Lacy ace Book reviews

Murder at Midwinter Manor

Escaping the city doesn’t mean escaping the criminals…

1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister, in her beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.

The huge house is full of relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone’s excited to have a Christmas to remember.

But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realise that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.

Because whoever’s behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor… And if they’re not found, who knows what their next ‘gift’ will be?

A totally unforgettable Golden Age, country house, cozy crime novel, perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, and Agatha Christie.

My review

With huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood books for my kindle edition of Murder at Midwinter Manor.

I’m new to the series of these delightful books, so I had little to expect from previous books, this story is 3 of 4 of the books. From the start I found this book engaging and fun, the characters have so much depth and time is spent describing the characters well, including how they act to what they wear. Through the story I did feel there were a lot of characters and at times just too much going on to keep up, but this was only on a few occasions.

Hannah Merrill and Aunt Violet are the main characters and this is their mystery to solve (when they thought they were getting a festive break from crime!), they decide to join other family and friends at Hannah’s sister beautiful country home. The manor house sounds like the ideal location for a festive gathering, but unfortunately with a twist of murder! I found that I came quite fond of Bartleby the cat, who is snuck in at the beginning of the book.

The story has lots of clues and has the perfect historical base for the perfect cozy crime story. I also liked the way there was a murder to solve with a treasured item missing too.

Hannah is a super sleuth and never likes to give up on a challenge with her forward thinking Aunt, nothing is stopping them!

I’m definitely intrigued to read the other books within this series as this one was a firm favourite! A joy to read anytime but would be a perfect winter’s read.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/midwintermanorsocial

Author Bio – 

Anita Davison is the author of the successful Flora Maguire historical mystery series.

Social Media Links –  

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Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AnitaDavisonNews

Bookbub profile: Anita Davison Books – BookBub

The third book in heartwarming The Royal Station Master’s Daughters series. For readers of Maisie Thomas and Daisy Styles.

‘A heartwarming historical novel’ Rosie Goodwin

‘A gripping historical saga’ Daisy Styles

Wolferton, Norfolk, 1919

The war is over, but the effects of it are ever-present in the village of Wolferton. At just two miles from Sandringham House, the private residence of British monarchs, the people of Wolferton have a special connection to the royals – particularly the family of the royal station master, Harry Saward. But their privileged position and access to the royal family do not lessen the devastating impact of war on the Saward girls. Maria’s fiancé, Eddie, is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Ada’s husband, Alfie, has lost his job, and his purpose in life, Jessie is praying for the safe return of her beau, Jack, and Beatrice is hard at work as a nurse in the war hospital and is faced with a shocking revelation from her sweetheart.

With many men from the Sandringham Company still missing in Gallipoli, the village is also suffering. When Kitty Willow, the wife of one of the missing men, and her six young children lose their home on the royal estate, the Saward family rally around to help. As they are forced into the workhouse and Kitty is separated from her children, life looks bleak. But when a kind benefactor takes a shine to Kitty her fortunes may have turned around. Could this be the new start in life that she and her children so desperately need?
  

My review

With huge thanks to Zaffre Books for sending me the whole collection of the Royal Station Masters Daughters at War collection.

This is the last book of the collection, bringing romance and history together in this lovely and engaging read. I will admit to not reading the previous two books (but will read them at a later date), this didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book and appreciating the story for what it provided.

Created around the Saward family during WW1 during times of hardship and sadness. The story itself from the Sandringham Estate is very engaging with characters you can believe and relate to. The story also covers other areas that come to life such as the military, the work of women at those times too, especially with Kitty who had to endure more than she deserved. Along with backgrounds and scenery described well, you feel as though you are there at that time. Extremely well researched.

This story will bring you to tears and give you that heartwarming feeling. It has lots going on, but each part of the story is clearly laid out and you don’t lose your way as you read on.

This is definitely a great read, and a must for saga genre addicts and a recommendation for others that would like to try this type of genre – you won’t be disappointed!

About the author: Ellee Seymour is a former journalist and PR professional living near Cambridge. The Royal Station Master’s Daughters was her debut saga novel. Ellee first heard about Harry Saward from his great grandson, Brian Heath, who was keen the royal station  master’s unique and untold story from a glorious bygone era should be written about.

Clive Thompson heads for Whitley Bay caravan park to finish writing his novel. He’s never had a caravan holiday before and is warmly greeted by the manager, Liz Mathews, who lives on the park. She is single and cares for her ninety year old mother who has Alzheimer’s Disease. Clive meets the people in neighbouring caravans and has an amazing view from his veranda over the sea to St. Mary’s Lighthouse. However, Audrey goes missing during the night and Liz is beside herself with worry.  The police are out looking for her, but disillusioned by their efforts, Clive begins his own investigations.   

My review

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for organising a paperback copy to review for this blog tour. I am already a cosy crime lover and enjoy the fun of the murder mystery and where it takes you. This one didn’t disappoint.

From the beginning the descriptions of the characters are relatable and the scenery is well described bringing the story to life.

I have been to Whitley Bay once and as the caravan park is described it feels as though I am there in person. Clive is a budding author that needs a break to complete his writing with freedom from any distractions, he choses a caravan park where he has never been before.

The experience of being at the caravan park brings immediate calm and intrigue with the local neighbours in the other caravans. Clive has his plans and what he wants to achieve while staying there, but things change when a body is found. Clive feels like he has his own investigative methods on how he feels he can help to find out who did it and why.

The people also living on the caravan site have their own secrets which brings intrigue and adventure to Clive’s own investigation. Clive is very persistent sometimes it feels like he’s pushing the boundaries.

This is a fabulous cosy crime story, engaging and a thoroughly good read!

Purchase Links – Death at the Caravan Park

Author Bio – 

Susan is a published author of eight novels and six novellas with short stories published in Women’s Weekly magazines. She is now retired from Food Technology and scribbles away in County Durham. Writing psychological suspense and cosy-crime novels with strong, lovable North East characters, is her passion. Last year, she brought us, Clive’s Christmas Crusades, set in York. Following the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, Susan wrote six Curious Casefiles which is now published by Northodox Press. She has incorporated up-to-date issues: poor mental health in a kidnap scene, the perils of social media, and an intruder on Skype. 

Social Media Links –

You can find Susan’s books here: Amazon     

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The year is 1909, and Artie Quick—an ambitious, unorthodox and inquisitive young Bostonian—wants to learn about crime. 

By day she holds down a job as a salesgirl in  women’s accessories at legendary department store Filene’s; by night she disguises herself as a man to pursue studies in Criminal Investigation at the YMCA’s Evening Institute for Younger Men.

Eager to put theory into practice, Artie sets out in search of something to investigate. She’s joined by her pal Theodore, an upper-crust young bachelor whose interest in Boston’s occult counterculture has drawn him into the study of magic. Together, their journey into mystery begins on Boston Common—where the tramps and the groundskeepers swap rumours about unearthly screams and other unsettling anomalies—but soon Artie and Theodore uncover a series of violent abductions that take them on an adventure from the highest corridors of power to the depths of an abandoned mass transit tunnel, its excavation suspiciously never completed.

Will Theodore ever manage to pull off a successful spell? Is Artie just wearing that men’s suit for disguise, or is there something more to it?  And what chance do two mixed-up young people stand up against the greatest horror Boston has ever known, an ancient, deranged evil that feeds on society’s most vulnerable?

My review

With huge thanks to Melville House for providing a proof copy of this exciting book to read along with a fabulous little monster! With an intriguing intro to something that can provide mystery, magic, adventure and with some really engaging characters I was ready for this story.

Artie is our main character who knows how society expects her to be, but she wants more out of life, so she decides the only way to do this is to dress up and act like a male, borrowing a suit from a friend (which later becomes apparent that this is no normal suit!) and show her skills off with a natural flare as others see through her. From the beginning her character was engaging, being part of the investigative course disguised as a male, for it only to be clear that she has some special talents. Her normal job working in a department store is more of a people watching hobby!

The book progresses really quickly with screams from the local park, women being abducted by the ruthless! Theodore – her magical learning friend works well with Artie, they bounce off each other and are a perfect match for this engaging adventure. Allowing Artie’s skills to be fully encouraged, with the help of Theodore being male he can do some things Artie isn’t allowed to do, due to the society they live in.

Throughout the story we become engaged in the magical world where Theodore learns more about what he can achieve and how someone magical he knows goes missing – is this another female that has been abducted – the chase begins but is magic part of this and why?!

Throughout the story it is a true mix of the crime classics like Agatha Christie with a twist of Harry Potter and a touch of supernatural, the author is very good at getting the right mix to make this story work, three strong areas that seem to come together with ease.

This an amazing story, keeping you intrigued in 1909 not your normal magical murder mystery! Described as wild, weird and genre-bending – yes it is and a must read!

Author biography

Jeremy P. Bushnell  is the author of two earlier novels with Melville House: The Weirdness (2014) and The Insides (2016). He is also the co-founder of Nonmachinable, a distributor of optically interesting zines and artists’ books. He teaches writing at Northeastern University in Boston, and lives in Dedham, Massachusetts.

One reckless moment, so many lives

Gemma Dean goes missing one chilly October morning, leaving behind her phone. Texts hint at secrets far darker than Kent Fisher could ever imagine.

When a body is found in his burned out car over a hundred miles away, murder brings the past crashing into the present with the first in a chain of painful discoveries.

Struggling to make sense of a past that threatens to devastate his future, Kent faces his most personal and challenging investigation so far.

But how will he deal with the fallout from one reckless moment that cost so many lives?

My review

With huge thanks to Robert for inviting me to another adventure from Kent Mysteries. I have loved every story in this series, quick pacing, characters to love and hate and a huge mix of deep descriptions of the surroundings and emotions.

Once again I was thrown in to the storyline with a ‘bang’! Beautiful start to the story; Kent and Gemma have began their day with exciting plans, when Gemma realises she has forgotten something, she goes back and never returns ….! With dark secrets and the unknown, Kent begins another investigation adventure which keeps you gripped to every page!

As Kent investigates further the truth starts to come out, in his investigation the truth in this case is way more personal and makes Kent question more about what is needed – you get a full sense and understanding of how Kent feels and what keeps him going. Will he find Gemma, is she hurt, what is going on?!

This story produces edge of the seat reading and you have to read on to find out more, you may question some of Kent’s methods, but he surely gets to where he plans to go, even with risky consequences! How far will he go this time to delve into his past, that he wants to forget?

I must admit I have a huge fondness to Kent’s dog – Columbo (sadly the author’s Westie -Harvey; where Columbo’s inspiration came from, not long ago passed away) he brings such fondness and character to Kent’s investigations.

Once again these stories can be read as a stand alone, as the author cleverly adds previous details to the story, so you can follow easily – however I would definitely recommend you read the others first.

There are more questions once you have followed through with Kent’s adventure, which gives you that ‘need to know more’. I really love to find a great Author and look forward to their next masterpiece! Keep them coming!

Young and desperately in love, Merrin had the whole world ahead of her. But just as her new life was about to start, the ground beneath her feet was cruelly swept away. Devastated by the humiliation, she ran far away from the beloved fishing village she had always called home to lick her wounds and escape her gossiping friends and neighbours.

It hasn’t been easy, but six years later Merrin has forged a new life for herself far from the sea, burying the impulsive girl she once was. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to return to the village she swore she’d never set foot in again.

Reluctantly back in the arms of her community, Merrin begins to realise what she’s been missing out on all these years. As she begins to remember the person she used to be, she is forced to make choices about her future, and to question the past. What does she want from her life? Who is important to her? Who is to blame for everything that went wrong? And can she forgive them, let old wounds heal and finally be her true self again?

With huge thanks to Kelly for arranging this blog tour and to Amanda Browse for providing a stunning signed copy to review, which I have very grateful for.

This book is set in the Cornish village of Port Charles, with the story jumping straight into the wedding of Merrin, things seem to start off on a blossoming future, describing beautifully the buzz and fun that happens while you are getting ready for your big day. However, things do not turn out as expected with the initial twist to this engaging story, being thrown completely off the initial thoughts. As things progress Merrin escapes the disaster and humiliation and attempts to rebuild her life in Thornbury in Bristol.

Time passes on as she grows and gains life experiences, only to have a family tragedy that rocks her, this then needs her to question her younger life and what she truly wants. As she returns home her next steps are ones to adore and treasure, as she tries to understand what is most wanted in her heart or mind.

I loved the family relationships and the banter between them, it brings the characters themselves and the story to life, and this is thread through the whole of the story.

With the descriptions of the perfect little Cornish village, the every producing gossiping locals – described perfectly, you can’t go wrong. Bringing this story to life with characters you not only understand but feel you might know them.

This is the type of book you could easily read again and again! Beautifully written a must buy!

Amazon link to purchase.

Ever so wholesome.

Ever so deadly…

When a local man is found murdered in an English Trust stately home, the community is shaken to its core. None more so than newcomer Astrid Swift, who finds the body.

When she moved from London to the sleepy Dorset village and got a job at the house as an art restorer, she thought she was heading for a quieter life. Far from it. Because it turns out that rather than being the genteel organisation it seems on the surface, the Trust is a hotbed of politics and intrigue. As Astrid’s new friend Kath from the village says: ‘It’s like the mafia, but with scones.’ As the suspicious deaths mount up and the threat draws closer, Astrid must use every gadget in her restorer’s toolkit to solve the mystery, save her reputation – and maybe even her life. Thrilling, funny and unputdownable, The Trustis perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Clare Chase.

My review

With many thanks to Andrew from Head of Zeus for providing a NetGalley digital copy to review.

I have always been a fan of cosy crime stories and this one did not let me down.

Astrid Kisner is a fascinating main character, she starts off with the most wonderful life, a job she loves as a conservator and a husband that she adores, along with the most upmarket apartment, that anyone could want. However, all of a sudden some news comes to light, that turns her world upside down! With the character that she is, I believe she dealt with it with the most determination and courage to just take it all on board so quickly. She is a snob and has the most hilarious way of expressing this, with her distaste for different things, that she soon realises that are not that bad after all.

As her new journey takes her onto a different adventure she starts a new job, while also attending to her Uncle Henry’s Will, but unfortunately it takes her to finding a dead body! From then on things take various avenues creating dangerous situations, her asking more questions about who she is and what she really wants.

Throughout the story there is so much depth to the characters and the surroundings, the sound of the boats and the beautiful arts, along with the eccentric characters that we can all relate to. One of my other favourite characters is Kath, she has such a simple look on life and nothing seems to bother her, this is someone that regardless of the unusual introduction, Astrid comes to appreciate her qualities.

The clues and adventure that Uncle Henry has left for Astrid, gives this story a bit of a twist, so not only just looking into a murder there are other clues and excitement involved.

The storyline is gripping and very enjoyable, this will be one to look out for in the future!

About the author

M.H. Eccleston has had a fairly meandering career – starting out as a radio presenter for the BBC, then staying at the Beeb as a journalist and producer for six years. After that, it’s a bit of a blur –he spent a couple of decades, at least, freelancing as a foreign correspondent, TV presenter, voice-over artist and film critic. For the last few years he’s been a full-time screenwriter and now novelist, with some wildlife gardening in the summer to keep himself sane and pay the bills.

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