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Keeley Carpenter #2
A Death at the Yoga Café
Keeley Carpenter has found her center. After returning to Befrey, the traditional English village she called home ten years ago, she’s opened her dream yoga café, which doubles as both a yoga studio and a delicious vegetarian café. Even better, Keeley is dating handsome Detective Ben Taylor, and things are beginning to look serious.
Too bad things never seem to run smoothly for long. Eager to get involved with the local community, Keeley sets up a booth at the annual Belfrey Arts Festival, along with her nemesis, fellow small business owner Raquel. Preparing herself to play nice, she’s shocked when Raquel’s boyfriend, Town Mayor Gerald, is found dead after a public spat. Despite Ben’s strict warnings to stay out of it, Keeley isn’t going to let an innocent woman take the blame for the murder—even if it is glamorous, spoiled Raquel.
Now Keeley must balance a precarious murder investigation with the demands of her growing business and now-strained relationship. But when the killer takes a personal interest in Keeley, can she find the culprit before she gets bent out of shape? Charming and delicious, Michelle Kelly's A Death at the Yoga Cafe features recipes from Keeley’s café and is perfect for fans of cozy mystery lovers everywhere!
Too bad things never seem to run smoothly for long. Eager to get involved with the local community, Keeley sets up a booth at the annual Belfrey Arts Festival, along with her nemesis, fellow small business owner Raquel. Preparing herself to play nice, she’s shocked when Raquel’s boyfriend, Town Mayor Gerald, is found dead after a public spat. Despite Ben’s strict warnings to stay out of it, Keeley isn’t going to let an innocent woman take the blame for the murder—even if it is glamorous, spoiled Raquel.
Now Keeley must balance a precarious murder investigation with the demands of her growing business and now-strained relationship. But when the killer takes a personal interest in Keeley, can she find the culprit before she gets bent out of shape? Charming and delicious, Michelle Kelly's A Death at the Yoga Cafe features recipes from Keeley’s café and is perfect for fans of cozy mystery lovers everywhere!
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 31, 2017
10 people are currently reading
712 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Kelly
10 books82 followersMichelle has been writing for a living since 2013 after seven years as a literacy teacher. She still teaches a creative writing course .Michelle is the author of historical romance books 'The Virgin Courtesan' 'Borgia Fever' and 'The Rake of Glendir' for Harlequin Mills and Boon and a paranormal romantic suspense series for Xcite Books beginning with 'The Lady is a Vamp'. She also writes crime, with her first contemporary thriller 'When I Wasn't Watching' published August 2014 with Harlequin Carina and reaching number one in the Kindle charts. The sequel 'Eyes Wide Open' was released in May 2015. Michelle is currently working on a cozy mystery series featuring yoga instructor Keeley Carpenter. These will be published by St Martins Press in the US and the first in the series 'Downward Facing Death' will be released in January 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
February 6, 2017
'A Death at the Yoga Cafe' by Michelle Kelly is a 2017 Minotaur publication.
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. The characters are well drawn, the pacing is just right and the plotting is tight. The personal dramas do not overpower the mystery and crime solving, which is a common pitfall many cozies fall into. The author stays on course and keeps the guessing game going all the way to the bitter end.
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read the full review, click on this link: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. The characters are well drawn, the pacing is just right and the plotting is tight. The personal dramas do not overpower the mystery and crime solving, which is a common pitfall many cozies fall into. The author stays on course and keeps the guessing game going all the way to the bitter end.
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read the full review, click on this link: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
December 6, 2023
Boring Boring Boring yawn 🥱 what else can I say not for me.
November 20, 2017
Keeley betreibt in einem kleinen beschaulichen Dorf in England ein Yoga-Café. Direkt vor dem Café bekommt Keeley einen Streit mit zwischen ihrer alten Schulkameradin Raquel und dem Bürgermeister des Ortes. Einen Tag später ist der Bürgermeister tot; er wurde ermordet. Natürlich gerät sofort Raquel in Verdacht. Obwohl Keeley und Raquel alles andere als Freundinnen sind, ist Keeley doch von Raquels Unschuld überzeigt. Entgegen des ausdrücklichen Wunsches ihres Freundes, des Detective Inspectors Ben Taylor, nimmt Keeley eigenständig Ermittlungen auf und bringt sich damit in Gefahr.
Mein Leseeindruck:
Dieses Buch ist zwar bereits der zweite Band, aber man kann es auch problemlos ohne Vorgängerwissen aus Band 1 lesen. Ich kenne den ersten Teil nicht und hatte dennoch keine Schwierigkeiten, der Handlung hier zu folgen. Im Gegenteil hat es mir großen Spaß gemacht, mit Keeley Ermittlungen anzustellen. Ein bisschen hat mich die Geschichte erinnert an die Bücher von Carola Dunn und ihre Miss Daisy, die ich auch sehr mag.
Es ist ein echter Wohlfühlkrimi, der sich dank des angenehmen Schreibstils sehr flüssig lesen lässt. Spannung war auch enthalten und vor allem diese ganz besondere Atmosphäre, die mir so gefällt. Ich konnte mich ganz hineinfallen lassen in diese Geschichte und den Alltag vergessen.
Ich hoffe sehr, dass die Serie fortgeführt und es noch viele weitere Bände geben wird!
Mein Leseeindruck:
Dieses Buch ist zwar bereits der zweite Band, aber man kann es auch problemlos ohne Vorgängerwissen aus Band 1 lesen. Ich kenne den ersten Teil nicht und hatte dennoch keine Schwierigkeiten, der Handlung hier zu folgen. Im Gegenteil hat es mir großen Spaß gemacht, mit Keeley Ermittlungen anzustellen. Ein bisschen hat mich die Geschichte erinnert an die Bücher von Carola Dunn und ihre Miss Daisy, die ich auch sehr mag.
Es ist ein echter Wohlfühlkrimi, der sich dank des angenehmen Schreibstils sehr flüssig lesen lässt. Spannung war auch enthalten und vor allem diese ganz besondere Atmosphäre, die mir so gefällt. Ich konnte mich ganz hineinfallen lassen in diese Geschichte und den Alltag vergessen.
Ich hoffe sehr, dass die Serie fortgeführt und es noch viele weitere Bände geben wird!
December 17, 2017
Life is too short to read boring books.
I tried reading this because I enjoy an occasional escapist read. This book isn't that. It was work to read. The main character isn't appealing enough to stick with.
I made it to chapter 5 before giving up. My time is limited, so I am moving on to a more engaging read.
I tried reading this because I enjoy an occasional escapist read. This book isn't that. It was work to read. The main character isn't appealing enough to stick with.
I made it to chapter 5 before giving up. My time is limited, so I am moving on to a more engaging read.
November 13, 2017
Keeley hat sich ein wenig in Belfrey eingelebt, ihr Yoga-Café läuft gut und die Beziehung zu Ben lässt sich auch gut an. Alles in allem könnte also das Leben so schön sein.
Doch dann taucht Keeleys Mom Darla eine Woche zu früh auf und zu allem Überfluss wird auch noch der Bürgermeister ermordet, nachdem er sich am Tag vorher lauthals mit Raquel auf der Straße gestritten hat.
Keeley hat eigentlich nicht vor irgendwie zu ermitteln, aber Raquel bittet sie so flehentlich darum, dass sie es doch nicht lassen kann.
Nach einige unschönen Verwicklungen gelingt es Keeley dann aber doch den Mordfall zu lösen und auch ihr Leben wieder in den Griff zu kriegen.
Mir hat dieser zweite Band der Belfrey-Serie ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Man trifft die bekannten Figuren wieder, die sich auch weiterentwickeln und die Schreibweise ist wie im ersten Band so lebhaft, dass man das Geschehen vor Augen hat.
Ich bin bis zum Schluss nicht wirklich auf den Täter gekommen, habe aber zwischendrin immer wieder gedacht, ich wüsste genau wer es war. Jedes Mal falsch gedacht .
Auf ein nächstes Buch würde ich mich sehr freuen, das potenzielle Mordopfer wird am Ende ja auch schon erwähnt.
Nett sind die Anleitungen zu den von Keeley praktizierten Yoga-Übungen und am Ende die Rezepte aus dem Yoga-Café. Da ist da ein oder andere dabei, dass es sich lohnt auszuprobieren
Von mir also eine volle Leseempfehlung für diesen Cosy Krimi.
Herzlichen Dank an Netgalley und den Verlag für die Bereitstellung des Leseexemplars.
