Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

The premise -- an introverted widower, Malcolm Kershaw, manages Old Devils Bookstore in Boston. Once upon a time, in 2004, he wrote a blog post as a store promotion listing perfect murders in crime fiction. He came up with 8 titles (listed in synopsis if you want to read or reread) after quite the agonizing ordeal and, in fact, even going so far as to put down a couple that he hadn't actually read but researched the plots. The obvious point of the post was to chose the most clever, most ingenious, and most foolproof in crime fiction history. The post was published and Malcolm expects a deluge of reactions and receives only two comments. So much for viral sensation. In fact, he's all but forgotten about the post until Special Agent Gwen Mulvey of the FBI shows up to ask some questions about it. Seems that someone is murdering people using the plots in the books that Malcolm listed. Intrigued, Malcolm decides to look into these unsolved crimes especially once he figures out that whoever is doing this must actually know him. NO SPOILERS.

If you're a fan of old, classic mystery thrillers, this is a quick read that should keep you fully engaged as you try to anticipate what is going on and why. I read this in a couple of hours this evening as it is quite short and moves along quickly. That said, I think I'm not really the most appreciative audience as I'm really only mildly interested in the type of books that the author has based the story on though I am a committed suspense thriller reader. I have read and really enjoyed Swanson's other books, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me with twists, thrills, chills or suspense. I look forward to his next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - crime thriller, classic mysteries

Little Doubt (DI Kelly Porter #7) by Rachel Lynch

This is the 7th book in a series that I've followed from the beginning. It features DI Kelly Porter and her division -- Serious Crime in Cumbria's Lake District. The cases are usually quite complicated and the setting is spotlighted in most of the books although not so much in this one. It's always nice to revisit characters that you've come to know from previous installments.

In this police procedural/crime thriller, Kelly and her team are focused on solving two fatal knife attacks. The first victim, Ella Watson (married to Thomas with 2 teenaged children) was an upper middle class homemaker out on a run in the park when she was attacked. The second murder was Keira Bradley, from a lawless area known as Beacon Estate. The two murders committed in the same 24-hour time period couldn't possibly be related, could they? The first issue for Kelly is that one of the deaths is considered a higher priority than the other. NO SPOILERS.

The main themes here are class differences and the rising problem of knife violence. These topics were extensively explored in the narrative and at times I felt that the underlying message overpowered the story line. I really have liked DI Kelly Porter and most of her team members in previous books, but in this one she comes off as almost too perfect -- as a cop, as a woman, as a human being -- and I guess I like my characters with a few flaws and not someone who everyone just adores. I don't need head cases here, but just a little bit less than Wonder Woman would be more believable?! I wasn't all that engaged with this plot as much as the others probably because it didn't seem as much about police work as it was about the social message and corruption in the police department there. I'm sure I'll still want to follow this crime thriller series and definitely will read the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

This is the 7th book in a series and I think they should be read in order.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural

The Perfect Sister by Sheryl Browne

Claire's father, Bernard, is losing his mind and she has moved into her childhood home to take care of him. Her husband, Luke, is not happy with this decision although their 4-year-old daughter, Ella, is doing well enough with the situation despite the fact that her mom is overburdened and trying to deal with Bernard's increasing dangerous and aggressive behavior. In addition, Ella, is a hemophiliac and her parents worry that she's not safe. After an argument one evening, Luke storms out of the house, gets drunk at a bar, and ends up embroiled in a huge mess with a woman he meets that night. To top it off, considering that Claire is already at wit's end, she gets a text message from someone who claims to be her half-sister. And that's when the whole thing kicks off. NO SPOILERS.

I read this ARC titled as THE FAMILY SECRET -- which actually is a more apt title than the new one. This is a domestic drama about the effect that a parent's secrets and lies can have on their child. The unfortunate aspect is that this sort of trope has been done to death. I intensely disliked all the characters in this novel so much that I almost had to mark it a DNF. I don't know any woman who would act like Claire and I can't imagine how most of the events that transpired would ever take place as they defy even my imagination. I have read far too many similar books to be shocked or surprised by anything that happened and the conclusion was quite disappointing. I'm sorry to report that this just didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - more domestic drama than psychological thriller

Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough

"That's why secrets normally stayed secret. Secrets broke things."

Steamy Savannah, Georgia, fabulous mansions, old money, social standing and self-indulgence. It's a world that is dominated by men who have certain types of wives. When an old scion, William Radford IV,  gets himself a hot new wife after the death of the elegant Savannah belle, Eleanor, the tongues can barely stop wagging. Gossip is currency, and William's friends are both contemptuous and jealous of the lovely Keisha -- who's barely into her early twenties. "There's no fool like an old fool," they all say behind their social niceties. No one is quite as concerned, however, as Marcie Maddox. Marcie is also the second, younger wife but she displaced the former by having an affair that led to a divorce for Jason Maddox. When Marcie notices that Jason seems a bit too taken with Keisha, the claws come out. But then, to her surprise, she and Keisha find that they have quite a bit in common and become close. It's their need, their wildness, their hedonism that might upend it all. Things start to unravel almost immediately and everyone in their close circle will be affected. NO SPOILERS.

Although this was definitely not the twisty, shock-of-a-lifetime thriller that was BEHIND HER EYES, it was entertaining though a bit more "racy" than I like with far too much focus on lust and sex. The shifting narrative between Marcia and Keisha's points of view was seamless, but it lagged in places even though there seemed to be almost too much going on. Lots of different themes within this novel but the overlying tension was weakened for me a bit because I really didn't care of any of the characters! It was quite a collection of pathological personalities and as the end came closer I discovered that I had guessed it out quite correctly. I'll still check out the next book by this author as the stories are unique in their own way, but the more I read, the less likely it is that I'll truly ever be totally surprised by a twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - drama, mystery, sex, marriage, South USA

Mercy House by Alena Dillon

"Mercy House was a safe haven for victims of domestic violence, founded and operated by Sister Evelyn, Sister Josephine, and Sister Maria...Their row house in Brooklyn was almost always at capacity...Good for business, bad for humanity."

I am not sure what I was expecting when I selected this and started reading but I got so much more than anticipated. This was really a remarkable story about courage and resilience not only that of the women who came there to escape horrible situations, but also the Sisters of St. Joseph of Mercy who set up the safe house. These indomitable women faced incredible odds and the scrutiny of the Catholic Church whose efforts to destroy their mission almost ruined them all. The story has so many different characters whose backgrounds and experiences have shaped their lives and brought them to Mercy House right before the Vatican sends Bishop Robert Hawkins to scrutinize the activity of religious sisters -- hunting for deviations from doctrine. They call it the "nun-quisition, reproaching American nuns for their 'secular mentality' and 'feminist spirit."

Can Sister Evelyn and her cohort resist the efforts of the devious Bishop to close down Mercy House and get rid of her -- excommunicate her -- in the process? For Sister Evelyn has a secret that has shamed her for years and she may not be able to overcome years of indoctrination and self-hatred to reveal it. Because of Sister Evelyn's own inability to forgive the many transgressions committed against her, it comes as a surprise when she's offered both grace and mercy when everything finally falls apart. The details of convent life, the activities in Mercy House, the stories of the resident abused women who live there, and the atrocities committed by those in service to the Catholic Church will probably not surprise you, but will affect you. It was a very absorbing narrative that I found hard to put down and can't stop thinking about.

This novel is not just meant for Catholics, but it might affect reaction to it. That said, I am Catholic, went to Catholic schools for almost my entire education (including one year at a Catholic University), taught and worked in Catholic Schools for over 20 years -- you can say I've definitely been immersed -- and nothing in this book shocked me. I know there are those who wonder how someone can still claim to be Catholic despite all the horrible abuses that have come to light. I say that Catholicism is not based on those people but in the faith itself. There is incredible beauty and peace in many of the beliefs and rituals as well as in the community of the faithful DESPITE the sins of those who misuse their power and destroy souls. Is the church changing -- yes, definitely. I'll leave it for others to debate what those changes mean for the future and for the current members.

The writing was excellent and I look forward to reading other reviewers' thoughts and reactions. As Sister Evelyn learns, mercy has value to the person who bestows it and holding grudges destroys the spirit. Grace, undeserved love, is a gift to be treasured.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

This is a debut, a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - fiction, Catholic Church, nuns,

In Plain Sight (DI Clare Mackay #2) by Marion Todd

This is the second installment in the series featuring DI Clare Mackay and her team and set in St. Andrews, Scotland. In this case, Clare, DS Chris West, PC Sara Stapleton and others are focused on handling a kidnapping situation. The baby, 6-month-old Abi Mitchell, was snatched from her pram while she and her parents, Kevin and Lisa, were at a charity fun run. The abduction is complicated by the fact that Abi has congenital heart disease and requires digoxin to keep her alive. The clues and leads are slim with only a single witness reporting that he saw a pizza delivery motorcycle leave with something wiggling in the side bag. It seems that the baby has vanished but soon events escalate -- there is something more going on and Clare et al need to solve this fast. NO SPOILERS.

Although this should have been very gripping, it proved slow going for me though I read it in a single sitting. I had really enjoyed the first book but was not so drawn in by the plot here. I do like the characters and the setting and will likely continue on with the series. Clare has issues in her personal life that need resolution though her position with the police seems to be well set now and her cottage is finally renovated. Overall, it was a satisfactory police procedural.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the second book in the series and, although it could work as a standalone, I prefer to read in order.
Genre - police procedural and crime thriller

The Dark Corners of the Night (UNSUB #3) by Meg Gardiner

"I am legion of the night. I am beyond good and evil." The Midnight Man steals into their homes under cover of darkness, kills the parents, but leaves the traumatized children alive. He is terrorizing the greater Los Angeles area and the FBI is called in to assess the situation and create a profile.

Caitlin Hendrix is no stranger to hunting predators and serial killers; she works for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit along with Unit Chief CJ Emmerich and Special Agent Brianne Rainey. They soon find that this is an UNSUB who is unlike any other that they've profiled or apprehended. They've come from Quantico to assist the LAPD but their efforts don't seem to be helping to stop these home invasion murders despite an all-out effort. The killings continue and the Midnight Man seems to be escalating. Few clues to follow until they finally get a survivor who can give them all some crucial information. NO SPOILERS.

If you're looking for an excellent crime suspense thriller with nonstop action and great characters, then look no further -- and I recommend you start with the first one in the series as this is #3. Definitely a one-sitting read if you can manage as it's incredibly hard to put this down. There is so much going on in this book and the author gives detailed descriptions, background information, and interesting facts to prop the narrative. The writing is very good and the tension created will be exquisite as the FBI team and the LAPD try to identify and close in on their elusive criminal. I'm giving this one 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I can't wait a year for #4 -- honestly, it's that good a series.

This is the third book in a series that I recommend be read, from the beginning, in order.
Genre - Crime suspense thriller, FBI profiler

Her Secret Past (DI Jessie Blake #3) by Kerry Watts

This is the third book in a series featuring DI Jessie Blake and her partner, DC Dylan Logan. They get a callout on Boxing Day morning to a farmhouse in Perthshire. Inside are the bodies of 70-year-old Malcolm Angus and his wife -- both dead of a single gunshot wound. The victims were discovered by their son, Tommy, and grandson, Gordon. Both had come over to visit and to enjoy a meal after having talked to the elders earlier and then found them dead. The only lead happens to be the Angus's closest neighbor, Rachel Ferguson, and the possible motive a dispute over some land. That all sounds really flimsy until Jessie and Dylan find out about Rachel's past: it seems she was implicated in a horrific double murder when she was just 14-years-old. Rachel, then known as Alice Connor, and her older boyfriend, David Law, took hammers to her grandparents and hit them until they were dead. Rachel (Alice) spent only a short time in a young offenders place but David went to prison. Rachel insists that she is not that person any longer and wants to keep her identity secret and claims that she had nothing to do with the murder of Malcolm and Jean Angus. Of course Rachel becomes the main suspect but there's a lot more going on. The murder investigation leads them to new discoveries and revelations. NO SPOILERS.

I found the synopsis to be quite misleading after getting into the book. The main thing that bothered me, other than an intense dislike for Rachel and most of the other non-police characters, was how she could have spent so little time incarcerated for the murders she committed. Though excused due to her relative youth, it made no sense as teenagers in USA are often tried as adults in cases this heinous. Regardless, Jessie and Dylan have their work cut out for them. They make a good team but I just can't connect with them. I have read both other books in the series, but often lose track of characterization since it is the time between books and so many others read in between. I read this in a single sitting and anticipated any possible twists so there were no surprises.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the third book of a series that I think is best read in order.
Genre - police procedural, murder investigation, Crime thriller

The Holdout by Graham Moore

"Still, in a room full of lawyers, the last thing she thought someone was going to get was truth. No one was here for justice."

If you enjoy a good murder mystery or legal drama with some courtroom action, this is one that will tick all the boxes while also providing some behind-the-scenes peeks into the activities and discussion in the jury room. If, however, you have preconceived notions about the justice system, the role of lawyers, and the value of jury service, I think you will find quite a few surprises. It's best if you go into this without knowing too much about the story and, most importantly, if you have the ability to suspend disbelief and just go with it.

The premise: ten years ago, Maya Seale served on a jury during the trial of Bobby Nock -- a part-time English teacher who was accused of murdering a student he was involved with, Jessica Silver. Maya is notorious for swaying the jury to a not guilty verdict and has been vilified for it since. In the ensuing years after the controversial acquittal, Maya has gone on to become a defense lawyer. She's had no contact with the rest of the jurors from that events that transformed her life, but now "Murder Town" wants them all to reunite for a docuseries that will be adapted for Netflix. Although Maya definitely doesn't want to go back and face the whole drama and fellow jurors, the one person she once truly cared about (another member of that jury), Rick Leonard and her boss convince her it's the right thing to do. Since Bobby Nock went free, no one has ever found out the truth of what really happened to Jessica Silver and, now, Rick says he has found some explosive new information. Despite her misgivings, Maya turns up at the Omni Hotel where they'd all been sequestered during the trial and, at the end of that evening, a fellow juror turns up dead -- in her room. Now, not only does she have to defend herself with regard to her swaying the jury 10 years ago, she has to prove her innocence in this murder charge. NO SPOILERS.

This is not just a legal thriller but also has elements that discuss themes of race, social standing, law enforcement and the role of the lawyer. The maneuvering in the adversarial system is described and I found the overall implications quite chilling. This was a very quick read and I was unable to put it down so finished it in one sitting. The writing is good even if, at times, I found the totality of it quite hard to believe as it all played it. I have not read any other books by this author, but will look for them in the future. The characters were all a mix of good and bad and the reader gets to know them a bit as the narrative shifts between points of view of various jury members and shifts back and forth in time. The climax was a bit of a surprise though some might see it all coming. I just read that this legal thriller is going to be adapted for the screen and I can't wait to see it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- legal thriller, suspense, courtroom drama

The Last Day by Andrew Hunter Murray

This debut apocalyptic thriller features a dystopian society set in a futuristic Great Britain, the last remaining habitable country on a planet that slowed its orbit to a dead stop. Thirty years after the slowing began, the earth's remaining population now resides only in the area of continual sunlight with temperatures that are able to allow the production of food and the continuation of human life. Things are not good in this new world order and only those who are towing the political line, working ceaselessly and keeping the borders secure are surviving, but barely. Everyone who tried to flee to relocate to Great Britain on ships from other continents was sunk into the ocean and channels surrounding that country. Isolationism is paramount. The USA has a toehold in the southernmost part and are holding their own. Now they need more resources and are about to make a deal with the British government -- but Prime Minister Richard Davenport, the man who engineered the survival of the country -- wants America's nuclear weapons in exchange for more food and resources. But there might yet be hope to save the planet. Dr. Ellen Hopper, a scientific officer stationed out in the North Sea, has been contacted to the deathbed of her former teacher from her Oxford Days. He has information he needs to give her. Helicoptered to the hospital by security agents, Ellen is unable to get what she needs when he dies and soon finds herself targeted by the government and pursued as she attempts to figure out what is meant from a single clue. Can she do it?  NO SPOILERS.

The premise was good, the futuristic aspect was chilling, and the writing was excellent. The story, however, moved very slowly and it seemed to take forever to get to the gist of the secret. I both love and hate the world building in novels that portend a hideous and bleak future for humankind. I'm still holding out for a new world that is more like the Jetsons (old TV show I never missed) and less like the collapse of knowledge and civilization -- barren wasteland of the nearly dead and starving. I have no idea if the science that explained the whole situation is accurate, but could appreciate the concept of half the world in eternal darkness and the other in nonstop sunlight, massive cold, blistering deserts that encroach the land mass, falling oxygenation, etc. Dismal. The basic narrative line has a lone woman facing off against nearly insurmountable odds to find some hope. I did enjoy this overall but definitely would have liked a more definitive ending as it seems to conclude rather abruptly after all the build-up. The descriptions and detail were good in some areas but deficient in others. Then again, I don't think the book needed more pages. Not sure how apt the title is either.
Anyway, I'll be eager to read more reviews of this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton/Penguin Random House for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - apocalyptic thriller, futuristic 2059 

Her Daughter's Cry (Detective Jo Fournier #3) by M.M. Chouinard

"...people almost always though they were good and had done the right thing -- people were the heroes of their own stories, never the villains, even if their deeds were judged as villainous by others."

This is the third action-packed and suspenseful police procedural/crime thriller in the Detective Jo Fournier, Oakhurst County SPDU, series. Set in Massachusetts, the books have interesting plots and well-drawn characters who come to life solving complicated cases. The book description doesn't really give a good idea for what this story is about, however, and it's not the typical "woman with amnesia" device.

A woman, bedraggled and wearing blood-stained clothing, stumbles out of the woods in Taltingham and enters an antique store. The owner calls an ambulance and she's taken to a nearby hospital where she's admitted as a Jane Doe. Although her injuries are minor, including a concussion, the woman claims she can't remember who she is or what happened. She has no explanation for how she comes to be wearing bloody clothes and it's definitely not her blood. She can't recall her name, so christens herself Zoe and Detective Jo Fournier and her partner, Detective Bob Arnett, question her with no success. Since she's not in need of further hospital care, and since she has no ID and has lost her memory, Zoe is transferred to a care facility until police can further investigate. Obviously something has happened -- to someone -- and they need to figure out whose blood covered Zoe and find that person if he or she is still alive. No one reports Zoe missing and no one comes forward to claim her. But then a man shows up at the care facility to see Zoe but vanishes before he can be questioned. Soon it's discovered that Zoe is gone. Was she kidnapped or did she escape? The chase is on, leads need to be followed, people interviewed, clues examined, evidence processed. Who is Zoe and what happened to her? NO SPOILERS.

An excellent and well-written mystery with everything a reader could want in this type of book. I really enjoy this series and have now read all three of the installments. The narrative is told in different points of view; the events that transpired and revelations kept me guessing. I like the detective characters as well as the rest of the Oakhurst police team, the setting, and the police procedural details. Very hard to put down. Can't wait for #4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

This is the third book in the series and I suggest you read them in order from beginning.
Genre - crime thriller/police procedural

The Stolen Girls (DI Lottie Parker #2) by Patricia Gibney

This second installment in the DI Lottie Parker series was thrilling from start to finish -- I read it in a single sitting this evening! An excellent, action-packed police procedural that features such horrific topics as sex trafficking, self-mutilation, illegal organ harvesting, horrors of war, and murder.

I have read all of the other books in this enthralling series but somehow missed this one and I am so glad I was able to revisit earlier parts of a long-running story with the characters I've grown attached to and have connected with. Lottie and her team become involved in a very complicated case when a young foreign-born woman and her small son appear on the Parker doorstep on the day that Lottie is to return to work after recovering from events in book #1. On the same day, the body of another girl is found buried in road construction. Unable to make identification, the autopsy gives details that indicate something truly evil is going on in Ragmullin in the Irish Midlands. Then another body is found in similar fashion. Both are suspected asylum seekers but they've not been reported missing and they don't appear on any list at the local privately-run direct provision center.
Then, a friend of Chloe's (Lottie's daughter) goes missing. As the clues mount and leads are chased down, interviews done, and all avenues explored, Lottie can't help but wonder how this case ties together. NO SPOILERS.

Great characters, good writing, and lots of nerve-wracking suspense kept me thoroughly engaged. I'm definitely a fan of this series and I am hopeful that I'll be getting to the eighth book soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

This is the second in a series that currently has 7 titles. I missed this one and have read 1, 3-7 and suggest that you read them from the beginning in order.
Genre: police procedural and crime thriller

And They Called it Camelot by Stephanie Marie Thornton

"We all had our own tragedies to live. And, in the end, death would claim us all."

A well-written book, this historical fiction account of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis is, first of all, a tribute to the woman's incredible strength and resilience. I laughed, I cried, and I learned so much about Jackie while bringing to mind the little I actually remember from those years. I know that many people idolized the Kennedys and revere the JFK Presidency -- it impacted some so much that they recall exactly what they were doing when they heard that he had been shot. I was too young at the time it happened for any memories, but I know that the whole reference to the days of "Camelot" is one that has lingered over the many years since.

Told in the first person perspective, the author has given us access to Jackie's thoughts and reactions to all that transpired during much of her life. It's always hard to be accurate to history and get into someone's mind, and surely the construction has to be taken with a grain of salt. Not knowing a person intimately, gleaning detail from letters, documents, interviews, photos and footage, has to be very daunting. I found myself constantly asking, "Is this true? Is this what she really said, thought, did?' I believe that no one can ever know what really goes on in the heart or mind of another, but I feel that Stephanie Thornton presented us with a unique portrayal of a woman who valued her privacy and kept herself to herself.

Jackie wanted those one thousand and thirty-six days of JFK's Presidency to be remembered and his legacy of hope and service protected for all time. She must be forgiven for creating and curating him into a legend of epic proportions. She forgave him so much and sacrificed for his career and legacy at her own expense. Who was Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis to herself? A woman who loved a man and protected him, encouraged him, and helped him get everything he wanted. Was it worth it all -- we will never really know. I enjoyed this book and am glad that I revisited this special period in American History. The characters come to life on the pages and I will be thinking about them all for a very long time. In all, it was quite sad overall to read about the trauma and heartache experienced by this family. They gave everything they had and lost so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I will continue to read anything Stephanie Thornton writes!

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- historical fiction, bio reference to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

The Leaving Party by Lesley Sanderson

Ava is meant to be leaving for New York. Newly engaged to Ben, but keeping it a secret, Ava can't wait to leave her past behind and move on. Her best friend, Lena, is throwing her a fabulous leaving party and all their friends are coming. But there are things happening behind the scenes that will make this a night to remember. Lies have been told, truths withheld. The night will bring drama and revelation. NO SPOILERS.

Told in the alternating viewpoints of Ava and Lena, the story also shifts back and forth between 2005 and present day. Illuminating the things that friends do for love, however misguided, it was a quick read with events recounted from each girl's perspective. I didn't care for either Ava or Lena and anticipated the outcome easily, but it was easy to get through in a single sitting. If you enjoy friendship psychodrama, this is one for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not party of any series.
Genre - psychological fiction, friendship drama

Mystery on Hidden Lane (Eve Mallow #1) by Clare Chase

A cozy mystery set in the Suffolk village of Saxford St Peter presents obituary writer Eve Mallow with a complicated set of circumstances that has led to the murder of the famous man she was meant to write about. As she interviews the people in the small town to get some background information for her piece, Eve discovers that there are quite a few people who may have wanted famed cellist, Bernard Fitzpatrick, dead. NO SPOILERS.

This is a slower paced and character driven story with many different characters. The setting provides much inspiration for description and detail and it all sounded quite charming. The novel sets up Eve and puts her in place to continue what appears to be a new series. If you like books featuring amateur detectives who solve crimes, live in a picturesque village, and have a pet dog, then this is one you will want to check out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the first in a new series by this author.
Genre - cozy mystery, British