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Verity Long #1
Strictly Murder
The estate agent's details listed two reception rooms, kitchen and bath. What they failed to mention was the dead celebrity in the master bedroom. Personal assistant Verity Long's house hunt is about to turn into a hunt for a killer. It will take some fancy footwork to navigate the bitchy world of dance shows, television studios, and dangerously gorgeous male co-stars. When Verity looks like the killer's next tango partner, she discovers that this dance is ... Strictly Murder.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2012
567 people are currently reading
1292 people want to read
About the author
Lynda Wilcox
27 books89 followersLynda Wilcox's first piece of published writing was a poem in the school magazine. In her twenties she wrote Pantomime scripts for Amateur Dramatic groups and was a founder member of The Facts of Life, a foursome who wrote and performed comedy sketches for radio. Now she concocts fantasy stories for older children (10-13) and writes funny whodunits for adults.
Lynda lives in a small town in England, in an untidy house with four ageing computers and her (equally ageing but very supportive) husband. She enjoys pottering in the garden where she grow brambles, bindweed and nettles along with roses and lilies. Oh! And slugs! Slugs that feed well on everything but the brambles and weeds.
Most of all, she loves to write — it gets her out of doing the housework. She also reads a lot and enjoys good food and wine.
Lynda lives in a small town in England, in an untidy house with four ageing computers and her (equally ageing but very supportive) husband. She enjoys pottering in the garden where she grow brambles, bindweed and nettles along with roses and lilies. Oh! And slugs! Slugs that feed well on everything but the brambles and weeds.
Most of all, she loves to write — it gets her out of doing the housework. She also reads a lot and enjoys good food and wine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
May 18, 2021
Finally got round to reading this which had been on my Kindle for a few years - might have got it free at some point. For a free book it was quite acceptable, but had some weaknesses.
On the plus side, the first person character, Verity Long, had a nice line in what I think is called 'snark' in the States - basically, sarcasm. This induced the odd chuckle. On the minus side, there were distracting problems in places with the formatting. This resulted in new lines in the middle of paragraphs, or the dialogue of two different characters being run on, back to back. There were also spaces missing in places and on one occasion I had to re-read a sentence to work out that what looked like 'torn' in a sentence that made no sense, in the context had to be 'to run'.
The story itself is a very light cosy crime with some romance thrown in. Verity is PA to a very understanding and motherly crime writer, usually called KD, who writes crime novels based on old real time crimes, with the details changed. So the more interesting part of Verity's job is digging into these old cases. One of these forms a subplot in the story and brings Verity into peril.
The main focus is on the mystery of who killed a celebrity who was the co-producer of a TV programme which is a bit like "Strictly Come Dancing", hence the title of this novel (in the States this would be "Dancing with the Stars" I think so the title wouldn't resonate). The difference is that this fictious show features celebrities who dance with members of the public. Verity discovers the body when she is visiting a prospective house to rent.
A strand woven throughout the story is Verity's growing romance with a character she comes into contact with through her discovery. I didn't find the backstory of her previous heartbreak and reluctance to commit herself all that convincing, however. Also, as far as the whodunnit element goes, the subplot had a surprise revelation at the end which no one could have guessed, but the identity of the murderer of the celebrity was pretty obvious early on in the story.
The book could have benefited from more editing. The word choice is occasionally clumsy and repetitive, and there is a bit too much description of what everyone eats. But as I enjoyed the sarcasm and it was a fairly easy read, I am rating this at 3 stars.
On the plus side, the first person character, Verity Long, had a nice line in what I think is called 'snark' in the States - basically, sarcasm. This induced the odd chuckle. On the minus side, there were distracting problems in places with the formatting. This resulted in new lines in the middle of paragraphs, or the dialogue of two different characters being run on, back to back. There were also spaces missing in places and on one occasion I had to re-read a sentence to work out that what looked like 'torn' in a sentence that made no sense, in the context had to be 'to run'.
The story itself is a very light cosy crime with some romance thrown in. Verity is PA to a very understanding and motherly crime writer, usually called KD, who writes crime novels based on old real time crimes, with the details changed. So the more interesting part of Verity's job is digging into these old cases. One of these forms a subplot in the story and brings Verity into peril.
The main focus is on the mystery of who killed a celebrity who was the co-producer of a TV programme which is a bit like "Strictly Come Dancing", hence the title of this novel (in the States this would be "Dancing with the Stars" I think so the title wouldn't resonate). The difference is that this fictious show features celebrities who dance with members of the public. Verity discovers the body when she is visiting a prospective house to rent.
A strand woven throughout the story is Verity's growing romance with a character she comes into contact with through her discovery. I didn't find the backstory of her previous heartbreak and reluctance to commit herself all that convincing, however. Also, as far as the whodunnit element goes, the subplot had a surprise revelation at the end which no one could have guessed, but the identity of the murderer of the celebrity was pretty obvious early on in the story.
The book could have benefited from more editing. The word choice is occasionally clumsy and repetitive, and there is a bit too much description of what everyone eats. But as I enjoyed the sarcasm and it was a fairly easy read, I am rating this at 3 stars.
June 7, 2014
Working as PA for Kathleen Davenport, writer of crime fiction featuring Detective Agnes Merryweather, had been thoroughly enjoyable for Verity Long since she began six months previously, so when she was on the hunt for somewhere new to live, little did she realize her “skills” would enable her to find herself at the wrong end of a killer’s sights. After the dreadful shock when viewing a prospective house had eased, Verity decided her curiosity would indeed help KD with a future book – after all “what would Agnes Merryweather do” was their catch phrase…
As Verity investigated JayJay’s death, and also a twenty year old cold case for KD to fictionalize, she found herself coming up against the veritable charms of Detective Inspector Farish; he was also doing his best to keep her from the cases – “leave the police to do their job” became a refrain she would hear constantly from him. But she was determined to continue – and continue she did. But Verity soon came to realize that she wished she had taken notice of Jerry Farish! Would it be her last wish? And would the killer be found before there were more victims?
I quite enjoyed this light cozy mystery. Verity was a determined red head who quite positively beamed with delight at every new “clue”. She was a great character, as was her boss, the indomitable writer, KD. Minor editing issues (spelling, punctuation) and too much description in a few places was my only issue, but not enough to detract from the enjoyment of the story. I have no hesitation in recommending this cozy mystery for lovers of the genre. I have to add that the cover picture by our own Aussie Katie W. Stewart took my eye as well…
As Verity investigated JayJay’s death, and also a twenty year old cold case for KD to fictionalize, she found herself coming up against the veritable charms of Detective Inspector Farish; he was also doing his best to keep her from the cases – “leave the police to do their job” became a refrain she would hear constantly from him. But she was determined to continue – and continue she did. But Verity soon came to realize that she wished she had taken notice of Jerry Farish! Would it be her last wish? And would the killer be found before there were more victims?
I quite enjoyed this light cozy mystery. Verity was a determined red head who quite positively beamed with delight at every new “clue”. She was a great character, as was her boss, the indomitable writer, KD. Minor editing issues (spelling, punctuation) and too much description in a few places was my only issue, but not enough to detract from the enjoyment of the story. I have no hesitation in recommending this cozy mystery for lovers of the genre. I have to add that the cover picture by our own Aussie Katie W. Stewart took my eye as well…
July 15, 2016
It's taken me ages to read this, however that doesn't actually reflect on what I thought of it. The book is in first person, which isn't a perspective I often read. The last one I recall was The Hypnotist I'll be honest that was pretty grim. Think 'Game of Thrones' but in a detective story. This, thankfully was much more lighthearted and easy reading.
The story centres on a likeable character, 'Verity' who is the researcher for a crime writer, who calls herself 'KD' I think it's Kathleen Davenport? She discovers a body, quite by accident and her curiosity gets the better of her. She decides she wants to know who the killer is and starts to do some sleuthing.
This isn't a genre I'm familiar with really. I'm not a 'who dunnit' crime reader as such, but I still think I can recognize what are probably common tropes here. There's the conflict with the police, telling the protagonist not to get involved, there's the second murder. The victim of whom is of course one of the characters you may have had down for a suspect in the first murder - I know I did!
There's a bit of romance, a smattering if you like. The 'who dunnit' is the ice cream, and the romance is the sprinkles... And yeah, the ice cream man was being a bit stingy with his sprinkles, but that suits me because I'm not a romance fan. My fantasy books are more or less devoid of romance. Well, there's certainly not much there. Romance just isn't my thing.
There's also an interesting second sub-plot, which in fact I think turns to be something of a red-herring, but it has a satisfying conclusion of it's own. It's kind of hard to write a plot summary of a 'who dunnit', because part of the fun of reading this is making your own guesses about who did it and why!
Did I enjoy this one?
I'll be completely honest, I did, but I didn't find it the most gripping book I've read. The Hypnotist was more gripping, but also somehow less enjoyable. It was kind of masochistic to read? It reminded me a bit of The Pillars of the Earth which was also really, gripping, but torture to read. Some books feel like you're asking the author to punch you in the face, again and again, because you like it - and the author obliges. This isn't that type of book. It's described as a cosy mystery and I think that really sums it up. It's a coffee and biscuits, sitting in the conservatory on a Sunday afternoon kind of title.
It's really a Korma of the literary world, where it's interesting and enjoyable, but not too spicy. Pillars and Hypnotist are more Jalfrezi or Vindaloo - exciting, but slightly painful to consume.
This book was perma-free at the time of writing. Now I've not read many perma-free books, but really there's no excuse not to download this and give it a go. It's got a great cover, that feels really on point, it's got humor, it's got popular culture references (anyone who watches Strictly Come Dancing will enjoy this! Also anyone who enjoys 'Miss Marple' I think) It's got relationships, drama, a smattering of romance and a dribble of excitement. It's not action packed, but I don't think it's supposed to be.
The production quality is really fantastic for a self-published perma-free. I'll be honest I don't think you could distinguish this from a traditionally published book. The formatting and the writing was spot on and it read as very well edited. It's also very long! Certainly for a perma-free. A reviewer of my perma-free said 'Most free books are either very short, or very bad, but this is neither.' and the same definitely applies here. If this was your sort of book, you wouldn't feel short changed paying $5 for the ebook I'm sure.
So, all this praise, but only 4 stars?
Well, it's very well put together, it's a very professionally produced ebook and the writing is great!
However, it just isn't quite my cup of tea. I like to laugh or cry when I'm reading. I read Terry Pratchett when I want to laugh, I read the Vindaloo books like Pillars or Hypnotist when I want the literary equivalent of a PVC clad woman, tying me up and whipping me. I expect the Song of Fire and Ice series will be one of those and I look forward to reading it!
So, in short if you like a well-written. lighthearted, warm, cosy mystery, or a Korma book - give this a go. If you want something so spicy it burns your tongue, blows your head off and gives you a military power after-burner for three days, then give it a miss.
Martyn Stanley
Author of:-
The Last Dragon Slayer (Perma-Free)
The Lambton Worm (English Folklore short story)
The story centres on a likeable character, 'Verity' who is the researcher for a crime writer, who calls herself 'KD' I think it's Kathleen Davenport? She discovers a body, quite by accident and her curiosity gets the better of her. She decides she wants to know who the killer is and starts to do some sleuthing.
This isn't a genre I'm familiar with really. I'm not a 'who dunnit' crime reader as such, but I still think I can recognize what are probably common tropes here. There's the conflict with the police, telling the protagonist not to get involved, there's the second murder. The victim of whom is of course one of the characters you may have had down for a suspect in the first murder - I know I did!
There's a bit of romance, a smattering if you like. The 'who dunnit' is the ice cream, and the romance is the sprinkles... And yeah, the ice cream man was being a bit stingy with his sprinkles, but that suits me because I'm not a romance fan. My fantasy books are more or less devoid of romance. Well, there's certainly not much there. Romance just isn't my thing.
There's also an interesting second sub-plot, which in fact I think turns to be something of a red-herring, but it has a satisfying conclusion of it's own. It's kind of hard to write a plot summary of a 'who dunnit', because part of the fun of reading this is making your own guesses about who did it and why!
Did I enjoy this one?
I'll be completely honest, I did, but I didn't find it the most gripping book I've read. The Hypnotist was more gripping, but also somehow less enjoyable. It was kind of masochistic to read? It reminded me a bit of The Pillars of the Earth which was also really, gripping, but torture to read. Some books feel like you're asking the author to punch you in the face, again and again, because you like it - and the author obliges. This isn't that type of book. It's described as a cosy mystery and I think that really sums it up. It's a coffee and biscuits, sitting in the conservatory on a Sunday afternoon kind of title.
It's really a Korma of the literary world, where it's interesting and enjoyable, but not too spicy. Pillars and Hypnotist are more Jalfrezi or Vindaloo - exciting, but slightly painful to consume.
This book was perma-free at the time of writing. Now I've not read many perma-free books, but really there's no excuse not to download this and give it a go. It's got a great cover, that feels really on point, it's got humor, it's got popular culture references (anyone who watches Strictly Come Dancing will enjoy this! Also anyone who enjoys 'Miss Marple' I think) It's got relationships, drama, a smattering of romance and a dribble of excitement. It's not action packed, but I don't think it's supposed to be.
The production quality is really fantastic for a self-published perma-free. I'll be honest I don't think you could distinguish this from a traditionally published book. The formatting and the writing was spot on and it read as very well edited. It's also very long! Certainly for a perma-free. A reviewer of my perma-free said 'Most free books are either very short, or very bad, but this is neither.' and the same definitely applies here. If this was your sort of book, you wouldn't feel short changed paying $5 for the ebook I'm sure.
So, all this praise, but only 4 stars?
Well, it's very well put together, it's a very professionally produced ebook and the writing is great!
However, it just isn't quite my cup of tea. I like to laugh or cry when I'm reading. I read Terry Pratchett when I want to laugh, I read the Vindaloo books like Pillars or Hypnotist when I want the literary equivalent of a PVC clad woman, tying me up and whipping me. I expect the Song of Fire and Ice series will be one of those and I look forward to reading it!
So, in short if you like a well-written. lighthearted, warm, cosy mystery, or a Korma book - give this a go. If you want something so spicy it burns your tongue, blows your head off and gives you a military power after-burner for three days, then give it a miss.
Martyn Stanley
Author of:-
The Last Dragon Slayer (Perma-Free)
The Lambton Worm (English Folklore short story)
October 8, 2014
This was a quick read but it could have been made even quicker by cutting through dozens of unnecessary paragraphs and uninteresting passages. The heroine comes across as very immature, the plot is quite boring and lacks originality. I won't be reading the rest of this series.
August 9, 2012
I read this in a day - it's a good easy read. But does that mean that it isn't full of substance - heck no...
The characters are all well fleshed out and all the main players had me caught one way or another - love 'em, hate 'em, love 'em and hate 'em... The story had twists and turns like most whodoneits but all within the realms of credibility as Verity goes on her way through working out what happened and why...
Verity - O she's great! She has lists and notes and more lists - I love lists - can't live my life without them. She has spunk and character and a gritty determination which does tend to get her in a little trouble sometimes.
The lesser characters in the book also had far more substance than most bit part players in other books I have previously read. Methinks Ms Wilcox could be another "people watcher!"
There are a few storylines running through the book, some intertwined and all of which are neatly and succinctly tied up in the end and I had quite a lot of fun and pondering trying to guess where they were going!
All in all a fun, emotional and cerebral time was had - I believe there is more to come from Verity I hope I don't have to wait too long.
The characters are all well fleshed out and all the main players had me caught one way or another - love 'em, hate 'em, love 'em and hate 'em... The story had twists and turns like most whodoneits but all within the realms of credibility as Verity goes on her way through working out what happened and why...
Verity - O she's great! She has lists and notes and more lists - I love lists - can't live my life without them. She has spunk and character and a gritty determination which does tend to get her in a little trouble sometimes.
The lesser characters in the book also had far more substance than most bit part players in other books I have previously read. Methinks Ms Wilcox could be another "people watcher!"
There are a few storylines running through the book, some intertwined and all of which are neatly and succinctly tied up in the end and I had quite a lot of fun and pondering trying to guess where they were going!
All in all a fun, emotional and cerebral time was had - I believe there is more to come from Verity I hope I don't have to wait too long.
December 4, 2020
Would have been good, but MC was a pain.
This sounded like a sure bet. The plot was interesting, and I was itching to dive right on on... and then we met Verity. Yeah... I really didn’t like her. She was arrogant, snide, and a complete hypocrite regarding Jerry and his intentions. I get she had a bad relationship prior to this, but her attitude was off putting and I just wasn’t that engaged with the story after that.
I did like the mystery itself, and had guessed the identity of the killer early on, but Verity and her cutting manner just turned me off this book.
This sounded like a sure bet. The plot was interesting, and I was itching to dive right on on... and then we met Verity. Yeah... I really didn’t like her. She was arrogant, snide, and a complete hypocrite regarding Jerry and his intentions. I get she had a bad relationship prior to this, but her attitude was off putting and I just wasn’t that engaged with the story after that.
I did like the mystery itself, and had guessed the identity of the killer early on, but Verity and her cutting manner just turned me off this book.
December 11, 2017
Yet another disappointing read. This book had about 300 or so pages and yet it felt like it dragged forever. The story was so slow and weak and the plot so thin that I literally could see through it. The moment Holly was introduced, I knew she was the killer. Honestly, I cannot stress how slow and weak the entire book was.
The author was too busy describing Verity's meals to pay attention to anything else! There was so many unnecessary descriptions and such a weak attempt at Verity's 'painful' past that I couldn't do anything but laugh.
And the 'romance' that was basically shoved down my throat. I don't even know where it came from and how it progressed so quickly TBH.
10/10 would NOT recommend
Edit: what's worse is that this is actually an entire series, I think there's 7 books in total. How? I don't know
The author was too busy describing Verity's meals to pay attention to anything else! There was so many unnecessary descriptions and such a weak attempt at Verity's 'painful' past that I couldn't do anything but laugh.
And the 'romance' that was basically shoved down my throat. I don't even know where it came from and how it progressed so quickly TBH.
10/10 would NOT recommend
Edit: what's worse is that this is actually an entire series, I think there's 7 books in total. How? I don't know
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2022
This is a very nice and well plotted clean mystery. When Verity Long goes to look at a new place to let she is horrified to discover it is already occupied by a corpse. And not just any corpse but a D-List celeb who is the host of one of the myriad of dancing shows that pollute the airways.
Personally I loath all these talent contests so it definitely influenced my love of the book that Verity was just as annoyed as I am by the vapid content.
This is a clever story as Verity works as the PA for a famous mystery author and knows a thing or two about investigating. The police aren't absolute morons and the content is clean.
I definitely want to continue the series
Personally I loath all these talent contests so it definitely influenced my love of the book that Verity was just as annoyed as I am by the vapid content.
This is a clever story as Verity works as the PA for a famous mystery author and knows a thing or two about investigating. The police aren't absolute morons and the content is clean.
I definitely want to continue the series
May 9, 2016
After completing a book in a series and painfully awaiting the next book that would be out in a few days I began a hunt for a novel. I had started one and grunged to almost 40% of the book and was still scratching my head and rubbing my temples. Which tells me it is too much of a mind of a philosophical book for me. Which then brings me to this little gem. It was offered as one of my free books and I thought. Cool I like mysteries and if I like the series I can get the others.
Man I loved this book. The author spent a time of seeing everything through Verity's eyes. And I loved how she even would know when her boss was going to say a specific line. We all have friends we know that we can do this with. I made me laugh. This book was not all dark and dreary there were more than one mystery being solved. And the best part....you didn't know who done it till close to the end. Nothing worse than a mystery that you know who, what, where, when, and why halfway through the book.
So needless to say I will be getting the other books and finishing my other series then jumping back to this one. Then figure out the other ones I have...to be ahhh read...ahh yeah...right...just enjoy reading.
Man I loved this book. The author spent a time of seeing everything through Verity's eyes. And I loved how she even would know when her boss was going to say a specific line. We all have friends we know that we can do this with. I made me laugh. This book was not all dark and dreary there were more than one mystery being solved. And the best part....you didn't know who done it till close to the end. Nothing worse than a mystery that you know who, what, where, when, and why halfway through the book.
So needless to say I will be getting the other books and finishing my other series then jumping back to this one. Then figure out the other ones I have...to be ahhh read...ahh yeah...right...just enjoy reading.
August 22, 2014
I had a pretty good idea of who, but wasn't entirely clear on why until quite late in the game.
But the one thing that was clear from reading this book was... I need a PA!
Pay is potentially quite good - at least it might be in a few years! (right now I can only offer coffee in lieu of...) Apply ℅ the usual places.
But the one thing that was clear from reading this book was... I need a PA!
Pay is potentially quite good - at least it might be in a few years! (right now I can only offer coffee in lieu of...) Apply ℅ the usual places.
October 26, 2013
Neither a compelling plot, nor characters, nor writing. Didn't care about any of the victims or the female lead or the murderer. No complexity in the story, the final reveal felt trite and superficial. Really wasn't drawn into this read. Disappointing...
December 1, 2017
I really loved this book, the way things kept you second guessing and Verity was such a likeable heroine and her boss KD was fantastic. Totally loved it
October 17, 2022
Verity Long is the secretary/PA for famous detective writer Katherine Davenport, she is desperate to move from her small flat and find another one with a bit of a garden, well more than the 4 slabs she currently stares at. She has a viewing and likes the look of the flat, bit dated, but still ok, the estate agent has a call on his mobile and Verity climbs the stairs and opens a bedroom door and finds the body of a woman in a silver dress laid out on the bed with a knife sticking out of her chest.
Herein begins the chase she sets herself which is to find the murderer of famous dancing show host Jaynee Johnson. I like the veiled references to Strictly Come Dancing here, and replacing them with Star Steps which has the Strictly format but with members of the public instead of celebrities and they are also judged at the end of the week. Nice take Lynda!
Verity has a quite orderly mind as she researches cold cases for KD, the writer, who rehashes them into her books. She sets about interviewing various people who knew Jaynee and has a meal out with Greg Ferrari, Jaynee's co-host, and several with the Detective in charge of the case. He was the only person I disliked. He didn't come over as sincere in fact he appeared slightly shady and creepy to me and I had him down initially for the murderer. He wasn't, but I almost wished he had been as the murderer turned out to be the second person I could see who had done it. And I was right!!
Herein begins the chase she sets herself which is to find the murderer of famous dancing show host Jaynee Johnson. I like the veiled references to Strictly Come Dancing here, and replacing them with Star Steps which has the Strictly format but with members of the public instead of celebrities and they are also judged at the end of the week. Nice take Lynda!
Verity has a quite orderly mind as she researches cold cases for KD, the writer, who rehashes them into her books. She sets about interviewing various people who knew Jaynee and has a meal out with Greg Ferrari, Jaynee's co-host, and several with the Detective in charge of the case. He was the only person I disliked. He didn't come over as sincere in fact he appeared slightly shady and creepy to me and I had him down initially for the murderer. He wasn't, but I almost wished he had been as the murderer turned out to be the second person I could see who had done it. And I was right!!
June 14, 2019
This was an interesting case involving the murder of a dancing competition TV show. Verity, the main character, worked as a PA for a crime fiction writer and had another case she was thinking about as well as the main murder. Verity had a very interesting job and an amazingly generous boss who was like a second mother to her. Verity had been the one to find the murdered TV star and felt like she needed closure on finding the killer.
I liked the book, but it didn't really hold my interest the way a cozy mystery usually does, even though it was well-written and plotted. I don't like to give up on books, so I stuck with it. I had a feeling who the killer was quite sometime before Verity even did, but possibly the author was so clever in characterization, that's what made me pick up on it. Not a bad book at all, but I can't say "really liked it", so I'm rating as just "liked it."
I liked the book, but it didn't really hold my interest the way a cozy mystery usually does, even though it was well-written and plotted. I don't like to give up on books, so I stuck with it. I had a feeling who the killer was quite sometime before Verity even did, but possibly the author was so clever in characterization, that's what made me pick up on it. Not a bad book at all, but I can't say "really liked it", so I'm rating as just "liked it."
June 23, 2018
Why is that some books grab your attention right from the first chapter? Why do some leading characters seem more interesting than others? I liked this book!!! The typos as always drove me crazy but the book was delightful. I did figure out the murderer but that was because I chose the least obvious person and followed the clues. That comes from having read so many cozy mysteries but it didn't make the story any less interesting. If I had anything to complain about it would be why did the killer try twice to kill the protagonist and how did she go about doing it.
February 10, 2019
This is an interesting and amazing story. The characters are engaging and bring you straight into the center of the story. It’s theme is interesting as you consider the book is a story about a crime writer writing a story about fighting crime. Her assistant gets very involved in the research for the books her boss writes. Then the assistant finds a body while looking at a house she might be interested in moving into. The story is excellently written and wonderful to read.
June 15, 2019
Interesting characters and a storyline that encompasses quite a few disparate strands mean this is an easy enjoyable read.
Verity Long works as a PA and her job is trawling through old crimes finding ideas for her boss’s detective novels. She then comes across body and through a sense of compassion decides to do a little detective work of her own.
Despite the cover looking a bit naff, I enjoyed the story, not just the crimes but Verity’s personal life too. I’d look to read more about Verity.
Verity Long works as a PA and her job is trawling through old crimes finding ideas for her boss’s detective novels. She then comes across body and through a sense of compassion decides to do a little detective work of her own.
Despite the cover looking a bit naff, I enjoyed the story, not just the crimes but Verity’s personal life too. I’d look to read more about Verity.
August 8, 2021
A Good Start
This mystery tale wad different from what I'm used to. First it takes place in the present. Second the main character is an independent female with all the concerns of making a living. And third her awareness of her romantic vulnerability. That said the actual mystery was easy to solve. I knew who the culprit was early on. The development of Verity's friendships and romances could have been more nuanced. However I am engaged enough to read the next installment.
This mystery tale wad different from what I'm used to. First it takes place in the present. Second the main character is an independent female with all the concerns of making a living. And third her awareness of her romantic vulnerability. That said the actual mystery was easy to solve. I knew who the culprit was early on. The development of Verity's friendships and romances could have been more nuanced. However I am engaged enough to read the next installment.
April 20, 2023
This is more an overall review of the entire series rather than this specific book. I like Verity's voice. Seems like a character that doesn't already exist in female detectives. She's very independent and strong and more than capable of taking care of herself...but is also fairly conservative. I don't mean in a political way, but rather in her tastes and thoughts on culture. She isn't wrapped up in the fads of modern life and isn't afraid to be her own person and not on the bandwagon of what's currently popular. I like that about her.
These are shorts books that take less than 3 hours to read. Typically that genre tend to be weaker plots with underdeveloped characters and poorly written, these are a good exception. Worth the time.
These are shorts books that take less than 3 hours to read. Typically that genre tend to be weaker plots with underdeveloped characters and poorly written, these are a good exception. Worth the time.
October 24, 2023
My first read by this Author - a kindle freebie I was drawn to for the title & cover, as I'm a fan of the TV Show, Strictly Come Dancing ..
A quirky whodunit story with lots of humour throughout .. liked the development of the relationship between our heroine, Verity and her employer, crime writer KD ..
The premise was original & very well thought out - overall a quick light read which I enjoyed ..
A quirky whodunit story with lots of humour throughout .. liked the development of the relationship between our heroine, Verity and her employer, crime writer KD ..
The premise was original & very well thought out - overall a quick light read which I enjoyed ..
March 1, 2019
2.5
I was really intrigued in the beginning but it just seemed to drag on (especially for how short it is). Verity is kind of a blah character. Her boss KD is an author so the writer did use some new words to me (which I always enjoy learning. Ew words). I barely wanted to finish it and won’t read more.
I was really intrigued in the beginning but it just seemed to drag on (especially for how short it is). Verity is kind of a blah character. Her boss KD is an author so the writer did use some new words to me (which I always enjoy learning. Ew words). I barely wanted to finish it and won’t read more.
June 9, 2019
Strictly Murder
I really enjoyed this mystery. I kept reading until my kindle lost its charge and I had to go to bed. Lynda Wilcox can put together a great mystery with great characters. I liked everyone except that snotty cow Verity Long! She was sooo unlikable! Pretending to be above others doesn't mean one is. I may read another mystery, but not for awhile.
I really enjoyed this mystery. I kept reading until my kindle lost its charge and I had to go to bed. Lynda Wilcox can put together a great mystery with great characters. I liked everyone except that snotty cow Verity Long! She was sooo unlikable! Pretending to be above others doesn't mean one is. I may read another mystery, but not for awhile.
August 5, 2019
Good start to series
Strictly Murder is a good start to the Verity Long Mysteries. This is another book I've had on my kindle for 7 years and I thought It was high time I read it. I'm glad I did as it was genuinely laugh out loud in places and I'll definitely read more of the series!
Strictly Murder is a good start to the Verity Long Mysteries. This is another book I've had on my kindle for 7 years and I thought It was high time I read it. I'm glad I did as it was genuinely laugh out loud in places and I'll definitely read more of the series!
October 9, 2017
I enjoyed this book very much. I found it occasionally hard to follow due to the author 's use of English terminology. The book held my interest & I didn't want to put it down. I will recommend this book to all mystery lovers.
March 24, 2018
Personal Assistant looks at a house to let, and finds a celebrity dead in the master bedroom. N ow she decides she must investigate the death, even if it means stepping on the toes of the police. I enjoyed it, kept me guessing. Good= 3 stars.
April 6, 2018
A cozy mystery
Light reading with a predictable culprit. Verity, the main character, and her employer, are nicely developed, fun, intelligent and interesting.. I look forward to their future adventures.
Light reading with a predictable culprit. Verity, the main character, and her employer, are nicely developed, fun, intelligent and interesting.. I look forward to their future adventures.
May 21, 2018
Very English mystery
A fun and very well written Cozy Mystery. Verity Long is a strong character and a determined amateur sleuth. Written in a very English style and set in an English village the reader is transported to the countryside while helping Verity solve the mysteries.
A fun and very well written Cozy Mystery. Verity Long is a strong character and a determined amateur sleuth. Written in a very English style and set in an English village the reader is transported to the countryside while helping Verity solve the mysteries.
August 4, 2018
Cute story. Not a lot of suspense but enough mystery to make the reader think about the possibility. While I did figure out who-dun-it, it wasn't till near the end of the book. Sometimes I just need to read a book like this: interesting but relaxing.
September 4, 2018
this was a quick read only took 2 nights. It was quite interesting, I liked the descriptions of what a P.A. does now it has me thinking this would be a really fun job. If only I could do it from home. Minus the murder of course. I would be interested to read more from this author.
February 13, 2019
Really cute! Clean too.
Its really good to read a mystery these days that is well thought out, well written and efited, that doesn't try to make the word count by including tasteless porn!
Its really good to read a mystery these days that is well thought out, well written and efited, that doesn't try to make the word count by including tasteless porn!
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