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Helen Thorpe #1
Mindful of Murder
Meet Helen Thorpe. She’s smart, preternaturally calm, deeply insightful and a freshly trained butler. On the day she is supposed to start her career as an unusually equanimous domestic professional serving one of the wealthiest families in the world, she is called back to a spiritual retreat where she used to work, the Yatra Institute, on one of British Columbia’s gulf islands. The owner of the lodge, Helen’s former employer Edna, has died while on a three-month silent self-retreat, leaving Helen instructions to settle her affairs.
But Edna’s will is more detailed than most, and getting things in order means Helen must run the retreat for a select group to determine which of Edna’s relatives will inherit the institute. Helen’s classmates, newly minted butlers themselves, decide they can’t let her go it alone and arrive to help Helen pull things off. After all, is there anything three butlers can’t handle? As Helen carries out the will’s instructions, she begins to think that someone had reason to want Edna dead. A reluctantly suspicious investigator, Helen and her band of butlers find themselves caught up in the mystery.
But Edna’s will is more detailed than most, and getting things in order means Helen must run the retreat for a select group to determine which of Edna’s relatives will inherit the institute. Helen’s classmates, newly minted butlers themselves, decide they can’t let her go it alone and arrive to help Helen pull things off. After all, is there anything three butlers can’t handle? As Helen carries out the will’s instructions, she begins to think that someone had reason to want Edna dead. A reluctantly suspicious investigator, Helen and her band of butlers find themselves caught up in the mystery.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2022
63 people are currently reading
1088 people want to read
About the author
Susan Juby
20 books313 followers(from her website)
I was raised in Smithers, BC, Canada and lived there until I moved to Toronto at age 20. I had a brief and unsuccessful career as a fashion design student and, after I worked at a series of low paying jobs, such as server, record store employee, etc., I began a degree in English Literature at University of Toronto, which I finished at the University of British Columbia. After graduating I became an editor at a self-help/how-to book publishing company based in Vancouver. Later, I did a master’s degree in publishing.
When I was a kid I wrote fiction but gave it up for a life of crime. Okay, that’s not true, but I did get seriously sidetracked. That time in my life is the subject of my memoir, "Nice Recovery". When I was twenty, until I got myself together and when I was about 26 I started writing, in the morning before work, first on the bus, then in a coffee shop. This writing became my first novel, "Alice, I Think", which was published by Thistledown Press in 2000.
When I first started writing my intention was to write a book about a teenager who doesn't fit in, but doesn't allow that fact to crush her. The Alice MacLeod series is my homage to oddballs. I wanted to create a character who has the courage and integrity to find her own way and define herself independently of other people. I've always admired people who can do that.
After finishing three books about Alice and her family, I decided that my goal is to write every kind of book I love to read. I’ve always loved horse books. I was a lunatic for horses when I was younger. I owned several horses over the years (for a time when I was quite young I was convinced I was a horse, but let's keep that between us) and I became obsessed with an equestrian sport called dressage. I quit riding when I left home to go to college, but part of me always thought I could have been a "contender". (In retrospect, I'm not sure why I would have thought that.) Anyway, I got a nice pay day when Alice, I Think was made into a TV series, and the first thing I did was rush out a buy a horse and start working on a book about two young dressage riders. The story was initially about two girls, but soon I fell in love with a secondary character, a boy named Alex, and the book became mainly about him. That one is called "Another Kind of Cowboy".
I’m also a maniac for detective novels, which led to "Getting the Girl", a comedy about an inept detective and a high school conspiracy he is determined to stop. Book number six is my memoir. I developed a bit of a substance abuse problem when I was thirteen and I ended up getting clean and sober when I was twenty. Nice Recovery is about that time. The book includes information for people with addiction problems and interviews with amazing young people in recovery. My love for satire and the End Is Nigh novels led me to write "Bright’s Light", which is that rarest of things: a funny dystopian novel about young dunderheads in the last fun place on earth and the alien who wants to save them.
"Home to Woefield", as it’s known in the U.S. and "The Woefield Poultry Collective" as it’s known in Canada, is a comedy about a young woman from Brooklyn who inherits a derelict farm on Vancouver Island. It’s the first of my novels published specifically for adults, though I’d say at least half the readers of my other books have been adults. I hope all my readers will like it. (It does contain quite a bit of swearing. Just be forewarned!) I’ve always wanted to be self-sustaining and able to grow my own food. All I lack is land and skill. The sequel, "Republic of Dirt", is scheduled to be published January 2015 by HarperCollins.
My next teen novel is called "The Truth Commission". It will be published March 2015 by Penguin Canada and Viking U.S. The story is about a group of teens who attend an art high school who start a truth-telling club with consequences both dire and funny.
In addition to my writing, I teach creative writ
I was raised in Smithers, BC, Canada and lived there until I moved to Toronto at age 20. I had a brief and unsuccessful career as a fashion design student and, after I worked at a series of low paying jobs, such as server, record store employee, etc., I began a degree in English Literature at University of Toronto, which I finished at the University of British Columbia. After graduating I became an editor at a self-help/how-to book publishing company based in Vancouver. Later, I did a master’s degree in publishing.
When I was a kid I wrote fiction but gave it up for a life of crime. Okay, that’s not true, but I did get seriously sidetracked. That time in my life is the subject of my memoir, "Nice Recovery". When I was twenty, until I got myself together and when I was about 26 I started writing, in the morning before work, first on the bus, then in a coffee shop. This writing became my first novel, "Alice, I Think", which was published by Thistledown Press in 2000.
When I first started writing my intention was to write a book about a teenager who doesn't fit in, but doesn't allow that fact to crush her. The Alice MacLeod series is my homage to oddballs. I wanted to create a character who has the courage and integrity to find her own way and define herself independently of other people. I've always admired people who can do that.
After finishing three books about Alice and her family, I decided that my goal is to write every kind of book I love to read. I’ve always loved horse books. I was a lunatic for horses when I was younger. I owned several horses over the years (for a time when I was quite young I was convinced I was a horse, but let's keep that between us) and I became obsessed with an equestrian sport called dressage. I quit riding when I left home to go to college, but part of me always thought I could have been a "contender". (In retrospect, I'm not sure why I would have thought that.) Anyway, I got a nice pay day when Alice, I Think was made into a TV series, and the first thing I did was rush out a buy a horse and start working on a book about two young dressage riders. The story was initially about two girls, but soon I fell in love with a secondary character, a boy named Alex, and the book became mainly about him. That one is called "Another Kind of Cowboy".
I’m also a maniac for detective novels, which led to "Getting the Girl", a comedy about an inept detective and a high school conspiracy he is determined to stop. Book number six is my memoir. I developed a bit of a substance abuse problem when I was thirteen and I ended up getting clean and sober when I was twenty. Nice Recovery is about that time. The book includes information for people with addiction problems and interviews with amazing young people in recovery. My love for satire and the End Is Nigh novels led me to write "Bright’s Light", which is that rarest of things: a funny dystopian novel about young dunderheads in the last fun place on earth and the alien who wants to save them.
"Home to Woefield", as it’s known in the U.S. and "The Woefield Poultry Collective" as it’s known in Canada, is a comedy about a young woman from Brooklyn who inherits a derelict farm on Vancouver Island. It’s the first of my novels published specifically for adults, though I’d say at least half the readers of my other books have been adults. I hope all my readers will like it. (It does contain quite a bit of swearing. Just be forewarned!) I’ve always wanted to be self-sustaining and able to grow my own food. All I lack is land and skill. The sequel, "Republic of Dirt", is scheduled to be published January 2015 by HarperCollins.
My next teen novel is called "The Truth Commission". It will be published March 2015 by Penguin Canada and Viking U.S. The story is about a group of teens who attend an art high school who start a truth-telling club with consequences both dire and funny.
In addition to my writing, I teach creative writ
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
February 1, 2024
I will look for more from this author. Both the author and the setting being on BC's west coast was a bonus. Interesting characters and wonderful settings. Lots of tidbits about Buddhism, but this doesn't effect the book's story if you want to skip the short definitions of the various terms used, if this doesn't interest you. There is enough mystery alone to keep the story going but I enjoyed the writing and characters enough to not try to rush through to the end. But I kept picking it up and reading just to be back on the island again. Lots of humour was sprinkled into the characters and writing, adding to the enjoyment. I was a little disappointed in not finding out the answers to all the questions and mysteries that were presented at the start.
June 29, 2025
***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***
British Columbia
This book is an intriguing mixture of the serious and the hilarious. Susan Juby obviously has a well developed sense of humour, which she deploys just enough. Her characters are wonderful, very reminiscent of Thomas King's in The Back of the Turtle or Sufferance. To my way of thinking, that is a huge compliment.
Our Buddhist butler main character, Helen Thorpe, is trying not to be unhappy about her current task. Her friend and former employer, Edna, had asked her to oversee a kind of test for Edna's younger relatives to see which one would be best suited to take on the management of her rather eccentric lodge after Edna's death. Helen is comforted by two of her butler classmates who insist on helping her.
The characters who really stand out are the young man that Helen hires locally as an assistant (Nigel) and Edna's great nieces and nephews, who are all seemingly entitled assholes, each in their own obnoxious way. They are deliciously horrible, but we get to know them better along with Helen, as she guides them through the classes they must take: flower arranging, dance, and meditation.
Helen has questions about Edna's death. The police have ruled it suicide, which is completely unlike the Edna that Helen knew. But Helen would prefer to leave the investigation to the professionals, at least until she has accumulated enough doubts to truly concern her.
