eyes.2c Reviews

False Relation  (Abbot Agency Mystery #19) by Veronica Heley        ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Returning to the world of Bea Abbot and her husband Piers, Bea’s friends Sir Julian Marston-Lang and Lady Polly of Marston Hall and the connected village, brings unforeseen challenge for Bea. For starters Julian’s step-cousin Mona has been murdered and Marcus her husband accused, although the police from the neighboring town of Askin feel that really Lord Julian has done the deadly deed.  Village life is under the microscope as Heley gives us another mystery novel with characters we love, and love to hate. I particularly liked Old Jenny and her relationship to the spirits of the Spring. I did feel that this story had run its race in the previous title. This book added a further dimension which pleasantly surprised me. A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.                                     ...

Murder in Venice  (Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery #13) by T A Williams          ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dan Armstrong is living in Florence, happily engaged to his Italian fiancé Anna. In his previous life he’d been a  DCI, now he’s an author and private investigator. When his day is interrupted by a phone call asking him to call the famous movie diva Alice Graceland of course he complies.  The aging and still beautiful Miss Graceland lives on an island fort, the Island of the Swans, near the Lido.  She’s been restoring the fort, Swan’s Rest, and writing her memoirs.  Miss Graceland makes  an  appointment for Dan to catch the fast train to Venice the next day.  It seems she wants Dan to attend a house party on the island. She engages him to be part of a murder mystery dinner she’ll hold.  His role will be that of an investigator. Dan agrees but is unsure of what he’s in for.  It turns out all her guests are all powerful Holl...

A St Ives Christmas Mystery  by Deborah Fowler    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Merrin McKenzie remembers the day her husband Adam died. It was an ordinary  morning beginning with toast and coffee. Then the telephone call! Her beloved husband has been killed, slain by an efficiently wielded knife attack. Months later and Merrin has sold their family home in Oxford and moved back to the lovely village she grew up in, St Ives. Helping out her friend Clara, Merrin who doesn’t clean’, has been persuaded to help out with the ‘changeover’ cleaning for a couple of Bed and Breakfasts Cara owns. Only one contains the body of a young man laid out peacefully on the bed. Bizarre! Next there’s police involvement, and a somewhat tenuous clue of her daughter’s land lady’s nephew being missing!  The tale flowed along at just the right pace. An enjoyable read. An  Allison & Busby  ARC via NetGalley.                         ...