Monday, February 20, 2017

An Unique Mystery in Death On Lily Pond Lane by Carrie Doyle




Death on Lily Pond Lane by Carrie Doyle is an ok book. I have to say I would like it better if some of the language and sex references were left out. To me neither one of these two things added to the mystery and so was not in this readers opinion necessary. That being said I liked the book.  I always look at a mystery as being good if you have several possible suspects with feasible reasons they could be the murderer making you guess and surprised when you get to the end. This book does that. The setting of the Hamptons makes for an interesting addition also to the book.
Antonia runs an inn and watches houses for the rich who are only around on weekends and during the summer season.  One  house is where she finds the body of Warner who has been making more than a few enemies with the filming of his documentary on some of the old rich families of the Hamptons. He is not sugar coating the interviews but is going for the throat by bringing up all the scandals involving the people he is focusing on. This makes for some interesting possibilities for who done him in and keeps you puzzling through trying to figure out who murdered Warner and why. When there is two more murders in a place where nothing usually happens like this then things get really interesting and dangerous for the snooping Antonia.
This book has a good setting, and unusual plot, many twists and turns as well as several suspects that keep you guessing to the end. Antonia is  strong, capable, yet at times confused, untrusting which makes her a believable character. I liked Joseph her confidante he was sensible and level headed the one she could bounce ideas off of.
Her flighty best friend Genevieve adds a quirky element too.

This is a many faceted mystery that keeps you guessing trying to figure the puzzle out with good characters and setting.

I received this book from the author for my honest opinion and review.

If you would like to buy this book you can at

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Lily-Hamptons-Murder-Mysteries/dp/0997270152/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487605043&sr=1-1&keywords=death+on+lily+pond+lane

Friday, February 3, 2017

A New Cozy Mystery Series You Won't Want To Miss Kale To The Queen by Nell Hampton


Kale to the Queen: A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery by [Hampton, Nell]




Kale To The Queen A Kensington Palace Chef Mystery bk 1 by Nell Hampton is a great new cozy mystery series that you won't want to miss. It has all the right elements starting with a smart, spunky, brave character in Chef Carrie Ann Cole. I think she is very courageous and brave for taking on her dream job,  leaving everything behind including a long time boyfriend, and moving to London to be a personal chef for the Duke and Duchess at the palace where it is make it or you're gone. I don't know if I could do that. Add  the extra pressure of  all the regulations and rules that comes with being part of the Kensington Palace staff  and Chef Carrie Ann Cole has to be a strong confident woman, which I always like in a main character.
The pressure grows when Carrie Ann has to deal with the  cantankerous bullheaded picky Chef  Butterbottom. Wow there were times I would have wanted to just slap him if I had been Carrie Ann, but that just isn't done especially in the service of the Duchess!
You also have an electric tension that goes between Chef Carrie Ann Cole and the handsome yet stick to the rules head of security, Ian Gordon, and the  sparks  fly. I enjoyed the verbal battle back and forth between Chef Cole and Chef Butterbottom as well as the tension and spunk Chef Cole displays when she is around Ian Gordon. She never backs down to either one and I like a character that can hold their own in all kinds of situations.
The murder of her kitchen assistant and the other assistant being arrested for the murder makes for a good puzzle and one that Carrie Ann is thrown right in the middle of when she finds the body.  In between her cooking for the family  she decides to play detective and prove that Michael her assistant is not the murderer. She gets into some dangerous sticky situations that keep you guessing, which I always like, along with a mystery that you can't figure out right away and that has several possible endings. This book has all that and more.

I just love British mysteries so this one caught my interest from the start. I love how the author draws you into the surroundings and you can just imagine what the Palace must be like. On the trips into London Chef Cole makes on the tube or walking  you feel like you are riding the tube right along with her and feeling the nervousness she feels when she is walking the dark streets of London. The descriptions of the palace, the streets of London and riding the tube makes you just picture the place easily as if you are going with Chef Cole in her adventures which makes the  book even better.

This is an exciting  book that takes the reader along for a fast fun ride where you are not only cheering for Chef Cole to accomplish her dream, but you also get caught up in the mystery and trying to put the many pieces together to come up with the solution right along with her.

I really am looking forward to the next book in this series and to see more  situations Chef Carrie Ann Cole finds herself in.

Oh and by the way there are recipes. WIN WIN

I hope you will give this book a try.

If you would like to know more about the book or order it you can at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0Z4HW3/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author for my honest opinion and review

UNTIL NEXT TIME:

GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE OR TEA, SOME CHOCOLATE, A GOOD BOOK AND KEEP ON READING!