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Poison Ink Mysteries #2
Death Witnessed
August 1936
Georgette Dorothy Marsh published a book when she was no longer able to afford cream for her tea. Without enough imagination to tell a story on her own, she wrote about her neighbors instead. Only her book became a best seller and her village was ready to take up arms.
She never expected the money let alone the results. One man died just after publication. After a pot of lapsang souchong at the local tea room, Miss Marsh witnesses another murder. When Miss Marsh realizes this murder is connected to her book as well, she turns to her friend Mr. Aaron. Once again, he brings along his nephew and they are back to attempting to find the killer, ensuring that Miss Marsh isn't the next victim, and hiding the real person behind this poisoned book.
Book TWO in The Poison Ink Mysteries. Georgette Marsh might be a quiet wallflower and treated as such, but it’s time for this wallflower to blossom. Are you ready to journey with her as she decides to craft a new life? If so, you’ll love Miss Marsh! For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, and Lee Strauss.
A light, cozy historical mystery. No swearing, graphic scenes, or cliffhangers.
Georgette Dorothy Marsh published a book when she was no longer able to afford cream for her tea. Without enough imagination to tell a story on her own, she wrote about her neighbors instead. Only her book became a best seller and her village was ready to take up arms.
She never expected the money let alone the results. One man died just after publication. After a pot of lapsang souchong at the local tea room, Miss Marsh witnesses another murder. When Miss Marsh realizes this murder is connected to her book as well, she turns to her friend Mr. Aaron. Once again, he brings along his nephew and they are back to attempting to find the killer, ensuring that Miss Marsh isn't the next victim, and hiding the real person behind this poisoned book.
Book TWO in The Poison Ink Mysteries. Georgette Marsh might be a quiet wallflower and treated as such, but it’s time for this wallflower to blossom. Are you ready to journey with her as she decides to craft a new life? If so, you’ll love Miss Marsh! For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, and Lee Strauss.
A light, cozy historical mystery. No swearing, graphic scenes, or cliffhangers.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2019
429 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 14, 2022
Cute, I like the main characters. I think fans of MC Beaton (Marion Chesney) might enjoy this series. I would have rated it higher but that last chapter was absolute cringe (in a Hallmark movie/Harlequin romance way). If you don't think those things are cringey you'll love it.
Side note, you know how some books set in the past have that weird way of writing 'contemporary for that period' speech? (Where it winds up sounding almost like a caricature?) Thankfully that does NOT happen in this series. Coming off the Jonathan Howard/ Johannes Cabal books where Howard arrogantly adds as many archaic/formal words as he can (for no other purpose than to show the reader he knows them), I'm more aware (and annoyed) by authors who do this. There's adding phrases and verbiage for realism/add to the story = like Byers, and then there's adding as many words as you can fit from the "big book of slang from era X" to be (imho) a pretentious jerk (the opposite of Byers).
If you are also a pretentious jerk, look elsewhere. If you like MC Beaton, or, that series with the Jewish grandma in Florida... You'll like this (errr.. Tried searching online for the name of the series only to find out there are a bunch of Jewish grandma mysteries - who knew?)...
I'll figure it out.
Side note, you know how some books set in the past have that weird way of writing 'contemporary for that period' speech? (Where it winds up sounding almost like a caricature?) Thankfully that does NOT happen in this series. Coming off the Jonathan Howard/ Johannes Cabal books where Howard arrogantly adds as many archaic/formal words as he can (for no other purpose than to show the reader he knows them), I'm more aware (and annoyed) by authors who do this. There's adding phrases and verbiage for realism/add to the story = like Byers, and then there's adding as many words as you can fit from the "big book of slang from era X" to be (imho) a pretentious jerk (the opposite of Byers).
If you are also a pretentious jerk, look elsewhere. If you like MC Beaton, or, that series with the Jewish grandma in Florida... You'll like this (errr.. Tried searching online for the name of the series only to find out there are a bunch of Jewish grandma mysteries - who knew?)...
