Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this book, I really loved our main character Daphne king and the unsuspecting partnership with Mrs Thewley, not forgetting Duke of course!!
I thought that the setting of the ‘very’ haunted maybridge castle was a brilliant setting however, I think the weekend didn’t go as expected for any of the characters!
I loved the eclectic mix of characters that each brought something to the story. And I loved the mix of detective work and comedy that gave me some laugh out loud moments too!
A great read that was well paced and kept me turning the pages to find out who the murderer was.
I thought that the setting of the ‘very’ haunted maybridge castle was a brilliant setting however, I think the weekend didn’t go as expected for any of the characters!
I loved the eclectic mix of characters that each brought something to the story. And I loved the mix of detective work and comedy that gave me some laugh out loud moments too!
A great read that was well paced and kept me turning the pages to find out who the murderer was.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
This is a very fun read - it gives Cluedo characters, murders in a haunted castle and Christmas sprinkled in the mix.
Why is it not a 5 then, you ask.
For two specific reasons.
1. While the writing style of Ms Moncrieff is truly witty and easy to read, there were a few things that kept coming up, that a good editor should have removed before releasing this book. While granted, this is not entirely the authors' fault, at the end of the day, this is book 3 out of a series, so by now, she should know not to repeat these mistakes, even without an editors' note.
She repeated a few descriptions/sentences word for word and not even in a massive interval from each other and she used the description of characters rolling their eyes too often. I have an issue with characters constantly rolling their eyes - but that's just me. I also associate the eye-roll with sarcasm. Sure, you can have someone like Daphne (the main protagonist) have a hint of sarcasm, but not everyone needs to be rolling their eyes constantly.
But to avoid being a party-pooper, because I truly did enjoy this book- here are a few quotes (none spoilery, just well written and liked by me)
''Nothing like chocolate to take the edge off one's bitterness' - YESS, girl, true that.
''My own opinion - formed through experience of one sort or another, you understand - is that it's rather difficult to keep the past dead and buried. Rather more difficult than most of us would like to admit'' Is just a well-formed sentence that stayed with me.
''Yes, she was perfectly happy to visit a green space and look upon its platitude with gratitude.'' Is just an example of the authors' witty-writing style.
2. The ending is not as satisfactory as it could be. I'm not expecting anything fabulous from a cozy mystery, but the author pulls a trick I was not expecting and which can't be mentioned due to spoilers, which, although original in a sense, deflates and takes away from the main solution.
On top of that - not that I personally have a grievance with this - but there was no haunting. It might be bothering however for anyone, who came along for some spooks (even if you know it will be a fake spook set up by the Uncle to impress his guests) This was just a missed opportunity.
All in all, do read this, it's a good time. Pick it up in December, switch off your brain and go on a journey :)
Why is it not a 5 then, you ask.
For two specific reasons.
1. While the writing style of Ms Moncrieff is truly witty and easy to read, there were a few things that kept coming up, that a good editor should have removed before releasing this book. While granted, this is not entirely the authors' fault, at the end of the day, this is book 3 out of a series, so by now, she should know not to repeat these mistakes, even without an editors' note.
She repeated a few descriptions/sentences word for word and not even in a massive interval from each other and she used the description of characters rolling their eyes too often. I have an issue with characters constantly rolling their eyes - but that's just me. I also associate the eye-roll with sarcasm. Sure, you can have someone like Daphne (the main protagonist) have a hint of sarcasm, but not everyone needs to be rolling their eyes constantly.
But to avoid being a party-pooper, because I truly did enjoy this book- here are a few quotes (none spoilery, just well written and liked by me)
''Nothing like chocolate to take the edge off one's bitterness' - YESS, girl, true that.
''My own opinion - formed through experience of one sort or another, you understand - is that it's rather difficult to keep the past dead and buried. Rather more difficult than most of us would like to admit'' Is just a well-formed sentence that stayed with me.
''Yes, she was perfectly happy to visit a green space and look upon its platitude with gratitude.'' Is just an example of the authors' witty-writing style.
2. The ending is not as satisfactory as it could be. I'm not expecting anything fabulous from a cozy mystery, but the author pulls a trick I was not expecting and which can't be mentioned due to spoilers, which, although original in a sense, deflates and takes away from the main solution.
On top of that - not that I personally have a grievance with this - but there was no haunting. It might be bothering however for anyone, who came along for some spooks (even if you know it will be a fake spook set up by the Uncle to impress his guests) This was just a missed opportunity.
All in all, do read this, it's a good time. Pick it up in December, switch off your brain and go on a journey :)
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
I loved that the author didn't shove lots of historical facts in your face to prove when this story was set. (Or show off their, presumably hard earned, knowledge). I absolutely loathe it when authors do that. So that was good as far as I'm concerned. Probably the best bit.
Female main characters yup great. But after that it was all a bit lame and Amelia thingamy cat lady was irritating. I finished this over a week ago and forgot to review and have also forgotten some names it seems.
I got tired of being told how great and successful Daphne was as a crime reporter yet she'd only been crime reporting for a year. That seemed odd. Did she solve an astonishing and impossible crime every week of that year to warrant that kind of renown? Surely at least a couple of years under her belt would have been more likely? Also, for someone who'd previously been an agony aunt it seemed odd that she needed Amelia cat lady to soften people and ease people.
I didn't spot the two separate murders, so that was good but I found the whole episode where the first murderer admitted to it so Daphne knew to look for the second murderer very lame and frankly bollocks.
After that the rest was obvious in as much as they were clearly dodgy and up to no good (might as well have had signs over their heads saying 'Yooohoo! It's us' ) it was bound to be them.
It was a slow read in places and I won't be reading any more in this series. The main reason I got through it and didn't ditch it was because I read it whilst I was sat in an emergency walk in clinic for 2.5 hours waiting to be seen.
Female main characters yup great. But after that it was all a bit lame and Amelia thingamy cat lady was irritating. I finished this over a week ago and forgot to review and have also forgotten some names it seems.
I got tired of being told how great and successful Daphne was as a crime reporter yet she'd only been crime reporting for a year. That seemed odd. Did she solve an astonishing and impossible crime every week of that year to warrant that kind of renown? Surely at least a couple of years under her belt would have been more likely? Also, for someone who'd previously been an agony aunt it seemed odd that she needed Amelia cat lady to soften people and ease people.
I didn't spot the two separate murders, so that was good but I found the whole episode where the first murderer admitted to it so Daphne knew to look for the second murderer very lame and frankly bollocks.
After that the rest was obvious in as much as they were clearly dodgy and up to no good (might as well have had signs over their heads saying 'Yooohoo! It's us' ) it was bound to be them.
It was a slow read in places and I won't be reading any more in this series. The main reason I got through it and didn't ditch it was because I read it whilst I was sat in an emergency walk in clinic for 2.5 hours waiting to be seen.