Midge (525 KP) rated The Birthday Mystery in Books
Dec 29, 2018
First, we are introduced to Jenny who is catering for the twenty-first birthday party of upper-class twins, Alicia and Justin. In her late twenties, Jenny is an impressive woman. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living the lifestyle that suits her – that of a travelling cook. Her famous father is a ‘celebrity’ cook, divorced from Jenny’s mother. Jenny is happy travelling the country catering for events and cooking great food. She is on a mission to bring back traditional home cooked food and to offer new and exciting recipes made with fresh ingredients. She arrives at the twins family country house located in a picturesque and charming village and is immediately met by the police. A young man has drowned in the pond. Was it an accident or murder?
The birthday party goes ahead and then, just after midnight, everyone gathers for a champagne toast . . . and one of the guests falls down dead. The police are baffled and there is a whole party full of suspects.
Jenny finds crime very distracting, especially when there is chocolate to temper or pike to poach. She is very observant, with an agile mind and an amazing ability to interpret clues and hidden meanings. Her wit and sense of humour help her sanity when all around her, people are dropping like flies. When it comes to someone possibly adding the extra ingredient of poison to her own precious recipes, Jenny isn't going to take it lying down. She has a reputation to protect.
Jenny Starling won't stop until the murderer is found.
There are many suspects in this mystery, clues a-plenty and red herrings all the way through this book. It was a thoroughly satisfying read and I often found myself asking the same questions as Jenny and I was kept in suspense to the end. The pacing in "The Birthday Mystery" was very good and I never lost interest, as it wasn't long before something intriguing would happen. Things came together for a great finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next novel featuring Jenny Starling very soon and other books by the author, Faith Martin. "The Birthday Mystery" whets your appetite for more to come.
My thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
The Winter Mystery
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Mother-Daughter Murder Night in Books
Jul 5, 2024
I really wanted to like this book, and there were things I did. While a bit slow, especially at the beginning, the mystery did drawn me in. On the other hand, I figured out the killer pretty early. Lana has some rough edges, and it took quite a while to warm up to her. Since most (but not all) of the book is told from her third person point-of-view, that was an issue. It helped that I liked Beth and Jack and their relationship. I was also pretty discouraged by how most of the men in the story were portrayed. The setting came to life, and I enjoyed spending time there. Overall, the book has a serious tone and is more a traditional mystery than a cozy. It’s definitely not a thriller. As I said, this was a mixed bag. I’m glad I read it, but I will hesitate before I pick up anything else from this author.
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated The Last Line in Books
Aug 16, 2025 (Updated Aug 16, 2025)
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