Doch dann taucht Keeleys Mom Darla eine Woche zu früh auf und zu allem Überfluss wird auch noch der Bürgermeister ermordet, nachdem er sich am Tag vorher lauthals mit Raquel auf der Straße gestritten hat.
Keeley hat eigentlich nicht vor irgendwie zu ermitteln, aber Raquel bittet sie so flehentlich darum, dass sie es doch nicht lassen kann.
Nach einige unschönen Verwicklungen gelingt es Keeley dann aber doch den Mordfall zu lösen und auch ihr Leben wieder in den Griff zu kriegen.
Mir hat dieser zweite Band der Belfrey-Serie ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Man trifft die bekannten Figuren wieder, die sich auch weiterentwickeln und die Schreibweise ist wie im ersten Band so lebhaft, dass man das Geschehen vor Augen hat.
Ich bin bis zum Schluss nicht wirklich auf den Täter gekommen, habe aber zwischendrin immer wieder gedacht, ich wüsste genau wer es war. Jedes Mal falsch gedacht .
Auf ein nächstes Buch würde ich mich sehr freuen, das potenzielle Mordopfer wird am Ende ja auch schon erwähnt.
Nett sind die Anleitungen zu den von Keeley praktizierten Yoga-Übungen und am Ende die Rezepte aus dem Yoga-Café. Da ist da ein oder andere dabei, dass es sich lohnt auszuprobieren
Von mir also eine volle Leseempfehlung für diesen Cosy Krimi.
Herzlichen Dank an Netgalley und den Verlag für die Bereitstellung des Leseexemplars.
December 8, 2020
Keeley Carpenter, owner of a yoga cafe in a small British town, is drawn into the investigation of the murder of the town's mayor. An old acquaintance from school is the main suspect, but Keeley is certain she didn't do it. Based on a hunch, really, and even though the suspect is a terrible person.
Well, for half the book this is a pretty mediocre mystery, that then takes a dive as the writer tries to force in tension by having Keeley fight with her boyfriend, the local police inspector. The boyfriend rather reasonably tells Keeley not to investigate the crime because it's dangerous - unmentioned is the fact that it's illegal, and that if she (a civilian in a romantic relationship with a police officer) uncovered anything it would be laughed out of court - and she adamantly pursues the case behind his back, even lying to his face about it. When he loses his patience with her she accuses him of being jealous that she's better at investigating murder than he is. He is a PROFESSIONAL police officer, this is his job. She is the owner of a yoga shop who solved one murder. He is totally in the right to be worried for her and upset with her - she is wrong, and breaking the damn law. But in the end he comes crawling back to her, apologizing for trying to legally investigate a murder AND keep her out of harm's way. She never apologizes for calling him incompetent or putting his career at risk. So, two terrible people in love have crappy romantic tension.
Then the bottom completely falls out of the book when the murderer lures Keeley into an ambush because she is investigating the case. She is not close to solving the case; NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE. Ultimately the case is only solved because the murderer blows his cover. What annoys me most? That the main character is a dunce who can't solve a mystery, or that the writer doesn't have the capability to write a legit solution to the mystery? It's all awful.
Well, for half the book this is a pretty mediocre mystery, that then takes a dive as the writer tries to force in tension by having Keeley fight with her boyfriend, the local police inspector. The boyfriend rather reasonably tells Keeley not to investigate the crime because it's dangerous - unmentioned is the fact that it's illegal, and that if she (a civilian in a romantic relationship with a police officer) uncovered anything it would be laughed out of court - and she adamantly pursues the case behind his back, even lying to his face about it. When he loses his patience with her she accuses him of being jealous that she's better at investigating murder than he is. He is a PROFESSIONAL police officer, this is his job. She is the owner of a yoga shop who solved one murder. He is totally in the right to be worried for her and upset with her - she is wrong, and breaking the damn law. But in the end he comes crawling back to her, apologizing for trying to legally investigate a murder AND keep her out of harm's way. She never apologizes for calling him incompetent or putting his career at risk. So, two terrible people in love have crappy romantic tension.
Then the bottom completely falls out of the book when the murderer lures Keeley into an ambush because she is investigating the case. She is not close to solving the case; NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE. Ultimately the case is only solved because the murderer blows his cover. What annoys me most? That the main character is a dunce who can't solve a mystery, or that the writer doesn't have the capability to write a legit solution to the mystery? It's all awful.
July 10, 2022
Easy read for a summer's day. I enjoyed the story. I liked the setting and the story. However, I wasn't thrilled with some of Keely's choices. I did like the yoga descriptions at the end of some of the chapters and the recipes at the back (although I haven't tried to make any of them). Because I didn't always agree with Keely's decisions, I couldn't give this book more stars. However, I wouldn't mind seeing more books in this series. This was published in 2017, so I wonder if there are any more books to come in the future.
December 26, 2017
Bei Keeley läuft es nach den Aufregungen aus dem ersten Band endlich einigermaßen ruhig. Ihr Yoga-Café ist eröffnet und wird gut von der Bevölkerung angenommen. Auch in ihrem Liebesleben gibt es eine Neuerung. Seit der Aufklärung des Mordes aus dem ersten Fall, ist sie mit ihrem alten Schulfreund und Detective Constable Ben Taylor zusammen.
Gerade erfährt Keeley, dass ihre Mutter sie besuchen möchte, als auch schon der Bürgermeister der kleinen Stadt erstochen aufgefunden wird. Prompt gerät Raquel, Keeleys Rivalin und Konkurrentin in den Fokus der Ermittlungen. Immerhin war sie mit Bürgermeister liiert, hat ihn allen Anschein nach auch als Letzte lebend gesehen und hatte noch mittags einen recht heftigen Streit auf offener Straße mit ihm gehabt.
Natürlich soll Keeley sich aus den Ermittlungen heraushalten, doch kann sie das wirklich? Immerhin geht es hier um Raquel und Keeleys Gefühl sagt ihr, dass irgendwas nicht stimmt … nur was?
Wie bei einem Cosy-Krimi üblich, ist auch dieses Buch recht ruhig. Ein Wohlfühlkrimi, bei dem man zunächst einmal erst wieder in Belfrey ankommen und nachsehen kann, was sich alles in der Zwischenzeit geändert und getan hat.
Der Mord an dem Bürgermeister ist zunächst unspektakulär. Keeley erfährt davon von ihrem Freund Ben, gesehen hat sie den Tatort aber nicht. Und so beginnt der Leser zusammen mit Keeley sich Gedanken zu machen. Wer könnte der Täter sein, was war das Motiv? Es herrscht kein Zeitdruck und daher ist es auch nicht weiter verwunderlich, dass man Zeit genug hat, um einige Yogaübungen einzubauen. Die Autorin erwähnt diese nicht nur, sondern gibt in kleinen Sonderkapitel auch genaue Beschreibungen zum Nachmachen. Ebenso wie man auch einige von Keeleys vegetarischen Rezepten im Anhang wiederfindet.
Die Spannung wird durch die einzelnen Hinweise und Überlegungen gezeichnet. Sie steigt langsam an, als sich die Hinweise verdichten und bringen dadurch ein wenig Fahrt in das Ganze. Dennoch bleibt es bei einem „Kuschelkrimi“, der eher ruhig und gemütlich ist, mir aber dennoch sehr gut gefällt. Der Mord bleibt zwar präsent, steht aber nicht im Vordergrund.
Fazit:
Keeley Carpenter und ihr Freund Detective Constable Ben Taylor sind zurück und lösen ihren nächsten Fall im beschaulichen Belfrey. Ein Kuschelkrimi zum Genießen und Abschalten
Gerade erfährt Keeley, dass ihre Mutter sie besuchen möchte, als auch schon der Bürgermeister der kleinen Stadt erstochen aufgefunden wird. Prompt gerät Raquel, Keeleys Rivalin und Konkurrentin in den Fokus der Ermittlungen. Immerhin war sie mit Bürgermeister liiert, hat ihn allen Anschein nach auch als Letzte lebend gesehen und hatte noch mittags einen recht heftigen Streit auf offener Straße mit ihm gehabt.
Natürlich soll Keeley sich aus den Ermittlungen heraushalten, doch kann sie das wirklich? Immerhin geht es hier um Raquel und Keeleys Gefühl sagt ihr, dass irgendwas nicht stimmt … nur was?
Wie bei einem Cosy-Krimi üblich, ist auch dieses Buch recht ruhig. Ein Wohlfühlkrimi, bei dem man zunächst einmal erst wieder in Belfrey ankommen und nachsehen kann, was sich alles in der Zwischenzeit geändert und getan hat.
Der Mord an dem Bürgermeister ist zunächst unspektakulär. Keeley erfährt davon von ihrem Freund Ben, gesehen hat sie den Tatort aber nicht. Und so beginnt der Leser zusammen mit Keeley sich Gedanken zu machen. Wer könnte der Täter sein, was war das Motiv? Es herrscht kein Zeitdruck und daher ist es auch nicht weiter verwunderlich, dass man Zeit genug hat, um einige Yogaübungen einzubauen. Die Autorin erwähnt diese nicht nur, sondern gibt in kleinen Sonderkapitel auch genaue Beschreibungen zum Nachmachen. Ebenso wie man auch einige von Keeleys vegetarischen Rezepten im Anhang wiederfindet.
Die Spannung wird durch die einzelnen Hinweise und Überlegungen gezeichnet. Sie steigt langsam an, als sich die Hinweise verdichten und bringen dadurch ein wenig Fahrt in das Ganze. Dennoch bleibt es bei einem „Kuschelkrimi“, der eher ruhig und gemütlich ist, mir aber dennoch sehr gut gefällt. Der Mord bleibt zwar präsent, steht aber nicht im Vordergrund.
Fazit:
Keeley Carpenter und ihr Freund Detective Constable Ben Taylor sind zurück und lösen ihren nächsten Fall im beschaulichen Belfrey. Ein Kuschelkrimi zum Genießen und Abschalten
June 1, 2017
*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
2.5 stars
Hmmm... what to say about this book that I did not say about the first book.
Everyone claims Keeley solved the murder in the first book and believes her to be an adept detective when both are false. I will say in this book she does more snooping and I can see how she may be a good detective, but still no dice.
Her boyfriend, Ben, is one of my favorite characters and the one I think it the most level-headed and realistic. He is in the right when he tries to get his own girlfriend to stop asking questions and potentially screwing up the case. Isn't that considering interference? Like, at least in America I think we have a law against it... anyhow, I completely agree with him because she is an amateur and totally clueless in how obvious what she is doing is.
*sigh* I also want to mention that Gerald, the dead man in this book, was planning on a one way trip somewhere else in the last book....so I guess he didn't go?
I also liked Megan and the town dynamics, which were cozy and nice. I actually liked this book more than the first, although that might be because I skimmed a lot of paragraphs where no one was talking. I don't feel like I missed out on anything in the story.
I do think people who like cozy mysteries set in England with an amateur detective might really enjoy these. There are some yummy looking recipes in the back and Yoga poses through the book for people to try. It is a nice book and if this is your thing, totally try it out.
I think, I will need a break from cozy mysteries for a while.
2.5 stars
Hmmm... what to say about this book that I did not say about the first book.
Everyone claims Keeley solved the murder in the first book and believes her to be an adept detective when both are false. I will say in this book she does more snooping and I can see how she may be a good detective, but still no dice.
Her boyfriend, Ben, is one of my favorite characters and the one I think it the most level-headed and realistic. He is in the right when he tries to get his own girlfriend to stop asking questions and potentially screwing up the case. Isn't that considering interference? Like, at least in America I think we have a law against it... anyhow, I completely agree with him because she is an amateur and totally clueless in how obvious what she is doing is.
*sigh* I also want to mention that Gerald, the dead man in this book, was planning on a one way trip somewhere else in the last book....so I guess he didn't go?
I also liked Megan and the town dynamics, which were cozy and nice. I actually liked this book more than the first, although that might be because I skimmed a lot of paragraphs where no one was talking. I don't feel like I missed out on anything in the story.
I do think people who like cozy mysteries set in England with an amateur detective might really enjoy these. There are some yummy looking recipes in the back and Yoga poses through the book for people to try. It is a nice book and if this is your thing, totally try it out.
I think, I will need a break from cozy mysteries for a while.
August 7, 2017
Unfortunately the series didn't get any better in fact I liked this book less then book 1. The characters are all so unlikable, side characters Megan and Jack are the only characters I care to have a conversation with. Keeley and Ben are both so self absorbed, I'm sure they'll break up each book if this series continues, if it does it'll do so without me.
Being interested in yoga and a 20+ year vegetarian, I had high hopes for this series too bad it didn't live up to expectations. There's another yoga mystery series by Laura Weber I hope that might be a better fit for me.
Being interested in yoga and a 20+ year vegetarian, I had high hopes for this series too bad it didn't live up to expectations. There's another yoga mystery series by Laura Weber I hope that might be a better fit for me.
January 2, 2018
Things seem to be going well for Keeley after the mishaps she encountered in the first book, her cafe is going strong, her Yoga teaching is as well (although the idea of using the upstairs as a studio has been slightly scuppered as she is living in the tiny apartment). The only slight fly in the ointment is the fact that her hyper-critical mother is coming to stay. Indeed she has turned up a week early! and then the other shoe drops with another murder and this time her nemesis seems to be in the spotlight.
February 10, 2019
I like cozy mysteries, yoga, and food - so I thought this book would be a fun weekend read. It fell flat though. The characters aren’t well fleshed out, the main character, Keeley is an insecure, impulsive person who seems incapable of introspection, and I didn’t enjoy the yoga posture explanations or the recipes.
If you are looking for a great culinary cozy series, I recommend Diane Mott Davidson’s books as a far better alternative to reading this series.
If you are looking for a great culinary cozy series, I recommend Diane Mott Davidson’s books as a far better alternative to reading this series.
December 23, 2018
The light- and quirkyness that I liked about the first book in this series was unfortunately damped a lot because the author told the whole backstory again. Also the whodunnit follows the exact same scheme as the first one, so if you‘ve read that, you guess it half way through. A bit disappointing. I was looking forward to this.
January 30, 2018
Nicht so gut wie der erste Band. Die erste Hälfte zog sich etwas, danach wurde es etwas besser. Alles in allem ganz nett, aber nicht mehr.
June 5, 2020
Review was originally posted on The Writer's Inkwell
Keeley Carpenter is a young woman who has final decided to set some roots in a quaint English village. In the aftermath of the uncovering a murderer, she finds that people tend to be looking to her for advice and input. Especially when her rival, Raquel needs help clearing her name, after the mayor (and Raquel's latest boyfriend) is found stabbed to death. Despite Keeley's past with Raquel, she can't seem to say no. Perhaps it's guilt over suspecting Raquel of the last murder... or perhaps Keeley's just too kind. Regardless, her decision sets her on a whirlwind path to discovering old secrets and coming to face the truth that sometimes your past comes back to bite you in the butt.
I really enjoyed this cozy novel, Keeley seems likable without seeming perfect. She struggles a lot with her self-confidence and body image, especially with her mother around. The dynamic between Keeley and her mother is strained and you can't help but feel bad for Keeley. However, I'm curious to see if the author will continue to explore Darla's past and hopefully reveal more of why she is the way she is. I'm torn about Keeley's relationship with Ben. He seems very bossy and that's just not attractive in a mate.
I had a suspicion about who the murder was early on in the book. However, the author did a good job of not giving it away until the end and I completely missed the "why" until it was blatantly spelled out for me. I can appreciate a good mystery and I hope I get to read more from this author.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
All opinions of the book are my own.
Keeley Carpenter is a young woman who has final decided to set some roots in a quaint English village. In the aftermath of the uncovering a murderer, she finds that people tend to be looking to her for advice and input. Especially when her rival, Raquel needs help clearing her name, after the mayor (and Raquel's latest boyfriend) is found stabbed to death. Despite Keeley's past with Raquel, she can't seem to say no. Perhaps it's guilt over suspecting Raquel of the last murder... or perhaps Keeley's just too kind. Regardless, her decision sets her on a whirlwind path to discovering old secrets and coming to face the truth that sometimes your past comes back to bite you in the butt.
I really enjoyed this cozy novel, Keeley seems likable without seeming perfect. She struggles a lot with her self-confidence and body image, especially with her mother around. The dynamic between Keeley and her mother is strained and you can't help but feel bad for Keeley. However, I'm curious to see if the author will continue to explore Darla's past and hopefully reveal more of why she is the way she is. I'm torn about Keeley's relationship with Ben. He seems very bossy and that's just not attractive in a mate.
I had a suspicion about who the murder was early on in the book. However, the author did a good job of not giving it away until the end and I completely missed the "why" until it was blatantly spelled out for me. I can appreciate a good mystery and I hope I get to read more from this author.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
All opinions of the book are my own.
May 21, 2017
Well this food/fiction was much more to my taste (bad pun) than the first one I read. Plus it involved yoga and actually explained how to do the poses. I know I'm more likely to practice them than to try the recipes in the back of the book. Actually spent the day at the Reach and Raise event at the Philadelphia Art Museum, a yoga on the museum stairs event sponsored by Living Beyond Breast Cancer. My friend Jenny, a breast cancer survivor who helped me when I was first diagnosed, is a colleague where I taught, a counselor for LBBC, and since her diagnosis, has become a yoga instructor. It was so moving to be part of her team at the event. Students friends and other colleagues joined us.
Now, for the book. It had an interesting plot, interesting characters and even the main protagonist as well as her boyfriend were flawed. The love story was cheesy but I was some how fine with that. The quaint cafe in a lovely English setting felt a bit reminiscent of Louise Penny's mysteries, but there is so much difference. I love Detective Gamache, his wife, the village of Three Pines and its inhabitants. I still don't really like mysteries...the red herrings thrown in drive me nuts...but Louise Penny writes novels with characters I grow to love and look forward to meeting again. If I really need a break from dense novels or non-fiction, I'd try this author again.
Now, for the book. It had an interesting plot, interesting characters and even the main protagonist as well as her boyfriend were flawed. The love story was cheesy but I was some how fine with that. The quaint cafe in a lovely English setting felt a bit reminiscent of Louise Penny's mysteries, but there is so much difference. I love Detective Gamache, his wife, the village of Three Pines and its inhabitants. I still don't really like mysteries...the red herrings thrown in drive me nuts...but Louise Penny writes novels with characters I grow to love and look forward to meeting again. If I really need a break from dense novels or non-fiction, I'd try this author again.
February 22, 2017
http://www.anurseandabook.com/2017/02...
This was the second book in Michelle Kelly's series. Although you don't have to have read Downward Facing Death in order to enjoy this one, it would make more sense to read them in order.
Keeley is content in her life, she has opened her vegetarian cafe - which seems to be doing more business than you would expect in a small English village, and has settled into a happy relationship with her cop boyfriend, Ben.
Raquel has been her frenemy since high school, and Keeley doesn't really admire her dating choices - think old, rich men, but she tries to get along to keep the peace.
When Raquel's boyfriend (the Mayor) turns up violently murdered, she reaches out to Keeley to help prove her innocence.
In the meantime, Keeley's mom turns up unexpectedly and seems to be harboring a secret, her boyfriend is becoming increasingly angry at her meddling in his investigation, not to mention putting herself in danger.
How far will Keeley go to help an old enemy? I can tell you right now, she went much further than I would - maybe I should do more yoga!
This was the second book in Michelle Kelly's series. Although you don't have to have read Downward Facing Death in order to enjoy this one, it would make more sense to read them in order.
Keeley is content in her life, she has opened her vegetarian cafe - which seems to be doing more business than you would expect in a small English village, and has settled into a happy relationship with her cop boyfriend, Ben.
Raquel has been her frenemy since high school, and Keeley doesn't really admire her dating choices - think old, rich men, but she tries to get along to keep the peace.
When Raquel's boyfriend (the Mayor) turns up violently murdered, she reaches out to Keeley to help prove her innocence.
In the meantime, Keeley's mom turns up unexpectedly and seems to be harboring a secret, her boyfriend is becoming increasingly angry at her meddling in his investigation, not to mention putting herself in danger.
How far will Keeley go to help an old enemy? I can tell you right now, she went much further than I would - maybe I should do more yoga!
January 20, 2021
Lots of telling and info-dumping in the beginning that made this very hard to read. Keeley continues to be insecure, immature, and petty. Her mood swings and feelings gave me whiplash, and I hated the manufactured drama between her and Ben. I also guessed who the killer was, and why, well before the end. (It annoyed me to end that every single person dismissed Gerald's past in thinking about why he died. How did no one think it could have bearing on his being MURDERED?) Keeley also never solves this mystery--the killer just gives himself up. I don't see how this makes her a good amateur detective in any way.
I did continue to like Jack, and some of the recipes look interesting. I'm not surprised that the publisher discontinued this series, and I don't know that I could read more of Keeley anyway.
I did continue to like Jack, and some of the recipes look interesting. I'm not surprised that the publisher discontinued this series, and I don't know that I could read more of Keeley anyway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2019
The premise for this series follows the standard cozy mystery setup: wayward prodigal child returns home to take over inherited property and fulfill her dreams, and in the process stumbles into a murder mystery that needs solving.
In this case, the prodigal child has returned to England from NYC to open a yoga studio/vegetarian café in her late father's butcher shop. There are some fun characters, a meddling mother with a secret, and a nicely complex mystery with plenty of red herrings (but not in the stew). Fast-paced and enjoyable, a good companion for a wintry night or a day at the beach.
In this case, the prodigal child has returned to England from NYC to open a yoga studio/vegetarian café in her late father's butcher shop. There are some fun characters, a meddling mother with a secret, and a nicely complex mystery with plenty of red herrings (but not in the stew). Fast-paced and enjoyable, a good companion for a wintry night or a day at the beach.
July 27, 2018
I still can't stand Raquel but I I'm really glad I gave this series another chance. In book 2 it is the mayor who gets murdered and Raquel is the prime suspect as she was his girlfriend and was seen arguing with him in public the day of the murder. She asks Keeley to help her prove her innocence. This, naturally, causes problems for Keeley and her cop boyfriend, Ben. Also making things tense is Keeley's mother, Darla, who has dropped in for a visit.
All works out in the end and I enjoyed it. I will read book 3.
All works out in the end and I enjoyed it. I will read book 3.
June 2, 2020
Perfect for lovers of whodunnits, yoga, fresh food, romance, or small villages. Really modern version of the classic mystery novels. There are a few yoga poses with great explanations on how to and the benefits and recipes that the cafe-owner-amateur sleuth, Keeley runs. Fast paced, action packed, mindful, and clever. Coming across this book was a bit of an accident but I will go back and read the first in the Keeley + Yoga mysteries, and perhaps have a look at some more of Michelle Kelly's work.
May 4, 2017
Keeley Carpenter returns to Befrey after 10 years. She opens her deceased father’s butcher shop as a yoga-vegetarian fare shop. She gets “cozy” with the Detective Constable Ben Taylor and then her mom comes for a visit. Most daughters have issues with their mothers, some more than others.
Setting in England makes this book delightful and the descriptions of different yoga poses very helpful!
Setting in England makes this book delightful and the descriptions of different yoga poses very helpful!
August 23, 2018
Book 2. Keeley has a successful vegetarian cafe going with a yoga studio at night. She and Ben Taylor are dating. At the Belfrey Arts Festival, she sets up a booth. So does Raquel, her nemesis, another small business owner in the town. When Raquel's boyfriend, the mayor, is found dead after they have a public fight,the town is sure that Raquel is guilty. Keeley feels it is necessary to become involved as she feels the Raquel is innocent. A fun story, with recipes.
April 4, 2020
Keeley as opened her cafe and is dating the detective Ben Taylor and all is good until the mayor is found dead. Prime suspect is rival friend of Keeley! She sets out to prove her innocence even when Ben says to stay away from investigation. And that is when the trouble begins..... Good cozy read with yoga instruction, recipes and fun characters.
October 28, 2023
Sequel to Downward Facing Death.
Super cute! I looove a cozy mystery. Especially a well written one with a little romance element. This series was definitely top tier where cozies are concerned.
If also involves yoga and food. Two of my favorite things. 😁 Would definitely read more if she continues the series!
Super cute! I looove a cozy mystery. Especially a well written one with a little romance element. This series was definitely top tier where cozies are concerned.
If also involves yoga and food. Two of my favorite things. 😁 Would definitely read more if she continues the series!
March 10, 2017
This cozy mystery was a nice light read. The characters were engaging and well written. This is the second book in the Keeley Carpenter series and was easy enough to follow along without having read the first book.
May 10, 2017
This was a perfectly fine mystery, but it wasn't very interesting to me. I think the characters didn't seem well developed. Also, there were some odd age things with the "older" characters. Men who would be around 50 were "really old" but women who would be that age seem younger.
March 31, 2019
Eh. This was just as mediocre as the first one. I didn't love the love interest in the first one, but in this one I actively disliked him. He was just horrible. And there was a lot of "I just don't feel like she's guilty" idiocy in this one.
September 12, 2019
Not my bag, but fine. I found the tension between the main character and her detective super frustrating. She acted like it was unreasonable for him to be angry with her for interfering with a case and I just lost all suspension of disbelief then and there.
May 13, 2017
Enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely read another one from this author.
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