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A review by noveldeelights
The Skeletons of Scarborough House by Josie Silver, Kitty French
5.0
After having read a few disappointing (to me) psychological thrillers in a row, I made a conscious decision to leave the genre behind for a bit and try something completely different and I somehow ended up with this book.
The Skeletons of Scarborough House is the first instalment of The Chapelwick Mysteries. Having seen many great reviews for the second book, once again Dee-logic dictated I start with the first one.
I had no idea what to expect since I can't remember ever having read something labeled "a cosy mystery" before. I was wary of all the laugh-out-loud comments I'd seen because I can name a number of things that were called "hilarious" that didn't even make my lips twitch. So imagine my surprise, when barely two pages in, I snorted quite unlady-like.
Melody sees dead people, as do her mother and grandmother. She starts a ghostbusting agency with her best friend. Soon they're joined by Art and the team is complete. Their very first case involves Scarborough House. Set to be sold, it's putting off potential buyers as it's haunted. It's up to Melanie to figure out why.
This book is filled to the brim with the most quirky characters I've ever met. The Bittersweet ladies are my kind of crazy and absolutely endearing. I doubt you'd get bored if you invited them to dinner. Even the dog is a little goofball.
Don't go thinking this is just some bit of fluff, to be dismissed off hand. Yes, it's funny. Laugh-out-loud funny sometimes. But it's also sad. The tale of the ghosts at Scarborough House was heartbreaking. Quite a feat to combine a healthy dose of humour with the darker aspect of a murder.
Once I picked this up, I couldn't put it down. It's quite a quick read and I'm so glad I could finish it in one sitting, snuggled under a blanket with a warm cup of tea while the rain kept coming down outside. Great plot, fabulous characters, brilliant and extremely funny! The next instalment of the series (Murder at Maplemead Castle) is already on my to-read list.
Also, as a side note, how adorable is that cover?!
The Skeletons of Scarborough House is the first instalment of The Chapelwick Mysteries. Having seen many great reviews for the second book, once again Dee-logic dictated I start with the first one.
I had no idea what to expect since I can't remember ever having read something labeled "a cosy mystery" before. I was wary of all the laugh-out-loud comments I'd seen because I can name a number of things that were called "hilarious" that didn't even make my lips twitch. So imagine my surprise, when barely two pages in, I snorted quite unlady-like.
Melody sees dead people, as do her mother and grandmother. She starts a ghostbusting agency with her best friend. Soon they're joined by Art and the team is complete. Their very first case involves Scarborough House. Set to be sold, it's putting off potential buyers as it's haunted. It's up to Melanie to figure out why.
This book is filled to the brim with the most quirky characters I've ever met. The Bittersweet ladies are my kind of crazy and absolutely endearing. I doubt you'd get bored if you invited them to dinner. Even the dog is a little goofball.
Don't go thinking this is just some bit of fluff, to be dismissed off hand. Yes, it's funny. Laugh-out-loud funny sometimes. But it's also sad. The tale of the ghosts at Scarborough House was heartbreaking. Quite a feat to combine a healthy dose of humour with the darker aspect of a murder.
Once I picked this up, I couldn't put it down. It's quite a quick read and I'm so glad I could finish it in one sitting, snuggled under a blanket with a warm cup of tea while the rain kept coming down outside. Great plot, fabulous characters, brilliant and extremely funny! The next instalment of the series (Murder at Maplemead Castle) is already on my to-read list.
Also, as a side note, how adorable is that cover?!