Recent Reads - 10 Marchfield Square

10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte - In a quiet block of flats in London, a resident is murdered and the landlady doesn't have confidence that the police will handle the case properly, especially since the victim was an unsavory smalltime criminal who was abusive to his wife. Wealthy Celeste van Duren is confident that none of her tenants could be the killer, and certainly not the widow, Linda, but that's what the police seem to think. So she recruits two of the tenants and tasks them with working together to investigate. Audrey is also Celeste's cleaner and has an eye for details and a knack with people. Lewis is a crime writer who has run out of book ideas, but he's got the background in procedure and research. And most definitely does not have a knack with people. Both Audrey and Lewis could use the money Celeste is offering, and when Linda is also murdered, they have an additional incentive to figure out what really happened and get justice for Linda.

The story is told with chapters alternating between Audrey and Lewis as the viewpoint character, with a few chapters from Celeste's viewpoint thrown in here and there. Audrey and Lewis are very different and their partnership for the investigation is uneasy at first, but as they track down clues they realize that each of the residents of Marchfield Square has something to hide, and conclude that it's most likely that the murderer was someone who lived there. They learn to work together and trust each other as they untangle the leads and work through the possible theories.

Inevitably they face danger as they uncover those who had motive and close in on the killer. The growing friendship and trust between Audrey and Lewis is sweet and the glimpses of how Celeste cares for her tenants are endearing. Although there are three murders and the story moves along crisply, I'd still consider this a cozy mystery much more than a thriller or suspenseful mystery. Certainly there are some tense scenes and the closer the amateur detectives get to the solution, the more I was kept on the edge of my seat to see which parts of the theories were right and wrong, and if my solution was the same as Lewis and Audrey's. There is definitely an intriguing twist at the end, one that made me hope there might be a sequel at some point, but even if there isn't, the ending struck a great balance between a satisfying wrap-up and a tantalizing question or two left unanswered.

The comparisons to Only Murders in the Building are apt and I found myself picturing a couple of the characters looking very much like the beloved residents of the Arconia. 

From the publisher:

The Paris Apartment meets Only Murders in the Building in this debut murder mystery with an intriguing cast of characters inhabiting a quirky block of flats in modern-day London.

When a minor criminal is murdered in the smallest residential square in London, elderly heiress and landlady Celeste van Duren recruits two of her tenants to investigate. Her cleaner, Audrey, knows everyone and is liked by all, while failed writer Lewis is known by no one. He hates his job, hates his life, and he's not that fond of Audrey either―but Celeste is persuasive.

As they hunt for clues in and around the Square, they discover everyone has something to hide, including their fellow residents. Audrey and Lewis must find a way to work together if they're to find the killer in their midst. Assuming of course, there's just the one . . . 

Cozy crime enthusiasts will not be able to get enough of Marchfield Square and its residents.

This is a book published in 2025 (#52) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

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This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Killers of a Certain Age

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn - Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have certainly earned their retirement, having worked their entire adult lives as professional assassins for a secretive agency known as the Museum. And so in the opening pages of this thriller, they are meeting on board a cruise ship for an all-expenses paid vacation to mark the end of their active employment, and they have some mixed feelings about it. Their training is everything though, and they recognize a Museum operative among the crew members and quickly deduce that they are the next targets. First order of business is to get off the ship alive, and the next is to figure out why the Board of the Museum wants them dead. And naturally, if they want to survive, they will need to kill those who have signed their death warrants.

What follows is a thrilling global chase, as these four sixty-somethings disguise themselves, track down information and leads, and hunt down the hunters. Every skill they've learned in their decades-long careers, their long years of experience, and their trust in each other will be put to the test in a kill or be killed mission.

Billie is the main viewpoint character, and the present-day narrative is punctuated occasionally by flashback scenes that provide insight into Billie's recruitment and training with the Museum, and the early missions the foursome completed. It feels strange sometimes to be rooting for cold-blooded killers, but Billie and her friends are definitely likeable and the epitome of sympathetic characters. Besides, the Museum has always exercised great discretion in the targets they remove, which only adds to the tension of why the organization has now turned on its own assets.

From the publisher:

"This Golden Girls meets James Bond thriller is a journey you want to be part of." -Buzzfeed

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon.

They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire ― it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman―and a killer―of a certain age.

By the same author: A Murderous Relation, A Dangerous Collaboration, A Treacherous Curse, A Perilous Undertaking, A Curious Beginning, Night of a Thousand Stars, Bonfire Night, Twelfth Night, City of Jasmine, Whisper of Jasmine, Midsummer Night; A Spear of Summer Grass, Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor, Dark Road to Darjeeling, The Dark Enquiry, Silent Night, The Dead Travel Fast

This is a book with cover font in a primary color (#41) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

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I've picked this as the first book in The 52 Book Club's Connections Challenge. 

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Black Fog

Black Fog by KT McWilliams - Elizabeth Bowmar is a young woman in 1618 London hoping to earn her midwife's license. It is early on a foggy morning when she and fellow midwives are attending a mother in a very difficult birth, one that will require assistance from the inventors of a mysterious birthday device, but that will cost money. Elizabeth is tasked with finding the father and getting him to pay, and with finding the inventors and convincing them to come help. After the successful delivery of the child, it is discovered that the father, Master Prowler, has been murdered, and that Elizabeth was one of the last to see him alive. This will mean she is likely to be a suspect, and even being questioned could mean the loss of her midwife license.

With help from her trusted friends and some new allies, Elizabeth hurries to find and outwit the murderer before the disgruntled inventor goes to the sheriff to cast suspicion on her. They are constantly surrounded by the black fog, and in danger from the likely murderer and those who do his bidding, but Elizabeth holds on to her hope that all will unfold according to God's plan, and faces all the challenges and uncertainty with as much courage and confidence as she can manage.

There is a prologue that hints at a harrowing experience from Elizabeth's past, and there are some references throughout the story linking this terrible event to her attitudes and to the unusual training she has in using knives to protect herself. Snippets of this backstory are teased into the narrative, creating a curiosity about it and providing some explanation for Elizabeth's unconventional and independent approach to solving the dilemma she finds herself in. The bits and pieces of the backstory didn't always satisfy as an explanation, leaving me with more questions about how it could possibly fit together.

Although this isn't a detective story, there is a mystery that must be solved, and the characters must be resourceful in their pursuit of answers. I enjoyed this creativity and the unusual characters, though I was sometimes a little unsure of their relationships and uncertain of the plausibility of all the events and their happening during the given timeframe. I felt like there was an awful lot to fit into just one day, stretching believability at many points. Some of the threads of the story didn't get woven together in a way that felt natural. The black fog is mentioned often in the narrative, and its ubiquitous presence in the city is important to the setting and mood, and necessary to the plot as it obscures clear vision. In my opinion, it is mentioned too often - it felt too obvious. As this novel is a debut and an introduction to a series, I'm curious about how the subsequent stories with connect to this one, and hope that some of these characters might be featured and further explored in the next installment, and as the author develops her storytelling voice.

I read an Advance Reader Copy, so I understand that punctuation and minor errors will probably be corrected before publication.

Note: This review will be updated with a link to purchase once available on Amazon.

From the publisher:

Where kindness battles cruelty, a woman's quest for truth is a fight for survival & divine justice.

In the heart of 1618 London where the shadow of the past lingers, join Elizabeth Bowmar, a young, aspiring midwife, as she navigates the complexities of birth, betrayal, and a chilling murder.

Elizabeth faces the impossible: convincing two irascible men to accept life altering change to save the life of a mother and her child.

But as life and death hang in the balance, one is murdered, and the other seeks revenge against Elizabeth.

Elizabeth must rely on her wit, strength, and unwavering faith to uncover the truth before time runs out.

Black Fog is the introduction to the On The Wings Of Angels series. Experience a world where true kindness lifts souls, and God's plan guides the journey. Dive into this historical fiction enriched with Christian suspense and immerse yourself in KT McWilliams' latest novel.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book with a title of 10 letters or less  (#13) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

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This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - The Work of Art

The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews - Our introduction to Phyllida comes as she comes into her uncle's library to collect her dogs that have interrupted a meeting. Her straightforward humility is scoffed at by some of her uncle's guests, but not Captain Arthur Heywood. He later has the opportunity to converse with her and finds himself liking her more than he expected. She is kind, unpretentious, and gracious, and the plans her uncle has to marry her off to the Duke of Moreland do not sit well with Arthur at all. But what can he do? He barely knows her and is in no position to object or to be involved at all.

Philly has accepted that her life will be different now. Having been raised by her grandparents in Devonshire, she is more than capable of running a household and has all the required manners and graces of a high-born lady, but was not pressed to have a London season or marry young. With her grandfather's death, Philly has been taken in by her uncle, and has no property or dowry to speak of, and must submit to his plans to prepare her for a season and find a suitable husband for her. She begins to hope that the courteous Captain Heywood might be the one chosen, but is dismayed when she meets the Duke of Moreland. He is notorious as a collector of unusual art, and has a reputation for cruelty and vengeance. When she sees him strike one of his dogs, she is determined that she will not marry him for she knows her own beloved dogs will not be welcomed and may well be mistreated. Her uncle is unmoved by her pleas, so she takes a chance and reaches out to Captain Heywood, hoping that his gallantry and kindness during their brief friendship will move him to offer her some assistance.

Arthur not only comes through to help Philly, he offers her everything he can in order to protect her from Moreland. He offers her a marriage of convenience and the protection of his name, and assures her that she will want for nothing at his home, and that she may bring her beloved dogs with her. He loves her already but because he is crippled and emotionally and physically scarred after his experiences in war, he fears offering her his heart and his full companionship. The two do fall in love, but Arthur continues to worry about the threat that seems to have followed her to his estate, and won't allow himself to love her fully. 

This story seems to resolve relatively quickly, until threats and danger follow Philly out of London to Heycombe, and the tension ramps up again. There is also the romantic tension as Arthur and Philly navigate their relationship and learn to trust each other. The resolutions to the conflicts are not exactly as expected but the promised happy ever after does eventually come. 

From the publisher:

An Uncommon Beauty . . . 

Hidden away in rural Devonshire, Phyllida Satterthwaite has always been considered more odd than beautiful. But in London, her oddity has made her a sensation. Far worse, it's caught the eye of the sinister Duke of Moreland―a notorious art collector obsessed with acquiring one-of-a-kind treasures. To escape the duke's clutches, she's going to need a little help.

An Unlikely Hero . . .

Captain Arthur Heywood's days of heroism are long past. Grievously injured in the Peninsular War, he can no longer walk unaided, let alone shoot a pistol. What use can he possibly be to a damsel in distress? He has nothing left to offer except his good name. 

Can a marriage of convenience save Philly from the vengeful duke? Or will life with Arthur put her―and  her heart―in more danger than ever?

By the same author: The Matrimonial Advertisment, Fair As A Star, The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter

This is a book written in third person (#35) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - A Deceptive Composition

A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage urge Lord Gage to accept an invitation to see his extended family in Cornwall, but soon wonder if the visit was wise for any of them. The family has been estranged for many years, following a smuggling affair gone wrong when Lord Gage was a boy and resulting in his commission to the Royal Navy being purchased. Now he and his son and daughter-in-law are in Cornwall to get reacquainted with the family, and the occasion to bring them together was the death of the patriarch, Branok Roscarrock. Some in the family suspect that his death was not accidental, and certainly the Gages find plenty to be suspicious when they start asking questions, but all is not as it seems.

Everyone in the extended family appears to be hiding something, lying, or has some ulterior motive, and the stories and circumstances are not adding up. Soon Kiera and Gage are worried about their own safety and that of Lord Gage, and even contemplate abandoning the entire investigation since they sense they are in danger and the family is not cooperating. In fact, a question is raised about whether Branok is truly dead or not! 

The investigation takes several unexpected turns, and Kiera and Gage are compelled to find answers about the murder, and about a rumored lost treasure before they become victims of foul play themselves.

This installment of the series has a lot of interesting tangles as it introduces the family from Lord Gage's mother's side. There are family members that are likeable and seem to be allies right from the start, and others that are cantankerous and unpredictable. Though they don't fight, Sebastian and Kiera aren't quite on the same page when it comes to their strategies for finding answers, and there are constant questions about who can be trusted and who might be lying and why. The mystery was complex and layered, and stretched their investigative abilities, and in my opinion, the reader's ability to keep track of the many possibilities. 

From the publisher:

Lady Kiera Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, hope they've finally found peace after a tumultuous summer, but long-buried family secrets soon threaten to unravel their lives . . .

October 1832. Kiera is enjoying the slower pace of the English countryside. She, Sebastian, and their infant daughter have accompanied her father-in-law, Lord Gage, home so that he can recuperate from the injuries he sustained in a foiled attempt on his life. But as the chill of autumn sweeps across the land, they receive a summons from an unexpected quarter. Lord Gage's estranged uncle―a member of the notorious Roscarrock family―has been murdered, and his family is desperate for answers. Despite Lord Gage's protests, Kiera and Sebastian press on to Cornwall to assist.

It isn't long before they discover that almost nothing is as it seems among the Roscarrocks, and they've been lured to their isolated cove under false pretenses. There are whispers of a lost treasure and frightening allusions to a series of murders stretching back decades that touch the lives of the family personally. Kiera and Sebastian are left with no choice but to uncover the truth before the secrets of the past threaten to destroy them all.

By the same author: The Anatomist's Wife, Mortal Arts; A Grave Matter, A Study in Death, A Pressing Engagement, This Side of Murder, As Death Draws Near, A Brush With Shadows, Treacherous Is The Night, An Artless Demise, Secrets in the Mist, Penny for Your Secrets, A Stroke of Malice, A Pretty Deceit, A Wicked Conceit, A Perilous Perspective, A Fatal Illusion, Sisters of Fortune

This is a book with an epigraph (#39) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Frauds on Favourite

Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons - Teddy Quillfeather is back in another lighthearted caper in which she must investigate just about everyone involved in Middleditch horse racing in an effort to protect her uncle's stable from being banned. Some questionable betting and results in recent races led to questions about race fixing and possible conspiracies. Teddy and her friend Stilts see that there are some very dodgy and unlikely odds and outcomes, and Uncle Markham's explanation for his horse's sudden improvement on the track is completely unbelievable to everyone but himself.

Teddy is brilliantly observant and practical, but her bright wit and unserious demeanor allows her to question suspects, make everyone her ally, glean information, and cleverly resolve situations. In short, she is a truly unflappable flapper. The characters are all delightfully ridiculous and even the 'villains' have a sense of fair play and good humour. Even the young racehorse Spoons is a point of view character in some sections. Both narrative and dialogue are fast-paced and full of wit, puns, clever alliterations, and comedic turns of phrase. Descriptions of characters and actions made me feel like I was watching a hilarious but sophisticated cartoon. 

With stable owners, bookmakers, jockeys, tea ladies, touts, leg men, the vicar, the butler, and others involved in the story, the narrative was a challenge to keep track of in some places, especially when there was a lot of racing or betting lingo, but the story fit together for me. There were several mysteries or conspiracies to be unraveled ― whether the races are being fixed in the first place, who is giving the incredible betting tips, who the potential swindlers or conspirators were, and how it benefitted those involved ― but the solutions were surprisingly simple when all was revealed. Another clever cozy that I truly enjoyed. 

From the publisher:

Fun-loving, fast-talking, fraud-flipping flapper Teddy Quillfeather is off to the races in this multi-layerd multiplier mystery of dark horses and sharp courses, dodgy jockeys, unstable stables, impossible odds, crooked bookies, and a track-wide conspiracy to deny the punter an even chance. That's more than enough to invite a counter-swindle from Teddy, but when the family paddock is implicated in race-fixing, she does what she does best when the odds go against her ― she raises the stakes.

When Teddy's dotty uncle's eccentric efforts to encourage his horses to faster finishes results in a steward's inquiry that could get the entire stable ― and Teddy ― banned from racing for life, she steps in to prove him innocent against all charges and against tall odds, only made longer by Uncle Markham's vexing habit of confessing.

Further complicating the conspiracy is a series of seemingly random disqualifications, a mysterious little old lady with the unerring ability to pick winners, a spy in the stable, and a vast cast of jockeys, bookies, leg men, touts, and a forgetful racehorse named Spoons.

To save the family paddock, a beloved horse, and the wagered fortunes of family and friends, Teddy must race unknowable and uncountable swindlers and cheats to the finish in her fastest-paced fiddle yet.

Like all of Teddy's titles, Frauds on Favourite is a clean and clever cozy in the canon of Quillfeather and Boisjoly, and will appeal most to those who like a little comedy in their crime.

By the same author: Hardy Haul at Hardy Hall

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book with a pun in the title (#1) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - A Christmas Charade

A Christmas Charade by Karla Hocker - I found this book on my Kindle while hunting for something with a holiday theme and it obviously fit the bill! The story takes place at Stenton Castle, which has been standing empty for some years since a tragic fire. Clive Rowland, Duke of Stenton has decided to refurbish the castle and host a Christmas house party, but it's a cover to give him an excuse to investigate probable spy activity along the nearby Sussex coast.

Elizabeth Gore-Langton is a somewhat reluctant guest, having come as the paid companion to Lady Astley. A decade earlier, Elizabeth had been enamored of Clive during her first season, and is uncomfortable wondering if and how he'll remember her. 

It's pretty clear that a second chance romance will likely develop between these two, but there is a whole cast of supporting characters with their own storylines, including Lady Astley's son and his wife who are navigating issues in the marriage since his return from war. There are little subplots going on among the other extended family members and close friends at this house party as well. And while all these personal interactions are playing out, Clive is still trying to find out if spies are using the nearby coastline.

An important supporting character is Annie Tuck, the castle's ghost! Annie has her own agenda, now that there are people at the castle again, and to everyone's surprise, she can also contribute to the romances, dramas, and subterfuges. Annie becomes gradually more tangible to the people in the castle, and her part is probably the most entertaining part of the story.

While this was an enjoyable light read, I felt that it was very busy with all the little subplots, and everything about the spy activity and investigation seemed contrived and flimsy. There was an action scene that was confusing and improbable, both in the action itself and the characters' reactions and motivations.

From the publisher:

A charming Yuletide romance painted with gorgeous Regency detail.

Elizabeth Gore-Langton was hardly in a position to refuse accompanying Lady Astley to the Christmas party at Stenton Castle. After all, a paid companion must follow her employer's wishes. It scarcely mattered that Elizabeth would be forced to face the man who had unknowingly broken her heart years ago during her first season. Most likely, the Duke of Stenton wouldn't even recognize her. But once she looked up into his dark, piercing eyes, she knew this was a man who fogot very little and forgave even less. Well, she was no longer a blushing schoolgirl, and the dashing duke would soon find that a broken heart, once mended, could be formidable indeed!

Clive Rowland, Fifth Duke of Stenton, was in no mood for a holiday gathering. But the Christmas gala would provide the perfect cover as he investigated reports that French agents were doing a brisk trade in stolen documents along the Sussex coast. It would be devilishly difficult to play the host while tracking down traitors, but Clive was up to the task―provided he kept his wits about him and didn't get distracted by yule logs and Christmas folderol . . . or the delightful charms of the disturbingly familiar Elizabeth. She was hiding something, to be sure, and Clive liked nothing better than unveiling a lady's secrets!

This is a book with a time frame of a week or less (#32) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

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This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - The Sentence is Death

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz - Investigator Daniel Hawthorne is back to investigate another tricky murder case, and he insists that the reluctant author Anthony comes along to record all of it for a second book in the series. Anthony doesn't have time―he's busy working on the set of the TV show he writes―but Hawthorne is hard to dissuade, and soon Anthony is intrigued and involved enough that he is determined to find out the answer to who killed a wealthy divorce lawyer and why. Of course, he'd also like to know more about Hawthorne as a character, but he doesn't give up his own secrets easily.

The murder victim is Richard Pryce, bludgeoned to death with a very expensive wine bottle in his own home. It's clear he knew the killer and wasn't expecting to be attacked, but once Hawthorne and Horowitz start digging into the case, they discover that there are several potential murderers who had motive and opportunity. They will have to follow the threads to Pryce's past and to his most recent divorce case to figure out all the reasons and narrow down the field of suspects.

Once again, Horowitz delivers a clever mystery with some unexpected twists and at least a couple of red herrings. Like Horowitz (the character), I really wanted to test my wit against Hawthorne's and see if I could pick out the murderer on my own. As narrator, Anthony mentions early on that he missed and misconstrued clues that are included in his descriptions, and I guess I missed them too. I picked out my own suspect and was quite convinced I knew who did it, although I wasn't sure exactly how or why. When Anthony pitches his solution and they take it to the unpleasant police detecctive, I figured I was wrong . . . until that solution was shown to be a red herring . . . so maybe I was right after all? I was, and I'm pretty proud of myself for it. 

I chose to use this for the 52 Book Club prompt "an author everyone except me has read" because it seemed I was seeing Horowitz's titles on so many of the book blogs I follow, but prior to reading the first in this series, The Word Is Murder, I actually hadn't read him. Now I'm hooked. Thanks, book bloggers!

From the publisher:

Death, deception, and a detective with quite a lot to hide stalk the pages of Anthony Horowitz's brilliant murder mystery, the second in the bestselling series starring Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne.

"You shouldn't be here. It's too late . . . "

These, heard over the phone, were the last recorded words of successful celebrity-divorce lawyer Richard Pryce, found bludgeoned to death in his bachelor pad with a bottle of wine―a 1982 Chateau Lafite worth £3,000, to be precise.

Odd, considering he didn't drink. Why this bottle? And why those words? And why was a three-digit number painted on the wall by the killer? And, most importantly, which of the man's many, many enemies did the deed?

Baffled, the police are forced to bring in Private Investigator Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, the author Anthony, who's really getting rather good at this murder investigation business.

But as Hawthorne takes on the case with characteristic relish, it becomes clear that he, too, has secrets to hide. As our reluctant narrator becomes ever more embroiled in the case, he realizes that these secrets must be exposed―even at the risk of death . . .

By the same author: The Word Is Murder

This is a book by an author "everyone" besides me has read (#25) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2024

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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Recent Reads - The Word is Murder

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz - This is one of the cleverest and most entertaining takes on a crime detective novel that I've ever read. Author Anthony Horowitz writes himself into the story, as himself, a best-selling author who is talked into writing a novel about a former police detective working on a murder case. Daniel Hawthorne is a private investigator working on a curious murder case and approaches Horowitz to write about it. Questioning his own judgement, Horowitz is intrigued by the case and by the challenge of writing about Hawthorne's brilliant but unconventional methods and finds himself tagging along and taking notes as Hawthorne visits crime scenes and interviews people associated with the victim. 

The story is an account of the investigation, told in first person by Horowitz, interspersed with an account of his writing decisions and reactions to Hawthorne. The murder case itself is an interesting one, with a woman planning her own funeral and then being strangled later the same day. Is it related to an automobile accident years earlier, or to the woman's son who is a well-known actor, or something else? The funeral service turns out to be quite bizarre, and then the son is also murdered, and the whole time Horowitz is trying to help process the clues while also trying to understand enough of Hawthorne's character and methods to make a novel out of the case. And to convince himself and his agent that the story idea is a good one.

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders and Moriarty, Anthony Horowitz has yet again brilliantly reinvented the classic crime novel, this time writing a fictional version of himself as the Watson to a modern-day Holmes.

A woman crosses a London street. It is just after 11 a.m. on a bright spring morning, and she is going into a funeral parlor to plan her own service. Six hours later the woman is dead, strangled with a crimson curtain cord in her own home.

Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric man as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. And Hawthorne has a partner, the celebrated novelist Anthony Horowitz, curious about the case and looking for new material. As brusque, impatient, and annoying as Hawthorne can be, Horowitz―a seasoned hand when it comes to crime stories―suspects the detective may be on to something, and is irresistably drawn into the mystery.

But as the case unfolds, Horowitz realizes that he's at the center of a story he can't control, and his brilliant partner may be hiding dark and mysterious secrets of his own.

This is a book with a self-insert by an author (#47) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

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Recent Reads - Hardy Haul at Hardy Hall

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Hardy Haul at Hardy Hall (Teddy Quillfeather Mysteries Book 1) by PJ Fitzsimmons - From the first page, this cozy is full of snappy narrative and plenty of humour. It starts off with a prologue that sets the tone and explains how Theodora acquired her quirky sidekick Tuxedo Bird. The real mystery begins when Teddy arrives at the country manor Hardy Hall, to reconnect with some old friends and with instructions from her mother to choose one of the eligible bachelors present so she can settle down to a respectable marriage.

Teddy's goal for the weekend is to have a good time but to avoid a betrothal. Turns out she doesn't need to come up with her own distractions, because the hostess's distinctively ugly but valuable necklace is stolen sometime during dinner on the first evening. The manor is surrounded by a moat so clearly the thief is one of the guests and not a drifter, as was the case in a previous theft . . . and in that situation, almost all the same guests were present . . . so Teddy is presented with a fascinating conundrum to solve. She does so with a mischievous sense of humor, quick wit, and inventive theories. 

As a lead character, Teddy is a delight. She has a razor-sharp wit and while she is cheerfully avoiding a marriage her defiance of her parents' wishes seems gentle and not disrespectful. She is a buoyant and light-hearted heroine, and even when challenging the stories or actions of other characters, she does so with a surprising amount of kindness, grace, and good humour. 

The characters are all so likeable and each one has hilarious quirks and mannerisms that continually add laugh-out-loud humour to the fast-paced narrative. There's no murder and everyone is polite and well-meaning, and the solution to the mystery brings wonderful satisfaction, especially after enjoying the witty repartee and comedy of errors along the way. The narrative is so clever and humorous in a very sophisticated way, while describing characters and situations that had me picturing the action as if in a crisp animation style. I'm already looking forward to the next adventure of Teddy Quillfeather!    

From the publisher:

The theft of an immensely valuable, immensely ugly necklace is only the beginning of the intrigues and idiosyncrasies of a country weekend at Hardy Hall where Teddy Quillfeather's mother has sent her with strict instructions to select an eligible bachelor from a shortlist of aristocrats, plutocrats, and copycats.

But when Teddy sets out to discourage the suitors and discover the looters with her natural knack for applied shenanigans she instead uncovers countless conspiracies, complicated by country house courtesies. It's a comedy of manners and caper of manors and the only solution, if you're Teddy Quillfeather, is obviously another heist . . .

This series starter is a clean, clever cosy that will appeal, obviously to readers of Anty Boisjoly but also PG Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L Sayers, and above all to those who like a little, or, ideally, a lot of comedy in their cosies.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a locked-room mystery (#1) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

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©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.