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Charlotte Denver #1
Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse
An alternate cover edition can be found here.
Charlotte Denver runs her marina front café in the bustling fishing town of St. Eves, nestled in the south-west corner of England.
While she loves the tranquility of St. Eves, where crime is almost unheard of, and nothing really exciting ever happens, her good friend, Chief Inspector Nathan Costello, is longing for a good, juicy felony to get his teeth into.
When the arrival of newcomers to the community of St. Eves triggers a chain of events that end in tragedy, Nathan relishes the thrill of investigating his first murder, while Charlotte unwittingly turns amateur-sleuth to help solve the case and restore peace and harmony to the town as quickly as possible.
Twists and turns abound in Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse, the first book in the Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery series.
Charlotte Denver runs her marina front café in the bustling fishing town of St. Eves, nestled in the south-west corner of England.
While she loves the tranquility of St. Eves, where crime is almost unheard of, and nothing really exciting ever happens, her good friend, Chief Inspector Nathan Costello, is longing for a good, juicy felony to get his teeth into.
When the arrival of newcomers to the community of St. Eves triggers a chain of events that end in tragedy, Nathan relishes the thrill of investigating his first murder, while Charlotte unwittingly turns amateur-sleuth to help solve the case and restore peace and harmony to the town as quickly as possible.
Twists and turns abound in Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse, the first book in the Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery series.
228 pages, ebook
Published May 24, 2015
1171 people are currently reading
2232 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews
September 4, 2015
Murder, not much mystery
Constructive criticism, if you Wright a book and situate it in England, please do a little research, we do not eat cookies, we eat biscuits, it's rare that we have maple syrup with anything unless we have American contacts and it is extremely rare for us to have blue seas or very hot weather also most of the characters in your book have American type names with a strong Italian connection, plus never,never, never would our police take evidence to a cafe and do disclosure. w e are not a dramatic nation.
Constructive criticism, if you Wright a book and situate it in England, please do a little research, we do not eat cookies, we eat biscuits, it's rare that we have maple syrup with anything unless we have American contacts and it is extremely rare for us to have blue seas or very hot weather also most of the characters in your book have American type names with a strong Italian connection, plus never,never, never would our police take evidence to a cafe and do disclosure. w e are not a dramatic nation.
November 7, 2015
Although set in a coastal town in the English West County, the author is obviously American which came through with 'sidewalk', 'trunk', 'vacation', 'cell phone' and the fact the heroine ate milk and cookies before bed. Everyone spoke the Queen's English too which is rare in Cornwall as anyone who had been there would know. St Eves is evidently meant to be St Ives, but if anyone there ran a cafe that was closed on Saturdays and at 6.00pm each night - they would go bust in a month!
The author did keep a lot of clues close to her chest, one revelation accompanied a sitting-up-in-bed moment and a shout of 'I'm brilliant!' but nothing else -we had to wait until the last chapter to find out what she had discovered.
Not to be too critical, as this was a nice easy read and I liked the character of Charlotte and her obvious crush on the dishy policeman, Nathan and the idea of the tidy little harbour town with its perfect people was a lovely escape. There was only one credible suspect, however, so the author could have inserted a couple of red herrings along the way - but this was a novella so maybe that would make the storyline confusing.
The author did keep a lot of clues close to her chest, one revelation accompanied a sitting-up-in-bed moment and a shout of 'I'm brilliant!' but nothing else -we had to wait until the last chapter to find out what she had discovered.
Not to be too critical, as this was a nice easy read and I liked the character of Charlotte and her obvious crush on the dishy policeman, Nathan and the idea of the tidy little harbour town with its perfect people was a lovely escape. There was only one credible suspect, however, so the author could have inserted a couple of red herrings along the way - but this was a novella so maybe that would make the storyline confusing.
June 6, 2021
A cozy set on the beaches of Southern England. A woman living in a small town runs the local cafe, and has bunch of kooky regulars. When a dead body is found on a yacht, the town is upended, and our sleuth tries to set things right, and get with the local super cop.
A bit simplistic, but not bad.
A bit simplistic, but not bad.
June 29, 2018
This book confuses me on many levels.
Not the plot. Something else.
To me, two things are off about this book. These issues overlap and compound each other, but when I tried to write about them jointly, I didn't feel it got my points across. So, I will discuss the issues separately, and overlap a bit where I must.
The first issue is the writing style itself.
It is just odd.
The tone is exceedingly stilted and awkward, yet also earnest. Like a robot imitating a human, a bad actor over-rehearsing their lines, or a nervous child reciting memorized answers in a classroom, all of whom have been instructed to perfunctorily lay out all the elements that classify this is a cozy mystery in the first few chapters:
- Set up the protagonist's tragic past (likely an orphan!) to explain why she ended up in this town. Check.
- Make sure she has adoring parent-type people who cared for her while she was growing up and still dote on her. Check.
- Establish how quaint and charming the town is. Check.
- Lay out what business the protagonist owns because cozy mystery protagonists tend to run a business. Check.
- Make sure the best friend is introduced, and also is perfect in every way. Check.
- Start bringing in the quirky townspeople and note which habit is their identifying trait. Check.
- *checks watch* It is time to find a body now.
- Oh, right. Love interest. He also has to be perfect, and even though they already love each other they can't figure that out until near the end to create "tension." Check.
And so on.
It comes off like the author had a checklist for what cozy mysteries should have in them, and was making sure all the bases were covered right away to prove it is a genuine cozy mystery. This kind of thing loosened up a bit later, after there wasn't so much to introduce, but it was still pretty pervasive throughout and very distracting.
This brings me to the next issue I had because, despite this earnest effort, a major part of the world-building was completely lost on me in the "personality" of the book, which was only exacerbated by the odd writing style.
I've thought about this for several weeks, and the best way I can describe it is that it's like the "Victor/Victoria" of books:
It reads like an American author imitating a British author who is writing like an American author.
I... did not realize the book is supposed to take place in England until well into it. I thought it took place in NEW England. While it could be said that this is my oversight for getting it as a freebie and reading it without looking at the summary first, that only means that I would've been really disappointed because I didn't get the atmosphere that was advertised. From my perspective, nothing about it remotely said "Britain" or "British author" to me until well into the book. And, when it did so, it was, again, odd.
My first clue was when Charlotte's best friend, who happens to have a small nephew, randomly talks about diaper-changing, seemingly for no reason other than to insert the word "nappies." I was like, "WTF?" After a couple more oddly placed British terms or phrases and (I think) a definitive reference to the town being in England (I can't remember for sure what the defining moment was; I wish I'd marked it with a note), I realized this is a British-themed cozy mystery. This dual personality only made it feel more contrived because it began to seem that more and more scenes or phrases were added for no purpose other than to support the "British" atmosphere (for example, a tourist randomly needed information about the town and Charlotte points them toward the tourism "centre," instead of the "center"). The British atmosphere felt like an afterthought, not a major focal point. Even after figuring out it's meant to be British, I couldn't reconcile that in my head. Throughout the whole thing, I continued to get tripped up by blatantly out of place British terms and spellings among American-sounding dialog, descriptions, and narratives.
After figuring this out, I then rationalized that the author must be an American who is trying very hard to make the book sound "British," but has failed to be convincing at it. Either that or the book was originally written to be in New England, then it was decided this wouldn't market well so they did "find and replace" on all the American terms they could easily swap with British ones (no matter how odd they sound in the context) to make it convincing (which would also explain why it felt like there were so many missed opportunities to replace obviously American terms and phrases that still remained). Eventually, I just felt like I was reading one of those school essays where you write a short story centered around a list of vocabulary words provided by your teacher.
Having had enough of this mystery by about 50% in, I went to the author's site to see if she was British or American. I really expected her to be American because that would actually cause this to make more sense--it really would have just been an American trying to set a British atmosphere and not doing a great job at it.
According to her site, she was born in south London.
O_o
THIS CONFUSED ME EVEN MORE.
I just... I have no idea. Did a ghostwriter write this? Was it purposefully done? Are they trying to combine American and British styles to try to appeal to a wider audience? Was the author born in London, but then moved as a young child to America, and so her perspective is slightly British but mostly American and so that comes off in the way she writes? Regardless of how this happened, did they think no one would notice and published it anyway? Mostly, I just want to know what happened to cause this and why someone thought it was still a good idea to publish it this way. The curiosity, it burns.
Before concluding, I want to clarify two things:
1) I am not bothered because the book is British-themed and I didn't want to read a British-themed book. I love British cozy mysteries and have read several.
2) I am bothered because of how distracting and confusing this dual personality was as a reader, there is no explanation or reason for it, and it hindered my ability to enjoy the book as much as I might have otherwise.
But, having said all that, the most confusing part of all is that I still liked this book enough to want to at least try the second book in the series. I have abandoned books at less than 10% in the past without finishing them due to oddities like this, but for some reason I was taken in. I think because, despite its major flaws, there is potential and I want to see where it goes--for the story's sake, but also to see if these weird issues iron themselves out as time goes on.
Not the plot. Something else.
To me, two things are off about this book. These issues overlap and compound each other, but when I tried to write about them jointly, I didn't feel it got my points across. So, I will discuss the issues separately, and overlap a bit where I must.
The first issue is the writing style itself.
It is just odd.
The tone is exceedingly stilted and awkward, yet also earnest. Like a robot imitating a human, a bad actor over-rehearsing their lines, or a nervous child reciting memorized answers in a classroom, all of whom have been instructed to perfunctorily lay out all the elements that classify this is a cozy mystery in the first few chapters:
- Set up the protagonist's tragic past (likely an orphan!) to explain why she ended up in this town. Check.
- Make sure she has adoring parent-type people who cared for her while she was growing up and still dote on her. Check.
- Establish how quaint and charming the town is. Check.
- Lay out what business the protagonist owns because cozy mystery protagonists tend to run a business. Check.
- Make sure the best friend is introduced, and also is perfect in every way. Check.
- Start bringing in the quirky townspeople and note which habit is their identifying trait. Check.
- *checks watch* It is time to find a body now.
- Oh, right. Love interest. He also has to be perfect, and even though they already love each other they can't figure that out until near the end to create "tension." Check.
And so on.
It comes off like the author had a checklist for what cozy mysteries should have in them, and was making sure all the bases were covered right away to prove it is a genuine cozy mystery. This kind of thing loosened up a bit later, after there wasn't so much to introduce, but it was still pretty pervasive throughout and very distracting.
This brings me to the next issue I had because, despite this earnest effort, a major part of the world-building was completely lost on me in the "personality" of the book, which was only exacerbated by the odd writing style.
I've thought about this for several weeks, and the best way I can describe it is that it's like the "Victor/Victoria" of books:
It reads like an American author imitating a British author who is writing like an American author.
I... did not realize the book is supposed to take place in England until well into it. I thought it took place in NEW England. While it could be said that this is my oversight for getting it as a freebie and reading it without looking at the summary first, that only means that I would've been really disappointed because I didn't get the atmosphere that was advertised. From my perspective, nothing about it remotely said "Britain" or "British author" to me until well into the book. And, when it did so, it was, again, odd.
My first clue was when Charlotte's best friend, who happens to have a small nephew, randomly talks about diaper-changing, seemingly for no reason other than to insert the word "nappies." I was like, "WTF?" After a couple more oddly placed British terms or phrases and (I think) a definitive reference to the town being in England (I can't remember for sure what the defining moment was; I wish I'd marked it with a note), I realized this is a British-themed cozy mystery. This dual personality only made it feel more contrived because it began to seem that more and more scenes or phrases were added for no purpose other than to support the "British" atmosphere (for example, a tourist randomly needed information about the town and Charlotte points them toward the tourism "centre," instead of the "center"). The British atmosphere felt like an afterthought, not a major focal point. Even after figuring out it's meant to be British, I couldn't reconcile that in my head. Throughout the whole thing, I continued to get tripped up by blatantly out of place British terms and spellings among American-sounding dialog, descriptions, and narratives.
After figuring this out, I then rationalized that the author must be an American who is trying very hard to make the book sound "British," but has failed to be convincing at it. Either that or the book was originally written to be in New England, then it was decided this wouldn't market well so they did "find and replace" on all the American terms they could easily swap with British ones (no matter how odd they sound in the context) to make it convincing (which would also explain why it felt like there were so many missed opportunities to replace obviously American terms and phrases that still remained). Eventually, I just felt like I was reading one of those school essays where you write a short story centered around a list of vocabulary words provided by your teacher.
Having had enough of this mystery by about 50% in, I went to the author's site to see if she was British or American. I really expected her to be American because that would actually cause this to make more sense--it really would have just been an American trying to set a British atmosphere and not doing a great job at it.
According to her site, she was born in south London.
O_o
THIS CONFUSED ME EVEN MORE.
I just... I have no idea. Did a ghostwriter write this? Was it purposefully done? Are they trying to combine American and British styles to try to appeal to a wider audience? Was the author born in London, but then moved as a young child to America, and so her perspective is slightly British but mostly American and so that comes off in the way she writes? Regardless of how this happened, did they think no one would notice and published it anyway? Mostly, I just want to know what happened to cause this and why someone thought it was still a good idea to publish it this way. The curiosity, it burns.
Before concluding, I want to clarify two things:
1) I am not bothered because the book is British-themed and I didn't want to read a British-themed book. I love British cozy mysteries and have read several.
2) I am bothered because of how distracting and confusing this dual personality was as a reader, there is no explanation or reason for it, and it hindered my ability to enjoy the book as much as I might have otherwise.
But, having said all that, the most confusing part of all is that I still liked this book enough to want to at least try the second book in the series. I have abandoned books at less than 10% in the past without finishing them due to oddities like this, but for some reason I was taken in. I think because, despite its major flaws, there is potential and I want to see where it goes--for the story's sake, but also to see if these weird issues iron themselves out as time goes on.
May 7, 2017
I enjoyed this fun read very much. I will admit that the why the person did it surprised me more than the who. Don't get me wrong I didn't know who did it. I liked the romance part of the book too. I'm looking forward to seeing how that relationship grows. Hopefully the rest of the series will be as good as this.
June 26, 2019
For a Cozy i enjoyed it... i think its meant to be based on St Ives so was really fun, i dont get how in Cornwall you could close shop on a Saturday..... If we did that on the Isle of Wight we would have been screwed......
February 26, 2017
Sometimes people are not what they seem. The duo of Charlotte Denver and Nathan Costello will solve the murder anyway.
This was the first book that I have read by this author, but not the last. Very fast paced and a warm read!
This was the first book that I have read by this author, but not the last. Very fast paced and a warm read!
October 1, 2020
It's the little things that count.
A good clean cozy mystery. When new people comes to town it seems to always upset the calm little coastal community. When murder happens the DCI is on the case with a little help from his friends.
A good clean cozy mystery. When new people comes to town it seems to always upset the calm little coastal community. When murder happens the DCI is on the case with a little help from his friends.
June 11, 2015
The title and cover attracted me straight away to this book and the fact that it was free to download for kindle was an added bonus.
Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse is a relatively short book at 125 pages but it is immensely enjoyable. As a lot of the story is centred in and around Charlotte's Plaice the local cafe, the author has even included some recipes of dishes that are mentioned in the story at the end and will certainly be trying out the one for carrot cake.
Essentially this book is of a chick lit genre with murder, mystery and mayhem thrown in.
There are some really great characters in this story, including 101 year old Tom. Charlotte the main character is a very warm and lovely person though frustratingly to Chief Inspector Nathan Costello she can't but help herself in getting involved in things that she really shouldn't be getting involved in.
Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse is the first book in the Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery series and I for one can not wait for the next one!.
Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse is a relatively short book at 125 pages but it is immensely enjoyable. As a lot of the story is centred in and around Charlotte's Plaice the local cafe, the author has even included some recipes of dishes that are mentioned in the story at the end and will certainly be trying out the one for carrot cake.
Essentially this book is of a chick lit genre with murder, mystery and mayhem thrown in.
There are some really great characters in this story, including 101 year old Tom. Charlotte the main character is a very warm and lovely person though frustratingly to Chief Inspector Nathan Costello she can't but help herself in getting involved in things that she really shouldn't be getting involved in.
Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse is the first book in the Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery series and I for one can not wait for the next one!.
November 25, 2017
Good as a light and cosy read. Would have been three stars except I thought the reveal of the murderer was poorly explained and the motive very silly I also think there was a large plot hole and it was quite easy to work out who the murderer was. However I did really like the setting and the descriptions that took place in the café and of all the food. And as an added bonus this was a kindle freebie.
January 30, 2024
I really wished this book was longer. I feel like the characters need to develop more which would happen in a longer book. Having said that, I really enjoyed this book. I just wanted a bit more that a longer book would have given me. It’s a great short cozy read!
November 16, 2021
Absolutely adored this book!!! I want more!!!
January 12, 2021
I wanted to like it
The storyline is not terrible, but it is written like a synopsis. I honestly skimmed through a lot of it because I can only read so many consecutive pages of "we did this, and then that, and back to this."
Solid attempt, but a hard pass for me on future installments.
The storyline is not terrible, but it is written like a synopsis. I honestly skimmed through a lot of it because I can only read so many consecutive pages of "we did this, and then that, and back to this."
Solid attempt, but a hard pass for me on future installments.
October 3, 2019
Fun read and recipes
This was a fun cozy mystery to read. I enjoyed every minute of it. The character s were fun and I loved the recipes in the back
This was a fun cozy mystery to read. I enjoyed every minute of it. The character s were fun and I loved the recipes in the back
March 24, 2021
Very very fluffy. If I hadn’t finished it in like 2.5 hours it may have only gotten a 2. But because I just flew through it, I give it a 3
August 5, 2021
Froth ….
December 17, 2016
My mom was an avid reader, leaving books around her apartment like little treasures. When she entered a room, she would start reading that book. It was like channel surfing on a television, but with novels. She loved reading mysteries most of all. Sadly, my dear mom passed away four years ago. Since then I have become a ferocious reader, but I have resisted reading mysteries (perhaps because I associate them so closely with my mom?).
Recently though, I have started reading more books from this genre, and I am really starting to enjoy them (oh God! I AM becoming my mother!) Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse was a fun start to this series written by Sherri Bryan.
What I Liked:
Characters:
Charlotte Denver has a bit of a tragic past, but finds comfort in running a cafe that has been embraced by her small seaside community. I enjoyed that Charlotte was interested in the murder, but didn't think she just had to solve the case. I think in older mystery books, the main character artificially insert themselves in the investigation. I loved that Charlotte didn't do that. Although she did solve the case, she didn't do it completely on her own.
Nathan:
I appreciated that the police detective, Nathan, was not some bumbling cop. He was good at his job, but wasn't seeing the whole picture, as Charlotte did. He also didn't act condescending towards Charlotte when she made suggestions. He was mostly concerned with her safety. I also think the budding romance between Charlotte and Nathan was cute.
Setting:
I want to move to this wonderful town described by Sherri Bryan! I love books with a small town setting, and I grew up in a similar kind of place. I remember all the tourists that would come to my hometown on the weekends, shopping and eating out. You could tell them apart a mile away! When the weekends were over and they left, we enjoyed the peacefulness of our quiet community, again.
Minor Characters:
Because of it's setting, there were ample opportunities for lots of fun minor characters. I really like this aspect of the book. The group of old guys who always populated the restaurant were particularly fun with their little quirks and commradery.
What I didn't like:
There were a few minor clues that were obvious, that I was surprised that the detective didn't find and follow up on. But I think the point of the book was that these kinds of details can be overlooked by the police.
This was a fun mystery that included recipes!!! I will be trying out the carrot cake (maybe for Christmas Day), and looking forward to the next book in the series.
Recently though, I have started reading more books from this genre, and I am really starting to enjoy them (oh God! I AM becoming my mother!) Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse was a fun start to this series written by Sherri Bryan.
What I Liked:
Characters:
Charlotte Denver has a bit of a tragic past, but finds comfort in running a cafe that has been embraced by her small seaside community. I enjoyed that Charlotte was interested in the murder, but didn't think she just had to solve the case. I think in older mystery books, the main character artificially insert themselves in the investigation. I loved that Charlotte didn't do that. Although she did solve the case, she didn't do it completely on her own.
Nathan:
I appreciated that the police detective, Nathan, was not some bumbling cop. He was good at his job, but wasn't seeing the whole picture, as Charlotte did. He also didn't act condescending towards Charlotte when she made suggestions. He was mostly concerned with her safety. I also think the budding romance between Charlotte and Nathan was cute.
Setting:
I want to move to this wonderful town described by Sherri Bryan! I love books with a small town setting, and I grew up in a similar kind of place. I remember all the tourists that would come to my hometown on the weekends, shopping and eating out. You could tell them apart a mile away! When the weekends were over and they left, we enjoyed the peacefulness of our quiet community, again.
Minor Characters:
Because of it's setting, there were ample opportunities for lots of fun minor characters. I really like this aspect of the book. The group of old guys who always populated the restaurant were particularly fun with their little quirks and commradery.
What I didn't like:
There were a few minor clues that were obvious, that I was surprised that the detective didn't find and follow up on. But I think the point of the book was that these kinds of details can be overlooked by the police.
This was a fun mystery that included recipes!!! I will be trying out the carrot cake (maybe for Christmas Day), and looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 28, 2021
WOW. This was a very fun book to read.
Set in the West country of England (Cornwall and Devon) which I love, because I have ancestors who come from those counties, in the seaside town of St Eves, (again which is possibly a play on St Ives in Cornwall which does indeed have lovely golden sandy beaches and excellent surfing waves), Charlotte Denver runs a cafe on the marina called Charlottes Plaice. The specific spelling refers to a fish species, and St Eves is a fishing town.
Charlotte lived in Spain for a number of years before returning to her home town of St Eves and starting up her cafe. She also adds Spanish recipes to her menu which makes for some very interesting combinations when ordering from the menu.
St Eves also has a marina. Some piers have house boats with permanent residents and other piers are for boats that tie up during their voyages. One boat that tied up recently is the Lady Samantha, owned by a man named Gabriel Driscoll and his wife Samantha after whom the boat was named. Samantha was eating at Charlottes cafe and arranging for her to cater for a party that Samantha was planning to have on board her boat. But when a young man named Blake passed by, Samantha got all jittery and quickly left when she spotted him.
The next morning when Charlotte arrived at the boat to get more details for the party, the boat was empty and noone was on board. So Charlotte ventured on board to look for Samantha. Instead she found Blake's body and quickly called the local police.
I'll say no more, except that Charlotte finally manages to get herself a boyfriend while helping the police to solve the murder.
Excellent storyline, very interesting plot twist, one that I have not seen in any other Cozy mystery, and some great writing.
Oh and also some great Spanish recipes at the end of the book as well.
I give this 5 stars!! As I have said before, when I cannot put a book down, and I read it straight through in just 2 hours, then it deserves 5 stars!!!
Set in the West country of England (Cornwall and Devon) which I love, because I have ancestors who come from those counties, in the seaside town of St Eves, (again which is possibly a play on St Ives in Cornwall which does indeed have lovely golden sandy beaches and excellent surfing waves), Charlotte Denver runs a cafe on the marina called Charlottes Plaice. The specific spelling refers to a fish species, and St Eves is a fishing town.
Charlotte lived in Spain for a number of years before returning to her home town of St Eves and starting up her cafe. She also adds Spanish recipes to her menu which makes for some very interesting combinations when ordering from the menu.
St Eves also has a marina. Some piers have house boats with permanent residents and other piers are for boats that tie up during their voyages. One boat that tied up recently is the Lady Samantha, owned by a man named Gabriel Driscoll and his wife Samantha after whom the boat was named. Samantha was eating at Charlottes cafe and arranging for her to cater for a party that Samantha was planning to have on board her boat. But when a young man named Blake passed by, Samantha got all jittery and quickly left when she spotted him.
The next morning when Charlotte arrived at the boat to get more details for the party, the boat was empty and noone was on board. So Charlotte ventured on board to look for Samantha. Instead she found Blake's body and quickly called the local police.
I'll say no more, except that Charlotte finally manages to get herself a boyfriend while helping the police to solve the murder.
Excellent storyline, very interesting plot twist, one that I have not seen in any other Cozy mystery, and some great writing.
Oh and also some great Spanish recipes at the end of the book as well.
I give this 5 stars!! As I have said before, when I cannot put a book down, and I read it straight through in just 2 hours, then it deserves 5 stars!!!
April 19, 2020
Two-and-a-half stars: two seems unjust, but three too generous.
It was a nice read and the book certainly didn't irk me in the way cozies so often do, but I was disappointed by the mystery content, or rather, the lack there of. There was no speculation about an array of possible suspects, rather, there was only one suspect. Where at the very least there should have been two suspects: both boat owners. Although the husband struck me as someone who would call his vessel a yaght rather than a boat.
I liked the motive for murder, that was unusual. And I liked Charlotte.
I was annoyed though, the author decided to hide clues from readers. Charlotte got to see what was on the photo and that helped her solve the mystery, but we were not told. That's a cheap trick that could have been avoided by having more suspects from the beginning. Hence, not three stars.
It was a nice read and the book certainly didn't irk me in the way cozies so often do, but I was disappointed by the mystery content, or rather, the lack there of. There was no speculation about an array of possible suspects, rather, there was only one suspect. Where at the very least there should have been two suspects: both boat owners. Although the husband struck me as someone who would call his vessel a yaght rather than a boat.
I liked the motive for murder, that was unusual. And I liked Charlotte.
I was annoyed though, the author decided to hide clues from readers. Charlotte got to see what was on the photo and that helped her solve the mystery, but we were not told. That's a cheap trick that could have been avoided by having more suspects from the beginning. Hence, not three stars.
June 17, 2015
The first 2/3 of this book are really captivating. I really enjoyed the setting and the protagonist Charlotte was easy to get on with.
However, I feel like the ending left something to be desired. It feels like the author was rushing the point for the sake of getting it into the book, in case a sequel was not to be written. I was left feeling cheated of a proper ending after such a promising start.
I hope that the second book in the series can take the character of Charlotte Denver and the final chapters and make them into something even more interesting. I look forward to the next mystery!
If you are a fast reader, make sure to have another book on hand however, or wait until the second book is released. I was able to finish in just under two hours.
However, I feel like the ending left something to be desired. It feels like the author was rushing the point for the sake of getting it into the book, in case a sequel was not to be written. I was left feeling cheated of a proper ending after such a promising start.
I hope that the second book in the series can take the character of Charlotte Denver and the final chapters and make them into something even more interesting. I look forward to the next mystery!
If you are a fast reader, make sure to have another book on hand however, or wait until the second book is released. I was able to finish in just under two hours.
July 30, 2023
It was very hard to get into this story. I like the characters, but I kept thinking it was set in New England and not England, so coming across a British term like "nappies" threw me out of the story and I had to reorient. Every time. Also, the author tells us everything instead of showing us. It's the difference between a bland recounting of events and grabbing us by the hand and immersing us in it by describing some sights, smells, feelings, etc. Needless to say I didn't get very far in before I deleted it.
September 14, 2017
Unbelievable twaddle
Set in the fictional west country town of St Eves, this is the least believable detective story I have ever read. A detective chief inspector who explains, Poirot-style, how he came to his conclusion and solved the case was the final straw. I would not recommend this book and I will not be bothering to read any more in this series.
Set in the fictional west country town of St Eves, this is the least believable detective story I have ever read. A detective chief inspector who explains, Poirot-style, how he came to his conclusion and solved the case was the final straw. I would not recommend this book and I will not be bothering to read any more in this series.
November 20, 2018
This was supposed a British cozy mystery, but there was little that made it distinctively British. It was entertaining, but the readers weren't privy to clues and information that would make it possible for the reader to solve. Readers who like to leave it to the amateur sleuth will enjoy this more than readers who like to try to solve the mystery themselves.
August 7, 2015
Easy vacation read
February 20, 2016
This was a very good book how ever I do wish the author had done more to make it more interesting. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.
September 26, 2021
2.5 stars.
Short, easy read. Minimal swearing/foul language. It was free on Amazon, so I thought I'd give it a try. The story itself was light and fun, despite being about a murder, and I somewhat enjoyed it up until the last part, when one of the characters reveals something (which I can't say because it'd spoil the story). Then I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it any longer.
The plot was completely and utterly obvious through and through from the very start. The mystery wasn't exactly a real mystery, as everything was so plain, and I figured out from early on who the murderer was. I predicted (correctly) every single facet of the plot and mystery, and was not surprised at all by the "reveal" at the end. So, unfortunately, for those of you who love mysteries with a big, shocking reveal at the end that knocks you off your feet, you may be disappointed with this book.
The ending was really terrible, as I hated the murderer's reason to kill the victim. The whole thing was so messed up, and I was wholly disgusted with the murderer.
The book did have some amusing moments, and I liked the overall feel of it at first. It wasn't really dark, as you'd expect from a murder mystery book. It's not that the story was bad, just that there didn't seem to be much happening throughout the story that gave the mystery foundation—which can be expected from a story so short, I guess. Everything was super straightforward, and there weren't any twists or turns. It was one of those stories where you knew who the guilty party was from the start and you're just reading and waiting for the characters to figure it out. It functioned moderately well as a simple pastime, but it is not a book I would like to re-read, and I will not be finishing the series.
This book did come with recipes at the back, though, and for that I was really happy. I absolutely love it when books include the recipes for the dishes that appear in the book.
Also, I do want to make it known that this story contains LGBTQ elements. The mystery itself pretty much revolves around it. I was surprised when I first read it, and after that I just wasn't comfortable reading the book anymore. I'm not trying to judge. I'm just not comfortable reading stories with LGBTQ elements, and had I known this book contained it, I wouldn't have read it. If you're fine with it, though, then go ahead and read it if you like.
Short, easy read. Minimal swearing/foul language. It was free on Amazon, so I thought I'd give it a try. The story itself was light and fun, despite being about a murder, and I somewhat enjoyed it up until the last part, when one of the characters reveals something (which I can't say because it'd spoil the story). Then I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it any longer.
The plot was completely and utterly obvious through and through from the very start. The mystery wasn't exactly a real mystery, as everything was so plain, and I figured out from early on who the murderer was. I predicted (correctly) every single facet of the plot and mystery, and was not surprised at all by the "reveal" at the end. So, unfortunately, for those of you who love mysteries with a big, shocking reveal at the end that knocks you off your feet, you may be disappointed with this book.
The ending was really terrible, as I hated the murderer's reason to kill the victim. The whole thing was so messed up, and I was wholly disgusted with the murderer.
The book did have some amusing moments, and I liked the overall feel of it at first. It wasn't really dark, as you'd expect from a murder mystery book. It's not that the story was bad, just that there didn't seem to be much happening throughout the story that gave the mystery foundation—which can be expected from a story so short, I guess. Everything was super straightforward, and there weren't any twists or turns. It was one of those stories where you knew who the guilty party was from the start and you're just reading and waiting for the characters to figure it out. It functioned moderately well as a simple pastime, but it is not a book I would like to re-read, and I will not be finishing the series.
This book did come with recipes at the back, though, and for that I was really happy. I absolutely love it when books include the recipes for the dishes that appear in the book.
Also, I do want to make it known that this story contains LGBTQ elements. The mystery itself pretty much revolves around it. I was surprised when I first read it, and after that I just wasn't comfortable reading the book anymore. I'm not trying to judge. I'm just not comfortable reading stories with LGBTQ elements, and had I known this book contained it, I wouldn't have read it. If you're fine with it, though, then go ahead and read it if you like.
February 18, 2021
A FREE read eBook through Barnes and Noble for the NOOK. A typical, predictable outcome and not much depth, and it needs to be professionally proofread for errors. This is #1 of 9 in The Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Series. It is actually only 102 pages, including some of her recipes at the end of the book, which I will be testing a few: (1) Sweet Chili Shrimp, (2) Buffalo Wing and Chickpea Stew, and (3) Carrot Cake. The author gets 1-star for adding the recipes, which I thought was a great idea to add to a novel.
Charlotte owns a little cafe, Charlotte's Plaice, in the little seaside town of St. Eves in the southwest corner of England.
In walks a handsome stranger, Blake Hamilton, and it appears Blake and Charlotte will eventually have a love interest. But, the next day, Blake is found dead on a yacht owned byGabe and Samantha Driscoll, rich folks who have also just pulled into the marina.
Blake was found dead inside the cabin. His drink having been laced with Sam's painkillers then was shot up with weedkiller.
There wasn't much of a story between the finding of his body and the stupid little twist at the end. The author wanted you to believe that Blake and Samantha were having the affair, but it was actually Gabe and Blake having the affair. Yes! He was gay! Gabe only married Sam to keep up appearances. Gabe actually killed Blake because he couldn't have him, and he had plans to kill off Sam because he actually couldn't stand her....See how stupid!
Although not the greatest read, I love the idea of the author incorporating and sharing her personal recipes in a novel.
10/14/2019 UPDATE: I have tried all three recipes mentioned above. None of them are extraordinary. The Carrot Cake was really good, although still not as good as my daughter's Carrot Cake. This one was a little fluffy compared to Cara's denser cake. I liked the Sweet Chili Shrimp, but Ben didn't care for it. Neither of us cared for the Buffalo Wing and Chickpea Stew.
Charlotte owns a little cafe, Charlotte's Plaice, in the little seaside town of St. Eves in the southwest corner of England.
In walks a handsome stranger, Blake Hamilton, and it appears Blake and Charlotte will eventually have a love interest. But, the next day, Blake is found dead on a yacht owned byGabe and Samantha Driscoll, rich folks who have also just pulled into the marina.
Blake was found dead inside the cabin. His drink having been laced with Sam's painkillers then was shot up with weedkiller.
There wasn't much of a story between the finding of his body and the stupid little twist at the end. The author wanted you to believe that Blake and Samantha were having the affair, but it was actually Gabe and Blake having the affair. Yes! He was gay! Gabe only married Sam to keep up appearances. Gabe actually killed Blake because he couldn't have him, and he had plans to kill off Sam because he actually couldn't stand her....See how stupid!
Although not the greatest read, I love the idea of the author incorporating and sharing her personal recipes in a novel.
10/14/2019 UPDATE: I have tried all three recipes mentioned above. None of them are extraordinary. The Carrot Cake was really good, although still not as good as my daughter's Carrot Cake. This one was a little fluffy compared to Cara's denser cake. I liked the Sweet Chili Shrimp, but Ben didn't care for it. Neither of us cared for the Buffalo Wing and Chickpea Stew.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2017
Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse
Charlotte owns an eatery called Charlotte's Plaice near the pier. Her ladies who lunch group has invited one of the women from a large yacht to lunch with them. Samantha was so impressed with Charlotte's cooking that she wants to hire her to cater a party. Charlotte agrees to meet her the next day on her boat to iron out the details. When Charlotte arrives, Samantha nor her husband are on board but there is a dead man on their bed. Charlotte notifies Nathan who is the homicide DCI and her friend.
Nathan of course warns Charlotte not to investigate but in the end is glad that she does. This story has a very interesting twist that I did not see coming. I liked that it was a cozy mystery with great characters and a good sense of place. The author also includes recipes.
Charlotte owns an eatery called Charlotte's Plaice near the pier. Her ladies who lunch group has invited one of the women from a large yacht to lunch with them. Samantha was so impressed with Charlotte's cooking that she wants to hire her to cater a party. Charlotte agrees to meet her the next day on her boat to iron out the details. When Charlotte arrives, Samantha nor her husband are on board but there is a dead man on their bed. Charlotte notifies Nathan who is the homicide DCI and her friend.
Nathan of course warns Charlotte not to investigate but in the end is glad that she does. This story has a very interesting twist that I did not see coming. I liked that it was a cozy mystery with great characters and a good sense of place. The author also includes recipes.
January 19, 2018
Books set by the sea are not usually my thing, but I found this one surprisingly enjoyable! The town sounded just lovely, as did all the townspeople that lived in it. Charlotte was a fabulous heroine, and I loved the relationships she had with everyone. She seemed to genuinely care about not just friends, but customers and people in the town, and they all seemed to reciprocate.
The mystery itself was a shocker. I did suspect the killer, but NOT their motive. I was very surprised. It was very socially forward, and one of the most shocking cozy mystery reveals I've read, I think.
There were a few things about the writing style that bothered me, but all in all, the story, mystery, and characters were good enough to make up for any little things that detracted from it and it was an overall absolute pleasure to read.
*4 Stars
The mystery itself was a shocker. I did suspect the killer, but NOT their motive. I was very surprised. It was very socially forward, and one of the most shocking cozy mystery reveals I've read, I think.
There were a few things about the writing style that bothered me, but all in all, the story, mystery, and characters were good enough to make up for any little things that detracted from it and it was an overall absolute pleasure to read.
*4 Stars
August 17, 2017
Now this really is a charming English village murder mystery! The series is even called "Cozy" and it is. However, it is nicely written with an intriguing plot and a main character who could get a little tiresome because she's so nice and entrepreneurial and successful at what she does, which is cook. Hence the rest of the series title: "Charlotte Denver & Culinary Cozy Mystery". You even get recipes!
It is set in a Cornish fishing village and the death of a visitor brings all sorts of fears to the natives. As is right and proper, the police detectives investigate the murder but Charlotte provides a haven for investigators, suspects and gossiping locals alike.
Oh, it's fun and light and worth a read. and it's currently (17 August 2017) free on Kindle UK. Load it up, today.
It is set in a Cornish fishing village and the death of a visitor brings all sorts of fears to the natives. As is right and proper, the police detectives investigate the murder but Charlotte provides a haven for investigators, suspects and gossiping locals alike.
Oh, it's fun and light and worth a read. and it's currently (17 August 2017) free on Kindle UK. Load it up, today.
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