. Not everyone makes it and the body count starts to grow as they are murdered one by one. It’s up to the Smart women to find the killer in this marvellous take on a locked room murder mystery, reminiscent of the wonderful Agatha Christie books of yesteryear.
There is oodles of superb wit and deliciously dark humour throughout this book, in fact I’m still thinking about Sir Nigel Havers’ plums! The characters are all somewhat larger than life, giving it a great feel of comedy and I would love to see these books being brought to life on television, such were the fantastic descriptions of the people in it. The scene is set and the main players introduced before the plot commences and the killings begin, and the reader is gently led through a cleverly written trail of clues and red herrings to a super and satisfying conclusion. This is an excellent modern twist on the old classic style and I sincerely hope there are many more to enjoy! 5*
There is oodles of superb wit and deliciously dark humour throughout this book, in fact I’m still thinking about Sir Nigel Havers’ plums! The characters are all somewhat larger than life, giving it a great feel of comedy and I would love to see these books being brought to life on television, such were the fantastic descriptions of the people in it. The scene is set and the main players introduced before the plot commences and the killings begin, and the reader is gently led through a cleverly written trail of clues and red herrings to a super and satisfying conclusion. This is an excellent modern twist on the old classic style and I sincerely hope there are many more to enjoy! 5*
May 2, 2021
I had not read the first of the series, and I think it is a requirement for understanding the dynamics of this motley crowd. We start off with the leading lady trying to convince her mother to go on a survival trip. The proposal did not seem appetizing to me as the reader as well! Ursula wants to bond with her mother, and given the sampling of their relationship I had in the first few pages was enough for me to know that this was a completely wrong idea. Little did they know it was going to go wrong even further. ( we know since the prologue indicates it).
The banter is not light nor cheery. Most of the characters are in each other's bad books, and this means they snipe at each other using intelligently thought out remarks which are not favourable from any angle. It was entertaining in parts, but I got tired of all the ill-will and was straining for a semblance of familial sympathy. There were short instances of this as well, but not as many as I would have liked. The plot brought up my feelings towards the book again. We have a marooned party, and the people seemed to be dying out one by one.
The reasoning for it all seemed a little far-fetched, but as I did not see the twist coming, it worked. The writing was different and well-done and given a chance, I might pick up the next one. The hints definitely made me curious about the first in the series!
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers; the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
The banter is not light nor cheery. Most of the characters are in each other's bad books, and this means they snipe at each other using intelligently thought out remarks which are not favourable from any angle. It was entertaining in parts, but I got tired of all the ill-will and was straining for a semblance of familial sympathy. There were short instances of this as well, but not as many as I would have liked. The plot brought up my feelings towards the book again. We have a marooned party, and the people seemed to be dying out one by one.
The reasoning for it all seemed a little far-fetched, but as I did not see the twist coming, it worked. The writing was different and well-done and given a chance, I might pick up the next one. The hints definitely made me curious about the first in the series!
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers; the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
March 8, 2021
"I'm sure there are low points in everyone's survival journey. All the handbooks I'd read (one) had been at pains to point that out. But I don't know if they'd envisaged a shipwreck on a deserted island with a defunct book club and a random killer on the loose."
This one felt easier to read than the first, although the mystery was a little more confusing and hard to untangle. I did like the family and their quibbling and spats a little more. I loved the murderous dog more this time, as he seemed to be available to lap up anything that was red!
I found the complete turn around on the stance of the dad surprising. I liked the possible surprise at the end and the hint that there might be something more there. I thought the mom was a little nicer and mellow this go round and I did chuckle a few times. I'll look for book 3, I'm sure, and keep reading this series, just to see where it goes from here!
This one felt easier to read than the first, although the mystery was a little more confusing and hard to untangle. I did like the family and their quibbling and spats a little more. I loved the murderous dog more this time, as he seemed to be available to lap up anything that was red!
I found the complete turn around on the stance of the dad surprising. I liked the possible surprise at the end and the hint that there might be something more there. I thought the mom was a little nicer and mellow this go round and I did chuckle a few times. I'll look for book 3, I'm sure, and keep reading this series, just to see where it goes from here!
March 19, 2021
This took me much longer than it should have to finish, but in my defense, it just wasn't that great.
I get that there is a history with these women (the more I read, the more I remembered reading the first one last year), but the constant snarkiness got old. At first, I thought it was pretty funny because, you know, we were establishing the characters/relationships for new readers or returning readers, but it dragged out. They don't get along. We get it.
But then the killer wasn't all that great either. I mean, he came out of nowhere after they suspected every single person. And honestly, I get why he felt bitter, but come on. It just felt so contrived and unrealistic. I get that this is fiction and she was going for spectacular, but this just fell flat for me.
I get that there is a history with these women (the more I read, the more I remembered reading the first one last year), but the constant snarkiness got old. At first, I thought it was pretty funny because, you know, we were establishing the characters/relationships for new readers or returning readers, but it dragged out. They don't get along. We get it.
But then the killer wasn't all that great either. I mean, he came out of nowhere after they suspected every single person. And honestly, I get why he felt bitter, but come on. It just felt so contrived and unrealistic. I get that this is fiction and she was going for spectacular, but this just fell flat for me.
September 24, 2021
*This review is based on the audiobook.*
This book is a really fun read, just like the first in the series. I think the first remains my favourite but I still thoroughly enjoyed this. It was really atmospheric throughout, almost as if instead of lying in my warm bed I was stuck on the death island. Characters as ever were just sublime, Aunt Charlotte gets funnier and funnier (please don't ever kill her off), and when Bridget and the dog appeared I just lost it. God help anyone that knows these ladies as they won't be long for this world, although I would love to be in their wee group. Really good twist that I hadn't seen coming and I'm really looking forward to continuing on with the series. I'm not really a series kind of reader but this is my all time favourite book series.
This book is a really fun read, just like the first in the series. I think the first remains my favourite but I still thoroughly enjoyed this. It was really atmospheric throughout, almost as if instead of lying in my warm bed I was stuck on the death island. Characters as ever were just sublime, Aunt Charlotte gets funnier and funnier (please don't ever kill her off), and when Bridget and the dog appeared I just lost it. God help anyone that knows these ladies as they won't be long for this world, although I would love to be in their wee group. Really good twist that I hadn't seen coming and I'm really looking forward to continuing on with the series. I'm not really a series kind of reader but this is my all time favourite book series.
February 24, 2021
After what happened in the Slaughter House where four ended up dead Ursula is determined her family will not be caught short again - it's time for survival training! Her family are not impressed with their latest adventure and even less so when things go from bad to worse!
This was just brilliant! I loved A Smart Woman's Guide to Murder so when I discovered our ladies were back with another adventure I couldn't wait to get started! Set in the picturesque, yet freezing cold, Scottish Highlands it is difficult not to be there with them - especially when the group remind me of my own family!! The comedy of the characters is like nothing else I've read - I literally had tears streaming down my face with laughter! With tales of mermaids, witches and ghosts mentioned throughout I did get a little bit nervous reading this in the dark! But it's okay, it's not any ghost or siren - it's just cold blooded murder!
So if you enjoy a main character prone to fainting, an auntie who is as dotty as the day is long, a mother who thinks she's in Dante's missing circle of Hell and a dog with a hilarious name then you need to get Body on the Island!
This was just brilliant! I loved A Smart Woman's Guide to Murder so when I discovered our ladies were back with another adventure I couldn't wait to get started! Set in the picturesque, yet freezing cold, Scottish Highlands it is difficult not to be there with them - especially when the group remind me of my own family!! The comedy of the characters is like nothing else I've read - I literally had tears streaming down my face with laughter! With tales of mermaids, witches and ghosts mentioned throughout I did get a little bit nervous reading this in the dark! But it's okay, it's not any ghost or siren - it's just cold blooded murder!
So if you enjoy a main character prone to fainting, an auntie who is as dotty as the day is long, a mother who thinks she's in Dante's missing circle of Hell and a dog with a hilarious name then you need to get Body on the Island!
February 17, 2021
Highly recommended! A great read!
The smart women gang are together again the gang includes Ursula, her mother Pandora, aunt Charlotte, Mirabelle and Bridget and her dog Mr Bojingles . They are enrolled on a survival course in the Hebrides.. What could go wrong?
I love Victoria Dowd’s style of writing , she is descriptive, funny and shows some acerbic wit. It makes the book enjoyable and a joy to read and the chapters flow by .
The characters have a great dynamic if not a dysfunctional one , this only adds extra interest to the plot . I would class this book in the cozy mystery genre with a hint of darker themes.
A thoroughly enjoyable read , I can’t wait for the next in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe books for this arc copy
The smart women gang are together again the gang includes Ursula, her mother Pandora, aunt Charlotte, Mirabelle and Bridget and her dog Mr Bojingles . They are enrolled on a survival course in the Hebrides.. What could go wrong?
I love Victoria Dowd’s style of writing , she is descriptive, funny and shows some acerbic wit. It makes the book enjoyable and a joy to read and the chapters flow by .
The characters have a great dynamic if not a dysfunctional one , this only adds extra interest to the plot . I would class this book in the cozy mystery genre with a hint of darker themes.
A thoroughly enjoyable read , I can’t wait for the next in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe books for this arc copy
February 17, 2021
BODY ON THE ISLAND jettisons directly into a horrifying, heart-breaking, tragic accident. In the midst of this is a small glimpse of a more purposeful action. Is this a nightmare or a portent of things to come. If only there were warnings of all the harrowing experiences in store. Perhaps the perilous, chilling, terrifying chain of events could have been avoided. Disturbing, unnerving, bewildering mysteries are extraordinary and mesmerizing. Spine-tingling, sinister, suspense and astounding, unpredictable page flying action is staggering and nerve-wracking, concluding with a dynamite unfathomable finish and stunning revelation.
February 15, 2021
The second in the Smart Women Mystery, Ursula Smart her mother Pandora and Two aunts Mirabelle and Charlotte away on a survival course camping trip at leverburgh. Ursula is going to pay for this break that can only mean one word disaster, her mother is not at all keen on the idea, so what has she let them all in for.
Hilariously and witty start to this book that just continues as you read on.
Shipwrecked on the deserted island Orlon, with three dead bodies one possibly poisoning this island is for ghosts not for the living.
Its a brilliant read full of humour and survival, and I enjoyed every moment.
Hilariously and witty start to this book that just continues as you read on.
Shipwrecked on the deserted island Orlon, with three dead bodies one possibly poisoning this island is for ghosts not for the living.
Its a brilliant read full of humour and survival, and I enjoyed every moment.
February 11, 2021
This is a very good, tense murder mystery - that made me laugh out loud. The Smart women are sailing forth again. Set in the Hebrides with lots of atmosphere - and a shipwreck. Not as many murders as last time - but enough to keep you interested.
Loved it. In fact I read it in one sitting.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.
Loved it. In fact I read it in one sitting.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.
March 18, 2021
For my full review click on the link below:
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https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
March 10, 2021
Victoria Dowd’s Smart Women are back with another gripping mystery that is a modern-day homage to the Agatha Christie classic And Then There Were None: Body on the Island.
Ursula Smart isn’t sure that it was such a good idea to spend the weekend with her dysfunctional family in the Outer Hebrides camping and foraging. Ursula’s family aren’t close at the best of times and spending two whole days in one another’s company with no possibility of escaping isn’t exactly instilling confidence in the Smart clan. But it’s too late to back out now so the Smart women head off to Scotland and hope that the picturesque beauty of the Outer Hebrides will keep them from bickering and snapping at each other. However, when the boat capsizes, it looks like they have bigger fish to fry than petty disagreements and long-held resentments. Will the Smart women make it out of Scotland alive? Or have they just inadvertently found themselves tangled up in a dangerous game of survival where the stakes have never been higher…or more deadly?
Finding themselves stranded on an uninhabited island, the Smart women find themselves dealing with starvation, plummeting temperatures and -worse! – no Wi-Fi to distract them from their hopeless predicament! Just when things couldn’t possibly get any worse for them, a dangerous murderer begins wreaking havoc and starts killing the island’s inhabitants one by one. Who is next? Will the Smart women manage to outwit and outsmart a twisted killer and make it back to civilization? Or is it already far too late?
A darkly comic mystery that will delight fans of Golden Age and modern crime fiction alike, Victoria Dowd’s Body on the Island is a snarky, witty, sinister and captivating thriller that will have readers laughing out loud and trembling under the duvet at the same time. Victoria Dowd perfectly balances humour and comedy with tension and suspense in a brilliantly paced and highly enjoyable thriller that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Smart Woman’s Mystery series!
Ursula Smart isn’t sure that it was such a good idea to spend the weekend with her dysfunctional family in the Outer Hebrides camping and foraging. Ursula’s family aren’t close at the best of times and spending two whole days in one another’s company with no possibility of escaping isn’t exactly instilling confidence in the Smart clan. But it’s too late to back out now so the Smart women head off to Scotland and hope that the picturesque beauty of the Outer Hebrides will keep them from bickering and snapping at each other. However, when the boat capsizes, it looks like they have bigger fish to fry than petty disagreements and long-held resentments. Will the Smart women make it out of Scotland alive? Or have they just inadvertently found themselves tangled up in a dangerous game of survival where the stakes have never been higher…or more deadly?
Finding themselves stranded on an uninhabited island, the Smart women find themselves dealing with starvation, plummeting temperatures and -worse! – no Wi-Fi to distract them from their hopeless predicament! Just when things couldn’t possibly get any worse for them, a dangerous murderer begins wreaking havoc and starts killing the island’s inhabitants one by one. Who is next? Will the Smart women manage to outwit and outsmart a twisted killer and make it back to civilization? Or is it already far too late?
A darkly comic mystery that will delight fans of Golden Age and modern crime fiction alike, Victoria Dowd’s Body on the Island is a snarky, witty, sinister and captivating thriller that will have readers laughing out loud and trembling under the duvet at the same time. Victoria Dowd perfectly balances humour and comedy with tension and suspense in a brilliantly paced and highly enjoyable thriller that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Smart Woman’s Mystery series!
December 26, 2021
I didn't particularly like the first book in this series but I had already borrowed the second and third from Kindle Unlimited and the premise for the third had looked interesting on NetGalley so I went ahead and started the second book. I still wasn't impressed but read the last chapter (sorry to the people that hate this but it's what caused me to not DNF this book.) Like the first book (which I don't think you have to have read but I would highly recommend it even though I didn't enjoy it) this is told from the perspective of the narrator who has fictionalized names in order to keep people protected. This time, our narrator Ursula Smart has signed up herself, and her aunt and mother for a survival course. Of course, her mother's friend Mirabelle ends up coming along as does Bridget who no one had talked to since the events of the last book but who reads about it on a group chat.
There is still a lot of quibbling and fighting among the group but we actually learn some things in this book that were only danced around and alluded to in the last book. Other characters are annoyed by the fighting and it actually causes them to get onto the wrong boat in the morning. But no one realizes it until they are already out at sea with a storm raging around them. And then the boat goes under and Ursula witnesses a murder. There are two others who don't make it to the nearby island alive and everyone else are left with no food and very little shelter. But then the body count starts piling up...
There is still a lot of quibbling and fighting among the group but we actually learn some things in this book that were only danced around and alluded to in the last book. Other characters are annoyed by the fighting and it actually causes them to get onto the wrong boat in the morning. But no one realizes it until they are already out at sea with a storm raging around them. And then the boat goes under and Ursula witnesses a murder. There are two others who don't make it to the nearby island alive and everyone else are left with no food and very little shelter. But then the body count starts piling up...
February 28, 2021
I read, reviewed and really enjoyed the first book in the ‘Smart Woman’s Mystery’ series, which was called ‘The Smart Woman’s Guide To Murder’. When I heard that Victoria was due to release a second book in the series I knew that I just had to read it as soon as I could. Well ladies and gents, the wait is over as ‘Body On The Island’ was released on 23rd February 2021. It is another corker of a read, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading but more about that in a bit.
It’s no word of a lie when I say that I became addicted to this story from the moment I clapped eyes on the synopsis. As soon as I started to read that was it- I knew that I would find it extremely difficult to put the book to one side. I think part of the attraction of the book was the fact that the characters were a wacky bunch. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I didn’t want to miss a second of the story. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly the pages were turning. All too soon, I reached the end of the story and I had to say farewell to the crazy bunch.
‘Body On The Island’ is extremely well written. Victoria certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into the story. I particularly liked the fact that Victoria combines the drama with some pretty dark humour, which I found refreshing. I found that I kept chuckling away to myself practically all the way through the book. Reading ‘Body On The Island’ was like being on an unpredictable rollercoaster ride with a fair few twists and turns along the way. I found ‘Body On The Island’ to be a thoroughly enjoyable read, which kept my attention throughout and it certainly kept me guessing.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Body On The Island’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Victoria’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
It’s no word of a lie when I say that I became addicted to this story from the moment I clapped eyes on the synopsis. As soon as I started to read that was it- I knew that I would find it extremely difficult to put the book to one side. I think part of the attraction of the book was the fact that the characters were a wacky bunch. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I didn’t want to miss a second of the story. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly the pages were turning. All too soon, I reached the end of the story and I had to say farewell to the crazy bunch.
‘Body On The Island’ is extremely well written. Victoria certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into the story. I particularly liked the fact that Victoria combines the drama with some pretty dark humour, which I found refreshing. I found that I kept chuckling away to myself practically all the way through the book. Reading ‘Body On The Island’ was like being on an unpredictable rollercoaster ride with a fair few twists and turns along the way. I found ‘Body On The Island’ to be a thoroughly enjoyable read, which kept my attention throughout and it certainly kept me guessing.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Body On The Island’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Victoria’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
March 13, 2021
Synopsis:
Ursula Smart is determined to make some life changes. She signs up herself, her mother, and her aunts Charlotte, Mirabelle and Bridget for a survival course. This is not her family’s idea of a vacation but they humour her. She’s promised a calm weekend of camping in the Outer Hebrides, which quickly descends into a battle for her life. The boat that her and her family are in capsizes, and they wash up on an uninhabited island. Bodies start to pile up as someone is killing them one by one. Will Ursula escape, or will she be next?
My review:
Victoria Dowd has composed a thrilling, classic “whodunit” story reminiscent of Agatha Christie, but with a modern, fun touch. When I first started this novel, I thought that, based on the first chapter, that it would be slow. However, after that first chapter, I was instantly catapulted into the drama and could NOT put it down. I’m usually pretty good at figuring out, well, who did it, when reading a mystery/thriller, but this one threw me for a loop! I wasn’t even close. This book really was a breath of fresh air – exactly what I needed. I will definitely be picking up more of Ms. Dowd’s works.
Thank you to Net Galley, Victoria Dowd, and Joffe Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.
Ursula Smart is determined to make some life changes. She signs up herself, her mother, and her aunts Charlotte, Mirabelle and Bridget for a survival course. This is not her family’s idea of a vacation but they humour her. She’s promised a calm weekend of camping in the Outer Hebrides, which quickly descends into a battle for her life. The boat that her and her family are in capsizes, and they wash up on an uninhabited island. Bodies start to pile up as someone is killing them one by one. Will Ursula escape, or will she be next?
My review:
Victoria Dowd has composed a thrilling, classic “whodunit” story reminiscent of Agatha Christie, but with a modern, fun touch. When I first started this novel, I thought that, based on the first chapter, that it would be slow. However, after that first chapter, I was instantly catapulted into the drama and could NOT put it down. I’m usually pretty good at figuring out, well, who did it, when reading a mystery/thriller, but this one threw me for a loop! I wasn’t even close. This book really was a breath of fresh air – exactly what I needed. I will definitely be picking up more of Ms. Dowd’s works.
Thank you to Net Galley, Victoria Dowd, and Joffe Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.
March 21, 2021
I can't believe I missed this as a pre-release ARC, as I loved the first one in this series, so am very glad I managed to still get my hands on it.
This definitely felt darker than the original, despite that also being a locked room murder. All the themes and symbols are still there, starker than the original if that's possible: storms, discomfort, fear = familial relationships, secrets, personal demons, etc., all put together in a group of disparate people stuck on a remote Hebridean island with a murderer: no phones, no food, no way off, three dead bodies...
The dark humour is there, as is Aunt Charlotte, who is brilliantly obtuse and the more brightly-humourous character of the group. When they finally make it back to the mainland, Pandora & Ursula sit down for a serious and long-overdue conversation about her father, leaving another potential mystery to unravel in the future.
Thanks to stupid o'clock wakeups, I finished this reasonably quickly and will pay closer attention so that I don't miss No 3. This is a terrific series and has beautifully hidden clues throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.
This definitely felt darker than the original, despite that also being a locked room murder. All the themes and symbols are still there, starker than the original if that's possible: storms, discomfort, fear = familial relationships, secrets, personal demons, etc., all put together in a group of disparate people stuck on a remote Hebridean island with a murderer: no phones, no food, no way off, three dead bodies...
The dark humour is there, as is Aunt Charlotte, who is brilliantly obtuse and the more brightly-humourous character of the group. When they finally make it back to the mainland, Pandora & Ursula sit down for a serious and long-overdue conversation about her father, leaving another potential mystery to unravel in the future.
Thanks to stupid o'clock wakeups, I finished this reasonably quickly and will pay closer attention so that I don't miss No 3. This is a terrific series and has beautifully hidden clues throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are strictly my own.
March 16, 2021
Ursula Smart and her dysfunctional family are shipwrecked while taking part in a survival course in the Outer Hebrides. They end up on a tiny uninhabited island with crew members and other passengers. Then people start dying in suspicious circumstances.
Described as a gripping murder mystery packed with twists and a touch of dark humour, it certainly delivers on all counts. I found myself laughing out loud at some points, especially at Ursula's asides about her mother; and at others I was shivering at the creepiness of it all. There were plenty of twists in the plot, and I didn't see the ending coming, although all the clues were there. And the description of the setting was wonderful - and obviously well-researched.
My only slight criticism would be that the Smart Women and their friends are such an unpleasant bunch, I wouldn't want to spend time with them - even without the fact that murder seems to follow them around. But a classic murder mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie. An enjoyable read.
Described as a gripping murder mystery packed with twists and a touch of dark humour, it certainly delivers on all counts. I found myself laughing out loud at some points, especially at Ursula's asides about her mother; and at others I was shivering at the creepiness of it all. There were plenty of twists in the plot, and I didn't see the ending coming, although all the clues were there. And the description of the setting was wonderful - and obviously well-researched.
My only slight criticism would be that the Smart Women and their friends are such an unpleasant bunch, I wouldn't want to spend time with them - even without the fact that murder seems to follow them around. But a classic murder mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie. An enjoyable read.
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