Nefarious Doings

Nell Forrest #1

by Ilsa Evans

Welcome to the sleepy town of Majic, where neighbourhood watch is a killer …

For Nell Forrest, life in the little town of Majic is not going smoothly. One of her five daughters has just swapped university for fruit-picking, another is about to hit puberty, while a third keeps leaving aggrieved messages on the answering machine. On top of all this, her mother is infuriating and it's only been a matter of months since Nell lost her husband of twenty-five years. It's no surprise, then, that she is even struggling to write her weekly column.

But the floodgates of inspiration are about to swing open, almost knocking her out in the process. Murder and mayhem, arson and adultery, dungeons, death threats and disappearances are just around the corner. Despite Nell's abysmal aptitude for investigative work, she manages to shine the light on the local Richard III Society and that's when things really start to heat up. Throw in some suspicious widows, nosy neighbours, a canine witness, plus a detective who is getting a little closer than he should, and it's clear that nefarious doings are well and truly afoot.

Nefarious Doings is the first book in Ilsa Evans' new Nell Forrest Mystery series. The second is Ill-Gotten Gains.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Crime, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Australia

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

Ilsa Evans is an Australian author. She has written across several genres from light fiction (such as the books that make up the 'laundry series') to more gritty social realism. Two of her books, Broken and Sticks and Stones stem from the findings of a PhD on the long-term effects of family violence that Ilsa completed in 2005. Ilsa teaches creative writing and carries out public speaking when she is not writing. She lives in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne with her children, assorted pets and several uninvited possums.

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick, light hearted, often funny, cosy crime featuring Nell Forrest, writer of a social commentary column for the local paper and now single mother of five daughters. Nell becomes an amateur sleuth when her mother's house burns down and the body of a neighbour is found in her garage. Nell feels sure that someone must know something about why the dead man was on her mother's property, but her attempts to investigate and carry out surveillance are often hilarious. Meanwhile, not only has her mother moved in but one of her daughters has dropped out of University and moved back home, giving her little space or privacy, especially when she thinks about dating again. An enjoyable feel good book - I'll be checking out #2 in this series. 3.5★

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching the smoke in the distance from her own home in the little town of Majic, Nell Forrest hoped it wasn’t anything serious. She had no idea that that fire was about to start a chain of events of monumental proportions. Seven months previously, Nell’s husband of twenty five years had deserted her; it seemed her weekly column with the local newspaper was all that was keeping her sane. Nell had five daughters, the youngest one, Quinn, was only thirteen and still at school. But when she heard her second youngest Lucy, had dropped out of university she hit the roof.

Suddenly though, her mother was in hospital and a dead body had been found - Nell found herself in the midst of chaos and her investigative nature swung into action. Her technique at interviewing the local residents and witnesses drew the attention of the charming Ashley Armistead, the detective in charge of the investigation but as the mystery deepened, another death shocked them all. What on earth was going on in their quiet rural town? Who was the killer that was terrifying the local residents? There were definitely nefarious doings happening in Majik!

I absolutely loved this mystery by Aussie author Ilsa Evans. I haven’t had so much fun reading a novel in a long time; laugh out loud moments – there were a lot of them! I adored Nell’s character – her dry sense of humour, her wit; the way she handled her daughters and her mother – fabulous! I can’t wait to read the next instalment, Ill-Gotten Gains and have no hesitation in recommending Nefarious Doings highly.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I rarely have the time to read them anymore, I love cozy mysteries. It is really rare however for books of this genre to be published in Australia, there were a brief flurry released in the late 1980's/early 1990's by author's such as Jennifer Rowe, Kerry Greenwood and Claire McNab but few since. So I am delighted that Ilsa Evans new cozy mystery series has been picked up by Momentum, and hope there will be more.

Nefarious Doings introduces Nell Forrest who lives in the small town of Majic, named rather prosaically for its eccentric Hungarian founder. Recently deserted by her husband of twenty five years, she shares her home rather peaceably with the youngest of her five daughter's while writing a column for the local newspaper. And then one of her daughter's arrives home with the news she has dropped out of university and her mother moves in after her own house was set alight, revealing the body of a man in the garage.

What follows is more murder, mystery and mayhem as Nell, anxious both to prove her mother innocent of killing her dropkick neighbour and get her mother back in her own home, begins to investigate the community of Majic, with the aid of her sister, Petra, her daughters and the occasional tip warning from the dashing Detective Sergeant Ashley Armistead. Nell imagines solving the mystery, and being rewarded by 'unbridled sex' with Armistead, but instead she gets too close to the hidden truths and risks becoming the next victim. The twists and turns of the plot are convincing with plenty of suspects muddying up the waters. The identity of the murderer is fairly predictable but the motivation less so.

The characters in Nefarious Doings are all believable, even given slight exaggeration. I adore Nell and her somewhat chaotic family. I love how ordinary they are with all the benign sibling rivalry and Nell's motherly concern for, and frustration with, her daughters. It's the details of the life they live - making dinner, going to work/school, that adds depth and authenticity to the story.

I feel I have to disclose that I regularly play Words With Friends with Ilsa - she usually wins, and last year I won a competition she ran to name a character for a cameo appearance in Nefarious Doings - look out for Grace June Rae (named for my grandmothers). However my friendship with Ilsa hasn't affected my opinion about this book, it is an entertaining read - funny, engaging and well, cozy. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, Ill-Gotten Gains.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to be red with a nice glass of Shiraz in your hand.

NEFARIOUS DOINGS is the first book in Ilsa Evans' new Nell Forrest Mystery series and it is a damn good start too. I really enjoyed it. It is easy to read with very likable and believable characters. Nell’s interaction with her daughters and mother are spot on; I could almost imagine they were my daughters and Ilsa had been listening underneath our windows as the conversations were so similar! The mystery is fascinating – for what possible reason could her mother’s house be burned down and the dead body of a neighbour discovered in her garage? In a quiet country community, where normally you can’t even sneeze without everyone discussing if you have the plague, nobody hears or sees anything. Or did they? A second neighbour is found a few days later so everyone becomes a suspect ,even Nell’s mother. So of course Nell is honour bound to prove her mother’s innocence. I had to really laugh when Nell went sleuthing and her sister, daughters and dog all came along in the car! Majic comes over as a typical Australian country town and is named for a Mr Majic who founded it and not because anyone has any magical powers. There is suspense, danger, a touch of romance and enough wine mentions to keep this little wine-lover happy. I hugely enjoyed NEFARIOUS DOINGS and have the next book in the series, Ill-Gotten Gains, on pre-order for its release next month. I am more than ready to pour a wine and settle down to learn more about Nell and her activities.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know whether I’m moving on from cosy mysteries (I wasn’t that impressed with my last Phryne Fisher mystery either), but this just felt a bit untidy and disjointed in its explanations, as well as lacking credibility - a man is murdered in a woman’s house and when said woman’s granddaughters want to investigate the murder, their mother (from whose perspective the story is told) jumps right in there with them - really??

I enjoyed parts of the story, and wanted to find out what happened. I don’t often guess the murderer throughout the story, but I did this time, so if I can guess, that probably means it was fairly obvious!! However, I didn’t guess the motive. I suspect I won’t be reading further in this series, although I see my library has the second in the series, so perhaps I may give it a second chance.

I wavered in my rating, because I did enjoy parts. So I'm giving it 2.5★.

[Ace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read, especially living away from Australia, it made me a bit homesick too.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most cosy mysteries that I have read this was light and fun in parts but not particularly gripping. Nice to have an Australian town.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how much better is my week having read this joy of a book.
Nell Forrest is a lady I'd like to have a wine with.
I found everything about this book refreshing; the plot, humour, and setting of rural country Victoria. The mother/daughter dynamic in this novel boldly breaks the social norm - Yen was truly one of the best things about this book - and I really enjoyed the interaction between these 2 characters.
I'm not normally a cosy mystery fan, as I prefer a little more "grit" but this is certainly a series I will be reading in full.
A true Aussie classic.

[Vikki Petraitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Great to see Aussie sleuths out of the usual mould. Bought the second one on my Kindle the minute I finished the first

[Robyn Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I loved the "Aussie-ness" of the words used. Of course, I love a good mystery, and Ilsa did not let me down with this book. I also fell in love with Nell, a little bit! I found myself emphasising with her in many ways. I especially loved Nell's letters from readers; very, very funny. If you want to read a novel set in a location you actually know (or been to), words and phrases that ring with an Australian accent, and make you chuckle - this is the book for you.

[Zoey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great mystery novel - set in a small Australian town, very funny but also sweet and touching. The chaotic entire family stake-out trying to catch a killer was hilarious. I loved this.

[Jaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This review and more at Tangled Bookmarks


Continuing with my theme of First Books in a Series That I Got for Free at iTunes, is Nefarious Doings by Ilsa Evans. Once again, I wasn’t expecting much from this as I’ve never been a big fan of the cozy mystery type books. Also, I’d never heard of this series so had no idea what to expect from it.

And once again, I stumbled across a gem. I had so much fun reading this. Nell Forrest lives in Majic, a small town in country Victoria, Australia. Yay for another Australian-set novel! She writes a weekly column in a newspaper, lives with her 13 year old daughter (her four other daughters are adults and live away) and her one and only fiction novel died a fairly ignominious death. Nell’s mother runs a local bookstore, and when her house is deliberately set afire, and a body is found in the garage, Nell is determined to solve the mystery. After all, she does have an invested interest in the crime, as her mother quite possibly is the main suspect!

A light-hearted tale, with plenty of witty humour, Nefarious Doings is fun and a joy to read. There’s a slow-moving, sort-of, possible romance between Nell and the detective investigating the case as well as Nell having to deal with one of her daughters turning up on her doorstep after dropping out of university, not to mention her mother moving in due to her house going up in flames and of course, desperately trying to come up with an idea for her next column.

I particularly enjoyed the romance in this. There’s no “tingling of loins” when they meet, no lusting after each other or butterflies in the stomach, no jumping into bed straight away – in fact, there’s not even any dating! It’s slow, and consists mainly of flirtatious conversations and Nell thinking about a No Permanency: Just Unbridled Sex Thing. Loved it.

And when Nell decides to have a stake-out to find out just who the Mystery Lover is of a friend, she ends up joined by her sister (who brings the cheese and crackers), their mother, Nell’s youngest daughter and her new dog, plus her older daughter. I definitely got a giggle out of that scene – perfectly written, very witty and funny.

Nefarious Doings is a fun light cozy mystery, that is definitely miles ahead of most of that genre. Plus it’s set in Australia, has some wonderful characters, and I will most definitely be reading more in the series. Also, the ebook is currently free at Momentum Books! I don’t know how much longer it will be free for, so get in now!

Recommended if you like:

Fun witty light cozy mysteries
Stories set in Australia
A wonderful middle-age woman who isn’t perfect nor beautiful nor kick-arse

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't ask me what's going on. NEFARIOUS DOINGS, the first book in the Nell Forrest series released in digital format by Momentum Books, is the sort of accidental female PI thing that I seem to have been reading lately. The only reason I can come up with is that the ones I have stuck with have been very good.

Perhaps it's because Nell might be a bit put upon (honestly why can't anybody else in that household throw together regular meals...) but she's not daft. She might be a bit ditzy but she's not stupid, and even though she's more of a stumbler upon the truth than the world's best investigator, there's a lot to like about this book, and this cast of characters.

Perhaps it's because it is a realistic cast of characters, particularly when you put them all in a smallish country town. Even the establishment of the town of Majic is a nice little cul-de-sac. The setting isn't really the point however, and the concentration on this book is very much on the cast of characters. Nell, a bunch of daughters, her sister and mother, this is a female dominated world, albeit with the occasional bloke thrown in for a bit of colour. Mercifully this is a cast of females who aren't all saccharine sweet with each other, or backstabbing every step of the way. Sure there's the occasional bit of snipping but that's the very least you'd expect, and there is .. well let's call it a heightened sense of theatricality about much the family and their cohorts. Never quite tipping over into annoying, the chaos made sense, providing a general feeling of an activity and plot whirlwind, that led to exactly the sort of resolution you'd expect. Even the slight dose of fem-jep made sense given the "prod and poke until somebody loses their cool" style of investigation.

No surprises that this is the sort of series that's going to appeal to cozy style mystery readers who are looking for something that's funny, and as light-hearted as you can get when it comes to crime fiction. Fans of this style of book won't be disappointed by this local offering.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this freebie! It's great to read Australian authors writing books set in Australia, and this was a great one!

Nell Forrest is a newly-single mother of five living in the small Australian town of Majic. All but one of the kids is an adult, yet they all spend a large amount of time at home and are still a bit part of Nell's life. Nell is a somewhat-failed author who writes a weekly newspaper column. Life is small and simple until her mother's next-door-neighbour is found murdered in her mothers burn out garage. This mystery engulfs the town, in particular Nell, who decides it up to her to solve the mystery.

This story line was great, with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the final reveal, and even then it kept me hooked until the last page. Nell was a great character, as were her mother, and all the kids. They were each different, yet you could clearly see they were all related.

I only really have two negatives. Firstly, I got the impression from the start that Nell's husband had died, as she spent a lot of time talking about grief and loneliness, however he'd actually been cheating on her for some time and had finally run off with one of those women. I think this could have been handled a little better early on. I also didn't feel any chemistry between Nell and the detective, Ashley. By the end it was there, but most of their 'flirtatious' conversations actually felt awkward to me.

But otherwise a great read, I look forward to the next one!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost didn't pick this up when I saw the setting was in Majic, Australia. I figured it was paranormal or something. Lucky I read a little of it because I would otherwise have missed a cute story.

Single mom Nell, recovering from a long marriage to a philanderer, has five daughters (but only the thirteen-year-old one is still at home, thank goodness).

Then the next youngest, who's been away at school, shows up chirpily announcing she's rethinking her life (she's been tossed out of school). About the same time, her irritating mother's house burns. And firemen find the body of a belligerent neighbor in the garage. Of course, Nell has to let her mother move in with her, but she doesn't want to: her mother's not easy to get along with.

Then Nell's mother becomes a suspect since she and the dead neighbor were always at odds. And Nell does a little investigating on her own, despite the attempts by a nice policeman to keep her out of the loop.

Nell won't listen. She looks into the Richard III society and its members' alibis. Seems she stole a lapel pin the society handed out from the corpse's hair and is sure its owner is the murderer.

Another murder and some almost murders occur before we find out whodunnit.

This is the kind of cozy I like, with humorous overtones and weird people.

This is a nice cozy, fun to read.

[Randee Baty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of a fun new mystery series! This easy to read mystery has likeable characters, an intriguing mystery, a little romance and something a lot of mysteries don't have, a family life for the sleuth.

Nell is a single mom with 5 daughters ranging from out on their own down to 13. She's a journalist writing a column for her local paper when her mother's house is burned down and a dead body is found in the garage. Her mother, an very opinionated bookstore owner, needs to move in with her while her house is unlivable. Solving the mystery seems the best way to keep her mother from being the prime suspect in the murder and getting her out of Nell's house!

We get a good feel for the citizens and interactions in Nell's small town in Australia. The family dynamic, while comic at times, also has a authentic feel to it. I could imagine my kids and my siblings interacting in very similar ways. That feeling of a real family is something that's missing in a lot of mysteries and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll be ready for more adventures of Nell Forrest!

I was given the opportunity to read this through NetGalley and I appreciate the author and publisher for letting me do so.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Australian cozy mystery focuses on Nell Forest - mother of five, columnist for a small town paper and recently humiliatingly abandoned by her husband. First, daughter Lucy moves home, announces that she has dropped out of uni and starts working for Nell's difficult mother. Next, Nell's mother's home actually burns down and a dead body is found in the garage.

In self-defence, Nell starts looking into the death in an attempt both to clear her mother of murder and to get her back into her own place ASAP. But then there is another death and in a small town it's easy to become the focus of the killer.

I enjoyed this book as much for the laughs as for the mystery. There were a few cliched situations and stereotypical blonde moments for Nell that I found a bit irritating but I will definitely want to read more of this series.

Recommended.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in a fun cozy mystery series, Nefarious Doings introduces the reader to the small Australian town of Majic and local column writer and mother of five daughters Nell Forrest. When murder strikes in Majic and Nell's own mother is one of the suspects, she and her chaotic but lovable family can't help but promptly turn into an entire squad of hobby sleuths... A quick and entertaining read.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent job! It perhaps has a little more colorful language than most cozies, but the characters are delightful. Nell Forrest, her five outspoken daughters, her VERY outspoken mother and her sister keep things hopping. The setting is Australia, and each chapter begins with an excerpt from an email received in response to Nell's weekly columns, giving a little more insight into the main character and her readers. The town of Majic, with its Christmas decorations (often humorously vandalized), the Richard III society, and the neighbors all make this a fun read. Evans is an excellent writer.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I'd read by Ilsa Evans and it won't be the last. Brilliant dialogue - very real and believable characters, reactions and interactions. I could easily see it as a TV series, set as it is in regional Victoria. There were plenty of humorous moments that drew an identifying smile, but there were also not so pleasant moments, but the book never became depressing or heavy-going. The plot was very well thought through to the end and I was still unsure as to "who did it" until that person stepped forward. Bring on Book #2!

[JG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, entertaining read, well written and with great characters. It has a quiet charm that pulls you right in. Nell Forrest has that dry wit but strong willed character told in a very humorous almost lighthearted manner. The mystery/suspense part is well done as well. Looking forward to the next one.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was well written, the characters entertaining, and the mystery kept me guessing. What I didn't care for, and couldn't see the need for, was the four-letter expletive the mother and grandmother used in front of the kids. Even though several of them were grown ups, I still thought it was unnecessary in a cozy.

[Lynda Birch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. It is entertaining and well-written. The author has a great sense of humour. This is my idea of a cozy mystery.
For a full review see my blog
http://birch-bark.blogspot.ca/

[karen l ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book

I found this book so enjoyable. The author has a very sharp wit. I found myself hysterical with her humor and had tears with the seriousness. I will definitely read another of her books soon.

[Dina_s · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is supposed to be a "cozy" mystery. Whatever that means. Cozy or not, it was a quick, uncomplicated, and most importantly, well written read with a relatable lead, a few good chuckles here and there and a suitably silly mystery to solve with an equally ridiculous reveal.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - it had me laughing out loud and wishing I could read Nell Forrest's columns. Or meet her for a coffee at the bookshop cafe.
I would write more, but I have a curious need to go and find some pencils :-)

[Belinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing book by an otherwise entertaining author.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a four and a half star book for me. Dry wit and a good story. Kept me turning pages. I will read more by this author.

[Robbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable light mystery. Good character development; loved the dry humor. I rated this one 4.4 stars.