Scan barcode
kellyvandamme's review
4.0
As much as I love the Stonebridge setting, this was even better: a hotel on a remote isle with a storm raging, making it impossible for the police to come and investigate. A fun locked-room mystery.
lizzieslittlebooknook's review
4.0
Thanks to RedDogPress for gifting me a copy of Chris McDonald’s new murder mystery novella, The Case of the Missing Firefly and for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful book tour.
Blurb
The notoriously hard-drinking, backstabbing Stonebridge Radio crew are having their Hallowe’en party on Winkle Island, rumoured to be the most haunted place in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, Adam and Colin are there too, having accepted an easy payday from Colin’s event organising mother.
At dinner, a shocking announcement is followed by an even more shocking murder, and the theft of a priceless Firefly necklace. To top it all, thanks to a raging storm, everyone is trapped on the island.
Faced with devious radio presenters, a strange tour guide, and a rampaging murderer, Adam and Colin are back in business.
———–‐————–
This whodunit has everything you could want. From the spooky, coastal/boat setting, the building of tension and suspense to the unique and quirky characters who are all suspects. The Case of the Missing Firefly is perfect to read on a crisp autumn night under a fluffy blanket in front of the fire with a nice hot drink.
I loved the fact it was set just off the coast of Northern Ireland as it is a place very close to my heart and where my dad’s side of the family are from.
From the quiet, hardworking, elderly boss, Albert to your typical, egotistical, arrogant prime time dj, Drive Time Dave, you are introduced to a whole variety of different personalities which each lends their own spin on events and predich who they think really did it. Then you have your typical young tech nerds, Colin and Adam, who are simply meant to be there to set up the projector for the presentation. They think it will be the easiest £100 earned for 2 minutes work, but suddenly they are thrust into the middle of a murder investigation. With no police able to make it to the scene they don their detective hats and go all Sherlock and Watson to help solve the mystery.
This was an easy, quick and fun read. Although I guessed about halfway through who the murderer was, there were still a few twists I didn’t see coming which made it all the more exciting at the end.
Overall, I thought it was a great cosy murder mystery. It also happens to be the 4th in the series of the Stonebridge murders so I will certainly be looking out for the first 3. However, these can be read as standalones.
If you are looking for a fun little novella full of crime, suspense, murder and a bit of geekiness I highly recommend this book. Also I love the cover, it is very reminiscent of traditional murder mysteries.
⭐⭐⭐⭐– a fun, cosy murder mystery novella perfect for the season
Blurb
The notoriously hard-drinking, backstabbing Stonebridge Radio crew are having their Hallowe’en party on Winkle Island, rumoured to be the most haunted place in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, Adam and Colin are there too, having accepted an easy payday from Colin’s event organising mother.
At dinner, a shocking announcement is followed by an even more shocking murder, and the theft of a priceless Firefly necklace. To top it all, thanks to a raging storm, everyone is trapped on the island.
Faced with devious radio presenters, a strange tour guide, and a rampaging murderer, Adam and Colin are back in business.
———–‐————–
This whodunit has everything you could want. From the spooky, coastal/boat setting, the building of tension and suspense to the unique and quirky characters who are all suspects. The Case of the Missing Firefly is perfect to read on a crisp autumn night under a fluffy blanket in front of the fire with a nice hot drink.
I loved the fact it was set just off the coast of Northern Ireland as it is a place very close to my heart and where my dad’s side of the family are from.
From the quiet, hardworking, elderly boss, Albert to your typical, egotistical, arrogant prime time dj, Drive Time Dave, you are introduced to a whole variety of different personalities which each lends their own spin on events and predich who they think really did it. Then you have your typical young tech nerds, Colin and Adam, who are simply meant to be there to set up the projector for the presentation. They think it will be the easiest £100 earned for 2 minutes work, but suddenly they are thrust into the middle of a murder investigation. With no police able to make it to the scene they don their detective hats and go all Sherlock and Watson to help solve the mystery.
This was an easy, quick and fun read. Although I guessed about halfway through who the murderer was, there were still a few twists I didn’t see coming which made it all the more exciting at the end.
Overall, I thought it was a great cosy murder mystery. It also happens to be the 4th in the series of the Stonebridge murders so I will certainly be looking out for the first 3. However, these can be read as standalones.
If you are looking for a fun little novella full of crime, suspense, murder and a bit of geekiness I highly recommend this book. Also I love the cover, it is very reminiscent of traditional murder mysteries.
⭐⭐⭐⭐– a fun, cosy murder mystery novella perfect for the season
theirresponsiblereader's review
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
What’s The Case of the Missing Firefly About?
What better place than Northern Ireland’s “most haunted” island for a corporate Halloween party? This particular company is a local radio station—their on-air talent is known for heavy drinking, and being on an island (nearly) by themselves should provide a nice, safe environment for the heaviest of drinkers to indulge.
And they’re going to need to drink because they’re all going to get some bad news—and thanks to a bad storm, no one is leaving (or coming to) the island for a day or so.
Stranded with them are our intrepid Sherlock-inspired duo of Adam and Colin. Colin’s mother was the party planner and her tech guy wasn’t available, so these two get a nice payday for a quick job. While these two have matured a bit lately, easy money to mostly hang out in a hotel room where they can watch TV and play video games is worth having to endure a boat ride on choppy waters.
Naturally, because why would I be talking about this otherwise, in the midst of all the drinking and after the bad news—there’s a murder. And a robbery. With all the suspects trapped with them and almost no contact with the outside world, it’s time for Adam and Colin to dust off their Holmes and Watson act.
The Most Satisfying Paragraph of 2021?
People who read a lot—in any genre—are very likely going to see themselves in an observation the narration makes when Adam finds himself in a very tense situation. It was a great little moment, and a nice bonus to read.
It’s a small thing, but it brought a smile to my face. Each of the handful of times I’ve read it.
So, what did I think about The Case of the Missing Firefly?
There was a very somber tone to the first chapter that felt out of character for the series—but I was relieved to see it shift seamlessly into the typical Stonebridge tone in the next chapter as we get into Adam and Colin’s back and forth.
It’s good to see a little bit of the police’s attitude toward our pair—and theirs toward the police. Adam and Colin have a little notoriety—enough that the radio personalities know who they are, so the police certainly do. And, not at all shockingly, they’re not fond of a couple of amateurs making them look bad. Giving the duo a day on their own trapped on an island with the suspects to get a head start on things isn’t going to do much for long-term relations.
It’s hard to say something new about a series as consistent as this—especially with four installments in less than a year. I’m in great danger of repeating myself. So let me keep this short: The Case of the Missing Firefly* is yet another refreshing, fast-paced, and clever dose of cozy crime fiction (even for those who wouldn’t consider themselves cozy readers).
* Which, alas, is not a reference to the SF series—Adam and Colin save their fandom for Cumberbatch/Freeman and sports video games.
Go get your hands on this—and if you haven’t read the rest of the series, you should probably do that, too.