Bokelskere.no

When art shop cleaner Mrs Gundersen is found dead in center of Oslo 1944, art historian Soli Hansen finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation of a person who was not who she seemed. Soli goes on a mission to prevent priceless Norwegian art from ending up in the hands of Hitler. With the Germans on her tail, she goes on a secret trip out of Oslo.

When asked by author Heidi Eljarbo to review Of Darkness and Light, the first installment in A Soli Hansen Mystery series, I was absolutely thrilled for the opportunity. She is a new to me author and Of Darkness and Light seemed seriously interesting to me as well as right up my alley. Of Darkness and Light is about art historian Solveig, Soli, Hansen who experiences a murder in the art shop where she works. Investigations show the murder is connected to the arrests and deportations of Jews out of Oslo. The Germans are in the process of stealing valuable pieces of art from their homes and taking them back to Germany. To prevent this Soli puts herself in danger to keep a priceless painting hidden from Hitler’s representatives in Oslo.

Main character Solveig Hansen, has managed to earn an art history degree, which I find impressive for a woman in Norway in the 1940s. It was nice to see she became more mature as the story progressed. She was easily my favorite as she could be both assertive and bold when called for.

Secondary character Lieutenant Colonel Heinz Walter is searching for valuable Norwegian art on behalf of Hitler. He is a cold and hard character who doesn't shy away from the occasional murder when trying to steal the best pieces of art for Hitler. He is my least favorite character as he is both ruthless and very dangerous.

Without revealing anything about the plot, I really appreciated how the dual timeline element added a deeper dimension to the story. The part from the 1600s Valetta was a favorite of mine, as I felt it was particularly well written. The research was excellent, which made me feel I learned more Norwegian wartime history. It was easy to feel pulled into the story as the writing was so vivid including descriptions included food rationing, German uniforms and weather conditions of autumn in Oslo among lots of other things.

Of Darkness and Light (A Soli Hansen Mystery #1) by Heidi Eljarbo is the excellently researched, exiting and interesting dual timeline story from WWII Oslo and 1600s Valetta. I enjoyed Of Darkness and Light so much and will be on the lookout for the next installment.

Readers of historical fiction would love this work. Those of you who like WWII fiction will particularly enjoy Of Darkness and Light. Fans of Heidi Eljarbo’s previous books are sure to love this one. Similar books to explore might be Kate Morton’s and Lucinda Riley’s works.

Thank you to author Heidi Eljarbo for this eARC, which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review of Of Darkness and Light. All opinions are completely my own.
My rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reasons: excellent plot and great research

The Skull beneath the Skin (Cordelia Gray Mystery Series #2) by P.D. James
is about eccentric actor Clarissa Lisle, Lady Ralston, who receives death threats and is scared for her life and PI Cordelia Grey who is hired by Clarissa’s husband to keep her out of danger. A murder occurs on private Courcy Island and the small group of people present become suspects.

I listened to an audio CD of The Skull beneath the Skin by P.D. James. This was the first encounter with her work, except for numerous TV adaptations I have watched over the years. The plot is set on small, privately owned Courcy Island. Actor Clarissa Lisle is invited there with a small group of acquaintances to star in a theater play, but is scared for her life because of all the death threats she has received ahead of performances. PI Cordelia Grey is hired to keep her safe while pretending to be her secretary.

Main character Cordelia Gray felt a bit like the mother hen who kept everything together when things got rough. I really liked her character and was impressed by her detective skills. She had analytical skills like Agatha Christie’s Poirot, but I felt she added a womanly touch when helping the police with their investigation.

Ambrose Gorringe is a longtime friend of the victim and the owner of Courcy Island. I felt he was a cynical and cold person and felt unsettled by his collection of gruesome items kept on the island. Entertainment for the guests included a scary sightseeing and telling gruesome legends from the middle ages.

Roma Lyle, Clarissa's heir was my least favorite character of this story as she seemed an unsympathetic, greedy and rude person who disliked the victim. As she was in acute need for money to please her boyfriend, she seemed to be near the top of the suspects list.

The victim I felt was a well crafted character who was rich, controlling and disliked by many of the guests. I disliked her attitude intensely, but she certainly added drama to the plot. Most of the guest’s characters I found to be seriously superficial in an entertaining as well as shocking way. -One asking if the play would go on as planned after the murder had happened. They seemed well developed, like the author might have taken their traits from posh people in her real life.

My favorite part of the story was also the scariest, where guests were taken on a tour around solitary and scary Courcy Castle and told a horrifying legend of the island. I found it to be a perfect element in a Halloween read, and one of the parts I felt was particularly well written.
The plot and the writing I found reminded me somewhat of Agatha Christie. A group of people were gathered on a solitary place when a murder took place. Slightly more gory details were added in this story, like descriptions of how the dead body looked.

The Skull beneath the Skin (Cordelia Gray Mystery Series #2) by P.D. James is a thrilling and entertaining story of PI Cordelia Gray solving a horrible murder in opulent English environment on a private solitary island. Fans of P.D. James will enjoy this and it is also recommended for readers of crime fiction. Similar books to explore might be one of Agatha Christie’s numerous works.
All opinions in this review are completely my own.

When rare book dealer Lincoln Delamont is stabbed to death at a book event in Chapters B&B, fingers are pointed at owner Charlotte Reed, accusing her of the murder. With the help of her neighbor Charlotte sets out to find the real killer and clear her name, whilst trying to stay out of danger.

Booked for Death (Booklovers B&B Mysteries #1) by Victoria Gilbert is about Charlotte Reid whose great-aunt Isabella left her Chapters B&B, which is set in a converted stately waterfront home. A mystery seems to be connected to how she acquired the very large sum of money to buy it. Some of this information has made it into the hands of rare book’s dealer and shady business man Lincoln Delamont who threatens to use it to ruin Chapter’s reputation. Charlotte now has motive for murder. This twist becomes an important part of the plot which I enjoyed a lot.

Main character Charlotte Reed is the ex high school teacher, now B&B owner. I’m quite impressed by the way she handles situations where tempers get heated in a large group of people. Her socially confident manner and no-nonsense attitude comes in handy when her establishment suddenly becomes a crime scene. She is easily my favorite character of this story.

Ellen Montgomery is ex film location scout, neighbor and friend who is assisting with the amateur sleuthing as well as helping with business matters. I find her a very important secondary character that seems very well developed and true to life. She stands out positively and I think the plot would not function without her.

Damien Carr is part time cook at Chapters who has a volatile temper which leads to difficult relationships to other people. He seems a rather unsympathetic character with plenty of tantrums that plenty of people can imagine capable of murder. He is my least favorite character of this story. However, he seems to function a bit better as the story progresses.

The part of the plot concerning the mystery of great-aunt Isabella’s life was my favorite part of this plot. Throughout the story there were interesting clues, but no definite answers until the end, so I kept wondering and waiting to know more. The mystery part definitely added extra excitement to the story for me.
When it came to solving the murder, quite a number of guests seemed to have motives, so it seemed hard for Charlotte to sift through it all to solve the case. I really enjoyed that the identity of the killer and the motive took me so completely by surprise.

Booked for Death (Booklovers B&B Mysteries #1) is the first work I have read by Victoria Gilbert. I look forward to installment #2 in the series.
Reading Booked for Death (Booklovers B&B Mysteries #1) by Victoria Gilbert was a new plot setting for me which made for an entertaining and thrilling as well as quick reading experience.
Fans of Victoria Gilbert will love this work, as will readers of crime fiction.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eARC, which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Hercule Poirot and his friend Ariadne Oliver go on a quest to shake up the memories of people connected to the double suicide of General and Lady Ravenscroft in 1960s English countryside. As Poirot digs deeper, people contribute new information and this cold case changes entirely.

Elephants Can Remember (Hercule Poirot Mysteries #37) by Agatha Christie is about the married couple who seemed to have shot each other with the husband’s revolver lying beside the bodies. The police were never able to establish who killed who, as motive seemed to be nonexistent at the time. Many years later Mrs Oliver dives into a truck load of old hearsay to get to the truth. She wants to protect the Ravenscrofts’ daughter.

Main character, Hercule Poirot, seems to be sharing his main character role in this story, helping his longtime friend Ariadne with her case. I enjoyed that the author describes Poirot as a man with an egg-shaped head, a small stature and a monstrous mustache. She interestingly portrays him as a comic and strange looking personality. He seems very different from David Suchet in the TV adaptations.

Ariadne Oliver, is the narrator and supporting main character of this story. She comes at problem solving from unexpected and creative angles, like comparing people’s memories to those of elephants. I find it refreshing and different from Poirot’s strictly analytical approach. She seems a kind hearted person with an amusing habit of brushing her hands through her hair messing it all up, even if she is very focused on hair style.

The wonderfully descriptive writing takes me back to the 70s. In Agatha Christie’s universe every home seems to come with a set of servants for all domestic chores. I find it very entertaining to read her books as they give a glimpse into opulent environments and people’s interactions back in the day.

Hercule Poirot is the main character in 38 of Christie’s stories. He is an absolute longtime favorite of mine and I have followed him both in books and in TV series. Ariadne Oliver appears in a smaller number of stories as a supporting character, being an interesting and well crafted character I love to read about. In this story she is the one who alerts Poirot to the case.

There were plenty of references to old fashioned lifestyle of the 1970s, like keeping an address book for all contacts, something we stopped doing decades ago. I find it fascinating to be reminded how life worked before the digital age, and this is my favorite part of the story.

Elephants Can Remember (Hercule Poirot Mysteries #37) by Agatha Christie is the captivating and entertaining story of Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver solving a cold case from 1960, and is one of several works I have read by Agatha Christie. References are made to other books in the Hercule Poirot Mysteries Series in a clever way which triggers my curiosity. As a longtime fan, I am reading through most of them.

Fans of Agatha Christie will love Elephants Can Remember (Hercule Poirot Mysteries #37), as will readers of crime fiction. Similar works to explore might be the Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle. All opinions are completely my own.

Following a road accident Elizabeth Cantrell and her 11 month old son Isaach become parts of a cover up operation and suddenly she find herself married to undercover secret agent and British spy Baron Adrian Thorrington. Murder within the family put them all at risk and Elizabeth and Adrian are in the middle of a situation dangerous to both individuals and The British Crown.

In Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson the plot is centered around a missing document important to The Crown reported to change hands at Adrian’s daughter Juliana’s wedding at Middlecrest Abbey. The groom ends up dead, the wedding cancelled and there seems to be a murderer at large in the house. Elizabeth decides to do some secret investigating of her own. As she is getting closer to the truth, the danger increases both to her and her son Isaach.

Main character and narrator Elizabeth Cantrell seems unrelenting in search for the truth of the mystery. I admire her determination to keep investigating in spite of danger. She is very reluctant to trust Adrian, which I understand given her history with his brother. She is my favorite character of this story.

Adrian Thorrington, British agent and spy, seems a kind and considerate man. He is using all his skills and connections to keep them out of danger. The relationship with Elizabeth gets off to a rather funny start, as he considers himself “forced” to marry her because they have been in a carriage together unchaparoned.

Mrs Harris we get to know as the unfriendly and gossipy mother of the groom. After her son gets murdered, she seems to change her ways and it’s nice to see she gets more open to the care of others. I felt more sympathy for her as the story progressed.

I felt the writing of this story flowed well. The descriptions of the characters were very well written and I found I enjoyed the dialogues. The dialogues between Elizabeth and Adrian conveying the development of their somewhat spontaneous relationship I found particularly interesting.

The setting of the plot in the English countryside was familiar to me, but the spy element thrown into the mix made for a new and interesting twist. I wish the plot would have moved a bit quicker in the beginning, but as the story progressed and intensified I felt more invested in both the characters and the story. I enjoyed the lifestyle and environmental descriptions, which I found worked well. Some of the gossipy wedding guests I also felt to be believable characters who contributed well to the plot.

I enjoyed how Elizabeth and Adrian deciphered a coded message, which added to the thrill of the story. They were thrown together by circumstances, but the romance element was still a distinct part of the story. I found it my favorite part. I was intrigued by how the relationship between Elizabeth and Adrian developed, starting off with deep suspicion particularly on Elizabeth’s part. As she got to know Adrian more, I’m I was pleased she came around and acknowledged all his good qualities.

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey is the first work I have read by Abigail Wilson. I found the story about the secret spy operation in which a man got murdered a very interesting as well as entertaining read.

For similar reads your might want to check out the works of Michelle Griep or Mimi Matthews.
Fans of Abigail Wilson will enjoy this work, as will readers of historical romance fiction.

Thank you to publisher Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this eARC, which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Carolina Breeze (Bluebell Inn Romance #2) by Denise Hunter is about Mia Emerson who is escaping Hollywood following a huge scandal. With her engagement broken, she goes on a solo honeymoon to Bluebell Inn, North Carolina, where ex-project manager and inn keeper Levi helps her stay away from the paparazzi while dealing with his own serious issues.

If you want a holiday read Carolina Breeze (Bluebell Inn Romance #2) by Denise Hunter is a great choice. It is a heartwarming, entertaining and light read which I’m sure will stay with me for a long time. The story is beautifully written, and I particularly appreciate the descriptions of life and nature around the lake.

I find main character, Mia Emerson, to be a very likable and nice person in a vulnerable situation who suffers loneliness, insecurities and heart aches like any other less famous person.
In spite of being a Hollywood celebrity she seems like the girl next door, and I enjoy the parts of the story describing how Mia learns to trust other people again, Levi in particular.

Levi Bennett, ex-construction project manager turned inn keeper, is afraid he will fail his sisters if he doesn’t reach all the goals he has set. His fear makes him overdo things and become controlling. He is a layered and true to life character and my favorite in this story.

I really enjoyed the setting of this story in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It stood out to me, as I have not read anything set in this region before. I found the writing just beautifully heartwarming, easy flowing and enjoyable with plenty of references to fresh air, pine smell and outdoor living around the lake.

The mystery connected to Mia’s grandparents mixed into the plot I totally loved. It added an extra excitement to the story. Nice to see Mia got something other than the miserable state of her life to focus on when she was going about solving the mystery together with Levi.

In the midst of Mia’s messy life situation, the relationship with Levi got room to develop. I found the writing of the romance part very well done and expertly balanced between clean and intensely romantic.

In the middle of huge personal drama, Mia turned to God. She prayed on and off throughout the story. The faith element seemed to play a background part in this story, which was ok. -It was still there.

Carolina Breeze (Bluebell Inn Romance #2) by Denise Hunter had a light and summery vibe I enjoyed a lot. Mixed with Hollywood celebrity issues and topped with a mystery and a faith element, it all tied together in a nice and easily read little package.

Carolina Breeze (Bluebell Inn Romance #2) by Denise Hunter is the first work I have read by Denise Hunter. While I would have preferred to read Lake Season (Buebell Inn Romance #1) first, I jumped right into installment #2. Carolina Breeze worked perfectly as a standalone, but as I loved it so much I will definitely go back and read Lake Season (Buebell Inn Romance #1) in the Bluebell Inn Romance Series. I want to see what story line I may pick up from the beginning.

Fans of Denise Hunter will love this work, as will readers of contemporary women’s fiction. For similar reads it might be a good idea to check out Jody Hedlund's or Rachel Hauck's work.

Thank you to publisher Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this eARC, which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.

Surviving the assassination of her entire family former spy Jess Beauchene escapes France with nothing but a family heirloom – a cryptic diary in italian. Having spent ten years in hiding, she persuades art expert Derek Thornbury to translate and decipher the diary because it could keep any remaining family safe from danger.

A Pursuit of Home (Haven Manor #3) is about aristocrat Jess Beauchene who escapes attack on royal bloodline in Verbonne, France as an eight year old. She has since covered up her background and has been in hiding from the attackers in the English countryside. For years Jess has believed she was the only survivor of the attack in France, but now she gets report her brother is alive. Being in possession of an heirloom diary which is her only connection to her late family and her past, she feels it urgent to have it translated and deciphered.

I very much enjoyed the mystery part of the plot following Jess on her quest to reconnect with any remaining family. The wealthy and influential friends I recognize as characters from Kristi Ann Hunter’s Hawthorne House Series. I particularly enjoyed the reunion of Daphne and Kit from Heaven Manor Series coming together in this book to help Jess. Derek Thornbury is the interesting new character knowledgeable of the art world and skilled at analyzing objects connected to Jess’s project.

A Pursuit of Home (Haven Manor #3) seems different from others of this genre. I can’t remember having read about art collectors, analyzing techniques and painting brush strokes like this and found it very interesting. It makes the work stand out positively for me. Expertly mixed with amusing situations A Pursuit of Home (Haven Manor #3) makes for a delightful reading experience you don‘t want to miss.

There is in my opinion plenty of descriptions of funny and endearing situations making up Kristi Ann Hunter’s writing style which I enjoy a lot, both in Haven Manor Series, Hawthorne House Series and other works I have read.

There is a bit more of a mystery to this plot than the first two of the Haven Manor Series, which I like. My art appreciation is very limited at best, but I still found I enjoyed this story very much as the plot developed. Both exiting and interesting, reminiscent of a treasure hunt, as Jess and Derek travel across England in search for paintings, to explain her family history.

The romance I found a bit of a slow burn starting with mutual resentment, moving on to understanding and acceptance of each other and friendship. The faith element seems to play a background part in the beginning of the story. As the danger intensifies, the faith element seems to become more distinct.

A Pursuit of Home (Haven Manor #3) is an endearing story mixed with elements of mystery and danger. There is also a slight element of faith intensifying towards the end. Fans of Kristi Ann Hunter will enjoy this book. It is recommended for readers of historical fiction too. For similar works it might be a good idea to check out Julie Klassen’s and Sarah E. Ladd’s work

Poirot receives letters warning him of murders, all signed ABC. A homicidal maniac seems to be working himself through the alphabet challenging Poirot’s little gray cells. In every case the ABC railway guide is found close to the body.

The ABC Murders is #13 in the Series about Hercule Poirot, written by Agatha Christie and I listened to it as an audio CD edition.
This story is about a murderer sending letters to Poirot warning him that there is going to be a murder. A pattern develops of victims and murder scenes chosen in alphabetical order.

While confident of a successful outcome of this investigation, Poirot seems to be slightly less cocky than he might seem in the tv adaptations I have seen. Maybe he develops a super confident celebrity persona as time goes by and he solves many more cases.

In this story Poirot manages to collaborate well with Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard. He uses what proof the investigation offers, including fingerprints, combined with his analytic skills to solve the case. The little gray cells work in his favor yet again, which is not unexpected but still nice to see.
I got caught up in a strong red herring, which distracted me right until the real culprit was revealed. It became a surprise element I enjoyed very much. The affluent settings of Agatha Christies' plots I always love. This is no different. There is just something about the characters, the settings and the time period which I can't get enough of. I just get drawn to stories set in a historic time frame, both 1930s and earlier.

Poirot is the Agatha Christie's expertly crafted fashionable and rather vain private sleuth of the 1930s. I find he has a funny and demeanor, being very conscious about his appearance. In this story Poirot gets fired up by the way Hastings is wrinkling his clothes when trying to pack his luggage.

Captain Hastings is the hands-on, devil’s advocate-like assistant. He seems the type of character who wants to act and not think too much, which occasionally leads to funny situations in spite of the murder investigation. I find it funny that Poirot picks on him because he prefers to stay close to the ladies. I think Poirot and Hastings have a quite interesting, and sometimes amusing, working relationship where Hastings is sometimes sent off to deal with some minor detail of the case, whereas Poirot gets to use his "little gray cells" in peace.

The ABC Murders (Hercule Poirot #13) by Agatha Christie is expertly crafted as we come to expect from the Queen of Crime, building this particular plot around the alphabet. I found the ending surprising. There are numerous works to choose from by Agatha Chrisie, both featuring Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, so there should be no problem finding one that suits.

I have previously read several of Agatha Christie's books and seen numerous tv-adaptations. I can safely say I love them all. The ABC Murders (Hercule Poirot #13) works well as a standalone. It would be a perfect read for fans of Agatha Christie and for readers of Crime Fiction. Similar works to explore might be the Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle. All opinions are completely my own.

At the center of this story is a chalice from the Middle Ages being smuggled out of France to avoid it ending up in the hands of the Nazis. It gets hidden in a police detective’s house, while criminals are trying to get to it. Adding a psychiatric patient into the plot and we have an exciting, unpredictable story where an abuse victim is found dead.

House of Lies is book #3 in Cat Carlisle Series and is about local detective Thomas Charles who has agreed to keep the valuable chalice safe in his house until the war is over. That seems to not go well as the thieves discover where it is hidden. The plot seems to start out as several independent looking stories. I enjoyed realizing that these were elements which enriched the plot and they all tied nicely together a few chapters in. The plot kept me gripped and entertained throughout. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I felt nervous about what would happen. Perhaps I am a bit of a thriller novice, but for me there were some nail biting parts.

Main character Catherine-Cat Carlisle is wealthy widow running a safe house for abused women and is engaged to Thomas Charles. While I find her gullible, bordering on irresponsible, not taking danger seriously enough, I can relate to the do-gooder side of her which seems to take over. Fortunately her fiancé worries for her safety. He seems a really good man with a kind heart. I really like his caring and responsible demeanor and fortunately he seems a level headed person not easily scared. Best of all, for a man of the 1940s, he is conscious not to limit Cat’s activities in any way even if it should lead to danger. Easily my favorite character of this story.

There were plenty of other interesting characters in this book, of which I particularly enjoyed mentally unstable and dangerous Margaret Bettencourt. She turned up at Cat Carlisle’s women’s shelter claiming to have been abused by her husband. She added some serious drama to the plot. To read about her, I found a hair-rising-in-my-neck kind of thrilling. In all her madness I found her as interesting as she was scary.
I loved the setting of 1940s British countryside, mixed with danger and drama that seemed to follow the two main characters. I love the descriptions of 1940s English environments and sceneries as well as all the tea breaks. I also found the parts describing how the war affected the way people lived on every level of society very interesting.

House of Lies (Cat Carlisle #3) by Terry Lynn Thomas is the first I have read by this author. I found it exciting and thrilling with a bit of romance. No problem reading it as a standalone, but I prefer to start series with installment #1 to pick up on reoccurring characters and storylines throughout. House of Lies is recommended for fans of Terry Lynn Thomas and readers of historical fiction.
Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Afraid of people and disease, wild child recluse Ilsa Nordegren lives isolated on Hope Mountain when successful business man and neighbor Mitch Warden returns from New York. He brings danger with him as gunmen turn up to kill him. On a trip to the city to get help, Ilsa and Mitch’s relationship gets time to blossom in the midst of intense danger.

Woman of Sunlight is installment #2 in Brides of Hope Mountain Series. The story is about the three young Nordegren women living in isolation on Hope Mountain, Colorado. New York business man Mitch Warden return to help his family, but brings with him danger as armed gunmen turn up. The Nordegrens and the Wardens use all their skills to apprehend them and go to town delivering them to the local sheriff. It becomes vital for Mitch to hire a nation-wide detective agency to investigate the two strangers so he goes to the city. Ilsa insists on accompanying him and it becomes an eye opening experience for her as she has lived such a reclusive life. The mystery of who is trying to kill Mitch kept me gripped right to the end.

Fiercely independent recluse Ilsa Nordegren, is illiterate but knowledgeable about Indian medicine. She seems socially impaired, cut off from the world for too long. I love that she is such a complex character. On the one hand she seems a person having been isolated from other people having little experience; on the other hand she has the most amazing survival skills that come in handy in dangerous situations.

Civil war veteran and successful businessman, Mitch Warden, is Ilsa’s friend and neighbor. Returning from New York he finds his family has been run off their rightfully owned land and stays to help. He is also trying to escape troubles in New York, but that seems to have followed him to Hope Mountain.

Wax Mosby is a hired gun who helps chase innocent settlers and drive them of land they own by law. He is not shying away from criminal acts in the process. I am happy to see he seems to wise up somewhat throughout the plot. His conscience seems to bother him and he seems to feel a pull back to his mother’s Bible teachings. For initially such a bad character, it’s nice to see he seems to go through a process of wanting to get back to his faith and live a decent life..

This plot has elements of a western tale including outlaw gunmen horse riding, criminal activity and gold, which I really enjoyed. My favorite part of the story is descriptions of Ilsa’s love of nature and Mitch’s tireless work to teach her to read and help her adjust to life outside what she had been used to all her life.
Ilsa and Mitch’s romance seem to start with anger and scolding, continue with moments of closeness and finally more and more awareness of their feelings for each other.

Woman of Sunlight (Brides of Hope Mountain #2) by Mary Connealy is a sweet, entertaining and easy read with elements of faith and family, but also danger and hardship. I read it as a standalone which worked absolutely fine, but as a rule I try to read a series starting with #1. This is the first book I have read by Mary Connealy and I will read Aiming for Love (Brides of Hope Mountain Book #1) to catch up with the story line running through the series.
Woman of Sunlight (Brides of Hope Mountain #2) is recommended for fans of Mary Connealy and for readers of historical romance fiction or historical fiction.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Trying to get over her ex fiancé’s infidelity, Margaret Brinton attends a matchmaking party.
Broken hearted and confused she thinks she needs to attract a relationship of convenience. She meets two gentlemen who only add to her confusion.

Seriously broken hearted and confused following her fiancé’s infidelity Margaret Brinton promises herself to not fall in love again and be made a fool of, just find a man to marry for convenience. Attending a match making party, she meets two very different men equally competing for her hand. One matches exactly what Margaret thinks she needs, while the other one she finds really condescending and annoying. Without knowing, she gets mixed up in secret dealings between the two, ending up resenting them both. The romance of this story develops slowly, interrupted by different kinds of other things, just like in real life. I appreciate that Margaret needs time to recover from her heartbreak to get clear on what she really wants and needs going forward.

Maragaret Brinton is the main character in this story having been in love with a man who let her down. I find her to be a warm hearted, but confused woman with little experience how to deal with men. It’s easy to relate to her fear of falling in love again and her promise to herself not to let her guard down ever again. She seems very caring about her little sister and her family around her, which is very nice to see, and is a very important element in the plot.

Mr Lundall is a character who adds confusion and interrupts other scenes in the plot. While I found him funny at times, I was worried that Margaret would give in to his irritating and intrusive ways. He repeatedly proposes and gets rejected, but that doesn’t seem to put him off. Stalking her and wearing her down he seems to think will be the way to her heart. While I realize he has an important position in the plot, I still found him terribly annoying and by far my least favorite character.

The dialogue flowed easily and I enjoyed the vivid nature descriptions in and around the family estate. It was like I could see the nice and affluent living conditions of the stately home where Margaret was brought up. It seemed like environments similar to Jane Austen stories.

Once Margaret gets clear on what she needs and with whom, I enjoyed the deepening of the relationship with her love interest. I appreciated the descriptions of her process going from utterly hurt and confused, through every doubtful twist and turn of though, until she reaches more clarity.

Promise (Proper Romance) is a sweet, romantic story reminiscent of Jane Austen, which fans of historical romance fiction will enjoy.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGally for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

My rating: 4 stars / 5

Following her husband’s, death Nancy Pritchard finds herself in an entangled mess of race issues and criminal activity. She has to protect herself from dangerous men threatening her for information about her late husband’s affairs. Her childhood friend and lawyer, Seth Carpenter, comes to her aid.

Secrets of my Heart is installment #1 in the Willamette Brides Series by Tracie Peterson. We get to follow Nancy Pritchard’s struggles following her husband Albert’s mysterious death.
He is found dead in the river and seems to have been involved in criminal activity selling fire arms and whiskey to Indians. Now his dangerous accomplices come after his wife Nancy and threaten to hurt her family if she doesn’t do as they ask. Nancy’s childhood friend and lawyer, Seth Carpenter, comes to her aid offering to deal with the late husband’s legal affairs; only he doesn’t tell her the truth about why he is really in Portland. I did not know much about racial issues in Oregon in 1800s. This was the first time I got opportunity to read about it in a fictional work, which I found very interesting. I particularly enjoy books set in the Western USA. Being European I find these plots exotic

Nancy Pritchard became a widow under mysterious circumstances. Her life with her late husband was not a happy one, so she is not grief stricken, but she feels very insecure about whom she can trust. Nancy tries to stay active and get back on her feet, so she starts a boarding house exclusively for women. I can relate to her need to be of use after her husband’s death. I find her a character easy to like and she is my favorite in this story. She struggles with anger towards God and feels He has abandoned her ever since her beloved little brother died.

Gerome Berkshire is Albert Pritchard’s best friend and local politician. He offers a dodgy presence in the story and I really didn’t like him. While I didn’t like his political views at all it was also pretty clear from the start of this story that he was up to no good.

I found the writing flowed well and the dialogue was interesting and well crafted. Tea parties with good conversations on Nancy’s porch appealed to me and they drew me into a feeling of coziness and protection.

My favorite part of the story was descriptions of the 4th July celebrations at the time. They seemed to be so nice and entertaining for all. Quite grand and exotic to me, compared to the 17th May celebrations in Norway.

There is a strong element of faith running through the story with a number of discussions relating to Nancy’s struggles. I enjoyed Nancy’s process moving from struggle to being at peace with God.

Secrets of my Heart #1 in the Willamette Brides Series is a sweet and entertaining story recommended for fans of Tracie Peterson and for readers of historical romance fiction.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
My rating: 4 stars / 5

The Runaway Bride is installment #3 in The Bride Ships Series and I knew from the first chapter that I would love this book. It has a theme and a plot that interests me as I have not read any work set in British Columbia before.

Gentlewoman and banker’s daughter Arabella Lawrence has run away from her family in London, who has tried to marry her off to a violent man old enough to be her father. She has to adjust to new dangers and challenges trying to carve out her new life in British Columbia.

The plot contained descriptions of the appalling conditions the native population suffered. They were callously treated by the immigrants during smallpox outbreak. I found this part of the story very hard to read. I did, however, enjoy the native characters I got to follow as part of the plot.

Main character Arabella Lawrence I found to be a well rounded, if not exactly skilled, woman. Two very different suitors are competing for her hand in Victoria, and I feel for her when she gets very confused.

Baker and rebellion Pete Kelly is really punching above his weight trying to woe Arabella, as she wants to court a gentleman of her own social standing. I found his character to be realistic, with plenty of shortcomings. He seems a hot-head with a good heart who doesn’t shy away from a bit of a brawl, especially if he is trying to defend someone. I think he is a very likable character and my favorite who adds great interest to the plot.

Lieutenant Drummond I really disliked. While he knows and lives by all the intricate rules of English society, he has no problem manipulating and stops at nothing to get what he wants. Lieutenant Drummond is my least favorite character who makes my skin crawl. I found him an excellent scoundrel character.
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Absolutely hilarious when Arabella tries to attend to kitchen duties and makes a total mess of it. As a gentlewoman she is used to having servants and is clueless with any kind of practical work. These parts of the story put a constant smile on my face.

I found the writing of The Runaway Bride absolutely captivating as it contained vivid descriptions of the Vancouver area of 1862. I absolutely loved the vivid descriptions of nature and wildlife adding depth to the plot. I appreciated the clear faith element running through the story,.

The Runaway Bride is the first work I have read by Jody Hedlund. While I would have preferred to read The Bride Ship Series #1, I jumped right into installment #2. Reading The Runaway Bride as a standalone was no problem at all, but as I loved it so much I will definitely go back and read #1 in The Bride Ships Series. I’m confident there is a story line I may pick up from the beginning. Fans of Jody Hedlund will love this work, as will readers of historical romance fiction.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for this eARC, which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

My rating: 5 stars / 5

Above the Bay of Angels is the first novel I have read by Rhys Bowen, and I found it a pleasure to read. It features Isabella Waverly who, by a series of incidents, takes another woman’s identity, gets her job as under-cook at Buckingham Palace and gets to be on the queen’s cooking team travelling to Nice. When a member of the party dies of poisoning, Bella is suspected of the crime.

To recover from a nasty cold after her stay at The Isle of Wight Her Majesty goes to Nice. As the pastry chef is indisposed, Bella gets to go as the only female on staff.
While in Nice there is an attempt on Her Majesty’s life which goes wrong. Instead a member of the queen’s entourage is graced by the bullet. Later he dies of poisoning. While Bella is harboring the secret of her real identity, she tries to aid the police to make them too busy with the poison investigation to focus on her.

I loved the parts of the book with descriptions of life in Buckingham Palace, which gave me a vibe of the TV-series Victoria. I loved the descriptions of the splendid interiors of the Palace. The descriptions of the grand entryways and hallways with marble, paintings and cases resemble footage I have seen of how it looks.

Coming from aristocracy falling on hard times, Bella has worked as assistant cook in a nouveau-riche household where she has discovered her talent for cooking.
I found Bella to be a nice girl, but she has some personality traits and an attitude which brings her into trouble in this story. Instead of telling the truth and take her chances, she decides to steal another person’s identity, lie and cheat her way into the position at Buckingham Palace. But I’m pleased to see her conscience is bothering her, which shows she has a good heart and it’s in her character to do the right thing. I very much appreciate the crafting of what I found to be a multi-layered and realistic character.

While the queen was trying to remain anonymous, she would travel with the Highland Pipers who attracted masses of attention in France with their kilts and their sturdiness, which I found thoroughly amusing.

I enjoyed the easy flow of the writing with all the vivid descriptions of royal life from the downstairs perspective. I appreciate the research conducted to present a work like this.
The ending felt somewhat predictable and rushed, as the clues were leading in a certain direction throughout the plot. While the story was entertaining, I would have appreciated a few surprises and twists along the way. It was a very quick and easy read. As a lover of English historical fiction, I found the setting of the plot right up my alley.

Above The Bay of Angels is recommended for fans of Rhys Bowen and readers of historical fiction.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC, which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Dealing with tough and sad issues involving children, I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I ended up doing. To be fair there were parts of the plot describing appalling conditions for the children working on Canadian farms, which I found thoroughly disturbing, but other parts were about how a close relationship between Julia and Quinn got room to develop in the middle of all the drama as well as descriptions of their life in Canada. We also got to follow Julia when she dealt with her very own problems. Secrecy, pride and stubbornness seemed to be at the core of the entire plot. I found descriptions of all the restraints society put on women of the time interesting.

War veteran, family man and Earl’s of Brentwood’s personal valet Quinten Aspinall – Quinn, has made a very big promise to his father before his death to keep the family together. He has made it through the war with minor injuries and seems a level headed and well put together man who believes in the guidance of God and generally trying to do the right thing.
He is asking for leave of absence to travel to Canada in order to bring siblings Becky, Cecil and Harry, 18, 16 and 12, home. The earl hires him to find his niece and bring her home with them.
I enjoy following his though process as he is dealing with the tough experiences of this story. He gets very concerned along the way when he is told appalling stories of children having been gravely mistreated as free labor on farms. Quinn has to get creative to get information about his siblings whereabouts. He trusts God to guide him and keep him safe on his quest. His faith helps him through his hardships and descriptions of this runs strong through the story. Throughout the story he is met with experiences that challenge his view of life as well as his values, and he needs all his strength and down-to-earth personality traits to carry him through the events he encounters. I found him a thoroughly nice guy. He impressed me. Well done for creating such a likable and well rounded up character.

Julia Holloway, earl’s niece, went off to Canada as personal caregiver to Private McIntyre. Following his suicide, she lives in dire straits in Toronto. When Quinn inquires after his “fellow soldier”, he finds Julia scrubbing floors at the military hospital for a pittance.
She harbors secrets she feels vital to keep from Quinn and the earl. She expects to feel even further disgraced, so she refuses to speak to him. The earl has dangled a very tempting «carrot» in front of Quinn, making it essential for him to keep Julia safe and bring her back to England. I was relieved to see the relationship between Julia and Quinn develop in spite of all the constraints within themselves and in society.

I enjoyed the writing a lot as it managed to draw me into the plot and make the reading quite captivating. It was probably not the best idea to jump right into installment #3 of Canadian Crossings. I anticipated encountering some short comings in my knowledge about a storyline running through all the books, but felt there were no issues at all reading this as a standalone. It was a quick and easy read I was sad to see end, but still there is the option of reading books #1 and 2, which I look forward to.

I recommend The Brightest of Dreams in the Canadian Crossings Series for fans of Susan Anne Mason and for readers of historical romance fiction. Thank you to publisher Bethany House and NetGalley for this eARC, which gives me the chance to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Recently widowed Lily Adler is at a party at her friend’s house when she overhears a quarrel between two men and a gunshot is fired. In this exciting story of murder, blackmail and bribery, Lily is shocked to find who is involved.

The police get bribed and the case is put off because of «insufficient evidence». Large sums of money change hands and suddenly they are unable to identify the victim because they don’t want to try. The magistrate, himself is in receipt of 300 £ from the host of the party where the murder took place. Lily secretly witnessed this. As the police are instructed not to investigate, Lily takes it upon herself to do it, with the help of Capt. Hartley and Miss Oswald. She hasn’t the first idea how to investigate a murder case, but sees no way around it if she is to bring about justice for the victim.

The scene of the crime is in a large mansion, so the party goes on unawares while the investigation is kept secret. Pretty difficult to do, I’m sure, but the hosts of the evening seemed to go to extremes to avoid scandal, which seemed the crucial concern for people of “Quality” at the time.

In this plot the victim discovered something worth killing to keep secret. I found the circumstances around the murder interesting as well as exiting. Difficult to find out who the culprit might be as the murder victims kept piling up. I felt the West Indies connection added extra interest to the plot. I have read some books set in the West Indies before, but not murder mysteries, so this was a new angle for me which I enjoyed a lot. As I like stories with multi cultural dimensions, this felt like a win. There seemed a bit of a Sanditon feel about the part of the plot which contains the West Indian heiress, Miss Ofelia Oswald, who is launched into London Society to find a wealthy husband. Miss Oswald is, however, slightly less rich and therefore slightly less aggressively chaperoned compared to Miss Lamb in Sanditon.

I found the progress and exiting intensity of the plot more than made up for a slightly wordy start. I enjoyed the writing a lot. Added bonus, I think, were the funny parts of the story, particularly relating to the budding friendship between Lily and Capt. Hartley as they were knees deep in trying to solve the murder. With a mix between light hearted banter and the serious issue of murder, this was a story I was unable to put down even well past midnight. I found it highly entertaining as well as a quick and easy read. No shortage of suspects here, I can assure you. Well done to the author for creating such a wide variety of realistic “good guy” characters as well as the unsavory ones that both angered and unsettled me.

The Body in the Garden is recommended for readers of historical fiction as well as readers of crime fiction. Thank you to publisher Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars / 5

When well known feminist, author and lecturer Clare Abbott gets poisoned, Lynley and Havers have to investigate both in London and Dorset. There seems to be connections to the suicide of William Goldacre. Dark and disturbing secrets within his family come to light.

Following William Goldacre suicide, there is a series of consequences. Dysfunctions in his family come into a glaring focus impossible to ignore. They all seem to suffer. The mother Caroline Goldacre works as PA to the murder victim. Controlling behavior and paranoid thinking is severely interfering with her work. She acts more like a gate keeper than assistant. Clare acts very forgiving about this. People wonder why she doesn’t simply fire Caroline but she keeps her on, even gives her more responsibilities.

Through a combination of coloring outside the lines and taking advantage of connections, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers lands herself in the murder investigation. But she is not too chuffed with having Detective Sergeant Winston Nkata watching her every move and reporting to Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley the very moment she gets creative.

Reads like a combination of several timelines related to the plot, which my methodical self really appreciates a lot. There is a really thorough introduction leading up to the actual crime taking place. The sheer size of this work allows for detailed descriptions which I enjoy a lot.

The hilarious interaction between police secretary Dorothea Harriman and Barbara Havers I find beyond entertaining. Dorothea wants to contribute to Barbara meeting men, which in turn is supposed to help make her relax more and be a better police sergeant.

It’s funny and entertaining in the middle of this serious plot the way she is portrayed as loose cannon who has a history of interpreting her orders, bending the rules and sidestepping police regulations. She achieves good results, but in the end there have been so many problems that she ends up on superior’s transfer list.

Di Lynley: seems to be all business for most of this story, having been instructed by his superior to keep DS Havers on the straight and narrow at all times. He is occupied with the London end of the investigation as well as closely and carefully managing DS Havers to make sure she goes by the book. But I enjoyed the parts where there are descriptions of his feelings and thoughts about his personal life, having been a widower for 18 months.

The writing itself I find a wonderful use of the English language. Very few comes to mind that manage to express themselves in super enjoyable writing like this. The development of the plot is balanced out with funny dialog and interactions between characters.
I really enjoy when DS Haves jokes about Inspector Lynley having such a posh car. She thinks it’s so expensive; he keeps a teenager to polish the dust from the bonnet.
I also really enjoy that the plot is set in London and British countryside, with environmental descriptions to match.

The clues were so carefully laid out that I felt completely in the dark as to who the culprit might be. Expertly done I think. This work contained a large number of elements. So many, in fact, it muddied the waters for me. I was unable to distinguish the important clues from the less important ones. When the culprit was found and I thought the case was solved, yet another surprising twist was sprung on me. That made for an unusual end to the story.

There is an interesting story line about DS Havers continuing to book #20, which I think readers will enjoy. I have read it, and I certainly did. It feels like reading a teaser for the next book. It’s on my radar partly because I’m curious how DS Havers will get on in future.

This book is highly recommended for fans of Elizabeth George’s other work and readers of historical fiction.
All opinions in this review are my own.
My rating: 5 stars / 5

When a brutal murder takes place close to family restaurant Pie Town, restaurant owner Val Harris sets out to solve the case in her amateur-sleuthing way, which gets her in serious danger.

English professor Michael Stark is invited to Pie Town for a poetry reading event. He chooses to read a rather strange poem, which gets him into a heated argument with another member of the local college English department. He is accused of plagiarism. Soon after he is found dead, stabbed with a saber.

Worried about the reputation of the restaurant, Val finds it crucial to solve the case. Her boyfriend, Detective Gordon Carmichael, risks being kicked off the murder investigation for the third time because of Val’s interfering. He makes her promise to keep all talk about the case to Pie Town. Charlene and Val invent new and creative ways around that promise. She tries to make sure her business isn’t in jeopardy being connected to a murder case again.

I like Val Harris. She seems a sweet, sensible girl who is building a successful pie business. She may come across as somewhat of a pushover at times, but for the most part she seems to find it important to keep her promises and be reliable. But being close friends with Charlene, she is sometimes “forced” to color outside the lines a bit, which gets her into trouble with her local police detective boyfriend.

Charlene McCree is the second main character who adds a funny and interesting spin to the story. She is a creative and industrious busy-body with a vivid imagination that enjoy coming up with antics supposed to have favorable outcomes. She stops at nothing to make her ideas happen, but has a good heart. She is a firm believer in UFOs and the use of social media, which creates vital and enjoyable additions to the plot.

Charlene’s social media activity plays a crucial role in the development of the plot as she tries to draw crowds to Pie Town. While I found it entertaining and interesting, I felt it took up a lot of space in the plot and might have been shortened a bit.

I really enjoyed the vibe of small-town living where everybody knows everybody else.
In spite of all the craziness, the plot seems to progress steadily, which I am pleased to see. There seem to emerge useful clues for the investigation, which became interesting elements to the story.

Pies Before Guys is recommended for fans of Kirsten Weiss and for readers of cozy mystery. Thank you to Kensington Books via Netgalley for this eARC in return for my honest review.
All opinions are completely my own.

My rating:
4 stars / 5

Famed opera singer Margaret Lee is hiding out at Morden Hall at the end of Dartmoor, when she finds escapee prisoner Oliver Ward lifeless at the side of the road. The plot centers around a jewel theft they both are connected to. On an intense and dangerous mission to bring down the real jewel thief they have to deal with people as dangerous as they are powerful.

Having fled from her contract obligations to sing in Bath, famed opera singer Margaret Lee is in hiding at the end of Dartmoor. She feels she has to escape to protect herself and her father from threats and violence. After 9 months at the end of the moor she is still scared her manager, Mr. Grout, will find her.

Oliver was wrongly convicted for theft of a jewelry necklace and has fought to stay alive in Dartmoor prison. He makes a narrow escape with dangerous and violent Prison Warden, Mr. Barrow, on his tale. This is why he ends up near Margaret’s house, wounded and unconscious. When he gets better, he recognizes Margaret as the one who wore the necklace just before it was stolen. He suspects her to be the thief. She thinks she is in possession of a theatre prop, and is shocked to find out it is real.

Margaret and Oliver realize they have to work together, so they decide to set out on a journey to Bath to solve the jewel mystery as well as trying to stay safe from Mr. Barrow and Mr. Gout who are chasing them. Throughout this ordeal, they get to see each other bring out their best under pressure.

I really liked the character of Margaret as she tries to fend for herself in a world of powerful men. I found her reactions believable for a woman of that time lacking the security of family or powerful connections to shield her. All her life she has been told what’s acceptable and what’s not by men, but now she is done with it. She has a good heart taking mute girl Nora into her employ, when she is harassed in the local community.

Oliver seems a real charmer with the ladies, and well connected among various groups of potential voters come election day to parliament. He uses his silver-tongued skills for all they are worth to get out of sticky situations. His work in favor of the less fortunate has led to powerful people wanting to get rid of him, hence the wrongful conviction. His political views seem something like Ross Poldark’s, as he fights for the poor and against people whose goal in life is lining their own pockets whatever it takes.

This story contains some seriously unsavory characters. Well done! Prison Warden and law enforcement officer Sebastian Barrow in particular, who has his very own interpretation of what trust in God entails. I find him to be a violent, dangerous and appalling man. When dealing with prisoners, knocking them senseless seems to be his go-to approach. Whether they survive or not doesn’t seem to concern him. He is an excellently crafted villain character with a questionable stability of mental health. He really pushes my buttons. I am pleased to see there is a bit of a positive development towards the end of the story, so stay tuned.

The story is told from Oliver’s and Margaret’s points of view as well as Mr. Barrow’s, who keeps hunting them down to achieve his version of justice and God’s will. The plot contains some intense and dramatic parts, mixed with calm in which the relationship between Margaret and Oliver gets room to develop and, I’m pleased to say, my shoulders get to relax a bit. I really enjoyed the funny streaks mixed into this story, which lightens the mood in spite of the sometimes intense drama.
As the danger temporarily subsides Margaret gets conscious of some of Oliver’s positive traits. There are contrasts in this plot which I love. We move from sequences of Dickensian proportions to opulence in homes of the super rich in Bath. There is a clear element of faith running through the plot which I also truly appreciate.

Fans of Michelle Gripe will enjoy The House at The end of The Moor. It is recommended for readers of historical fiction too.

Thank you to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.
My rating: 5 stars / 5

Poirot receives a letter from Monsieur Paul Renauld with a plea for help as he feels his life is in danger. Poirot and Captain Hastings rush off to France only to find it too late to prevent the murder. The victim is found in an open grave stabbed in the back with his own dagger. The case includes a mess of cover-ups, lies and deceits to divert the investigation, thoroughly testing Poirot’s skills.

Frensh Detective Investigator Girault tries to undermine Poirot. He tries to consider him a silly little man. Using an arrogant, condescending and patronizing manner, it doesn’t seem to get Poirot off his game. He focuses on his task, ignoring Girault’s attitude. He even mocks and teases Giroult by pointing out weaknesses in his investigation.

This is Story #2 of the Hercule Poirot Mysteries, when Poirot has no become famous. It is told from Captain Hastings’ perspective from a time when he doesn’t quite believe Poirot will be able to bring about a successful outcome. Poirot gets on Hastings’ nerves with his neat, methodical methods. But as the story progresses, he becomes impressed by Poirot and develops more trust in his skills.

We get to follow Poirot and Hastings’ relationship in the earliest stages when Hastings gets irritated with Poirot’s talks about “the little great cells” and analyzing methods. That doesn’t happen in the later stories. With his army background, Hastings seems to prefer to act instead of analyze too much. He comes across as a rather impulsive character who gets side-tracked by feelings, particularly regarding women, which put spanners in the works of Poirot’s investigation.

There is an interesting mix of characters who don’t exactly make it easy for Poirot to dig out the real truth. A veil of mystery surrounds some of the characters. Some consistently lie and cover up to divert the investigation, while others openly resist and do some great acting to deceive the detectives, but Poirot doesn’t buy it. He walks to the beat of his own drum, and methodically follows the evidence which ends up solving the murder. Must say I was quite surprised by the result as I felt the culprit was sprung on me. I normally pick up on clues along the way, but not this time.

All in all I enjoyed this story by Agatha Christie a lot like I always do. In The Murder in The Links I particularly liked the parts about the relationship between Poirot and Hastings. These descriptions set it apart from later works where it seems their relationship has developed into more fixed detective vs assistant roles where they have learned how to go about solving cases most effectively way.

Fans of Agatha Christie will enjoy The Murder in The Links. It is also recommended for readers of crime fiction.

All opinions in this review are my own.
My rating: 4 starts / 5