Roberta Reads

  A Forever Home at Honey Bee Croft New friends, new life, new love… Single dad, Joel Grainger, is devoted to his little girl, Imogen, doing all he can to be a key part of her life. But with Imogen’s mum being ever more difficult and Joel’s job suddenly in doubt, he’s worried that everything is about to change. Joel has given everything to Imogen, and he doesn’t regret it, but maybe he’s lost himself along the way… Since her dad’s heart-breaking dementia diagnosis, Poppy Wells has been struggling and desperately needs a break. An opportunity to stay in gorgeous Whisperwood Farmhouse nestled in the Yorkshire Wolds and a stone’s throw away from Bumblebee Farm couldn’t be more perfect. Finally able to breathe, Poppy begins to see a new life ahead, a place where she can heal her broken heart and be part of something special. But can she ever leave her beloved dad to get the happiness she craves? When Poppy and Joel meet there’s an instant connection. But with both of them at a crossroa...

  Review - 4 out of 5 stars: I’m always on the lookout for more cosy crime authors, so when the opportunity to review Murder on the Menu by Katie Marsh arose, I jumped on it. This is the third book in the Bad Girls Detective Agency series, and I haven’t read the previous two. I found that this book worked well on its own, there weren’t any confusing bits where I felt like I was missing vital information. The setting worked well, the island isolated by the storm, and the run down castle, produced an excellent atmosphere for this thrilling tale.  I liked the characters, and though I suspect I would have understood them better if I’d started with book one, they were all well enough portrayed that they felt real. The mystery was a good one, and although I had suspicions of the culprit near the beginning, I couldn’t be sure until all was revealed. There were many excellent candidates for the murderer! The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that the story was much more towards th...

  Review - 4 out of 5 stars: I’m always on the lookout for new cosy crime authors, so I was pleased to receive a copy of Dashiki to review. It took me a while to get into the story. I think because I don’t know the Jazz world at all, or the locations where it is set, it just took me a little while to acclimatise. None of the characters “clicked” immediately, but I grew to like them very much as the book went on. Once I had got about a quarter or a third of the way in, it suddenly fell into place and I then I really enjoyed the story. The plot was interesting, and I enjoyed trying to figure out who had committed the murder. I like the characters too, once I’d got to know them. Virginia was a little naive and hot tempered, but I really loved her determination to work out who the killer really was, when it looked so bad for her friend. I liked the overall mix of characters too, and there were enough suspects to keep you guessing.  Overall, I really enjoyed this interesting murder...

  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...