Well, these "old girls" might have been behaving "badly" but it was all for a good reason, and they weren't so misbehaved at all - unless you include Well, these "old girls" might have been behaving "badly" but it was all for a good reason, and they weren't so misbehaved at all - unless you include snooping around the rather grand house of the host, but, as I said, they have an excellent reason if justice is to be done. Gina, at 72, is the gofer, searching the house on Dorothy's behalf, who, at 89, is the instigator of their activities. An unlikely pairing, but it works so well. Gina, recently abandoned by her husband who needs to "find himself" is at a loss and, on seeing the ad in The Lady for a companion role for a week with a view to it becoming a permanent position, thinks what has she got to lose? She and Dorothy hit it off over a shared love for art, and so Gina is hired. The week concerned is for a family wedding taking place at the bride's uncle (Leonard) grand home, where close family members gather for activities and fun prior to the big day. Gina believes it'll be a case of giving medication and fetching slippers for the older woman, but Dorothy has other ideas. She believes Leonard was instrumental in the death, a year ago, of her husband Philip, whereupon he also stole a painting she believes he has somewhere in the house. And she wants Gina to track it down. So, begins the fun. Gina wonders what she has let herself in for, Dorothy cannot resist sniping at Leonard, and Leonard is simply the smuggest, most odious of show-offs who loves being the centre of attention. Add in some family members with secrets, a teenager with a tendency to record private conversations and who'd rather be anywhere else, and you have a really entertaining story that held my attention from start to finish. The author writes older characters really well, and is not afraid to throw in the unexpected now and then. Throughout, Gina and Dorothy become good friends, and unwittingly both help the other to move on (Dorothy from her grief and Gina from her marriage ending). It's a heart-warming story with lots of humour mixed in with real family issues. I'd like to think from how it ends that there is more to come from these two....more
Bloodshed on the Boards is a community-led cosy mystery with its very own "Miss Marple" sleuth in Morwenna Mutton. Morwenna likes to tackle mysteries Bloodshed on the Boards is a community-led cosy mystery with its very own "Miss Marple" sleuth in Morwenna Mutton. Morwenna likes to tackle mysteries in her own way, by asking questions and following up leads while seeming to be perfectly innocently curious. Set in Cornwall, with the added attraction of a wild swimming club where members talk "freely" about what's happening in their lives and their village. It's prime puzzle-solving ground for Morwenna in this book as she interacts not only with her friends but also others connected in some way to the travelling theatre group - whose director/owner has just been killed - and the murder itself. Very much family-oriented, the story thrives on the interactions of Morwenna and her family and friends and their shared activities support the mystery plot well while also adding some fun red herrings to the mix. It's an entertaining, enjoyable and easy read. A good whodunnit with more than its fair share of humour, community spirit, joie de vivre and good, old-fashioned fun. A series I could happily explore further.
When the case under investigation is some 60 years old, you might be concerned that evidence has been lost, and more to the point that witnesses are nWhen the case under investigation is some 60 years old, you might be concerned that evidence has been lost, and more to the point that witnesses are no longer around. But that didn't deter Annie and Rose - well, not too much anyway.
Annie has never really got over the death of René, her fiancé 60 years ago, and despite having had a happy marriage and a family, she still senses that his death was not the suicide it was claimed to be. So she "hires" Rose, a PI in training to investigate.
Now, Annie and Rose are polar opposites: Annie suffers with her arthritic knee and Rose (not one to admit to her real age) is a yoga fan, her limbs and mind more supple and adventurous than Annie's. The contrast in their personalities couldn't be more stark, and their different attitudes - both set in their ways - often impact their progress, causing some terse moments between them that puts their ability to solve the case at risk. Yet, with the help of their families (and shared romance between their offspring) they rub along together well enough to crack the mystery of Renè's death and to prove Annie's instincts right. The cold case, however, is not as cold as you might expect, with many similarities to present-day political shenanigans that cannot be ignored and which, when seen in conjunction with the past, help to solve the mystery and deliver justice to the past and to the present. I enjoyed the charming setting in France and the Christmas traditions that occurred as the case unravelled. An enjoyable read, an off-the-wall sleuthing partnership, and a captivating cosy tale. ...more
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