Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Star Rating to come!
I'm unfortunately going to have to pause reading this one and wait for it to hopefully come out on audio. Dialect heavy books are really hard for me to read but I love listening to them.
I didn't get very far but the story was compelling and the characters seemed very interesting! I can see this story will have a bunch of secrets to uncover and twists and turn and I can't wait to continue in the future.
I received this story as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm unfortunately going to have to pause reading this one and wait for it to hopefully come out on audio. Dialect heavy books are really hard for me to read but I love listening to them.
I didn't get very far but the story was compelling and the characters seemed very interesting! I can see this story will have a bunch of secrets to uncover and twists and turn and I can't wait to continue in the future.
I received this story as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to John Murray Press | Baskerville for granting me access to the ARC. While reading, I couldn't help but feel that this book will resonate with fans of Richard Osman, whose work I admire greatly. One character that truly captivated me was Miss Hortense. She is sort of a Jamaican Miss Marple, infused with a unique and iconic attitude. I also appreciated the exquisite details woven throughout the narrative, particularly those that highlight the rich culture of the immigrant communities surrounding Miss Hortense. Is a solid good read I recommend to people who like to read crime
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
MIss Hortense is one heck of a formidable woman. A stalwart of the Jamaican community in Bigglesweigh, a matriarchal figure, of sorts, to many, much to the chagrin of one or two of her former neighbours. She was one of the founding members of the community Pardner network, a kind of Jamaican co-op system that helps out its members though a kind of savings and loan arrangement, she has long been ousted from her position there, but stills sees it as her duty to advise its remaining committee members on the safety of certain proposed investments - surreptitiously, of course. When one of the aforementioned committee members, her greatest nemesis and her the person who orchestrated Miss Hortenses' removal from the Pardner, is found dead, Miss Hortense instinctively knows there is more to her demise than meets the eye. When a second body is found soon after in the dead woman's home, MIss Hortense is forced to face a part of her past that she'd sooner forget, one that could prove to be deadly.
I really quite liked MIss Hortense as a character. She has a straight talking, no messing about personality. The kind of woman the phrase 'doesn't suffer fools' was designed to describe. She has a natural instinct and intuition when it comes to people who aren't acting on the straight and narrow, and whilst she may at times appear intolerant, she is actually a very compassionate women, even when it comes to those who would do her harm. Apart from Constance Brown, her nemesis and the reigning 'Pardner Lady'. She has a ind of Miss Marple esque awareness of what is going on around her, and a fearlessness, but with a decidedly Jamaican air.
I'll admit that I did struggle initially to settle into the book. The author quite rightly uses patois in the conversations between many of the characters, particularly those who emigrated from Jamaica in the 1960s as you would likely expect. There is a sense of authenticity derived from including this closeness, an almost closed door community, and use of the language that would come most naturally to them. My brain always, always, tries to translate any speech in local dialect, to English-English when I read, but when I switch off my inner duolingo and just let myself fall into the rhythm and patterns of their conversations, it all flows perfectly. The author does a great job in explaining some of the more traditional aspects of the Jamaican community, such as what a pardner is, which is necessary for those of us completely ignorant, and this makes the first half of the book feel like a different pace to the latter half, where we, and Miss Hortense, get to the crux of the investigation.
The book as a feel of classic amateur sleuth investigation akin to an Agatha Christie story but with a vibrant and passionate Jamaican heart. The more I was drawn into the story, the more curious I was about what it was in Miss Hortense's past that saw her thrown out of the pardner she created, and what was the cause of such deep regret. The story delves into the past of the characters, giving a glimpse of those early days in the 1960s to allow us to establish all of the main characters, although the majority of the action takes place in the present. There is a darker side to the book, although the toughest part of the story are told after the fact in a more respectful way, not forcing readers to live through what could otherwise be quite a difficult scene to read about. There is no doubting the impact of what happens in the past, or how it informs and reflects upon the present, but it is handled with full sensitivity by the author.
The final scenes take place in a very Miss Marple like way with all of the key suspects gathered in one place whilst Miss Hortense completes the big reveal. Whether everyone who deserves it gets their just deserts, I'll leave you to decide. But I am intrigued by that ending and the promise of more to come. Miss Hortense definitely has the smarts and I get the feeling that the community of Bigglesweigh hasn't given up all of its secrets yet. Definitely recommended for fans of a Christie Classic with a very modern, and more culturally inclusive, slant.
I really quite liked MIss Hortense as a character. She has a straight talking, no messing about personality. The kind of woman the phrase 'doesn't suffer fools' was designed to describe. She has a natural instinct and intuition when it comes to people who aren't acting on the straight and narrow, and whilst she may at times appear intolerant, she is actually a very compassionate women, even when it comes to those who would do her harm. Apart from Constance Brown, her nemesis and the reigning 'Pardner Lady'. She has a ind of Miss Marple esque awareness of what is going on around her, and a fearlessness, but with a decidedly Jamaican air.
I'll admit that I did struggle initially to settle into the book. The author quite rightly uses patois in the conversations between many of the characters, particularly those who emigrated from Jamaica in the 1960s as you would likely expect. There is a sense of authenticity derived from including this closeness, an almost closed door community, and use of the language that would come most naturally to them. My brain always, always, tries to translate any speech in local dialect, to English-English when I read, but when I switch off my inner duolingo and just let myself fall into the rhythm and patterns of their conversations, it all flows perfectly. The author does a great job in explaining some of the more traditional aspects of the Jamaican community, such as what a pardner is, which is necessary for those of us completely ignorant, and this makes the first half of the book feel like a different pace to the latter half, where we, and Miss Hortense, get to the crux of the investigation.
The book as a feel of classic amateur sleuth investigation akin to an Agatha Christie story but with a vibrant and passionate Jamaican heart. The more I was drawn into the story, the more curious I was about what it was in Miss Hortense's past that saw her thrown out of the pardner she created, and what was the cause of such deep regret. The story delves into the past of the characters, giving a glimpse of those early days in the 1960s to allow us to establish all of the main characters, although the majority of the action takes place in the present. There is a darker side to the book, although the toughest part of the story are told after the fact in a more respectful way, not forcing readers to live through what could otherwise be quite a difficult scene to read about. There is no doubting the impact of what happens in the past, or how it informs and reflects upon the present, but it is handled with full sensitivity by the author.
The final scenes take place in a very Miss Marple like way with all of the key suspects gathered in one place whilst Miss Hortense completes the big reveal. Whether everyone who deserves it gets their just deserts, I'll leave you to decide. But I am intrigued by that ending and the promise of more to come. Miss Hortense definitely has the smarts and I get the feeling that the community of Bigglesweigh hasn't given up all of its secrets yet. Definitely recommended for fans of a Christie Classic with a very modern, and more culturally inclusive, slant.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
eArc Review:
A Murder for Miss Hortense is about a seasoned Jamaican implant in England who's been the backbone of the local community and its Pardner for decades. Miss Hortense has stepped away from the Pardner but not the community. She still knows all about the actions and details about what's going on behind the scenes. So when the death of a neighbor threatens to disrupt the community while bringing an old case involving the death of her sister to the surface, Miss Hortense steps in.
A Murder for Miss Hortense is about a seasoned Jamaican implant in England who's been the backbone of the local community and its Pardner for decades. Miss Hortense has stepped away from the Pardner but not the community. She still knows all about the actions and details about what's going on behind the scenes. So when the death of a neighbor threatens to disrupt the community while bringing an old case involving the death of her sister to the surface, Miss Hortense steps in.
Readers, do not let Miss Hortense's age fool you. This woman is armed with an iron will and mysteriously dangerous syringes in her hand bags. There was a contrast to how her character did things in the present day verse in the past regarding the Bone 12 case. In the present day, Miss Hortense seemed to be five steps ahead of everyone; she kept a lot of her thoughts and true feelings to herself. Not even those closest to her knew what she was doing or thinking, with the exception of her old friend Fitz.
I was surprised by this because she was really close to Blossom's character and her nephew, Gregory.
The pacing and the tone of the book does mimic that of your average dark thriller/suspense tv drama on BBC stations. With bits of levity and real life truths woven into the story here and there. As someone familiar with this kind of tone, I did enjoy this book.
However, it got to the point where I felt Miss Hortense knew a bit too much without context to support her theories. And there were a lot of revelations that were packed into the last few chapters and a particular suspect who was mentioned in passing without any clear relevance or connection that suddenly became very important in the end. I felt this was a cheat and really lets the story down. I'm not saying I think the author should have left bread crumbs for everything, BUT a good mystery is about setting up a ton of suspects and going through them to narrow things down. This book sets up the first bit pretty well but the ending was a let down.
I would read more by this author and give Miss Hortense another shot if this becomes a series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racism, Terminal illness, Gaslighting
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Abandonment, Classism
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Retired nurse, avid gardener, renowned cake maker and fearless sleuth Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet Birmingham suburb, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home, starching her lace curtains bright white, and she can tell if she’s been short-changed on turmeric before she’s even taken her first bite of a beef patty. Thirty-five years of nursing have also left her afraid of nobody – be they a local drug dealer or a priest – and an expert in deciphering other people’s secrets with just a glance.
Miss Hortense uses her skills to investigate the investments of the Pardner network – a special community of Black investors, determined to help their people succeed. But when an unidentified man is found dead in one of the Pardner’s homes, a Bible quote noted down beside his body, Miss Hortense’s long-buried past comes rushing back to greet her, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life, one which her community has never let her forget.
Sir Lenny Henry describes this book as "Murder She Wrote, as you've never seen it before". Add a dash of Miss Marple and its setting in a quiet Afro-Carribean community in a Birmingham suburb, and you have an instant image of this debut Murder mystery, which is the first in a new series!
With its authentic Jamaican vernacular dialogue, we're taken straight into the story without any preamble, and the reader has to get to grips with its fairly large cast of characters very quickly. This initially feels a little overwhelming and bewildering, but eventually you work out who is who, and you're off and away .
As this is a spoiler free review I'll just say is that it's intricately and cleverly plotted, and Miss Hortense explains it all in a final, Clouseau-like grand reveal to the assembled group, as they gasp in amazement and kiss their teeth.
I really enjoyed the way Mel Pennant realised her characters. They are so well observed, with their various individual tics, characteristics, clothing choices and attitudes, and
they vividly come to life in your head. Miss Hortense is a formidable character with a well hidden soft side and another, very welcome, older main character. The relationship between her and Blossom is especially entertaining with their chalk and cheese dynamic.
they vividly come to life in your head. Miss Hortense is a formidable character with a well hidden soft side and another, very welcome, older main character. The relationship between her and Blossom is especially entertaining with their chalk and cheese dynamic.
With its twists and misdirections, its characters and plotting, and its distinctive voice and setting, this is a new and refreshing addition to the Cosy Crime with and Edge genre!
Thank you to Baskerville Books, an imprint of John Murray, for my AD-GIFTED proof copy, and this is my honest and impartial review.