Aunt Bessie Tries

Isle of Man #20

by Diana Xarissa

Aunt Bessie tries to help her friends.After Grace Watterson’s baby shower, Elizabeth Cubbon, known as Bessie to nearly everyone, gets stopped by one of the party guests. Lora White is worried that someone is trying to kill her.Aunt Bessie tries to persuade Lora to talk to the police.The problem is, Lora isn’t sure whether someone is trying to kill her or not. After hearing Lora’s story, Bessie isn’t certain, either. Besides, Lora doesn’t want to get any of her friends or family members into any trouble.Aunt Bessie tries to work out who might be trying to hurt Lora.She talks to the woman’s family members and neighbours, but quickly finds herself being drawn more and more deeply into Lora’s life.Can Bessie help Lora work out what’s happening? Is someone truly trying to kill Lora, or does the woman simply have an overactive imagination? Is it possible that Lora is creating the incidents herself for some reason? Will Bessie be sorry that she tried to help?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2019

About the author

Diana 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.

Reviews

[Phrynne]

Book 20 in Diana Xarissa's Isle of Man series and Aunt Bessie is trying to help her friends.

A new acquaintance believes someone is trying to kill her and she does not want to go to the police because it may be a family member. She asks Bessie to help which she does but she also very sensibly makes sure her police friends are aware of what is going on.

Twenty books in and I am still enjoying reading about Bessie, Doona, John, Hugh et al. The food always sounds good, the company is excellent and the mystery interesting. I fully intend to read to #26.

[Betsy]

Would probably give this 2.5 stars if I could. It needed to be shorter since it dragged on with many repetitions. As usual, food played a major part, and it looks like Xarissa is inching her way to some conclusions about major characters. Her line about Bessie being anywhere between 60-100 was riotous in its pretentiousness, but then so was Bessie's displeasure when someone talked with his mouth full. She missed her calling as a curmudgeon, who would have made sure Emily Post got it right. It's too bad Bessie didn't have a real job instead of having so much time to practice being a busybody.

[Linda Martin]

Very surprised that it is not a interesting Aunt Bessie at all.

I loved the Aunt Bessie series but this one was boring. The characters were all unlikable and the main character has no personality. I normally like Diana's books which is why I have it two stars instead of one. Hoping the next one is terrific.

[A G A VAN DEN BOS]

Aunt Bessie describes herself as a “Amateur Historian”. Readers of the Aunt Bessie series could also possibly similarly label themselves as one, since they are again subjected to a continual reiteration of the main characters history. If the reader has read almost any one of the previous books in the Aunt Bessie series, they will probably have read around a quarter of another (or one yet to be written).
While there is at least an extraordinary two-month respite for Aunt Bessie having to discover yet another body, something certain to be remedied within the next month, this story is both convoluted and stacked with an overabundance characters’, making for a confusing read.

[Linda]

This book just fell a little short for me, maybe because there was never actually a murder and there was so much repetition. As someone else has said, the character around whom the plot centered had no personality and so provoked little sympathy. Maybe the books are churning out too fast.

[Patricia]

I like Aunt Bessie very much. She is far into her senior years but keeps very active. She has enough money to live comfortably, but makes time to volunteer her help at the historical society. And of course she continues her lifelong tradition of being ready to be a comfort and help to anyone who needs a friend. She is quite practical and realistic, and insightful to the degree that her analytical and observational talents lead to the solution of many mysteries.

[Wayne]

The author returns in better form after a run of lackluster entries in the Aunt Bessie series. Aunt Bessie Tries was interesting and there was more of the camaraderie between Bessie and her friends in this book. There was no real action which was a minus, but, at least this entry was better than the last one.

[Sue Hampshire]

Another Aunt Bessie Cubbon Book is here!

This is the 20th book in a delightful series about Aunt Bessie Cubbon and her adventures on the Isle of Mann, an island in the Irish Seas. Aunt Bessie is an unmarried woman between the age of 60 and 100, as she says. Read to find out how she helps an acquaintance discover which one of her family or neighbors is trying to kill her.

[Linda Wilfert]

Trouble with a capital T

I've read all of the Aunt Bessie books. I always wish I could have tea and biscuits with her and Doona and John and Hugh.

Bessie's reputation as a mystery solver gets her involved with a woman who believes someone is trying to kill her. Who is it? Is she really in danger? Is it her imagination?

A tragic ending reveals all.

[Helen]

This story takes a different approach to previous ones. A woman Bessie has just met approaches Bessie, saying someone is trying to kill her. Bessie becomes involved with a dysfunctional family and some nasty neighbours, all of whom have motive and opportunity. Who is the person making numerous murder attempts, or is it the woman herself seeking attention?
An interesting puzzle.

[JOHN C]

Accidents? Or are they?

Aunt Bessie gets drawn into a strange problem- someone is trying to kill her new friend, Lora. Her family are a handful and the neighbors who are not too nice. Bessie enlists all her friends to help, but in the end Bessie has the answer to the questions.

[Lizabeth Tarr]

Great read

As always, I enjoyed this book. The characters have become "friends" I look forward to hearing from and seeing how their res are developing. And, of course, there's always a great mystery.

[Charline Romine]

Where on earth is this story going?

I really like the Aunt Bessie series. This one is a bit different from the rest, making it an anomaly. Different is definitely not boring! If you wonder where this story is going, come along and find out.

[L Kate]

No body yet

Most mysteries start with a body, this one starts with a handful of strange events that leaves a new friend wondering ... Is someone trying to kill her, or is she just losing her sanity. Great mystery. Love the characters and the Isle of Man.

[norma linza]

Good mystery

Big surprise ending. I didn't see that coming. Never would have guessed that person.
I just don't understand why Hugh's wife is excluded and why he would eat at Bessie's instead if at home with his wife. Especially since she is due any time.

[Mary Byrnes]

Another great story

I enjoyed reading this story.The solution was a surprise to me. I like this series because of the main characters. I love how the characters are developing and growing in each book.I'm looking forward to May and the next installment.

[Karen Candee]

Aunt Bessie does it again!

I love this series! It’s very well written and the characters are well developed. You feel as if they are all people you would love to know. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Carol Darling]

To many accidents

When a new acquaintance tells Bessie about her round of accidents, then invites her to a family gathering, she gets her group of friends together to talk it out. Much intrigue occurs. This is a good read which keeps you guessing.

[Serina]

Elder are

I really loved this book. Centering around elders and their issues with life, family and economics made this a comprehensive story. Let’s help our families, friends and neighbors through their times of need.

[Alayne]

This was not about a murder, but about several attempts at murder. Not quite as good as others in this series, and I guessed who the perpetrator was about two thirds of the way through the book. Still, very enjoyable.

[Rebecca]

Why was this one such a slog? Nothing much happens, the characters are all thoroughly disagreeable, and too much talking about nothing that happened. These are usually much better. Oh, well, next time.

[Debbie Mcclelland]

Unusual, but good

I liked this one because it was so different. The same, likeable characters are in fine form, and the food makes me want to go visit the Isle of Man!

[Susan]

really good mystery, it was a tricky one, but Aunt Bessie nailed it...

[Karen A. Bell]

A different death this time.

I kept waiting for a murder to happen. It was fun to get a different twist on aunt Bessie’s adventures. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Julieann]

book #20 of the series

[Andra Fore]

Love Aunt Bessie

I love this lady. I'm so glad to hear that she hopefully will not disappear after Z. Can't wait for the next episode.

[Stacy]

Aunt Bessie is asked to help an acquaintance prove that someone is trying to kill her. Fortunately she succeeds without anyone dying so that's nice. Usual group of people with lots of eating and rehashing the news. Enjoyable but maybe not one of the best in the series.

[Ann]

An Aunt Bessie mystery with a twist. Pleasant cozy for a cold winter night.

[Crystal Toller]

Aunt Bessie

In this Aunt Bessie book, when they have the baby shower for Grace Watterson, Aunt Bessie meets a neighbor's of Grace's parents. When Aunt Bessie and her new friend, get together, Lora tells her about a number of accidents that have been happening. This was a great addition to the series and the ending was a total shock. Highly recommend this book and the series.