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sarahlreadseverything's review against another edition
3.0
Great characters and characterisation, but also completely bonkers. Also I (correctly) guessed the murderer at approx. 50% and spent the rest of it mentally yelling at the main character for not getting it.
kcfromaustcrime's review
4.0
Tabitha Darling is the daughter of a recently demised, much missed police superintendent and his wife, a recently moved to Queensland, much missed cook for the local police station. She's trying to run her own dessert destination café in the centre of Hobart, but no matter how hard she tries to adjust the menu to suit the sort of clientele she'd like to be attracting, the place is overrun with police nostalgic for canteen style pies.
She's also only slightly reluctant to leap into the role of accidental detective when a rather bizarre death is discovered in the flat upstairs from her café. Which is further complicated by the discovery that her landlord (and obviously that of the band renting the flat where the dead body was found), Darrow, seems to be flying under the radar. Maybe because Darling's old school-friend, and Darrow's recent girlfriend, Xanthippe is in town and not amused with him at all. Of course Tabitha can't help but assist, what with her combined superpowers of gossip, custard production and being irresistible to Police Sergeants she is obviously destined to be of huge assistance to the local constabulary. If only they realised.
At some time in the not too distant future I'm going to go out and glare at the first cute puppy I see. Well a photo of one anyway. Because I'm not getting soft in the head. Although I wouldn't exactly call this cosy, it's definitely one of those mildly daft central female characters doing the whole accidental detective thing, getting all distracted by manly men standing way too close, and obsessed with Trifle production. Which I, somewhat surprisingly, liked a lot.
Part of the reason it was so enjoyable is that there's nothing maliciously daft about Tabitha. In fact there's a distinct feeling that her tongue is quite firmly placed in her cheek. She's surrounded by a fabulous cast of supporting characters, including blogger Stewart McTavish (yes even the character names... ), a bit of romantic tension that's not really all that tense and some utterly fabulous household goings on. I will confess that most of the brand names and obsessions with fashion wizzed past in a blur of "no idea" whatsoever, but at the same time there were points when I found myself laughing.
None of which would mean a thing if there wasn't also a good, twisty plot with plenty of deducting opportunities and a nice sense of realness about everyone. Which was helped a lot by a clever writing trick giving the community of characters a back-story without having to spell it out. Which shouldn't be surprising as even though this is a "debut" novel, the author is writing under a pseudonym.
Somebody recommended A TRIFLE DEAD to me, and at the time I did wonder about their sanity because it sounded a lot like everything I don't like. Turns out I was wrong, even though it did come with recipes... On second thoughts make that a puppy and a kitten...
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/trifle-dead-livia-day
She's also only slightly reluctant to leap into the role of accidental detective when a rather bizarre death is discovered in the flat upstairs from her café. Which is further complicated by the discovery that her landlord (and obviously that of the band renting the flat where the dead body was found), Darrow, seems to be flying under the radar. Maybe because Darling's old school-friend, and Darrow's recent girlfriend, Xanthippe is in town and not amused with him at all. Of course Tabitha can't help but assist, what with her combined superpowers of gossip, custard production and being irresistible to Police Sergeants she is obviously destined to be of huge assistance to the local constabulary. If only they realised.
At some time in the not too distant future I'm going to go out and glare at the first cute puppy I see. Well a photo of one anyway. Because I'm not getting soft in the head. Although I wouldn't exactly call this cosy, it's definitely one of those mildly daft central female characters doing the whole accidental detective thing, getting all distracted by manly men standing way too close, and obsessed with Trifle production. Which I, somewhat surprisingly, liked a lot.
Part of the reason it was so enjoyable is that there's nothing maliciously daft about Tabitha. In fact there's a distinct feeling that her tongue is quite firmly placed in her cheek. She's surrounded by a fabulous cast of supporting characters, including blogger Stewart McTavish (yes even the character names... ), a bit of romantic tension that's not really all that tense and some utterly fabulous household goings on. I will confess that most of the brand names and obsessions with fashion wizzed past in a blur of "no idea" whatsoever, but at the same time there were points when I found myself laughing.
None of which would mean a thing if there wasn't also a good, twisty plot with plenty of deducting opportunities and a nice sense of realness about everyone. Which was helped a lot by a clever writing trick giving the community of characters a back-story without having to spell it out. Which shouldn't be surprising as even though this is a "debut" novel, the author is writing under a pseudonym.
Somebody recommended A TRIFLE DEAD to me, and at the time I did wonder about their sanity because it sounded a lot like everything I don't like. Turns out I was wrong, even though it did come with recipes... On second thoughts make that a puppy and a kitten...
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/trifle-dead-livia-day
meryl_kate's review against another edition
2.0
This was fine! A little convoluted at times but overall a charming cozy mystery. Probably not something I’ll ever reread, but I’m going to try the second one while I’m waiting for some library holds to arrive.
katiya's review against another edition
3.0
Tabitha Darling owns a cafe in Hobart, Tasmania. A dead body in her building and many many coincidences convince her to investigate this suspicious death.
I loved the title! It made me really want to read the book. Alas, the characters and I were not a good fit. They were all too-too.
I loved the title! It made me really want to read the book. Alas, the characters and I were not a good fit. They were all too-too.
tehani's review
5.0
A Trifle Dead is the debut crime novel by Livia Day, and while it certainly hits all the right beats for a strong suspenseful story, the best bits are the sass!
Protagonist Tabitha Darling is fun and a little fancy-free, but when a body turns up in the apartment above her cafe, things turn serious (though that doesn't stop the snark, the sexual tension or the superb food taking centre stage!). While Tabitha tries not to get involved, events conspire to keep her firmly in the middle of the drama and threaten a deadly conclusion.
A Trifle Dead has dollops of laugh-out-loud glee alongside huge helpings of hold-your-breath tension, with hearty lashings of banter to bind the mix together. With a vivid depiction of Hobart as the backdrop and characters you'll wish you knew in real life, A Trifle Dead tops my list of best books of 2013 so far!
Protagonist Tabitha Darling is fun and a little fancy-free, but when a body turns up in the apartment above her cafe, things turn serious (though that doesn't stop the snark, the sexual tension or the superb food taking centre stage!). While Tabitha tries not to get involved, events conspire to keep her firmly in the middle of the drama and threaten a deadly conclusion.
A Trifle Dead has dollops of laugh-out-loud glee alongside huge helpings of hold-your-breath tension, with hearty lashings of banter to bind the mix together. With a vivid depiction of Hobart as the backdrop and characters you'll wish you knew in real life, A Trifle Dead tops my list of best books of 2013 so far!
julia_may's review against another edition
4.0
A quick, fun cozy mystery. Love the humour and the witty banter. I did figure out the perpetrator pretty early on but still enjoyed the story and the well drawn characters. Will definitely continue with the series.
shelleyrae's review
4.0
I had no idea that Livia Day is the alter ego of [a:Tansy Rayner Roberts|599287|Tansy Rayner Roberts|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1260507275p2/599287.jpg] who is an award winning Australian fantasy author, this year receiving The Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. A Trifle Dead is her first delightful Australian cosy mystery and I am hoping it won't be her last.
Set in Tasmania, A Trifle Dead introduces twenty something cafe owner Tabitha Darling. Café La Femme attracts a wide clientele from urban hipsters to the entire local police force determined to keep an eye on the late police superintendent's daughter. When a body is found hanging from netting in one of the upstairs flats, the police are convinced it was an accidental death, linking the man to a number of recent bizarre crimes around town. Tabitha isn't so sure though and with the assistance of blogger Stewart McTavish, much to the chagrin of Detective Leo Bishop, finds herself right in the middle of a sticky situation.
Tabitha is feisty, stubborn and funny with an obsession with food and vintage clothing. She has a complicated relationship with just about everyone in her life from her head baker Nin, to her best friend, Xanthippe and the long term object of her affection, the handsome yet taciturn detective Bishop, which leads to great banter, loaded with snark and sparks. The sense of community established by the author is appealing and I really enjoyed being introduced to the slightly weird yet wonderful characters that are connected to Tabitha, such as her cross dressing roommate and her enigmatic landlord.
The mystery twists nicely and though I made the connections early on, I didn't really mind at all. The plot generates plenty of tension as the villain moves in on Tabitha and the pace is comfortable. A Trifle Dead is well written and though I wasn't keen on McTavish's accented dialogue (he is Scottish), it was only a minor distraction.
A Trifle Dead is a light, funny and enjoyable read blending mystery, humour and a touch of romance. Oh and there are delicious recipes on the final few pages, ideal for an aspiring foodie or any reader with a sweet tooth. I am looking forward to the next installment.
quietjenn's review
4.0
A very charming mystery set in Hobart, Tasmania. Which, yes, now I would very much like to visit. It's light and cheery and the characters, setting and voice work together in the most delicious way.
molokov's review against another edition
5.0
This is a brilliant example of the Cozy Mystery genre, with a cast of appealing characters, a wonderful setting (a hipster cafe in Hobart) and a murder mystery at the heart with twists and turns but still enough evidence for the reader to know whodunnit before the big reveal (I got the 'who' at about 65%, but had no clue on the 'how' until the denouement). Highly entertaining with a protagonist who isn't actually investigating, she's just nosy - and snarky, which always helps with this sort of genre.