Dangerous Deception at Honeychurch Hall

Honeychurch Hall Mystery #5

by Hannah Dennison

All's fair in love . . . and antiques wars!

Things are going well for Kat Stanford; not only is her antiques business thriving, she's also got a new date: Piers Carew, Viscount Chawley, who owns the estate next to Honeychurch Hall.

Unfortunately, Kate has a rival. Impossibly beautiful Cassandra Bowden-Forbes is also in town, conducting valuations at the same fairs as Kat - and she makes no secret of the fact she's got her eye on Piers . . .

And then things start to go wrong: Kat finds herself at the scene of not one but two mysterious deaths, and local tongues are wagging - is it coincidence, or murder? As Kat's fortunes nosedive it becomes clear that unless she can solve these unexplained deaths then she may just be the victim of the next accident . . .

Praise for Hannah Dennison

'Just the thing to chase the blues away' M. C. Beaton

'The perfect classic English village mystery but with the addition of charm, wit and a thoroughly modern touch' Rhys Bowen

'Downton Abbey was yesterday. Murder at Honeychurch Hall lifts the lid on today's grand country estate in all its tarnished, scheming, inbred, deranged glory' Catriona McPherson

'A fun read' Carola Dunn

'Sparkles like a glass of Devon cider on a summer afternoon' Elizabeth Duncan

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Cozy, Humor, British Literature

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2019

About the author

British born, Hannah originally moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. After twenty-five years living on the West Coast, Hannah returned to the UK where she shares her life with two high-spirited Hungarian Vizslas. She enjoys all country pursuits, movies, and theatre, reading and seriously good chocolate.

Hannah writes the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries (Constable) the Island Sisters Mysteries (Minotaur) and the Vicky Hill Mysteries (Constable)

Fun Fact: Hannah is part of the BookTalk author group on social media with pals Kate Carlisle, Jenn McKinlay and Paige Shelton.

Reviews

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book 5 in the series but the first I have read. The story was not bad and the writing was decent. The English countryside descriptions were lovely. The mystery wasn’t very mysterious. I knew who it was the whole book and never even had a thought of anyone else. I also didn’t like Kat much as an amateur sleuth. She was naive to a crazy level especially considering it sounds like in the last book someone tried to kill her. She clearly took nothing from that. Over I thought this was a decent cozy mystery series and if I come across another one I would give it a try.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read a book that was light and entertaining. The Honeychurch Hall series is one that I follow and purchase. I like the series for the characters and the humor. It is a British cozy read.

Kat has followed her mother to Honeychurch Hall. Kat has an antique store in the gatehouse. Since moving there she has discovered her mother has a secret life. When she was growing up at home with her mother and father, Kat and her dad thought their mother and wife was retiring to her bedroom due to migraines. After the death of Kat's father is when Iris, the mother, moved to Honeychurch Hall. It is there that Kat finds out the her mother is a world famous author of bodice ripper novels. Shes was writing not having migraine spells. She also has moved her money to an off shore account.

Kat, who had at one time at tv show called Fakes and Treasures in London has given up that career to move to Honeychurch where she has set up an antique business. She is going to an Antique Fair where she is a speaker plus will give valuations on teddy bears which she is an expert on. There is murder, deception, fakes and dumping of trash in this book. Plus one learns information on teddy bears. I enjoyed the read. I enjoy the relationship between Kat and Iris, her mother. I have the next book on my Kindle to read.

[SOS Aloha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An offended heart is the breeding ground of deception. - John Bevere

The beloved heroine from this series, Kat Standford, has put her life in order. She has a thriving antiques evaluation business after walking away from her TV gig in London. Kat settled into the gatehouse at Honeychurch Hall where her mother also lives on the estate. She has come to terms that her mother has a few secrets - she is the bestselling romance author with a hidden identify. Kat also has a budding romance with the "lord next door".

The bucolic life comes crashing to a halt when Kat is accused of fraud to steal a vintage toy from a decorated veteran. She then stumbles across two dead bodies while her new beau is distracted by his childhood flame. Alas, Kat and her mother put their heads together to solve the series of mysteries that are not what they seem.

DANGEROUS DECEPTION AT HONEYCHURCH HALL is an entertaining addition to this charming cozy mystery series. What's not to love about a determined heroine who takes challenges lords, ladies, models with hyphenated names, and village gossip mongers to uncover a murderer? Dennison captures the quaint atmosphere of the West Country - buttercup meadows, narrow lanes, hideaway hamlets, and quirky denizens that are staples of British TV. The bonus feature is the ongoing relationship between Kat and Harry, the adolescent heir of Honeychurch Hall. Kat "reports" for duty as Harry takes on the role as James "Biggles" Bigglesworth, a popular fictional WWI pilot. This play acting allows Harry to escape his dysfunctional family.

HONEYCHURCH HALL is set in the rolling hills of South Hams in County Devon. I grew up visiting my English granny in Devon - the Honeychurch Hall series is a comfort read that evokes fond memories of taking tea with her. I recommend this series to cozy mystery fans who enjoy Antiques Roadshow and Misomer Murders.

DANGEROUS DECEPTION AT HONEYCHURCH HALL can be read as a stand alone novel, but I recommend reading this series in order to appreciate the character development.

I received a UK copy of this book from the author.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kat has finally gotten into a groove and is enjoying life. Her romance life is heating up as she gets closer to her neighbor, Piers, and she’s finding new ways to drum up business for herself. Life is good until Cassandra shows up and makes sure it’s known that nothing will come between her and her man, Piers, even though he swears they’re like siblings. Determined to keep her head held high, Kat continues like everything is normal and that she’s not jealous. Not a smidge! Of course, things start to heat up once a badly photoshopped image of Kat appears in the newspaper and she gets accused of trying to swindle a retired veteran out of a set of collector’s items. Just when things can’t get any worse, Kat finds herself caught up in another murder mystery and the killer is a lot closer than she could’ve ever imagined.

Five books in and this series is just as good as when it first begun. I loved seeing my favorite characters, especially Iris, in this brand-new installment full of wonderful and hilarious moments. It’s great to see these characters continue to develop, bond, and butt heads. This time around, Iris has a new friend and in addition to secret admirer. Jealously rears its ugly head in new ways for Kat, and most of it isn’t even her. We see a new side of Shawn that, quite frankly, is neither flattering nor cute. I absolutely love seeing this great cast of characters come together yet again.

One of the things that I love about this series is the humor. This time around, the joking around that occurs between Kat and Iris reminded me of how my mom and I joke around. It’s such a small thing but it really resonated with me. I also love how well balanced this series is. It’s never too serious, too humorous, or too history based. It has a perfect medium that keeps the story rolling without a hitch.

I love the way that the love triangles are handled in this series, especially this book. It’s great to watch Kat slowly recognize that she deserves better and figure out what it is that she wants. This time around, she sees new sides to a few characters that impacts how she wants to continue her relationship with them and I think that’s a powerful development on her part.

All in all, I absolutely love this book and I’ll be keeping an ear out for news on the next installment.

[Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I used to treat cozy mystery genre just like a real "polar" and that was not the right thing to do as I was always disappointed.
With this one, I was a bit lighter on my judgement, so, I went with the flow while reading and I'll tell you one thing, everything was going smoothly until the last 70 pages or so, where it became obvious who did it and why.
I have always had a problem with a too naïve main character and Kat was not an exception. From what I read about the series (this being the first book) she already faced a murder attempt, but this didn't seem to make her more alert.
All in all, it was a light read, an easily solvable murder and some crazy characters you wouldn't like to face in real life 😂

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antiques expert Kat has started her own business at the Gatehouse to Honeychurch Hall, and is looking forward to appearing at a Teddy Bear Fair. She's also dating the heir to a neighboring landowner, Piers, who keeps pushing her to get more serious about him. When his old girlfriend Cassandra, also known as Kitten, suddenly appears, with her own credentials as an antiques valuer, Kat tries to like her--but Kitten's appearance coincides with a lot of trouble for Kat. While there's some suspense, there really isn't a lot of mystery, although the new housekeeper at Honeychurch Hall does provide a red herring or two.

[Sandra Merlo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a Vicky Hill mystery and was not too impressed by the main character and story line but this mystery sounded interesting and I gave this author another try. It started off well enough but the last 60 pages were a let down. I cannot even call Kat's reaction to "that" text naïve but just stupid. I am sure I was not the only one realising how this was going to end. And that encounter at the hospital? Just did not work for me.

[Chaitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this series normally, but I don't care for the ex coming back and being a menace (I mean is there any other way this book would have ended). I do love that Kat decided that both men were pigs and neither were worth her time. I will read more, I just hope no more exes come out of the woodwork.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the previous books in the series; it seemed that some of humor was missing. It also felt somewhat like a commentary on what is wrong with contemporary society: lying, cheating, fly-tipping, and more.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars! I absolutely love this series. I enjoy all the characters and the shenanigans they get into.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the series although as the book went along, it became more interesting. It lacked the humor of others in series, however.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kat is getting too whiny and passive.

[Greg Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this book; Kat is finding her feet, and starting to enjoy her new home. Her mother Iris, (who normally could keep a secret even if she were drawn and quartered), as usual gets very annoying when they are being interviewed by police, and stumbles over herself trying to throw Kat under the bus.

I have a feeling that all the books in the series will follow the pattern of having Kat personally discover all the bodies, and be held hostage at the end and meet a handsome new suitor every book. I hope not; it will become formulaic and there are other very well known series that follow this carved-in-stone pattern. I'm guessing in the long run that Shawn will win out, but I think this will be a few books down the line.

It seems that everyone in Britain, including the Press, wants to uncover the true identity of Krystalle Storm, to name and shame her.. as if it it were a huge and nasty scandal that a Romance writer would write under a pseudonym. I should think most of them do, especially with an obviously assumed name like Krystalle Storm. Shawn even warns Iris near the end that she couldn't be asked to give evidence, because the lawyers would dig into her past and discover that gasp (horrors beyond horrors), she is a fabulously successful author. Shawn (and the rest of Britain for that matter) knows nothing of Iris's financial wheeling and dealings, yet he too seems to think it would be a terrible scandal for Krystalle to be exposed. I can understand Iris not wanting to have the tax people start investigating why she has not been claiming her earnings, but they could easily investigate "Krystalle Storm"at any time and extract the information from her publishers to discover who she is and where her payments are deposited.

Also, as Iris writes her books as a thinly veiled Honeychurch family, why does no one in the publicity-shy Honeychurch family seem to notice this? Or, for that matter, anyone who lives in the village?

But, these quibbles aside, this is the first book in the series that I had difficulty putting down and that is just about the best indication of how much someone likes a book!

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encore un tome bien rempli ! Des cadavres, des disputes, des rivalités, des questions ... Bref, on est de retour à Honeychurch.

Au début de ce tome, tout semble calme, et plutôt paisible : Kat travaille à la mise en place de son commerce d'antiquités, elle a rencontré quelqu'un ... Mais ça ne pouvait pas rester calme aussi longtemps !

Après avoir fait une estimation sur des oursons appartenant à un vétéran, celui l'accuse d'avoir voulu l'arnaquer, et est retrouvé mort peu de temps après.
Un deuxième cadavre viendra bientôt se mettre sur la route de Kat.
Les meurtres sont-ils liés ?

J'ai encore une fois adoré cette lecture, le cosy mystery est décidément l'un de mes genres de prédilection. Ce n'est pas tant la plume de l'autrice qui me séduit, mais c'est surtout l'ambiance créée dans cette petite série, qui me pousse à revenir à chaque fois à Honeychurch, afin de retrouver tous ces personnages un brin toqués, mais tellement attachants.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never, ever, ever been shy about shouting from the rooftops how enamored I am with Hannah Dennison's lovely Honeychurch Hall series, starring (formerly of Fakes & Treasures!) Kat Stanford, her mother Iris, and the rest of the gang in Little Dipperton and up at the Hall. The latest in the series, Dangerous Deception at Honeychurch Hall, is a true gem of a cozy - complete with fakes, treasures, deception, and (gasp!) murder! I was so impatient to read it that I ordered it directly from the UK instead of waiting for its April 2019 US release date. It's a wonderful continuation of the story, and I do recommend starting at the beginning of the series (Murder at Honeychurch Hall) for background. Fans of Hannah's lovely series, or English cozies in general, will not be disappointed. A+++ & 5 stars!

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hopefully, any fan of British traditional (cozy) mysteries has found Hannah Dennison's delightful Honeychurch Hall series. Chockful of humor, antiques, village life, and murder, these books are always so much fun to read. Dangerous Deception at Honeychurch Hall is no exception, and-- as usual-- I learned quite a bit while I was enjoying myself. Kat Stanford specializes in teddy bears, and in this latest installment of the series, I learned about mascot bears, the tiny bears given to soldiers during World War I. I also learned two new British slang phrases: granny-farming (swindling the elderly) and fly-tipping (illegal dumping). It's true that Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language, and I do love learning the differences.

Although the whodunit of the story was almost glaringly obvious, I still enjoyed myself. I appreciated Kat's reaction to two men fighting over her, and I was surprised to find that I must be getting used to Kat's mother. Normally I've thoroughly disliked this writer of torrid bodice rippers, but-- heavens!-- I'm beginning to find the woman funny.

If you're a lover of British traditional (cozy) mysteries, you can't go wrong by visiting Honeychurch Hall. It's the perfect place to solve a mystery.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I possibly shouldn't have read this straight after the previous book in the series, I might have enjoyed it. As it was, I was bored & then irritated by the plot (such as it is) and the characters. I don't find these books even mildly amusing, the various plots in this one were obvious from the moment the cardboard character introducing each one appeared; Kat has slightly more depth than the others, but that's not saying much.
I kept feeling that the books weren't written by an English author, then read that she's lived in the US for decades. Her career as a screenwriter also explains why I felt like I was reading the synopses for a sitcom series, not a novel.

[Nese · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth one in the series, the book has quirky and interesting characters, the good story flow, and detailed descriptions of beautiful surroundings. I enjoyed writing style of the book, but I could figure out the killer from the beginning because, unlike real life, the characters in the story line are all good or all bad. Since cozy mysteries are about stable and loving relationships, three love interests in five books for one person are a bit much and the main character needs to settle down with one love interest.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this audiobook more if it were recorded in order. For some reason the first nine chapters weren't at the beginning. The audiobook started at chapter ten so the story wasn't cohesive, the first nine chapters appeared sporatically until towards the end of the audio where they were consecutive starting from chapter three I believe. I am not sure if other audio version are like this but maybe actually read this one to avoid the issue.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, I have visions of Bridget Jones's Diary when reading this series :) I can visualize her mother as the mother in the series. And, there is the kind of goofy loveable character (Firth) and the suave character (Grant) vying for her attention including having silly boy fights. I love it!

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

After this book, I am officially giving up on this series, and one other 'cozy' series this week!

I am so tired of spineless heroines with flaky and / or overbearing family / frenemies! Why can't we have a smart, sassy woman who with her supportive friends and family, gets into and out of scrapes??? (think Nancy Drew)

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Dangerous Deception at Honeychurch Hall” is a quaint story but it wasn’t really for me. I’d recommend this one for fans of a light-hearted British mystery.

My full review is here: https://whatrebeccasread.wordpress.co...

[Marseydoats · Rating 5 out of 5]

The library doesn't have the previous book so I felt like I missed out on some things. I kept hoping that Cassandra was going to get killed, I did not like either her or Piers. I really enjoy this series and am ready for the next one.

[Jan Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fun Frolic Through Expertly Created Characters

I can’t put this series down. It makes you want to rent a cottage at Honeychurch Hall in the hopes of seeing these characters in action.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Honeychurch Hall mysteries.

[Francine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barely 3*. Predictable from the get go. Not the best of the series IMO.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable easy read. Better than some of the others . Ok a maybe not the biggest surprise of who done it but a fun read to get there.

[Bonnie Muzny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this series so much! It’s a fun read.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good hard to put down

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good cozy mystery part of a series and this time the main character has a rival for her love interest and also her career and reputation