May Morrigans mysteriöse Morde: Eine Buchhändlerin greift durch

The Most Unusual Mysteries #1

by Katherine Black, Dietmar Schmidt (translator)

May Morrigan, Bibliothekarin a. D., trägt bevorzugt Perlenkette und Pastell, ihr Herzensort ist ihre imposante Buchhandlung. Die alte Dame lebt in einem englischen Landidyll vor den Toren Londons, gemeinsam mit ihren beiden Dackeln und ihrem alten Studienfreund Fletcher. Ein beschauliches Leben - wäre da nicht Mays Hang, unliebsame Menschen aus dem Verkehr zu ziehen. Wer die Gemeinschaft stört, wird kurzerhand eliminiert. Als ein junges Mädchen aus dem Dorf verschwindet, ist ihr krimineller Ehrgeiz Endlich scheint May einen würdigen Gegner gefunden zu haben. Wer steckt hinter der Entführung? Gab es weitere Fälle? Und kann sie den Täter noch vor der Polizei zur Strecke bringen ..?

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, Thriller, Dogs

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2023

Reviews

[Cristy Villemaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most unusual demise was the perfect mix of humor, quirkiness, and coziness I've ever read. It has so many incredible and unique characters. Especially our intrepid main protagonist, May Morrigan.

I love that right of the bat we get to know May, and I must say she is one of the coolest protagonists I've ever had the pleasure of reading. She is a retired librarian and now owns her very own bookshop in a very upbeat village called Blackheath. She has a shopkeeper named Bastian who makes sure the store runs smoothly. May also live with her best old friend Fletcher and her two adorable mini dachshunds named Bess and George. Together, they are the perfect foursome.

Unfortunately, some of the villagers end up deceased in a very unconventional way. They'll have to team up with a local reporter named Daniel Fox. Let me tell you, this story was so unique and funny that I will absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves a cozy mystery with a lot of heart.

[Steph Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author, Bloodhound Books and Kelly Lacey of Love Books Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

I love love love this book!

I’m not sure what I expected – just another cosy mystery with elderly sleuths and doggie sidekicks? – but I was blown away by the cleverness and humour the author brought to the genre and fell in love with all of the characters, main and side, naughty and nice. I actually stayed up all night reading this and then when I finally did get some sleep the next day, May and Fletcher infiltrated my dreams!

There is more than one mystery to get your teeth into in the story. There are a spate of local deaths, some missing girls and a reclusive erotic author, and then nearly every character we encounter along the way has a hidden secret or two. Including a unique story hook which I absolutely adored and would love to rave about, but can’t without spoiling it!

The story is packed with little touches of wit and humour and provides some very clever twists and surprises (some I guessed, but most caught me out), but it really is the characters that steal the show in this book. Not only did May and Fletcher bewitch me, but Bastian, Danny, Suzy and Chloe, Sparks… the list just goes on and on. And this is the only mystery I have read where most of the ‘bad guys’ are as likable as the ‘good guys’, even after their major crimes or minor peccadilloes are revealed.

I recommend this to cosy mystery and humour fans looking for a crossover that brings something fresh and fun to the genre, and will be adding this whole series (well, I’m hoping that this is book 1in a very long-running series!) to my personal ‘keep’ shelf.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this as an ARC from Bloodhound Books and it was such an entertaining read! Not what I expected from the blurb - it's not a traditional cozy. There's something in May that reminds me of a childhood friend who always pushes the envelop. You love her even if, and, honestly, sometimes because of what she does that you would never do. It did start a little slow, but soon I was compelled to drop everything and keep reading. The characters were great, and I'd love to read more about their adventures if this became a series.

[Dana K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, this one bills itself as a cozy mystery, but it is the most unique cozy I've ever read. If you are a fan of complex, unusual, morally grey characters... don't sleep on this one. Everyone in it is witty and living their best lives. Who doesn't want to solve the mystery of missing girls while you're retired and running your own bookstore? May is a great protagonist that will really throw you for a loop. Fletcher, her bestie / roomie, is the perfect side kick and the two of them are so entertaining. 

I did figure out the baddie quite early, but truthfully that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. I was entertained on every page. My only criticism is that I wanted more canine capers since the four-legged friends are on the cover!

Thanks to Love Book Tours for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trigger warning. A main character kills a cat in chapter 13

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I have to thank @LoveBooksTour and @KjBlack71 for having me on this tour!

What an enjoyable cozy mystery read! The story follows May, a retired librarian and bookshop owner, her best friend Fletcher, and her two dogs. It's situated in an English village with all of these quirky individuals. The audiobook was fantastic! The narrator's accent set a perfect tone for this book. He brought this story to life with the vivid descriptions. He also did a wonderful job narrating all of the characters. The story included many unexpected turns! I'm looking forward to reading the next book, A Most Malicious Messenger.

✨🕵️‍♀️ Blurb 🔎✨

A well-read old dear has an unhealthy interest in murder in this sharp, witty and refreshingly original cozy crime novel.
Retired librarian and bookshop owner May Morrigan lives in the affluent village of Blackheath with Fletcher, her best friend since they met decades ago, and May’s two dogs. What could be more normal? But May is not your average little old lady . . .

After an unpleasant church volunteer and an annoying local butcher meet their untimely ends, Fletcher and May team up to do some sleuthing. Soon, the elderly pair start working with a young journalist to investigate the case of a missing girl and its possible link to previous unsolved crimes. May finds this new project quite intriguing. She’s never met a murderer before—and now she just may get the chance, if they play their cards right . . 

[Aurora Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in a long time. This is no ordinary cozy murder mystery

May and her gay bff Fletcher live in a village within London. May owns a bookstore and Bastian, a dwarf with a high sex drive manages it. There’s a few odd deaths and murders but when teenage Jessica goes missing, May and her quirky friends team up to find her

It’s strange when a cozy mystery talks about wanking (masturbation). But then very little in this book is traditional. It took me a minute to go with it, but the May/Flethcer sex scene made me laugh and I didn’t stop #daviejones

Love the diverse representation - a dwarf, gays, gamers, Supernatural fans - it feels so out of place in this old fashioned setting, I loved the juxtaposition

I often find male narrators sound camp when they do female characters but this audiobook narrator was excellent. Smut author Barbara has got to be the funniest!

As the first book in the series, this is definitely a character driven story, but there’s plenty of death and the pace is fast

If you enjoy Louise Penny, Richard Osman but crave a little naughtiness, this is the book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books Audio for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

[Cheryl Landmark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, not quite sure what to think of this one! It definitely is not the typical, traditional cozy mystery that I was anticipating. Lots of unexpected and rather startling moments, which are not necessarily bad but kind of come out of the blue. May and Fletcher are very unique characters, to say the least!

[Nancy Muldoon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Neither cozy nor amusing.

Not why I read books of the cozy genre. Perhaps many will enjoy it, but is not in any way "cozy".

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Most Unusual Demise by Katherine Black.
Retired librarian and bookshop owner May Morrigan lives in the affluent village of Blackheath with Fletcher, her best friend since they met decades ago, and May’s two dogs. What could be more normal? But May is not your average little old lady . . .
An enjoyable read. Great story. 4*

[Susan Riston · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually didn’t finish this book and I never read any further than a few chapters. Right away the “f” word hit me and then the homosexuals in the story just ruined it for me. It’s just not my kind of reading material.

[Ashlyn Hardie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in a 4 book series. Loved the reference to my neighbourhood. Lots of characters to keep track of, assume the character development will come throughout the series.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

May Morrigan is a retired librarian and still has a healthy interest in reading books. Hence why she bought a bookshop and employs Bastian to work there and he’s always on the lookout for books for her. May lives with Fletcher who she has known for years since university days and her two dogs.

May helps out down the church and it’s at one of the planning meetings that one of the other church volunteers has a heart attack. May didn’t like her and was sitting next to her at the time she collapsed. They had just got a new butcher in Blackheath and Fletcher was rather taken with him till one day he mistakenly took the dogs into the butchers shop and Lee told him to get the dogs out of his shop. Then he spoke quite derogatorily about Fletcher not realising there was someone else in the shop. Darcy came out and said she didn’t like his meat anyway and would start using the butcher in Greenwich. A few days later an angry Lee turned up on Fletcher’s door threatening him as he was losing a lot of customers due to their altercation but Fletcher didn’t know what he was talking about. May came along just as Fletcher pushed him away and told him to go. May reiterated it.
That Saturday night, Lee was totally drunk and managed to kill himself with some of his butcher’s equipment.

May and Fletcher decide that some sleuthing may be a better way to spend some of their spare time. There is currently a missing teenager Jessica Sabine. She went missing on 1st January and is only 16. They managed to team up with Danny Fox who had some ideas but he seemed to think it had happened before. Possibly five years and ten years previously, with Charlotte Goretti and Lucy Metz from his school year. May enjoyed doing research and was happy to look into them and she arranged to see him at hers later. Suzy was invited too and he could talk to them about mashman too.

Could all three disappearances be connected? Why had no one else spotted that link? Who could be behind them all? Will they be able to crack it and catch them?

This was a great debut. It was funny with some laugh out loud moments. I loved the plot and the writing style was easy to read. It was very descriptive and I actually felt like I was living the scene’s in my head as I was reading them. I loved May’s character, she had done so much in her life and now she was going to start living again..

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

May Morrigan, 69, has been best friends with Dr Fletcher Redmond for fifty years since their Cambridge university days, and once again they have found themselves housemates in the Morrigan Georgian family home of Greenway in Blackheath village, south of the Thames. After the departure of her husband a year ago, May seems to be returning to her old exuberant self again. She owns the Burgos Books bookshop and leaves the day to day running to manager (Se)Bastian, a flamboyant and enigmatic character. Fletcher himself has another side to him, cross dressing into Barbara Bouvier, a romantic novelist, when she pens her bestsellers. A teenage girl, Jessica Sabine, has gone missing and Lewisham Mercury journalist Danny Fox is hoping to work on the story. When the job goes to a senior reporter, he decides to pursue it on his own, helped by Suzy from his local café and her younger sister Chloe, a schoolfriend of the missing girl. Before he can really get stuck in, he finds himself reporting on the grisly murder of a local butcher who had upset Fletcher and May, the second local death recently. Strange how those who upset May don’t seem to stay alive too long. Soon Fletcher and May team up with Danny, Suzy and Bastian for a bit of sleuthing and agree it can’t be coincidence that two other similar girls from the same school disappeared on the same night over a ten-year period. It looks like time may be running out for Jessica.
Is there such a thing as “dark cosy” as this book certainly fits that bill! Not cosy in a traditional sense as the rather deceptive cover and blurb would suggest but hugely entertaining with a whole host of vibrant and rather delicious characters. Right from the start there are hints about May’s more sinister side, from the knife concealed in her sleeve to her manipulation of her annoying neighbour’s central heating system. It’s a highly engrossing and absorbing read as the focus shifts from one suspect to another with the red herrings coming thick and fast. Wickedly funny with a cracking ending, I do hope there will be more to come from May and Fletcher. 5*

[Kristel Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent a copy of this audiobook for review.

You don’t only get one murder mystery in this story you get two and a missing person’s case. There have been deaths in the village of Blackheath that seem just too convenient to be accidental which gets the notice of the more decerning members of the town such as May Morrigan, single bookstore owner/dog lover and her best friend Fletcher who start to investigate. Then when a 16-year-old girl goes missing, a journalist called Danny enlists their help to look into that case because he is convinced it has a connection to two older crimes. That’s plenty to be getting on with but a lot of people in Blackheath are keeping secrets and even the most innocent seeming person could be the killer.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story. It had plenty of intrigue, thrilling moments, and surprising reveals. May and Fletcher are two brilliant characters. Their personalities are full of vitality, mischief, and sarcastic humour. They have been around the block, have settled into a “quieter” life as they got older, yet their lives are far from boring. Both are hiding parts of themselves from the world but once they finally share those secrets with each other I felt their friendship only deepened. May in particular was a joy to listen to. She had some strange views on how to deal with difficult situations and troublesome people, but you certainly were not left wondering what her motivations were.

There was a darker side to the story which was the missing girl and how her disappearance connected to two old cases – one a murder and the other a missing person. That side of the plot was more sinister and oppressive once the details of the first connected case is laid out because your fear increases for the current victim. I liked how that part of the story was developed especially the aspects of the cases such as dates and attributes of the crimes, the motivations of the killer/kidnapper and how it was ultimately resolved by the end.

Overall, an interesting, often funny, and brilliantly unexpected murder mystery that leaves me excited for book 2.

[Yvette Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Most Unusual Demise by Katherine Black is book one in The Most Unusual Mysteries. If you like unmissable, humorous, dark humor, cozy crime mysteries then you will love this book.

May Morrigan is a retired librarian and owner of the local bookshop in the village of Blackheath. She lives with her best friend Fletcher and her two adorable dogs. A local teen goes missing around New Year’s, while several villagers meet their untimely demise around the same time, so May and Fletcher decided they are going to investigate. They believe the missing teen and another crime are linked in some way, so they are on a mission and taking matters into their owns hands. The cops aren’t taking them seriously, so they decide to team up with a local news reporter to solve this case themselves.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much Katherine did such an amazing job with the story. I thought the storyline and plot were good although I wouldn’t call it a “cozy” mystery. I didn’t want to stop listening to the audio there were so many twists and turns, lots of secrets, made me laugh, and I thought I had the mystery solved, turns out I was wrong. It did start off kinda slow but that didn’t last long because it picked up quickly. I thought Jonathan Keeble did a great job with the narration. I overall enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book 2 in the series. Thank you to NetGalley, Love Book Tours, Bloodhound Books Audio, and Katherine Black for letting me listen to this audio in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we just take a little time to appreciate this absolutely stunning cover!!
Sausage doggies!!! 🐾💕
It really stood out to me and I would have been more than happy to just own this book and look at it!
What makes this even better, is that it is totally my favourite genre.

There are murders, missing persons, intriguing characters, tons of mystery and a huge dollop of fun!

I loved meeting our characters over the first few chapters - each with their own quirks and all jumping off the page at me.

We're introduced to what seems to be your idyllic little village. A nice friendly neighbourhood with their cute village shops and active church community.

I was just settling down to what promised to be cute little cosy mystery when BAM! Right at the end of chapter 1 we're thrown our first twist! An absolute shocker and one that had me completely hooked!

I can't say any more about the plot as hate sharing spoilers - but suffice to say that all is never as it seems and you will not be disappointed!

The development throughout was just perfect. We follow each character over different chapters and are fed little snippets to put together and build our theories, but I still was shocked a few times.

This was just brilliant. Well written, great characters and totally addictive. I really hope that this becomes the start of a series and we will see the return of May and Fletcher soon....

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎉BOOK TOUR STOP ALERT 🎉

An Most Unusual Demise by Katherine Black

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @lovebookstours for my gifted copy.

My thoughts: wow! I couldn’t put this book down! I loved May and Fletcher so much that I could see them in my mind sleuthing and helping the police solve a girl’s disappearance. It was witty, so much fun and an a notable cozy mystery.
I highly recommend! Go pick it up today!

Blurb 

A well-read old dear has an unhealthy interest in murder . . .
Retired librarian and bookshop owner, May Morrigan lives in the affluent village of Blackheath with Fletcher, her oldest and dearest friend, and May's two dogs. What could be more normal? But May is not your average little old lady . . .
After an unpleasant church volunteer and an annoying local butcher meet their untimely ends, Fletcher and May team up to do some sleuthing. Soon, the elderly pair start working with a young journalist to investigate the case of a missing girl and its possible link to previous unsolved crimes. May finds this new project quite intriguing. She’s never met a murderer before—and now she just may get the chance, if they play their cards right ...

#booktour #ad #lovebookstours #lbtcrew

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Most Unusual Demise is the first book in The Most Unusual Mysteries series. This twisty cozy mystery is set in an English village where the FMC is a retired librarian and bookstore owner. It is told from multiple POVs and most chapters end on a cliffhanger keeping you in suspense and wanting to read more. It has the most unusual, quirky, relatable, diverse cast of characters that worked so well together and were just fabulous. Each character brought their own unique set of skills and dark humor to the group. This story takes the phrase “Respect your elders” and takes it to a whole new level!

The British narrator, Jonathan Keeble, did an incredible job at giving every character their own unique voice. His accent and tone really helped set the mysterious mood. I really enjoyed listening to the story and the narrator’s voice, but I also followed along on my Kindle because there were a few times I wasn’t able to figure out what was happening in the story by just listening to the audiobook. I don’t think this was due to the author nor the narrator, more due to me not being familiar with some of the UK wording used. Needless to say, I learned a few new words that are used in the UK that aren’t used in the US and some words that mean something completely different.

[Sina Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

The slightly different crime book 😁!

So one thing is clear - it's better not to anger May Morrigan!

Former librarian May isn’t an usual older lady 👵🏽 - in fact she is a serial killer 🔪. Anyone who annoys her or harms the village community is killed.

The book begins with 2 different storylines - on the one hand we follow May as she lives her everyday life; on the other hand, the journalist Danny, who is trying to solve a series of unsolved murders of young women.

At first it bothered me a bit that we weren't just following May & the "exciting" plot took place somewhere else. However, these two storylines have gradually connected.
The result was a great story with a mixed & interesting group of characters 🥰!

Despite the partly “older” characters, the book is written young & May & her best friend Fletcher also seem to be young at heart. So the book is by no means old or stiff.

The actual murder case is incredibly interesting! I haven't had such an interesting case for a long time - I think some of it even had thriller aspects 👀.

The ending was well written - as nerve-wracking as it was exciting. Simply great ☺️.

The last few pages provided a small cliffhanger that hints at a next book. And I‘d be absolutely ready for that 🙌🏻!

[Book_and_tea_magic · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 stars⭐) Nice, cosy little murder mystery read, the type one might read on a rainy day stuck indoors with a nice hot cup of tea 😊 the only reason I gave it 4.5 stars was because I would get mixed up on who was talking and what stage of the investigation they were on, one chapter it was May and Fletcher, next chapter it was Fox, Suzy, Chloe and Bastien (by the way I love that you added him but didn't make a big song and dance about it like look at me look at me I've been inclusive, you stated that he had a condition and that was it it didn't define his character, it was his wit, humour, intelligence) but other than that it was a great read, I did get mixed up on Barb and Fletcher I thought I had missed something when it was revealed they were one of the same was a nice representation, I like how it didn't mess about it threw you into the deep end and didn't go over the top with May's revelation was a nice little shock to the system just goes to show that little old ladies can be more than what they seem, I liked how it ended I cannot wait to see if Katherine Black gives us a second installment😊 I'd love to read about all of them again

[Lee-Anne Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun mystery debut this was! [Warning: if you are the type to blanche at bad language, this may not be the best book for you!] I will certainly look forward to reading more of May's antics. Although it's set in Blackheath, it retains the village story feel, with a well drawn cast of entertaining characters that you'll soon fall in love with, May, the chief protagonist who owns the bookshop, and the insatiable Bastian who runs it for her, Fletcher, her gay retired professor house mate, Danny Fox, the bright and eager young journalist, and Suzy from the cafe, his burgeoning love interest, for starters! A young girl goes missing, and there are a spate of deaths in the village. May and Danny are convinced the missing girls are connected to two previous cases, each 5 years apart, and their investigations lead them back and forth to a spine tingling denouement that I thoroughly enjoyed. May's character is intriguing and really gets you thinking, as Danny would have it, of the WHYs and HOWs of crime, punishment, and justice, and whether the latter two are - or even should be - the same thing.

[Prerana Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-read old dear has an unhealthy interest in murder . . .

Retired librarian and bookshop owner, May Morrigan lives in the affluent village of Blackheath with Fletcher, her oldest and dearest friend, and May's two dogs. What could be more normal? But May is not your average little old lady . . .

After an unpleasant church volunteer and an annoying local butcher meet their untimely ends, Fletcher and May team up to do some sleuthing. Soon, the elderly pair start working with a young journalist to investigate the case of a missing girl and its possible link to previous unsolved crimes. May finds this new project quite intriguing. She’s never met a murderer before—and now she just may get the chance, if they play their cards right ...

It is such a cute cover absolutely loved it. There are so many dog species mentioned in the book which were new to me. The book is gripping and very intriguing. Characters are strong but too many I think so I had to remember and re read at times. 🦴

If you could have a pet dog what breed would it be?
I love a cockapoo

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the hilariously naughty cozy murder mystery I needed after a slate of heavier reads. Katherine Black’s A Most Unusual Demise takes readers on a romp through the English countryside where an elderly, but not old thank you, May Morrigan, a retired librarian turned bookshop owner; resides with her longtime friend and two dogs in a gorgeous home with an awe-inspiring two-story personal library. May is not your typical retiree and we get to follow along as old secrets are revealed, karma is helped along, and hijinks are had, while she navigates a potential abduction because she was getting a touch bored with her routine.

I laughed out loud multiple times and immediately bought the second book in this new series afterward because I was not ready to leave these characters behind. If you also loved the hilarious but oh so bad octogenarian Maud from Helen Tursten’s An Elderly Lady series then I think you will also love May Morrigan and encourage you to add this one to your TBR.

Novel: A Most Unusual Demise
Author: Katherine Black
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (four stars)

[Roz Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a darkly humorous, cosey mystery with a twist! I loved the sharp wit of May and comedy of Fletcher, and their characters are just so loveable. May is one of those people who thinks outside the box, and she isn't afraid to speak her mind. She is a nonsense lady and a loyal friend. I could use some entertaining friends like these.

The writing is intelligent, witty, and very British. The plot was engaging, and I finished this quickly as i found it captivating. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jonathan Keeble. He is excellent at portraying all the different characters and their antics. I think I could listen to him read a textbook and find it entertaining! 

I loved that this was a cosey mystery but done differently. It felt refreshing, and I'd love to see a tv adaptation of May and Fletcher. I will definitely keep up with the series as I want to see what they get up to next!

With thanks to Love Book Tours and the author for providing a copy of this book. This is my honest review, which I'm leaving voluntarily.

[Liz T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old university friends in their late 60's, May and Fletcher live together in May's old family home. May is keeping quite a few secrets from Fletcher whose alter ego Barb writes very colourful romantic books. Very few people are aware that Fletcher and Barb are one and the same person.
May is a retired librarian an owns a bookshop in Blackheath run by Bastian another interesting character.
When a local church busybody and the butcher both die, the butcher in particularly strange circumstances both deaths appear to be accepted as natural causes and misadventure.
When a local girl goes missing May and Fletcher team up with the young local reporter, Fox and his friend Suzy and her sister Chloe to try and find her and it seems that her disappearance may be linked to other old unsolved cases.
Although not entirely believable in parts, A Most Unusual Demise was never dull and kept me entertained throughout. Thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for an ARC.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

May, recently divorced, lives with her best friend, Fletcher, in her old family home in Lewisham. She owns a book shop but has retired, leaving it in the capable hands of Bastian.

Danny Fox is a reporter for the local newspaper. He mostly covers book launches and fetes but longs to cover the more serious stories.

When a girl goes missing from the local high school, May & Fletcher decide to help Danny in his investigation.

Along the way, we get some revelations about our lead characters, some unexpected romance and a few twists and turns in the underlying mystery being solved.

It is a light hearted, cosy mystery and the characters are very likeable. I did enjoy reading the book but didn’t feel compelled to keep reading until quite near the end. I was left wanting more: the underlying missing girl story had so much potential but was never fully explored.

If you’re after a light read & a bit of fun sleuthing then you’ll probably enjoy this book.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and the general set up (a retired librarian decides to become a serial killer to deal with nasty people.) In this case she is pursuing another serial killer who abducts and kills young women. The mystery is a bit extraneous to the characters and setting.

The downside is that there are any number of these books appearing. Apparently they are fantasy material for the elderly. May, the protagonist, rides a Triumph motorcycle, an elderly Land Rover Defender (complete with snorkel for river crossings), and despatches nasty people with great glee. This is a bit like all the other do-gooding assassins out there a la Jack Reacher (an overdone genre in my opinion.) However the lighter touch makes it more interesting.

It is a very light read, and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a read. A cozy mystery but not as you know it....

May and her best friend Fletcher reside in May's home and get involved with reporter Danny Fox in investigating the disappearance of a local teenager. I really liked the characters of May and Fletcher and especially May and her special brand of justice. Suspend your disbelief and just sit back and enjoy this thoroughly engaging and quirky mystery. I found I couldn't stop reading it once I started and was happy it was a weekend and there was no work to get in the way.

There is plenty of scope for further development of these characters and I really hope this develops into a series. I'd definitely read lots more.

My thanks to Bloodhound Books for an advance copy of this and this is my honest review.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this great mystery story. This is a newer author for me which I enjoyed and look forward to seeing what is next for her. This is a well developed story about a missing person, past unsolved cases and what happens when two elderly couple up to find the person behind it all. I enjoyed how the author used details to pull me into the story. Her characters made the story come to life and kept it engaging throughout. They are strong, creative characters that added so much to the story. This is a fast paced story that is hard to put down. There is great growth of the characters as well as the plot throughout which made the story easy to read. I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it.