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Murder at the Hendrick Hotel
After making a career shift, Hannah Harrison is struggling to balance her new office job with helping her sister out at her popular Cozy Cafe. Their mother's constant meddling in the cafe's operations has everyone up in arms, amplifying the chaos. To add to the mix, Hannah's dating life is a series of catastrophes, and she's not quite sure how to fit it all in.
Hannah's attempts to strike a balance fall to the wayside when a prominent influencer shows up dead at a glamorous hotel. Her best friend, Rawiri Frankwell, has taken on the case, and he needs her help to investigate. How was an in-room dining order able to be doctored into a deadly dish, and why? It's up to Hannah and Rawiri to solve this murder mystery... before the killer strikes again.
Hannah's attempts to strike a balance fall to the wayside when a prominent influencer shows up dead at a glamorous hotel. Her best friend, Rawiri Frankwell, has taken on the case, and he needs her help to investigate. How was an in-room dining order able to be doctored into a deadly dish, and why? It's up to Hannah and Rawiri to solve this murder mystery... before the killer strikes again.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 2, 2022
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2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 11, 2022
Who Killed the Influencer ? . . .
Hannah Harrison has a new office job that is keeping her busy. She also is trying to help her sister at the Café while her mother makes a mess of things there. But then her friend Rawiri Frankwell, owner of a PI agency, asks her to join him on an investigation for the police involving a prominent influencer, Chelsea Goesling, found dead at the hotel. Her dining order had been tampered with which led to her death. Going undercover as a married couple, will Rawiri and Hannah track down the killer?
This was an entertaining and engaging cozy mystery with a nice variety of characters. The plot is well-written and holds the reader’s attention as Rawiri and Hannah search for clues. Grab your copy and see if you can figure out what’s going on before our intrepid team!
Hannah Harrison has a new office job that is keeping her busy. She also is trying to help her sister at the Café while her mother makes a mess of things there. But then her friend Rawiri Frankwell, owner of a PI agency, asks her to join him on an investigation for the police involving a prominent influencer, Chelsea Goesling, found dead at the hotel. Her dining order had been tampered with which led to her death. Going undercover as a married couple, will Rawiri and Hannah track down the killer?
This was an entertaining and engaging cozy mystery with a nice variety of characters. The plot is well-written and holds the reader’s attention as Rawiri and Hannah search for clues. Grab your copy and see if you can figure out what’s going on before our intrepid team!
October 28, 2022
This is the first instalment in what appears to be intended to be a series of cozy crime mystery novels featuring the Rawiri Frankwell Detective Agency. It is therefore understandable that there is a good deal of scene setting and character introductions in its narrative. The story revolves around Hannah Harrison and her long standing best friend, Rawiri Frankwell, both of whom appear to be somewhat dissatisfied with their nine to five careers. Rawiri's detective agency sideline offers Hannah a much needed diversion when he asks for her help on one of his investigations. An over-stretched local police force has called Rawiri in to assist in the investigation of an unexplained death of a social media influencer at the nearby luxury Hendrick Hotel, and Rawiri wants the two of them to go undercover at the Hotel, posing as a married couple, as part of his inquiries.
The novel benefits from having the two, well defined, central characters and the development of their relationship forms an important part of the story. Around them is an engaging supporting cast of family and friends each with their own foibles and difficulties.
The setting is clearly a small New Zealand town but as a reader I was not, in truth, left with a strong sense of the place in which these events took place beyond the hotel itself and the café owned by Hannah's sister.
The author describes the internal dialogue of many of the characters' thoughts and feelings and, while this helps the reader to quickly understand them, it can be repetitive and all too often spends a little too much time on what seems to be trivial and irrelevant detail. I did also feel that the novel could have been improved by more careful attention on the part of the editor.
But that is not to say that this was not a satisfying and enjoyable mystery novel. It most certainly was. I shall look forward to seeing future instalments of the Rawiri Frankwell Detective Agency Murder Mysteries.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The novel benefits from having the two, well defined, central characters and the development of their relationship forms an important part of the story. Around them is an engaging supporting cast of family and friends each with their own foibles and difficulties.
The setting is clearly a small New Zealand town but as a reader I was not, in truth, left with a strong sense of the place in which these events took place beyond the hotel itself and the café owned by Hannah's sister.
The author describes the internal dialogue of many of the characters' thoughts and feelings and, while this helps the reader to quickly understand them, it can be repetitive and all too often spends a little too much time on what seems to be trivial and irrelevant detail. I did also feel that the novel could have been improved by more careful attention on the part of the editor.
But that is not to say that this was not a satisfying and enjoyable mystery novel. It most certainly was. I shall look forward to seeing future instalments of the Rawiri Frankwell Detective Agency Murder Mysteries.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 4, 2022
ARC Book Review
Murder at The Hendrick Hotel
A Novel Written By Emily Hilton Smith
Fiction - Mystery
Published 2022
239 Pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
This is a cozy sweet mystery that is set in New Zealand. It is the first book in the Rawiri Frankwell Detective Agency Series.
Hannah Harrison has just left her job in the restaurant business for an office job with 9-5 weekday hours. She also helps her sister, Cecily, by working at her Cozy Cafe.
Rawiri Frankwell is Hannah’s best friend who is building a reputation as a super sleuth. Due to budget cuts at the police department, he is often hired to assist in investigations.
Rawiri, with Hannah’s help, is investigating the death of a rising food influencer. The woman was found dead in her hotel room, literally in her soup.
This is a cute read seeing how the two main characters uncover the killer in the mystery and trying to solve it with them.
Being close friends for a long time, it is also sweet watching Rawiri and Hannah realize they like each more than just as friends.
“Love can make people do silly things.”
“But it turns out you are just my type….”
Thank you to Book Sirens for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book which I am leaving voluntarily.
Murder at The Hendrick Hotel
A Novel Written By Emily Hilton Smith
Fiction - Mystery
Published 2022
239 Pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
This is a cozy sweet mystery that is set in New Zealand. It is the first book in the Rawiri Frankwell Detective Agency Series.
Hannah Harrison has just left her job in the restaurant business for an office job with 9-5 weekday hours. She also helps her sister, Cecily, by working at her Cozy Cafe.
Rawiri Frankwell is Hannah’s best friend who is building a reputation as a super sleuth. Due to budget cuts at the police department, he is often hired to assist in investigations.
Rawiri, with Hannah’s help, is investigating the death of a rising food influencer. The woman was found dead in her hotel room, literally in her soup.
This is a cute read seeing how the two main characters uncover the killer in the mystery and trying to solve it with them.
Being close friends for a long time, it is also sweet watching Rawiri and Hannah realize they like each more than just as friends.
“Love can make people do silly things.”
“But it turns out you are just my type….”
Thank you to Book Sirens for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book which I am leaving voluntarily.
October 12, 2022
This super sweet, cozy mystery has it all. Small town, family run cafe, best friends since childhood starting to see each other as more than friends, cats and murder.
Two best friends, both unhappy in their jobs start working together to assist their understaffed local police department to solve the murder of a social media influencer at the new luxury hotel. We get to know the thoughts and feelings of all the main characters and in a cool twist this includes the potential killer.
I admit I was frustrated by the constant back and forth as Rawiri and Hannah keep talking themselves out of sharing their feelings for one another. At one point I wanted to shake them and yell “Just Say It Already!”
The story jumped around quite a bit and in more than one place I felt like the author had lost her place and placed paragraphs in the wrong chapter. This and the grammar and spelling mistakes are what kept me from adding that 4th star. This is an ARC though and there may still be some editing to do.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Two best friends, both unhappy in their jobs start working together to assist their understaffed local police department to solve the murder of a social media influencer at the new luxury hotel. We get to know the thoughts and feelings of all the main characters and in a cool twist this includes the potential killer.
I admit I was frustrated by the constant back and forth as Rawiri and Hannah keep talking themselves out of sharing their feelings for one another. At one point I wanted to shake them and yell “Just Say It Already!”
The story jumped around quite a bit and in more than one place I felt like the author had lost her place and placed paragraphs in the wrong chapter. This and the grammar and spelling mistakes are what kept me from adding that 4th star. This is an ARC though and there may still be some editing to do.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 3, 2022
Hannah is still struggling to manage changing careers from working all hours in the restaurant business to working a 9 to 5 job, Monday thru Friday.
Her friend Rawiri asks her to help him out with an investigation which he’s been asked to help the police. They register as husband and wife in a hotel where a suspicious death occurred. As Hannah is checking out the hotel, Rawiri is asking questions of the head chef and in-house dining manager. Unbeknownst to them, a food critic from a newspaper is also asking questions and trying to learn what is going on at the hotel.
In the meantime, Rawiri has a secret he’s been keeping from Hannah even though he’s informed her mother Patricia and sister Cecily.
Great job of describing the characters and locations in this book. I was able to picture the person as well as being there in the moment.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Her friend Rawiri asks her to help him out with an investigation which he’s been asked to help the police. They register as husband and wife in a hotel where a suspicious death occurred. As Hannah is checking out the hotel, Rawiri is asking questions of the head chef and in-house dining manager. Unbeknownst to them, a food critic from a newspaper is also asking questions and trying to learn what is going on at the hotel.
In the meantime, Rawiri has a secret he’s been keeping from Hannah even though he’s informed her mother Patricia and sister Cecily.
Great job of describing the characters and locations in this book. I was able to picture the person as well as being there in the moment.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 5, 2022
Murder at the Hendrick Hotel is Book 1 in A Rawiri Frankwell Detective Agency Murder Mystery by Emily Hilton Smith. This cozy mystery has Rawiri and Hannah trying to find a food influencer murder. I thought the author did a good job of laying the foundation for the characters and the series. I believe that she seamlessly wove the murder and character development perfectly. I thought that this was a good jumping board to future books. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
October 10, 2022
I like that this first book in a new series has to set the background for the series and this one did a great job of doing just that.
Rawiri Frankwell Detective Agency Murder Mystery Series is going to be a great series based on the introduction of characters in Murder at the Hendrick Hotel.
Rawiri Frankwell has a murder to solve, and he turns to Hannah Harrison to help him. I liked the characters in the story, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Rawiri Frankwell Detective Agency Murder Mystery Series is going to be a great series based on the introduction of characters in Murder at the Hendrick Hotel.
Rawiri Frankwell has a murder to solve, and he turns to Hannah Harrison to help him. I liked the characters in the story, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 16, 2022
Hannah’s life is a bit crazy, helping her sister with her Cafe business, dealing with her over zealous meddling Mom and a new job. But, she still finds time to help her best friend Rawiri do investigative work. By far their biggest case, we go along as they investigate a murder at a boujee hotel. Fun, witty, entertaining banter. Twists and turns bring them danger and the guilty suspects.
With a fun realization at the end, I hope we get to read more about their cases with some steamy side interest included.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.
With a fun realization at the end, I hope we get to read more about their cases with some steamy side interest included.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.
October 3, 2022
Overall, I liked the book. It's what I expected when reading a cozy mystery. The characters were pretty likable, and I was entertained trying to guess what would happen next.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 21, 2023
Very enjoyable read, and an author that I will follow and read from again. Very comforting read, and an excellent example of a good cozy mystery. I read this book pretty quickly, but for whatever reason I failed to add my review. Don't pass on this book, it is light, humorous and mysterious!!! Just what you want in a cozy mystery book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews