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Mrs. Malory Mysteries #21
Mrs. Malory and Death Is a Word
Arson and murder in the English countryside from the author of Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End . . .
In the wake of a reporter’s death, biographer Sheila Malory must dig through the remnants of his life to discover the devil in the details . . .
Sheila’s friend, larger-than-life Eva Jackson, has returned to the village of Taviscombe after losing her husband, Alan. A foreign correspondent, Alan reported on dangerous stories around the world from Libya to Afghanistan—but the cause of his death was more mundane: kidney failure in a London hospital. Still, he led a storied life, and much of his past lies in his writings, papers, and books now boxed away in Eva’s garage.
After Eva decides to compile a book of Alan’s unpublished works, a fire mysteriously breaks out in the garage. Then Eva meets a suspicious end, leading Sheila to wonder if there’s a killer at large in their charming Devon countryside . . .
In the wake of a reporter’s death, biographer Sheila Malory must dig through the remnants of his life to discover the devil in the details . . .
Sheila’s friend, larger-than-life Eva Jackson, has returned to the village of Taviscombe after losing her husband, Alan. A foreign correspondent, Alan reported on dangerous stories around the world from Libya to Afghanistan—but the cause of his death was more mundane: kidney failure in a London hospital. Still, he led a storied life, and much of his past lies in his writings, papers, and books now boxed away in Eva’s garage.
After Eva decides to compile a book of Alan’s unpublished works, a fire mysteriously breaks out in the garage. Then Eva meets a suspicious end, leading Sheila to wonder if there’s a killer at large in their charming Devon countryside . . .
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 18, 2014
19 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Hazel Holt
63 books72 followersHazel Holt is a British novelist. She studied at King Edward VI High School for Girls in Birmingham, England, and then Newnham College, Cambridge. She went on to work at the International African Institute in London, where she became acquainted with the novelist Barbara Pym, whose biography she later wrote. She also finished one of Pym's novels after Pym died.
Holt wrote her first novel in her sixties, and is a leading crime novelist. She is best known for her "Sheila Malory" series. Her son is the novelist Tom Holt.
Holt wrote her first novel in her sixties, and is a leading crime novelist. She is best known for her "Sheila Malory" series. Her son is the novelist Tom Holt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 25, 2017
It deserves a 4 star except for the rather abrupt ending reveal portion, which is a 3 star barely. With all threads tied up neatly in a bow. Which is so unusual in actual reality- but in fiction seems to happen with far more frequency.
This is a delight to read. Here we have an additional Mrs. Malory and the reader can return to her dear village and sip tea with Rosemary. While they both dish.
It's far more modern than the others too. Not only does she have a mobile, but she has actually figured out how to take photos with it, and does here with tire tracks she comes upon. And some of the "sorted" papers (a very few compared to the others in envelopes and paper books) are on an old laptop and one other tech device.
Althea is still blustering and shaming all into some volunteer service and other donation goods or baked additions. Always needing speakers for the community center too, especially if you can convey information upon old historic buildings. And although Mrs. Dudley has spots of severe illness, she survives to judge another day. 3.5 stars of/for/with genuine neighbors. I think there are more tea shop and Buttery baked concoctions in this one than in 2 others. Sponges, scones, and biscuits in variety.
Love the village and Hazel Holt's additional episode.
This is a delight to read. Here we have an additional Mrs. Malory and the reader can return to her dear village and sip tea with Rosemary. While they both dish.
It's far more modern than the others too. Not only does she have a mobile, but she has actually figured out how to take photos with it, and does here with tire tracks she comes upon. And some of the "sorted" papers (a very few compared to the others in envelopes and paper books) are on an old laptop and one other tech device.
Althea is still blustering and shaming all into some volunteer service and other donation goods or baked additions. Always needing speakers for the community center too, especially if you can convey information upon old historic buildings. And although Mrs. Dudley has spots of severe illness, she survives to judge another day. 3.5 stars of/for/with genuine neighbors. I think there are more tea shop and Buttery baked concoctions in this one than in 2 others. Sponges, scones, and biscuits in variety.
Love the village and Hazel Holt's additional episode.
April 23, 2016
A quaint British cozy.
I have to admit, this is the first book I’ve read in the Sheila Malory series. If it hadn’t been given to me to review, I may have never heard of it, and that would have been a real shame.
MRS. MALORY AND DEATH IS A WORD reminds me so much of the lovely traditional English mysteries both in print, and on the small screen…intelligent, and charming.
The plot was well written, not the most exciting I have ever read, buy enjoyable, and this may sound strange, it was comfortable.
This is the last book on the Sheila Malory Mysteries. Sadly, author Hazel Holt passed away in 2015.
I would recommend this book to English and/or traditional cozy mysteries, who also like a quick read.
I have to admit, this is the first book I’ve read in the Sheila Malory series. If it hadn’t been given to me to review, I may have never heard of it, and that would have been a real shame.
MRS. MALORY AND DEATH IS A WORD reminds me so much of the lovely traditional English mysteries both in print, and on the small screen…intelligent, and charming.
The plot was well written, not the most exciting I have ever read, buy enjoyable, and this may sound strange, it was comfortable.
This is the last book on the Sheila Malory Mysteries. Sadly, author Hazel Holt passed away in 2015.
I would recommend this book to English and/or traditional cozy mysteries, who also like a quick read.
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March 26, 2015Good-bye old friend.
April 21, 2017
Sheila Malory is once again on the trail of a possible criminal. An old friend - Eva - returns to Taviscombe following the death of her husband, Alan, who was a globe trotting war correspondent.
Eva soon becomes involved in charity work thanks to her distant cousin, Rosemary who is also Sheila's best friend. Then Eva herself is found dead in somewhat mysterious circumstances and Sheila starts to wonder what is going on especially as someone tried to set fire to Eva's garage where her later husband's papers are stored.
This novel is relatively slow paced and the solution is equally low key but it is still an entertaining read. It highlights some potential dangers of digging into the past -whether one's own or that of others. Unfortunately it is the last in the Sheila Malory series. The books in the series can be read in any order though this is perhaps best left until last.
Eva soon becomes involved in charity work thanks to her distant cousin, Rosemary who is also Sheila's best friend. Then Eva herself is found dead in somewhat mysterious circumstances and Sheila starts to wonder what is going on especially as someone tried to set fire to Eva's garage where her later husband's papers are stored.
This novel is relatively slow paced and the solution is equally low key but it is still an entertaining read. It highlights some potential dangers of digging into the past -whether one's own or that of others. Unfortunately it is the last in the Sheila Malory series. The books in the series can be read in any order though this is perhaps best left until last.
December 19, 2020
A newcomer named Donald Webster has arrived in Taviscombe. He is charming to everyone, but Sheila Malory and her best friend Rosemary aren’t sure what to think of him. Donald volunteers for all the committees and patiently spends time with Rosemary’s difficult mother Mrs. Dudley. Soon he becomes a frequent companion to Rosemary’s recently widowed cousin, Eva Jackson. Sheila and Rosemary should be happy for Eva, but could Donald be too good to be true?
I love the character of Sheila Malory and I enjoy reading about her longtime friendship with Rosemary and her everyday life with her other friends, family, and her beloved pets. The plot of the book is interesting and becomes more complex and relationships between the characters become entangled and more than one person is hiding a few secrets. I wish there would have been more scenes with Sheila and devoted son, Michael, but he does make a brief appearance which is good.
“Death is the Word” is an easy read with an interesting plot, but reading this book was bittersweet. I didn’t want to put the book down, but the cover says, “The Final Sheila Malory Mystery”. So while I was eager to find out what would happen next, I didn’t want the book to end since this is apparently the last book in this delightful series. The Sheila Malory books have complex characters and interesting plots and sub-plots, but what I love most about the series is the descriptions of Sheila’s day-to-day activities. She meets her best friend, Rosemary for lunch, goes shopping, picks up her granddaughter Alice from school, attends various committee meetings, and helps at many numerous charity functions, but still manages to solve murder cases that leave the local police baffled. It is so relaxing to curl up with a Mrs Malory book and get lost in her world.
In “Death is a Word”, Eva’s death seems to be an accident, but when there is another death, Sheila starts having second thoughts. As intelligent as Sheila is, I would have thought she would have seen some of the clues a lot sooner, but as always, she gets to the truth by the conclusion of the book. This book, like many of the others in the series, doesn’t have a pat ending with everything tied up with a bow. The solution of the case, like the characters in the book, is layered and more complex than one might expect, but definitely satisfying.
I would ordinarily give the book 4.5 stars, but since half stars aren’t allowed and because of the enjoyment I’ve received from the entire series, I’ve rounded up to five stars. I’m sorry this is the end of the series, but so happy to have read this book and many of the prior books in one of my all-time favorite mystery series. Thank you, Hazel Holt, for giving us one more visit to Taviscombe to spend time with Sheila Malory as she solves another case.
I love the character of Sheila Malory and I enjoy reading about her longtime friendship with Rosemary and her everyday life with her other friends, family, and her beloved pets. The plot of the book is interesting and becomes more complex and relationships between the characters become entangled and more than one person is hiding a few secrets. I wish there would have been more scenes with Sheila and devoted son, Michael, but he does make a brief appearance which is good.
“Death is the Word” is an easy read with an interesting plot, but reading this book was bittersweet. I didn’t want to put the book down, but the cover says, “The Final Sheila Malory Mystery”. So while I was eager to find out what would happen next, I didn’t want the book to end since this is apparently the last book in this delightful series. The Sheila Malory books have complex characters and interesting plots and sub-plots, but what I love most about the series is the descriptions of Sheila’s day-to-day activities. She meets her best friend, Rosemary for lunch, goes shopping, picks up her granddaughter Alice from school, attends various committee meetings, and helps at many numerous charity functions, but still manages to solve murder cases that leave the local police baffled. It is so relaxing to curl up with a Mrs Malory book and get lost in her world.
In “Death is a Word”, Eva’s death seems to be an accident, but when there is another death, Sheila starts having second thoughts. As intelligent as Sheila is, I would have thought she would have seen some of the clues a lot sooner, but as always, she gets to the truth by the conclusion of the book. This book, like many of the others in the series, doesn’t have a pat ending with everything tied up with a bow. The solution of the case, like the characters in the book, is layered and more complex than one might expect, but definitely satisfying.
I would ordinarily give the book 4.5 stars, but since half stars aren’t allowed and because of the enjoyment I’ve received from the entire series, I’ve rounded up to five stars. I’m sorry this is the end of the series, but so happy to have read this book and many of the prior books in one of my all-time favorite mystery series. Thank you, Hazel Holt, for giving us one more visit to Taviscombe to spend time with Sheila Malory as she solves another case.
October 17, 2014
I enjoyed reading this last book by Hazel Holt (Mrs Mallory series) - but have enjoyed her other books more.
September 14, 2016
Great example of a "Cosy" - a mystery without graphic blood and gore. If you're an Anglophile, add at least 1 star. Add another if you're a Barbara Pym fan (Holt was her friend and literary executor). Check out Great Book Guru's blog where she reviews another in this series.
December 9, 2025
Mrs. Malory seems to be ageless. This is a woman who belongs to several community groups, still writes professionally, cleans her own house, regularly visits friends and grouchy senior citizens, and in every single of the 21 books Hazel Holt wrote in this series, manages to get herself involved in mystery and death. How does she do it all?
Needless to say, she does it once again in Death is a Word. It all begins when a childhood friends returns to the community after the death of her husband, a retired international war correspondent. Eva Jackson finds a little home and quickly moves in, storing several boxes of her late husband's unpublished works, notes and journals. Then there is a fire, fortunately, a minor one in the garage.
Things continue as usual in the little village with various community activities, and Eva meets the other recent new arrival, a retired international businessman who had known her husband in South America. The two become friends (and naturally cause 'talk' in the community). Then, a number of community members, including Eva and Mrs. Malory. All but one slowly recover: Eva dies.
Following her funeral, Eva's son moves into her home and gains an appreciation of the bucolic surroundings. He takes up his mother's recent hobby of genealogy, and takes to visiting an elderly relative to learn more about the family. Then he is killed.
While police investigate his death, Mrs. Malory dives into the recent incidents. Did someone kill Eva? And who killed her son? What would be the motive for the two deaths?
With sly wit, charming characters, Hazel Holt once again comes up with a likable cozy mystery that is fun to read, as she has done in entire series.
Needless to say, she does it once again in Death is a Word. It all begins when a childhood friends returns to the community after the death of her husband, a retired international war correspondent. Eva Jackson finds a little home and quickly moves in, storing several boxes of her late husband's unpublished works, notes and journals. Then there is a fire, fortunately, a minor one in the garage.
Things continue as usual in the little village with various community activities, and Eva meets the other recent new arrival, a retired international businessman who had known her husband in South America. The two become friends (and naturally cause 'talk' in the community). Then, a number of community members, including Eva and Mrs. Malory. All but one slowly recover: Eva dies.
Following her funeral, Eva's son moves into her home and gains an appreciation of the bucolic surroundings. He takes up his mother's recent hobby of genealogy, and takes to visiting an elderly relative to learn more about the family. Then he is killed.
While police investigate his death, Mrs. Malory dives into the recent incidents. Did someone kill Eva? And who killed her son? What would be the motive for the two deaths?
With sly wit, charming characters, Hazel Holt once again comes up with a likable cozy mystery that is fun to read, as she has done in entire series.
August 30, 2022
When her internationally known journalist husband dies shortly after his retirement, Eva Jackson returns to Taviscombe, where she grew up. One of her many tasks is to sort through her husband’s papers, but she simply cannot face it yet and asks old friend Sheila Malory and cousin Rosemary, Sheila’s best friend, to help her lug the boxes into the shed, where she promptly forgets them. Soon after that, there is an unfortunate fire in the shed, apparently due to faulty wiring, but the papers aren’t damaged and the same group removes them to the house for safekeeping. And soon after *that*, Eva is dead, from leaving her diabetes untreated while suffering a respiratory illness, and her son Daniel and his partner Patrick move into the cottage, only to have patterns repeating themselves….This is the 20th and final volume of the Mrs. Malory mystery series, ended not because anything drastic happens to the main characters but because Ms. Holt herself died. As a finale, it weaves in all the elements of this cozy series: comfortable relationships between villagers, a generally benign look at small-town life (including such mundane matters as cleaning one’s kitchen cupboards and preparing coffee mornings at the local town hall), and an inquisitive amateur detective who happens to know everybody in the village and whom everybody feels comfortable confiding in. Plus, as happens frequently in this series, a solution that seems to come out of left field but that is completely reasonable upon consideration. I shall miss Sheila Malory and her friends and her pets - and Taviscombe too! Recommended.
May 17, 2020
Shelia Malory and her friend Rosemary were delighted when a friend from their school days, Eva, moves back to Taviscome after her husband’s death. Her husband had been a famous reporter covering major happenings all over the globe. Many of his papers were in boxes that Eva stored until she could face going through them. When Eva died suddenly, their son Daniel and his partner Patrick came down to stay in the Taviscome cottage. They were just settling into life in the village when Daniel was killed in a hit-and-run during his early morning exercise run. --- Alan and Eva’s deaths had been accepted as accidents, but now with Daniel’s death, perhaps they needed looking at again. Can Mrs. Malory put the puzzle together? ---- Another enjoyable read. On the cover of the book it says “The Final Sheila Malory Mystery”…. I hope this is not true. I enjoy reading about Mrs. Malory and her friends.
August 23, 2017
After reading a series of dark, dystopian novels, a "cozy" Mrs. Malory mystery was a welcome respite. Once again, Sheila Malory becomes involved in a series of suspicious deaths in idyllic Taviscombe in the Devon countryside.
The village welcomes Eva, a former local whose husband has recently died. She quickly becomes involved not only with friends and family but a dashing single man new to the village as well. When she dies unexpectedly, followed by the equally dodgy demise or her son, Sheila wonders if there's a sinister pattern.
I always enjoy the Malory series although the ending of this last installment seemed a bit forced. Sadly, Holt passed away in 2015 so we fans must make do with re-reading her series to get our "fix".
The village welcomes Eva, a former local whose husband has recently died. She quickly becomes involved not only with friends and family but a dashing single man new to the village as well. When she dies unexpectedly, followed by the equally dodgy demise or her son, Sheila wonders if there's a sinister pattern.
I always enjoy the Malory series although the ending of this last installment seemed a bit forced. Sadly, Holt passed away in 2015 so we fans must make do with re-reading her series to get our "fix".
November 1, 2019
. It is truly a delight to immerse oneself in a fictional world of cozy cottages in the Cotswalds or similar English villages where neighbors are neighborly, if often murderous and the setting is bookish and antiquish with scones served and tea (though I’d prefer coffee) and even the murders are never gory and older ladies unencumbered by husbands prevail.Such is the world of Mrs. Malory as constructed by Hazel Holt—and since I am reading the series out of order, I am saddened to learn that Death is a Word is the last volume since Ms. Holt has died.
May 16, 2020
Sheila Malory renews a friendship with a distant relative of her best friend Rosemary. Eva's husband had recently died in London where they lived, and she decides to move to a place she had fond memories of, Taviscombe, where Sheila and Rosemary live. Then she gets sick and dies; her son and his friend come to Taviscombe for the funeral and decide to stay, at least for a while. A short while later Eva's son is run down while he is out running. Who was the hit-and-run driver? Was Eva's death an accident?
July 5, 2017
Hazel Holt died in 2015 and I have to wonder about the last two books in this series. Did someone take Ms Holt's notes etc and finish these two mysteries? I have read every one of the books in this series and own many of them. I felt that the last two books did not "flow" as Ms Holt's other Sheila Malory mysteries. Something was just off. Thankfully I can reread her earlier works.
December 31, 2017
Another lovely cozy read by Hazel Holt, this time Mrs. Malory must come to the aid of a family member. I love this series and was so saddened to learn that the author died recently and so no more visits with Mrs. Malory and all her friends, family and neighbors in her sweet, but sometimes quite deadly little village.
October 7, 2018
The mystery plot doesn't really start until after halfway through the book.
There are at least 2 tiresome annoying characters.
But Hazel Holt manages to give us a shocking yet modern resolution to "whodunit".
Barbara Pym fans will enjoy the homages to familiar themes & names.
So if you've already read all of Barbara Pym & Georgette Heyer, this is a cozy option.
There are at least 2 tiresome annoying characters.
But Hazel Holt manages to give us a shocking yet modern resolution to "whodunit".
Barbara Pym fans will enjoy the homages to familiar themes & names.
So if you've already read all of Barbara Pym & Georgette Heyer, this is a cozy option.
October 30, 2018
By book 21 in the series, the narrator's dog and cat are mentioned only by name. With attention I deduced that they were not human children and separated them by characteristic behavior. Finally on page 200 it is mentioned that Foss is a Siamese.
A very small quibble in an excellent cozy example of Murder most British.
A very small quibble in an excellent cozy example of Murder most British.
March 23, 2021
This is unlike any cozy mystery I've ever read before. The book seems to drag on before the murder ever occurs. Then, over half of the book is finished before anyone even starts to question if there was a murder. If all of Holt's books are written like this, I will not read another. I will be looking at more reviews of other Sheila Malory mysteries before deciding to read more of them.
April 8, 2024
While this book had several components that I enjoy reading in a good mystery novel, there were other aspects I didn't care for(I skipped over them)
The story had twists and turns that are necessary for intrigue and sleuthing. Some characters made the story more interesting than others. I found it lacking in parts, but I enjoyed the way the author wrapped up the ending.
The story had twists and turns that are necessary for intrigue and sleuthing. Some characters made the story more interesting than others. I found it lacking in parts, but I enjoyed the way the author wrapped up the ending.
September 16, 2018
Please! Bring us the missing 6 Mrs Mallory books!
Excellent series, worth re-reading. I wish the middle volumes were available. Literate, wonderful characters, interestingly convoluted plots and a pleasing blend of malice and goodness.
Excellent series, worth re-reading. I wish the middle volumes were available. Literate, wonderful characters, interestingly convoluted plots and a pleasing blend of malice and goodness.
October 13, 2018
I have enjoyed reading Hazel Holt mysteries in the past, but for some reason I found this a bit slow. Sad to read in the back that the author passed away in 2015. This was the last Mrs. Malory she wrote so perhaps she was getting tired of writing them.
October 28, 2022
This is the last of the series, and while this one was ok, it did not hold up to the ones this author had done in the past. Hazel Holt passed away in 2015 so I am not sure if this one was finished by someone else.
February 9, 2019
This is the final book in the series. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite. It dragged, lacked the offbeat humor, and had a shallower plot than the rest.
March 14, 2019
Engrossing, as usual.
The author places you right beside the characters as you read! I'm every book of hers that I have read, I've felt a part of the village.
The author places you right beside the characters as you read! I'm every book of hers that I have read, I've felt a part of the village.
November 11, 2021
Great book with a really interesting ending, but the last of this series. RIP Hazel Holt.
March 2, 2017
I saw when I was looking at my old diaries that I had read many of this author's books in the 1990s which I had completely forgotten about so when I saw this in the library I thought I would give it a go. Sadly this was her final book (published in 2014) as she died in 2015 just after her 87th birthday. I suppose it's pretty impressive for someone in their late 80s to be still writing books but this book does not have much of a story. OK it's a cosy mystery (without much of a mystery!) but there are too many characters and I had difficulty keeping track of them. I suspect the author did too as she does not seem to be sure whether the doctor is called is called Dr Porter or Dr Horobin. I imagine the author was really writing for regular readers who would know most of the characters already and would also know that Tris is a dog and Foss is a cat. Despite my criticism the author does write well so it's a pleasant enough read even though very little happens. If you are unfamiliar with the author this is definitely not the book to start with.
September 16, 2016
A true British cozy mystery - another new-to-me series that I wish I had found sooner!
I enjoyed the characters; Sheila Malory and her friend, Rosemary, are a perfect pair of sleuths. They are seasoned, with wisdom and intellect honed by maturity. One of the things I like about the ladies is that they are older than the average protagonists, for lack of a better descriptive. When their friend Eva is widowed by her husband's sudden death, they try to help her as permitted. After spending time in London, Eva had moved to a cottage in the their village of Taviscombe. They planned to help her organize her late husband's notes from years of being an overseas news correspondent. That is, until a fire mysteriously broke out in her garage.
Eva met and fell in love with a man who was new to the area, much to the chagrin of the other single or widowed ladies who wanted to grab him up. A whirlwind courtship results in their engagement. Then she died, supposedly of natural causes. Right. Her son and his partner were highly suspicious - even moving to the cottage as he grieved the loss of both parents.
The plot was well-planned, and while I had a good idea who had done what...there is always that surprise that throws me into a new direction! There are plot twists and losses that were so unexpected and sad. While the humor is not LOL, it is sometimes gentle and sometimes a chuckle. I definitely enjoy Sheila and Rosemary, and recommend this novel to those who enjoy well-written traditional cozy mysteries. Great read!
I enjoyed the characters; Sheila Malory and her friend, Rosemary, are a perfect pair of sleuths. They are seasoned, with wisdom and intellect honed by maturity. One of the things I like about the ladies is that they are older than the average protagonists, for lack of a better descriptive. When their friend Eva is widowed by her husband's sudden death, they try to help her as permitted. After spending time in London, Eva had moved to a cottage in the their village of Taviscombe. They planned to help her organize her late husband's notes from years of being an overseas news correspondent. That is, until a fire mysteriously broke out in her garage.
Eva met and fell in love with a man who was new to the area, much to the chagrin of the other single or widowed ladies who wanted to grab him up. A whirlwind courtship results in their engagement. Then she died, supposedly of natural causes. Right. Her son and his partner were highly suspicious - even moving to the cottage as he grieved the loss of both parents.
The plot was well-planned, and while I had a good idea who had done what...there is always that surprise that throws me into a new direction! There are plot twists and losses that were so unexpected and sad. While the humor is not LOL, it is sometimes gentle and sometimes a chuckle. I definitely enjoy Sheila and Rosemary, and recommend this novel to those who enjoy well-written traditional cozy mysteries. Great read!
May 10, 2016
This is one of those fascinating cozy murder mysteries that makes you feel like you’re living in a different country as you meet new friends (characters).
The quaint and cozy community setting draws you in as the protagonist (Mrs. Malory) and her friends visits. The easy flowing dialogue makes the story move at a good pace and places the reader in the middle of the action. The author’s rich descriptions of the countryside brings the area to life.
The twists and turns keeps the story entertaining. The suspense builds as the murders occur and readers seek the find the motive as the protagonist discovers the killer.
MRS. MALORY AND DEATH IS A WORD is the 21st installment in the Mrs. Sheila Malory Mystery series, but can be read on its own. New readers won’t be left in the dark and returning fans will be delighted to find out more about Mrs. Malory’s latest adventure.
This is an engaging story with a British flare that makes for a quick and easy read.
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
The quaint and cozy community setting draws you in as the protagonist (Mrs. Malory) and her friends visits. The easy flowing dialogue makes the story move at a good pace and places the reader in the middle of the action. The author’s rich descriptions of the countryside brings the area to life.
The twists and turns keeps the story entertaining. The suspense builds as the murders occur and readers seek the find the motive as the protagonist discovers the killer.
MRS. MALORY AND DEATH IS A WORD is the 21st installment in the Mrs. Sheila Malory Mystery series, but can be read on its own. New readers won’t be left in the dark and returning fans will be delighted to find out more about Mrs. Malory’s latest adventure.
This is an engaging story with a British flare that makes for a quick and easy read.
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
May 3, 2016
Mrs. Malory And Death Is A Word is the twentieth book in the Mrs. Malory series.
This is the first book that I have read in this classic type English country mystery. Sad that there will be no more books in this series.
Eva Jackson has returned to childhood village and the death of her investigative reporter husband. She plans on writing a book about his life and has stored his notes, scripts and articles he has written in her garage. When a fire, that does little damage, happens, it is attributed to the electrical wiring in the old garage. When Eva dies under mysterious causes, Mrs. Malory begins to wonder if her death was really due to some kind of illness. Then when Eva's son, a food critic is killed in a hit and run accident, it is time for her determine if they are related and to find out what secrets might be in the husband's papers.
An enjoyable and quick read.
This is the first book that I have read in this classic type English country mystery. Sad that there will be no more books in this series.
Eva Jackson has returned to childhood village and the death of her investigative reporter husband. She plans on writing a book about his life and has stored his notes, scripts and articles he has written in her garage. When a fire, that does little damage, happens, it is attributed to the electrical wiring in the old garage. When Eva dies under mysterious causes, Mrs. Malory begins to wonder if her death was really due to some kind of illness. Then when Eva's son, a food critic is killed in a hit and run accident, it is time for her determine if they are related and to find out what secrets might be in the husband's papers.
An enjoyable and quick read.
June 12, 2016
Eva's husband, a journalist, has died and she's come to the village to retire and settle back into a quieter life. Then she dies, then her son also dies, and either the place is cursed or there's something else going on.
The book is slow, very slow, filled with all kinds of little details that have nothing whatsoever to do with the mystery. If you like that sort of thing, this is the book for you. It's very much a traditional British mystery.
The book is slow, very slow, filled with all kinds of little details that have nothing whatsoever to do with the mystery. If you like that sort of thing, this is the book for you. It's very much a traditional British mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews