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Isle of Man #17
Aunt Bessie Questions
Aunt Bessie questions how best to support her friend Helen.
Helen Baxter and Inspector Pete Corkill are getting married, but Helen’s nerves are getting the better of her. Elizabeth Cubbon, Bessie to everyone, does everything she can to help her friend.
Aunt Bessie questions whether the wedding will happen or not.
When the happy couple stumble across a dead body on the night before the wedding, things get complicated very quickly.
Aunt Bessie questions the dead man’s estranged wife, his live-in girlfriend, and anyone and everyone else she can find.
But this is one killer who wants to stop Bessie, and it seems the killer is prepared to do whatever needs to be done to scare Bessie away from the investigation.
Helen Baxter and Inspector Pete Corkill are getting married, but Helen’s nerves are getting the better of her. Elizabeth Cubbon, Bessie to everyone, does everything she can to help her friend.
Aunt Bessie questions whether the wedding will happen or not.
When the happy couple stumble across a dead body on the night before the wedding, things get complicated very quickly.
Aunt Bessie questions the dead man’s estranged wife, his live-in girlfriend, and anyone and everyone else she can find.
But this is one killer who wants to stop Bessie, and it seems the killer is prepared to do whatever needs to be done to scare Bessie away from the investigation.
- GenresMysteryCozy MysteryCozy
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2018
266 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Diana Xarissa
242 books264 followersDiana started self-publishing in 2013 and over a decade later she now has over a hundred books available for readers. Writing remains her passion and she has no plans to stop writing in the foreseeable future.
Diana grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and earned a history degree from Allegheny College. She met her husband, an Englishman, while living and working in Washington, DC. Following their marriage, she moved to Derbyshire. A short while later, the happy couple moved to the Isle of Man.
During their years on the island, Diana and her husband welcomed two children, and Diana completed a master’s degree in the history of the island. In 2008, the family made the decision to move to the US. Now empty-nesters, Diana and her husband are living in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, and contemplating moving somewhere that doesn’t get snow.
Diana also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future as Diana X. Dunn and Young Adult fiction as D.X. Dunn.
Diana grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and earned a history degree from Allegheny College. She met her husband, an Englishman, while living and working in Washington, DC. Following their marriage, she moved to Derbyshire. A short while later, the happy couple moved to the Isle of Man.
During their years on the island, Diana and her husband welcomed two children, and Diana completed a master’s degree in the history of the island. In 2008, the family made the decision to move to the US. Now empty-nesters, Diana and her husband are living in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, and contemplating moving somewhere that doesn’t get snow.
Diana also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future as Diana X. Dunn and Young Adult fiction as D.X. Dunn.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 17, 2024
Book 17 in the Isle of Man series.
Aunt Bessie and her friends discover a dead body in the church yard the day before a wedding. Surely it cannot be the vicar - or is it? This book turned out to be more exciting than some of the previous ones and Bessie gets into some danger but her friends gather round to help. As usual lots of lovely food is consumed and by the end of the book all is right with the world in Laxey.
This is a series you need to read from the beginning, because it is the characters who are most important, not the story. A gentle, enjoyable, easy to read book worth five stars.
Aunt Bessie and her friends discover a dead body in the church yard the day before a wedding. Surely it cannot be the vicar - or is it? This book turned out to be more exciting than some of the previous ones and Bessie gets into some danger but her friends gather round to help. As usual lots of lovely food is consumed and by the end of the book all is right with the world in Laxey.
This is a series you need to read from the beginning, because it is the characters who are most important, not the story. A gentle, enjoyable, easy to read book worth five stars.
November 22, 2024
The big day for nurse Helen Baxter and Inspector Peter Corkill is at hand! And the bride remains as jittery as ever, certain that something will go wrong with the wedding.
Sadly, Helen is right. The vicar who was to marry them turns up dead the night before their wedding.
Elizabeth Cubbon — known by most as Aunt Bessie — becomes involved, both in reassuring the stressed bride and investigating. Who would want to murder the inoffensive Reverend William Doyle, especially as he’d only recently arrived to the Isle of Man from Dorking, England? But it turns out the murdered man was an imposter, not a vicar!
Author Diana Xarissa wove a wonderful story until — if you’ll pardon the pun — she ran of material. Chapter 14 ends on quite a dramatic note, but then the final just seems tacked on, with the mystery resolved in the most perfunctory way. How bad was the ending? It turned a five-star read to a three-star one. It’s not a book I’d skip but be sure to keep your expectations low. Really low.
Sadly, Helen is right. The vicar who was to marry them turns up dead the night before their wedding.
Elizabeth Cubbon — known by most as Aunt Bessie — becomes involved, both in reassuring the stressed bride and investigating. Who would want to murder the inoffensive Reverend William Doyle, especially as he’d only recently arrived to the Isle of Man from Dorking, England? But it turns out the murdered man was an imposter, not a vicar!
Author Diana Xarissa wove a wonderful story until — if you’ll pardon the pun — she ran of material. Chapter 14 ends on quite a dramatic note, but then the final just seems tacked on, with the mystery resolved in the most perfunctory way. How bad was the ending? It turned a five-star read to a three-star one. It’s not a book I’d skip but be sure to keep your expectations low. Really low.
April 24, 2018
Aunt Bessie Questions: An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 17 is by Diana Xarissa. Because of this series, I would love to visit the Isle of Man one day. I have seen photos of the Isle of Man and the big motorcycle race they have. That would be fun to visit too. Diana has brought the Isle of Man to life in her Aunt Bessie series. The characters are so real that one would find oneself looking for them if they visited.
Aunt Bessie gets involved in the murder of the Reverend Doyle in the cemetery. She and her friends, John Rockwell, Pete and Helen who were getting married had all gone to the Laxey church to meet with the minister the night before the wedding. Instead, they find the body of the Reverend in the cemetery. This cuts their night short and worries the bride and groom. Will they be able to get married the next day?
The next day, Aunt Bessie finds Dawn Gray, the victim’s wife on the rock by her house. Dawn tells her how she was planning on divorcing her husband because of his criminal lifestyle. Now she is crying over him. While they are talking, Dawn’s father and brother walk up. Her brother gets belligerent and angrily tells Aunt Bessie to leave Dawn alone. Aunt Bessie leaves them with a feeling that Brandon, the brother, is more involved than everyone thinks.
As usual, a great number of things are going on at the same time in the story. By being able to read it in an hour or so, it makes it easier to keep up with the suspects. Like all the others, this book in this series is fantastic.
Aunt Bessie gets involved in the murder of the Reverend Doyle in the cemetery. She and her friends, John Rockwell, Pete and Helen who were getting married had all gone to the Laxey church to meet with the minister the night before the wedding. Instead, they find the body of the Reverend in the cemetery. This cuts their night short and worries the bride and groom. Will they be able to get married the next day?
The next day, Aunt Bessie finds Dawn Gray, the victim’s wife on the rock by her house. Dawn tells her how she was planning on divorcing her husband because of his criminal lifestyle. Now she is crying over him. While they are talking, Dawn’s father and brother walk up. Her brother gets belligerent and angrily tells Aunt Bessie to leave Dawn alone. Aunt Bessie leaves them with a feeling that Brandon, the brother, is more involved than everyone thinks.
As usual, a great number of things are going on at the same time in the story. By being able to read it in an hour or so, it makes it easier to keep up with the suspects. Like all the others, this book in this series is fantastic.
October 18, 2019
Unquestionably Better.
At long last, a well-paced Aunt Bessie murder mystery that does not involve the reader in an endless repetition of character histories; evening meetings highlighted by the latest takeaway; numerous cups of tea and plates of biscuits and reliance on skeet. Following the previous book in the series, I had no enthusiasm to read this one. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a change in format that had me captured from the beginning through to the end. A genuine murder mystery that has the reader working along with Aunt Bessie rather than reading a progress report. The characters in this book also become more real, demonstrating their own growth and unique individual personalities. They can be “seen” to be more part of a team, rather than Aunt Bessie aides.
At long last, a well-paced Aunt Bessie murder mystery that does not involve the reader in an endless repetition of character histories; evening meetings highlighted by the latest takeaway; numerous cups of tea and plates of biscuits and reliance on skeet. Following the previous book in the series, I had no enthusiasm to read this one. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a change in format that had me captured from the beginning through to the end. A genuine murder mystery that has the reader working along with Aunt Bessie rather than reading a progress report. The characters in this book also become more real, demonstrating their own growth and unique individual personalities. They can be “seen” to be more part of a team, rather than Aunt Bessie aides.
May 28, 2018
Always a pleasure
This is a far faster pace then some of the other books of Aunt Bessie. I really enjoyed this mystery, & I'm sure everyone else will also. As Bessie is targeted by a bully thinking she was sticking her nose into things, which she does very nicely. It does show that its not a good idea to do or try to do bad things to Aunt Bessie!
This is a far faster pace then some of the other books of Aunt Bessie. I really enjoyed this mystery, & I'm sure everyone else will also. As Bessie is targeted by a bully thinking she was sticking her nose into things, which she does very nicely. It does show that its not a good idea to do or try to do bad things to Aunt Bessie!
February 17, 2020
Well, Elizabeth did mention, at the end of the last book, that there was something a bit off about the vicar...
I would have given this one five stars, but somehow it feels as if the ending is too abrupt - as if there should have been another page or two. Which is the sort of thing Aunt Bessie sometimes complains about herself :)
I would have given this one five stars, but somehow it feels as if the ending is too abrupt - as if there should have been another page or two. Which is the sort of thing Aunt Bessie sometimes complains about herself :)
May 1, 2018
Aunt Bessie in the thick of it!
Loved it. Really enjoyed the interaction of all her friends joining in to set things right in her little house and Andy staying there...but get John and Doona married and have his kids live with them!!!
Loved it. Really enjoyed the interaction of all her friends joining in to set things right in her little house and Andy staying there...but get John and Doona married and have his kids live with them!!!
May 1, 2018
Aunt Bessie
This book starts with a vicar being murdered and Bessie and her friends discovering the body. How Bessie and her friends solve the case is a fascinating read. Another great book in this series. Highly recommend this book and the series.
This book starts with a vicar being murdered and Bessie and her friends discovering the body. How Bessie and her friends solve the case is a fascinating read. Another great book in this series. Highly recommend this book and the series.
July 27, 2018
Fun mystery
The vicar is found dead among the gravestones in the church cemetery... by the bride and groom and Aunt Bessie who is to be a witness. On the home front, someone breaks into and trashes Aunt Bessie’s beloved beachfront cottage.
The vicar is found dead among the gravestones in the church cemetery... by the bride and groom and Aunt Bessie who is to be a witness. On the home front, someone breaks into and trashes Aunt Bessie’s beloved beachfront cottage.
September 21, 2018
Aunt Bessie is always right.
I must admit that I took a break from Aunt Bessie and even skipped one. Questions was a good mystery and I enjoyed it. It was touching when all of Bessie's friends gathered to support her when trouble came to her door. Next!
I must admit that I took a break from Aunt Bessie and even skipped one. Questions was a good mystery and I enjoyed it. It was touching when all of Bessie's friends gathered to support her when trouble came to her door. Next!
July 27, 2021
Aunt Bessie questions:
* Why anyone would want to kill a vicar?
* Why anyone would want to break into her cottage?
* Why the murdered man's wife would be so friendly with his live-in "housekeeper"?
Answers may not be easy to find, but Aunt Bessie will do anything she can to help.
* Why anyone would want to kill a vicar?
* Why anyone would want to break into her cottage?
* Why the murdered man's wife would be so friendly with his live-in "housekeeper"?
Answers may not be easy to find, but Aunt Bessie will do anything she can to help.
March 1, 2023
Loved loved loved the charachters in this book. They were unsightly, argumentative and downright nasty. I never like to continued housing on the beach and the author had done justice to the continual crowding.
May 30, 2024
A particularly good episode in the Aunt Bessie series. Bessie’s friends Peter and Helen are getting married, but on arriving at the wedding rehearsal they discover the vicar has been killed. Who would kill a vicar, and why? The outcome is rather astonishing.
April 22, 2018
great new adventure with Aunt Bessie and friends...
April 26, 2018
Another great Aunt Bessie book. This time the story focuses on the changing lives of some of our favorite characters plus a mystery. If you follow Aunt Bessie's book you will love it.
April 24, 2021
great stories!!!!
I love all the books about Aunt Bessie. I hope the stories continue a long time. I also love Andy.
I love all the books about Aunt Bessie. I hope the stories continue a long time. I also love Andy.
April 18, 2020
Usual Aunt Bessie story - this time it involves the murder of the vicar the day before he was was supposed to marry her friends. Aunt Bessie does her usual digging and overall the story was fine. The ending was a bit abrupt though and really not much of a surprise as to who the culprit was.
September 5, 2023
I really enjoyed this until the end - the ending was really abrupt. Everything else about it was terrific though.
May 26, 2018
I have read all seventeen of the Aunt Bessie books and love them all. Diana Xarissa has created a quite believable world filled with nice people you would enjoy having as friends in real life. Aunt Bessie is an elderly spinster who gets involved in the murders that keep happening around her. But, Bessie is not your typical elderly spinster. She is active, open-minded and, at times, a bit contrary. Apart from the murderers, Aunt Bessie is surrounded by gentle, kind friends. In today's world of self-important haters, it is a balm to encounter a world that is still civilized and thoughtful.
In Aunt Bessie Questions we are thrown into who killed an imposter vicar. The mystery is not as involved as has been the case in other books in the series, but the time spent with literary friends who live on the Isle of Man is delightful. Xarissa writes assuredly and her world is so well imagined, the books always leave you feeling like you have spent time with friends. If cozy mysteries are your thing, the Aunt Bessie series is one of the best I've ever encountered. I look forward to the next book in the series!
In Aunt Bessie Questions we are thrown into who killed an imposter vicar. The mystery is not as involved as has been the case in other books in the series, but the time spent with literary friends who live on the Isle of Man is delightful. Xarissa writes assuredly and her world is so well imagined, the books always leave you feeling like you have spent time with friends. If cozy mysteries are your thing, the Aunt Bessie series is one of the best I've ever encountered. I look forward to the next book in the series!
June 2, 2024
Book #17 of the series
Read
April 22, 2018Familiar characters, not as interesting story line. Still a fun read. Love Aunt Bessie series and have read them all, keep Aunt Bessie stories coming.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews