thecosymoose's reviews
66 reviews

Murder at the Loch (An Ally McKinley Mystery Book 2) by Dee Mcdonald

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Retired TV researcher Ally McKinley is back in this second mystery from Dee MacDonald. Set in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, Ally is making a go of her new life. Retired and widowed, she’s moved to the highlands to start a bed and breakfast business, and getting to know her new community. 

Alas, the peace and tranquility is short-lived. Taking a stroll down to the loch, she meets up with the larger than life Laird, who announces he’s to marry. His new bride is 40 years his junior, but he swears they’re both in love and happy. And on that bombshell, they spot something floating in the loch, revealed to be the body of a young woman.

The community is shocked by the death, and on top of this, the news of the upcoming wedding, to take place within a week, leaves the village reeling. Of course the wedding itself comes with its own drama, and there’s yet another death. 

I’m really enjoying this gentle series with larger than life characters. Ally is such a warm and genuine character, with a core of steel. She has a wonderful way with people, standing her ground but at the same time being warm and open. All the characters are as large and vibrant as the wild Scottish landscape, with as many secrets. 

It’s a wonderful cosy series that I’m completely invested in, and it’s a perfect book to curl up with under a blanket with a cuppa.

How To Slay On Holiday by Sarah Bonner

• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Chloe Cooper, nee Wilson, has organised a luxurious family holiday on a Greek island, bringing together her own family and that of her husband, Scott. She’s going to show the world how great her 10 year marriage is going. Because it will be Scott’s last holiday. Chloe has ordered a hitman to kill him once they get back. 

Plans soon fall apart when Scott’s model/influencer sister proves she’s more than a dumb pretty face, and has cottoned on to what Chloe is planning. And is all for it, except she wants to see it happen. 

Plans are thrown into chaos when, after a night out at a club with the girls, Chloe wakes up next to Scott’s body. 

With both families running their own rival crime syndicates back home, Scott’s death has wide reaching ramifications. Who really did kill Scott? 

I loved this fast paced thriller – it’s a perfect sun-drenched read for on the beach in the sun or curled up under a blanket on the sofa.

That'll Teach Her by Maz Evans

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

One of my reading highlights of last year was Maz Evans’ Over My Dead Body, so I was very excited to pick up her second adult novel. That’ll Teach Her confirms her place as the Queen of Black Comedy Crime. 

When a particularly nasty primary school headmistress drops dead of anaphylactic shock, speculation and gossip is rife that it wasn’t an accident. 

The school parents Group Chat ignites with gossip and speculation, and a smaller group chat splinters off. While they want to solve the suspected crime, they also want to exonerate one of their own who may or may not have baked the suspected cake. Between them, they narrow down the large pool of people that hated the headmistress to four people. 

There’s the put-upon and personable deputy head, who was looking forward to his boss’ retirement to claim the job for himself, only to be thwarted by her intention to remain in post. The long serving dinner lady who is part of the school furniture, but rumoured to be too expensive for the school to keep on. The feisty TA who has her own history with the headmistress, and the creepy school business manager who seems to know everyone’s secrets, but may hold a few of his own. 

The mystery is mostly told through the parents group chat, statements and commentary from the suspects and communications from the school. 

Maz Evans excels at creating compelling awful characters – ones that you absolutely loathe, but can’t look away from – but this novel shows even her likeable and lovable characters have a dark side. 

The group chats are hilarious and so relatable to anyone that’s been in a large group chat. The parents are a diverse group, which causes friction and conflict. I love the snarky, witty dialogue, and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments. I like to imagine that the author had so much fun writing this, because I sure had a lot of fun reading! 

I remain eternally grateful to be child-free and never have to deal with parent group chats! 

Oh and… does anyone have this week’s spellings?

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Headline for an advance copy of this for review.

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Jenny Greenteeth: English myth, legend, and cautionary tale. You may know her from being walloped with a frying pan by Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching, or blamed for the harassment of villagers in Clare Chase’s second Antiques Store Detective novel. She’s a lake dwelling creature of folklore, said to grab children who stray too close to the water’s edge. 

In Molly O’Neill’s novel, we get to hear from Jenny herself. She’s minding her own business in her lake, tending to it with care, keeping it clean and tidy, when a mob of villagers thrown in a manacled woman to drown. Temperance Crump is from a line of Cunning Ladies, with the knowledge of herbs and witchy powers used to the advantage of the village, but a new parson in the village turns the people against Temperance, condemning her to a watery death. 

Picking up the drowning woman in the water, Jenny is drawn to her and… saves her. 

The two form a tentative bond, each learning about the other. Investigating the Parson, and the villagers sudden turn against witchcraft, Jenny is shocked to find that a more powerful force has taken up residence in the village, one that she alone can not banish, and it may even begin to threaten her water. 

A Hag, A Witch and a Goblin walk into a Fae Court…

Teaming up with a hobgoblin travelling salesmen, Jenny and Temperance head off to see the current king and queen of the high fae for assistance in banishing the evil, and are sent on three quests to retrieve key items for the battle ahead. 

The quests see the new found family travel through England to Wales and Scotland, weaving in folklore tales from each country, bringing to life the myths and legends, testing our three characters and forcing them to look at who they really are, and challenging the friendship. 

The novel feels like a new fairytale, a cosy fantasy based on folklore. Full of warmth, humour and heart, I completely lost myself to this book.

I loved the voice that the author gave to Jenny. She’s not good, she’s not evil, she’s just a Jenny Greenteeth, and her true power lies in knowing exactly who she is. A story of found family and friendship, and remaining true to what is important. 

Catrin Walker-Booth was the perfect narrator for the audiobook, conveying the personalities of all the characters beautifully, and it was a joy to listen to. 

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and Little, Brown Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook for review.

The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon

dark informative lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

5.0

The Secret Detective Agency is a new series from the author of the Miss Underhay cosy historical mysteries. This time the action takes place during the Second World War. 

In a move away from the genteel society of the 1930s, Britain is now at war and Miss Jane Treen is working at the War Office, co-ordinating agents out in the field. When a body is found out in the countryside, she heads out of own to the home of Arthur Cilento, academic and code breaker for the War Office. A number of field agents are missing, and two have been found dead. There is suspicion of a mole in the War Office that could put everyone in danger.

Together, Jane and Arthur must solve the mystery and work out if there are bigger implications of the death on national security. 

This first novel is as much about meeting the main characters, but there's a deviously twisty plot to keep us and the protagonists on our toes. In a world of spies and subterfuge, is anyone who they claim to be? 

What I enjoy most about Helena Dixon mysteries is the strong female protagonists, doing their best in worlds where their options are limited by society. They often go against the societal norms, but not in a way that feels jarring against what we know of the time. The research that goes into these novels brings the time periods to life for the reader, educating them about life in that period, without being overwhelming. The period detail is tightly woven into the plots, fully immersing the reader in the story. 

This is a series I'll be sure to follow closely. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel for review.

A Poisoned Package by Eryn Scott

4.0

In the 3rd book, A Poisoned Package, the residents of the Morrisey are hit by a spate of parcel thefts, but when one resident is left in a coma after eating poisoned chocolate meant for another, Meg and Ripley find their investigations take them to the local theatre, haunted by very dramatic ghosts. 

I'm really enjoying this series, mystery with a dash of romance and nostalgia for the 90s Seattle grunge scene, the perfect easy reading for my current mood. I'm really enjoying this series, mystery with a dash of romance and nostalgia for the 90s Seattle grunge scene, the perfect easy reading for my current mood. 

A Secret Staircase by Eryn Scott

In the second book, a trip down to the basement leads to the discovery of the bones of a 1920s flapper, along with the body of a popular current influencer, and once again, Meg and Ripley are back on the case, believing the two sets of remains are linked uncovering secrets of the past and a investigating a long running feud between two prominent Seattle families. 

A Body in 3B by Eryn Scott

4.0

The perfect cosy mystery series for fans of Only Murders in the Building, with a little supernatural twist. Moving into her aunt's Seattle apartment after her life in New York fell apart, failed artist Meg Dawson is trying to rebuild her life. Always seen as "different", she can't tell people that her best friend is a ghost, and she can talk to spirits. Ripley has been tied to Meg since she and Meg's parents were killed in the same car accident. When a reclusive resident of the same apartment block is found dead, and another ghost appears haunting the corridors of the the block, Meg and Ripley work to solve the mysteries of the Morrisey apartment building. 

Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.5

Like Terry Pratchett's Soul Music, this novel feels like the punchline was written first then the rest of the book was built around it. It's a good punchline though, and the book is an enjoyable read. Once again, Peter Grant gets to leave London briefly - after all, it's not fair that they get ALL the chaos that usually follows him. Heading north to Manchester, we get to learn more about DCI Seawoll. First seen in the opening novel of the Rivers of London series, subsequent books have peeled back layers of the gruff no-nonsense Northerner, who's had to put up with far too much nonsense since the Folly became more active. 

False Value by Ben Aaronovitch

challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

First published in 2020, I first read this when it came out. Aaronovitch is one of my must-read authors, and I always pre-order his novels. And after reading it, I didn't get it. I'd been so immersed in the previous books, but with some big storylines resolved in Lies Sleeping, False Value felt quite jarring. With narrative timelines being shuffled, I felt really wrong-footed, and it took a while to really get into. The second read was when everything started to sit better, and reading it again last week, it all felt horribly prescient, with the main storyline being that of a sinister tech-bro building an AI, and on a quest for power. Definitely worth the re-read, and the hardback copy cover still glows in the dark after nearly 5 years.