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Penny Brannigan #1
The Cold Light of Mourning
Elizabeth J. Duncan spins a charming tale of murder and intrigue in this winning first novel.
The picturesque North Wales market town of Llanelen is shocked when Meg Wynne Thompson, a self-made beauty who has turned out to be something of an unpopular bride, goes missing on her wedding day…and turns up dead. The last person believed to have seen her is manicurist Penny Brannigan, an expatriate Canadian who has lived in North Wales for almost twenty-five years. When Penny notices that something is not quite right at the funeral of her dearest friend, she becomes emotionally invested in the case, and sets out to investigate.
It seems that several people, including the bride’s drunken, abusive father, had reasons to wish Meg dead, but when the trail leads to her groom’s home, an explosive secret will shake the small town.
With its bucolic Welsh setting and vivid, colorful characters, this mystery is sure to delight the most discerning of traditional-mystery fans.
The picturesque North Wales market town of Llanelen is shocked when Meg Wynne Thompson, a self-made beauty who has turned out to be something of an unpopular bride, goes missing on her wedding day…and turns up dead. The last person believed to have seen her is manicurist Penny Brannigan, an expatriate Canadian who has lived in North Wales for almost twenty-five years. When Penny notices that something is not quite right at the funeral of her dearest friend, she becomes emotionally invested in the case, and sets out to investigate.
It seems that several people, including the bride’s drunken, abusive father, had reasons to wish Meg dead, but when the trail leads to her groom’s home, an explosive secret will shake the small town.
With its bucolic Welsh setting and vivid, colorful characters, this mystery is sure to delight the most discerning of traditional-mystery fans.
277 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2009
50 people are currently reading
1861 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth J. Duncan
23 books399 followersAfter graduating from Carleton University, Ottawa, with a BA in English, Elizabeth J. Duncan worked as a writer and editor for some of Canada’s largest newspapers, and as a public relations practitioner.
A two-time winner of the Bloody Words Award for Canada's best light mystery, she is the author of two traditional mystery series, Penny Brannigan set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills featuring costume designer Charlotte Fairfax,
Elizabeth divides her time between Toronto, Canada and Llandudno, North Wales.
A two-time winner of the Bloody Words Award for Canada's best light mystery, she is the author of two traditional mystery series, Penny Brannigan set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills featuring costume designer Charlotte Fairfax,
Elizabeth divides her time between Toronto, Canada and Llandudno, North Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
February 27, 2022
3,5 Sterne
Ich mag gemütliche Krimis und etwas reifere Damen, die ermitteln. Das erinnert mich immer ein wenig an Miss Marple, und die liebe ich einfach.
Diese Geschichte spielt in Wales, und auch das ist ein Pluspunkt für mich.
Ansonsten ist die Handlung relativ einfach, sag ich mal. Nicht wirklich spannend, nicht wirklich immer nachvollziehbar. Es gibt einige Punkte, die ich unglaubwürdig finde, zum Beispiel die schnelle Freundschaft zwischen Penny und Victoria. Victoria zieht sogar sofort bei Penny ein; die beiden haben sich aber gerade erst kennengelernt bzw. sind eigentlich noch dabei, sich kennenzulernen... Seltsam.
Auch die Auflösung des Falles... Nicht wirklich glaubwürdig, zu viele Zufälle spielen hier mit rein. Das Mordmotiv konnte mich auch nicht wirklich überzeugen...
Wer einen packenden Kriminalfall sucht, wird hier sicher enttäuscht sein.
Und doch... Irgendwie habe ich das Buch trotzdem gerne gelesen. Ich kann es nicht einmal erklären, aber ich mag einfach diese gemütlichen britischen Krimis.
Ich mag gemütliche Krimis und etwas reifere Damen, die ermitteln. Das erinnert mich immer ein wenig an Miss Marple, und die liebe ich einfach.
Diese Geschichte spielt in Wales, und auch das ist ein Pluspunkt für mich.
Ansonsten ist die Handlung relativ einfach, sag ich mal. Nicht wirklich spannend, nicht wirklich immer nachvollziehbar. Es gibt einige Punkte, die ich unglaubwürdig finde, zum Beispiel die schnelle Freundschaft zwischen Penny und Victoria. Victoria zieht sogar sofort bei Penny ein; die beiden haben sich aber gerade erst kennengelernt bzw. sind eigentlich noch dabei, sich kennenzulernen... Seltsam.
Auch die Auflösung des Falles... Nicht wirklich glaubwürdig, zu viele Zufälle spielen hier mit rein. Das Mordmotiv konnte mich auch nicht wirklich überzeugen...
Wer einen packenden Kriminalfall sucht, wird hier sicher enttäuscht sein.
Und doch... Irgendwie habe ich das Buch trotzdem gerne gelesen. Ich kann es nicht einmal erklären, aber ich mag einfach diese gemütlichen britischen Krimis.
March 2, 2014
If you watch much tv, read many magazines or watch many movies you would think that the world consists of 23 year old beautiful people. I'm so glad that mystery writers have bucked that trend and actually give us people who have a little experience with life. In The Cold Light of Mourning we get a heroine who is middle-aged and doesn't mind being so. I personally am glad to see more mystery writers writing characters in this age group.
Penny, a Canadian ex-pat manicurist living in Wales, has just lost her best friend Emma. However, Emma's death seems to be overshadowed by the upcoming wedding of the son of the local squire. He's brought his bride-to-be back from London and the wedding should be the event of the year. Until the bride disappears on the day of the wedding, that is. Penny had done the bride's nails that day and so gets sucked into the investigation.
As with any mystery involving an amateur sleuth, there are moments when you shake your head and say, "No one would do that" or "The police would never let them get away with that." There are times when things come a little too easy. There isn't a strong sense of atmosphere which is my favorite characteristic in a book. I think some of these flaws come from it being the first in a series. I like the characters well enough that I will be back for more. A masterpiece it's not. A fun piece of entertainment it is.
Penny, a Canadian ex-pat manicurist living in Wales, has just lost her best friend Emma. However, Emma's death seems to be overshadowed by the upcoming wedding of the son of the local squire. He's brought his bride-to-be back from London and the wedding should be the event of the year. Until the bride disappears on the day of the wedding, that is. Penny had done the bride's nails that day and so gets sucked into the investigation.
As with any mystery involving an amateur sleuth, there are moments when you shake your head and say, "No one would do that" or "The police would never let them get away with that." There are times when things come a little too easy. There isn't a strong sense of atmosphere which is my favorite characteristic in a book. I think some of these flaws come from it being the first in a series. I like the characters well enough that I will be back for more. A masterpiece it's not. A fun piece of entertainment it is.
May 2, 2012
Cozy mystery about a middle-aged lady running a nail salon in a little village in South Wales. Penny Brannigan is a Canadian transplant, living a comfortable (boring) life. Her dear friend Emma has just passed away and the village is also getting ready for a big wedding. The son of the largest landowner in the area is marrying a beauty he met while working in London. The bridal party have arranged to get their nails done at Penny's salon but things take a turn for the worse when the bride fails to show for the wedding. And Penny is last person to have seen her! Does she hold the key to finding the missing bride?
I think I may be getting a little too callous to read the cozies any more. Too many zombies, apocalypses, and vampires may be warping my reading enjoyment. The story wasn't awful but I guessed the bad guy pretty quickly and the story seemed disjointed in places, like the author had points that needed to be made throughout the story to make the whole thing plausible, so she stuck random bits of info in places where it was obvious what she was doing.
I think I may be getting a little too callous to read the cozies any more. Too many zombies, apocalypses, and vampires may be warping my reading enjoyment. The story wasn't awful but I guessed the bad guy pretty quickly and the story seemed disjointed in places, like the author had points that needed to be made throughout the story to make the whole thing plausible, so she stuck random bits of info in places where it was obvious what she was doing.
February 6, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. As the author is Canadian, and I saw her talk about the book at a lecture, I had hoped to find a new mystery series and more importantly a Canadian author who's books I liked. But it was just okay.
When the small Welsh town of Llanelen is shocked by the disappearance of the bride of a local boy on her wedding day, nobody knows what to think. The bride had made herself unpopular in the town, but nobody wished her ill . . . or did they?
The last person to have seen her was expatriate Canadian Penny Brannigan, who's made her life in Llanelen for almost 25 years, and who runs the local manicure shop. Penny thinks something is odd at the funeral of her dear friend Emma, she decides to investigate.
The story wasn't bad, per se, but I found it a bit slow-moving, and, well, kind of dull. If you're going to write a cozy mystery about a small town, and you hope to have the makings of a continuing series, you need to create a really engaging group of oddballs, misfits, busybodies and quirky people to make up the characters and grab the reader for the long-term. That was missing in this book for me.
There was really just nobody I was all that interesting in finding out more about. When the murder victim is the most interesting person in the story, that doesn't bode well for a long-term love affair with the series, but that was how this played out for me.
The story was okay, but the eventual resolution to the murder was very anti-climactic and just not that interesting after all the events leading up to it.
This was a disappointment, and I won't read others in this series. If you're looking for the small-town mystery experience that will really grab you with fun people, try the Hamish Macbeth or the Aunt Dimity Series, both of which I love and highly recommend, instead of this one.
When the small Welsh town of Llanelen is shocked by the disappearance of the bride of a local boy on her wedding day, nobody knows what to think. The bride had made herself unpopular in the town, but nobody wished her ill . . . or did they?
The last person to have seen her was expatriate Canadian Penny Brannigan, who's made her life in Llanelen for almost 25 years, and who runs the local manicure shop. Penny thinks something is odd at the funeral of her dear friend Emma, she decides to investigate.
The story wasn't bad, per se, but I found it a bit slow-moving, and, well, kind of dull. If you're going to write a cozy mystery about a small town, and you hope to have the makings of a continuing series, you need to create a really engaging group of oddballs, misfits, busybodies and quirky people to make up the characters and grab the reader for the long-term. That was missing in this book for me.
There was really just nobody I was all that interesting in finding out more about. When the murder victim is the most interesting person in the story, that doesn't bode well for a long-term love affair with the series, but that was how this played out for me.
The story was okay, but the eventual resolution to the murder was very anti-climactic and just not that interesting after all the events leading up to it.
This was a disappointment, and I won't read others in this series. If you're looking for the small-town mystery experience that will really grab you with fun people, try the Hamish Macbeth or the Aunt Dimity Series, both of which I love and highly recommend, instead of this one.
February 28, 2013
This book read easy enough, but by the end it was getting on my nerves. Mostly for a lot of small things, but sometimes those small things will kill the story for me.
First, even though this book took place in Wales, I didn't get the sense of place enough to feel I was there. For all intents and purposes, it could have taken place in Chicago for all the descriptive scenery I got. It was there, but not nearly enough or explicit enough.
Next, the nail shop owner, Penny, meets a harp player, has a long conversation and next thing you know, they are BFF and said player is moving into Penny's spare room. Really? I think this character was just a springboard for Penny's thoughts, but her introduction was pretty clumsy.
Then there is the name of the victim - Meg Wynne. Everytime I read it I felt like the people were calling her by her first and last name and it took me out of the reading whenever she was mentioned.
All in all, this book didn't have enough interesting characters for me to want to continue reading any further in the series.
First, even though this book took place in Wales, I didn't get the sense of place enough to feel I was there. For all intents and purposes, it could have taken place in Chicago for all the descriptive scenery I got. It was there, but not nearly enough or explicit enough.
Next, the nail shop owner, Penny, meets a harp player, has a long conversation and next thing you know, they are BFF and said player is moving into Penny's spare room. Really? I think this character was just a springboard for Penny's thoughts, but her introduction was pretty clumsy.
Then there is the name of the victim - Meg Wynne. Everytime I read it I felt like the people were calling her by her first and last name and it took me out of the reading whenever she was mentioned.
All in all, this book didn't have enough interesting characters for me to want to continue reading any further in the series.
April 9, 2018
This is an enjoyable cozy with a very likable protagonist. Set in North Wales, Penny -- a single Canadian woman who's been in Wales for 25 years -- runs the local manicure shop, and gets involved in a murder as a witness.
It was exactly what I was looking for -- charming, with an interesting mystery.
It was exactly what I was looking for -- charming, with an interesting mystery.
May 15, 2011
First Line: Emma Teasdale had been ill for some time and on a cool evening in early June, alone and peacefully, she died.
When visiting the market town of Llanelen in North Wales as a young student, Penny Brannigan was taken under schoolteacher Emma Teasdale's wing. They became fast friends, and Penny moved from Nova Scotia in Canada to Llanelen where she opened a small nail salon. As the years passed, the two women shared their lives with each other just as a mother and daughter might. Emma's death, although expected, has greatly shaken Penny, leaving her feeling at loose ends.
Perhaps that's why she takes such an interest in the disappearance of bride-to-be Meg Wynne Thompson. Self-made Meg Wynne was about to be married to the local landowner, and townspeople didn't like her much. But when the young woman vanishes on the morning of her wedding and Penny is the last person to see her alive, Penny feels that she should do everything she can to help the police solve the mystery.
Although the identity of the person responsible for Meg Wynne's disappearance was rather transparent to me, there was so much that I liked about this book that I didn't care.
Starting out with the stock characters of a typical small town, Duncan has added layers to them and created a wonderful cast. Penny's troubled youth in Canada has made her an adult who prefers to be in her own company, but she is a genuinely observant and caring person. Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies and Detective Sergeant Bethan Morgan are the sort of police officers you want to show up in your town to look for a missing person. Davies in particular quickly learns to appreciate Penny's eye for detail.
Penny isn't the typical amateur sleuth that she describes to friends:
"What, you mean like those dotty middle-aged amateur lady sleuths that you see in books? Tramping all over the evidence, touching things they shouldn't, putting themselves in harm's way, and just generally annoying the police?"
When she feels that she has something important that will help the police find Meg Wynne, she immediately calls them. It certainly is refreshing to have an amateur sleuth be level-headed and sensible, and it's fun to watch the inspector start to take a shine to her.
Although the villain of the piece was easily guessed, what wasn't easy was figuring out how it was all done. Between the characters and the crime details, this was a very enjoyable, light mystery, and I look forward to meeting Penny again.
When visiting the market town of Llanelen in North Wales as a young student, Penny Brannigan was taken under schoolteacher Emma Teasdale's wing. They became fast friends, and Penny moved from Nova Scotia in Canada to Llanelen where she opened a small nail salon. As the years passed, the two women shared their lives with each other just as a mother and daughter might. Emma's death, although expected, has greatly shaken Penny, leaving her feeling at loose ends.
Perhaps that's why she takes such an interest in the disappearance of bride-to-be Meg Wynne Thompson. Self-made Meg Wynne was about to be married to the local landowner, and townspeople didn't like her much. But when the young woman vanishes on the morning of her wedding and Penny is the last person to see her alive, Penny feels that she should do everything she can to help the police solve the mystery.
Although the identity of the person responsible for Meg Wynne's disappearance was rather transparent to me, there was so much that I liked about this book that I didn't care.
Starting out with the stock characters of a typical small town, Duncan has added layers to them and created a wonderful cast. Penny's troubled youth in Canada has made her an adult who prefers to be in her own company, but she is a genuinely observant and caring person. Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies and Detective Sergeant Bethan Morgan are the sort of police officers you want to show up in your town to look for a missing person. Davies in particular quickly learns to appreciate Penny's eye for detail.
Penny isn't the typical amateur sleuth that she describes to friends:
"What, you mean like those dotty middle-aged amateur lady sleuths that you see in books? Tramping all over the evidence, touching things they shouldn't, putting themselves in harm's way, and just generally annoying the police?"
When she feels that she has something important that will help the police find Meg Wynne, she immediately calls them. It certainly is refreshing to have an amateur sleuth be level-headed and sensible, and it's fun to watch the inspector start to take a shine to her.
Although the villain of the piece was easily guessed, what wasn't easy was figuring out how it was all done. Between the characters and the crime details, this was a very enjoyable, light mystery, and I look forward to meeting Penny again.
June 11, 2017
A promising premise had this book. 50-something Penny, Canadian, but 25 years an ex pat living in a quaint little village in Wales. Penny is an artist at heart but manicurist by trade. Her artist soul is possessed with an uncanny intuition and a superb attention to detail. She's quickly embroiled in a mystery by virtue of being the last person to have seen a missing bride on her wedding day. Unfortunately despite the initially interesting mystery and the appealing Wales setting, the book fell short for me. It's prose completely lacked atmosphere and intrigue and the Whodunit was far too easily solved. It was obvious the author spent far too much energy leading the reader to where they were to go when more effort could have been placed in developing the characters and enriching the setting. As I liked the Wales location of this novel, I may try one more in this series as often a first novel does undergo some hiccups that improve with the second.
May 23, 2015
Couldn't help but love it!!! Even if the intrigue is not very original, and I guessed the murderer quite easily, there were all kinds of clever twists in it. But it was the characters and the village life that fascinated me, all reminding of one of my greteast detective heroines - Miss Marple of course!!Now I want to have a manicure in Wales!!!
November 6, 2014
This easy-to-read, cozy mystery was a first from this author. It has the same wit and charm that you find in Agatha Christie mysteries with a late middle-aged manicurist who finds herself in the middle of the mystery of a vanishing bride who was last seen at her nail salon. With a touch of romance, lots of twists and turns, and enough clues to help you possibly determine the murderer, it definitely keeps your attention.
March 26, 2013
I love a good cozy, so I was happy to discover an author and a series I hadn't yet read! Also lucky for me I was able to find the other books in the series just waiting for me on the shelf of my local library! Sorry to the other patrons who might want to check them out, I promise I will have them back soon!
January 15, 2015
Very cute and enjoyable read. Started out with too much detail before sliding into not enough detail. I also figured out who the murderer was before the murder happened, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. Overall, a quick and light cozy, and I look forward to the other books in the series.
August 24, 2010
Wonderful classic traditional cozy. Well deserving of namination for the Agatha for Best First Novel
February 9, 2020
Started out quite slow and didn't think was going to be more than two stars. It grew on me after the half-way point and I came to want to read more of the various characters. Penny is the main focus, but not the only one - this was a team effort working to solve the murder: Penny the manicurist, her new friend Victoria who was the harpist at her best friend's funeral (no, she wasn't the one murdered), the police detective Gareth (and love interest for Penny), Mrs. Lloyd the town busybody, and the Rev. and his wife. I thought they were all well developed as characters, and each had a role to play. The ending was entirely predictable - no dramatic twists, just a nice cozy. And the Welsh setting, of course, is my cup of tea. So 3.5 stars, maybe even 4, but I hardly ever give the first of a cozy series more than 3 to give it room to grow. And I will be reading more of them.
Book description: The picturesque North Wales market town of Llanelen is shocked when Meg Wynne Thompson, a self-made beauty who has turned out to be something of an unpopular bride, goes missing on her wedding day…and turns up dead. The last person believed to have seen her is manicurist Penny Brannigan, an expatriate Canadian who has lived in North Wales for almost twenty-five years. When Penny notices that something is not quite right at the funeral of her dearest friend, she becomes emotionally invested in the case, and sets out to investigate. It seems that several people, including the bride's drunken, abusive father, had reasons to wish Meg dead, but when the trail leads to her groom's home, an explosive secret will shake the small town. With its bucolic Welsh setting and vivid, colorful characters, this mystery is sure to delight the most discerning of traditional-mystery fans.
Book description: The picturesque North Wales market town of Llanelen is shocked when Meg Wynne Thompson, a self-made beauty who has turned out to be something of an unpopular bride, goes missing on her wedding day…and turns up dead. The last person believed to have seen her is manicurist Penny Brannigan, an expatriate Canadian who has lived in North Wales for almost twenty-five years. When Penny notices that something is not quite right at the funeral of her dearest friend, she becomes emotionally invested in the case, and sets out to investigate. It seems that several people, including the bride's drunken, abusive father, had reasons to wish Meg dead, but when the trail leads to her groom's home, an explosive secret will shake the small town. With its bucolic Welsh setting and vivid, colorful characters, this mystery is sure to delight the most discerning of traditional-mystery fans.
March 6, 2022
Did I find a website that sorted mysteries by all kinds of criteria? Yes. Did I look for mysteries specifically set in Wales? Yes. Did I do that because I loved Rhys Bowen’s Evan Evans series so much. ALSO YES.
Alas, this was not as good as Evan Evans. It had a good beginning but sort of faded away about halfway through. Many of the characters were two-dimensional, and I found the cops in particular lacking. I would still read others in the series, but I remain on the hunt for a new-to-me author who reignites my love of mysteries.
Alas, this was not as good as Evan Evans. It had a good beginning but sort of faded away about halfway through. Many of the characters were two-dimensional, and I found the cops in particular lacking. I would still read others in the series, but I remain on the hunt for a new-to-me author who reignites my love of mysteries.
February 24, 2020
Just lovely! Slow & deep, this is an absolutely wonderfully-written cozy. Loved the character development (including the maturity & personality depth of the protagonist), the fine narrative details, the mystery, and the plot pacing. Eager to continue on with next installment in this series.
did-not-finish
December 26, 2018To be fair, I didn't get particularly far into this. It might get better. But I read a few chapters, and just wasn't connecting with it, so I cut my losses.
November 18, 2023
This is a very low stress, low key cozy. I enjoyed the main characters and the setting (Wales) and there was a clever plot item or two but I still felt like I had to force myself to pick up the book most of the time since the pacing was slow and the urgency non existent. It was, well, nice. If that's your thing you'll enjoy this series.
February 4, 2021
I am obssessed with Elizabeth J. Duncan's Penny Brannigan Mysteries. This is the first in the series. The previous books I have read have been audio, but this was a Kindle book. I enjoyed it just as much, even thought you don't get the accent.
For a pleasant read, with great descriptions, and a mystery, you need to read one or all of these books. My opinion is, you do not have to read them in order.
Thank you Elizabeth!
For a pleasant read, with great descriptions, and a mystery, you need to read one or all of these books. My opinion is, you do not have to read them in order.
Thank you Elizabeth!
February 17, 2017
The Cold Light of Mourning by Elizabeth Duncan
Penny Bannington series Book #1
3 Stars
From The Book:
The picturesque North Wales market town of Llanelen is shocked when Meg Wynne Thompson, a self-made beauty who has turned out to be something of an unpopular bride, goes missing on her wedding day--and turns up dead.
The last person believed to have seen Meg alive is local manicurist Penny Brannigan, who vows to find the killer. Seems that several people--including those on the guest list--had reasons to wish Meg dead. But when the trail leads Penny to the groom, a red-hot secret threatens to shake the small town to its very core.
My Thoughts:
I picked the book for a challenge that I was participating in. I knew it was a cozy and they are not my favorites...so I really don't want to pick the book apart. I can only say that it was okay. It was too easy to figure out who one of the guilty parties was and the second person was someone who was in your face obvious once the author revealed the twist in the story. I didn't get the motive for the murder even after the author revealed it. Reading about changing appointment times and canceling appointments became rather mundane and repetitive stuff after the first few times of Penny re-scheduling clients so she could go off investigating just wasn't my cuppa tea. Those that really like cozy mysteries will probably like it a lot more than I did.
Penny Bannington series Book #1
3 Stars
From The Book:
The picturesque North Wales market town of Llanelen is shocked when Meg Wynne Thompson, a self-made beauty who has turned out to be something of an unpopular bride, goes missing on her wedding day--and turns up dead.
The last person believed to have seen Meg alive is local manicurist Penny Brannigan, who vows to find the killer. Seems that several people--including those on the guest list--had reasons to wish Meg dead. But when the trail leads Penny to the groom, a red-hot secret threatens to shake the small town to its very core.
My Thoughts:
I picked the book for a challenge that I was participating in. I knew it was a cozy and they are not my favorites...so I really don't want to pick the book apart. I can only say that it was okay. It was too easy to figure out who one of the guilty parties was and the second person was someone who was in your face obvious once the author revealed the twist in the story. I didn't get the motive for the murder even after the author revealed it. Reading about changing appointment times and canceling appointments became rather mundane and repetitive stuff after the first few times of Penny re-scheduling clients so she could go off investigating just wasn't my cuppa tea. Those that really like cozy mysteries will probably like it a lot more than I did.
Read
September 1, 2015I was on a mystery kick, reading a lot of Charlaine Harris' Aurora Teagarden series, so I thought I'd pick up a few authors who looked similar. i did finish this book, but won't be looking for more by the same author. The prose reminds me of a clumsy romance novel. The dialogue is stilted, and there are lots of details about about fancy houses, jewelry and such, presumably meant to be entertaining in taking you out of your day-to-day world. Here's an example:
'That'll be Welsh gold,' said the manager, peering at it. 'They say pure Welsh gold is now the most valuable of the precious metals.'
'The royal family's wedding rings are made of Welsh gold, aren't they?' asked Morgan.
'Indeed they are,' said Burton. 'It's become rare since the Clongau mine closed down.'
It blathers on with a paragraph about the Welsh gold mine. Now, I appreciate a setting with something different than Starbucks and Walmart, but you don't need to pad the book out with every bit of research that you've done.
'That'll be Welsh gold,' said the manager, peering at it. 'They say pure Welsh gold is now the most valuable of the precious metals.'
'The royal family's wedding rings are made of Welsh gold, aren't they?' asked Morgan.
'Indeed they are,' said Burton. 'It's become rare since the Clongau mine closed down.'
It blathers on with a paragraph about the Welsh gold mine. Now, I appreciate a setting with something different than Starbucks and Walmart, but you don't need to pad the book out with every bit of research that you've done.
November 21, 2011
Penny Brannigan had always did Emma Teasdales nails at her Happy Hands Nail care shop. When Emma passed away Penny was asked by the mortician to paint her nails for the funeral. At the same time there was an up comming wedding. Penny was to manicure the nails to the bride and her attnedants. When the wedding was to start , the bride to be, went missing. When Penny was talking to one of her clients, she thought about the ladies hat not sitting right on her head, which made her think about Miss Teasdales coffin not sitting correctly in the ground. It was too high. She thought the missing bride could be buried underneath Miss Teasdale's coffin . She talked to the police about her suspicions, & they acted on it. The missing bride was found underneath the coffin when it was exhumed. The woman whos nails Penny had manicured was an imposter. She looked very similar to the Bride. Penny and her friend Victoria helped the police catch the murderer. shortly after that Miss Teasdales lawyer contacted Penny with the news that Penny had inherited Mis Teasdales home.
November 9, 2015
Because of the setting and premise, I'd hoped for more. This moved very slooowly....the mystery itself was ok, and the main characters were sweet, but stodgy and lead footed. And that was the good guys. The villains were exaggerated caricatures rather than realistic people. If you like cozies, you'll probably like this better than I did. Admittedly, I'm just not a fan.
April 18, 2018
I saw this author on my library's Book Sizzle email, and decided to start with the first book rather than the latest. This is not a fast-moving plot, but the story doesn't drag. It simply unfolds and is charming. Lovely Welsh village characters, nice twists in the story, a new friendship, and even a tiny beginning romance possibility. This one is worth the read, and I'm off to find more titles!
July 28, 2017
Absolutely delightful Cozy! Penny is a supremely likable, if somewhat reckless, heroine. The small Welsh village is a perfect setting, and the locals are colorful without being ridiculous. I'm so thrilled to have found a new (to me) Cozy author to love!
June 25, 2015
This is an excellent cozy mystery set in Wales, a setting that seems like it should be idyllic, except for the murder of the bride the night before her wedding. Or was it the bride? A very good read!
December 17, 2012
A classic cosy mystery. Small village, large manor house, a nosy parker, and a spinster or two.
December 21, 2020
Starts slowly, but it's all necessary.
September 19, 2016
A nice little debut novel that was very pleasant to read. I have a feeling this is the first in a series. Not too intellectually demanding, but some nice characters and an interesting setting.
Read
November 30, 2017DNF. Meh....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews