Death Before Dessert: A Vanessa Harrington Cozy Mystery

by A.E. Radley, Claire Storey (Narrator)

When she finds herself between jobs and out of her rented accommodation, Clara Harrington decides to take a break and stay with her beloved, yet eccentric aunt in the sleepy village of Picklemarsh, England.Vanessa Harrington is an award-winning crime novelist with an impressive back catalogue. When it comes to crime, and murder, there’s not a lot that Vanessa doesn’t know.Clara’s hope for peace and quiet is shattered when, on her first night at Chadwick Lodge, the local town councillor is murdered, falling face down into his dessert. Finding herself in the middle of one of her books, Vanessa happily takes on the task of uncovering the murderer and drags Clara along with her. Join the Harringtons as they investigate the murder, question suspects, and uncover that not all is as it seems in picturesque Picklemarsh.
This cozy mystery is brought to you by Lambda winning author A.E. Radley

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer, Cozy, Adult

5 pages, Audible Audio

First published March 1, 2020

About the author

***While I have a profile here on Goodreads, it is only to administer my books when necessary (add them, change covers etc).

I do not answer messages on here, I do not engage in groups, and I do not read the reviews.

I believe Goodreads is a place for readers and not authors and so I stay away for the most part. If you do want to contact me, please go to my website***


A.E. Radley is an entrepreneur and best-selling author living and working in England.

She describes herself as a Wife. Traveller. Tea Drinker. Biscuit Eater. Animal Lover. Master Pragmatist. Annoying Procrastinator. Theme Park Fan. Movie Buff.

When not writing or working, Radley indulges in her third passion of buying unnecessary cat accessories on a popular online store for her two ungrateful strays whom she has threatened to return for the last seven years.

Reviews

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cozy mystery set in a small town in England. Great main character. Includes a f/f romance but that is very much a small sub plot (though probably seen as a small sub plot from the view point of the main character).

Book reminded of why I'd spent so many years reading mysteries. Specifically murder mysteries.

Rating: 4.75

May 28 2020

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folks who know me know that I love cozy mysteries. My excitement doubled when I saw that this is a f/f cozy mystery! Clara Harrington is the main character - recently unemployed and homeless. She accepted her quirky aunt Vanessa's invitation to visit her in Picklemarsh, a small English town that's reminiscent of British TV murder mystery shows (think Father Brown or Midsomer Murders). And of course there ensues murder most foul... (sorry, couldn't resist) The head of the local council was murdered.
Vanessa is a well-known mystery author so perceives herself well equipped to solve real life crimes. She inserts herself into the investigation dragging a reluctant Clara along. Vanessa's a real fun character. She's nosy, opinionated, blunt, but also very caring and loving. Clara is mostly along for the ride. Her future is uncertain, and there's not much else happening in town, so why not help her aunt out? There's no shortage of wacky characters in town, several of whom have motives to kill.
Overall, a wonderful start to what I hope will be a series.

[AnnMaree Of Oz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great little cozy mystery. It kept me interested and intrigued to keep reading, and I liked the relationship between Clara and her Aunt Vanessa. I also enjoyed the townfolk and it's goings on.

I also liked the potential for the relationship for Clara in the town. Plus the set up of a private detective agency at the end, which I hope means more cozy mysteries for Aunt Vee and Clara to discover.

[Emma Sterner-Radley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Agatha Christie books. Or Agatha Raisin books. Or any Agatha type of books, you’ll love this one. It’s everything you’d want from a classic cosy whodunnit but with modern characters and more diversity.

[Colleen Corgel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a perfectly plotted cozy mystery that relies a little too much on character archetypes, but otherwise people will most likely be charmed by Vanessa and her niece, Clara. It is interesting that the story is told from Clara's perspective, but Vanessa is the star of the show (much like the Sherlock Holmes books). What is a little unfortunate is that while Clara and Vanessa have an amazing relationship, Clara just feels like she is gets pulled along in Vanessa's adventures without too much say in it.

I do like that Vanessa is genuinely charming, unlike the typical author/ crime solver characters out there. She's quirky, whip smart, and caring. She doesn't brood, and loves to torment Clara, which kinda makes her the coolest of cool aunties. while Clara has trouble standing up to her aunt, her crush on the local older hot lady is adorable and Vanessa's efforts to smush them together feels authentic.

This is just genuine fluff, even with murders abound and the tiny bits of romance. The solution to the crimes is a little out there, which makes it more fun - the clues are there, its just a matter of putting them all together! I'll have fun with this series.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Fantastic!!!

Clara is taking a break from life in the city by staying with her award-winning crime novelist Aunt Vanessa in a lovely little village in the countryside. When a local resident is murdered during a dinner party, Vanessa can’t help getting involved in the investigation making Clara come along for the ride. Vanessa and Clara go about the village, questioning suspects in an attempt to uncover the truth, and as they do, Clara takes a shine to one particular resident.

She’s done it again!!! Amanda Radley has created another amazing story that had me hooked from the first chapter and loving every second of it! I loved it so much and had a great laugh whilst reading along with all Vanessa’s antics. She really was something else! The story had me gripped and I never would have guessed how the story was going to turn out. As I read I was trying to piece together all the clues and solve the mystery and I was utterly clueless to the point I was so surprised when it was all revealed!

The story ticked all the boxes for cosy mystery. It was adorable and sweet how the characters interacted, and that niece and aunt relationship was priceless. Clara really loved her aunt, going along with all the crazy, sometimes not strictly illegal, ideas and getting all tangled up in it without trying. She was so sweet and a genuinely lovely character who I just adored.

Vanessa was the star though. She had all the great traits of the type of woman you’d imagine being able to get away with murder, literally! She was sneaky, clever, and quite the character. She brought all the fun and laughs to the novel and made it for me. I am looking forward to seeing more from Vanessa and Clara in future cosy mysteries, as Amanda Radley really does write them so well!

A joy to read, and my new favourite Amanda Radley book (until I read the next one) because they really do just get better and better! I adore her writing and am always excited for what is to come in the future, but so much more so with Vanessa Harrington Mysteries!!! I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good mystery, and if you’ve never read one before, then start with this one. Just brilliant! I really can’t recommend it enough!!!

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first A.E. Radley book. I was already too far in to remember why I hadn't read Radley's books before. Two words: Age Gap. Sigh. Thankfully, the romance is not a focus this story at all.

I don't read many cozy mysteries, so I don't really know what to compare it to. I was pretty bored, to be honest. The writing was fine just not compelling. But it may be due to the genre. Either way, this book wasn't for me.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Radleys normal type of book it's a lighthearted mystery with no romance, I suspect that will come in later books by the look of it. Quirky English country village with some good character's, Vanessa is your typical British Miss Marple which I enjoyed but Clara her niece seemed nothing more than a sidekick with very little to do

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given free in exchange for an honest review.
I think it felt a bit underdone. The main characters didn’t seem to be a huge part of the story. There was so little interaction that they felt like secondary characters to the Aunty who was doing the investigating. It was a spin-off of an Agatha Christie novel and while the murderer was just as hard to figure out as in a Christie novel, there didn’t seem to be a lot of bulid-up or tension. All in all a nice short read, but underwhelming.

[Eva Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Christie meets Hercule Poirot. Loved it!

[Della B · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you had ever read an Agatha Christie mystery you will definitely enjoy this sweet ride. I had fun romping through the British countryside and following the sleuthing pair of Harringtons. The mystery is quite good but it is the smooth writing style of Ms Radley which makes this story a 5⭐️ winner. The perfect balance of quirky characters, village life, humour and murder is a pleasure to read and recommend.
5⭐️

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Death Before Dessert" gives you everything you want in a cozy mystery: small English village, quirky characters, murder, and a trail of romance bread crumbs ❤☕🍰🍸 I love her incorrigibly curious (and loving and supportive) aunt Vanessa, a mystery writer with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of cover stories. It was also fun to try and figure out whodunnut; so many red herrings and they all could have done it! The first in a series, of which in hope there will be many more!

#lesfic #cozymystery #quarantinereading

[J H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read

I've never read any Agatha Christie novels, but I suspect that Vanessa Harrington would be similar to her main characters. She's smart as a whip, clever, intuitive, and willing to drag her niece Clara into all kinds of trouble. The story is told from Clara's POV and she is a reluctant sidekick in her Aunt Vee's investigations. She's also victim to Vanessa's matchmaking with potential suspect Felicity in this first story in the series.

[Catie · Rating 2 out of 5]

#hyggedunit hosted by @linesiunderline on IG - August 2021

[Jody&Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the story was entertaining enough. I was disappointed the writer chose to blame insurance companies for a business failing.

Please fact check.

There is no insurance to help if no one wants to buy your product. Business interruption insurance helps in the event of an insured peril, like a fire. It is not intended to replace lost profit if you can’t sell product.

[Riley]

DNF at page 33. Really wanting to get into cozy mysteries but no luck with this one for me. I was excited that the lead is a lesbian and was hoping it would be slightly less conventional, but I had to quit at the 4th weight-based comment I came across.

[M the avid reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent kickoff to a new mystery series - check it out!

This book is charming, funny and a pure pleasure to read. I've read the author's previous works in online fan fiction and published work in the romance genre and am thrilled to have another title to recommend, and in the mystery genre this time around. The book is set up to kick off a mystery series likely featuring Clara and her mystery writer aunt Vanessa as the main characters solving crimes in England (hopefully in quintessential British villages like the setting for this book). I will be watching for the subsequent books in this series so I can read them all and fervently hope that Death Before Dessert does well in the mainstream market to raise the profile of this author to a larger audience as well as providing a satisfying murder mystery to try solving before the solution and culprit are revealed.

The murder and its investigations (official and unauthorized) are central to the story as expected however there are other plot threads separate from this that are just a pleasurable to read. Clara and her Aunt Vanessa have a wonderfully entertaining relationship; they are a dynamic duo where Aunt V is the kind of relative others envy you having because she's cool and unconventional but you're often mortified and embarrassed by her words or actions around others. Clara lack of familiarity with the village and its inhabitants - including their alliances and rivalries - where her aunt lives, lack of experience with murder and solving a mystery serves as a useful device for the reader to have details focused on or questions asked in a natural way; she's the untrained eyes and ears of the reader while Aunt V is the expert often noting unusual details or asking questions for reasons she keeps to herself until she is ready to reveal them. In terms of mystery solving (for the reader) I'd rate this one as intermediate level: not as simple as a Murder, She Wrote episode but not as difficult to solve as a Sherlock Holmes level crime story. I wasn't able to determine the killer before they were revealed but wasn't disappointed at all because I was having so much fun reading the story regardless; the details for the solution are there in the book so it's doable to solve for sleuthing readers wanting to give it a go. I'd recommend it to fans of mysteries and also to those who aren't with equal enthusiasm. I did manage to anticipate some plot details unrelated to the murder though. I also spotted nods to Poirot and Sherlock Holmes in certain details and wonder if there were other similar references that I overlooked; they're a nice touch to an already delightful book. For those who like to read in short bursts the chapters are all on the short side so reading several at a time provides a certain momentum that propels the story at a pace that's easy to handle and packed with information without being overwhelming; reading a chapter on the fly may leave you wanting to read more but only to see what is going to happen next.
I highly recommend Death Before Dessert along with the author's other works and look forward to reading more by this author in this newest series and in other genres.
I received an advance reading copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[M.W. Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

_Death Before Dessert: A Vanessa Harrington Cozy Mystery_ by A.E. Radley recieves four stars from me. I found it delightful.

This was an audio book, so first the reader. For this recording Claire Storey did an ekccellent job with this text. I enjoyed her reading greatly. At times, I wondered is it the writing, the story, or the reading that I am connecting to. I'm sure all, but the reading was great. I loved her interpretation of the main character, Clara. I can recommend Storey as a reader. You'll enjoy her work.

The book
The story moves along at a good pace.

I think it is difficult to talk about Vanessa without thinking of Mrs. Marple. They are very similar, both are senior citizens, both very active in life, both living in small towns in England. However, Radley creates a different character with Vanessa. First, Vanessa is a author of mystery novels (honestly a trope I'm kind of tired of), whereas Mrs. Marple's career is unknown to me. Vanessa lived in London then moved to the country. I think Mrs. Marple's intellegnce is different than Vanessa's. Vanessa is clever, but she's spent her life looking at mysteries whereas Mrs. Marple simply observes life in St. Mary Mead and makes her mind up from there.

I think Vanessa is a strong character in her own right. I think the interaction between her and her niece is excellent. One can get a feel that they are related, they are close, yet Vanessa isn't her mother, which for me allows for a different kind of relationship.

Clara is also a strong character who at first glance my come across as weak. She's just had a break up and her life is in shambles at the beginning. She presents as lacking confidence (well with women at least). Yet, she eventually pulls herself together. This is also a part of the investigation.S Initially, she doesn't want to participate; she thinks it is a bad idea. Then as it moves, she finds herself enjoying it and really participating.

The duo investigators are great together.

I really liked her internal dialogues about romance and her crushes.

In terms of LGBTQ+, this novel fits really well.

Recommended: Do you like a good cozy? this is for you. Are you not sure if you like a good cozy, this is a good one to read.

[Melissa Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of cozy mysteries so when I saw that there was a new lesfic cozy by A.E. Radley I jumped at the chance to read it. You will not be disappointed by Death Before Desert.
Death by Desert is a cute cozy focusing on the sleuthing of Clara and her elderly aunt Vanessa. Vanessa is an amazing character. I love how nosey she is. Plus, she isn’t afraid of getting caught. I mean who would believe such a nice old lady would be doing anything illegal.

The romance aspect of Death by Desert was cute. I liked the buildup of their relationship with Clara not knowing if her love interest was a murder or not. I can’t wait to see how their relationship will grow in future books.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I will just say that I enjoyed the twist and turns in this book. I suspected many people as the killer throughout the book and was truly surprised at the ending.

I’m looking forward to reading more books in the Vanessa Harrington mystery series.

I would recommend this book to anyone you loves cozy mysteries.

[B, · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

A.E. Radley has written an amusing and intriguing story featuring mystery writer and amateur sleuth Vanessa Harrington and her niece, Clara Harrington. Clara, recently jobless and homeless, leaves London to stay with her aunt in the small village of Picklemarsh until she can get her life sorted.

Soon after her move, Councillor and bully Angus Chadwick is murdered by poison, and a few days hence, shady accountant Julian Bridgewater is felled by being stabbed in the back.

The story becomes quite entertaining as Vanessa treks through the town to “visit” with the possible suspects, misrepresenting her role in the investigation and unabashedly snooping and trespassing to obtain clues.

Clara, both curious about the unseemly local events and disconcerted by her aunt’s audacity, gets pulled into the investigation and meets beautiful Felicity Abbott along the way.

I especially enjoyed the love and banter shared between aunt and niece, and was engaged by the motley cast of secondary characters residing in Picklemarsh.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Londoner Clara Harrington suddenly finds herself without a job or a partner, and gladly takes up her Aunt Vanessa's offer of a place to stay in her cottage for as long as Clara wants. Vanessa raised Clara for four years when Clara was a teen, so they are very close. Anticipating a quiet stay in a charmingly quaint village, Clara is unsurprisingly dismayed when the first night, a local bigwig is poisoned, falling face first into his dessert. Being a best-selling crime novelist, Vanessa throws herself into the investigation without heed for the police or Clara, whom she drags into her escapades. One of the suspects is a dangerously attractive local councillor, Felicity Abbott, who makes Clara's anxiety morph into cringy awkwardness.

This was fine, though I couldn't keep track of the characters, and was much more engaged in the awkward would-be romance than the mystery plot. I liked that both Vanessa and Clara stood up to a pompous older man who was casually homophobic. So...fine but not fabulous?

[Nadine Stamminger · Rating 5 out of 5]

We discover the world of Clara and Vanessa. Clara after a little set back, lives with her aunt Vanessa. Vanessa is a crime fiction writer and of course she has to help solve a crime that happens in her little village. She has a talent to always be in the middle of things happening around her. We learn a lot about the towns people, we get to know them but still it says a mystery who the murder is. Its very well written and i couldnt put the book away. I always thought im a very good detective getting all the little clues in other departments of life i need them but its so well written that i had no clue till the very end. I like the side storyline of a budding lesbian romance developing with Clara and a beautifultowns woman.

I had an amazing time reading it, i love the writing of Radley and i definitly wasnt reading this book the last time.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, lovely story. I adore aunt V. and I'm looking forward to seeing the next books in the series. I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun with them. The fact that the story is set in a small town in England, which gives that Mrs Marple's vibe that I've always enjoyed just adds the proverbial cherry-on-top to the book.

Another thing I enjoyed that, even as Vanessa is the indisputable star of the story, we see it from's Clara's POV, who is not very happy at being dragged into a murder investigation.

The mystery was very well done, and the resolution an absolute shock; add to this Clara's attraction to one of the suspects and you have a great story. Particularly because it gives her aunt another way to annoy her in the most loveling way.

It took me a bit to get into Claire Storey's narration but I ended loving it :)

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Intriguing characters and a page-turning plot makes this a book you can’t put down. Strong leading ladies make it even more enjoyable. I really a good mystery book, which this definitely was, and it was really refreshing to read one with LGBT+ themes - something I've not come across previously.

Death Before Dessert is a spectacular read, and manages to include some brilliantly funny moments whilst also tackling real world issues, all alongside a really well written mystery. You're kept guessing about the culprit right up until the end, but get to enjoy Vanessa's Sherlock-like sleuthing throughout all the same.

What’s not to love? Well written and paced, complicated and interesting characters, and excellent tension. Highly recommend, and can't wait for a sequel!

[JT · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great fun to read and more than once I was laughing out loud. Aunt Vee's unique ability to investigate and embarrass Clara at the same time keeps this novel hopping. It has more character twists and shifts that it moves at a pleasantly clipped and enticing pace. Cozy mystery is not my usual genre. Yet, having read this one I seriously hope that A.E. Radley creates and ongoing series for Vanessa and Clara. The differing dynamics between residents of Picklemarsh make this an outstanding read. I am a A.E. Radley fan and am exceptionally grateful that I was given an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t a bad cosy mystery even if the police procedure wasn’t very convincing. I enjoyed the two main characters although at times I found Clara a bit too timid and not really involved un the investigation. I suspect the author was just ‘dipping her foot in the water’ and there may not be any more books with Clara and her aunt, but if there are, I would read them.
There was just one very minor thing and it probably wasn’t even noticed by anybody else, but as a cyclist it really irritated me that Clara took all the blame for crashing her bike trying to avoid a car backing out onto the road.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.

[Ellie MacGregor]

I’m so surprised that I only found one other review that mentions how many weight loss comments there are in this book. The heroine also talks about how everyone has to work to overcome their prejudice (absolutely true) but then goes on to share that she has to check her own prejudice about ‘overweight people’. That was the last straw for me. I have no idea why a book that is about something so unrelated has to have so much body shaming and body commentary. If this book came out in 2010 I may have been able to look past some of that but it came out in 2020 and at this point it just feels like we all should know better.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book from Ms. Radley. This one features intrigue, humour and a dynamic duo of Aunt Vanessa (crime fiction writer) and her niece Clara (a reluctant sidekick). Throw in the intricacies of village life in rural England with solving a murder and you have a plot that hooks you to the end. As a fan of the author I hope this book widens her appeal in the mainstream market. Fully deserving of 5 stars and my high recommendation.
I rec'd an ARC from the author and this is an un-biased review.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun to read. I was hooked from the very beginning. To me, it was intriguing, enthralling and very fun. My goodness, Vanessa is eccentrically lovely, Clara was sweet and made the best comments about her aunt. Since I believe romance wasn't paramount here, the development between two characters felt a bit out of place though. Kind of out of nowhere, but I suppose if we get a second book [**wink wink**] that could be easily fixed.

The town's people were very interesting and I hope, I beg! that this won't be the last we hear from them. It would be a big fat shame.

[Lisa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming, gentle murder mystery, full of wit, charming characters and just a touch of romance. The elderly Vanessa is a modern day Miss Marple supported by her somewhat reluctant niece Clara. Together they get up to some dreadful mischief and manage to help a hapless Inspector Ellis. This is no police procedural, but if you love cozy mysteries you’ll love this.
I was given an advance review copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.