What do you think?
Rate this book
Armitage Black #1
Death By Curiosity
Everyone knows that witches aren't real.
And yet when the sleepy village of Habely is rocked by a series of bizarre murders and James Pettyfer is arrested after being caught whilst disposing of the bodies, he claims that he was made to do it by Elodia Knight - a lady who's capable of magic and can get into other people's souls.
While everyone else is sceptical of the claims, local Police Typist Armitage Black is nothing but intrigued about what's going on. Ignoring the warnings of her best friend, Angie Fallows, and the reprimands from Detectives investigating the case, Armitage delves into her own enquiries about what Knight is up to and why she's doing it - but the more she finds out, the more questions she has.
Armitage is determined to get to the bottom of Knight's plan and work out how she's making herself appear to be a witch - but Knight won't let anything stop her from achieving what she set out to do. As Armitage becomes more and more involved in the case, she finds herself becoming a target of Knight - and becomes embroiled in a battle of wits and determination that has the highest of stakes to everyone involved.
And yet when the sleepy village of Habely is rocked by a series of bizarre murders and James Pettyfer is arrested after being caught whilst disposing of the bodies, he claims that he was made to do it by Elodia Knight - a lady who's capable of magic and can get into other people's souls.
While everyone else is sceptical of the claims, local Police Typist Armitage Black is nothing but intrigued about what's going on. Ignoring the warnings of her best friend, Angie Fallows, and the reprimands from Detectives investigating the case, Armitage delves into her own enquiries about what Knight is up to and why she's doing it - but the more she finds out, the more questions she has.
Armitage is determined to get to the bottom of Knight's plan and work out how she's making herself appear to be a witch - but Knight won't let anything stop her from achieving what she set out to do. As Armitage becomes more and more involved in the case, she finds herself becoming a target of Knight - and becomes embroiled in a battle of wits and determination that has the highest of stakes to everyone involved.
386 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2015
11 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
June 24, 2020
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The concept of this book immediately caught my attention. Armitage Black is a self-appointed detective investigating murders linked to a woman claiming to harness witchcraft. Armitage was a well developed main character who had huge personality. I loved her witty internal monologues and sassy side comments. However, her intense curiosity was frustrating at times. This book is so appropriately named because, honestly, how is Armitage not dead from some of the situations she was in! Also, she should have gone to the hospital at least three times. I do have to give her major props though because she was an awesome fighter.
I don’t usually read mysteries, but I have been watching a lot of criminal minds, so some parts were predictable. But hey, I liked the book none the less. Toward the end, I was definitely on the edge of my seat and I liked the cute haters to lovers side plot.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a light hearted crime mystery novel.
The concept of this book immediately caught my attention. Armitage Black is a self-appointed detective investigating murders linked to a woman claiming to harness witchcraft. Armitage was a well developed main character who had huge personality. I loved her witty internal monologues and sassy side comments. However, her intense curiosity was frustrating at times. This book is so appropriately named because, honestly, how is Armitage not dead from some of the situations she was in! Also, she should have gone to the hospital at least three times. I do have to give her major props though because she was an awesome fighter.
I don’t usually read mysteries, but I have been watching a lot of criminal minds, so some parts were predictable. But hey, I liked the book none the less. Toward the end, I was definitely on the edge of my seat and I liked the cute haters to lovers side plot.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a light hearted crime mystery novel.
May 8, 2020
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mystery is definitely not one of the genres I read often—or at all, for the most part. I’m not quite sure why I don’t read them; after all, I’m the daughter of a police officer and I enjoy watching true crime shows in my free time. But I was very surprised when I was offered an ARC in the mystery genre. Out of curiosity, I accepted it and I am very glad that I did.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but a light-hearted, mystery comedy was definitely not it. Comedy is also a genre I do not read often. I don’t think this book is actually considered a comedy but it was definitely funny enough to be one!
Armitage Black is a nosy human being, so when a series of bizarre murders happens in her relatively peaceful small town, she all too quickly gets wrapped up in figuring out what exactly is going on. When a man is caught dumping one of the bodies, he claims he was made to do it by a witch. Obviously Armitage knows witches can’t exist—so she can’t help but wonder how this supposed witch is pulling all of this off. With her adorable black lab, Squidge, and her best friend, Angie, Armitage begins her personal investigations on the “witch”, making a certain grumpy police officer very upset.
Needless to say, Armitage gets herself into some very dangerous situations. And yet she just can’t stop wanting to know how this “witch” is pulling all of this off. The result is extremely comical. Between her crazy ideas and the way she drove everyone else around her nuts with her constant meddling, I was laughing out loud on numerous occasions during this book! I’m pretty sure the title of this book is going to be written on Armitage’s tombstone one day!
The actual mystery behind the whole thing was also interesting to follow. The characters had the difficult job of finding out how Elodia, the witch, was making what she did seem magical. Watching them piece it together, and more specifically, watching Armitage do some crazy things to figure it out, was really fun and also really clever on the author’s part!
If you’re looking for something entertaining and funny to read, I’d suggest taking the time to read this book! It’s a light-hearted and hysterical story about a nosy girl getting way too involved in a beyond bizarre murder case—what’s not to love? Personally, I might have to start looking into this genre a bit more, considering that I really liked this book! (Luckily, this book appears to be a series so I’m excited to see what stupid crazy things Armitage gets herself into in the next one!)
Mystery is definitely not one of the genres I read often—or at all, for the most part. I’m not quite sure why I don’t read them; after all, I’m the daughter of a police officer and I enjoy watching true crime shows in my free time. But I was very surprised when I was offered an ARC in the mystery genre. Out of curiosity, I accepted it and I am very glad that I did.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but a light-hearted, mystery comedy was definitely not it. Comedy is also a genre I do not read often. I don’t think this book is actually considered a comedy but it was definitely funny enough to be one!
Armitage Black is a nosy human being, so when a series of bizarre murders happens in her relatively peaceful small town, she all too quickly gets wrapped up in figuring out what exactly is going on. When a man is caught dumping one of the bodies, he claims he was made to do it by a witch. Obviously Armitage knows witches can’t exist—so she can’t help but wonder how this supposed witch is pulling all of this off. With her adorable black lab, Squidge, and her best friend, Angie, Armitage begins her personal investigations on the “witch”, making a certain grumpy police officer very upset.
Needless to say, Armitage gets herself into some very dangerous situations. And yet she just can’t stop wanting to know how this “witch” is pulling all of this off. The result is extremely comical. Between her crazy ideas and the way she drove everyone else around her nuts with her constant meddling, I was laughing out loud on numerous occasions during this book! I’m pretty sure the title of this book is going to be written on Armitage’s tombstone one day!
The actual mystery behind the whole thing was also interesting to follow. The characters had the difficult job of finding out how Elodia, the witch, was making what she did seem magical. Watching them piece it together, and more specifically, watching Armitage do some crazy things to figure it out, was really fun and also really clever on the author’s part!
If you’re looking for something entertaining and funny to read, I’d suggest taking the time to read this book! It’s a light-hearted and hysterical story about a nosy girl getting way too involved in a beyond bizarre murder case—what’s not to love? Personally, I might have to start looking into this genre a bit more, considering that I really liked this book! (Luckily, this book appears to be a series so I’m excited to see what stupid crazy things Armitage gets herself into in the next one!)
June 23, 2020
I’d like to thank Lisa for extending me a copy of her book in exchange of an honest review.
Mystery is not a genre I tend to favor, but Death by Curiosity was a gem of a book.
I thoroughly enjoyed how entertaining the story line was and the richness of the main character’s thoughts. She was hilarious, witty and her personality was larger than life.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys:
✔️Murder mystery novels with a great deal of comic relief thrown in
✔️A hilarious and nosey heroine
✔️ Enemies to Lovers*
* I loved the dynamic between Hathaway and Armitage, the romance that erupts between the two does not take center stage, but we get to see how it manifests itself and grows through the sweetest gestures.
Mystery is not a genre I tend to favor, but Death by Curiosity was a gem of a book.
I thoroughly enjoyed how entertaining the story line was and the richness of the main character’s thoughts. She was hilarious, witty and her personality was larger than life.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys:
✔️Murder mystery novels with a great deal of comic relief thrown in
✔️A hilarious and nosey heroine
✔️ Enemies to Lovers*
* I loved the dynamic between Hathaway and Armitage, the romance that erupts between the two does not take center stage, but we get to see how it manifests itself and grows through the sweetest gestures.
July 5, 2020
This book is a combination of mystery and humor. The main character Armitage is a curious being; this leads her to many circumstances that are both funny and thrilling. I mean, if there is a rumor that a witch is murdering the people in the community, trust me when I say I will stay behind authorities—just kidding. I will probably be as curious myself and get involved, but Armitage possessed a different kind of analytical mind and great sarcasm. The author’s writing style is good; the characters are great. It kept me interested from start to finish. I like it.
June 6, 2023
When a series of murder happen in Armitage’s town, rumoured to be committed by a witch who gets people to do her dirty work, it naturally piques Armitage’s interest until she decides to become involved and get to the bottom of these murders.
It felt like this book was a bit longer than it needed to be in places where it felt long winded and I just kept wanting the book to get to the point a bit faster. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending as I did want it to end differently with the culprit. Also, I wasn’t a fan of the Harry Potter reference and the use of a derogatory slur against the disabled community, which I hope does get taken out. It really disgusted me to see it used. There were also scenarios in this book which really didn’t make any sense to me, which made the book feel very unrealistic at times.
Although, apart from the above points, I did enjoy the story, the romance (although at times it was annoying and very slow) and the friendships, especially Angie and Armitage’s. I think the ending worked well for the set up of the next book, Damned Curious, which I am intrigued to read.
⚠️ CWs: Murder, child neglect, absent parent, profanity, alcohol use, derogatory language and slur, suicide, blood, kidnapping, physical assault, vomiting, death; mentions guns cannibalism, drug use and torture ⚠️
* Thank you to Lisa for sending me an ARC of this book! For full transparency, I did originally rate this book 4 stars but in reflection, I decided to change the rating to 3⭐️ because of the aforementioned points *
It felt like this book was a bit longer than it needed to be in places where it felt long winded and I just kept wanting the book to get to the point a bit faster. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending as I did want it to end differently with the culprit. Also, I wasn’t a fan of the Harry Potter reference and the use of a derogatory slur against the disabled community, which I hope does get taken out. It really disgusted me to see it used. There were also scenarios in this book which really didn’t make any sense to me, which made the book feel very unrealistic at times.
Although, apart from the above points, I did enjoy the story, the romance (although at times it was annoying and very slow) and the friendships, especially Angie and Armitage’s. I think the ending worked well for the set up of the next book, Damned Curious, which I am intrigued to read.
⚠️ CWs: Murder, child neglect, absent parent, profanity, alcohol use, derogatory language and slur, suicide, blood, kidnapping, physical assault, vomiting, death; mentions guns cannibalism, drug use and torture ⚠️
* Thank you to Lisa for sending me an ARC of this book! For full transparency, I did originally rate this book 4 stars but in reflection, I decided to change the rating to 3⭐️ because of the aforementioned points *
February 18, 2020
http://onebookmore.com/2020/02/17/rev...
I want to thank Ms. Matthews for giving me a copy of her book. An interesting and suspenseful story, this is the first piece in the Armitage Black Book series.
Armitage Black is a great protagonist. Curious and intrigued by a recent case of murder, Armitage thinks she can find out more about the case. She knows something is not right with Elodia Knight, and she pushes until she finds out the truth. She puts herself at great personal risk and does this even though her friends and colleagues warn her not to. I appreciate her determination, her stubbornness, and her compulsive search for the truth. She shows a strength of character that I like in a protagonist. She’s also funny and intelligent with a quick wit.
Other characters in the story are as well created as Armitage. Angie, Luke, Hadaway and even Elodia Knight, the antagonist, have dynamic and distinct personalities.
In addition to the strong character development, the plot of this story is interesting as well. It is a well-paced and unique story that has a few surprising twists. Through most of the book I had as many questions as Armitage, and I liked that the story wasn’t completely predictable and that it was filled with suspense.
Favorite Parts:
- a strong and smart protagonist
- a well-developed plot
- dynamic, well-rounded characters
- suspenseful
Recommendations:
Readers who enjoy suspenseful thrillers will enjoy this book. It will also appeal to people who like a strong, determined, and curious protagonist who won’t stop until the mystery is solved.
I want to thank Ms. Matthews for giving me a copy of her book. An interesting and suspenseful story, this is the first piece in the Armitage Black Book series.
Armitage Black is a great protagonist. Curious and intrigued by a recent case of murder, Armitage thinks she can find out more about the case. She knows something is not right with Elodia Knight, and she pushes until she finds out the truth. She puts herself at great personal risk and does this even though her friends and colleagues warn her not to. I appreciate her determination, her stubbornness, and her compulsive search for the truth. She shows a strength of character that I like in a protagonist. She’s also funny and intelligent with a quick wit.
Other characters in the story are as well created as Armitage. Angie, Luke, Hadaway and even Elodia Knight, the antagonist, have dynamic and distinct personalities.
In addition to the strong character development, the plot of this story is interesting as well. It is a well-paced and unique story that has a few surprising twists. Through most of the book I had as many questions as Armitage, and I liked that the story wasn’t completely predictable and that it was filled with suspense.
Favorite Parts:
- a strong and smart protagonist
- a well-developed plot
- dynamic, well-rounded characters
- suspenseful
Recommendations:
Readers who enjoy suspenseful thrillers will enjoy this book. It will also appeal to people who like a strong, determined, and curious protagonist who won’t stop until the mystery is solved.
June 2, 2020
I was provided with a copy of Death by Curiosity in exchange for an honest review.
There are a few things about the book that made me wish it had been edited (not just for misspellings as Lisa has indicated that these are being fixed and to be honest, there's none so bad as to ruin my enjoyment). Rather, the main character needed a bit of work. I enjoyed the secondary characters very much but Tidge did my head in a few times. A few scenes dragged a bit (Knight kept showing up and was more interesting 'off screen').
The cover and name would have seen me not pick up this book if I had not been contacted, which would have been my misfortune. Yes, I know, I know, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but let's be realistic... The cover lets the book down because it's actually really enjoyable. It's a short little mystery that's almost like reading a particularly interesting blog (not a negative, I really enjoyed this). Death by Curiosity reminded me of those 90s mysteries like Jonathan Creek, and I love Jonathon Creek.
I think, with a few edits, this could easily be a 4 star read and certainly look forward to the series (I'm presuming as the ending hints at a series). I could see myself picking up random books of the series to read over a rainy weekend.
There are a few things about the book that made me wish it had been edited (not just for misspellings as Lisa has indicated that these are being fixed and to be honest, there's none so bad as to ruin my enjoyment). Rather, the main character needed a bit of work. I enjoyed the secondary characters very much but Tidge did my head in a few times. A few scenes dragged a bit (Knight kept showing up and was more interesting 'off screen').
The cover and name would have seen me not pick up this book if I had not been contacted, which would have been my misfortune. Yes, I know, I know, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but let's be realistic... The cover lets the book down because it's actually really enjoyable. It's a short little mystery that's almost like reading a particularly interesting blog (not a negative, I really enjoyed this). Death by Curiosity reminded me of those 90s mysteries like Jonathan Creek, and I love Jonathon Creek.
I think, with a few edits, this could easily be a 4 star read and certainly look forward to the series (I'm presuming as the ending hints at a series). I could see myself picking up random books of the series to read over a rainy weekend.
July 26, 2020
Thanks to the author for exchanging this book for an honest review. This book is unlike anything else I have read before.
Armitage Black is too nosey for her own good, when something piques her interest she just HAS to know everything about it. So when murders start happening in the quiet town of Habeley with an apparent 'witch' behind them, she finds herself more involved and in danger than anyone saw coming. Who is committing the murders? Why are they happening? Why do people think there is a witch in town? Are witches real, and if not, how has she convinced evedyone that she is one?
This book is delightfully funny whilst also being serious. There's murders, fights, injuries, mysteries and a whole lot of sherry. What else could you ask for in a book?
There are some mistakes in the book which the author is aware of and is working towards rectifying (they could already be rectified by now as I have an early copy). Even still, they didn't stop me enjoying the story!
Armitage Black is too nosey for her own good, when something piques her interest she just HAS to know everything about it. So when murders start happening in the quiet town of Habeley with an apparent 'witch' behind them, she finds herself more involved and in danger than anyone saw coming. Who is committing the murders? Why are they happening? Why do people think there is a witch in town? Are witches real, and if not, how has she convinced evedyone that she is one?
This book is delightfully funny whilst also being serious. There's murders, fights, injuries, mysteries and a whole lot of sherry. What else could you ask for in a book?
There are some mistakes in the book which the author is aware of and is working towards rectifying (they could already be rectified by now as I have an early copy). Even still, they didn't stop me enjoying the story!
June 6, 2020
I was lucky enough to to receive an ARC of this book from the author for a fair and honest review.
This is a fun book and the main characters in the book are all really likeable, especially Armitage. Armitage is strong, confident, sassy and very nosey! Some of the scenes are really laugh out loud funny, which was really nice. This book I thought was a really visual book and very descriptive, if sometimes slow in places, and I couldn’t help thinking it would work well as a TV show. The best way I can describe it is as a cross between Bridget Jones and Hot Fuzz. I am would be definitely be interested in following Armitage on more adventures!
This is a fun book and the main characters in the book are all really likeable, especially Armitage. Armitage is strong, confident, sassy and very nosey! Some of the scenes are really laugh out loud funny, which was really nice. This book I thought was a really visual book and very descriptive, if sometimes slow in places, and I couldn’t help thinking it would work well as a TV show. The best way I can describe it is as a cross between Bridget Jones and Hot Fuzz. I am would be definitely be interested in following Armitage on more adventures!
June 15, 2020
Thank you, Lisa, for sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review. Here goes:
Death by Curiosity is a hilarious, page-turning mystery that I could not put down for the couple of days it took me to finish it. I loved how Armitage, the main character, was super nosey and kept doing exactly the opposite she was told. The book talks about witchcraft and I did not know what to make of it at first, but it is so hilariously written, you have to read it! At times I did feel as if the story was dragging a bit, but most parts of the book made me just read it compulsively. A very enjoyable, laugh-along story, told and written with a ton of humor. I highly recommend you read it and I cannot wait for the series :)
Death by Curiosity is a hilarious, page-turning mystery that I could not put down for the couple of days it took me to finish it. I loved how Armitage, the main character, was super nosey and kept doing exactly the opposite she was told. The book talks about witchcraft and I did not know what to make of it at first, but it is so hilariously written, you have to read it! At times I did feel as if the story was dragging a bit, but most parts of the book made me just read it compulsively. A very enjoyable, laugh-along story, told and written with a ton of humor. I highly recommend you read it and I cannot wait for the series :)
June 9, 2020
I love murder mystery stories, so I was delighted to have the chance to read this book. The writing style is easy to follow and engaging, the plot was suspenseful and intriguing and it's fair to say I enjoyed this story very much.
Armitage Black reminded me a lot of Nancy Drew. She is strong-headed, feisty and determined to uncover the mystery behind the murders that have been happening in her town. She has good instincts and a good eye for detail, and once she sets her mind on something she'll see it through to the end.
The protagonist is well portrayed and relatable. I loved the magic elements, the added humour and banter between the characters. The action developed at a fair pace, leaving room for an intricate plot to develop. While there were moments that we're predictable there was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me guessing. A lovely debut novel, that I would recommend to everyone who loves murder fiction!
*Many thanks to the author for gifting me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Armitage Black reminded me a lot of Nancy Drew. She is strong-headed, feisty and determined to uncover the mystery behind the murders that have been happening in her town. She has good instincts and a good eye for detail, and once she sets her mind on something she'll see it through to the end.
The protagonist is well portrayed and relatable. I loved the magic elements, the added humour and banter between the characters. The action developed at a fair pace, leaving room for an intricate plot to develop. While there were moments that we're predictable there was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me guessing. A lovely debut novel, that I would recommend to everyone who loves murder fiction!
*Many thanks to the author for gifting me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 25, 2022
These two mystery books were outstanding. Highly descriptive with a lot of thought put into the storylines, I was thrilled to read something outside of the usual crime novel. Armitage was a fun main character and I admired her for pushing on to solve both cases, especially when she didn't need to and had injured herself more than once. Supporting characters of her friends, police force personnel and her love interest were also incredibly likeable. Always the sucker for a good romance, I kept waiting for Armitage and Hadaway to get together! And with so much built up tension, the wait was so worth it!
If you enjoy mysteries and crime thrillers, I highly recommend this series by Lisa Matthews. Thank you so much to the author for copies of both of your books. I am really hoping there's a new book being added to this series!
If you enjoy mysteries and crime thrillers, I highly recommend this series by Lisa Matthews. Thank you so much to the author for copies of both of your books. I am really hoping there's a new book being added to this series!
August 4, 2020
Death By Curiosity had me in stitches. I went in expecting a mystery with a witchcraft twist, and I just wasn't ready for the level of humour. I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the story! This is a mystery novel like no other.
The story follows Armitage Black, a nosey and very stubborn self-appointed detective, as she tries to uncover a local murder by a woman claiming she is a witch. Armitage is having none of it! And so off she goes, completely ignoring the polices efforts (or lack of in this case) and doing her own homework. I love her inner monologue, and the way the story reads as though Armitage is telling you as a friend how things unfold. The language she uses and her sassy ways are just brilliant and most definitely make up for her stubborn and interfering ways.
Can Armitage PLEASE just become a police officer! Haha. She has an apparent lack of faith with the police force and she plays by her own rules - which gets her in a few scrapes. Honestly the injuries that girl gets along the way! But her nosiness knows no bounds. She's absolutely mental, but aren't all the best people?
I'm used to quite heavy mystery/crime novels, so this did seem a touch to easy the way everything panned out. However, it was the perfect light-hearted mystery novel and I didn't need to keep my light on while I slept, so that's a bonus!
There were a few spelling mistakes, which I can happily over look, especially after finding out that the book is being edited as we speak. A few parts felt unanswered, but I'm super picky and I need every damn thing to be rounded out, even when they don't matter - like the parts I'm talking out. They add to the mystery though, and in my opinion I love how it's left to your own interpretation in some places.
One thing you take from this book, is that a glass of sherry fixes everything. With that in mind, I hope Lisa accepts my cyber glass of sherry and deepest apologies for the shocking delay of posting my review after being kindly gifted a free copy of this book.
The story follows Armitage Black, a nosey and very stubborn self-appointed detective, as she tries to uncover a local murder by a woman claiming she is a witch. Armitage is having none of it! And so off she goes, completely ignoring the polices efforts (or lack of in this case) and doing her own homework. I love her inner monologue, and the way the story reads as though Armitage is telling you as a friend how things unfold. The language she uses and her sassy ways are just brilliant and most definitely make up for her stubborn and interfering ways.
Can Armitage PLEASE just become a police officer! Haha. She has an apparent lack of faith with the police force and she plays by her own rules - which gets her in a few scrapes. Honestly the injuries that girl gets along the way! But her nosiness knows no bounds. She's absolutely mental, but aren't all the best people?
I'm used to quite heavy mystery/crime novels, so this did seem a touch to easy the way everything panned out. However, it was the perfect light-hearted mystery novel and I didn't need to keep my light on while I slept, so that's a bonus!
There were a few spelling mistakes, which I can happily over look, especially after finding out that the book is being edited as we speak. A few parts felt unanswered, but I'm super picky and I need every damn thing to be rounded out, even when they don't matter - like the parts I'm talking out. They add to the mystery though, and in my opinion I love how it's left to your own interpretation in some places.
One thing you take from this book, is that a glass of sherry fixes everything. With that in mind, I hope Lisa accepts my cyber glass of sherry and deepest apologies for the shocking delay of posting my review after being kindly gifted a free copy of this book.
June 10, 2020
This is the second time I have read this book and the second time the author has asked me for an honest review. I originally reviewed the book when it had the previous title of Spellbound and published this review in March 2016. Since then the author has amended the story and changed certain aspects. Originally the story was about a young girl who worked for the local police force and had taken an interest in the newest investigation of mysterious deaths in her home town. The deaths had taken on an almost cult style to them. This is the main aspect of the story and has stayed the same in that respect. However, the twists and turns to get throughout the story have changed from the original story.
I was unsure how the author, who is now going by her real name of Lisa Matthews, was going to change and amend the story. The essence of the plot is the same however there are new turns and ways to get to the final.
Armitage Black is a young girl who lives with her best friend Angie and her black labrador dog Squidge. She has an interest in anything obscure or unusual. As mentioned she works for the local police force and enjoys listening and transcribing the police interviews. She takes a particular interest in a case of murder, witchcraft and cult behaviour. The suspect, Elodia Knight. A girl of similar age to Armitage who genuinely believes she is a witch. Or at least her supporters genuinely believe she is a witch. This following and genuine belief lead to a number of difficult encounters for both Armitage and Knight. They both have a number of incidents which I would have believed could have killed either of them at any point. I had forgotten how violent the situations were. I struggled to believe two people could survive such things with hardly any major injuries. I still don't understand, even after reading this book for a second time, why Knight is doing the things she is doing, why she is leading murders and what she hopes to gain from them.
Due to the author rewriting large sections of the book it is a lot clearer in sections about how things happened. Although there weren't any great plot holes previously I did feel like it flowed better this time and I was able to understand more about the character of Elodia Knight than I had before. She had previously been a bit of a mystery. Although the character of Armitage I still don't understand why she is so nosy and why she can't just let the police get on with their investigation. This was something that irritated me at times about the main character, but I understand without this there would be no key character.
The suspense of the relationship Armitage holds with the police is still there, particularly with Aidan Hadaway. The will they, won't they aspect of their relationship is still a theme which runs throughout the book which I enjoyed. It appears the only people who think they are being subtle is Armitage and Hadaway. Not so subtle to everyone else. Especially not to her best friend Angie and her boyfriend, Hadaway's colleague, Jonny.
There are certain aspects of the story I would have liked more clarification on and I am unsure whether this is something which will be developed should there be a second book or whether I am just overthinking the story. I will have to wait to see.
Overall, I did enjoy the story as I did last time. I thought the story was better written this time and more detailed and specific and I thought there were areas for development should there be a second book in a series. Although there are still a number of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors I am going to assume this is again still due to an early edition and these would not be there in a printed edition rather than the kindle version I was reading.
Rating: 7/10
10-Word-Review: Definitely an improvement and glad to have read it again.
I was unsure how the author, who is now going by her real name of Lisa Matthews, was going to change and amend the story. The essence of the plot is the same however there are new turns and ways to get to the final.
Armitage Black is a young girl who lives with her best friend Angie and her black labrador dog Squidge. She has an interest in anything obscure or unusual. As mentioned she works for the local police force and enjoys listening and transcribing the police interviews. She takes a particular interest in a case of murder, witchcraft and cult behaviour. The suspect, Elodia Knight. A girl of similar age to Armitage who genuinely believes she is a witch. Or at least her supporters genuinely believe she is a witch. This following and genuine belief lead to a number of difficult encounters for both Armitage and Knight. They both have a number of incidents which I would have believed could have killed either of them at any point. I had forgotten how violent the situations were. I struggled to believe two people could survive such things with hardly any major injuries. I still don't understand, even after reading this book for a second time, why Knight is doing the things she is doing, why she is leading murders and what she hopes to gain from them.
Due to the author rewriting large sections of the book it is a lot clearer in sections about how things happened. Although there weren't any great plot holes previously I did feel like it flowed better this time and I was able to understand more about the character of Elodia Knight than I had before. She had previously been a bit of a mystery. Although the character of Armitage I still don't understand why she is so nosy and why she can't just let the police get on with their investigation. This was something that irritated me at times about the main character, but I understand without this there would be no key character.
The suspense of the relationship Armitage holds with the police is still there, particularly with Aidan Hadaway. The will they, won't they aspect of their relationship is still a theme which runs throughout the book which I enjoyed. It appears the only people who think they are being subtle is Armitage and Hadaway. Not so subtle to everyone else. Especially not to her best friend Angie and her boyfriend, Hadaway's colleague, Jonny.
There are certain aspects of the story I would have liked more clarification on and I am unsure whether this is something which will be developed should there be a second book or whether I am just overthinking the story. I will have to wait to see.
Overall, I did enjoy the story as I did last time. I thought the story was better written this time and more detailed and specific and I thought there were areas for development should there be a second book in a series. Although there are still a number of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors I am going to assume this is again still due to an early edition and these would not be there in a printed edition rather than the kindle version I was reading.
Rating: 7/10
10-Word-Review: Definitely an improvement and glad to have read it again.
June 16, 2020
Firstly, I’d like to thank Lisa Matthews for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions expressed here are my own and are genuine.
Hands down, this was one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a while. A crime mystery of sorts, but laced with humour throughout, I was hooked from the very first page. A book very rarely gets a proper laugh out of me, the most I’ll stretch to is a sort of silent inward smile, so when this one had me laughing out loud it took both me and my husband by surprise!
When a series of brutal murders takes place in the sleepy town of Habley, it shocks the villagers to their core. But even more so when rumours start spreading that the murderer is a witch. Despite the case being investigated by a team of experienced investigators, Armitage Black can’t help but let her curiosity get the better of her and involves herself at every opportunity she can. It’s true, she’s the only one who’s ever managed to actually get close to said witch, but with each encounter resulting in a viscous fight you can’t help but wonder: is she really helping?
I found Matthews’ writing style so easy to read and I flew through this book, not wanting to put it down. The mix of mystery and comedy makes this a really unique storyline and one that just works so well.
Written in first person with all of Armitage’s inner thoughts being shared, Matthews has made her very quippy and so endearing. Think Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag, working a desk job for the police force. Nosy, sarcastic, and never knowing when to stop, she’s by far my favourite character I’ve read this year.
In all honesty, had I seen this book in a shop I would have most likely walked straight past it. The cover just wouldn’t appeal to me at all. So this story is yet another reminder that I shouldn’t be so judgemental. I wonder how many other great stories I’m missing out on because of my closed-mindedness...
NOTE: Under usual circumstances I may have knocked off a star due to the number of grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book. However, prior to reading, Matthews informed me that she is in the process of having these edited. In actual fact, with the book being written so colloquially, the errors weren’t enough to stop me from thoroughly enjoying the book.
Hands down, this was one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a while. A crime mystery of sorts, but laced with humour throughout, I was hooked from the very first page. A book very rarely gets a proper laugh out of me, the most I’ll stretch to is a sort of silent inward smile, so when this one had me laughing out loud it took both me and my husband by surprise!
When a series of brutal murders takes place in the sleepy town of Habley, it shocks the villagers to their core. But even more so when rumours start spreading that the murderer is a witch. Despite the case being investigated by a team of experienced investigators, Armitage Black can’t help but let her curiosity get the better of her and involves herself at every opportunity she can. It’s true, she’s the only one who’s ever managed to actually get close to said witch, but with each encounter resulting in a viscous fight you can’t help but wonder: is she really helping?
I found Matthews’ writing style so easy to read and I flew through this book, not wanting to put it down. The mix of mystery and comedy makes this a really unique storyline and one that just works so well.
Written in first person with all of Armitage’s inner thoughts being shared, Matthews has made her very quippy and so endearing. Think Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag, working a desk job for the police force. Nosy, sarcastic, and never knowing when to stop, she’s by far my favourite character I’ve read this year.
In all honesty, had I seen this book in a shop I would have most likely walked straight past it. The cover just wouldn’t appeal to me at all. So this story is yet another reminder that I shouldn’t be so judgemental. I wonder how many other great stories I’m missing out on because of my closed-mindedness...
NOTE: Under usual circumstances I may have knocked off a star due to the number of grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the book. However, prior to reading, Matthews informed me that she is in the process of having these edited. In actual fact, with the book being written so colloquially, the errors weren’t enough to stop me from thoroughly enjoying the book.
June 25, 2020
I just finished this great mystery I just finished by Lisa Matthews - thanks to the author for my copy in exchange for my honest review.
First of all, I loved the narration of this book! The main character, Armitage, has such a fun voice. I was literally chuckling as I read because she has a hilarious inner dialogue and running commentary throughout.
Second, this was a really fun mystery that reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes investigation - everything is not quite what it seems! It felt like a great detective show to curl up with and figure out trick by tricky how the suspect pulled it off.
𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:
The quiet village of Hanley finds itself turned upside down by a series of strange murders that the one captured witness claims were the work of a witch - Elodia Knight. Armitage Black is a typist at the local police station and loves a good mystery. Despite warnings to stay away from the case, Armitage ropes her best friend Angie into conducting their own investigation into how this mysterious Knight is making her “magic” appear real. Armitage’s snooping leads her face to face with Knight as the stakes climb and they must solve the mystery of who Knight is, what she has planned, and how she’s doing it before another life is lost.
There were a few parts that were a bit of a struggle for me - I didn’t quite buy that the big showdown was able to take place without Knight anticipating it or how she’d gained help with her plot, and the motives of one accomplice revealed at the end didn’t quite do it for me. But in all, I really enjoyed this book and thought the characters and voice were excellent! This was a fun 4⭐️ read for me!
First of all, I loved the narration of this book! The main character, Armitage, has such a fun voice. I was literally chuckling as I read because she has a hilarious inner dialogue and running commentary throughout.
Second, this was a really fun mystery that reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes investigation - everything is not quite what it seems! It felt like a great detective show to curl up with and figure out trick by tricky how the suspect pulled it off.
𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:
The quiet village of Hanley finds itself turned upside down by a series of strange murders that the one captured witness claims were the work of a witch - Elodia Knight. Armitage Black is a typist at the local police station and loves a good mystery. Despite warnings to stay away from the case, Armitage ropes her best friend Angie into conducting their own investigation into how this mysterious Knight is making her “magic” appear real. Armitage’s snooping leads her face to face with Knight as the stakes climb and they must solve the mystery of who Knight is, what she has planned, and how she’s doing it before another life is lost.
There were a few parts that were a bit of a struggle for me - I didn’t quite buy that the big showdown was able to take place without Knight anticipating it or how she’d gained help with her plot, and the motives of one accomplice revealed at the end didn’t quite do it for me. But in all, I really enjoyed this book and thought the characters and voice were excellent! This was a fun 4⭐️ read for me!
October 11, 2020
Never judge a book by its cover, as they say. Okay, I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review (thanks to the author for trusting me with her novel), so no need to worry about covers and I didn’t take it into consideration for ranking. This is just a side comment, since the cover doesn’t do this amusing and clever mystery novel any justice and I would strongly suggest to find another designer.
Otherwise, as already indicated I enjoyed the story and this is mostly due to the voice. The first person perspective for me worked well and the MC certainly has a unique outlook on life and personality that shines through. Actually, her personality is so unique that I was surprised how Armitage survived. Talk about being lethally nosy…
The reason why I can’t give five stars is related to the editing – or lack thereof. At the moment, this novel is a bit of a rough diamond. Some of the formatting is downright whacky and not in line with industry standards. Also, the book would benefit from a professional line edit. I stumbled over some tense slips for example, which really ought to be eradicated. Voice is one thing. Correctness another. I’m referring to things like this, which is just one example among many:
“I didn’t get it.
In fact, I didn’t get it so much that it made my head hurt.
And the most frustrating part was, I’d ran out of ways to get answers to any of that.
Well, no.
That’s not quite true.
I did have one option... but I was hardly a massive fan of it.”
But apart from that this is an enjoyable and fun story and if the story got polished, I wouldn’t mind reading more.
Otherwise, as already indicated I enjoyed the story and this is mostly due to the voice. The first person perspective for me worked well and the MC certainly has a unique outlook on life and personality that shines through. Actually, her personality is so unique that I was surprised how Armitage survived. Talk about being lethally nosy…
The reason why I can’t give five stars is related to the editing – or lack thereof. At the moment, this novel is a bit of a rough diamond. Some of the formatting is downright whacky and not in line with industry standards. Also, the book would benefit from a professional line edit. I stumbled over some tense slips for example, which really ought to be eradicated. Voice is one thing. Correctness another. I’m referring to things like this, which is just one example among many:
“I didn’t get it.
In fact, I didn’t get it so much that it made my head hurt.
And the most frustrating part was, I’d ran out of ways to get answers to any of that.
Well, no.
That’s not quite true.
I did have one option... but I was hardly a massive fan of it.”
But apart from that this is an enjoyable and fun story and if the story got polished, I wouldn’t mind reading more.
May 31, 2020
I was so impressed with his book! The plot was really good and the narrative was so interesting. It’s definitely not your typical crime book! I was actually laughing mid way through it despite the crimes and that made the read even more enjoyable for me. There is a lot of suspense and action too so it literally has a bit of everything I like!
The book follows the point of view of the main character and her thought process made a really interesting read. Armitage is such a tenacious and intelligent character! Despite all the risks, it was great to see how she wouldn’t stop at anything to find the truth. Adding her sense of humour and her quirkiness, made this book so interesting and the character so relatable!
I also really enjoyed the relationships throughout the book and the interaction between characters and can’t wait to see more of what John, Angie and both the Hadaway’s have to offer! I loved how it focused on the investigation (even if it wasn’t the official one). I would perhaps like a bit more information on Armitage’s past but I guess that is something that can be explored in future books too!
Overall I really enjoyed this book, it kept me gripped from the beginning and I would highly recommend it to any fans of a great mystery and a determined protagonist kind of books, that also have a good sense of humour!
I would also like to thank Lisa Matthews for gifting me a copy of her fantastic and really interesting novel! I can’t wait to read more by this author and will be looking forward to her next books.
The book follows the point of view of the main character and her thought process made a really interesting read. Armitage is such a tenacious and intelligent character! Despite all the risks, it was great to see how she wouldn’t stop at anything to find the truth. Adding her sense of humour and her quirkiness, made this book so interesting and the character so relatable!
I also really enjoyed the relationships throughout the book and the interaction between characters and can’t wait to see more of what John, Angie and both the Hadaway’s have to offer! I loved how it focused on the investigation (even if it wasn’t the official one). I would perhaps like a bit more information on Armitage’s past but I guess that is something that can be explored in future books too!
Overall I really enjoyed this book, it kept me gripped from the beginning and I would highly recommend it to any fans of a great mystery and a determined protagonist kind of books, that also have a good sense of humour!
I would also like to thank Lisa Matthews for gifting me a copy of her fantastic and really interesting novel! I can’t wait to read more by this author and will be looking forward to her next books.
February 23, 2020
Everyone knows that witches aren't real.
And yet when the sleepy village of Habely is rocked by a series of bizarre murders and James Pettyfer is arrested after being caught whilst disposing of the bodies, he claims that he was made to do it by Elodia Knight - a lady who's capable of magic and can get into other people's souls.
Armitage Black is a very relatable, witty protagonist. Armitage is a police typist that will stop at nothing to solve the mystery of the dead bodies that keep appearing in the woods of her sleepy town. Elodia Knight is a local witch with a devious plan, AND a coven of people who worship her, and stop at nothing to see her plan through.
I enjoyed this book, and what I enjoyed most was the witty banter between Armitage and, well everyone. I related to Armitage, she was a very real protagonist that had me laughing out loud several times throughout the book.
I am giving this book a solid 4 stars. It had a strong premise and a fun story.
At some points during the book I felt overwhelmed with detail, and to get through a scene sometimes took paragraphs and paragraphs of detail, which wore me out a bit. The magical realism in the book fell flat for me, but I don't think that took away from the story.
This is a solid mystery with a great cast of relatable characters, and I will definitely be reading the next installment in the Armitage Black series.
*Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!*
And yet when the sleepy village of Habely is rocked by a series of bizarre murders and James Pettyfer is arrested after being caught whilst disposing of the bodies, he claims that he was made to do it by Elodia Knight - a lady who's capable of magic and can get into other people's souls.
Armitage Black is a very relatable, witty protagonist. Armitage is a police typist that will stop at nothing to solve the mystery of the dead bodies that keep appearing in the woods of her sleepy town. Elodia Knight is a local witch with a devious plan, AND a coven of people who worship her, and stop at nothing to see her plan through.
I enjoyed this book, and what I enjoyed most was the witty banter between Armitage and, well everyone. I related to Armitage, she was a very real protagonist that had me laughing out loud several times throughout the book.
I am giving this book a solid 4 stars. It had a strong premise and a fun story.
At some points during the book I felt overwhelmed with detail, and to get through a scene sometimes took paragraphs and paragraphs of detail, which wore me out a bit. The magical realism in the book fell flat for me, but I don't think that took away from the story.
This is a solid mystery with a great cast of relatable characters, and I will definitely be reading the next installment in the Armitage Black series.
*Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!*
June 9, 2020
Lisa Matthews - Death by Curiosity 🌟🌟🌟 3/5 ************************************************
Disclaimer: Lisa Matthews approached me via DM on instagram and offered me a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. ************************************************
Death by Curiosity is told from the perspective of Policy Typist Armitage Black. The plot revolves around some murders happening in the village of Habely, that might or might not be tied to some witch like activity from Elodia Knight. But witches don’t exist.... right?
This plot had my hooked from the start and it was well thought out and flowed amazingly well. However, a few points that let the book down in my opinion were the few spelling errors (although Lisa has told me she is getting the book proofread and these will be fixed!) and the fact that in my opinion, I didn’t exactly like Elodia as a character. Her “witchy” ways worked a lot better when she was a character people were talking about rather than a character involved in the scene I was reading. But with these spelling errors fixed this could easily be a 4/5 star read
But overall, I loved this book and I’m excited to read more in the Armitage Black series (?)
Disclaimer: Lisa Matthews approached me via DM on instagram and offered me a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. ************************************************
Death by Curiosity is told from the perspective of Policy Typist Armitage Black. The plot revolves around some murders happening in the village of Habely, that might or might not be tied to some witch like activity from Elodia Knight. But witches don’t exist.... right?
This plot had my hooked from the start and it was well thought out and flowed amazingly well. However, a few points that let the book down in my opinion were the few spelling errors (although Lisa has told me she is getting the book proofread and these will be fixed!) and the fact that in my opinion, I didn’t exactly like Elodia as a character. Her “witchy” ways worked a lot better when she was a character people were talking about rather than a character involved in the scene I was reading. But with these spelling errors fixed this could easily be a 4/5 star read
But overall, I loved this book and I’m excited to read more in the Armitage Black series (?)
June 15, 2020
Death by Curiosity follows Armitage Black, an extremely nosy Police Typist, and a string of bizarre and gruesome murders committed by elusive, self-proclaimed Witch Elodia Knight. Black can’t physically contain herself and starts her own enquiries into the murders that have shocked the small town of Habley. Getting herself into some compromising positions in the process.
Lisa does a fabulous job of making the book light hearted and funny, and I absolutely loved the main character Tidge and her trusty sidekick, the four legged Squidge. I absolutely howled with laughter in some points of the book and loved the use of local dialect, as I’m local to the area where the book is set. Her “Kneekle” in particular has to be one of my favourite bits.
If you like the idea of crime books but aren’t into the traditional blood and gore, this book is absolutely for you. The blend of crime and humour is fantastic.
The book is a strong four stars from myself, I’d have loved to have given it more but there were quite a few grammatical and spelling errors throughout, and repetition of parts I felt didn’t need to be there to add depth to the story. But in all honesty, this is all that lets the book down. The story is great, the characters have depth and progression and the description of the scenery is perfect.
Thank you Lisa for getting in touch with me and asking for my thoughts, I can’t wait for book two!!
Lisa does a fabulous job of making the book light hearted and funny, and I absolutely loved the main character Tidge and her trusty sidekick, the four legged Squidge. I absolutely howled with laughter in some points of the book and loved the use of local dialect, as I’m local to the area where the book is set. Her “Kneekle” in particular has to be one of my favourite bits.
If you like the idea of crime books but aren’t into the traditional blood and gore, this book is absolutely for you. The blend of crime and humour is fantastic.
The book is a strong four stars from myself, I’d have loved to have given it more but there were quite a few grammatical and spelling errors throughout, and repetition of parts I felt didn’t need to be there to add depth to the story. But in all honesty, this is all that lets the book down. The story is great, the characters have depth and progression and the description of the scenery is perfect.
Thank you Lisa for getting in touch with me and asking for my thoughts, I can’t wait for book two!!
June 18, 2020
Any “Murder She Wrote” fans here? If so, you should definitely check out Death By Curiosity for a character Jessica Fletcher would be proud of. Armitage Black is the nosy, overly-curious and intrusive bystander whose tag-line should be “curiosity killed the cat”. She becomes obsessed with gruesome murders by a self-proclaimed witch, Elodia Knight. Armitage hunts down clues, tackles perps, and receives injury after injury determined to find the truth of who/what is Elodia Knight.
There is so much action in this novel it was hard to put down. I liked the high octane fight scenes and fast-paced plot that pulled me along with Armitage as she figured out the mystery of Elodia. Due to the action, Armitage found herself injured repeatedly, bringing the anger and frustration of detective Aidan Hadaway. Following his and Armitage’s relationship through the novel was great, and I really enjoyed their banter and enemy/friend relationship. Another aspect that delighted me was the amount of humor in the book. Sarcastic remarks, disastrous escapes, witty discussions, and jokes took moments from serious to ridiculous pretty quickly, and I greatly enjoyed the comedic aspect. .
There were some elements that held me back. The plot got a bit repetitive with Armitage finding a clue, following it, getting in trouble, getting badly injured, being housebound, and repeat. The injuries she repeatedly sustained and her ability to bounce back are a credit to her character, but also pulled into the fantastical. Overall, it was a fun read that kept me entertained and has me interested in a sequel with many hijinks by the characters and more Aidan and Armitage development!
Thank you to the author for a copy in return for an honest review!
There is so much action in this novel it was hard to put down. I liked the high octane fight scenes and fast-paced plot that pulled me along with Armitage as she figured out the mystery of Elodia. Due to the action, Armitage found herself injured repeatedly, bringing the anger and frustration of detective Aidan Hadaway. Following his and Armitage’s relationship through the novel was great, and I really enjoyed their banter and enemy/friend relationship. Another aspect that delighted me was the amount of humor in the book. Sarcastic remarks, disastrous escapes, witty discussions, and jokes took moments from serious to ridiculous pretty quickly, and I greatly enjoyed the comedic aspect. .
There were some elements that held me back. The plot got a bit repetitive with Armitage finding a clue, following it, getting in trouble, getting badly injured, being housebound, and repeat. The injuries she repeatedly sustained and her ability to bounce back are a credit to her character, but also pulled into the fantastical. Overall, it was a fun read that kept me entertained and has me interested in a sequel with many hijinks by the characters and more Aidan and Armitage development!
Thank you to the author for a copy in return for an honest review!
June 19, 2020
Absolutely amazing! What a book!
I was intrigued from the start of the novel! The storyline was phenomenal. I was so engrossed into the book as each chapter was truly fascinating.
The book was packed with mystery, suspense, humor and sarcasm which definitely made the story even more appealing.
It was easily one of the most thrilling books I've read in a long time and it was unlike anything I've ever read before.
Armitage was one brave character and I absolutely loved how her strong personality was portrayed. The other characters Angie, Johnny, Aidan were also equally impressive. And of course Elodia Knight, the witch, was depicted exceptionally as a real uncanny secret.
Also, I definitely sensed an enemies to lovers romance between Armitage and Aidan from their first meet. I absolutely loved them!
I was smiling throughout the book and laughing out loud at so many moments! I absolutely enjoyed reading it and I'm looking forward to more books from the author!
I would like to thank the author, Lisa Matthews for so generously sending the e-copy of the book.
I was intrigued from the start of the novel! The storyline was phenomenal. I was so engrossed into the book as each chapter was truly fascinating.
The book was packed with mystery, suspense, humor and sarcasm which definitely made the story even more appealing.
It was easily one of the most thrilling books I've read in a long time and it was unlike anything I've ever read before.
Armitage was one brave character and I absolutely loved how her strong personality was portrayed. The other characters Angie, Johnny, Aidan were also equally impressive. And of course Elodia Knight, the witch, was depicted exceptionally as a real uncanny secret.
Also, I definitely sensed an enemies to lovers romance between Armitage and Aidan from their first meet. I absolutely loved them!
I was smiling throughout the book and laughing out loud at so many moments! I absolutely enjoyed reading it and I'm looking forward to more books from the author!
I would like to thank the author, Lisa Matthews for so generously sending the e-copy of the book.
May 17, 2020
I didn’t quite know what to expect with this book other than it being a mystery and was quite shocked that it included an element of comedy too. I’ve never really read anything that has an element of magical realism to it and I was surprised at how it engrossed me. It made me smile a lot, but I also found myself holding my breath at multiple points. Armitage Black, a nosy Police typist finds herself getting more and more involved in a case involving a series of murders completed by Elodia Knight, a woman claiming to be a witch. But witches aren’t real. This novel was very very fast paced, with some really graphic imagery which as a reader makes you feel like you’re there and I often felt the pain and tension. I enjoyed following Tidge’s journey through this page turner and I’m glad the ending answered all my questions with a good conclusion. There were a few spelling errors and grammatical mistakes, but this book is still being proof read and I am certain when the final version is published it’ll be a success! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Damned Curious!
May 30, 2022
Overview: This book was a fun, light-hearted and enjoyable read and I've already ordered the next one. As soon as I started reading it I was sucked in by the writing style. In fact, it's similar to my own in some ways. I loved Tidge and her inquisitive ways and I felt like I was coming along for the ride with her.
Good Points: The fact she owns a black labrador is a huge plus (I have one). I loved the relationship (or lack thereof) between Hadaway and Tidge. I may have done a little squeal of delight at the end. I liked the way the ending sets up the next book too.
Not so Good Points: The only small issue I had was that her so called best friend was actually not very supportive and began to annoy me eventually. Also, there were a few instances that were slightly crazy and I did start to question her judgement at times!
A funny twist on the crime thriller genre that's enjoyable to read. I would recommend! The second book is called Damned Curious.
Good Points: The fact she owns a black labrador is a huge plus (I have one). I loved the relationship (or lack thereof) between Hadaway and Tidge. I may have done a little squeal of delight at the end. I liked the way the ending sets up the next book too.
Not so Good Points: The only small issue I had was that her so called best friend was actually not very supportive and began to annoy me eventually. Also, there were a few instances that were slightly crazy and I did start to question her judgement at times!
A funny twist on the crime thriller genre that's enjoyable to read. I would recommend! The second book is called Damned Curious.
June 5, 2020
The back cover synopsis of this book grabbed me straight away but it sat on my bookshelf for a while before I started to read it. This was because of the small font of the book which I don’t usually like but once I’d started reading it this didn’t bother me.
The book was intriguing and kept me reading as I was swinging between whether the witch was real or not and wanted to find out. Armitage is a strong willed person which I liked and the story kept me wanting to keep picking up the book to read.
One minor flaw was the many typos in the book however this didn’t distract from the enjoyment of reading the book. Happy to extend my services as a proof reader for the next book!!!
One aspect that I didn’t really believe was that Armitage got into many fights but never seemed to get checked out medically or attend hospital. An example is I cannot see how having your head banged repeatedly against a window or boulder would not need checking out or falling from a great height didn’t involve more injuries that needed more than bed rest every time. Also she never seemed to go back to her typist job during the whole story yet never rang in sick etc.
Overall it was a very enjoyable easy read and I would recommend it to others. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
The book was intriguing and kept me reading as I was swinging between whether the witch was real or not and wanted to find out. Armitage is a strong willed person which I liked and the story kept me wanting to keep picking up the book to read.
One minor flaw was the many typos in the book however this didn’t distract from the enjoyment of reading the book. Happy to extend my services as a proof reader for the next book!!!
One aspect that I didn’t really believe was that Armitage got into many fights but never seemed to get checked out medically or attend hospital. An example is I cannot see how having your head banged repeatedly against a window or boulder would not need checking out or falling from a great height didn’t involve more injuries that needed more than bed rest every time. Also she never seemed to go back to her typist job during the whole story yet never rang in sick etc.
Overall it was a very enjoyable easy read and I would recommend it to others. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
June 14, 2020
“considering the fact that I’m basically 10% human and 90% nosiness, my curiosity was more than a little bit piqued.”
I loved the personality of Armitage Black in this book. She is a strong-willed and incredibly nosey person no matter how much trouble it gets her into! She is also super sassy and I loved being able to follow her often very blunt, but always hilarious thought process. Based on the ending, I am expecting to hear more about the adventures of the curious and determined Armitage Black!
Fair warning, there are a fair amount of grammatical and spelling issues with this book but the author made me aware that these are being worked on! With those corrections, I feel that this has serious potential to be a four star book!
Lisa Matthews provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the personality of Armitage Black in this book. She is a strong-willed and incredibly nosey person no matter how much trouble it gets her into! She is also super sassy and I loved being able to follow her often very blunt, but always hilarious thought process. Based on the ending, I am expecting to hear more about the adventures of the curious and determined Armitage Black!
Fair warning, there are a fair amount of grammatical and spelling issues with this book but the author made me aware that these are being worked on! With those corrections, I feel that this has serious potential to be a four star book!
Lisa Matthews provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2020
It has been such a long time since I've become hooked on a character as quickly as I did with Armitage Black in this book, she is sarcastic, hilarious, witty and stubbornly independent. From just a few pages in I was in fits of laughter getting to know Armitage as the story develops and draws you in. As well as being hilarious the storyline is so gripping and fast paced that you will not want to put it down and it just has everything you look for in a crime mystery novel and more thanks to the light hearted comedy and relationships between the characters. Honestly I just loved this book so much and I highly recommend it. However the reason I only gave it 4 stars is because it has some typos and missing words that do effect the flow when you're reading it but after speaking with the author these are in the process of being rectified, but overall if crime mystery novels are your thing then you need to read this book. And if you're anything like me you'll be left wishing for a sequel 🤞🏼
January 25, 2021
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! One of the best bits was the inner monologues/thoughts of the main character Armitage.
I would class it as a mystery-comedy as the crime aspect was great, serious and full of drama (and lots of fights whereby Armitage came out looking hellish, but survived!) but on the other hand, it’s full of laughter and although not classed officially as a comedy, some of the one-liners had me laughing out loud, as well as the whole ham scene, which if you’ve read it, you’ll know what I mean 😂
The only thing that I was mulling over in the back of my mind was that, if, in real life, an interview transcriber attempted to do what she had done, she’d most likely have been charged with obstruction of justice or similar and not been allowed so much interaction with the case.
I’d love another book following Armitage and Angie on their next adventure!
I really enjoyed this book! One of the best bits was the inner monologues/thoughts of the main character Armitage.
I would class it as a mystery-comedy as the crime aspect was great, serious and full of drama (and lots of fights whereby Armitage came out looking hellish, but survived!) but on the other hand, it’s full of laughter and although not classed officially as a comedy, some of the one-liners had me laughing out loud, as well as the whole ham scene, which if you’ve read it, you’ll know what I mean 😂
The only thing that I was mulling over in the back of my mind was that, if, in real life, an interview transcriber attempted to do what she had done, she’d most likely have been charged with obstruction of justice or similar and not been allowed so much interaction with the case.
I’d love another book following Armitage and Angie on their next adventure!
October 11, 2023
This was a really fun quirky book. It's a thriller / mystery but the dark humour made it feel like a lighthearted cosy read. There was quite a fun twist on the fact the suspected murderer was a so called witch. I really loved the main character, she was so well developed and funny. I reckon she'd make a great friend, although I'm not sure you could relax around her!
The whole witch business and the humour reminded me a bit of the characters and attuides in Hot Fuzz.
While this book has some great character development, there is also lots of action to keep you glued to the page and wonder what will happen and how far this main character will go to get the truth!
The ending was great. That last line was just perfect!
A great read for spooky season if you want a thriller but nothing overly dark / brutal.
The whole witch business and the humour reminded me a bit of the characters and attuides in Hot Fuzz.
While this book has some great character development, there is also lots of action to keep you glued to the page and wonder what will happen and how far this main character will go to get the truth!
The ending was great. That last line was just perfect!
A great read for spooky season if you want a thriller but nothing overly dark / brutal.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews