What do you think?
Rate this book
The Brenda and Effie Mysteries #3
Conjugal Rites
The gripping new instalment of the adventures of Brenda and Effie.
No matter what she tries to do, trouble has a way of finding Brenda. It's hardly surprising with secrets like hers. When her old adversary Mr Danby starts filling the airwaves with his late night phone in show it can only mean one thing - and sure enough best friend Effie soon finds herself up to her neck in it. But that is only the beginning; fate has an even bigger surprise in store. Romance is in the air for Brenda and, do what she will, she cannot deny that she and her man were made for each other - literally. But as usual, Brenda and Effie will face up to whatever dangers come their way with fortitude and grace: even if that means journeying to places beyond their wildest dreams.
No matter what she tries to do, trouble has a way of finding Brenda. It's hardly surprising with secrets like hers. When her old adversary Mr Danby starts filling the airwaves with his late night phone in show it can only mean one thing - and sure enough best friend Effie soon finds herself up to her neck in it. But that is only the beginning; fate has an even bigger surprise in store. Romance is in the air for Brenda and, do what she will, she cannot deny that she and her man were made for each other - literally. But as usual, Brenda and Effie will face up to whatever dangers come their way with fortitude and grace: even if that means journeying to places beyond their wildest dreams.
422 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
190 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 36 reviews
September 20, 2016
Really can't decide how I feel about these books. They're childish yet occasionally a bit too disturbing for kids books and I'm not sure who they're aimed at.
At times I find myself really enjoying the read and at other times I struggle to stick with it as it's a tad yawn or a tad ridiculous. I dunno. I guess I just really like the concept of the whole series so I stick with it and they are fairly different so that's good. I've already got the next in the series so we'll see how that one goes I guess
At times I find myself really enjoying the read and at other times I struggle to stick with it as it's a tad yawn or a tad ridiculous. I dunno. I guess I just really like the concept of the whole series so I stick with it and they are fairly different so that's good. I've already got the next in the series so we'll see how that one goes I guess
October 7, 2021
Another great instalment of the Brenda and Effie Mystery seeing the two supernatural crime solving misfits reconnect with old man friends and end up in hell. They also go up once again against the infamous Mrs Claus. Great story and such a funny read. If you love supernatural crime fighting stories this series is for you 😄
Read
December 23, 2022I’m guilty of putting books I buy on the back burner, it really is a bad habit to get into as I keep missing out on reading books like this one earlier.
The good thing about reviewing though it that getting hassled by a publicist (actually that’s really not true) but getting informed that a new book is out is always a good motivator to catch up. So realising that Hell’s Belles was coming out and I’d let Something Borrowed and Conjugal Rites sit on the shelf too long I thought I’d better catch up.
Now it’s really really rare for me to start a book on a Friday and have it ready by the Monday, though strangely it happened with A Touch of Dead… but I couldn’t stop reading this one.
I have the feeling that Magrs doesn’t want to give Brenda and Effie an easy life nor does he seem to condone resetting events after a mystery is solved (I’ll have to ask him about that though).
Events in this spooky mystery pick up from the very ominous ending of Something Borrowed. We also get the return of Mr Dandy who this time is working on a late night call-in radio show, which has the residents of Whitby so captivated that they are listening all through the night.
This causes more than a bit of tension between Brenda and Effie, as things are being said that probably shouldn’t be shared, at least with everyone listening.
This though isn’t as much of a problem as what turns up and leads to Brenda, Effie and Robert seeing a completely different side to Whitby, one where it could almost be Christmas, what with all the snow constantly falling.
It’s not only Mr Dandy, quite a few more of the supporting cast make a welcome, and in some cases an unwelcome, return. This is what I meant by not resetting events. The consequences of their previous choice and actions are continued. And those threads are cleverly tugged and pulled about, sometimes like heart strings, by Magrs.
There are a few oddities, one being the intentions of Mr Danby is overshadowed and feels unresolved by the end but I’m hoping that this is thread that’s put aside for further following but it’s overshadowed because of the more pressing events that make you see Brenda, Effie, and Robert all in new lights.
I can’t believe what happens in the end and I’m a bit mixed about. I really wanted it to go the other way. But then Magrs doesn’t give them an easy life even if it is a happy ending.
I highly recommend this series.
The good thing about reviewing though it that getting hassled by a publicist (actually that’s really not true) but getting informed that a new book is out is always a good motivator to catch up. So realising that Hell’s Belles was coming out and I’d let Something Borrowed and Conjugal Rites sit on the shelf too long I thought I’d better catch up.
Now it’s really really rare for me to start a book on a Friday and have it ready by the Monday, though strangely it happened with A Touch of Dead… but I couldn’t stop reading this one.
I have the feeling that Magrs doesn’t want to give Brenda and Effie an easy life nor does he seem to condone resetting events after a mystery is solved (I’ll have to ask him about that though).
Events in this spooky mystery pick up from the very ominous ending of Something Borrowed. We also get the return of Mr Dandy who this time is working on a late night call-in radio show, which has the residents of Whitby so captivated that they are listening all through the night.
This causes more than a bit of tension between Brenda and Effie, as things are being said that probably shouldn’t be shared, at least with everyone listening.
This though isn’t as much of a problem as what turns up and leads to Brenda, Effie and Robert seeing a completely different side to Whitby, one where it could almost be Christmas, what with all the snow constantly falling.
It’s not only Mr Dandy, quite a few more of the supporting cast make a welcome, and in some cases an unwelcome, return. This is what I meant by not resetting events. The consequences of their previous choice and actions are continued. And those threads are cleverly tugged and pulled about, sometimes like heart strings, by Magrs.
There are a few oddities, one being the intentions of Mr Danby is overshadowed and feels unresolved by the end but I’m hoping that this is thread that’s put aside for further following but it’s overshadowed because of the more pressing events that make you see Brenda, Effie, and Robert all in new lights.
I can’t believe what happens in the end and I’m a bit mixed about. I really wanted it to go the other way. But then Magrs doesn’t give them an easy life even if it is a happy ending.
I highly recommend this series.
February 28, 2025
This one is between three and four stars.
I really love Brenda and Effie, their friendship and that they are senior women with adult problems. I loved their interaction and that they literally went to hell for each other.
However, I found the writing bland. Short sentences, simple structures and a meagre vocabulary made it boring to read. Perspective changed suddenly, one sentence we see things from Brenda's view, next sentence from Effie's or Robert's. Plus there were so many repetitions. Facts that we already knew were recapitulated again and again. Thank goodness, it got better when the story progressed. Or maybe I was so enthralled with what was happening that I didn't notice.
We meet some old enemies again but also some old friends. The dialogues and the interaction between the characters were great. First I didn't care much for Frank, the monster Brenda was made for, but the more we got to know him, the more I liked him. I am not quite content how the story went between him and Brenda but we will see how it goes in the next book.
The whole hell thing lacked a bit of substance for me. Like Brenda, I failed to see the horror of it. The events down there, however, made up for it.
All in all it was a very entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I really love Brenda and Effie, their friendship and that they are senior women with adult problems. I loved their interaction and that they literally went to hell for each other.
However, I found the writing bland. Short sentences, simple structures and a meagre vocabulary made it boring to read. Perspective changed suddenly, one sentence we see things from Brenda's view, next sentence from Effie's or Robert's. Plus there were so many repetitions. Facts that we already knew were recapitulated again and again. Thank goodness, it got better when the story progressed. Or maybe I was so enthralled with what was happening that I didn't notice.
We meet some old enemies again but also some old friends. The dialogues and the interaction between the characters were great. First I didn't care much for Frank, the monster Brenda was made for, but the more we got to know him, the more I liked him. I am not quite content how the story went between him and Brenda but we will see how it goes in the next book.
The whole hell thing lacked a bit of substance for me. Like Brenda, I failed to see the horror of it. The events down there, however, made up for it.
All in all it was a very entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
August 7, 2012
"You are mine. And I want to see you. All these years. Years and years. WE've never really met. But you are mine. And I have rites. Conjugal rites. You are mine and I am coming to see you. I know where you are now. I have been looking. Now I know where you are. And I am on my way. Your husband is coming to get you."
So Brenda is warned at the end of Something Borrowed. Her husband is coming home. Though for the pragmatic Brenda, thinking about what might come in the future, sometimes torches and lynch mobs if history where to serve, are not as immediate as dealing with the overflow from the Masked Hero Convention up at the Christmas Hotel. The old age pensioners trying to relive the good-old-days means nothing when her nemesis, Mr. Danby reappears. While he claims to be hosting an innocent late night call in show, "Night Owls," Brenda is sure that something is afoot. After all, even Effie and Robert are calling in and revealing deep, dark secrets about themselves and others. They even almost reveal who, or what, Brenda is to everyone listening, which happens to be all of Witby. Mr. Danby is up to no good. How is he getting these people to spill their souls over the airwaves?
After a dust up with Danby, Brenda gets the surprise of her life. She knew one day HE would come for her, she had fair warning, but she didn't expect it to end with a scuffle and a fall over the Western cliff straight into hell. Effie and Robert are at a lose. Brenda was the glue between them and now everyone says she's dead. But Robert and Effie won't lose hope so easily. Effie has had first hand experience with the gateway to hell the resides in Witby. Perhaps Brenda is in hell and not gone forever. If Effie's ex Alucard could go in, perhaps they could too... only they plan on coming back. Headed to the old Abbey one night, with Shelia Manchu tagging alone, they ask the old Abbess to help them rescue their friend. Whether their plan will work is anyone's guess.
I have a feeling that my reviews for all the Brenda and Effie books will start "Yet another wonderful entry in Paul Magrs's Brenda and Effie series." Literally, there has not been a misstep! Granted, I've only finished the first three, but the teaser for book four almost made me abandon my organized reading list for the month and rush to pick up the next one. Each one is witty and fun and develops off the previous installment in a natural way but expands the story and the universe logically, so that each book is something more instead of just treading the same ground over and over again, like some series are wont to do, especially of the supernatural variety (*cough* Sookie Stackhouse *cough*).
Conjugal Rites deals with the big elephant in the room when it comes to Brenda. She is "The Bride of Frankenstein," emphasis on the "Bride." While she has mentioned in passing her creation and her mate that she was literally made for, the fact that her long-lived spouse hasn't come calling has always been hanging there in the corner. Now he has finally arrived. I liked that it acknowledged Frank and brought a bit of closure to this chapter of her life. If Frank never showed up, we would always be left wondering. I also loved that while he is a bit of a brute of a man, what with the neck bolts and strong Northern accent, there is something that draws Brenda to him. Not just the fate, but there is something else there. A kindred goodness deep down that makes it right for them to be together. I for one am excited to see how their relationship develops, I view it as a kind of supernatural Wuthering Heights.
Speaking of relationships... while I was sad that Brenda was off in the wings for a good portion of the book, what I loved was the bonding between Effie and Robert. Everyone has, at some point in their life, had someone they hung out with a lot, but aren't exactly friends with. It's not for any logical reason, it's just that they are a friend of a friend. For Effie and Robert, Brenda has always been the one that bonded their group. Effie and Robert always viewed Brenda as their friend and the other as Brenda's friend, not their own. Yet, because they had to come together in order to rescue Brenda, their relationship naturally changed, and they have started to form a friendship without Brenda. I was cheering on this fledgling friendship. Some of my strongest friendships have started in this round about manner, and I really have the highest hopes that Effie will no longer look slightly askance at Robert and Robert won't view Effie as the odd lady with the junk. Going to hell and back together, it's the best bonding there is, like a cross country road trip, you really get to know the other person and hopefully, at the end of the day, you're better friends than ever.
While these reasons for loving the book are more on the "deeper" side, dealing with love and life and the connections between disparate people on this earth we call home, it's the zaniness that balances it. The pensioners in superhero costumes, the fact that the first level of hell is 24/7 Christmas. The ingenious realization that our favorite clothes that we loved and lost really where just dragged to hell. Perhaps that's where missing socks go as well? Is the sock monster perhaps a being from a hell dimension? I think so. Also Paul's obvious love of the B-movie genre, with the very green Frank, the return of Dracula, oh, I mean Alucard, and a Monkey's Paw playing a crucial deus ex machina, not to mention Sheila's long gone husband, Mumu, a very hilarious reference to Fu Manchu, led to a B-movie extravaganza of fun! Also, back to the more serious side, I liked Sheila finally being confronted by the actuality of her husband Mumu, her "God," and realizing, that perhaps, she was idolizing him and romanticizing her past a little too much. Ok, back to the funny... an escalator to hell! Now I have to go read the next one, whose review will most likely start "Yet another wonderful entry in Paul Magrs's Brenda and Effie series."
So Brenda is warned at the end of Something Borrowed. Her husband is coming home. Though for the pragmatic Brenda, thinking about what might come in the future, sometimes torches and lynch mobs if history where to serve, are not as immediate as dealing with the overflow from the Masked Hero Convention up at the Christmas Hotel. The old age pensioners trying to relive the good-old-days means nothing when her nemesis, Mr. Danby reappears. While he claims to be hosting an innocent late night call in show, "Night Owls," Brenda is sure that something is afoot. After all, even Effie and Robert are calling in and revealing deep, dark secrets about themselves and others. They even almost reveal who, or what, Brenda is to everyone listening, which happens to be all of Witby. Mr. Danby is up to no good. How is he getting these people to spill their souls over the airwaves?
After a dust up with Danby, Brenda gets the surprise of her life. She knew one day HE would come for her, she had fair warning, but she didn't expect it to end with a scuffle and a fall over the Western cliff straight into hell. Effie and Robert are at a lose. Brenda was the glue between them and now everyone says she's dead. But Robert and Effie won't lose hope so easily. Effie has had first hand experience with the gateway to hell the resides in Witby. Perhaps Brenda is in hell and not gone forever. If Effie's ex Alucard could go in, perhaps they could too... only they plan on coming back. Headed to the old Abbey one night, with Shelia Manchu tagging alone, they ask the old Abbess to help them rescue their friend. Whether their plan will work is anyone's guess.
I have a feeling that my reviews for all the Brenda and Effie books will start "Yet another wonderful entry in Paul Magrs's Brenda and Effie series." Literally, there has not been a misstep! Granted, I've only finished the first three, but the teaser for book four almost made me abandon my organized reading list for the month and rush to pick up the next one. Each one is witty and fun and develops off the previous installment in a natural way but expands the story and the universe logically, so that each book is something more instead of just treading the same ground over and over again, like some series are wont to do, especially of the supernatural variety (*cough* Sookie Stackhouse *cough*).
Conjugal Rites deals with the big elephant in the room when it comes to Brenda. She is "The Bride of Frankenstein," emphasis on the "Bride." While she has mentioned in passing her creation and her mate that she was literally made for, the fact that her long-lived spouse hasn't come calling has always been hanging there in the corner. Now he has finally arrived. I liked that it acknowledged Frank and brought a bit of closure to this chapter of her life. If Frank never showed up, we would always be left wondering. I also loved that while he is a bit of a brute of a man, what with the neck bolts and strong Northern accent, there is something that draws Brenda to him. Not just the fate, but there is something else there. A kindred goodness deep down that makes it right for them to be together. I for one am excited to see how their relationship develops, I view it as a kind of supernatural Wuthering Heights.
Speaking of relationships... while I was sad that Brenda was off in the wings for a good portion of the book, what I loved was the bonding between Effie and Robert. Everyone has, at some point in their life, had someone they hung out with a lot, but aren't exactly friends with. It's not for any logical reason, it's just that they are a friend of a friend. For Effie and Robert, Brenda has always been the one that bonded their group. Effie and Robert always viewed Brenda as their friend and the other as Brenda's friend, not their own. Yet, because they had to come together in order to rescue Brenda, their relationship naturally changed, and they have started to form a friendship without Brenda. I was cheering on this fledgling friendship. Some of my strongest friendships have started in this round about manner, and I really have the highest hopes that Effie will no longer look slightly askance at Robert and Robert won't view Effie as the odd lady with the junk. Going to hell and back together, it's the best bonding there is, like a cross country road trip, you really get to know the other person and hopefully, at the end of the day, you're better friends than ever.
While these reasons for loving the book are more on the "deeper" side, dealing with love and life and the connections between disparate people on this earth we call home, it's the zaniness that balances it. The pensioners in superhero costumes, the fact that the first level of hell is 24/7 Christmas. The ingenious realization that our favorite clothes that we loved and lost really where just dragged to hell. Perhaps that's where missing socks go as well? Is the sock monster perhaps a being from a hell dimension? I think so. Also Paul's obvious love of the B-movie genre, with the very green Frank, the return of Dracula, oh, I mean Alucard, and a Monkey's Paw playing a crucial deus ex machina, not to mention Sheila's long gone husband, Mumu, a very hilarious reference to Fu Manchu, led to a B-movie extravaganza of fun! Also, back to the more serious side, I liked Sheila finally being confronted by the actuality of her husband Mumu, her "God," and realizing, that perhaps, she was idolizing him and romanticizing her past a little too much. Ok, back to the funny... an escalator to hell! Now I have to go read the next one, whose review will most likely start "Yet another wonderful entry in Paul Magrs's Brenda and Effie series."
June 11, 2019
I love this series of books and the third instalment is just as amazing as the previous two. The Bride of Frankenstein is at last reunited with her would be husband Frank, and it is literately a match made in Hell, or in this case a version of Hell that is remarkably like Whitby.
Paul Magrs has got to have one of the most craziest imaginations in the literary sphere, and he’s not afraid to unleash it. His vision of Hell is something else entirely, he throws in a convention of retired British masked superheroes too just for good measure, and there’s black humour by the bucket load. How much more fun could you possibly want?
Paul Magrs has got to have one of the most craziest imaginations in the literary sphere, and he’s not afraid to unleash it. His vision of Hell is something else entirely, he throws in a convention of retired British masked superheroes too just for good measure, and there’s black humour by the bucket load. How much more fun could you possibly want?
August 24, 2021
At the end of the second book, Something Borrowed, with the impending return of her betrothed, I was more than excited to find out what lay in store for Brenda and Effie. Conjugal Rites, the third book of the Brenda and Effie Mysteries, didn't disappoint. It was filled to the brim with spooky goodness, humor, mystery, action, and even a little romance. What more could a spooky bookworm ask for? More Brenda and Effie...that's what.
October 17, 2025
I absolutely flew through this, thoroughly enjoying more of Brenda and Effie's adventures.
This time the detecting duo are reunited with an old enemy, have some problems with the menfolks and generally have a Hellish time. We catch up with some old (some very, very old) characters and while everything is parcelled up at the end there's scope for so many more tales.
It's just complete escapism and the perfect antidote to reality. Can't wait to read the next one
This time the detecting duo are reunited with an old enemy, have some problems with the menfolks and generally have a Hellish time. We catch up with some old (some very, very old) characters and while everything is parcelled up at the end there's scope for so many more tales.
It's just complete escapism and the perfect antidote to reality. Can't wait to read the next one
June 19, 2019
Witty and original
July 13, 2020
One of my favourites of the series . Based on bride of frankenstein
June 26, 2021
Going to Hell, was never so much fun.
September 7, 2022
Got to live Brenda and Effie - every time I go to Whitby I look out for "ladies of a certain age", just in case they happen to be real 😉
August 29, 2023
Brenda and Effie are the best!
August 24, 2024
loved this one !!
4/5
4/5
March 21, 2021
Once again, Brenda and Effie find themselves at the centre of a supernatural mystery. The two friends also find themselves the focus of far more attention than either of them would like.
in Conjugal Rites, all kinds of things come together in an adventure that takes the two ladies away from their beloved Whitby to, well, Whitby-in-Hell!
As you might expect, if you have read any of the previous books (I, for some reason, seem to have missed out on book 1, something I intend to rectify very shortly), not everything is as it seems in the weird and wonderful world imagined by Paul Magrs. Brenda and Effie themselves appear, on the face of it, to be two ordinary, elderly ladies, muddling along and learning a quite living by the sea. But beneath that bumbling exterior lie some very dark and sinister secrets. But secrets have a habit of bubbling up the surface, particularly if you are the kind of people who enjoy nothing better than sticking your nose into other people's business.
In Conjugal Rites, it is Brenda's past that has come to slap her in the face, in the form of her fiance Frank. The pair were literally made for each other by their "father", Victor Frankenstein. But right from the start, Brenda has been very clear about not wanting anything to do with the human jigsaw puzzle, Frank. What Brenda can't figure out is why Mrs Clause, owner of the Christmas Hotel and local crime magnate, has got to do with it.
But then again, does anyone really know what Mrs Clause is up to? And why has she arranged to fill her total with a gathering of ancient costumed superheroes?
Does any of this have anything to do with Mr Danby's latest incarnation as a genial late-night radio host? And why is he using his phone-in to spread rumours about poor old Brenda?
All will be revealed in good time, but not before the ladies and their friends find themselves, quite literally, in Hell.
A wonderful tour-de-force of a story. Great characters and an intriguing story, held together with penetrating wit and style. I found myself chuckling throughout the book. Why Paul is not yet a hero in Whitby I don't know. For me, he has put the town back on the map with his wonderfully descriptive view of the streets and buildings of this beautiful location.
All I need to do now is go back and find the first book so I can see how the whole thing started. I am looking forward to that.
in Conjugal Rites, all kinds of things come together in an adventure that takes the two ladies away from their beloved Whitby to, well, Whitby-in-Hell!
As you might expect, if you have read any of the previous books (I, for some reason, seem to have missed out on book 1, something I intend to rectify very shortly), not everything is as it seems in the weird and wonderful world imagined by Paul Magrs. Brenda and Effie themselves appear, on the face of it, to be two ordinary, elderly ladies, muddling along and learning a quite living by the sea. But beneath that bumbling exterior lie some very dark and sinister secrets. But secrets have a habit of bubbling up the surface, particularly if you are the kind of people who enjoy nothing better than sticking your nose into other people's business.
In Conjugal Rites, it is Brenda's past that has come to slap her in the face, in the form of her fiance Frank. The pair were literally made for each other by their "father", Victor Frankenstein. But right from the start, Brenda has been very clear about not wanting anything to do with the human jigsaw puzzle, Frank. What Brenda can't figure out is why Mrs Clause, owner of the Christmas Hotel and local crime magnate, has got to do with it.
But then again, does anyone really know what Mrs Clause is up to? And why has she arranged to fill her total with a gathering of ancient costumed superheroes?
Does any of this have anything to do with Mr Danby's latest incarnation as a genial late-night radio host? And why is he using his phone-in to spread rumours about poor old Brenda?
All will be revealed in good time, but not before the ladies and their friends find themselves, quite literally, in Hell.
A wonderful tour-de-force of a story. Great characters and an intriguing story, held together with penetrating wit and style. I found myself chuckling throughout the book. Why Paul is not yet a hero in Whitby I don't know. For me, he has put the town back on the map with his wonderfully descriptive view of the streets and buildings of this beautiful location.
All I need to do now is go back and find the first book so I can see how the whole thing started. I am looking forward to that.
July 26, 2015
This is the first book I have read by Paul Magrs but it's the third installment in the Brenda & Effie mystery series.
This is such a great read. It's quirky, fun and light-hearted and totally absorbing. The characters are brilliantly written and there are moments of humour that had me laughing out loud. The story has an old-fashioned charm about it and with the backdrop being Whitby, Yorkshire, the place Bram Stoker's Dracula resided, it has a sense of the macabre too.
Brenda is a lovable character who has retired to Whitby and gets into all sorts of trouble with her best friend and neighbour Effie, who comes from a powerful line of witches. Brenda is also the Bride of Frankenstein, a horrible monster in her eyes and all she wants is to live a normal life in Whitby and forget her past, which she has been running from for the past 200 years. Unfortunately, Whitby is also the gateway to Hell and so she and her friend Effie have to guard the entrance with their lives. This is quite a funny scenario as they are both retired ladies! But they can fight with the best of them, and many of the scenes has Brenda boxing the ears of her adversary!
There is also the supporting cast: Mr Danby, who is the host of a nightly radio talk show and seems to have the whole town hypnotised. Frank, who comes back for his Bride to be and his destiny, Brenda, who fights against their so called destiny and together they find themselves in Hell, and the evil Mrs Claus, who owns a hotel that is dedicated to Christmas all year round but beneath the surface there are more sinister goings on, including murder.
I was swept along with Brenda and Effie's adventures and enjoyed every moment. There wasn't one point where I was bored, it was just so much fun to read. This book is a mixture of humour with the supernatural including monsters, witches and vampires. There is something for everyone.
Verdict:
After reading Conjugal Rites I will definitely be rushing out to buy books 1 & 2, although this is still a great stand alone read. Absolutely brilliant - I highly recommend it.
This is such a great read. It's quirky, fun and light-hearted and totally absorbing. The characters are brilliantly written and there are moments of humour that had me laughing out loud. The story has an old-fashioned charm about it and with the backdrop being Whitby, Yorkshire, the place Bram Stoker's Dracula resided, it has a sense of the macabre too.
Brenda is a lovable character who has retired to Whitby and gets into all sorts of trouble with her best friend and neighbour Effie, who comes from a powerful line of witches. Brenda is also the Bride of Frankenstein, a horrible monster in her eyes and all she wants is to live a normal life in Whitby and forget her past, which she has been running from for the past 200 years. Unfortunately, Whitby is also the gateway to Hell and so she and her friend Effie have to guard the entrance with their lives. This is quite a funny scenario as they are both retired ladies! But they can fight with the best of them, and many of the scenes has Brenda boxing the ears of her adversary!
There is also the supporting cast: Mr Danby, who is the host of a nightly radio talk show and seems to have the whole town hypnotised. Frank, who comes back for his Bride to be and his destiny, Brenda, who fights against their so called destiny and together they find themselves in Hell, and the evil Mrs Claus, who owns a hotel that is dedicated to Christmas all year round but beneath the surface there are more sinister goings on, including murder.
I was swept along with Brenda and Effie's adventures and enjoyed every moment. There wasn't one point where I was bored, it was just so much fun to read. This book is a mixture of humour with the supernatural including monsters, witches and vampires. There is something for everyone.
Verdict:
After reading Conjugal Rites I will definitely be rushing out to buy books 1 & 2, although this is still a great stand alone read. Absolutely brilliant - I highly recommend it.
July 27, 2009
This is the third book in the Brenda and Effie series, and the best. The first two were great, in that 'there's nothing else like this' way - in the third one the characters really start to get into their stride. Brenda, the 200-year-old Bride of Frankenstein, is alarmed to find that her intended husband Frank, whom she fled all those years ago, is back to claim her. And she's quite happy, thank you very much, running a Whitby bed and breakfast business and guarding the Gateway to Hell with her elderly friend Effie (a job given to them by an ancient, tiny, wizened abbess who lives in a suitcase carried by her evil and charming son).
This adventure sees Effie descending into hell to save her friend from the accursed marriage to the handsome man with the bolts in his neck. She brings along a voluptuous hotelier, still wearing her nightdress, and their faithful two-good-to-be-true young helper Robert. Once there, they find all the previously dead characters from the first two books wandering round the place living remarkably familiar lives...
This is a fantastically funny fantasy romp.
This adventure sees Effie descending into hell to save her friend from the accursed marriage to the handsome man with the bolts in his neck. She brings along a voluptuous hotelier, still wearing her nightdress, and their faithful two-good-to-be-true young helper Robert. Once there, they find all the previously dead characters from the first two books wandering round the place living remarkably familiar lives...
This is a fantastically funny fantasy romp.
October 16, 2011
This is the third in the Brenda and Effie series and this book is certainly the strongest narrative of the three.
I love the cosy tone that Paul Magrs employs within the novel and I enjoyed the ideas of going into hell which looked remarkably familiar this installment also dealt with the idea of both Brenda ad Effie coming into their inheritance, so to speak.
Brenda contending with the return of one of the most important figures from her past. Effie starting to realise she needs to embrace her legacy with hints as to her link to a certain character who we've already met a few times.
I look forward to tracking down the fourth book in this series.
I love the cosy tone that Paul Magrs employs within the novel and I enjoyed the ideas of going into hell which looked remarkably familiar this installment also dealt with the idea of both Brenda ad Effie coming into their inheritance, so to speak.
Brenda contending with the return of one of the most important figures from her past. Effie starting to realise she needs to embrace her legacy with hints as to her link to a certain character who we've already met a few times.
I look forward to tracking down the fourth book in this series.
April 5, 2011
while i <3 Brenda and Effie (and the rest of the magical, wondrous array of characters), the transition from first-person Brenda narrative to third-person narrative did jar and is why i didnt give it 4 stars.
there also seemed to be small inconsistencies between the books, but that might just have been me.
otherwise, it's still a cracking good read - especially once Brenda's long-lost fiance appears.
there also seemed to be small inconsistencies between the books, but that might just have been me.
otherwise, it's still a cracking good read - especially once Brenda's long-lost fiance appears.
April 18, 2012
This was a really strange detective story! Or was this an adventure, instead..? The main characters are a female Frankenstein and a witch (with undeveloped skills), and they live in a town that houses a gateway to hell. Banshees, vampires and mummies (as in the wrapped kind) were also featured.
This wasn't my cup of tea but at least this was not completely off-putting.
I really need to read something completely different next.
This wasn't my cup of tea but at least this was not completely off-putting.
I really need to read something completely different next.
March 16, 2014
The switch from first person to third person was a little jarring at first... I found myself wondering when it was going to switch back, but then I realized that I think I wanted it to be in third person the entire time. It seemed to make sense that recurring characters in the book should be given a greater voice than just Brenda.
Again, this was an enjoyable book, an interesting Gothic ride. Things just keep getting weirder and weirder in Whitby, so we'll see what comes next!
Again, this was an enjoyable book, an interesting Gothic ride. Things just keep getting weirder and weirder in Whitby, so we'll see what comes next!
October 1, 2010
The third outing for Brenda and Effie. For those already in the know, Brenda is the Bride of Frankenstein who now runs a B&B in Whitby. In this adventure, there's a retired superhero convention in the town, Mrs Claus is up to something and Brenda's fiance turns up to claim his bride. These books are a lot of fun, completely crackers and great escapism.
July 22, 2011
The Brenda and Effie series has really hit its stride with this one, which for me was by far the most successful of the books so far. The pacing was well judged throughout, the story compelling, and the settings as good as ever. It was also nice to see old plot threads and characters reused effectively, as well as questions raised for future books to address.
November 29, 2013
The third in the Brenda and Effie series sees Brenda trapped in Hell, and Effie, Robert and Sheila Manchu on a rescue mission.
The two chapters of Book 4 'Hell's Belles' at the end has more than whetted my appetite for more Brenda and Effie adventures.
Really wish these were adapted for TV or at least the radio!
The two chapters of Book 4 'Hell's Belles' at the end has more than whetted my appetite for more Brenda and Effie adventures.
Really wish these were adapted for TV or at least the radio!
January 9, 2014
A wonderful addition to the Brenda and Effie mysteries. A fun page turner where past characters return and new mysteries abound for future books in the series. I'm happy I am reading them years after their initial release so I can just start the next book rather than wait.
The story is both weird and charming and I loved every bit of it.
The story is both weird and charming and I loved every bit of it.
October 3, 2010
This was another good story - in fact it was the best yet, with Brenda finally meeting up with Frank the husband she was made for, and things never going smoothly. I love the concept of a series of different worlds each of which descending further to hell.
January 31, 2011
This has been my favorite so far in the series.
Brenda was made as a bride for Frankenstein and she thought she would never encounter him again but he turns up determined that she will marry him.
A good funny read inbetween reading heavier novels.
Brenda was made as a bride for Frankenstein and she thought she would never encounter him again but he turns up determined that she will marry him.
A good funny read inbetween reading heavier novels.
May 23, 2011
3rd in series featuring Brenda (Frankenstein's bride) and Effie (a witch and antique shop owner). Frank is back and wants to marry Brenda after all he was made for her but Brenda doesn't like him in a romantic way. A very funny series with supernatural themes and a bit of a mystery as well.
September 3, 2012
I picked this up on a week off work and didn't put it down until I finished it... I love the characters and the strange situations they find themselves in... The fact that Whitby is my favourite place helps of course...
January 11, 2015
You can find my review of Conjugal Rites on my book blog.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews