Book Review - Death Plays A Part by Vivian Conroy

Amazon UK

Title: Death Plays a Part

Author: Vivian Conroy

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 7th July 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

With high tide comes murder…
When her beloved London theatre closes for renovations, costume maker Guinevere is excited to start a job at Cornisea castle, a centuries-old keep on a small tidal island off the coast of Cornwall. Imagine a whole summer full of stories of hidden treasures, fab food and long walks with her perky dachshund Dolly.

But when a reenactment of a medieval trial in the castle dungeons ends in real-life murder, and accusations threaten the castle's future, Guinevere and Dolly dig deep into the island community's best-kept secrets to unmask the killer and save their Cornish summer.

An incredibly tightly written closed door mystery that I didn't have the first clue how to solve. Luckily for the detective on the island of Cornisea, Guinevere happened to be working in the castle for the summer, but is normally found in a theatre, often working on murder mysteries, so has a good idea how to try to solve them. 

Of course when Guinevere accepted the job in the castle the last thing she was expecting was a dead body on the first night,  during a rehearsal for a historical reenactment, where most of the islanders were present.  Given the set up of the murder, it was very hard to see past the obvious suspect, but yet Guinevere and Oliver between them try to prove the innocent suspect's innocence. 

Unlike in some cosy mysteries, this seemed a lot less bumbling along, and instead had two reasonably intelligent characters thinking aspects of the case through logically and in an informed way. They also seemed to have the ear of the inspector running the case, which seemed odd but useful. 

Guinevere doesn't go anywhere without her faithful dog Dolly, who is adorable. I loved Dolly' interactions with other dogs. 

Cornisea Island is a lovely setting for a series, and I am intrigued to see where this series is going to proceed next. 

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Written into the Grave by Vivian Conroy - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Written into the Grave

Author: Vivian Conroy

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 10th May 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Can fiction kill?

Vicky Simmons’s life was supposed to be relaxing after she moved back home to the coast of Maine, but instead of baking bread and gardening she’s been chasing down killers and it’s time to stop. Vicky is ready to slow down again and vows to start focusing more on her roses than solving crime.

That is until she reads the new serial in the paper over breakfast, describing a brutal murder that takes place on a cliff top road just above a beach. Only to find herself moments later, walking Coco and Mr. Pug, face to face with a dead body on the sand. The murder victim described exactly as he was in the story…

Once again death has come to Glen Cove and this time Vicky and her friends won’t stop until they find the killer before they get away with murder.

Easily the best book in the series to date. Was gripped incredibly early on and found the book to be full of action and red herrings, and kept me thinking the whole way through. 

In Written into the Grave you are transported to the heart of the action, within the first few chapters, and before you get to the real murder, I was gripped by Vicky reading out a part of a story serial in the newspaper that describes in great detail a murder being committed.  So when Vicky notices police action at the cliffs in Glen Cove, she can;t help but get a feeling that reality was mirroring fiction. 

On the surface it should have been a very easy crime to solve, until you start thinking and digging into the people potentially involved, at which point there suddenly are a whole range of potential suspects which could have the motivation for murder. 

What surprised me a bit was how fast Cash, the local police, starts to lean on Vicky for support with the case, going as far as to  ask for help and discuss theories with her, whereas in the previous two books in the series he seemed rather reluctant for any help at all. 

It's not just Cash that Vicky is helping with investigating, but also Michael who runs the local paper. The three of them seem locked in a weird triangle involving jealousy despite Vicky not going out with either man. 

This may be book three in the A Country Gift Shop series but it could definitely be read as a standalone, although if you want to understand the full depths of the Cash - Michael - Vicky conundrum, then reading the other books which are equally enjoyable would be a good idea. 

I was engaged in the story from the start and really enjoyed reading the book and seeing how it all panned out. I am marginally frustrated that Vivian Conroy managed to outwit me yet again for so far into the story, but loved trying to work it out. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Book Review - Grand Prize: Murder! by Vivian Conroy

Amazon UK

Title: Grand Prize: Murder!

Author: Vivian Conroy

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 15th March 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Inviting the bestselling cozy crime author Bella Brookes to town is going to be the best business move Vicky Simmons has made yet. Not only is Bella going to sign her books to kick off Glen Cove’s annual One-Mile Book Market, but she’s also running her famous scavenger hunt right in town. That’s sure to win over the townsfolk!

All is going to plan until a dead body is discovered, drawing Vicky straight to the scene of the crime. After the last murder Vicky had vowed to stay out of Sheriff Cash’s way, but when death comes to town she finds herself embroiled in the investigation. She’s racing against time to uncover the murderer…but can there really be a second devious killer in Glen Cove? Vicky will stop at nothing to get to the truth.

It is always refreshing that when a book is more or less a direct continuation of the previous book in a series, that the opening chapter, provides all the refresher information you require, to remind you of the key bits of the previous books. In Grand Prize: Murder! we get just that, which gave me a welcome reminder of the feel of the first book, the characters and had me focused a lot quicker on the new story than if it didn't. I also believe the opening will be helpful for anyone that didn't read Dead to Begin With, and thus this new book can easily be read as a standalone. 

As I may have mentioned this is the second book in the Country Gift Shop Cozy Mystery series, and it was great fun to catch up with the residents of Glen Cove again, as they are looking forward to Bella Brooke's visit, for a book signing. Bella is a cozy crime author herself, but before long she finds herself being a suspect of two murders - one real and one in the scavenger hunt that has been arranged for the residents of Glen Cove. 

What Vicky is adamant about is that Bella is innocent, so she and her friends once again take on the role of amateur sleuths, while also sharing information with Cash, the town's sheriff. 

I love the whole small town feel of Glen Cove, and of amateur sleuths, attempting to solve a crime with limited resources but just their cunning and common sense, as is the case in a cozy crime book. I was really enjoying seeing how Vicky came to her conclusions, and the ways of getting information from people. 

At no point did I suspect the correct person, although I did have some other theories, I do like being surprised though. 

There is a some character development in the recurring characters in this book, so I did feel as though I was getting to know them more.  

Grand Prize: Murder! is a good cozy mystery, with some fun elements, a clever plot, and a main suspect from the police, that had some brilliant answers! I really enjoyed reading this book, and definitely will be in line for book 3 of the series. 

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Dead to Begin With by Vivian Conroy - Fab Firsts

Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of! 

If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you. 

I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!

Dead to Begin With is the first in a new cozy mystery series set in Maine.

Amazon UK

Title: Dead to Begin With

Author: Vivian Conroy

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 13th January 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Coming home can be murder

Vicky Simmons is looking for the simple life. She’s ready to trade in London for a slower pace by opening a British Country Gift Shop in her old hometown on the coast of Maine. Little does she know a few old faces are back in Glen Cove, including unrequited teenage crush Michael Danning—having taken over the local Gazette and looking better than ever.

All is looking rosy until Vicky finds herself face-to-face with a dead body and Michael is the prime suspect. When the sheriff links the motive for murder to the unsolved disappearance of a teenage girl twenty years ago, Vicky must turn amateur sleuth. She’ll stop at nothing to save Michael…and unmask the real killer!

What a cosy story featuring a cozy murder, and some cute dogs! This has a lovely small town feel to it, where the neighbourhood grapevine is the fastest form of communications, and rumours can be started and exaggerated at the rate of knots. Even its name Glen Cove conjured up images of a pretty New England setting, and a far different pace of life to what I'm personally used to in London. 

Vicky Simmons was a journalist but on returning to Glen Cove, she is intending to set up a brand new shop, selling British gifts. What is is unaware of is she isn't the only person returning to Glen Cove - there is Michael who she used to have  a crush on, and Diane who is the twin sister of Celine, a girl who went missing 23 years ago from the town, and has never been found. 

Diane is back and looking for answers, and Michael was only just about cleared after being the prime suspect. Between Vicky and her new friends, other anglophiles in the town, who want to help with the shop too, they need to work out what happened to Celine all those years ago, as new unwanted events are now happening in Glen Cove. 

Vicky may be an amateur but she generally seems more clued on the the sheriff in town, and I loved seeing her thought processes as she tries to make sense of the information and clues that are about. I will admit I only worked out the who the bad guy was, a few pages before Vicky, but didn't know the motivation at all. 

Dead to Begin With was a very welcome change of pace and scene from a lot of the other books I read, and I was drawn into the story quite fast, and certainly once the first big incident occurred was hooked and wanted to know what happened and why. This is the first book I've read by Vivian Conroy and I enjoyed the way she puts together a story, and all the different characters in Glen Cove.  I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.  

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy that I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.