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Isle of Man #2
Aunt Bessie Believes
Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey Teare is just about the most disagreeable woman she's ever had the misfortune to meet.
Elizabeth Cubbon, (Aunt Bessie to nearly everyone), is somewhere past sixty, and old enough to ignore the rude woman that does her best to ruin the first session of the beginning Manx language class they are both taking. Moirrey's sudden death is harder to ignore.
Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey's death was the result of the heart condition that Moirrey always complained about.
The police investigation, however, suggests that someone switched some of the dead woman's essential medications for something far more deadly.
Aunt Bessie believes that she and her friends can find the killer.
But with Doona suspended from work and spending all of her time with the dead woman's long-lost brother, Hugh caught up in a brand new romance and Inspector Rockwell chasing after a man that might not even exist, Bessie finds herself believing that someone might just get away with murder.
Elizabeth Cubbon, (Aunt Bessie to nearly everyone), is somewhere past sixty, and old enough to ignore the rude woman that does her best to ruin the first session of the beginning Manx language class they are both taking. Moirrey's sudden death is harder to ignore.
Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey's death was the result of the heart condition that Moirrey always complained about.
The police investigation, however, suggests that someone switched some of the dead woman's essential medications for something far more deadly.
Aunt Bessie believes that she and her friends can find the killer.
But with Doona suspended from work and spending all of her time with the dead woman's long-lost brother, Hugh caught up in a brand new romance and Inspector Rockwell chasing after a man that might not even exist, Bessie finds herself believing that someone might just get away with murder.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2014
590 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Diana Xarissa
226 books262 followersDiana started self-publishing in 2013 and over a decade later she now has over a hundred books available for readers. Writing remains her passion and she has no plans to stop writing in the foreseeable future.
Diana grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and earned a history degree from Allegheny College. She met her husband, an Englishman, while living and working in Washington, DC. Following their marriage, she moved to Derbyshire. A short while later, the happy couple moved to the Isle of Man.
During their years on the island, Diana and her husband welcomed two children, and Diana completed a master’s degree in the history of the island. In 2008, the family made the decision to move to the US. Now empty-nesters, Diana and her husband are living in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, and contemplating moving somewhere that doesn’t get snow.
Diana also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future as Diana X. Dunn and Young Adult fiction as D.X. Dunn.
Diana grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and earned a history degree from Allegheny College. She met her husband, an Englishman, while living and working in Washington, DC. Following their marriage, she moved to Derbyshire. A short while later, the happy couple moved to the Isle of Man.
During their years on the island, Diana and her husband welcomed two children, and Diana completed a master’s degree in the history of the island. In 2008, the family made the decision to move to the US. Now empty-nesters, Diana and her husband are living in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, and contemplating moving somewhere that doesn’t get snow.
Diana also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future as Diana X. Dunn and Young Adult fiction as D.X. Dunn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
April 6, 2019
Aunt Bessie is a comfortable, friendly kind of person who should by rights also be a butterball judging by the quantity and calorific content of the food she eats. I lost count of the pizzas, puddings and cakes she and her friends so happily consumed. As for healthy food I think I remember one apple although I am sure there were lots more in the form of pies eaten with lashings of custard.
Food apart there was an interesting mystery and a murder or two plus a couple of attempts at same. Bessie's best friend Doona was off with a new man to the island and Bessie had to get by with just Hugh and the Inspector to solve the crime. They make a great team.
It is all nicely written and was a pleasant way of passing a few hours. If you like Miss Marple then you will like this too.
Food apart there was an interesting mystery and a murder or two plus a couple of attempts at same. Bessie's best friend Doona was off with a new man to the island and Bessie had to get by with just Hugh and the Inspector to solve the crime. They make a great team.
It is all nicely written and was a pleasant way of passing a few hours. If you like Miss Marple then you will like this too.
March 14, 2018
EXCERPT: Bessie never minded not having children of her own. Instead she had happily taken on the role of honorary maiden aunt to just about every child in Laxey. Once those children reached school age, parents could count on every one of them running away to 'Aunt Bessie's' at least once in a while. Bessie usually had biscuits, frequently had cake and usually had a sympathetic ear for children who felt misunderstood or under-appreciated at home.
In all her years of opening her door to the neighborhood children, there had only ever been one child that she had ever asked to leave. Disagreeable and difficult even as a teen, Moirrey Teare had never forgiven Bessie for the slight, a fact that bothered Bessie not even the tiniest bit.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey Teare is just about the most disagreeable woman she's ever had the misfortune to meet.
Elizabeth Cubbon, (Aunt Bessie to nearly everyone), is somewhere past sixty, and old enough to ignore the rude woman that does her best to ruin the first session of the beginning Manx language class they are both taking. Moirrey's sudden death is harder to ignore.
Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey's death was the result of the heart condition that Moirrey always complained about.
The police investigation, however, suggests that someone switched some of the dead woman's essential medications for something far more deadly.
Aunt Bessie believes that she and her friends can find the killer.
But with Doona suspended from work and spending all of her time with the dead woman's long-lost brother, Hugh caught up in a brand new romance and Inspector Rockwell chasing after a man that might not even exist, Bessie finds herself believing that someone might just get away with murder.
MY THOUGHTS: I discovered Aunt Bessie last year when I needed an author whose surname began with an X for an Author's Alphabet Challenge. I purchased Aunt Bessie Assumes, and enjoyed it so much that I went straight on to read the second book in the series, Aunt Bessie Believes.
I love the characters of Aunt Bessie and Doona. They are good friends who spend a great deal of time together, but still live their separate lives. They have an insatiable curiosity, great senses of humour and a wonderful appreciation of food. Plus they ascribe to my belief that chocolate makes everything better!
I had the solution to this mystery figured out early on, but only because I thought 'If I was the author, who would I make guilty and how?' I was not always convinced that I was right. . .
3.5 stars. This was actually a 4-star read, but I deducted 0.5 of a star for a technical error. I will be reading more of this delightful series suitable for fans of M. C. Beaton and Christie's Miss Marple.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com. https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
In all her years of opening her door to the neighborhood children, there had only ever been one child that she had ever asked to leave. Disagreeable and difficult even as a teen, Moirrey Teare had never forgiven Bessie for the slight, a fact that bothered Bessie not even the tiniest bit.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey Teare is just about the most disagreeable woman she's ever had the misfortune to meet.
Elizabeth Cubbon, (Aunt Bessie to nearly everyone), is somewhere past sixty, and old enough to ignore the rude woman that does her best to ruin the first session of the beginning Manx language class they are both taking. Moirrey's sudden death is harder to ignore.
Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey's death was the result of the heart condition that Moirrey always complained about.
The police investigation, however, suggests that someone switched some of the dead woman's essential medications for something far more deadly.
Aunt Bessie believes that she and her friends can find the killer.
But with Doona suspended from work and spending all of her time with the dead woman's long-lost brother, Hugh caught up in a brand new romance and Inspector Rockwell chasing after a man that might not even exist, Bessie finds herself believing that someone might just get away with murder.
MY THOUGHTS: I discovered Aunt Bessie last year when I needed an author whose surname began with an X for an Author's Alphabet Challenge. I purchased Aunt Bessie Assumes, and enjoyed it so much that I went straight on to read the second book in the series, Aunt Bessie Believes.
I love the characters of Aunt Bessie and Doona. They are good friends who spend a great deal of time together, but still live their separate lives. They have an insatiable curiosity, great senses of humour and a wonderful appreciation of food. Plus they ascribe to my belief that chocolate makes everything better!
I had the solution to this mystery figured out early on, but only because I thought 'If I was the author, who would I make guilty and how?' I was not always convinced that I was right. . .
3.5 stars. This was actually a 4-star read, but I deducted 0.5 of a star for a technical error. I will be reading more of this delightful series suitable for fans of M. C. Beaton and Christie's Miss Marple.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com. https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
February 25, 2025
Aunt Bessie was shocked to hear Moirrey Teare was dead, but figured, along with everyone else, that she died of heart failure. But when it was discovered her medications had been switched and she was murdered, Aunt Bessie was determined to discover who the killer was. When Moirrey's brother Andrew arrived on the island, after having been away since he was a teenager, they decided it was a shame he'd missed seeing his sister before she died. Aunt Bessie's friend Doona soon became friendly with Andrew, but Bessie was concerned, as Doona had recently come out of a nasty divorce. Would Bessie discover who murdered Moirrey? Not many people liked her, but that didn't mean they would murder...
Aunt Bessie Believes is the 2nd in the Isle of Man series by Diana Xarissa and I really enjoyed it. Aunt Bessie is a wise and compassionate character, with a caring nature; she was also very smart. And her recipes were to die for!! I'm looking forward to #3 sometime in the not too distant future. Recommended.
Aunt Bessie Believes is the 2nd in the Isle of Man series by Diana Xarissa and I really enjoyed it. Aunt Bessie is a wise and compassionate character, with a caring nature; she was also very smart. And her recipes were to die for!! I'm looking forward to #3 sometime in the not too distant future. Recommended.
November 12, 2014
The clever, no-nonsense but big-hearted spinster Elizabeth Cubbon — called Aunt Bessie by virtually everyone on the Isle of Man — returns in the second installment of this interesting cozy series. In this novel, the elderly Aunt Bessie and her 40-something friend, police clerk Doona Moore, take a beginner’s class on the Manx language (along with Irish and Scottish, another Gaelic language) alongside the exceedingly sharp-tongued and carping Moirrey Teare. A hypochondriac and hypercritical woman, the disagreeable Moirrey gets so many hackles up that, when she’s, predictably, a murder victim, there is no end of suspects.
Moirrey was overly demanding, overly selfish, and overly pushy, but no one kills someone over being disagreeable — especially on the idyllic Isle of Man. And what of her estranged brother Andrew, who left to go to boarding school and didn’t return for 25 years, until just after his sister’s death — about which he claimed to be ignorant until his arrival? Handsome and debonair, Andrew puts off Aunt Bessie, but he proves terribly attractive to Doona. How does Andrew fit into the puzzle?
Having spent nearly her entire life on the Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland, Aunt Bessie uses both her noggin and her connections to virtually everyone on the Isle of Man to track down the killer. Even though I guessed the killer about halfway through, I had such fun with Aunt Bessie — an all-too-human character who can be curmudgeonly and opinionated — that I didn’t care.
Aunt Bessie mysteries provide a breezy read for times when what you need is a cuppa and a good book to soothe what ails you. I’m already looking forward to No. 3 in the series, Aunt Bessie Considers.
Moirrey was overly demanding, overly selfish, and overly pushy, but no one kills someone over being disagreeable — especially on the idyllic Isle of Man. And what of her estranged brother Andrew, who left to go to boarding school and didn’t return for 25 years, until just after his sister’s death — about which he claimed to be ignorant until his arrival? Handsome and debonair, Andrew puts off Aunt Bessie, but he proves terribly attractive to Doona. How does Andrew fit into the puzzle?
Having spent nearly her entire life on the Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland, Aunt Bessie uses both her noggin and her connections to virtually everyone on the Isle of Man to track down the killer. Even though I guessed the killer about halfway through, I had such fun with Aunt Bessie — an all-too-human character who can be curmudgeonly and opinionated — that I didn’t care.
Aunt Bessie mysteries provide a breezy read for times when what you need is a cuppa and a good book to soothe what ails you. I’m already looking forward to No. 3 in the series, Aunt Bessie Considers.
February 10, 2019
I said I would return to Aunt Bessie and her tea and shortbread, and so I have. Perhaps it was a family member health crisis and visit to hospital, perhaps it was my own cabin fever due to extended bad weather, but I welcomed a cozy with no mental challenges. Manx language and setting also appeal. I will do another one soon, I'm sure. I do prefer to get my Manx fix from Inspector Littlejohn and his visits to Isle of Man as written by Bellairs....but I believe I have read all of those.
