Roberta Reads

  Review - 5 out of 5 Stars: I very much enjoyed the previous books in this series, and Lydia Travers’ previous series, The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency, so I was thrilled to get my hands on Death in a Scottish Tower. This time, Poppy is at Glasgow University for a commemoration ceremony, when she is consulted by a former student about an old mystery. Before she knows it, she’s tripping over bodies again. I had a wonderful time reading this book. Poppy is as entertaining and full of determination as ever. I like her, she’s lighthearted, but also gets on with the job of solving the crime. The mystery was an intriguing and slightly confusing one. I really had no idea of what was going on (in terms of motive) until right at the end. The quantity of deaths began to seem slightly excessive by the end. As well as the mystery, I enjoyed seeing some progress in the relationship between Poppy and the inspector.  Overall, this was another entertaining and intriguing murder mystery. ...

  Review - 4 out of 5 stars: I have been enjoying Fliss Chester’s Cressida Fawcett series for years, so I was pleased to be able to sample Murder in a Cornish Teashop, the first book in her new Maddie Penrose series. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the two main characters, Maddie and Nor Penrose, and their relationship, very much. Though Nor seems much better able to take care of herself than Maddie! The plot was an interesting one. It seemed to start with to be lots of separate elements, but as the book went on, they all gradually came together. The setting was lovely. A Cornish seaside town, with the farms around it. I enjoyed the descriptions, which didn’t interfere with the pace of the plot at all.  The only, very slight, thing I didn’t like, was there being slightly too much peril for my taste. Maddie would keep on blundering into dangerous situations! However, I like the characters and setting enough to continue with the series.  Overall, this was an excellent s...