This is Not a Game - Kelly Mullen

Kelly Mullen is a successful executive producer. She's adding 'author' to her accomplishments, with her debut novel - This is Not a Game.

The first few chapters are very busy. We meet our protagonists -Mimi and Addie. Mimi is Addie’s grandma. No matter their age, they are both keen amateur sleuths. I really enjoyed their relationship, their dialogue and their methods. Addie’s background in video games is unusual, but it really works for this plot.

A stormy night on an island manor, the electric is out… and there’s a body. This is most definitely a locked room mystery. The manor had lots of rooms that have to be found to see them. Secret rooms are one of my favorite finds. 

There’s a myriad of supporting characters. One brings that last needed part of a cosy read…..two dachshunds please. There are lots of connections between the guests. Some freely answer questions but others outright lie. Mullen has done a job with parceling out clues. Truthfully? I never guessed who it was until the reveal.

This is a wonderful debut. Read an excerpt of This is Not a Game. I wonder if we’re going to see more of Mimi and Abbie?

Death in an English Village - Fliss Chester - Book Tour!

I only 'met' Cressida Fawcett in the previous book (6), from author Fliss Chester. I really enjoyed Cressida as the main character, as well as the supporting cast, the plotting, the settings and dialogue. All of it!

I settled in with a pot of tea, a coverlet, and my pup, read to turn the first pages of the new seventh entry - Death in an English Village. Cosys always make me feel like I am catching up with old friends!

Cressida heads home for a visitor with her parents. And that's where she finds the body...

Although she is part of the upper crust, Cressida is keen on helping the local constabulary find out who the culprit is. This isn't the first time she's helped them. She's smart, curious, and determined. I liked puzzling over the clues with her.The customs, mindsets, expectations and rules of the time period, 1926, are part of the setting - and the plot. There were a number of choices for the 'whodunit'. Chester gives us that and some red herrings on the way.

Cosy mysteries are my 'get away from it all, escapist' reads. Death in an English Village was just that!

"Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter."

You can find Fliss on Instagram at https://flisschester.co.uk/

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Fliss Chester at https://www.bookouture.com/fliss-chester.

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 Death in an English Villager.

Witness 8 - Steve Cavanagh

If you like suspense/thriller fiction - you need to pick up Witness 8 from Steve Cavanagh.

“Something is wrong with Ruby Johnson.” I’m going to let you find out what’s wrong with Ruby. She’s the catalyst for what happens next…

And next brings in an absolutely fabulous group of characters. Driving things is Eddie Flynn - a con man who passed the bar. Supporting characters includes Kate, his partner, Harry, a retired judge, a private detective, an assassin, and many more. And the other side has just as many questionable employees.

Do you read ‘heist’ books, or movies? I do. I love the twists, turns and hoodwinking. That’s the same feeling I got in the first couple of chapters of Witness 8. I couldn't put it down. Cavanagh's plotting is so darn good. He juggles a number of threads and I was so happy that I couldn't predict how things would end. And there's a door that's been ajar...

I'll be hunting down more great reads from Steve Cavanagh. An easy 5 stars!

The Maid's Secret - Nita Prose

Have you read any of the 'Maid' books from author Nita Prose? The latest is The Maid's Secret, releasing April 08/25. And it's one I can't recommend enough.

And it's probably my favourite. Why? Molly is such a wonderful character. She works at the upscale Regency Grand Hotel as a maid. "Every day of work is a joy to me." 

Now, the other thing you need to know about Molly is that she struggles with social skills and often can't read the nuances of interactions - facial and conversational. Her beloved Gran, now deceased, left her with routines and rules to help navigate a world that Molly doesn't fully 'get'. And it has helped - Molly has made friends, has a job with more authority and last but not least - a man she loves.

Throughout the previous books there have been hints as to Gram's past. In The Maid's Secret, those revelations finally see light. Gram has left Molly the answers she's been looking for. At the same time, there a mystery to solve. And a connection that is surprising. Prose weaves all of this together in a way I couldn't have imagined. I stayed up late - I just had to know what the last pages would bring. A satisfying ending and this "...the final thrilling instalment in Nita Prose's bestselling Molly the maid series." But I'm sure Nita Prose has many more stories to tell.