It's wonderful to watch the three close butler friends work supportively together, as Nigel says, “Butlering the shit out of everything.” I also enjoyed Nigel's evolution from a useless young man to a guy with aspirations. Of course I appreciated watching Helen's reluctant but thorough investigation. Juby chose a perfect perpetrator in my opinion. I will definitely read more of Helen Thorpe's adventure.
British Columbia
This book is an intriguing mixture of the serious and the hilarious. Susan Juby obviously has a well developed sense of humour, which she deploys just enough. Her characters are wonderful, very reminiscent of Thomas King's in The Back of the Turtle or Sufferance. To my way of thinking, that is a huge compliment.
Our Buddhist butler main character, Helen Thorpe, is trying not to be unhappy about her current task. Her friend and former employer, Edna, had asked her to oversee a kind of test for Edna's younger relatives to see which one would be best suited to take on the management of her rather eccentric lodge after Edna's death. Helen is comforted by two of her butler classmates who insist on helping her.
The characters who really stand out are the young man that Helen hires locally as an assistant (Nigel) and Edna's great nieces and nephews, who are all seemingly entitled assholes, each in their own obnoxious way. They are deliciously horrible, but we get to know them better along with Helen, as she guides them through the classes they must take: flower arranging, dance, and meditation.
Helen has questions about Edna's death. The police have ruled it suicide, which is completely unlike the Edna that Helen knew. But Helen would prefer to leave the investigation to the professionals, at least until she has accumulated enough doubts to truly concern her.
It's wonderful to watch the three close butler friends work supportively together, as Nigel says, “Butlering the shit out of everything.” I also enjoyed Nigel's evolution from a useless young man to a guy with aspirations. Of course I appreciated watching Helen's reluctant but thorough investigation. Juby chose a perfect perpetrator in my opinion. I will definitely read more of Helen Thorpe's adventure.
March 27, 2022
enjoyable, though i thought i would love it and didn't love it. not sure what didn't work for me, or maybe it was that i was expecting something totally different from the story that i was reading. didn't quite like anyone in the story and can't say that i like the way the author tried to tell me how the characters were, instead of me finding them. still i did read till the end, though was not totally invested in the story, and if i had lost the book midway in my reading i would not have been devastated or would have looked for a copy.
Read
April 27, 2022Dnf. Made it 30% in and had to stop. there's a mystery? It's almost like she was being paid by the word because this book was too long. It might be the best mystery ever I'm never going to get to it because I just couldn't get past the introduction to the story which was still going on a third of the way into the book
July 27, 2022
I really, really enjoyed this. It perfectly scratched the itch for a worthy follow up to my beloved Thursday Murder Club books and my Harbinder Kaur books while I wait for the next installments.
I have always enjoyed Susan Juby’s writing. I particularly like The Woefield Poultry Collective and I think this one has similar elements: a group of unlikely people who have grudgingly agreed to coexist together for a period of time while they attempt various challenges together. In this book, Helen Thorpe, former Buddhist nun and current butler extraordinaire, is called back to carry out the last wishes of her beloved late employer Edna: to figure out a worthy successor to inherit the meditation retreat she ran for many years. She brings Edna’s nieces and nephews to the retreat centre, where they have to complete a number of tasks so that Helen can judge who is most suited to inheriting the retreat.
This book is set on the fictional Sutil Island, a lightly disguised Cortes Island. The Yatra Institute was inspired by the real-life Hollyhock Learning Centre on Cortes. I’ve never been, but from the descriptions in the book it sounds lovely and peaceful, a place I’d like to visit.
I liked learning a little about Buddhism in this book, which has a surprising amount of information about spiritual beliefs and practice. I found it satisfying to see the characters grow and become more at peace with themselves as they are made to do meditation, dancing, and flower arranging. It sounds so cheesy, but I think Juby manages to pull it off by never being too serious or didactic, and by having a calm and likeable central figure in Helen (as well as very likeable supporting characters like Gavin and Murray, two of her butler friends who come to her aid when she discovers the daunting task before her).
Yes, there is a little bit of a mystery in the book, but it’s almost beside the point. So I guess I’d hesitate to recommend this as a murder mystery, but I would recommend it as a good drama with humorous bits and a little mystery thrown in. I will say I didn’t identify the actual culprit until all was revealed.
Overall, I found this very enjoyable and perfect summer reading.
I have always enjoyed Susan Juby’s writing. I particularly like The Woefield Poultry Collective and I think this one has similar elements: a group of unlikely people who have grudgingly agreed to coexist together for a period of time while they attempt various challenges together. In this book, Helen Thorpe, former Buddhist nun and current butler extraordinaire, is called back to carry out the last wishes of her beloved late employer Edna: to figure out a worthy successor to inherit the meditation retreat she ran for many years. She brings Edna’s nieces and nephews to the retreat centre, where they have to complete a number of tasks so that Helen can judge who is most suited to inheriting the retreat.
This book is set on the fictional Sutil Island, a lightly disguised Cortes Island. The Yatra Institute was inspired by the real-life Hollyhock Learning Centre on Cortes. I’ve never been, but from the descriptions in the book it sounds lovely and peaceful, a place I’d like to visit.
I liked learning a little about Buddhism in this book, which has a surprising amount of information about spiritual beliefs and practice. I found it satisfying to see the characters grow and become more at peace with themselves as they are made to do meditation, dancing, and flower arranging. It sounds so cheesy, but I think Juby manages to pull it off by never being too serious or didactic, and by having a calm and likeable central figure in Helen (as well as very likeable supporting characters like Gavin and Murray, two of her butler friends who come to her aid when she discovers the daunting task before her).
Yes, there is a little bit of a mystery in the book, but it’s almost beside the point. So I guess I’d hesitate to recommend this as a murder mystery, but I would recommend it as a good drama with humorous bits and a little mystery thrown in. I will say I didn’t identify the actual culprit until all was revealed.
Overall, I found this very enjoyable and perfect summer reading.
March 15, 2022
My first book by Canadian author Susan Juby and I enjoyed it. This was a unique cozy mystery about the mysterious death of Edna, an older woman who had already been contemplating ending her own life. When she dies she appoints Helen, a personal Butler, as overseer of her estate. Unable to deny her old friend's wishes, Helen puts her new job plans on hold to return to the spiritual retreat on an island off the coast of British Columbia, where she will organize a series of events to determine which of Edna's heirs will inherit the retreat. Told in multiple POVs, there were a few decent twists, a LOT of mindfulness talk and just a fun overall read. This was also good on audio narrated by Lisa Larsen.
March 2, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It's made me want to start meditating.
The cast of characters and setting are exquisite.
A fun and enjoyable read from beginning to end.
Wonderfully written.
I would highly recommend.
Big thanks to Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this book to read before it came out! #indigoemployee
The cast of characters and setting are exquisite.
A fun and enjoyable read from beginning to end.
Wonderfully written.
I would highly recommend.
Big thanks to Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this book to read before it came out! #indigoemployee
March 28, 2023
Susan Juby has always been good at creating lovable oddball characters and her latest book, which is an unconventional mystery, is no exception. Although there are some characters here with, shall we say, a lot of flaws, Juby manages to see the humanity in them.
This story centres on a west coast island spiritual centre and its former manager, Helen who used to be a Buddhist nun and is now a formally trained butler who comes back to the institute to decide who is the best person to run it in the wake of its owner Edna's unexpected death (aka murder!)
The fascinating characters include Edna's three rich niece and nephews, one (not rich).just discovered niece, two of Helen's friends from butler school, eccentric dance and flower arrangement teachers, a guy who lost his job as a counselor at theatre summer camp, and more.
This book felt very quirky west coast island, and therefore it felt like home.
My library hosted Susan Juby just before the pandemic struck and she read from this as yet unfinished book. It was so cool to experience the full story!
This story centres on a west coast island spiritual centre and its former manager, Helen who used to be a Buddhist nun and is now a formally trained butler who comes back to the institute to decide who is the best person to run it in the wake of its owner Edna's unexpected death (aka murder!)
The fascinating characters include Edna's three rich niece and nephews, one (not rich).just discovered niece, two of Helen's friends from butler school, eccentric dance and flower arrangement teachers, a guy who lost his job as a counselor at theatre summer camp, and more.
This book felt very quirky west coast island, and therefore it felt like home.
My library hosted Susan Juby just before the pandemic struck and she read from this as yet unfinished book. It was so cool to experience the full story!
March 28, 2022
Nope, not for me. Boring, silly, and repetitive. The continual descriptions of the floral and dancing courses was mind numbing. And then it was all tied up with a big happy ending bow.
March 21, 2022
Cursed book which made me stay up late! Absolutely unputdownable even if the loose ends all tie up neatly.
March 20, 2022
This fits the cozy mystery genre to a T. Perfect in today's world of tension and upheaval. Susan Juby's talent for engaging and unique characters is paired with a wonderfully atmospheric and well-drawn setting. I was engrossed and took the mindfulness to heart, staying in step with the story as it unfolded and, unusually for me, not trying to guess the ending. I hope there are many more to come.
April 12, 2022
dnf... found this one boring!
November 1, 2023
Pretty heinous and casually intolerant. This stinks.
June 6, 2023
Helen Thorpe, former Buddhist nun, has just graduated from butler school when she’s notified of her friend’s suicide. Delaying her new posting as a butler, Helen must travel back to her former home, a retreat created by Edna, her former employer, on Sutil island in BC. Helen is accompanied by her two friends and fellow graduates, Murray and Gavin.
Helen discovers Edna had dictated that her heirs meet specific requirements in order for Helen to gauge which of them is actually qualified to inherit and run the retreat. Helen hires a local, Nigel, to help Murray and Gavin (though they give him much needed guidance on life over the course of the book).
The heirs arrive, and they're a lovely bunch. Two of them are pretty awful people, obsessed with their lives and finances. The other two are more likable. We end up learning much more about all their characters in how they respond to each of the course Edna's will required them to complete; interestingly, there is real growth that happens to the characters along the way.
Like her "Woefield" series, Susan Juby gives us a number of PoVs, letting us into their hopes and feelings about Edna, their prospects, the courses, and what they want out of life. There is much humour, some nastiness, kindness, and quirkiness as Helen evaluates the heirs, and inadvertently sleuths into Edna's murder, rather than suicide.
I really enjoyed this book. It's characters are quirky and funny, and overall this was a gentle story (despite the avarice and murder).
Helen discovers Edna had dictated that her heirs meet specific requirements in order for Helen to gauge which of them is actually qualified to inherit and run the retreat. Helen hires a local, Nigel, to help Murray and Gavin (though they give him much needed guidance on life over the course of the book).
The heirs arrive, and they're a lovely bunch. Two of them are pretty awful people, obsessed with their lives and finances. The other two are more likable. We end up learning much more about all their characters in how they respond to each of the course Edna's will required them to complete; interestingly, there is real growth that happens to the characters along the way.
Like her "Woefield" series, Susan Juby gives us a number of PoVs, letting us into their hopes and feelings about Edna, their prospects, the courses, and what they want out of life. There is much humour, some nastiness, kindness, and quirkiness as Helen evaluates the heirs, and inadvertently sleuths into Edna's murder, rather than suicide.
I really enjoyed this book. It's characters are quirky and funny, and overall this was a gentle story (despite the avarice and murder).
April 16, 2022
Good little mystery. Did not figure out the killer till just about the end
November 12, 2022
I like to read Canadian authors and when I find one that I’ve never read before I am naturally drawn to them. I read the synopsis and was intrigued.
Unfortunately, this one ended up on my DNF list. I read a bit more than half the book and while each chapter kept me hooked, I kept asking “Why am I putting myself thought this?”. The pace of the book was incredibly slow and much of the time nothing appeared to be going on. I eventually lost interest. Hence, DNF.
Unfortunately, this one ended up on my DNF list. I read a bit more than half the book and while each chapter kept me hooked, I kept asking “Why am I putting myself thought this?”. The pace of the book was incredibly slow and much of the time nothing appeared to be going on. I eventually lost interest. Hence, DNF.
March 12, 2024
I’d never read a ‘cozy’ before but I picked it up because the author is an fellow SFU alum and she was so charming when I saw her speak at the Vancouver Writers Fest a couple of years ago. This genre isn’t really my cup of tea however I could tell that this one was well written. Great suspense at the end. Some humour. Makes me want to investigate Buddhism more. Also loved the thinly disguised Cortes Island / Hollyhock setting!
December 27, 2025
This book was actually delightful, but the murder mystery was almost non-existent.
March 18, 2022
Easy to read, predictable murder mystery.
June 15, 2022
I loved the premise - Buddhist butler solves murders. Such a great play on the “butler did it” but as far as mysteries go, it wasn’t for me. There was a lot of backstory and it took a long time (read: too long) for the mystery to develop.
Definitely the elements of a cozy mystery. Bloodless death. Little violence. An amiable, well-mannered sleuth but she didn’t look too hard for clues, rather talked to a few people. Limited suspect pool, a touch of humour and romance. I enjoyed Helen and the crew and understood the pressures of the nieces and nephews, but the story was a bit flat. Maybe not enough clues to keep me trying to solve the puzzle.
Fell in love with Juby while reading The Woefield Poultry Collective. Love the ways she plays with perspectives which she does in this novel but not as well as Woefield.
Definitely the elements of a cozy mystery. Bloodless death. Little violence. An amiable, well-mannered sleuth but she didn’t look too hard for clues, rather talked to a few people. Limited suspect pool, a touch of humour and romance. I enjoyed Helen and the crew and understood the pressures of the nieces and nephews, but the story was a bit flat. Maybe not enough clues to keep me trying to solve the puzzle.
Fell in love with Juby while reading The Woefield Poultry Collective. Love the ways she plays with perspectives which she does in this novel but not as well as Woefield.
January 10, 2022
I enjoyed this because of the character development and the setting. I loved reading about meditation and found some learnings in how to 'just be'. I actually loved the feel-goodness of it - even though there was some very vile personalities within. I would recommend this one.
November 9, 2022
4.5 rounded up. Murder mystery, cool BC island, Buddhism, and some humor. Win win.
January 7, 2023
I went from "ooh, familiar setting" to "ooh, strange characters" to "is this really Buddhism?" (Judging by the acknowledgements it may well be, or close at least.)
The owner of a retreat facility on an (imaginary) island off the British Columbia coast has died and those around her as well as the authorities are agreed that Edna took her own life in accord with her stated conviction that a person should be able to do that when they feel the moment is appropriate. It is only when Helen Thorpe, a former Buddhist nun, now a certified butler (?!), returns to the Institute to fulfill her promise to determine which of the great nieces/nephews should receive the retreat centre that anyone notices a few odd circumstances that cast doubt on the events surrounding Edna's death.
Helen is not an investigator so she carries on with the program as laid out in Edna's will. This involves hiring the flower arranging and dance instructors who have led two of the most popular courses at the centre for a number of years. The potential heirs are required to dig deep into their beings to find their inner flower/alternate animal and use the knowledge to create an illustrative flower arrangement/dance of power. The third element in this opening of heirs' hearts and souls is the development of a meditation practice. This study is led by Helen, who was the meditation leader at the centre for some time before she went to butler school.
This doesn't even start on the wiccan element, which, I'll admit, was probably played down a lot after MS Juby introduced it into the narrative. I've tried imagining reading this book to the few (very few) Buddhists whom I know and while I don't hear them expressing anger (Buddhists don't much) I do hear a tremendous amount of hysterical laughter.
The book is intended as light hearted but it is difficult to be light hearted about murder. As the title says, we should be mindful of murder, as of everything else that is present with us. I enjoyed the flower arranging teacher, with his insistance on feeling the importance of the plants to your inner self and the dance instructor with her mighty muscles and infinite flexibility is a powerful presence. I liked the way everyone took part in the meditation exercises - staff and instructors as well as potential heirs and I liked the people of the small island community. I grew up in an area like that and know how outsiders felt about our little communities - we were weirdos. The references to gum boots makes me think MS Juby knew my area and its Gumboot Cafe, too. An area can have an outre reputation without everyone participating in the strangeness. There is a "then" and "us" without the separation having to be trotted out on every occasion and I think that is nicely drawn out in the book. I laughed a lot but really enjoyed the people in it.
The owner of a retreat facility on an (imaginary) island off the British Columbia coast has died and those around her as well as the authorities are agreed that Edna took her own life in accord with her stated conviction that a person should be able to do that when they feel the moment is appropriate. It is only when Helen Thorpe, a former Buddhist nun, now a certified butler (?!), returns to the Institute to fulfill her promise to determine which of the great nieces/nephews should receive the retreat centre that anyone notices a few odd circumstances that cast doubt on the events surrounding Edna's death.
Helen is not an investigator so she carries on with the program as laid out in Edna's will. This involves hiring the flower arranging and dance instructors who have led two of the most popular courses at the centre for a number of years. The potential heirs are required to dig deep into their beings to find their inner flower/alternate animal and use the knowledge to create an illustrative flower arrangement/dance of power. The third element in this opening of heirs' hearts and souls is the development of a meditation practice. This study is led by Helen, who was the meditation leader at the centre for some time before she went to butler school.
This doesn't even start on the wiccan element, which, I'll admit, was probably played down a lot after MS Juby introduced it into the narrative. I've tried imagining reading this book to the few (very few) Buddhists whom I know and while I don't hear them expressing anger (Buddhists don't much) I do hear a tremendous amount of hysterical laughter.
The book is intended as light hearted but it is difficult to be light hearted about murder. As the title says, we should be mindful of murder, as of everything else that is present with us. I enjoyed the flower arranging teacher, with his insistance on feeling the importance of the plants to your inner self and the dance instructor with her mighty muscles and infinite flexibility is a powerful presence. I liked the way everyone took part in the meditation exercises - staff and instructors as well as potential heirs and I liked the people of the small island community. I grew up in an area like that and know how outsiders felt about our little communities - we were weirdos. The references to gum boots makes me think MS Juby knew my area and its Gumboot Cafe, too. An area can have an outre reputation without everyone participating in the strangeness. There is a "then" and "us" without the separation having to be trotted out on every occasion and I think that is nicely drawn out in the book. I laughed a lot but really enjoyed the people in it.
September 6, 2025
Let me start with the good: I loved, loved, loved loved loved Alice I Think. It's one of my favourite books, five stars, amazing. Go read that, if you haven't.
This one did not connect with me. As I started, I was reminded how funny she can be, and there were several fun phrases I really enjoyed. And then things took a bit of a turn. I thought she was mocking the elderly lady who features in the first few pages of the book, but then the main character (who seems very Mary Sue, a former buddhist nun turned butler whom everyone loves) adores the old lady, so it make me think maybe we were supposed to like her and not be laughing at her?
And then I was thrown because two main supporting characters are called Gavin and Murray, and of course Gavin MacLeod famously played Murray on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" so that makes me think the author got the names from their, except the Murray in her book is a woman not a man. And like another reviewer here, I like them much better when, for the first 30 pages or so, I thought they were a gay couple. Honestly, who puts three butlers in their book and has two of them be women, especially one named Murray?) So now instead of enjoying the humour, by page 47 I was slightly wincing, but for such petty reasons. So what if a woman's called Murray? And yet, I can't not. It's worse, because Gavin calls her "Murr", which reminds me how Murray would call Mary "Mare" so I'm re-reminded again.
So this one's falling a bit flat for me, and after 50 pages of not enjoying it (other than being hopeful at the beginning) I think I'll move on, but I'm disappointed, I'd been looking forward to this and already bought two in the series.
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
This one did not connect with me. As I started, I was reminded how funny she can be, and there were several fun phrases I really enjoyed. And then things took a bit of a turn. I thought she was mocking the elderly lady who features in the first few pages of the book, but then the main character (who seems very Mary Sue, a former buddhist nun turned butler whom everyone loves) adores the old lady, so it make me think maybe we were supposed to like her and not be laughing at her?
And then I was thrown because two main supporting characters are called Gavin and Murray, and of course Gavin MacLeod famously played Murray on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" so that makes me think the author got the names from their, except the Murray in her book is a woman not a man. And like another reviewer here, I like them much better when, for the first 30 pages or so, I thought they were a gay couple. Honestly, who puts three butlers in their book and has two of them be women, especially one named Murray?) So now instead of enjoying the humour, by page 47 I was slightly wincing, but for such petty reasons. So what if a woman's called Murray? And yet, I can't not. It's worse, because Gavin calls her "Murr", which reminds me how Murray would call Mary "Mare" so I'm re-reminded again.
So this one's falling a bit flat for me, and after 50 pages of not enjoying it (other than being hopeful at the beginning) I think I'll move on, but I'm disappointed, I'd been looking forward to this and already bought two in the series.
(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
August 9, 2022
I picked this book up at the library because it is set in British Columbia where I live. The setting is Sutil Island, a fictitious place in the Discovery Islands in the Salish Sea. Helen Thorpe is a practising Buddhist, having been a Buddhist nun until she switches careers to train as a Butler. Before her first job begins, she journeys to the island, with her 2 Butler friends because she is the executor of her aunt's will. She believes that there is something odd about Aunt Edna's death. Edna had very precisely planned her death. She would 'transition' at a time of her own choosing and by her own hand. As executor, Helen has to choose which of Edna's great nephews and nieces will inherit the retreat on Sutil. None of the family seems to have the right attributes to run the retreat and things get really difficult when there are 2 murders. Sutil does not have a resident police presence and Helen must rely on a policeman whose duties take him to several other islands in the group. The action moves swiftly and things come to a head when there is a severe storm which closes the roads and brings down trees. A very good read.
August 10, 2022
What a delightful book. I have read other books by Susan Juby but I had forgotten about her in my quest of reading other murder mysteries.
This was a funny story about Helen Thorpe who is a former Buddhist nun and is now a newly minted butler. Helen winds up back at a former employers retreat to fulfill the final wishes of that employer. She brings with her 2 of her butler school friends. Is it possible to have too many butlers in one story? What is the term for a group of butlers? are they a gaggle, a collection, an assortment?
The story takes place on an island off the coast of B.C. and all the characters in this story were great. Even the bad ones.
I like the way Susan Juby tells a story, it is very much tongue in cheek.
I really liked the character of Helen. She is my kind of woman - smart, calm, organized, and in charge.
I also liked the research that Susan Juby must have had to do to write this book. All the information about Buddhism, flower arranging, dance and meditation. The characters in this book are asked by the flower expert to create a tussie mussie. I actually looked up the word tussie mussie and it is a real flower arrangement. I have never heard of it.
It was truly an interesting murder mystery and Helen was forced to solve it, which is the last thing she wanted to do.
I hope Susan Juby writes more about this Helen Thorpe and her butler friends. Certainly the butler solving the case is very different than the butler being the suspect in the case.
This was a funny story about Helen Thorpe who is a former Buddhist nun and is now a newly minted butler. Helen winds up back at a former employers retreat to fulfill the final wishes of that employer. She brings with her 2 of her butler school friends. Is it possible to have too many butlers in one story? What is the term for a group of butlers? are they a gaggle, a collection, an assortment?
The story takes place on an island off the coast of B.C. and all the characters in this story were great. Even the bad ones.
I like the way Susan Juby tells a story, it is very much tongue in cheek.
I really liked the character of Helen. She is my kind of woman - smart, calm, organized, and in charge.
I also liked the research that Susan Juby must have had to do to write this book. All the information about Buddhism, flower arranging, dance and meditation. The characters in this book are asked by the flower expert to create a tussie mussie. I actually looked up the word tussie mussie and it is a real flower arrangement. I have never heard of it.
It was truly an interesting murder mystery and Helen was forced to solve it, which is the last thing she wanted to do.
I hope Susan Juby writes more about this Helen Thorpe and her butler friends. Certainly the butler solving the case is very different than the butler being the suspect in the case.
August 3, 2023
Pure Susan Juby, on the rocks, shook, not stirred:
-Setting is a spiritual retreat on the mythical Sutil Island, as one of British Columbia's Discovery Islands, peopled by an array of very laid-back folk.
-Cast of oddball personalities, including a Buddhist monk-turned-butler--some characters are appealing and some are repulsive, some co-exist better than others.
-Quintessentially-Western Canadian in ideas, social mores and references--my favourite quote: (Nigel) was still doughy, though, like a perogy left in the water too long.
-Plot is totally beside the point--in this story, death by foul play has been committed by page 4, but there is very little in the way of a murder investigation until the last third of the book...it's the journey, not the destination.
Although I really enjoyed this novel, (anything written by Susan Juby is of interest to me), my all-time favourite remains The Woefield Poultry Collective...chickens are people, too!
-Setting is a spiritual retreat on the mythical Sutil Island, as one of British Columbia's Discovery Islands, peopled by an array of very laid-back folk.
-Cast of oddball personalities, including a Buddhist monk-turned-butler--some characters are appealing and some are repulsive, some co-exist better than others.
-Quintessentially-Western Canadian in ideas, social mores and references--my favourite quote: (Nigel) was still doughy, though, like a perogy left in the water too long.
-Plot is totally beside the point--in this story, death by foul play has been committed by page 4, but there is very little in the way of a murder investigation until the last third of the book...it's the journey, not the destination.
Although I really enjoyed this novel, (anything written by Susan Juby is of interest to me), my all-time favourite remains The Woefield Poultry Collective...chickens are people, too!
July 10, 2024
This is the first time I've read this author & she did not disappoint!
What I loved about this story was the setting & its quirky community of characters, so realistic & well-captured of island life in BC.
Helen Thorpe is a Buddhist nun turned butler & she has to decide who will be worthy to run a meditation retreat owned by her prior employer, Edna. Edna has suddenly died before she could appoint someone to manage her retreat according to her practices. Helen invites the family contenders to the retreat & they have to participate in 3 courses in order for her to determine who will carry out Edna's legacy. This is not an easy feat because her relatives are all about the money, not the life style.
As the story progresses, we find out that Edna was murdered & Helen becomes involved in the investigation. More troubling events happen causing a bit of alarm among the community & those at the retreat.
Summed up; this is a cozy mystery, with humour, & a throng of interesting characters all set in a relaxing setting. Well done!
What I loved about this story was the setting & its quirky community of characters, so realistic & well-captured of island life in BC.
Helen Thorpe is a Buddhist nun turned butler & she has to decide who will be worthy to run a meditation retreat owned by her prior employer, Edna. Edna has suddenly died before she could appoint someone to manage her retreat according to her practices. Helen invites the family contenders to the retreat & they have to participate in 3 courses in order for her to determine who will carry out Edna's legacy. This is not an easy feat because her relatives are all about the money, not the life style.
As the story progresses, we find out that Edna was murdered & Helen becomes involved in the investigation. More troubling events happen causing a bit of alarm among the community & those at the retreat.
Summed up; this is a cozy mystery, with humour, & a throng of interesting characters all set in a relaxing setting. Well done!
January 2, 2023
So, I love this author. She is a brilliant writer and is definitely in my top five favourites. This book was as well written as her others, but just didn't grab me. I don't care if a story is improbable - in fact, that is the kind of wonderful escape into literature I love. This one was full of potential, too. But there was just something missing from the main character that I just didn't find.
This is a story about self discovery for the grand nieces and nephews of an elderly woman who owned a yoga retreat. In the process of trying to decide which of them should take over her retreat, she interviews three of the five. One of them murders her.
Former buddhist monk/current butler Helen used to work with the deceased and is tasked with selecting the worthy one to take over the business. But murder is afoot and is complicating matters.
This is a story about self discovery for the grand nieces and nephews of an elderly woman who owned a yoga retreat. In the process of trying to decide which of them should take over her retreat, she interviews three of the five. One of them murders her.
Former buddhist monk/current butler Helen used to work with the deceased and is tasked with selecting the worthy one to take over the business. But murder is afoot and is complicating matters.
April 9, 2023
Butlering, Buddhism, and murder make a compelling and entertaining combo in this mystery novel, which I hope will have at least two sequels. I have become a Susan Juby fan, after enjoying immensely three of her novels, all very different from each other. I didn't know I needed a thought-provoking "cozy" mystery, but here it was when I was open to it. Highly recommended: please note that there's a LOT of Buddhism in this book, but I enjoyed that aspect thoroughly.
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