Roberta Reads

  Review - 4 out of 5 stars: I’m always on the lookout for new cosy crimes, and The Cream Tea Killer looked like fun, so I decided to give it a whirl. It took me a little while to get into this book. It’s not the first in the series, so it just took a few chapters to get the hang of who everyone was, and how they related to one another. However, the story was most enjoyable once I had. I liked the setting of Seal Bay, in Cornwall. It seemed like a lovely place, though like anywhere, it has its less salubrious areas. I also enjoyed getting to know Morwenna and her friends and family.  The plot was a good one. It seemed a little slow to start with, but soon got going, with small, mysterious events building up into more. It was fun to go along with Morwenna as she gradually figured out what’s going on, she’s much braver than I am! Overall, this was a fun and interesting mystery. I think I’d have enjoyed it more if I’d read the previous books in the series, so maybe start with boo...

Death at the Ice Hotel by Angie Fox My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’m a huge fan of Angie Fox’s Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, so I was thrilled to be offered a copy of the first book in her new series (written with KC Bailey), Death at the Ice Hotel. I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were immediately engaging, drawing me into the story right from the first page. I loved the back story of the three childhood friends, and how it motivated Kat and Leia’s trip to the ice hotel. I thought the contrast between their characters was well crafted, and enjoyed the way it helped them work together to find out what was going on. The setting was great, and an unusual one. I thought the atmosphere came through really well, without any excessive description. The ice carving competition made an excellent background for the mystery, and I loved the fact that Leia and Kat have fun together too. The mystery was an intriguing one, and I loved following alo...

  Review - 5 out of 5 stars: I’ve been a huge fan of the Lady Eleanor Swift series since book 1, and now we’re on book 20! So I was thrilled to receive a copy of A Midwinter Murder to review. This time around, Eleanor and Co have been invited to a mysterious Christmas house party in Yorkshire. No sooner has she arrived, than she’s tripping over a dead body! I so enjoyed this story. I loved the setting of the moors in Yorkshire, and the wintriness of the weather. It made a background that was festive, in spite of the murder(s?). I loved the fact that Seldon and the ladies were there with Eleanor, as well as Clifford. I really enjoyed the little interludes with the ladies in their cottage, and the way they support Eleanor and Seldon. I also loved the fact that Eleanor and Seldon are finally making some progress in discussing what their life will be like after they marry. I really hope we’ll see more progress in their relationship soon. I’d really love to see them continuing to solve ...