Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: murder

  • Murder Stage Left

    Murder Stage Left

    We find Lady Eleanor Swift, Hugh Seldon and of course Clifford in Stratford on Avon, the home of the Bard, William Shakespeare, having been hired by Sir Humphery Stafford, Chair of the Shakespeare Heritage Trust to investigate a series of thefts of a number of small articles reputed to be owned by Shakespeare.

    After a leisurely meal they decide to take a relaxing drive before retiring until they smell smoke and realise a building is on fire. So begins Murder Stage Left as they rush to the site of the fire to offer their help.

    Despite Ellie’s fears of burning buildings, they do what they can to help rescue the many historic items stored in the Heritage Theatre which also housed the Museum. Unfortunately, they come across the body of a man lying in a corridor, which almost gets them trapped in the burning building.  

    A last-minute dash to the Stage door, which is opened by a good deal of force, sees them burst out into the smoke-filled night air where they are confronted by the very aggressive Chief Inspector Denny and Chief Fire Officer Colville, both men less than impressed with their efforts to help.

    Now in somewhat of a dilemma as to whether they still are required to find a thief, they are asked to prove the fire was arson. They are specifically told not to investigate the death of Richard Ratcliffe, the man recently hired to be the Theatres leading man. He was not murdered but died of smoke inhalation, according to Chief Inspector Denny.

    As they begin to put together the pieces of what seems to be a straightforward, but intriguing case, they discover nothing makes sense, people are either lying or deliberately confusing the facts and there is obviously more buried under the ashes of the building than at first meets the eye.

    Murder Stage Left sees the Byron Detective Agency face what is their most complex and challenging case to date, and is perhaps equally as intriguing as any plot ever written by Shakespeare.

    The Historical Notes that form the basis of the story and present the structure of the Town, as well as the series of events that did occur in the year of which this book is set, adds a layer of history to what is essentially a cozy murder, the fun facts are a lovely addition as well as the recipe for the Shooters Sandwich which was devoured by Ellie with relish.

    Murder Stage Left is  book twenty six in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series.

  • Murder at Christmas

    Murder at Christmas

    When Dan Armtrongs’ phone rings early one December morning, he is very surprised the number is Selena Gardener’s, a very high-profile Hollywood celebrity, and friend of both he and his wife Anna, who is asking not only a huge favour, but is issuing an invitation to spend three or four days in in the Italian Alps at a very private location.

    As so begins another intriguing mystery from TA Williams, Murder at Christmas set in the beautiful Valle di Mezzo, high in the Italian Alps. From the minute Dan and Anna walk in the door, accompanied by Oscar, who is discovering snow for the first time in his life, they realise not everything is as it appears.

    Their host Bartolomeo Viviani, Head of the Aquila Sports empire, is highly strung, affable and drinking heavily, the rest of the family members are anything but relaxed and overly welcoming.

    Bartolomeo is worried that after the death of his long-time friend and business parter Vincenzo Mazzini, he will be the next one, as he believes Vincenzo was murdered. When a death occurs, Dan is not convinced it is murder, maybe an unfortunate accident, until a series of events has him wondering about everyone and everything that has been occurring.

    As he and Oscar, begin to dig deeper into the background of the members of the family and staff gathered there, he realises that there are many, many hidden layers, some seriously unsavoury, that need to be carefully worked through before any conclusions can be reached.

    Can a family find some sort of peace before Christmas or will their entire world collapses as Dan and Oscar race to discover the truth behind so many of the closely held secrets which has seen one person die and another teeter on the edge of suicide.

    TA Williams has once again delivered an excellent read with Murder at Christmas set just days before Christmas in a stunningly beautiful, snow-clad region which has also learned over the centuries to hold it secrets close.

  • The Village Detectives and the Deadly Brew

    The Village Detectives and the Deadly Brew

    This complicated and slow-moving cozy Murder, The Village Detectives and the Deadly Brew takes a little time and patience to get into as it is a part of an ongoing series with well-crafted characters, and history already entrenched.

    In The Deadly Brew the Village Detective Agency is offered a job investigating what appears to be sabotage, which Juno is refusing to consider. This is causing some angst amongst the other three members; Felix, his wife Pheobe and Mil, the publican of The Baron Arms.

    Mil is upset by this, along with Juno’s attitude, as the job offered is for his friend and retired footballer Vin Wyche. Vin has invested a massive amount of money into the Wyche Brewery, and it appears it is being deliberately sabotaged.

    When a body is found in the high tec sterilising plant it is clearly a case of murder, but why and who did it is an absolute mystery. The friction within the Wyche family is at an all-time high, relationships are stretched to the limit and yet, in spite of murder having been committed the family seem to be somewhat unconcerned about the incident.

    Will Juno keep letting an incident with Mil, one drunken and unforgettable night, keep them from solving what is an intriguing crime or can she put it to once a side for the greater good?

    Pheobe drags her into the case and as they begin to investigate not only the brewery but the family members as well, Juno discovers she is keen to befriend Vin’s first wife, Katie Jones, of the famous girl band Sisterhood and the love of Vin’s life.

     Village gossip, jealousy, hatred and so much more come together in what turns out to be a crime with many unforeseen side issues which evolves into a thoroughly enjoyable case to be solved, once again by the Village Detectives, united once again in a common cause and friendship.   

  • Murder in the Reading Room

    Murder in the Reading Room

    Cozy Murder fans will enjoy the latest and final intrigue in the Golden Age Mystery series, Murder in the Reading Room from Anita Davison. A man is murdered in the Reading Rooms of the British Museum; a man who is an expert in Renaissance Art and a regular attendee at the reading Rooms.

    Why a man who was a quiet, self-contained man should have been murdered sees Hannah Clifford, Aunt Violet and the indomitable Matilda Gilmartin, ably assisted by Aiden Farrell, recently retired from Scotland Yard, set out to discover why a bronze statue known fondly as Lucrezia, owned by the Fraser family for more than 100 years, should call for murder to be committed.

    Set at the end of the First World war, when London was still recovering from a brutal War, the Spanish Influenza is killing many and women have finally been given the right to Vote, the formidable team of ladies find they are perplexed as every lead they follow comes to nothing.

    They are aware people are not being altogether truthful, lies are being told and the Police are in awe of dealing with the upper end of Society, which is not helping. This is personal, as Theodore Prynne was well known to Aiden, which makes them all determined to dig deep to find a killer and what is now the missing bronze.

    A little on the slow-moving side, Murder in the Reading room comes with a certain warmth, of familiarity, making it an ideal read for a lazy day, when crime solving should not be at all hurried, but carefully  worked out over a good cocktail or two, Aunt Violet style.

  • The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair

    The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair

    We left Eliza Baker and Theodore Sharpe planning to attend Agatha Christie’s Wedding to Max Mallowan, something they, along with Dorothy L Sawyer were looking forward to as it was a carefully kept secret, but an exciting one.

    The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair sees Eliza and Theo arriving on the Isle of Skye in the worst possible weather to discover they are not the only ones, other than Agatha and Dorothy, residing at Dunmara Lodge: there is a hunting party led by Lord Hector Blackwood, a loud, overbearing man, his wife and friends.

    The four friends, of which they now are, having shared a number of life-threatening adventures, are somewhat puzzled by this and as the storm continues to rage about the Lodge, they are all wondering what the real intent is behind Lord Blackwoods last minute visit to the Lodge.

    They are there to hear the Bans read for Agatha before journeying on to Edinburgh for the wedding; the hunting party seem to be there for many, many other reasons and it is not long before one of these reasons become apparent, or does it?

    The Minister is behaving in a very odd manner, stumbling terribly over the reading of the Bans, Maisie, the young woman looking after the Lodge is on edge and Iain, Maisie’s father is trying somewhat desperately to make everything appear as normal. It is very apparent they know Lord Blackwell and do not appear to like him.

    After the first hunt Lord Blackwood appears to have either disappeared deliberately or been murdered; if so why and who did it are of a concern in this closed knit little community of Dunmara Lodge as it is possible one of them has committed a murder.

    As time moves onward matters come to a head when Maisie’s son and Agatha’s daughter also disappear from an outing to the beach. Answers to questions are few and far between, and it is clear that time is of the essence as the weather is once again fast becoming a storm.

    Told through the eyes of Theo who is terribly in love with Eliza, The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair looks at love in its many guises, to create an absolutely engrossing fourth book in the ‘A Detection Club’ series from Kelly Oliver.

    Cozy Murder fans will love this one set on the stormy Isle of Skye against a wild and windswept backdrop.

    Footnote: The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair is based on the life of Agatha Christie who did indeed marry Archologist Max Mallowan in Edinburgh on 1 September 1930. They remained married until her death in 1976.

  • Murder in Rome

    Murder in Rome

    Dan Armstrong is approached by British TV Celebrity Tamsin Goodfaith regarding the recent death of her Uncle Phil, a man of immense wealth, who, according to the Police in Rome, committed suicide, by falling from the top of a tower, the largest tower of his Castle.

    He has been recommended to Tasmin by a good friend of his in Scotland Yard, should she decide to investigate her Uncles’ death.

    Invited to stay at the Casello del Lago, in the southern sector of Rome, Santa Rita, he and Oscar set off for what looks like a few days in a beautiful location, living in a very formidable Castle, while trying to piece together the series of events which  lead up to Phillip Hastings, CEO of ASH Finance, death.

    Tamsin is concerned that the family in residence for their summer sojourn in Rome do not know that Dan is Private Investigator. It is not long after Dan and Oscar arrive,  he becomes aware of some very deep family tension, which immediately sets him to wondering, could it have been murder rather than suicide.

    A second death occurs, which is indeed murder, and when Dan is almost killed, along with Roger Hasting, the new CEO of the Company, he really does begin to believe that someone in the family is committing murder, but who and why is the question that needs answering.

    Another death raises yet more unanswerable questions but also sets the remainer of the family at odds with one another, as it really is apparent that one of them is ruthless and utterly unscrupulous.

    Is it possible that the history of the Castello and the region could have something to do with the murders, but if so, what? And what is it that makes Oscar seriously question the suit of Armour in the entrance to the Castello?

    Murder in Rome from TA Williams, book 15 in the Armstrong and Oscar Murder series, is another excellently executed  cozy murder with so many carefully created layers, a murderer well hidden in plain sight with the twists and turns within the plot line such that it could be any one of the people at the Castle, except perhaps, the Ghost of the Unknown Knight, buried in the garden. Well maybe!

    It will certainly keep you guessing!

  • A Midsummer Murder

    A Midsummer Murder

    Kate Wells spins another engrossing tale in A Midsummer Murder, as Jude Gray, most reluctantly finds herself involved in trying to solve another murder, that of Inigo Sage, a well-known Spiritualist and as it turns out, charismatic charlatan.

    Malvern Farm has been busy since Easter and Jude is looking forward to a little quieter time, as her sister Lucy is under pressure with the purchase of her new home, Kerry her friend and helper at the camping grounds, is also facing change in her life once again and she is also enjoying the time spent with Marco as they both enjoy their new relationship.

    Kerry and her boyfriend George are about to launch George’s first health retreat at Oakley Park, a lovely old home he and his brother inherited upon the death of their grandmother. Inigo Sage is to be the draw card and will be staying with his small family, at Oakley Park.

    Midsummer is the time of the Solstice, which is the focus of the event, but they are only hours into the first night when Kerry becomes badly frightened, believing someone is out to kill George.

    And so begins a weekend of what will soon become a series of very vexatious issues which eventually lead to murder; not one but two, both of which look like accidents but simply are not!

    As Jude and the Police work together to try and make sense out of what appears to be senseless killings they discover there are tendrils that go back to a past which involves the drowning death of a young man; a friend of George, Henry and Nevaeh, Inigo’s daughter.

    Once again, a gripping, well-constructed and carefully plotted murder mystery comes to life as the Jude and the team, do their best to get to the bottom of a tragedy without destroying George and Kerry’s dream of running a Wellness Centre.

    A Midsummer Murder is highly recommended for a little time out on the couch, doing something all cozy murder fans love to do, try to solve a very complex murder before the very last page is reached.

  • The Bones of Logan Rock

    The Bones of Logan Rock

    An unsolved murder, an archaeological dig and a secret so carefully hidden make up the basis for The Bones of Logan Rock, a murder mystery that is a little bit of a slow burn but has an interesting plot line and a killer so well disguised it holds the story together.

    Book seven in the Cornwall Murder Mystery series set in the beautiful area of Treen, Cornwall, Detective Laura Pengelly and DS Matt Price find they are facing more than just a cold case, they are facing a series of murders for no apparent reason.

    Called to the archaeological site of Logan Rock when a skeleton is discovered, not a prehistoric one, a thirty-year-old one of a young girl, they are curious as to who it could be.

    On the eve of the 1996 summer solstice local girl Ruth Penrose went missing. Her disappearance was reported to the police but as she had run away from home before they made the decision to list it as missing person. It would seem this skeleton was most likely hers and that she was murdered.

    When a second murder occurs followed by a third, with so many leads trending back to the summer solstice of 1996 and a party on the beach to which most of the archaeological team attended, Laura and Matt begin to wonder what or who is behind all three murders. Could there be a connection.

    Hunting through thirty year old evidence proves to be a serious challenge, but some good luck, along with some excellent computer work unearths very interesting information that may be just what they need.

    A kidnapping, some deeply detailed police research and a race against time, see a killer who has no compunction about what have done and is about to do, is finally brought to justice.

    Laura and Matt will soon have another mystery to solve along with some serious changes in the office, but readers will have to wait for their next thrilling case to find out exactly what comes next!

    The Bones of Logan Rock is a Cornwall Murder Mystery Book 7.

  • The Widows’ Guide to Last Orders

    The Widows’ Guide to Last Orders

    A Widow’s Guide to Last Orders begins with a map which proves to be most useful as you join Ginny and her friends in the small country town of Little Shaw. The ladies are at a quiz night held at the local pub, The Lost Goat, which ends in serious verbal abuse of the local Detective Inspector James Wallace, whose team just happened to win, again!

    Ginny and her friends, the team of Merry Widows was nonplussed about the reaction from people who were normally respected members of the community. Nathan the bar attendant who set the quiz questions was looking overwhelmed at the aggressive reaction and volunteered to go to the cellar to change the keg.

    He is murdered, the police are calling it accidental, but Ginny and her friends simply can’t help thinking otherwise, but who would do such a thing over quiz questions sets the town alight with gossip,

    Having felt the wrath of James Wallace on a previous case in which they became entangled, the Merry Widows realise this time they will need to tread carefully, that is if they survive the get fit regime organised by JM, as DI Wallace seems to be otherwise occupied and more surly than usual.

    As the local librarian, Ginny considers there may be a clue in the last books Nathan borrowed as to what may have led to his death. Going through the books she comes across an old photo with what appears to be a code on the back.

    Loving to solve a puzzle, the ladies set out to use their collective wits and skills to try and discover what was behind Nathan’s death. A cast of very colourful locals, some with a past sunk deep in crime, but who are reformed and now elderly gentlemen, and a secret almost hidden in clear view, sadly sees the death of another community member before the killer can be discovered.

    Excellent for a day on the couch indulging and cozy murder, A Widow’s Guide to Last Orders, book 4 in The Widows’ Detective Club will appeal to the hidden detective in us all.

  • Hunting Ground

    Hunting Ground

    Once you move past the very graphic violence in the first chapter of Hunting Ground from Andrew Warren accepting that this is the norm, there is an excellent story of a white supremist cult obsession, power and tragedy to be discovered.

    Thomas Caine is recovering from a Mission that saw him decide that he had been lucky probably for the last time and he needed to reassess his future, particularly where it involved Rebecca Freeling, a woman who somehow saw the best in him.

    But his freshly created plans are put to the ultimate test when a protest march turns violent, and at the same time a terrorist attack occurs on the G. H.  Fallon Building in Baltimore; the building where his beloved Rebecca works.

    This is followed by a series of tragic circumstances, the death of his friend Tom’s son Sean, a person he had vowed to protect, and the discovery that his long-time mentor and friend Frank Balwin was dead.

    Tom is deeply challenged by the events that have occurred. When he makes the decision to risk everything for an answer he finds he is once again having to dig deep, far deeper than ever before as he is facing something so destructive it could see America facing a civil war.

    Working clandestinely alongside AJ Zavala, an FBI Special Agent who becomes accidently involve, having unexpectedly inherited the property of Frank Baldwin, along with a series of cryptic letters, they realise that whatever is occurring in the San Bernadino Mountains it nothing but bad with tentacles that reach into the highest levels of Government.

    Has he risked all for a lost cause or can they seek out the ruthless killers and see them bought to justice.  Will Rebecca forgive him this time or not is also on his mind as he and AJ face incredible odds against well trained men, in a battle that could see them both dead.

    Fast paced, vivid in description and a cliff hanger right to the end, Andrew Warren leaves the future of Thomas Caine hanging by a thread as he makes the toughest decision of his very challenging career.