Murder at the Villa

by Betty Cage

A twisted tale trapped in luxury—every clue is a stitch in the mystery.

Tess Harper, a local librarian, has a neat streak and a nose for trouble. She looks forward to a quiet weekend at the lavish Chester Villa to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aubrey's parents, her best friend. Accompanied by her loyal Golden Retriever, Daisy, Tess anticipates a pleasant stay.

But plans unravel quickly.

A storm hits, sealing everyone inside. Then someone finds a gruff accountant strangled in a locked coatroom. Murdered in the villa.

A Shakespeare quote stuffed in his mouth. Tess’s favorite scarf around his neck and the coatroom key clenched in his dead hand.

Everyone’s a suspect.

A thrilling chase to uncover the killer begins.

Trapped in the villa, can Tess and Daisy track down the murderer before he or she strikes again?

Genres: Mystery

54 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Librarian, Tess Harper, is happy to be invited to the anniversary celebration of her best friend’s parents. It will be held at the family’s villa and should be a relaxing weekend. Even her Golden Retriever, Daisy, is invited to the party.

Then, tragedy strikes when the family’s accountant is found dead, strangled with Tess’ very own scarf. A storm hits and there’s no way to leave the villa or to get any help. Tess decides to do a little investigating on her own, well with the help of Daisy, of course. She fears the killer might not be done just yet.

This is a short, old fashioned murder mystery. It’s filled with a few twists and can be read in one sitting. It appears to be a standalone and is well written. It’s fast-paced with an intriguing cast of characters. I’ll have to check out this author to see if there are any other books by her. I do enjoy a quick mysterious caper.

[Cornel Diaconu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this story to be short, thus it wasn't this the reason for my partly dislike of it;
all those italic notes to herself were rather annoying; plus the story itself seems to rather moke old(ish) crime stories from Dashiel Hammet days

[Jeffrey Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is a charming cozy mystery packed with wit, heart, and clever plotting.

Tess Harper, an irreverent librarian with a sharp mind and a loyal Golden Retriever, Daisy, is a likable heroine.

The characters are colourful and memorable.

Cage’s writing style is crisp, humorous, and full of delightful imagery, making the book a genuine pleasure to read.

Tess’s snappy internal monologue gives the narrative warmth and vibrancy, keeping the tone light even as the stakes rise.

The most enjoyable aspect of the book is the balance between humour and suspense.

The storm entrapped villa creates delicious tension, and the cozy, madcap atmosphere never falters.

A small criticism: the repetition of references to Daniel’s attractiveness and a few unnecessary comic beats need removed to maintain a tighter pace for the mystery..

However, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise entertaining read.

[Alice Hazelbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short mystery but a lot of fun to read! Tess Harper and her golden retriever, Daisy, are headed off for a quiet weekend at the lavish Chester Villa to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aubrey's parents, her best friend. What she didn’t expect was to find the family accountant dead in the coat closet! Because of the bad storm, the can’t get a call out to the police, and have to wait out the storm while trying to figure who the murderer is! There are plenty of people visiting to celebrate the anniversary, so lots of possibilities. I loved grandmother Mellie, who may be 90 years old, and may have Alzheimer’s,bis a real hoot - confessing to the murder and making crazy comments to make you laugh!

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tess Harper and her golden, Daisy are invited by her best friend Aubrey to the lavish Chester's Villa to celebrate Aubrey's parent's 30 anniversary. When a storm hits, everyone has to stay inside. That would be fine, except Frank Fairbanks, a disagreeable man, is found in the coat closet murdered with a Shakespeare quote stuffed in his mouth and Tess' scarf wrapped around his neck. So now, Tess must discover a murderer who is definitely closed in the Villa with her. Can she unravel the truth? Can she find a murderer? This is a fast read that you can't put down until the end. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tess and her golden retriever, Daisy, are invited by her best friend Aubrey to spend the weekend at Aubrey’s parents’ villa in celebration of their 30th anniversary. However, the weekend takes a dark turn when the family accountant is found murdered—locked inside a clothes closet from the inside. Tess, Aubrey, and Aubrey’s brother Daniel band together to uncover the murderer.

This quick, cozy mystery felt more like a cartoon episode than reading a suspenseful novel. While I enjoy fast-paced mysteries, the dialogue left much to be desired. I was expecting quirky exclamations like “Zoinks!” from the characters, but the writing simply didn’t deliver. Ultimately, this one wasn’t for me.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this book was so much fun! First off, a murder, a road washed out and everyone’s stranded in the house probably with a killer, the stuff horror movies are made of. And Tess was so funny as the first person narrator. She had a wicked sense of humor and her lines were always spot on, thoughts too, shown in italics lol.

Grandma Mellie reminded me of Fran Fine’s Grandma Yetta down to her description. I loved the showdown and how the goodest dog ever got to help, that was too cool! I’d totally love to read more about these characters. And Tess definitely seemed to be tolerating Daniel a lot more than usual, lol.

[SHARON HALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK FUNNEL APP FREE E-BOOK. I STARTED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 2/25/2025.

MURDER AT THE VILLA - A COMPLETELY CAPTIVATING COZY MURDER MYSTERY - BETTY CAGE - BOOK FUNNEL APP EDITION = 39 PAGES

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS COZY MYSTERY. I LOVED THE CHARACTERS, AND DAISY TESS'S DOG, WHO GALANTLY CAME TO TESS'S RESCUE, AND SAVED THE DAY FOR EVERYONE. THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK THAT I HAVE READ BY THIS AUTHOR. I WILL DEFINITELY READ MORE WORKS BY HER IN THE FUTURE. I FINISHED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 2/27/2025.

[Marietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book by Betty Cage that I have read and I enjoyed it very much. Yes it was a short story but very interesting. The main characters are very interesting and they seem to come up with enough info to try and solve the murder case. Tess Harper and her friends Aubrey and her dog Daisy seem to be able to find what they need to solve the mystery. I look forward to read more about these characters in her next book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first short story I’ve read in this series and quite enjoyable but I would have loved it to be longer. It seemed like it was too quick. The characters are engaging and I found the descriptions of the rooms were a good help in picturing the scenes. I loved that the main character was a librarian and a knitter and was concerned about a scarf she made that was used in the commission of a crime. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Cage’s work.

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short murder mystery. A family party for an anniversary starts off badly for the family accountant! He’s found murdered in a coat cupboard with a quote from a Shakespeare play in his mouth and the key to the cupboard in his hand! A Shakespearean fan is the murderer, but which one of the few people trapped in the villa by a raging storm is the murderer? Tess and her dog, Daisy, with some help from her friends, work it all out.

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

The murder of Frank Fairbanks upsets the celebration at the Chester's Villa. Tess Harper a librarian taking the role of amateur sleuth goes about finding evidence of the murderer.  An intriguing read with great characters and a nail-biting finish . I enjoyed this book and recommend it to other readers.

[fred jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining if short cozy mystery. The classic trapped with a murderer in an isolated house story. The characters are good if a little lacking in backstory but the dog is cute.
The story would have benefited from a longer length but is well written and light hearted. I received a complimentary copy from the author and am leaving a voluntary honest and then bought the book anyway.

[Emmy McCabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great short story, a great murder mystery without long side story lines. Tess Harper and her dog Daisy are invited to her best friend, Aubrey, family 30th anniversary party. At the event, someone is murdered and Tess solves the case.

[Xiaoqing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short and interesting read about the mystery of murder at the luxury and remote villa. The story is well written and the MC, the smart librarian who caught the killer is very likable. Not much surprises here but I still enjoy a well told story with an adorable dog!

[Joslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute cozy mystery that was a quick easy read. The main character was likable and has the cutest loyal dog sidekick. The story, though in a modern setting, had references to classic mysteries that made it quite enjoyable.

[Cyndi Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book shows you don't need to be super long to be a good read. This was quick, less than 2 hours, read that kept me entertained. It was well thought out and the characters were engaging.

[Barb Hegreberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

With my busy schedule, novellas are the perfect distraction. This story has all the aspects needed for the perfect whodunnit.

I received this book free from the author, publisher, or other source. My only obligation is to provide a fair and honest review.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chapter 1 humor--you'd think the Pope himself just rose from the dead!.
Why would narrator--a guest have her dog with her?
Too many gaps!

[Sunny Lovestories · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun premise but way to many things to over look just the author could tell a concise story.

[Jacquelyn Schingeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short read, fast pace and funny moments Add to your TBR list

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Lots of puns that were a ton of fun. I will definitely be reading more by this author. I got this book free when I signed up for the author’s newsletter.

[Christmas Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating characters in a short story sure to keep you happy. Recommended.

[LaWanda Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The metaphors and similes were humorous. The story was interesting and kept my attention.

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was short and free.

There's a murder during an anniversary party and so Tess and her dog, Daisy, search for the killer.