May 20, 2019
An enjoyable cozy that kept me guessing. One of the suspects is so obvious that it took me awhile to figure things out. Fun little story and clean!
August 23, 2024
Another cute little cozy Aunt Bessie mystery. How I wish my friend Betsie was still alive so I could introduce her to them. They are sweet and charming.
August 20, 2019
3.5⭐️
MUCH better than the first installment.
Aunt Bessie feels much more real.
The cast of characters around her is coming to life.
And the plot was twisty enough to give you glimpses of what was to come, without fully revealing itself.
If you’re looking for a cozy mystery series to try, I can now recommend this one 🙂
MUCH better than the first installment.
Aunt Bessie feels much more real.
The cast of characters around her is coming to life.
And the plot was twisty enough to give you glimpses of what was to come, without fully revealing itself.
If you’re looking for a cozy mystery series to try, I can now recommend this one 🙂
April 12, 2021
Well, 2.5 stars. I don't really like the mysteries. It doesn't seem like Aunt Bessie solved much at all - there were a few things that were pretty obvious and if she'd figured them out, you could still have the tense moments with the killer at the end. The killer was also a complete failure - because man why.
Despite all this I like Bessie, and I like that she's nosy and she's the age that can just say I'm nosy so let me pry. I haven't warmed up to anyone else just yet but Bessie is enough to keep me going a couple more books at least.
Despite all this I like Bessie, and I like that she's nosy and she's the age that can just say I'm nosy so let me pry. I haven't warmed up to anyone else just yet but Bessie is enough to keep me going a couple more books at least.
April 11, 2017
Living, as I do, only a few miles from the centre of the action, and having worked for many years in the very heart of Laxey, I do love these books. Even though there are tiny things that make me pause for a couple of seconds (the hospital at the time, was exactly where Diana Xarissa says, however it didn't have a visitors' cafe - but the newer hospital has so in my mind's eye I just moved it!! And I'm not sure there is actually a taxi rank in Ramsey :) ). But how well she has captured the island that this is the only sort of tiny detail that is not perfect.
They are, indeed, cosy mysteries -although not that cosy; people do die. But as in the first book, or possibly even better, the mystery is definitely there and very well crafted. I had a feeling I knew who would turn out to be the 'mystery figure', but even so I had him in collusion with the wrong other person, and missed one of the twists completely even though the clues were there.
They are, indeed, cosy mysteries -although not that cosy; people do die. But as in the first book, or possibly even better, the mystery is definitely there and very well crafted. I had a feeling I knew who would turn out to be the 'mystery figure', but even so I had him in collusion with the wrong other person, and missed one of the twists completely even though the clues were there.
March 28, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I get tired of one certain feature of cozy mysteries and to my surprise this book didn’t have it. Instead there was another thing which held interest and evoked sympathy without making me think “not again!”
I like the characters in the two Aunt Bessie books I’ve read and also like learning a bit about the Isle of Man and Manx culture.
I like the characters in the two Aunt Bessie books I’ve read and also like learning a bit about the Isle of Man and Manx culture.
November 30, 2017
Cute, quick read, even if a tad predictable. There were a few surprising revelations at the end. I beginning to really like Aunt Bessie.
February 20, 2019
"Why didn't you go out and get a job?" -Aunt Bessie
"You know what? The thought never even occurred to me!"
"I'm just a con man who never learned to make an honest living" -The Killer
"You know what? The thought never even occurred to me!"
"I'm just a con man who never learned to make an honest living" -The Killer
November 23, 2024
Aunt Bessie does it again!
Aunt Bessie gets involved with another murder - she works with Inspector Rockwell to catch the killer before it’s too late!
Aunt Bessie gets involved with another murder - she works with Inspector Rockwell to catch the killer before it’s too late!
August 9, 2016
Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey Teare is just about the most disagreeable woman she's ever had the misfortune to meet. Elizabeth Cubbon, (Aunt Bessie to nearly everyone), is somewhere past sixty, and old enough to ignore the rude woman that does her best to ruin the first session of the beginning Manx language class they are both taking. Moirrey's sudden death is harder to ignore. Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey's death was the result of the heart condition that Moirrey always complained about. The police investigation, however, suggests that someone switched some of the dead woman's essential medications for something far more deadly.
This is the second Isle of Man mystery I have read; and I continue to find them clean, easy to read cozies much in the vein of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple books. I love the small town feel of the Isle of Man and how the young people turn to Aunt Bessie for a good listening ear when they are on the outs with their parents. She talks to them straight, lets the parents know where they are at if they wish to spend the night with her, and heads them in the right direction which most of the time is right back home where they belong. She's treasured by the entire community and has an astute, sharp mind as well as a good instincts for reading people. I will definitely be reading more of this quaint series that gives the reader a taste of the lifestyle and speech of the Isle of Man.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "Perhaps she was sorry for a life that could have been lived joyously, but was instead suffered miserably."
"People who are miserable in their own company are never good company for other people, either."
"Parents are so busy doing the job of raising their children that they don't usually have time to listen to them as well."
This is the second Isle of Man mystery I have read; and I continue to find them clean, easy to read cozies much in the vein of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple books. I love the small town feel of the Isle of Man and how the young people turn to Aunt Bessie for a good listening ear when they are on the outs with their parents. She talks to them straight, lets the parents know where they are at if they wish to spend the night with her, and heads them in the right direction which most of the time is right back home where they belong. She's treasured by the entire community and has an astute, sharp mind as well as a good instincts for reading people. I will definitely be reading more of this quaint series that gives the reader a taste of the lifestyle and speech of the Isle of Man.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "Perhaps she was sorry for a life that could have been lived joyously, but was instead suffered miserably."
"People who are miserable in their own company are never good company for other people, either."
"Parents are so busy doing the job of raising their children that they don't usually have time to listen to them as well."
April 21, 2015
I am back on the Isle of Man.
Another good cozy mystery with Aunt Bessie. This time the person murdered is someone who lives on the Island a and is taking a language class with Doona and Bessie
The story is funny at times and keeps you guessing who dun it til the end. I am looking forward to the other Aunt Bessie books I have to read
Another good cozy mystery with Aunt Bessie. This time the person murdered is someone who lives on the Island a and is taking a language class with Doona and Bessie
The story is funny at times and keeps you guessing who dun it til the end. I am looking forward to the other Aunt Bessie books I have to read
July 15, 2015
Great read
I love Aunt Bessie. I love her cozy cottage on the beach where she can take lovely walks. And her collection of friends are such fear, interesting people. Also I like the way the plot of this book moved along with new unexpected events that keep coming up unexpectedly.
I love Aunt Bessie. I love her cozy cottage on the beach where she can take lovely walks. And her collection of friends are such fear, interesting people. Also I like the way the plot of this book moved along with new unexpected events that keep coming up unexpectedly.
September 27, 2015
Captivating read
I really like Aunt Bessie, good old fashioned common sense and very real in personality. I even know some women just like her. I'm related to a person like the murdered woman. I really appreciated the facet of Aunt Bessie that deals with the young people. Reflect real life for me, which made her even easier to get into. Fun to read and I enjoyed it tremendously.
I really like Aunt Bessie, good old fashioned common sense and very real in personality. I even know some women just like her. I'm related to a person like the murdered woman. I really appreciated the facet of Aunt Bessie that deals with the young people. Reflect real life for me, which made her even easier to get into. Fun to read and I enjoyed it tremendously.
July 3, 2015
Quite Enjoyable
I choose this rating because I was glad. That the author kept the series going but also kept it interesting. I enjoyed reading the book while I was reading it and when I had to put it down I gladly anticipated picking it up again.
I choose this rating because I was glad. That the author kept the series going but also kept it interesting. I enjoyed reading the book while I was reading it and when I had to put it down I gladly anticipated picking it up again.
October 4, 2015
Wonderful qstory heartwarming, the social get togethers with food was really nice.
It was an excellent mystery and all around story. I enjoyed all the characters in the story. The setting was enjoyable.
It was an excellent mystery and all around story. I enjoyed all the characters in the story. The setting was enjoyable.
July 31, 2016
A delightful "Jane Marple" esque story !
What a delightful story ! Such a good mystery. Very similar to Agatha Christie's Jane Marple. Excellent characters and location. Really like this person "Aunt Bessie". I can hardly wait to read the next book I have in the series !!!!!
What a delightful story ! Such a good mystery. Very similar to Agatha Christie's Jane Marple. Excellent characters and location. Really like this person "Aunt Bessie". I can hardly wait to read the next book I have in the series !!!!!
December 17, 2014
Again enjoyed this Aunt Bessie cozy mystery. She and her group solve mysteries while going about life each day.
September 5, 2015
I love this series of books! Can't wait to read "Aunt Bessie Considers".
February 23, 2015
Love these entertaining mysteries set on the Isle of Man.
March 21, 2015
An easy read.
April 21, 2015
Enjoyable
I loved the Isle of Man and reading this reminded me of it easy to read kept me guessing till the end recommend to anyone who wants a simple read
I loved the Isle of Man and reading this reminded me of it easy to read kept me guessing till the end recommend to anyone who wants a simple read
September 27, 2015
A fun fast read
A light, fun mystery with quirky characters, just my style for today. I enjoyed the local language and historical references.
A light, fun mystery with quirky characters, just my style for today. I enjoyed the local language and historical references.
October 11, 2015
Cute story
Interesting characters and a good story line. I Enjoyed this easy read. I would read another book by this author.
Interesting characters and a good story line. I Enjoyed this easy read. I would read another book by this author.
October 18, 2015
A cozy mystery set on The Isle of Man. Great characters that I'd like to read about again.
July 22, 2021
Aunt Bessie Believes is the second book in the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Series. There is a whole alphabet of these mysteries featuring Bessie Cubbon, an older lady who lives in the village of Laxey on the Isle of Man. Known as ‘Aunt Bessie’ because of her willingness to lend an ear to any of the town’s children who feel unfairly treated by their parents, Bessie is a mystery fan, and well connected to the town’s grapevine.
Bessie and her friend, Doona, the receptionist at the local constabulary, are taking the class in beginning Manx that they promised themselves at the end of the previous book, Aunt Bessie Assumes, they would take. But their first class is spoiled by an obnoxious classmate, Moirrey Teare.
By the next day, Moirrey is dead.
Almost immediately, Moirrey’s long-lost brother turns up. Everybody assumes that he is now the heir to her family’s fortune. But is it really her brother? Aunt Bessie is suspicious.
There are other potential candidates for the murderer – former servants Moirrey was turning out of their cottages on her estate, a mysterious possible boyfriend nobody else knew about, a lawyer who may have been cheating Moirrey. So, can Aunt Bessie and the police discover the real murderer before the wrong person gets convicted of the crime?
Bessie and her friend, Doona, the receptionist at the local constabulary, are taking the class in beginning Manx that they promised themselves at the end of the previous book, Aunt Bessie Assumes, they would take. But their first class is spoiled by an obnoxious classmate, Moirrey Teare.
By the next day, Moirrey is dead.
Almost immediately, Moirrey’s long-lost brother turns up. Everybody assumes that he is now the heir to her family’s fortune. But is it really her brother? Aunt Bessie is suspicious.
There are other potential candidates for the murderer – former servants Moirrey was turning out of their cottages on her estate, a mysterious possible boyfriend nobody else knew about, a lawyer who may have been cheating Moirrey. So, can Aunt Bessie and the police discover the real murderer before the wrong person gets convicted of the crime?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews