Book review : A Dead Herring by Helen Golden

A Dead Herring
A Right Royal Cozy Investigation #6
by Helen Golden
GENRE: #Snowbound-cozy-mystery #humor

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars

Very enjoyable contemporary cozy mystery with a completely fictional English royal family. I think it could have been a little shorter, but I really enjoyed the investigative part, and the characters' personal stories captivated me right away.

Okay, so I picked up this book because, ADMITTEDLY, the cover with the little white dog was just too cute! I was totally in the mood for something "mysterious _and_ lighthearted", you know?

Well, a couple of chapters in, I almost gave up on it. BUT! I'm so glad I didn't. Honestly, after that slightly misguided first impression, the story and the characters completely won me over.

______ THE PLOT might sound a little...familiar, right?
A classic set-up: a party at a castle, a sudden, heavy snowfall trapping everyone inside, a murder...and because the roads are blocked, the only one who can get there is the "grumpy but handsome and charming" policeman staying nearby.
Oh, and the lady of the castle? Not only is she the granddaughter of a made-up king, but she's _always_ stumbling upon murders and playing amateur detective with her friends and her dog. Naturally, things are a bit tense between the policeman and the lady (mutual attraction and sizzling tension, perhaps? ..._obviously_...).

_____ _____ * * * _____ _____

BUT, as we all know, it's not _just_ the plot, is it? It's all about _HOW_ the story is told.

I’m not gonna lie, I thought the book could have been a _tad_ shorter. However, I do get that a lot of the dialogue I might have cut, and the descriptions of every little gesture and thought (which sometimes made me roll my eyes a bit), were actually what really brought the setting to life and made me feel like I knew the characters – especially the main ones: the two main characters, their two sidekicks, and the dog, of course! Same goes for the supporting characters, both new and recurring.


_____ WELL-DRAWN CHARACTERS _____

The "good guys" in this story are all so likeable! They each have their own well-defined personality.
_____ We’ve got Detective Fitzwilliam, who's gruff, but ultimately charming, caring, intelligent, and a total professional.


_____ Then there's Lady Beatrice, the beautiful and intelligent young widow, always curious, enterprising, and stubbornly convinced that she's _done_ with handsome bachelors.

_____ And her best friends! Simon Lattimore, a writer and former policeman, who's cool, calm, and full of common sense. Plus, Simon's fiancé Pperry Juke, a real jokester, always ready with a laugh, but also always there to support Lady Beatrice's wild ideas.

_____ Oh, and let’s not forget Lord Frederick Astley, Lady B.'s brother, a possible secret agent, and his equally mysterious but friendly collaborators.

_____ And the dog! The cute, almost always present dog doesn't do a whole lot besides, well, be a dog. But it's her greedy, curious nature that helps them uncover a major clue! I'd say she's a very valuable character who brings warmth and fun to the story.

The minor characters and possible villains, plus the castle staff, don't get as much screen time, but the detective's questions are enough to give you an accurate image of them.


_____ LIVELY AND FUNNY DIALOGUES _____

The conversations between the main characters really highlight their relationships. There's affection, witty banter, sulking, and playful teasing throughout the entire story. _____ THE MYSTERY INVESTIGATION and THE AUTHOR'S CLEVERNESS _____

Between eavesdropped conversations and clever interrogations, the clues start to appear. They’re like little breadcrumbs that keep readers feeling like they’re figuring things out alongside the characters, but also make you want to keep turning the pages to find out more. But the author’s real brilliance? She sprinkled tons of little subplots, full of mysteries and romantic possibilities, throughout the whole book.
Even though this is book #6 in the series, I never felt lost or confused by the characters' histories, so it's EASY READABLE AS A STANDALONE.
Each situation is explained well, giving you a glimpse of what happened before and introducing new elements that won’t be fully resolved in this book. This keeps you satisfied, but also makes you want to pick up the next book (or go back and read the others!).

The solution to the main mystery isn’t super surprising, thanks to the focus on certain descriptions and impressions (even early on). But this is one of those stories where "it's not the destination, it's the journey."
The story actually continues for several chapters even after the murderer is caught, because the murder and the investigation are really just a backdrop. The _real_ heart of the story is those personal subplots!


_____ CLEAN LANGUAGE and GOOD HUMOR.

_____ WOULD I RECOMMEND IT?
Absolutely, if you enjoy cozy mysteries and want something lighthearted and a bit romantic.

Thank you all for stopping by and reading!


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Book review : Murder on the Occident Express by Alex Wagner

Murder on the Occident Express
by Alex Wagner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nice, but I was expecting it a little bit more engaging, I have to admit it.

The reference to Agatha Christie, the train, the snow in the surrounding landscape... made me imagine a fascinating scenario and if the author was good at inventing a mystery completely different from that by our great Agatha, however she was unable to make it 100% captivating and engaging.

___ THE PLOT __ Penny Küfer, aspiring private detective, has just completed her first week of detective training.
After being disinherited by her mother and abandoned by her boyfriend, she has only one consolation left: the much-dreamed-of trip on the Occident Express, the most luxurious train that has ever traveled the European rails.
On the train we find also the owner of the train itself, Mrs. Madeleine and her family. It's clear right from the start that the rich members of the family hate each other, but when the first to die, does it so right before Penny's eyes... she takes the opportunity to investigate.

___ THE MAIN CHARACTERS___ Well, I liked Penny.
Very young, around 20 years old, she's not afraid to roll up her sleeves and live her life without her mother's money and pursuing her dreams. She is nice and enterprising, but she doesn't pretend to be the bravest or smartest, she simply tries to do her best and puts passion into what she does.

The male counterpart for half the book is the good doctor who together with her ascertains the cause of the deaths and formulates the first hypotheses, in the second part of the book we have the charming inspector, also in his early twenties and new to the profession.
I also liked the inspector, who is not the classic policeman who thinks he knows everything and doesn't want detectives around. He lets Penny help him.

___ WHY ONLY 3 STARS ___
As I was saying the inspector lets Penny help him, BUT HERE I have to blame the author: Penny practically does everything and the author could have left some of the interrogations and intelligent deductions to the detective.

1) It is neither credible that Penny, without any experience, discovers the whole truth on her own and acts with self-confidence, nor that the inspector doesn't even ask a question, leaving Penny to do it.

2) I myself had got from the beginning how (through what) the first two murders had occurred.

3) halfway through the book I had already rightly hypothesized who the culprit could be (only 3 suspects remained and 2 were too obvious to be, they would have immediately been investigated by the police).

4) In the last chapters Penny explains "how and why" the crime was committed, but it was already clear from all the author's explanations and from all Penny's explanations to the inspector, so it is a useless repetition.

5) I expected Penny and the young inspector she feels attracted to, to have at least a small romantic exchange.

___ CONCLUSION ___ The book entertained me for a couple of days, it wasn't a bad introduction to Penny's character, but I would have preferred to have a little more suspense.
Speaking of Penny's next adventures, already available in English up to number 7, I hope for more intricate mysteries and also in a love development with the young and charming inspector.

Available in German or English Edition only

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