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Emily Castles Mysteries #4
Beyond Belief
When famed psychic Perspicacious Peg predicts a murder will occur at England’s Belief and Beyond conference, her science-minded colleagues recruit twenty-six-year-old budding sleuth Emily Castles to attend the event as a “future crimes investigator.” The suspected victim: celebrated magician Edmund Zenon, who plans to perform a daring stunt at the conference—and is offering fifty thousand pounds to any attendee who can prove that the paranormal exists.
In the seaside town of Torquay, Emily meets a colorful cast of characters: dramatic fortune-teller Madame Nova; kindly Bobby Blue Suit and his three psychic dachshunds; Sarah and Tim Taylor, devastated parents mourning their late son; and religious cult members Hilary, Trina, and the Colonel. Tensions rise as believers in science, the supernatural, and the spiritual clash with one another. But once a body count begins, Emily must excuse herself from the séances and positivity circles, and use old-fashioned detective work to find the killer.
Helen Smith is a member of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain, the Crime Writers Association and English PEN. She traveled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both--from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant--before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel. Her work has been reviewed in The Times, the Guardian, The Independent, Time Out and the Times Literary Supplement. Her books have reached number one in the bestseller lists in the Kindle store on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the seaside town of Torquay, Emily meets a colorful cast of characters: dramatic fortune-teller Madame Nova; kindly Bobby Blue Suit and his three psychic dachshunds; Sarah and Tim Taylor, devastated parents mourning their late son; and religious cult members Hilary, Trina, and the Colonel. Tensions rise as believers in science, the supernatural, and the spiritual clash with one another. But once a body count begins, Emily must excuse herself from the séances and positivity circles, and use old-fashioned detective work to find the killer.
Helen Smith is a member of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain, the Crime Writers Association and English PEN. She traveled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both--from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant--before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel. Her work has been reviewed in The Times, the Guardian, The Independent, Time Out and the Times Literary Supplement. Her books have reached number one in the bestseller lists in the Kindle store on both sides of the Atlantic.
253 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2014
90 people are currently reading
1541 people want to read
About the author
Helen Smith
22 books275 followersSign up for Helen Smith's Book News and receive a FREE Kindle copy of one of Helen Smith's books: http://helensmithbooks.com/freebook
Helen Smith is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, The Crime Writers Association and English PEN. She traveled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both – from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant – before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel. She's the author of Alison Wonderland, Being Light, The Miracle Inspector and the Emily Castles mystery series as well as children's books, poetry and plays.
Helen Smith's books have reached number one on Amazon's bestseller lists in the US, UK, Canada and Germany. Her first book, Alison Wonderland, was one of Amazon Publishing's top five bestselling books when it was launched in the US in 2011. In July 2013, following the publication of Invitation to Die, Helen Smith reached the top spot as "America's most popular mystery author" on Amazon. Her books have been praised in The Times, The Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian, Time Out and Wired.com. They have appeared on "best books of the year" lists in For Books' Sake, The Cult Den, The Independent and the Guardian.
Helen Smith has been invited to read at literary events and festivals in London and New York and points in between – including, most recently, a cruise ship en route to California via the Suez Canal. Her work has been read or performed at the National Theatre, The Royal Festival Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, Amnesty International’s Headquarters, The Edinburgh Festival and The University of London. She’s a Literary Death Match champion and the recipient of an Arts Council of England award. Her work has been optioned by the BBC. She’s amazing! Please buy her books.
"Smith is gin-and-tonic funny." Booklist
Helen Smith is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, The Crime Writers Association and English PEN. She traveled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both – from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant – before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel. She's the author of Alison Wonderland, Being Light, The Miracle Inspector and the Emily Castles mystery series as well as children's books, poetry and plays.
Helen Smith's books have reached number one on Amazon's bestseller lists in the US, UK, Canada and Germany. Her first book, Alison Wonderland, was one of Amazon Publishing's top five bestselling books when it was launched in the US in 2011. In July 2013, following the publication of Invitation to Die, Helen Smith reached the top spot as "America's most popular mystery author" on Amazon. Her books have been praised in The Times, The Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian, Time Out and Wired.com. They have appeared on "best books of the year" lists in For Books' Sake, The Cult Den, The Independent and the Guardian.
Helen Smith has been invited to read at literary events and festivals in London and New York and points in between – including, most recently, a cruise ship en route to California via the Suez Canal. Her work has been read or performed at the National Theatre, The Royal Festival Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, Amnesty International’s Headquarters, The Edinburgh Festival and The University of London. She’s a Literary Death Match champion and the recipient of an Arts Council of England award. Her work has been optioned by the BBC. She’s amazing! Please buy her books.
"Smith is gin-and-tonic funny." Booklist
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 12, 2014
This British flavored mystery has just the right mix of the endearingly quirky characters and reserved/absurd humor to make reading it a delight. I thought I was in for a treat when I read the premise: murder at a seaside gathering of skeptics and believers including psychics, philosophers, astrologers, ethicists, magicians, psychologists, and anthropologists. Beyond Belief didn’t let me down.
When several psychics predict a death by drowning at the Belief and Beyond conference and police won’t take this not-yet-committed crime seriously, they actually have the gall to snigger, conference organizers turn elsewhere. Emily Castle is a very amateur sleuth, most of the time she has a boring desk job that suits her just fine, thank you very much, but now she is getting a free weekend at the conference’s spa resort location to be a “future crimes investigator”, which the psychics believe she is qualified for because she’s a vegetarian, she has a dead dog that she thinks about a lot, and she always carries a notebook to jot down her thoughts.
More than half of the book goes by before there is a murder, but I was having such a good time with the characters debating beliefs in oceanside cafés, warding off evil in positivity circles, and seeking guidance from the indifferent dead in séances that I didn’t mind the delay. This is not the first book in this series, but that caused me no difficulty as I was reading.
When several psychics predict a death by drowning at the Belief and Beyond conference and police won’t take this not-yet-committed crime seriously, they actually have the gall to snigger, conference organizers turn elsewhere. Emily Castle is a very amateur sleuth, most of the time she has a boring desk job that suits her just fine, thank you very much, but now she is getting a free weekend at the conference’s spa resort location to be a “future crimes investigator”, which the psychics believe she is qualified for because she’s a vegetarian, she has a dead dog that she thinks about a lot, and she always carries a notebook to jot down her thoughts.
More than half of the book goes by before there is a murder, but I was having such a good time with the characters debating beliefs in oceanside cafés, warding off evil in positivity circles, and seeking guidance from the indifferent dead in séances that I didn’t mind the delay. This is not the first book in this series, but that caused me no difficulty as I was reading.
January 9, 2014
An interesting premise but wooden characters and rambling narrative fail to deliver on the promise of an intriguing mystery.
February 17, 2015
Beyond Belief is a 2014 Thomas and Mercer publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This cozy style mystery is centered around Torquay where a group of spiritualist from all sides of the spectrum intend to gather at the “Belief and Beyond” conference. But when psychic Peg senses an crime before it's committed, Emily is asked to attend the conference as a “future crimes investigator”
“Over here, you call the police to tell them you got a message from the other side, and your hear them sniggering before they put the phone down-
“ I told them I'd had a premonition someone would die in Torquay this weekend. And the person on the end of the phone actually says to me, ' Madam, we don't have a future crimes unit.' The cheek of it!”
So, Emily agrees to tag along in hope of preventing a death. But, nothing could have prepared her for the insane personalities she was about to encounter, the seances and magic tricks, and religious fervor, but the premonitions were not off the mark, making Emily's job no illusion. She will have to figure out what is going on before more deaths occur.
All cozy mystery lovers will enjoy this light and zany story filled eccentric characters and a real whodunit to solve. Emily is a little low key and one gets the idea she is only moderately interested in detective work and is always happy when the case is over so she can return to her normal, if a tad dull, life. I liked her skills as an amateur detective. and the cast of characters in this one was so diverse it made it hard to pinpoint the killer or the motive.
So overall this was delightful and lighthearted mystery and an enjoyable read. 4 stars
This cozy style mystery is centered around Torquay where a group of spiritualist from all sides of the spectrum intend to gather at the “Belief and Beyond” conference. But when psychic Peg senses an crime before it's committed, Emily is asked to attend the conference as a “future crimes investigator”
“Over here, you call the police to tell them you got a message from the other side, and your hear them sniggering before they put the phone down-
“ I told them I'd had a premonition someone would die in Torquay this weekend. And the person on the end of the phone actually says to me, ' Madam, we don't have a future crimes unit.' The cheek of it!”
So, Emily agrees to tag along in hope of preventing a death. But, nothing could have prepared her for the insane personalities she was about to encounter, the seances and magic tricks, and religious fervor, but the premonitions were not off the mark, making Emily's job no illusion. She will have to figure out what is going on before more deaths occur.
All cozy mystery lovers will enjoy this light and zany story filled eccentric characters and a real whodunit to solve. Emily is a little low key and one gets the idea she is only moderately interested in detective work and is always happy when the case is over so she can return to her normal, if a tad dull, life. I liked her skills as an amateur detective. and the cast of characters in this one was so diverse it made it hard to pinpoint the killer or the motive.
So overall this was delightful and lighthearted mystery and an enjoyable read. 4 stars
December 21, 2013
The first thing I thought when reading this novel was 'Yay how ENGLISH is this!' - there are a lot of crime reads out there which plunge you into a gritty American city at midnight and though I have space for this on my shelves (or on my Kindle) it gets a bit tiring after awhile. It was a great relief to hit a truly British crime mystery, especially as I've recently enjoyed my first Agatha Christie novel.
Most definitely a murder mystery body after body turns up, fulfilling the premonitions of the awesomely named Perspicacious Peg. Like the Christie novel I genuinely had no clue who was responsible for the crimes and revelled in the ending where we got a full run through of exactly who committed the crime and why. It's a skill which must be really difficult to master and is in art in itself.
More than anything else Beyond Belief has a light-hearted humorous tone which maybe hard to believe given the plot but it does and it reminded me strongly throughout of M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series which I completely adore. It's different enough to be recognisably Helen Smith's work of course and in terms of novels I've read by the author it sits comfortably between Alison Wonderland and The Mystery Inspector.
Fun and enjoyable but so not impressed my favourite character was killed off!
Most definitely a murder mystery body after body turns up, fulfilling the premonitions of the awesomely named Perspicacious Peg. Like the Christie novel I genuinely had no clue who was responsible for the crimes and revelled in the ending where we got a full run through of exactly who committed the crime and why. It's a skill which must be really difficult to master and is in art in itself.
More than anything else Beyond Belief has a light-hearted humorous tone which maybe hard to believe given the plot but it does and it reminded me strongly throughout of M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series which I completely adore. It's different enough to be recognisably Helen Smith's work of course and in terms of novels I've read by the author it sits comfortably between Alison Wonderland and The Mystery Inspector.
Fun and enjoyable but so not impressed my favourite character was killed off!
May 22, 2014
I was having trouble getting through this book, which should have been great fun, featuring a budding investigator, Emily Castles, who is asked by the presenters of the Belief and Beyond convention, held at the seaside resort of Torquay, to be a "future crimes investigator." Perspicacious Peg has "seen" the drowning murder of a famous magician speaking at the conference and they believe Emily is just the one to prevent it because of her "sensitivity" to the spiritual realm as evidenced by her supposed connection to her deceased dog. Emily denies having physic abilities and relies on scientific information gathering to ferret out clues. There are lots of fun, quirky characters: dramatic fortune-teller Madame Nova; kindly Bobby Blue Suit and his three psychic dachshunds; Sarah and Tim Taylor, devastated parents mourning their late son; and religious cult members Hilary, Trina, and the Colonel. Both tension and plot action accelerate as believers in science, the supernatural, and the spiritual clash with one another. But I think my big problem with the book was my inability to emotionally connect with the main character enough--perhaps it is the dry, under-stated prose the English writer uses to describe Emily. I admit I kept wanting to put the book down and wondering why I wasn't liking it more.
March 7, 2016
Beyond Belief’s cover makes me think we are off to the carnival and that seems to be true.
I thought with the quirky characters, the psychics and fortunetellers, the psychic wiener dog (LOL) and the humor, horror, murder and Emily, I thought I may have a roller coaster ride coming. Alas, that was not the case. I don’t know if it was the writing style, which seemed dry to me, or my expectations were too high, but I felt something was lacking and I found it unsuspenseful. I did finish reading it, because I was curious about the murderer and I try to finish every book I pick up. Sometimes the ending will make it worth the read for me. Not this time.
I did not find Beyond Belief by Helen Smith a worthy read, but reviews are subjective so you may want to check this out for yourself.
The 84 Amazon ratings go from 5 to 1 with an overall average of 3.8 out of 5 stars.
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com
I thought with the quirky characters, the psychics and fortunetellers, the psychic wiener dog (LOL) and the humor, horror, murder and Emily, I thought I may have a roller coaster ride coming. Alas, that was not the case. I don’t know if it was the writing style, which seemed dry to me, or my expectations were too high, but I felt something was lacking and I found it unsuspenseful. I did finish reading it, because I was curious about the murderer and I try to finish every book I pick up. Sometimes the ending will make it worth the read for me. Not this time.
I did not find Beyond Belief by Helen Smith a worthy read, but reviews are subjective so you may want to check this out for yourself.
The 84 Amazon ratings go from 5 to 1 with an overall average of 3.8 out of 5 stars.
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com
January 28, 2014
I received this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Itching for Books for letting be a part of this tour, and Helen Smith for giving me that chance to read Beyond Belief.
Seeing the cover and reading the blurb, convinced me I’m going to love this books, especially because it involves English people, and I’m a sucker when it comes to these types of stories. So, starting reading Beyond Belief and I couldn’t figure a single thing out, that how much suspense it has. It had my heart racing for a couple of times not knowing what can possibly happen next. It was humorous at the same time, making the story even more fantastic.
I honestly don’t want to spoil this book; it was too great of a story. If you want a little imaginary trip to England, and great mystery story, read this book and you won’t regret it! I highly recommend it!
Seeing the cover and reading the blurb, convinced me I’m going to love this books, especially because it involves English people, and I’m a sucker when it comes to these types of stories. So, starting reading Beyond Belief and I couldn’t figure a single thing out, that how much suspense it has. It had my heart racing for a couple of times not knowing what can possibly happen next. It was humorous at the same time, making the story even more fantastic.
I honestly don’t want to spoil this book; it was too great of a story. If you want a little imaginary trip to England, and great mystery story, read this book and you won’t regret it! I highly recommend it!
December 6, 2013
This is a fun, lighthearted mystery with vivid and memorable characters. At times some of the characters' eccentricities are over the top, but that's part of their charm. They bring the story to life with their outrageous personalities.
While this is a murder mystery, the content is handled in a humorous way. There are no gruesome details. I did wonder where the cops were during all the events, particularly toward the end. I would have expected a strong police presence, though they were oddly absent from the scene. But this small issue didn't stop me from enjoying the story as the plot unwound and took me down a few twisty paths.
While this is a murder mystery, the content is handled in a humorous way. There are no gruesome details. I did wonder where the cops were during all the events, particularly toward the end. I would have expected a strong police presence, though they were oddly absent from the scene. But this small issue didn't stop me from enjoying the story as the plot unwound and took me down a few twisty paths.
August 26, 2016
The idea of this was intriguing; an intrepid young girl who has some abilities (maybe magical) she doesn't admit to is asked to investigate a murder before it occurs (it is predicted by a clairvoyant). She goes on holiday to a convention of magic practicers. The convention's main publicity is that a famous magic debunker/unbeliever is coming to town also and he vows to give a large sum of money to those who can make him believe. But I feel that the book fell down on the characters. I think they are supposed to be charmingly eccentric, but instead they just seem odd. Also, I feel like the ending was very unbelievable.
December 22, 2013
This murder mystery contains an entire boat load of characters that will appeal to readers everywhere. Fans of thrills, chills and pulse-racing plots will also enjoy Smith's novel because it's humorous at times which gives us them a chance to catch their breath. A wild array of personalities keeps the storyline moving swiftly all the way up to the big finish. The author's imagination and world building is top notch, and this is an extremely entertaining addition to the Emily Castles Mysteries.
November 27, 2013
Bodies galore, yet a very pleasant, humorous and English way of presenting crime fiction. Vivid and hugely eccentric characters, gentle fun being made of psychics and believers in the supernatural: this book was the perfect escapist read for a day when I was feeling very tired and miserable.
June 30, 2014
Reviewed on my blog at http://geraniumcatsbookshelf.blogspot...
May 10, 2017
Once again Emily Castles finds herself in the middle of a mystery. However this time it starts as a future crime and moves into present crime(s). While Emily ultimately solves the crime(s), it is n't without several plot twists and a few bumps and bruises.
If you are a fan of Emily Castles, Beyond Belief will be well worth the read, if you are new to Emily Castles you may want to start with the short stories to get familiarized with the characters and Emily's Modus Operandi.
If you are a fan of Emily Castles, Beyond Belief will be well worth the read, if you are new to Emily Castles you may want to start with the short stories to get familiarized with the characters and Emily's Modus Operandi.
June 6, 2019
Really slow going. Would call this a 'beach read' - because, despite an interesting premise, it's just not that exciting....Not bad - just isn't engaging me. I'm at 41% and I'm not sure I care who does (or does not) get killed.... and only slightly more interesting in why. It's taken me several days to get through 80 pages, so I think I may pass on this for something more interesting. Decent character piece. Might be better as a mini-series - or an 1.5 hr episode of something or other....
June 14, 2017
Emily does it again
In a mystery set in the struggle between magic, faith and the paranormal, it is no surprise for Emily Castle to pull a rabbit out of the hat and solve the crime. She's Sherlock Holmes with dimples and an easy going manner. The extensive cast of characters made it a bit hard to follow or care about any characters other than Dr Muriel and Emily herself.
In a mystery set in the struggle between magic, faith and the paranormal, it is no surprise for Emily Castle to pull a rabbit out of the hat and solve the crime. She's Sherlock Holmes with dimples and an easy going manner. The extensive cast of characters made it a bit hard to follow or care about any characters other than Dr Muriel and Emily herself.
September 13, 2018
Missing something
While this type of book is usually right up my alley, this was a bit of a disappointment. The protagonist didn't really seem to have much of a presence for someone responsible for being an investigator. I wouldn't recommend this book to those who are big fans of mysteries or if this caught you eye as being a paranormal mystery.
While this type of book is usually right up my alley, this was a bit of a disappointment. The protagonist didn't really seem to have much of a presence for someone responsible for being an investigator. I wouldn't recommend this book to those who are big fans of mysteries or if this caught you eye as being a paranormal mystery.
March 29, 2018
Belief? Or....
This was a nice cozy mystery with an interesting cast of characters. Science or paranormal? That people could attend a conference with a variety of ideas and talk to one another without too much turmoil is almost too strange a dream these days.
This was a nice cozy mystery with an interesting cast of characters. Science or paranormal? That people could attend a conference with a variety of ideas and talk to one another without too much turmoil is almost too strange a dream these days.
May 27, 2017
Interesting concept, but I certainly felt that it was not aimed at a UK audience.
July 7, 2017
To be honest, I'm not sure why I finished this book. It wasn't bad but it wasn't particularly good either.
August 3, 2017
Napoleon
Very intriguing and interesting. The people where very believable and each person had a great story of their lives. Very good plot.
Very intriguing and interesting. The people where very believable and each person had a great story of their lives. Very good plot.
November 18, 2017
good story
May 10, 2018
Excellent reading
This story kept you in suspense until the very end. The author was good at keeping you guessing as in every chapter the mystery changed courses.
This story kept you in suspense until the very end. The author was good at keeping you guessing as in every chapter the mystery changed courses.
August 24, 2018
Fairly quaint, incredibly British, quick but pleasant read. :)
February 2, 2014
Beyond Belief is a fun story that felt more like a murder mystery party than just an ordinary thriller. From the very beginning, we're thrust into the heart of the mystery and find ourselves immersed in the lives of several oddball characters all drawn together to the Beyond and Belief conference at a seaside resort by the impending fate of magician Edmund Zenon.
As far as main characters go, Emily isn't the most interesting, and it was a bit bizarre that her main qualification for the job was her "connection" to her dead dog, but the rest of the side characters surely made up for it. Composed of a mismatched group of philosophers, magicians, psychics, and religious fanatics, each character has their own eccentricities and beliefs that made their interactions enjoyable to read about. I particularly liked Bobby Blue Suit, an endearing psychic, and his three dogs with a few special tricks you don't see in other dogs. I'm not sure yet if there will be more books in the Emily Castles Mystery series, but if there are, it would be really nice to see if Bobby Blue Suit were to make another appearance in the future.
The beginning was a bit heavy on exposition, but it's forgivable considering most of it was used to build up the backgrounds of many of the key players. The story really starts to pick up halfway through the book when the body count starts to rise, and by that point, I was fully engrossed in the mystery. Who is this murderer? Why are they killing certain people? Why are they so focused on Edmund Zenon? And what is the password? I found it difficult to put the book down in anticipation to the answers to all my questions. Helen Smith actually managed to answer them all with an ending I didn't expect. I wish the climax of the story could've been more exciting instead of just Emily explaining everything, but I was satisfied with the answers.
As I said before, the story reminds me of a murder mystery themed party. You have a group of random people thrown together for a short time (one weekend) at a relatively isolated place (Hotel Majestic in the small town of Torquay) who are united and forced to work together to solve a murder. As someone who has always wanted to participate in such a party, this style worked for me. I especially like the touch of humor Helen Smith added to her writing that kept this book from getting too dark, so if you're a casual reader of mystery thrillers who would prefer something lighter without the gore and violence, then this book is for you.
[ SEE REVIEW @ BOOKCHARMED ]
As far as main characters go, Emily isn't the most interesting, and it was a bit bizarre that her main qualification for the job was her "connection" to her dead dog, but the rest of the side characters surely made up for it. Composed of a mismatched group of philosophers, magicians, psychics, and religious fanatics, each character has their own eccentricities and beliefs that made their interactions enjoyable to read about. I particularly liked Bobby Blue Suit, an endearing psychic, and his three dogs with a few special tricks you don't see in other dogs. I'm not sure yet if there will be more books in the Emily Castles Mystery series, but if there are, it would be really nice to see if Bobby Blue Suit were to make another appearance in the future.
The beginning was a bit heavy on exposition, but it's forgivable considering most of it was used to build up the backgrounds of many of the key players. The story really starts to pick up halfway through the book when the body count starts to rise, and by that point, I was fully engrossed in the mystery. Who is this murderer? Why are they killing certain people? Why are they so focused on Edmund Zenon? And what is the password? I found it difficult to put the book down in anticipation to the answers to all my questions. Helen Smith actually managed to answer them all with an ending I didn't expect. I wish the climax of the story could've been more exciting instead of just Emily explaining everything, but I was satisfied with the answers.
As I said before, the story reminds me of a murder mystery themed party. You have a group of random people thrown together for a short time (one weekend) at a relatively isolated place (Hotel Majestic in the small town of Torquay) who are united and forced to work together to solve a murder. As someone who has always wanted to participate in such a party, this style worked for me. I especially like the touch of humor Helen Smith added to her writing that kept this book from getting too dark, so if you're a casual reader of mystery thrillers who would prefer something lighter without the gore and violence, then this book is for you.
[ SEE REVIEW @ BOOKCHARMED ]
March 3, 2014
This novel had a somewhat interesting murder mystery concept in that amateur sleuth Emily Castles was employed to find the murderer *before* any crime had actually taken place, in the capacity of a “future crimes investigator.” With psychics, magicians, the supernatural and the seaside positively abundant in this book, it was certainly a pleasant way to pass a few hours, especially given some of the grittier, chunkier reads I have experienced lately.
This is the second full- length Emily Castles book I’ve read- crime novels about a young sleuth who has a natural talent for solving mysteries. The writing is strong and pacey, the settings evocative and the story premise in itself an interesting one. I also LOVED the cover which really fits with the theme of the book.
I did enjoy how quintessentially ‘English seaside’ this novel was as well. It was a really atmospheric read, conjuring up holidays at the coast, sandcastles and jaunts along the pier. For me, that gave this book the real ‘wow-factor.’ Unfortunately, that aside wasn’t quite enough to capture my attention throughout the entire plot. For me, there were too many characters in here, insofar as it became distracting on occasion- a lot of whom were pretty superfluous to the story itself. There was also a tad too much melodrama for my tastes, and in all honesty after liking her in the first book in the series, I’m struggling to warm to Emily herself at this point in time. She is just a bit too… dull for my liking and also far too nice. She doesn’t really seem to have much about her or any flaws and is practically perfect. That said, it could be that we start to learn more about Emily herself in the next book in the series; perhaps something more than she works in an office and has a dead dog? One can only hope so.
In terms of the murder elements of the story, I truly had no real clue as to ‘whodunit,’ the crime was well-crafted and with a list of suspects as long as your arm, it certainly gave the reader time to ponder as to motive and how things were carried out. There was also some subtle British humour, as well as some parodies mingled in there too; “Perspicacious Peg” can only really be a spoof of one famous astrologer to the stars, can’t she?!
Though it didn’t exactly blow me away, Beyond Belief was an engaging read and one that I would recommend for fans of cosy mysteries looking for an entertaining, escapist read. You also don’t have to read these books in order either; this can be enjoyed as a standalone book.
This is the second full- length Emily Castles book I’ve read- crime novels about a young sleuth who has a natural talent for solving mysteries. The writing is strong and pacey, the settings evocative and the story premise in itself an interesting one. I also LOVED the cover which really fits with the theme of the book.
I did enjoy how quintessentially ‘English seaside’ this novel was as well. It was a really atmospheric read, conjuring up holidays at the coast, sandcastles and jaunts along the pier. For me, that gave this book the real ‘wow-factor.’ Unfortunately, that aside wasn’t quite enough to capture my attention throughout the entire plot. For me, there were too many characters in here, insofar as it became distracting on occasion- a lot of whom were pretty superfluous to the story itself. There was also a tad too much melodrama for my tastes, and in all honesty after liking her in the first book in the series, I’m struggling to warm to Emily herself at this point in time. She is just a bit too… dull for my liking and also far too nice. She doesn’t really seem to have much about her or any flaws and is practically perfect. That said, it could be that we start to learn more about Emily herself in the next book in the series; perhaps something more than she works in an office and has a dead dog? One can only hope so.
In terms of the murder elements of the story, I truly had no real clue as to ‘whodunit,’ the crime was well-crafted and with a list of suspects as long as your arm, it certainly gave the reader time to ponder as to motive and how things were carried out. There was also some subtle British humour, as well as some parodies mingled in there too; “Perspicacious Peg” can only really be a spoof of one famous astrologer to the stars, can’t she?!
Though it didn’t exactly blow me away, Beyond Belief was an engaging read and one that I would recommend for fans of cosy mysteries looking for an entertaining, escapist read. You also don’t have to read these books in order either; this can be enjoyed as a standalone book.
January 29, 2014
I love a good mystery. I have mentioned that several times in the past that suspense/crime thrillers is my favorite genre. So when I read the book summary, the mystery part along with some magic thrown into it, captured my attention. What really drew me in was the book cover. It’s one of the most apt book covers I have seen. It’s very much magical!
I have never read a book where even before a crime has occurred, a detective is appointed. That too a future crimes investigator!. I found it funny. I started reading and found that the author has a good sense of humor and she weaves it into almost every chapter, in a very clever manner. There are a lot of characters introduced to us. Some of them are just superfluous but I guess they are named anyway simply to show that a lot of different people are attending this big conference happening in the seaside town of Torquay. The author must have known that it’s too difficult for a reader to keep track of all the characters being introduced to us. So she reminds us, where a character was first introduced throughout the book. It was quite helpful!.
In the beginning, the mood for the big event is set. Though this is a murder mystery, it’s surprisingly casual. The whole attitude and the setting of the novel is very casual. I would have liked it to be a bit more serious when it should be. I found some characters to be outright rude, even when it was uncalled for. The town, the food, everything is beautifully mentioned. In the first 150 pages, actually I thought there might not even be a murder!. That was how the events went on. By then, truthfully, I just wanted the pace to pick up, for something interesting to happen.
And finally it did!. The body count started rising and all of a sudden, it was really interesting. Emily, as the investigator, did a good job. She is very perceptive and quick at putting two and two together. This book is not a hardcore mystery book. However, the mystery is maintained until the very end and you will never guess who the murderer was. So I am impressed.
Read this review of my blog : http://nazninazeez.wordpress.com/2014...
I have never read a book where even before a crime has occurred, a detective is appointed. That too a future crimes investigator!. I found it funny. I started reading and found that the author has a good sense of humor and she weaves it into almost every chapter, in a very clever manner. There are a lot of characters introduced to us. Some of them are just superfluous but I guess they are named anyway simply to show that a lot of different people are attending this big conference happening in the seaside town of Torquay. The author must have known that it’s too difficult for a reader to keep track of all the characters being introduced to us. So she reminds us, where a character was first introduced throughout the book. It was quite helpful!.
In the beginning, the mood for the big event is set. Though this is a murder mystery, it’s surprisingly casual. The whole attitude and the setting of the novel is very casual. I would have liked it to be a bit more serious when it should be. I found some characters to be outright rude, even when it was uncalled for. The town, the food, everything is beautifully mentioned. In the first 150 pages, actually I thought there might not even be a murder!. That was how the events went on. By then, truthfully, I just wanted the pace to pick up, for something interesting to happen.
And finally it did!. The body count started rising and all of a sudden, it was really interesting. Emily, as the investigator, did a good job. She is very perceptive and quick at putting two and two together. This book is not a hardcore mystery book. However, the mystery is maintained until the very end and you will never guess who the murderer was. So I am impressed.
Read this review of my blog : http://nazninazeez.wordpress.com/2014...
January 28, 2014
I am a big fan of mysteries. Take that and add in the victim being a celebrated magician, and a big contest at the Belief and Beyond conference to anyone who can prove that the paranormal exists? How could I not read this book? Emily Castles is a young sleuth and she kind had a nancy drew vibe going on. Another huge plus for me. Beyond Belief, despite the fact that this is a serious murder mystery novel, it is actually surprisingly funny and was a very fun read. I know that sounds strange, but the mixture of the humor and the suspense of the mystery were an awesome combination for me. I loved this book. I couldn't guess the twists and turns and the story had me completely engrossed and on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Beyond Belief is the second book in the Emily Castles Mysteries series, but each book can be read as a standalone. I didn't read the first book in the mysteries series so I am not sure how much set up and background character information was given in the first book, but I never felt lost or out of plce while reading this story. The only thing I thought about was whether or not I would have gotten to know Emily Castle a little better through the first book. I feel like we did get to know her in this story well enough, but she was surrounded but such crazy and loud other characters that she seemed almost mousy in comparison. And I know that she wasn't someone that I would classify as mousy on her own. She is spunky and independent and very resourceful, but even with all of that, she still felt overshadowed by all of the "look at me" eccentric people around her.
I am now a fan of Helen Smith. I need to check out more of her books based on her writing in Beyond Belief. She is just so spot on with her descriptions. I found myself nodding along appreciatively when I could picture EXACTLY what she was describing. I just loved it. This book will have you laughing, and scratching your head right along with Emily trying to solve the case. Beyond Belief was a huge hit for me!
Beyond Belief is the second book in the Emily Castles Mysteries series, but each book can be read as a standalone. I didn't read the first book in the mysteries series so I am not sure how much set up and background character information was given in the first book, but I never felt lost or out of plce while reading this story. The only thing I thought about was whether or not I would have gotten to know Emily Castle a little better through the first book. I feel like we did get to know her in this story well enough, but she was surrounded but such crazy and loud other characters that she seemed almost mousy in comparison. And I know that she wasn't someone that I would classify as mousy on her own. She is spunky and independent and very resourceful, but even with all of that, she still felt overshadowed by all of the "look at me" eccentric people around her.
I am now a fan of Helen Smith. I need to check out more of her books based on her writing in Beyond Belief. She is just so spot on with her descriptions. I found myself nodding along appreciatively when I could picture EXACTLY what she was describing. I just loved it. This book will have you laughing, and scratching your head right along with Emily trying to solve the case. Beyond Belief was a huge hit for me!
June 8, 2014
The topic of this book intrigued me; a paranormal conference but a serious, scientific one? And then there's a murder? Add in that I'd heard good things about Ms. Smith and I couldn't pass this up.
Despite my enthusiasm, the first 40% or so was a struggle. It was all set up, meeting characters, learning about them, and setting up the groundwork for the eventual murders. The author's style also took a while for me to warm up to; it was dry at times. Additionally, it never made sense to me why Emily was hired. She's an office worker who has fond memories of her dead dog which apparently made her qualified. As it turned out, she was observant and detail oriented, qualities which enabled her to figure out who the killer was and why.
"That's the best kind of investigating," said Emily modestly. "Using your eyes and observing what you see."
"Ah yes!" said Dr. Muriel. "How many of us really look? How many of us really see when we look?"
Emily is logical and level-headed, she doesn't get distracted by emotions. Unfortunately, several people died before Emily determined who the killer was but she was able to save one person and also solved another related mystery. Slowly, the seemingly disparate threads and characters come together into a cohesive whole. As the threads came together and things started happening, I became engrossed and had trouble putting the book down. Smith kept me guessing as to the identity of the killer. The story took time to get going but the wait paid off as Smith wove it all into a sometimes serious, sometimes light-hearted, always philosophical mystery dealing with family, faith, belief, grief, and pride.
"Beyond Belief" wasn't exciting and it was slow to start but it developed steam and became engrossing. Smith is a clean writer, with little extraneous detail, and she understands people's quirks and idiosyncrasies. In the end, I did enjoy it and I'd like to read more stories with Emily.
Despite my enthusiasm, the first 40% or so was a struggle. It was all set up, meeting characters, learning about them, and setting up the groundwork for the eventual murders. The author's style also took a while for me to warm up to; it was dry at times. Additionally, it never made sense to me why Emily was hired. She's an office worker who has fond memories of her dead dog which apparently made her qualified. As it turned out, she was observant and detail oriented, qualities which enabled her to figure out who the killer was and why.
"That's the best kind of investigating," said Emily modestly. "Using your eyes and observing what you see."
"Ah yes!" said Dr. Muriel. "How many of us really look? How many of us really see when we look?"
Emily is logical and level-headed, she doesn't get distracted by emotions. Unfortunately, several people died before Emily determined who the killer was but she was able to save one person and also solved another related mystery. Slowly, the seemingly disparate threads and characters come together into a cohesive whole. As the threads came together and things started happening, I became engrossed and had trouble putting the book down. Smith kept me guessing as to the identity of the killer. The story took time to get going but the wait paid off as Smith wove it all into a sometimes serious, sometimes light-hearted, always philosophical mystery dealing with family, faith, belief, grief, and pride.
"Beyond Belief" wasn't exciting and it was slow to start but it developed steam and became engrossing. Smith is a clean writer, with little extraneous detail, and she understands people's quirks and idiosyncrasies. In the end, I did enjoy it and I'd like to read more stories with Emily.
January 28, 2014
Helen Smith
Helen Smith is back with her newest brit-lit mystery, Beyond Belief, a sequel in her Emily Castles mystery series. It isn’t your standard who-dun-it. You will need to suspend belief or at least roll with the concept of lunacy mixed with a deadpan perspective. Those who like chick-lit with a little humorous mystery will enjoy this book.
The baseline story is tied to a conference for the paranormal and the concern of the organizing committee that a murder is about to be committed. Perspicacious Peg is a psychic on the Board of the conference and she has prognosticated a death by drowning at the “Beyond Belief” convention, being held at a British seaside resort. Emily Castles is hired to go along and sleuth as a “future crimes investigator”.
The book is written tongue-in-cheek style embedded within an off-beat Clue board game structure. There are many characters all with back-stories, leading us down one alley or another and in the end the body count will leave you reeling. Beyond Belief is light British crime fiction mixed with a touch of pathos and utterly spoofilicious. Although I haven’t read the first in the series the story flowed without too much confusion, given Smith inherent lunacy this would appear to be a great compliment.
If you enjoy Beyond Belief, you will love Alison Wonderland by the same author (review here) http://ebooknews.ca/home/2013/08/18/a....
Helen Smith has an eccentric sense of humour, a la Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous) and is a supporter of new writers and lecturers at crime festivals . The combination is clearly shared in the video which you can find embedded in the original review here at www.ebooknews.ca.
3 + stars
January 25, 2014
Celebrated magician Edmund Zenon is causing a stir at the annual ‘Belief and Beyond’ conference in Torquay, where the great and the good (and not so good) of the country’s psychic community come together. having spent his life denouncing the existence of ‘messages from beyond the grave’, he has decided to back up his beliefs with hard cash – offering a £50,000 reward to any who can prove to him that they can communicate with the dead.
However, famed psychic Perspicacious Peg predicts that a murder will occur at the conference, so together with the organiser hires the services of self-styled sleuth Emily Castles to try to change the course of fate.
With philosophy professor Dr Muriel once again at her side, Emily travels to the sleepy English Riviera expecting the whole weekend to be a farcical joke – but could Peg be right?
I make no secret of the fact that I love Helen Smith’s writing. This is the second full-length outing for Emily Castles, and like Invitation to Die, it is quintessentially English. You can almost taste the cream tea while you’re reading it!
I love the traditional gathering together of the suspects again – and conferences allow this to happen in a contemporary setting, making Emily Castles a young Miss Marple in training for the tenties (I have no idea what we’re calling this decade!).
An easy, quite short read with some wonderful larger than life characters. Emily herself as a character is a little neutral and understated – again, I think much like Miss Marple – allowing the rest of the cast to have their time to shine – some of them for less time than others!
I’m definitely looking forward to Emily’s next outing. We’ve had a Romance Writer’s convention, a psychic conference – I wonder what will be next. A Morris Dancing competition? A Women’s Institiute gathering? A country fayre? Sheepdog trials? I can’t wait!
However, famed psychic Perspicacious Peg predicts that a murder will occur at the conference, so together with the organiser hires the services of self-styled sleuth Emily Castles to try to change the course of fate.
With philosophy professor Dr Muriel once again at her side, Emily travels to the sleepy English Riviera expecting the whole weekend to be a farcical joke – but could Peg be right?
I make no secret of the fact that I love Helen Smith’s writing. This is the second full-length outing for Emily Castles, and like Invitation to Die, it is quintessentially English. You can almost taste the cream tea while you’re reading it!
I love the traditional gathering together of the suspects again – and conferences allow this to happen in a contemporary setting, making Emily Castles a young Miss Marple in training for the tenties (I have no idea what we’re calling this decade!).
An easy, quite short read with some wonderful larger than life characters. Emily herself as a character is a little neutral and understated – again, I think much like Miss Marple – allowing the rest of the cast to have their time to shine – some of them for less time than others!
I’m definitely looking forward to Emily’s next outing. We’ve had a Romance Writer’s convention, a psychic conference – I wonder what will be next. A Morris Dancing competition? A Women’s Institiute gathering? A country fayre? Sheepdog trials? I can’t wait!
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