Roberta Reads

  Blurb: Homemade baubles, reindeer-shaped cookies and snowy walks across the rolling moors… but Lady Swift’s festive plans are ruined when a body turns up! Winter 1924.  When  Lady Eleanor Swift  unexpectedly finds herself a guest of the reclusive  Duke of Auldwyke , she’s determined to enjoy Christmas with all the trimmings at his sprawling manor house. And that includes kisses under the mistletoe and cozying up by the fire with her fiancé, dashing detective  Hugh Seldon . Instead, the season of goodwill turns frosty as she finds the Duke’s studious secretary,  Mr Porritt , dead in the storeroom. Clasped in his chilly hand is a golden pendant in the shape of a rose. The Duke denies ever having seen the necklace before. But Eleanor can see the lies in his eyes… Did it belong to his mysteriously absent wife? Hugh and Eleanor must ditch relaxing with hot cocoa in favour of interviewing the Duke’s holiday guests. Every suspect has a secret they’d kill to keep: the socialite with the fals

  Review - 5 out of 5 stars: I’m a big fan of the Lady Eleanor Swift Mysteries, so I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Murder on the Nile, the 19th book. Eleanor has taken her retinue (including the terrible two) to Egypt for a holiday, and naturally people start dying.  I loved reading this book. Eleanor and co feel like old friends now. I loved reading about them all having fun in Egypt, as well as about the mystery.  I loved the setting, Egypt is a favourite location since reading the Amelia Peabody series, so this book was extra fun for me.  The mystery was intriguing, and I had no clue who the culprit was in advance of the big reveal. I enjoyed trying to figure it out though. Overall, this was another fun and fascinating mystery in an excellent series. I recommend them all! I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own. Book Description: A cruise down the Nile, a camel ride around the pyramids, lunch in the shadow of the Sphinx… And a very dead body! 1924. Lady

  Second Chances at the Little Bookshop Nora’s city life isn’t exactly working out how she planned. She’s stuck in her best friend’s tiny boxroom and hasn’t yet found that dream bookish job. But when she’s forced to return to her hometown of Little Harbour, Nora’s life takes an unexpected plot twist. Her estranged sister needs her help and the beloved family bookshop of her first love, Alex, is about to go out of business.  Alex knows a trip home to his dad and The Book Nook is long overdue. If only his own life wasn’t such a complete and utter mess he’d have visited by now. But then he hears Nora Bell is back in town and it’s the push he needs to change everything. When the two meet again it’s clear the spark of attraction still burns bright, but their unresolved past overshadows any possible future. Can they work together to save the bookshop and find their fairytale ever after, or will hidden secrets and surprising truths keep them apart? Perfect for fans of second chance romances,

Review - 3.5 out of 5 stars: I love historical cosy crime, especially that set in the 1920s, so A Front-Page Murder immediately appealed to me. The setting comes through really well. Various bits of description that are interesting without detracting from the story, set the book very firmly in 1920s London. The story took a little while to get going, but it was all important background information that made a fully realised world, and contributed essential detail to the mystery. The middle part was a good pace, with enough action and intriguing information to keep me interested. However, I found the last hour or so too stressful for me. I very much enjoyed gradually uncovering the mystery as Poppy investigated.  I liked Poppy very much. She was determined to get to the truth of what had happened, even if her relatives were implicated.  Overall, this story was too thriller-like for my taste, I prefer my crimes more cosy. However, if you like your historical cosy crimes fast paced and ri

  Review - 5 out of 5 stars: I’ve enjoyed the whole series of Cressida Fawcett Mysteries, so I couldn’t wait to start reading Death in the Mayfair Hotel. This time, Cressida and her friends (and of course her pug Ruby) are spending Christmas Eve at a party at the Mayfair Hotel. Naturally, they find a dead body, and festive investigative shenanigans commence. This murder mystery was so much fun. I very much enjoyed being back with a favourite group of characters. I love the ongoing progress in Cressida and Dotty’s personal lives. And the festive atmosphere was the cherry on top. The plot itself was intriguing. Though I had a fixed suspicion from near the beginning, there were plenty of other suspects who all looked guilty. My suspicion was based on taking an instant dislike, rather than on facts. But I was wrong, and the culprit came as a complete surprise (though there were clues!).  As always, I loved Ruby. As well as bringing some welcome humour to the story, she also seems to have a