I'll figure it out.
August 28, 2019
this solution was a little too simple..
but i still really like the thought process of the characters in solving the mystery. also, i really liked georgie’s explanation of her life view. quite mature and reasonable. not simpering.
but i still really like the thought process of the characters in solving the mystery. also, i really liked georgie’s explanation of her life view. quite mature and reasonable. not simpering.
November 29, 2020
Second book in the series and equally interesting. I am enjoying reading this series and the author is very nicely portraying and developing the character of Georgette.
August 18, 2019
This is not bad.. not superb but not bad
As usual there are errors.. there's also nothing within the story to connect it to the stated era I find that rather confusing.
I am annoyed by the tea.. I really wish Ms Byers would do a little research.
Anyone who savours her tea so very much would drink it correctly.. Lapsang Souchong should be drunk black, Earl grey the same (although a very small amount of milk can be added) lavender earl grey would definitely be drunk black.. I am wondering if the American Byers has mistaken "a cream tea" into the belief that it means that the British add cream to tea.. it doesn't.. a cream tea is a cup of tea with a scone, jam and clotted cream.. the cream goes on the scone not in the tea.. the order the jam and cream is applied to said scone depends on whether you prefer a Cornish one (jam then cream) or a Devonshire one (cream then jam).. please endeavour to correct this.. learn more about your subject.. please!
The tale didn't drop off after the first book like the Carlyle books for which I am grateful.. a little more research however would definitely improve them as would a professional copy reader with experience in fictional British novels.. they should be able to remove the Americanisms and substitute them with more appropriate alternatives along with correcting the typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
As usual there are errors.. there's also nothing within the story to connect it to the stated era I find that rather confusing.
I am annoyed by the tea.. I really wish Ms Byers would do a little research.
Anyone who savours her tea so very much would drink it correctly.. Lapsang Souchong should be drunk black, Earl grey the same (although a very small amount of milk can be added) lavender earl grey would definitely be drunk black.. I am wondering if the American Byers has mistaken "a cream tea" into the belief that it means that the British add cream to tea.. it doesn't.. a cream tea is a cup of tea with a scone, jam and clotted cream.. the cream goes on the scone not in the tea.. the order the jam and cream is applied to said scone depends on whether you prefer a Cornish one (jam then cream) or a Devonshire one (cream then jam).. please endeavour to correct this.. learn more about your subject.. please!
The tale didn't drop off after the first book like the Carlyle books for which I am grateful.. a little more research however would definitely improve them as would a professional copy reader with experience in fictional British novels.. they should be able to remove the Americanisms and substitute them with more appropriate alternatives along with correcting the typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
May 21, 2019
Murder and mistaken identity
Can you call a book about murder gentle? Georgette is a gentle woman with a sharp sense of humor and eyes that see every detail. The two books she has published reveal the depth of her observations of the people in her little English villiage, who are extremely upset at having their secrets revealed. If they had any idea that she was the author, Georgette knows she would be shunned. In the meantime, a new woman has moved into the village and tried to become a part of the neighborhood by becoming one of the characters, the nosey busybody. At the same time, someone has begun to blackmail some villagers. When Miss Schmitt is poisoned, is it related to the blackmail? At the same time, Charles has come courting, Joseph courts Marion, and Georgette wonders if it might be time to move to another village.
There is very little other than costuming and veiled references to an economic downturn to specify this series takes place in the 1930s. Nevertheless, these characters are interesting enough no matter what decade they come from, and the mysteries are not too easily solved, but keep the reader turning the page. By the end of the book, the innate goodness of the main characters overcomes any other characterizations .
Can you call a book about murder gentle? Georgette is a gentle woman with a sharp sense of humor and eyes that see every detail. The two books she has published reveal the depth of her observations of the people in her little English villiage, who are extremely upset at having their secrets revealed. If they had any idea that she was the author, Georgette knows she would be shunned. In the meantime, a new woman has moved into the village and tried to become a part of the neighborhood by becoming one of the characters, the nosey busybody. At the same time, someone has begun to blackmail some villagers. When Miss Schmitt is poisoned, is it related to the blackmail? At the same time, Charles has come courting, Joseph courts Marion, and Georgette wonders if it might be time to move to another village.
There is very little other than costuming and veiled references to an economic downturn to specify this series takes place in the 1930s. Nevertheless, these characters are interesting enough no matter what decade they come from, and the mysteries are not too easily solved, but keep the reader turning the page. By the end of the book, the innate goodness of the main characters overcomes any other characterizations .
August 16, 2019
The image we present to others may not be what we see in a mirror.
Another great read about an idyllic looking village that has tensions and passions hidden in the souls of the residents. A village that resembles the villages in Miss Read's works but with a twist of Miss Marple. The characters are gentile on the outside but have hidden depths that they do not show to the world.
Her second book is a rip roaring success and her friendship with the young girl is growing. However her publisher and the detective have been absent for a while and the two women think they have been forgotten by them until they come to 'relax' in the village. Only to find one newcomer is trying to find out the secrets hidden away, blackmail notes floating about, poisoning, murder and two women that doubt the men's attentions. Can they find out who killed the nosy woman? Is it the blackmailer or one of the victims? Can she continue to live in the village that has seething emotions floating under it's calm exterior?
Another great read about an idyllic looking village that has tensions and passions hidden in the souls of the residents. A village that resembles the villages in Miss Read's works but with a twist of Miss Marple. The characters are gentile on the outside but have hidden depths that they do not show to the world.
Her second book is a rip roaring success and her friendship with the young girl is growing. However her publisher and the detective have been absent for a while and the two women think they have been forgotten by them until they come to 'relax' in the village. Only to find one newcomer is trying to find out the secrets hidden away, blackmail notes floating about, poisoning, murder and two women that doubt the men's attentions. Can they find out who killed the nosy woman? Is it the blackmailer or one of the victims? Can she continue to live in the village that has seething emotions floating under it's calm exterior?
January 4, 2021
Death Witnessed is part of the cozy series, "Poison Ink Mysteries" by Beth Byers. In the second book, the main characters develop in depth of personality and in their relationships, and we can predict plausible outcomes for them as the series unfolds. The heroine, Georgette, comes in to her own by asserting her true self, and she begins to feel less and less comfortable with her shy and slightly stupefied false persona. The mystery itself somehow seems secondary to the romance in this novel, which is fine by me, as long as we never have to follow Georgette and Charles into the bedroom. The psychological portraits drawn are intriguing, and for the most part, ring true. Byers plays with themes of loneliness, fantasy, and motivation in a gentle sort of way. Yes, someone dies and others feel threatened, but in the end, the culprit is no one we particularly care about. And that is as it should be in a cozy novel.
September 13, 2021
I wasn't very impressed with the first book in the series, but decided to give the second one a try and I am so glad that I did ... this just might be a series worth reading!
The books are short and quick to read and center around a young girl living in a time when jobs didn't exist for young women of good families with no one to care for them. They either became ladies companions or librarians if those jobs could even be found at that time. Instead Georgette Marsh writes a book about the people in her village of Bards Crook ... a brutally honest book that becomes a best seller.
The books are short and quick to read and center around a young girl living in a time when jobs didn't exist for young women of good families with no one to care for them. They either became ladies companions or librarians if those jobs could even be found at that time. Instead Georgette Marsh writes a book about the people in her village of Bards Crook ... a brutally honest book that becomes a best seller.
July 2, 2019
I fell in total love with the first book in this series, and
Subsequently I love all of this series. The protagonist is a lovely character with such voice, one can actually picture oneself as being her. There are many characters, and all of them are filled out fully, so that the feeling of satisfaction on finishing each book is one of being fully sated. So.... sit down with a cuppa and start reading these satisfying books! You will not be disappointed!
Subsequently I love all of this series. The protagonist is a lovely character with such voice, one can actually picture oneself as being her. There are many characters, and all of them are filled out fully, so that the feeling of satisfaction on finishing each book is one of being fully sated. So.... sit down with a cuppa and start reading these satisfying books! You will not be disappointed!
April 16, 2021
Awww
This installment successfully builds on Book 1. We learn more about the " old maid" Rosie Marsh. The author makes her a believable character and not a caricature. The murder mystery serves as an excellent means to explore and delve into the relationships of her new friends. The burgeoning relationship between her and her book publisher is believable and not forced or rushed. Can't wait to read what happens next.
This installment successfully builds on Book 1. We learn more about the " old maid" Rosie Marsh. The author makes her a believable character and not a caricature. The murder mystery serves as an excellent means to explore and delve into the relationships of her new friends. The burgeoning relationship between her and her book publisher is believable and not forced or rushed. Can't wait to read what happens next.
December 14, 2022
Another winner in a new and lovely series!
I loved this story and identity strongly with the character of Georgette only from the male point of view. People see an old, grumpy, and homely person, and I have done nothing to dissuade their opinion. But this story is NOT about me. It is about a much more lovely character. The plot is easily followed, the characters are richly full of life, and the story is both heart rending and life affirming. I highly recommend this book!
I loved this story and identity strongly with the character of Georgette only from the male point of view. People see an old, grumpy, and homely person, and I have done nothing to dissuade their opinion. But this story is NOT about me. It is about a much more lovely character. The plot is easily followed, the characters are richly full of life, and the story is both heart rending and life affirming. I highly recommend this book!
June 12, 2019
The under current of village life, makes a great novel, until it leads to murder..
A new series that I read one book and can't wait to read the next. Set in an era when women are getting their rights, yet so many things remain the same as far as how women are treated. Well written with insight to many issues that still plaque women to day.
A new series that I read one book and can't wait to read the next. Set in an era when women are getting their rights, yet so many things remain the same as far as how women are treated. Well written with insight to many issues that still plaque women to day.
July 10, 2019
Excellent!
Second book in series is as good as the first! Georgette Marsh has written 2 more books but her neighbors in the village still do not know she is the author. More antics among the people as some are being blackmailed. With her friends Melanie, Charles, Eunice, and Scotland Yard Detective Joe, they determine what is haunting their village. Great cozy mystery!
Second book in series is as good as the first! Georgette Marsh has written 2 more books but her neighbors in the village still do not know she is the author. More antics among the people as some are being blackmailed. With her friends Melanie, Charles, Eunice, and Scotland Yard Detective Joe, they determine what is haunting their village. Great cozy mystery!
July 10, 2019
A Gentle and a warm Cozy
This series, so far, makes the Hallmark movies seem like hard boiled mysteries. The characters seem true to the time period which would be considered old fashioned and slow and unsophisticated today. So pleasant and nice to read after a series restful and difficult day. I am joyed it and am now starting the next one!
This series, so far, makes the Hallmark movies seem like hard boiled mysteries. The characters seem true to the time period which would be considered old fashioned and slow and unsophisticated today. So pleasant and nice to read after a series restful and difficult day. I am joyed it and am now starting the next one!
September 27, 2019
Thoroughly good read
Charming, comforting , heartwarming. Ms Byers' leading lady shines through the stories. The plots are uncomplicated but interesting. However, it would be nice to know more about the setting and secondary characters. Great stress buster books. Bubbly bath, glass of wine and just let the story float over you.
Charming, comforting , heartwarming. Ms Byers' leading lady shines through the stories. The plots are uncomplicated but interesting. However, it would be nice to know more about the setting and secondary characters. Great stress buster books. Bubbly bath, glass of wine and just let the story float over you.
April 3, 2022
Miss Marple in Bards Crook
Love LOVE LOVE the characters. Byers is a master at character creation. Book 2 was even better than Book 1. I saw Miss Marple play out in Georgette this time giving her a new, deeper dimension. Endings w love, forgiveness and sharing good fortune is even better!
Love LOVE LOVE the characters. Byers is a master at character creation. Book 2 was even better than Book 1. I saw Miss Marple play out in Georgette this time giving her a new, deeper dimension. Endings w love, forgiveness and sharing good fortune is even better!
June 22, 2019
Good Mystery
A good mystery, though I didn’t feel any of the characters were really filled out except the “heroine”, which may be due to my missing book 2 when this is book 3. Still it was enjoyable.
A good mystery, though I didn’t feel any of the characters were really filled out except the “heroine”, which may be due to my missing book 2 when this is book 3. Still it was enjoyable.
March 19, 2020
The saga of "the book" continues as a newcomer to the village tries to insert herself into the daily lives of the others. She insists that she is the model for a new troublesome character in the sequel. Sadly it proves to be a fatal lie.
August 2, 2022
Cozy mystery with tortured heroine
Just quirky enough to hold my interest. Interesting take on the psychological effects of the subjugation of women woven into English country mystery.
Just quirky enough to hold my interest. Interesting take on the psychological effects of the subjugation of women woven into English country mystery.
April 14, 2023
Love this series!
Another book written by Georgette and more gossiping and death. Meanwhile Mr. Aaron and his nephew are back in the quaint village.
Trying to woo once again the writer and her friend.
Another book written by Georgette and more gossiping and death. Meanwhile Mr. Aaron and his nephew are back in the quaint village.
Trying to woo once again the writer and her friend.
September 26, 2023
Death Witnessed 📕book 2
Delightful little murder mystery with quirky and sassy characters that bring the story to life .Secrets,blackmail , and murder .For me, the author weaves a wonderful tale and being invisible ❣️💃🏻😉
Delightful little murder mystery with quirky and sassy characters that bring the story to life .Secrets,blackmail , and murder .For me, the author weaves a wonderful tale and being invisible ❣️💃🏻😉
August 24, 2019
Enjoying this series!
November 6, 2019
Great Series
Ms. Byers has done it again. Love her style and wit. Can't wait to read the next book. Looking forward to reading all her books.
Ms. Byers has done it again. Love her style and wit. Can't wait to read the next book. Looking forward to reading all her books.
January 4, 2021
Love this series
I started to read this series almost by accident, Andy such a lovely accident it is. Good story, great plot and Georgie is a truly a lovely character.
I started to read this series almost by accident, Andy such a lovely accident it is. Good story, great plot and Georgie is a truly a lovely character.
March 28, 2021
Really love this series
So far one of my favorite series of books by Beth Byers. I’m going to have to read the rest without any sleep. Great little mysteries
So far one of my favorite series of books by Beth Byers. I’m going to have to read the rest without any sleep. Great little mysteries
November 30, 2021
Great series
Enjoy these books very mych, and the change actors and the kindness and the hope at the end. This is one of my favorite author
Enjoy these books very mych, and the change actors and the kindness and the hope at the end. This is one of my favorite author
November 30, 2021
Good story
I am a fan of stories in which the female does not wait to be saved. The mystery is rather obvious aolutiiin
I am a fan of stories in which the female does not wait to be saved. The mystery is rather obvious aolutiiin
February 5, 2022
Simply good
Light, enjoyable read. I like Miss Marsh a lot thanks to the writer's subtle but skilled development of her character. Now on to Book Three...
Light, enjoyable read. I like Miss Marsh a lot thanks to the writer's subtle but skilled development of her character. Now on to Book Three...
April 10, 2022
Georgette finds love
Charles tells Georgette that he loves her and she may just believe him. Joseph has fallen for Mariana, and she loves him too.
Charles tells Georgette that he loves her and she may just believe him. Joseph has fallen for Mariana, and she loves him too.
December 23, 2022
fun cozy mystery
A fun lightweight read for vacation time. Believable characters, real human foibles, Jane Austen references…what’s not to like? I’m enjoying the series.
A fun lightweight read for vacation time. Believable characters, real human foibles, Jane Austen references…what’s not to like? I’m enjoying the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews