Herbal Homicide

A Penny Hawthorne Cozy Mystery #1

by Fiona Grace

“A great story of murder, romance, new beginnings, love, friendships and a wonderful cascade of mystery.”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

HERBAL A PENNY HAWTHORNE COZY MYSTERY (BOOK #1) is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Fiona Grace, #1 bestselling author of Murder in the Manor, which has over 10,000 five star reviews!

Penelope “Penny” Hawthorne, an herbalist with a knack for creating unique teas, travels to exotic locations worldwide to source only the best and rarest herbs and roots.

But during a trip to the breathtaking Swiss Alps, Penny’s rare aconite tea brews up more than relaxation when a famed alpinist's death makes her a prime suspect.

As she sifts through clues and uncovers bitter rivalries, Penny must steep herself in the art of deduction to clear her name and unmask a killer, with the unexpected help of a dashing British detective.

Dive into the charm of the Penny Hawthorne series, a cozy mystery filled with clever humor and captivating quirkiness that transports you to far-flung locales. Combining comedic elements with emotional depth and surprising twists, this series promises to introduce you to a delightful new hero who's set to capture your affection and captivate you well into the night.

Future books in the series are also available!

"Very entertaining. I highly recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that appreciates a very well written mystery, with some twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend!"
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Murder in the Manor)
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“The story line wasn't just a who done it, but had a story about her life and romance, including village life. Very entertaining.”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It has endearing and sometimes quirky characters, a plot that keeps you reading and the right amount of romance. I can’t wait to start book two!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“What a great story of murder, romance, new beginnings, love, friendships and a wonderful cascade of mystery.”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This is a clean contemporary romance that you will find hard to put down!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Always, Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A bit of romance and a very determined woman! I have read many of Fiona Grace's novels and loved every one of them—this was no exception. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this new series!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Always, With You)
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Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Audiobook

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2024

About the author

Debut author Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series which includes MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book #1), DEATH AND A DOG (Book #2) and CRIME IN THE CAFE (Book #3). Fiona would love to hear from you, so please visit www.fionagraceauthor.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Anne Winch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few too many tea references.

[NorthCaroMe]

I really enjoy Fiona Grace's cozy mysteries, but she switched from real voice actors to synthesized voice for this series, and it is truly painful at points. It makes me think AI could probably do a better job of writing cozy mysteries than it does of narrating them, and it's a shame that she didn't keep the voice actors who have narrated her previous series.

In terms of writing, the tea obsession sort of fits in with the cozy mystery trope - the author is trying so hard to make a quirky character that they come off as having an obsessive disorder, but the character is still kind of fun.

But the narration isn't fun. There are minor problems throughout; tone and inflections are always a bit flat, and the "character voice" is wrong in a few places, for example using the heroine's voice for things that are said by male characters and vice versa.
But there are also lots of errors. In the climatic scene where the heroine is rescued, I think the text reads "Lucas, I gasped, relief flooding through me. His timing was impeccable, his entrance dramatic." But it is narrated with all sorts of extra syllables, mangled emphasis, muddled pronunciation:
"Luke ass, I gas ped, relief fluting through me. His tim ming was impeccable, his entrance drama tick."

I mostly listen to audiobooks while driving, and I'm disappointed the publisher is producing works with such poor production values. I've listened to all of the Lacey Doyle, Dubious Witch, an Tuscan Vineyard books, but I won't be buying any more with these synthesized voices.

[Amie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this one wasn't my cup of tea ... pun intended. But that'll be my only joke, because after reading just half of this book, I am punned-out.
I have read and enjoyed several other books by Fiona Grace, but this one just wasn't up to par. The writing itself wasn't as, well, good, if I'm being honest. The story moved way too quickly, with a lack of information in some areas but way too much detail in others. And, as previously mentioned, the puns were over the top. I love a good play on words, but this was too much.
I tried, I really did. I considered putting it down much earlier than I did, but it's a fairly short book, so I forced myself to keep going. By the time I reached the midpoint, though, I just couldn't do it. Perhaps others enjoyed the book and didn't have a problem with the things I've mentioned, but for me ... I'll just stick with the other ranges of Fiona Grace books.

[Christine Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many tea puns

A good read but the constant tea puns diminished my enjoyment. Other Fiona Grace stories flow better and seem less disjointed.

[Lise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A phone call from a toney hotel has Penelope “Penny” Hawthorne journeying to the Swiss Alps to create an exclusive tea blend for them. Penny determines the deadly aconite plant will give the new tea a signature flavour. When a beloved mountain guide dies from aconite poisoning, Penny must clear her name and find the true villain.

3.5 Stars
While the plot is interesting, it is weighed down with wordiness. Much of the story suffered due to the multitude of adjectives and unnecessary tea puns, similes and metaphors. The dialogue between Penny and her love interest was sugary sweet, and our heroine nearly broke her arm several times while patting herself on the back. I wasn't a fan.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review on herbal homicide

The book was entertaining but I really did not enjoy All of the talking or comparing of the making tea A long with this story line I'm sure other people will feel it was a great book

[Melissa Tischer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first few Fiona Grace books I read were pretty good. However, these last two books I’ve read by her have non-stop puns. It’s distracting from the story. Nobody talks like that and therefore makes the character someone you cannot relate to.
Also, the audio version I had was read by what sounded like a text-to-speech program. There were so many mispronounced words and mistaken words.
“Leafy sleuthing”
“Brewing up a case” etc.

[Katherine Warden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too many tea puns. Over used similes pretty much throughout the whole book. A little too cliche too very unrealistic I guess it’s meant to just be a cute wholesome cozy read but really wasn’t a fan.

[Kathy Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many tea puns and overly wordy in my opinion as far as similes and description.

[Linda Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many tea puns

[Kav · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the globe-trotting aspect to this series and the the Swiss Alps was a great place to start. Also loved the idea of a specialty tea shop where they create their own signature brews. And I liked Penny -- she's a bit quirky, fixated on all things tea related which pours (ha, see what I did there) into every aspect of her life. The set up for the murder was good but then...I had issues.

First -- I honestly felt like this wasn't the first book in the series. Not enough back story on our heroine, lots of vague references in her thoughts and by other characters that led me to believe she was a practised hand at mystery solving but that doesn't seem to be the case. Then I thought this must be a spin-off from another series, but I don't think so. There's just a lot of unknowns, and I never felt settled with proper introduction to Penny and her world.

Second - the tea puns! At first I found them witty and charming but they were radically overdone and not just by Penny, but by everyone she meets. Like it's so odd to run a tea shop people can't help themselves but throw steeping and brewing and blending puns into every day conversation. Would have been much more effective and enjoyable to have fewer puns scattered throughout the story.

Third - This book felt overwritten. I've never read so many metaphors and idioms in one story. Again, at first I liked the flow and found the storytelling charming, but honestly, I don't think I'd be exaggerating to say that nearly every paragraph had one or the other. I was listening to the audio edition and maybe that made it more noticeable, but it got to the point where it detracted from what was happening in the story.

Fourth - While this is a mystery, it isn't the kind of mystery where the reader can armchair sleuth along with the heroine. There's not a lot of set up, or introduction to suspects or even much about the victim so there's not a lot to work with.

And Fifth - I listened to the audio edition (free on Chirp right now) which used a synthesized voice -- it was okay, I honestly didn't realize it was at first, though I found the shift in tone 'off' in places. Like a gruffer voice for a man only it's a woman speaking or a high voice when it's a man. It jumbled conversations enough that I had to rethink who was saying what so it became a distraction.

[Ainee Beland · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I like about this reading?
I like Penny Hawthorne’s character; she is independent, and driven and she is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to concocting the right tea brew. She is very knowledgeable about tea and trusting her instincts helped her to solve this Swiss Alps mystery.

I enjoyed the metaphor/simile on tea but they were a tad too much; I should say that Penny is overly cliché; too much in fact when it comes to tea because it came to be a distraction. Yet, it is Penny’s way of existing by having a quote to do with tea or such examples:
With regards to discord and harmony while staying at the Swiss hotel; one of the guests is found dead and seemingly might have been poisoned and Penny is quick to point out: “Someone might have used my tea for their bitter brew of malice.” Penny is one to always have a quick response: “Let’s just say, I’m steeping in uncharted waters” realizing that none were following her retort; Penny relies on her intuition and what she knows of people and tea leaves; in that they aren’t so very different since both reveal a lot when they’re in hot water.”

We come to know of Penny Hawthorne as the tea connoisseur turned detective who solved this mystery twice in fact…realizing that they’d had the wrong person; yet in the end her intuition led us to the killer and so she names herself or likes to think of herself as ‘purveyor of truth’ and her mom adds to her description as well: “my daughter, the intrepid tea leaf whisperer,”

There are some puns not to do with tea or its blending: we have;
Our laughter faded, but the warmth remained, enveloping us like a cozy shawl knitted from shared memories and quiet understanding.

I liked the ending as Penny revels in the quiet afterglow of shared memories and cherished connections. "Here, in my little sanctuary of teas and tales, I was home. And I was exactly where I was meant to be."

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overview: Penny Hawthorne, owner of Penny's Potions, has been given a great opportunity. A luxury ski resort in the Swiss Alps, the Chateau Blanc, is seeking an exclusive tea for the locale. At the tasting, it seems to work, however an unfortunate incident throws suspicions at Penny, and her tea. Who poisoned Stephan? And why are they framing Penny? Let's find out.

Dislikes: This is definitely Penny. She has one heck of a large ego. She thought that she was the cat's meow with both her tea (maybe) and her investigative skills (where?).

Also, why would you risk such a deadly ingredient in any meal or drink? it just takes one slip to kill someone accidently.

Likes: Lucas was willing to do what he could to arrest the correct killer.

Sophie and Penny's parents were quite encouraging. We all need a little cheerleading squad, especially one that will act as a sounding board.

Conclusion: This was a problem of personal tastes. Perhaps you'll have better luck with it. Enjoy the read.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oof. This rating is more because the audio was a problem. It’s a cozy mystery with some cheesy puns and predictable situations. And I am excepting of that. I actually think the author did a good job bringing more depth than shallowness to some of the characters.

My issue is that it was an AI read book and mispronunciations of often used words was so distracting. The name Nickolas was pronounced as “Nick Claus”.
There were other times the “Ed” on past tense verses was pronounced as a separate syllable.

The other thing is that sometimes the “voice” would change modulation in the weirdest way.

If audiobook publishers think this is good idea, they really need to try again.

I listen to a lot of audiobooks because it gives my brain something to do when I’m doing tedious things. I hope we stay with actual human readers instead of AI

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it was a good cozy mystery with a cliffhanger at the end. Penny owns a small cafe where she serves up her own special teas that are said to have different healing properties. She is asked to go to an exclusive resort and create a tea just for them and the high class clients that visit. While embarking on this new adventure though she gets caught up in a homicide investigation. She is determined to clear her name and solve the murder.

The reason for the three stars is because I found at times Penny's character to be a bit obnoxious. I understand her wanting to clear her name but the way she goes about it just annoyed me at times. She taunts suspects and when confronted with the murderer she seems to take pleasure in getting them riled up.

[Bonnie Gleckler Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

One must remember that “adventure is just a cup of tea away. And so it begins… Penny Hawthorne, with unique expertise in the blending of herbs to make tea is contacted by an exclusive hotel in a quaint Village at the foot of the Alpine slopes to contract to come and develop a special blinded tea just for the hotel and it’s guest. In order to make the tea, exclusive, penny enlist the help of a mountain climber guide to go with her up the mountain to find just the right herbs. And there in lies our story… Besides preparing and developing the perfect tea, Penny discovers strength, adventure, and romance.

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun descriptive, cosy mystery
Penny Hawthorne’s tea blending skills take her to the Swiss Alps and with the help of a very dangerous element of the Swiss Alps, she creates a lovely new tea brew. Unfortunately that also happens to be the weapon of murder.
Fun cosy simple mystery with plenty of tea brewing reference and a slight hint of romance with a dashing Interpol detective.
I heard the audio story and it was very well performed.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story itself is a good one, make no mistake of that, but the extraneous alliteration was a bit much and takes away from the "meat" of the story. The characters are all believable and attractive, the plot is straightforward, and the premise is finding out who killed "Don Juan" of the mountain guides and why, not to mention framing the main character as well. The answers were muddy, but finally found. I still recommend this book.

[John Large · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a cosy crime book I enjoyed it, although the mystery wasn't very difficult to unravel, I still enjoyed talking the journey alongside the two main character. The only downside was the constant tea puns and references which started to wear out their welcome bet quickly, I was starting to wonder if the author was sponsored by the word "steep" by the end of the book.

That said, it was still a very enjoyable read.

[Karen A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps loading this book with similes and metaphors is meant as a joke. However, while most certainly are clever, they are a distraction. I started counting the number on each page and quickly gave up. Too many to count. I’ll try the second title in the series to see if the content clears up enough for the mystery content to be at least 50-50 part of the text.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a better book if it was not filled with a lot of cliches and desciption of the Alps and the Chateau Blanc. Didn't really need pages of details on the room and the hotel.
Cute that a romance is growing between Penny and Lucas. And then we have the ex-boyfriend who just happens to be at the same place. OK, why?

[Megan Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about 15% in, and I just couldn't do it.
Someone from New England slipping twice in the snow, and the guy from ENGLAND had to steady her?

And she's automatically trusting a random man out in the middle of nowhere. Ugh.

[Eirlys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and a good read.

Entertaining and a good mystery. I liked how Penny used her analytical skills to help find a poisoner in Switzerland. She comes under suspicion when a guide dies after imbibing aconite, but the truth is revealed.

[Susan Spraker · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

Th story had a predictable plot. but I did not guess the murderer. The characters were interesting. I almost didn’t read it because I knew she would be accused and have to clear her name. I am glad I read it as she did figure out the mystery.

[Phyllis Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you like analogies?

Then you'll love this story. While it was interesting I found the overuse of analogies distracting. I also found the authors descriptions of scenes unnecessarily verbose, distracting from the story.

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so well-written. I think it is one of her best. Hard to put down...even for a cuppa. Would definitely recommend.

[Hallie Myers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst cozy mystery I've ever read.

[sidewalk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Foe the love of god, hire an editor!

[Shelby ✝️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

way too many tea puns.

[Christy Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book, tons of tea puns lol