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A Killer Opening: An Amelia Ferver Mystery
She inherited a luxury island, with a shocking catch. Will a washed-up body ruin this amateur sleuth’s chance at reclaiming happiness?
Amelia Ferver never ventures outside her comfort zone. But when her beloved uncle bequeaths her his stunning Mediterranean isle on the condition she builds a grand healing hotel, she takes the risk on her favorite destination. But just as she’s about to cut the ribbon and launch the opening party, an unexpected guest checks in… dead on arrival.
Vowing to keep her promise to her late relative, Amelia races to investigate her VIP guests and the local community. But when the determined woman uncovers mysterious passports, a load of cash, and another corpse, she fears her sun-soaked gala will soon turn belly up.
Can this tenacious successor find the culprit before her dreams are sent into stormy waters?
A Killer Opening is the captivating first book in the Amelia Ferver cozy mystery series. If you like bold but flawed heroines, dazzling settings, and twists that keep you guessing, then you’ll love Matilda Adler’s sail into suspense.
Amelia Ferver never ventures outside her comfort zone. But when her beloved uncle bequeaths her his stunning Mediterranean isle on the condition she builds a grand healing hotel, she takes the risk on her favorite destination. But just as she’s about to cut the ribbon and launch the opening party, an unexpected guest checks in… dead on arrival.
Vowing to keep her promise to her late relative, Amelia races to investigate her VIP guests and the local community. But when the determined woman uncovers mysterious passports, a load of cash, and another corpse, she fears her sun-soaked gala will soon turn belly up.
Can this tenacious successor find the culprit before her dreams are sent into stormy waters?
A Killer Opening is the captivating first book in the Amelia Ferver cozy mystery series. If you like bold but flawed heroines, dazzling settings, and twists that keep you guessing, then you’ll love Matilda Adler’s sail into suspense.
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2022
51 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Matilda Adler
3 books4 followersMatila Adler has always loved to read, and she particularly loves to read those old-timey traditional mystery writers, like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers.
Matilda loves to travel - she has spent time in Africa and has visited every US state apart from Alaska - but she has always had a permenant home close to London. Until now...
She recently moved to the Balearic islands in Spain where the sun and the sea has fed her creativity to the extent that she feels ready to move from writing fantasy (under the name Jobie Baldwin) to traditional mysteries with a cozy feel. (That's cosy for her British readers).
Some might say that Amelia Ferver, Matilda's anxious but inspired protagonist, is a little too like Matilda to be entirely fictional. Matilda's keeping quiet on the matter.
Matilda loves to travel - she has spent time in Africa and has visited every US state apart from Alaska - but she has always had a permenant home close to London. Until now...
She recently moved to the Balearic islands in Spain where the sun and the sea has fed her creativity to the extent that she feels ready to move from writing fantasy (under the name Jobie Baldwin) to traditional mysteries with a cozy feel. (That's cosy for her British readers).
Some might say that Amelia Ferver, Matilda's anxious but inspired protagonist, is a little too like Matilda to be entirely fictional. Matilda's keeping quiet on the matter.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 23, 2022
Amelia Ferver inherits a beautiful Island from her beloved uncle, this is her opportunity to get away from her controlling mother and lead her own life, but the inheritance comes with strings attached. With just days to go a murder on the Island threatens to ruin all her hopes and ambitions. Amelia must use all her skills to solve the murder and claim her inheritance.
I received this free to read for an honest review. I really enjoyed the story which ended with the promise of more mysteries to solve in book 2 I cant wait.
I received this free to read for an honest review. I really enjoyed the story which ended with the promise of more mysteries to solve in book 2 I cant wait.
July 16, 2022
The synopsis for this book grabbed me from the start. Small island, quaint little hotel, a lighthouse, a closed circle murder mystery, it sounds like all the right ingredients for a fantastic cozy. Unfortunately, that's the complete opposite of what I got.
Plainly put, there is absolutely nothing cozy about this book. It's a whole lot of traumas, bitterness, hatred, nastiness, making for an unpleasant reading experience, not helped by the fact that most of the characters were unpleasant in and of themselves, and the main character was the worst one. Yeah, she lived a long time under the control of her demeaning and domineering mother, and I think we're supposed to see her as this strong, admirable woman who got out from that bad situation and made something of herself, but clearly the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Main character Amelia is demeaning, arrogant, selfish, bitter, spiteful, self-absorbed, hypocritical, controlling, among other unpleasant traits, on top of being a histrionic drama queen. She was such a pain in every sense of the word and it made reading this book actually infuriating. When the characters being portrayed as jerks are actually more tolerable than the main character, then there's something really wrong there. And the way she and her companions contaminated the crime scenes so extensively legitimately made me cringe.
Another issue is how long-winded and slow moving the book is, which in turn makes it boring, and it wasn't helped by the fact that another unlikable trait of Amelia's is how incredibly long-winded she is, loving to make extensive monologues (yet the hypocrite hated when other people were long-winded). It takes almost the halfway point of the book for the first body to be found, and even worse, the scene where Amelia decides to reveal the identity of the murderer extended into two full chapters; I was reading on Kindle, and the start of the reveal happened on page 225, with the actual reveal itself finally happening ion page 258, over twenty-five pages of the main character tooting her own horn and going through so many details and many of them unimportant rather than just get to the point, which other characters actually asked her to do, but she just kept telling them to shut up. Making a reveal take so long is just inexplicable to me.
Overall, this book was just not good at all. I expected a pleasant cozy with a good mystery, but what I got was a bunch of jerks and a whole lot of bad vibes, and way too many issues to mention (though I'll make a bit of space for just how much of a caricature the Spaniard character was). And just whatever happened to Amelia's radio to call for help? They mentioned it had gone missing but then it was never mentioned again, so who took it and how did they know Amelia had it and where she had it stashed? I do so dislike plot holes. Hopefully the next mystery I pick to read can be more pleasant to read.
Plainly put, there is absolutely nothing cozy about this book. It's a whole lot of traumas, bitterness, hatred, nastiness, making for an unpleasant reading experience, not helped by the fact that most of the characters were unpleasant in and of themselves, and the main character was the worst one. Yeah, she lived a long time under the control of her demeaning and domineering mother, and I think we're supposed to see her as this strong, admirable woman who got out from that bad situation and made something of herself, but clearly the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Main character Amelia is demeaning, arrogant, selfish, bitter, spiteful, self-absorbed, hypocritical, controlling, among other unpleasant traits, on top of being a histrionic drama queen. She was such a pain in every sense of the word and it made reading this book actually infuriating. When the characters being portrayed as jerks are actually more tolerable than the main character, then there's something really wrong there. And the way she and her companions contaminated the crime scenes so extensively legitimately made me cringe.
Another issue is how long-winded and slow moving the book is, which in turn makes it boring, and it wasn't helped by the fact that another unlikable trait of Amelia's is how incredibly long-winded she is, loving to make extensive monologues (yet the hypocrite hated when other people were long-winded). It takes almost the halfway point of the book for the first body to be found, and even worse, the scene where Amelia decides to reveal the identity of the murderer extended into two full chapters; I was reading on Kindle, and the start of the reveal happened on page 225, with the actual reveal itself finally happening ion page 258, over twenty-five pages of the main character tooting her own horn and going through so many details and many of them unimportant rather than just get to the point, which other characters actually asked her to do, but she just kept telling them to shut up. Making a reveal take so long is just inexplicable to me.
Overall, this book was just not good at all. I expected a pleasant cozy with a good mystery, but what I got was a bunch of jerks and a whole lot of bad vibes, and way too many issues to mention (though I'll make a bit of space for just how much of a caricature the Spaniard character was). And just whatever happened to Amelia's radio to call for help? They mentioned it had gone missing but then it was never mentioned again, so who took it and how did they know Amelia had it and where she had it stashed? I do so dislike plot holes. Hopefully the next mystery I pick to read can be more pleasant to read.
January 31, 2022
The Inheritance . . .
A lawyer read aloud the Will of Sebastian Ferdinand Dunnicliffe Ferver, Amelia’s Uncle Seb. Amelia Ferver learned that she had inherited a perfect Mediterranean island, a townhouse in Berkeley Square, and a yacht. But there were three conditions to the bequest. Amelia was always taught to avoid risk, being cautious and timid. Would she be up to the challenges that the conditions would present to her? Or would she quit without ever trying? She had one year to build a hotel on the island or she would lose everything. And if she failed, she wouldn’t even have her uncle anymore.
Finding a bullet-ridden body could ruin her grand opening just as she's about to cut the ribbon and launch the opening party. She tries to investigate, messing with potential evidence she should have left to the police. But she keeps going when she uncovers mysterious British passports issued in different eras, and lots of cash in the refrigerator. Her mother moans that she will never be allowed to launch the grand opening and now this place will be associated with bad memories. Is it time to quit yet? Or has she learned to begin fighting for what she wants and living her life at last?
I can’t say I really enjoyed this book very much with the overall negative tone. Amelia’s family was very toxic and unlikable. She was raised in a dismal atmosphere and taught to give up before she ever tried to accomplish anything. Then when she finally gives it a try, more disasters happen. This was definitely not a favorite memorable “cozy” adventure.
A lawyer read aloud the Will of Sebastian Ferdinand Dunnicliffe Ferver, Amelia’s Uncle Seb. Amelia Ferver learned that she had inherited a perfect Mediterranean island, a townhouse in Berkeley Square, and a yacht. But there were three conditions to the bequest. Amelia was always taught to avoid risk, being cautious and timid. Would she be up to the challenges that the conditions would present to her? Or would she quit without ever trying? She had one year to build a hotel on the island or she would lose everything. And if she failed, she wouldn’t even have her uncle anymore.
Finding a bullet-ridden body could ruin her grand opening just as she's about to cut the ribbon and launch the opening party. She tries to investigate, messing with potential evidence she should have left to the police. But she keeps going when she uncovers mysterious British passports issued in different eras, and lots of cash in the refrigerator. Her mother moans that she will never be allowed to launch the grand opening and now this place will be associated with bad memories. Is it time to quit yet? Or has she learned to begin fighting for what she wants and living her life at last?
I can’t say I really enjoyed this book very much with the overall negative tone. Amelia’s family was very toxic and unlikable. She was raised in a dismal atmosphere and taught to give up before she ever tried to accomplish anything. Then when she finally gives it a try, more disasters happen. This was definitely not a favorite memorable “cozy” adventure.
January 28, 2022
This was an enjoyable read, I reported a couple of typos as I read the advanced copy.
I have to say I was shocked at Amelia's reaction at the first murder. Apart from going from a timid almost autistic personality (especially as her controlling mother was with her and brought this side of her out), she and Maud trampled all over the crime scene and disturbed and removed items even before finding that they really couldn't communicate with the police. Then Amelia decided to investigate herself. Later I was puzzled about the bodies, are they still in the freezer? Why wasn't Amelia repremanded by the police for tampering with a crime scene or two, and why didn't the police do any investigation?
I have to say I was shocked at Amelia's reaction at the first murder. Apart from going from a timid almost autistic personality (especially as her controlling mother was with her and brought this side of her out), she and Maud trampled all over the crime scene and disturbed and removed items even before finding that they really couldn't communicate with the police. Then Amelia decided to investigate herself. Later I was puzzled about the bodies, are they still in the freezer? Why wasn't Amelia repremanded by the police for tampering with a crime scene or two, and why didn't the police do any investigation?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2022
Amelia greatly mourns the passing of her uncle, he was her tock after her dad went missing on an African adventure
surviving her long mourning, in the interim alcoholic, manipulative playwright mom is a task ruinous to her health and self esteem
the reading of the will is apparently well timed, after an epic argument with her mother
Can Amelia survive the odd termsof the will, as well as the presence of her poisonous mom at her opening?
past events and tragedies have echoes that still ring out
witty, dramatic and insightful
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
surviving her long mourning, in the interim alcoholic, manipulative playwright mom is a task ruinous to her health and self esteem
the reading of the will is apparently well timed, after an epic argument with her mother
Can Amelia survive the odd termsof the will, as well as the presence of her poisonous mom at her opening?
past events and tragedies have echoes that still ring out
witty, dramatic and insightful
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 24, 2022
When the will of her Uncle Sebastian is read, Amelia finds out she has inherited an island in the Mediterranean, with the stipulation that she build a “healing hotel” and open it in the next year. Amelia comes from a toxic family, especially her mom, and has been taught to not take risks. But she’s determined to try and accomplish this task from her beloved Uncle. She manages to get it built, but at the Grand Opening, she discovers a murder, and needs to solve it fast! I enjoyed this cozy and watching Amelia grow in confidence. Likable characters, with the exception of her very negative family, and an engaging mystery to solve. I’m looking forward to other books in the series!
March 21, 2022
I got an Agatha Christie vibe to the story. At first, I had trouble keeping track of who was who but then I got totally caught up in the story and couldn't put it down until I finished. A great assortment of characters and plenty of mystery, even beyond the murders. I loved seeing how Amelia grew once she was out from under the control of her emotionally and verbally abusive narcissistic mother to a strong take charge young woman. Her Uncle Seb giving her the island was a blessing but also could be a curse with the unsolved mysteries to come. I can't believe we have to wait so long for the next book to come out. I'm ready now. Loved this book!!
February 26, 2022
This is the 1st in the series. The main characters are Amelia and Oliver. When Amelia grandfather dies, he leaves her his island as long as she can meet certain goals. She has a few days left and she is opening a hotel on the island that will help people to heal. A few people show up early and that night one of them is murdered. The more she finds out about the victim , the less she likes him or knows him. While waiting for the police to be called and come, Amelia starts to investigate. The next day there is another murder. Can she figure this and save her hotel before it's too late ?
March 29, 2022
Island Murders
Given a beautiful island, tons of money, and a couple of murders, Amelia has to follow a few rules left to her in her Uncle's will before she fully inherits. The murders happen at the end of her quest and could ruin everything. Will Amelia be able to figure out who the killer is before the deadline?
Given a beautiful island, tons of money, and a couple of murders, Amelia has to follow a few rules left to her in her Uncle's will before she fully inherits. The murders happen at the end of her quest and could ruin everything. Will Amelia be able to figure out who the killer is before the deadline?
April 21, 2022
When her uncle dies, Amelia inherits a small island in the Mediterranean. Under the terms of the will, she has one year to build a Healing Hotel, and have a grand opening, with certain people from her childhood in attendance. She manages the building and when her first guests arrive, there is a murder. To save her inheritance, Amelia investigates.
January 28, 2022
An exciting murder mystery thats difficult to put down
Set in a beautiful location you can almost feel the heat and see the pelicans. It was wonderful to see how some of the characters developed and changed. Looking forward to the next novel.
Set in a beautiful location you can almost feel the heat and see the pelicans. It was wonderful to see how some of the characters developed and changed. Looking forward to the next novel.
February 2, 2022
This is a great read, I enjoyed it so much! Amelia inherits a whole island, and I was transported there with some great writing. There is a mystery to solve which is a real page turner. Brilliant! I can’t wait for the next book!
April 9, 2022
Very interesting
A fascinating situation, intriguing characters, mysterious back stories, surprising reveals, and so many secrets make this an interesting read. I impatiently waited for the ending to find out who the killer was because I had no idea.
A fascinating situation, intriguing characters, mysterious back stories, surprising reveals, and so many secrets make this an interesting read. I impatiently waited for the ending to find out who the killer was because I had no idea.
January 22, 2022
A fun story that will have you binge reading. Amelia inherits a luxury island , but unfortunately a dead body seems to come with it. Enjoyable with just the right amount of mystery.
February 14, 2022
Great read!
This was very well written with lots of twists right to the end can't wait for the next one! I love Amelia's character I couldn't put this book down!
This was very well written with lots of twists right to the end can't wait for the next one! I love Amelia's character I couldn't put this book down!
February 25, 2022
This was a very interesting mystery. A lot of great characters.
April 11, 2022
Great Start to an Intriguing Series
Loved the mystery. Lovely setting, cast of characters is full of color. Ends with a new mystery to unravel. I really like the sleuth.
Loved the mystery. Lovely setting, cast of characters is full of color. Ends with a new mystery to unravel. I really like the sleuth.
August 12, 2022
I enjoyed this book overall. Pace picked up eventually and it started make sense. I felt as though I had come in to the story a bit late.
December 15, 2023
I am delighted to have discovered this new author and am very glad that I decided to give the book a try. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Well written, with a good descriptive backdrop that gave me such a strong visual of the island, I could have been watching it on TV. The plot is clever and I enjoyed the many possible suspects. All in all, a winner in my books!
January 29, 2026
A great book.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews