#TuesdayBookBlog – Rosepoint Publishing

Mad Mabel: A Novel by Sally Hepworth #AudiobookReview – Dark Humor Literature & Fiction

in Dark Humor Literature and Fiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Meet Mad Mabel.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She’s lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years–longer than anyone else. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else’s business, few would suspect that Elsie has a past that she has worked exceedingly hard at concealing. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, once a little girl and now an old lady, has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end.

When a new little girl (talkative, curious, nosy) moves into the neighborhood and stops at nothing to befriend Elsie, her carefully-constructed life threatens to come crashing down as the secrets in Elsie’s past start coming to light. Who was “Mad Mabel” fifty years ago? Who is Elsie Fitzpatrick today? And if the past has a habit of repeating itself, who has the most to lose?

Told with Sally Hepworth’s twists, humor, charm, and heart, MAD MABEL is novel that weaves past and present together–through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

My Review:

Oh I have greatly enjoyed this author previously in deeply suspenseful literary novels, the last one being Darling Girls. The lady can write. This one doesn’t carry that tension-filled nail-biting thriller genre quite like that one, but nonetheless, was unique and quite entertaining.

Yes, once again, a protagonist near my age—I loved it! And of course I was listening to the audiobook and expected to hear that querulous voice so often attributed to an octogenarian, but, thank you, while just a little sharp, it merely reflects the woman’s no-nonsense personality. She’s had it tough and the book will explain why. But not right away.

I loved Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. She’s a great main character and oozes personality. It’s one of those tough hide, soft heart things and it almost immediately bumps up against the latter when seven-year-old Persephone moves into the neighborhood with her single and struggling mother, Roxanne.

Persephone drove me nuts and for awhile, I had the same go away reaction to her as did Mabel. Long after I was ready to kick Persephone to the curb, Mabel was grudgingly beginning to hide obvious tender feelings for the poor thing, needy and lonely as she was.

In the meantime, Mabel discovered her neighbor in his little home…dead. This will not go well with her history and as there was a bit of antagonism between the two, it won’t take long for that bit to be discovered. Mabel’s background includes a murder conviction when she was fifteen. Even in her old Australian neighborhood, will she never be able to outrun that history?

The author does a fine job of weaving dual timelines with little twists that tease the imagination and beg the question—was Elsie the unfortunate child of deadly circumstances, bad timing, questionable coincidences and circumstantial evidence? Can anyone have this much bad luck? Is she, after all, innocent?

I enjoyed the sense of humor, the dialogue, and the build of empathy for Elsie…and the kid, as well as the contradictions in how her neighbors perceived her. No one believed this. She took in the victim’s dog? She didn’t like that dog. This is some great storytelling and the twists at the end truly caught me by surprise. Loved it. Yeah, I’ve got to recommend this one to my book club.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good satirical plot that will keep you flipping pages and forgetting the main character’s age. As my good motobuddy used to say, “age is just a number.”

Many thanks to Lynne at Fictionophile for her recommendation and to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Dark Humor Literature & Fiction, Domestic Thrillers, Dark Humor
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Hannah Fredericksen, Jenny Seedsman
Release Date: April 21, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Good Sister and The Soulmate. Her latest novel, Darling Girls, was released in Australia in September 2023, and will be released in North America in April 2024.

Drawing on the good, the bad and the downright odd of human behaviour, Sally writes incisively about family, relationships and identity. Her domestic thriller novels are laced with quirky humour, sass and a darkly charming tone. They are available worldwide in English and have been translated into twenty languages.

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her three children and one adorable dog. She has recently taken up ocean swimming (or to put it more accurately, ocean dipping).

5 stars

If Walls Could Talk by Jean Grainger #BookReview #HistoricalIrishFiction #TuesdayBookBlog

The Dunmara Series – Book 1

in Historical British & Irish Literature

Book Blurb:

Dunmara, County Clare, Ireland

Orla can’t believe the bombshell her husband of thirty years has just dropped. The future she imagined is gone, and she’s forced to redefine her entire life while grappling with something from her past that doesn’t quite add up. An opportunity to attend a wellness retreat with her best friend at Dunmara House seems like exactly what she needs to find her way forward.

Connecticut, USA, 1969

Jeannie is part of the first ever intake of women to Yale University. Her father thinks it’s a waste of money, but Jeannie knows she has what it takes to be a novelist—she just needs a chance. While America is at war in Vietnam, and all over the country people are clashing, her life unexpectedly takes her to Ireland, where a course is set that will ripple through generations.

Standing since 1689, the stately Dunmara House in Ireland has seen life in all its guts and glory. Now, as two women’s lives become entwined across time, the old house slowly reveals its secrets.

Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Lucinda Riley, and Diana Gabaldon, this evocative time-slip novel weaves past and present into an unforgettable story of love, secrets, and resilience that will stay with you long after the final page.

My Review:

One of the reasons I enjoy Ms Grainger’s novels so much is her obvious love of her country and its ancient history. I’m in awe that you could have a several-thousand-year-old ruin behind your home. There are descriptions of the ancient origins of decaying walls and Celtic traditions throughout.

Another reason would be the witticisms and sense of humor that grace the pages that lighten the load of even a solemn or sad occasion.

“A lack of organization on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.”

“…her face will take her further than her feet.”

“Oh, that guy, honest to God, if there was work in the bed, he’d sleep on the floor.”

This narrative follows several women and trades off chapters between them as they are developed. Orla, Jeannie, and Safira have vastly different life experiences and each harbors a secret which is dribbled out in tiny spoonfuls.

Jeannie wanted to be a writer but her college career was interrupted by an unexpected turn of events that ended with her family sending her to Dunmara House in Ireland and just like that becomes Margot. The time frame around Vietnam held a different moral compass back then.

Orla finds her life upended with the announcement of her husband’s leaving for younger pastures.

Safira, from Bali, is still baffled by many of the traditions of the Irish, but works her heart out over a goal she is secretly working for. It’s to the point where she begins the cleaning process. That, after cleaning at her day job.

There are several other close support characters, but the main character really is the Dunmara House. Once she has it cleaned and positioned for operation, she’ll need help. Not the oily antagonist who also envisions the property.

This book started out a bit slow for me and for some reason I had a bit of a problem really getting into it. The characters become interconnected in a positive way that will easily slide into Book 2, and I suspect there will be further development among the characters but felt moments of déjà vu with the plot. The names may have changed, but I think I recognize these ladies.

The author is quite the storyteller and can weave in elements of family drama, love and betrayal, but the descriptive scenes and that Irish sense of humor keep me coming back. A nice start to a new series.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical British & Irish Literature, Historical Irish Fiction, Women’s Historical Fiction
Publication Date: April 22, 2026

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Jean Grainger is a USA Today bestselling author with over 100,000 5* reviews of historical and contemporary Irish fiction. She is acclaimed for her authentic portrayal of Irish life and history. Born in Cork, she draws from her experience as a history lecturer, teacher, and tour guide to craft characters that feel like friends, and sometimes foes. Grainger’s works span multiple series and standalone novels, covering significant periods in recent Irish history, but told from the perspective of families, the humans behind the headlines. Her stories often intertwine historical events with personal journeys, exploring themes of family, friendship, and human resilience. Grainger’s writing style, characterized by its warmth and authenticity, has earned her comparisons to renowned Irish authors like Maeve Binchy. Her dedication to research and character development has resulted in a loyal readership who feel deeply connected to her stories and characters.

The Colonel’s Revenge by Jeffrey K Schmoll – #BookReview #AdventureThriller #TuesdayBookBlog

A Mateus de Silva Adventure Book 2

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

The prison is sealed. The vault is wired. But history always collects.

On the scorched battlefields of 1980s Angola, Colonel Juan Mateus de Silva survives a brutal ambush that costs him everything. His men. His command. His closest friend. When his general abandons them to die, de Silva answers in blood. Marked for execution, he flees across the border into Namibia. He is not running from justice. He is hunting it.

With a South African deserter at his side, he disappears into the shadows of Cape Town. But betrayal follows.

Decades later in California, his grandson uncovers an impossible truth. The colonel is still alive, buried deep inside an illegal gold mine in South Africa. Getting him out will take a crew, a flawless plan, and absolute precision under fire. The trail leads back to Cape Town, where a fortified casino holds the key to finishing what was started years ago.

The Colonel’s Revenge is a high-stakes thriller of war, betrayal, and a heist built on debts that refuse to die.

His Review:

The Colonel had been a star in Castro’s Cuba. However, Castro sends him all over the world to influence third-world countries. He began to live an expansive life style with a woman in every country he operated in. Meanwhile, his wife back in Cuba was raising a son and daughter by herself and the Colonel was no longer welcome in his birth country.

South Africa is a very dangerous country. People from all over Africa and Europe go there for the gambling. There is no table limit, and Juan Mateus de Silva quickly learns that this is better than robbing banks. He and his companions began to develop strategies to relieve the gambling houses of their earnings. He is targeted for elimination. Instead of killing him, however, he spends nearly 40 years as a prisoner working in the gold mines. Any attempt to escape earns 40 lashes and Juan’s back is a scarred testimony to this result.

As time goes by, the son has a son who discovers his grandfather is not dead. And he begins a plan.

The fast-pacing of the storyline as well as the setting keeps the interest throughout. The characters consist of some scoundrels; the main character being well developed.

This story can be brutal in its descriptions and the cruelties that exist in South Africa. Once in the system, there is no escape. Gold and diamonds are not worth the reward meted out by the mine owners and controllers of the economy. 5 stars – CE Williams

This is Book 2 of the Mateus de Silva series but can be read as a standalone. Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ebook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Adventure
Publisher: Koehler Books
Publication Date: July 31, 2026
Source: Author request

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Jeffrey K Schmoll is the award-winning author of The Treasure of Tundavala Gap. He grew up among the tumbleweeds of Bakersfield, California, then spent years living and working on four continents and in seventeen homes with his wife and two children. From the rugged landscapes of Scotland to the vibrant cultures of Australia, Texas, and Louisiana, each place shaped him. None more than Angola, where his love for its people and landscape was born. Today he balances a deep faith, community service, competitive tennis, jewelry making, and epic adventure hikes that include summiting Mount Whitney and Half Dome each in a single day.

Man reading on his cell phone — Photo generated by Gemini

And Now, Back to You by B K Borison #BookReview #RomanticComedy #TuesdayBookBlog

Heartstrings Book 2

Best Romance

Book Blurb:

Two competing meteorologists are forced to find common ground in this opposites attract, When Harry Met Sally inspired romance, from #1 New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison.

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.

Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal: If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With unexplored chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.

But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains stay in the mountains?

My Review:

So what about “Heartstrings Book 2” didn’t I understand? Guess it was the possibility of reading about meteorologists that got my interest but this turns out much more romance than meterology.

Delilah Stewart is the candy chomping, sunshine grin and bear it girl to the opposing Jackson Clark, who is a quiet, orderly do it by the book guy who prefers to hide in his radio booth male counterpart. I think we are hitting on most of the tropes I’ve whined about before.

Delilah is a meteorologist who wants to be taken as a serious journalist but keeps getting dressed in ridiculous costumes and situations by the Keith, her manager, who sends her out on remote assignments.

Jackson is a serious student of the science and enjoys his little anonymous cubby while he’s controlling every aspect of the two sisters he rescued from his errant mother. The sisters prove both an interesting and sweet support to his story. He takes his work as seriously as the care of his sisters and is crushed when he learns he must cooperate with the TV station across the street in their idea to join Delilah, their popular personality, to report on a monster snow storm set to hit their area.

Okay, enter tropes. Sorry, I couldn’t invest in Delilah, only a modicum with Jackson given his circumstances, but as strong as he was with his sisters seemed like such a wussy with Delilah. The weather reports? I’d have fired both of them. Much more romance here than any kind of weather reporting.

And the ending? Couldn’t buy it. Shouldn’t have tried to read it—romance is just not my thing—whether or not it gets a bit graphic.

(Oh, and right after this book I started another—and the main character’s name is Jackson! What are the odds? Apparently pretty good since I’ve had that happen before even when the names are unusual.)

Many thanks to our local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Workplace Romance eBooks, Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 24, 2026

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author B.K. Borison writes cozy, contemporary romances featuring emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon-worthy settings. When she’s not daydreaming about fictional characters doing fictional things, she’s at home with her family, more than likely buying books she doesn’t have room for.

Older woman reading by candlelight on her cell phone

By Any Other Name: A Novel by Jodi Picoult #AudiobookReview #FictionSagas #TuesdayBookBlog

Editors’ pick Best Books of the Year 2024

Book Blurb:

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.

In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.

Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.

My Review:

Oh, the whispers! Did Shakespeare really write his volume of works? A controversy long ballied back and forth. Forced to read Shakespeare in high school, of course, the introduction to the master and most definitely the reason I failed to seek out further works.

In this overly long narrative (much like Shakespeare’s works), there is a split timeline, a device I usually enjoy. Emilia Bassano is a talented writer in the sixteenth century, although in a severely female-restricted era struggles to get her works noticed. Actually, I thought it unusual a woman back then was taught to read or write, but failing to find any success, compels Shakespeare to publish her works under his name.

The author has obviously researched the subject well and sets forth some very compelling arguments, positing Shakespeare as a publisher of various authors while using his name and position. The writers of the pieces, usually so thrilled to see their works in the public are happy to pay Shakespeare just to have it published.

Gees! She had me convinced her theories made a lot of sense!

Come Melina Green, a playwright who has just written a piece regarding her Elizabethan ancestor, Emilia, and we are thrust into contemporary times and still very much a male-dominated industry not wholly unlike that of Emilia’s.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult — By Any Other Name – UK cover

Not sure why, but I seem to find the story of the ancestor more persuasive than the descendant. Shakespeare is very well developed as a character. He oozes a superior male attitude, demonstrates the good old boy posture with his male buddies, and knows how to make money. You get to know Shakespeare and turns out he is a man like many others except he was credited with writing upwards of forty plays.

For me, the Melina chapters tended to slow the pace and let’s face it, this is a very long book. I felt Emilia was fleshed more fully, a real woman back then with a mind of her own and backbone to push her agenda. It was fun that Melina’s roommate, Andre, submitted her work, and he also proved an interesting, well-developed character.

Certainly enough food for thought, grist for the mill and all that. I enjoyed the concept and thought in a debate, the author could well hold her own. Readers who enjoy split timelines and well-researched literary fiction would find this an engaging read—or listen. Just look at the list of narrators! They definitely help to keep your attention. Now, if it just wasn’t quite so long.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Fiction Sagas, Family Saga Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrators: Billie Fulford-Brown, Laura Benanti, Jodi Picoult, Jayne Entwistle, Andrew Fallaize, Joe Jameson, John Lee, Nicholas Guy Smith, Simon Vance, Steve West
Release Date: August 20, 2024

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine novels, including Mad Honey, Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.

Follow Jodi Picoult on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter: @jodipicoult

#TuesdayBookBlog

Fool by Mary Lawrence #BookReview # RenaissanceHistoricalFiction

A Tudor Jester’s Reckoning in the Court of King Henry VIII

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool.

From the author of The Alchemist’s Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival.

“One of the most vibrant characters I’ve encountered in years.”–Goodreads Ecostell

Kronos is a fool–mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power.

When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives–barely.

Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger–he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune…and powerful men are willing to kill to control it.

But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked and he’s ready to use that to his advantage.

As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion–one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly…the fool.

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory

My Review:

Why am I not surprised that a Renaissance court jester would hold my rapt attention given the master storytelling author of such period works.

It’s the chaos of the brutally waning days of King Henry VIII, watching his battle against decline in aging years and few stalwart sons to brag about as well as his machismo. His court confronts conflict between the high-born aristocratic families of the Howards and the Seymours, the women are aging beyond childbearing years, Anne was separated from her head, and Katherine looks to be the next candidate who’ll restore his manhood, quell the whispers, and the snide remarks behind his back.

It’s a book steeped in era atmospherics—the color of the common cloak better to mask the cling of mud, the smell of the sewer ditches enough to unsettle the stomach. There is meticulous historical research and accuracy, intricately interwoven with the story of the Jester. But is he a Fool?

“Leave not to the imagination what you can make real.”

Kronos was left on a dung heap as an infant—the result, no doubt, of his obvious physical deformity. Rescued by the monks at the Thetford Priory, he was raised in a cloistered environment, taught to read and write, but then relegated to assignments in the kitchen and later the infirmary, when he failed to become a novice. Along with a robust native intelligence, wit, and cunning, he also discovered he had a bawdy side. When the monks discovered that of him as well, he was booted.

No problem! Preparing for his eventual release from the priory, he taught himself to juggle. How could he fail as the fool, the court jester, if he also had a talent? Didn’t he already have their attention just by his appearance? Unfortunately, he had another craft. Realizing early on he could be invisible, had developed a penchant for spying, eavesdropping, seeing what others did not. And he was—again—caught.

Kronos woke under the care of William and Joan Brugge, who own an apothecary and provide medicinals. They secret him away and she cares for him at the rising consternation of her husband.

While I might not be fully invested in Kronos as a main character, who could alternate between being malevolently and surprisingly benign philosophically about his dwarfism to grinning lasciviously about women, there were a number of support characters who were well developed and engaging. Joan is an amazing example of those who benevolently heal and would do no harm, while her husband provided the treacherous and traitorous antagonist.

I was reminded again that the author writes so well in the Tudor language that you are instantly transported back to the Renaissance. Loved the patois and my instant cell phone access to the words’ meaning. I always enjoy learning about natural medicinals and in this specific case, even deeper into the herbs divided by their ruling planet. I’m aware there are specific times for planting and harvesting, but was unaware it went even deeper than that.

I would happily recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, specifically medieval, and survival of an epoch of deceit, abuse, violence, and debauched circumstances. It was also a period of huge upheaval in the division of church and state.

Not my first experience with this author, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Boys of London, and I’ll always welcome a new ARC. I received this advance review copy from the author with no expectation of a review. The thoughts expressed freely here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Renaissance Historical Fiction, Medieval Historical Fiction
Publisher: Red Puddle Print
Publication Date: April 14, 2026 – HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard Mysteries. Set in Tudor London in the final years of Henry VIII’s reign, Book I, THE ALCHEMIST’S DAUGHTER is a #1 best-selling historical mystery on Amazon, and was named by Suspense Magazine a “best historical mystery” in 2015. Book 2, DEATH of an ALCHEMIST released in 2016 and Book 3, DEATH AT ST. VEDAST released in January, 2017. THE ALCHEMIST OF LOST SOULS (May 2019), won a second “Best Of 2019” by Suspense Magazine. THE LOST BOYS OF LONDON released May 2020.

Mary grew up in Indiana and lives in Maine. After a career in cytotechnology, she turned to farming. She is an avid reader of historical fiction and nonfiction and concentrates on Tudor/Elizabethan history. Her articles have appeared in several publications most notably, The Daily Beast.

Visit her at www.marylawrencebooks.com

Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence… twitter at mel59lawrence.

Murder on the Marlow Belle: A Novel by Robert Thorogood #BookReview #cozymysteries

The Marlow Murder Club Book 4

Book Blurb:

**USA Today Bestseller**

The new cozy crime novel from the bestselling author of The Marlow Murder Club, now a major TV series on PBS Masterpiece!

Verity Beresford is worried about her husband. Oliver didn’t come home last night, so of course Verity goes straight to Judith Potts, Marlow’s resident amateur sleuth, for help. Oliver, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, had rented The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, to host an exclusive party for the society, but no one remembers seeing him disembark. And when Oliver’s body washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in him, it’s time for the Marlow Murder Club to leap into action.

Oliver was, by all accounts, a rather complicated fellow, with a reputation for bullying children during nativity play rehearsals, and he wasn’t short of enemies. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are convinced they’ll find his killer in no time. But things are not as they seem in the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, and this case is not so clear-cut after all. The gang will need to keep their wits about them to solve this case… otherwise a killer will walk free.

My Review:

My introduction to the author and the series, this is a thoroughly complex cozy mystery of the locked room style.

A disparate group of sleuths, Judith Potts (a senior), Suzie Harris, and Becks Starling. Guess I came in too late in the series to find out why she is called Becks and it threw me off every time I read the name.

Anyway, by installment 4, certain things have been established—Judith is large and in charge.

Oliver Beresford has gone missing. His wife, aware of Judith’s rep, seeks her help in discovering where or what happened to old Oliver, though really she apparently is just as happy he’s missing and may he stay that way, thank you very much.

But he doesn’t. His body washes up on shore.

Oliver was a thorough narcissist and turns out—not that many are hungry for his return—including the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society who hosted a cruise on the Thames that included him and a Marlow original, now successful actress, Lizzie Jenkins.

Judith and her cronies seem to be grooming DI Tanika Malik as their police contact and, of course, also the department’s voice in trying to get the girls out of police business. Not that I don’t enjoy a few good mysteries that employ septuagenarian sleuths, but Judith tends to go a bit overboard in her zealous search for the truth. How hard can it be with only the few on board, each pointing a finger at the other and some with more motive.

It always astounds me that the protagonist, or one of the pack, can get someone to talk and glean more info than the police and that the person being questioned actually answers. But anyway—that’s how cozies are solved and it depends on the characters, the atmosphere, and the storyline how deeply engaged the reader becomes. The pace is the place where it all works—or doesn’t.

I felt the pacing a bit slow—I’m notoriously impatient—until about the last quarter or so when it picked up. Somehow, I couldn’t get the page into my imagination, and it slowed my enjoyment of the plot and the style of writing. Then, the denouement that Judith manages pushed disbelief. It just seemed like she’d have needed to read multiple minds to come up with that one.

This made it to Masterpiece Theatre in the States on PBS. And, thinking if I try another, it will be the audiobook version as I can imagine how that might have made it come alive. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuths, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: September 16, 2025

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Robert Thorogood - author — Robert Thorogood – author

The Author: I’m the author of THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB books, set in my hometown of Marlow in Buckinghamshire.

The first book in the series has been made into a TV show and can be watched in the UK on the Freeview channel U&Drama and in the USA on PBS/Masterpiece. A second TV series is coming out in 2025 and is based on Death Comes to Marlow, but also includes some brand new murders as well.

Before all of this, I created DEATH IN PARADISE for the BBC and have also written four standalone Richard Poole murder mystery novels. I’m really proud of them, and if you like Death in Paradise, I hope you’ll love the books as well.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Shamrocks, Blarney Stones, and Wild Irish Tales #ReadingIrelandMonth26

Reading Ireland Month (The #Begorrathon26) had a good run this year, with ebooks and audiobooks read and reviewed. Surprisingly, although Waking the Titanic was supposed to be on Netflix, I gave up looking for it, as it was obviously taken down at some point. Then, in quick succession, we gave up on Derry Girls, Lies We Tell, and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Reading Ireland Month26 - wrap up

Back when I published a number of my grandfather’s books, I tried creating a book trailer or two and made one for Cocos Island Treasure using one of Marc Gunn’s songs.

Of course, I always recommend my favorite Irish podcaster, Marc Gunn’s Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. This year’s St Patrick’s Day podcast included one of his own songs that I thought I’d share.

Years ago, I also posted a St Patrick’s article regarding one of his more interesting poems, The Bonny Bell from Yarn Four.

By now you’ve read my chuckle-fest St Patrick’s Day post that I titled Beans, Beans…(A St Patrick’s Day Revisited). Check it out if you haven’t seen it before. And don’t forget that special Irish Soda Bread recipe from one of our favorite Irish authors, Jean Granger.

We only use Netflix on the internet along with our antenna, so don’t have a large selection of streaming services but did enjoy The Siege of Jadotville. Hope you got to view that or have it on your view list.

Recommendations

I already mentioned the lone movie we were able to get and highly recommend. As always, one of those long-buried stories taken from history worthy of public note, The Seige of Jadotville deserves a look-see.

How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is a fast and furious, bordering on fantasy, dark comedy series, and I suspect, for those who enjoy a unique and wild ride with their whiskey.

The ebooks and audiobooks were a bit of a disappointment, though I enjoyed my ebook copy of Carlene O’Connor’s Murder in an Irish Churchyard.

We do have fun with this every year and it usually gets me out there researching and finding stuff I had no idea was available. Hope you read or listened to one of these books or movies, and if you did, I’d love to know.

Reading Ireland Month 2026