Two Mystery Reviews: The Curse of Penryth Hall and Coconut Drop Dead

THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL

When rare book dealer Ruby Vaughn is sent to Penryth Hall to deliver some books, she knows she is visiting her past and a place to which she never wanted to return. What she didn’t expect was a friend in trouble and a string of mysterious deaths linked to an ancient Cornish curse. She also didn’t expect to be the focus of interest surrounding one of those deaths.

This book has a great premise, and the look at old Cornish beliefs and customs is very interesting. I learned about the “pellar,” a wizard of sorts who is a local healer and breaker of spells. I love the magical realism aspect, and this book is a treasure trove of Cornish folklore. The mystery is intriguing with lots of clever twists. I definitely felt transported to Cornwall at that time.

However, overall it is way too cryptic and confusing at times. Ruby keeps her cards so close to the vest, even with the reader, that I didn’t really feel I knew her well enough at all.

I also listened to the audiobook. The audiobook narrator does a great job of capturing the time period and Cornish beliefs in her portrayal of the characters, and she absolutely lifts this book up with her performance.

With 3 stars for the book and 4 stars for the audiobook, my rating is 3.5 stars, rounded up to four on sites with no half-star option

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

COCONUT DROP DEAD

Things are busy at Spice Isle Bakery. It’s the annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival and the bakery is participating as a vendor. Owner Lyndsay Murray is looking forward to the festival, the customers, and the music. But then tragedy strikes when Camille, a well-known singer of a reggae band, dies suspiciously. It is soon confirmed that she’s been murdered. Despite getting ready for the festival, Lyndsay is also looking into the murder because her cousin Manny was dating Camille and could be a suspect.

This is a fun cozy starring the Murray family and their very outspoken customers. It is great fun to watch as every aspect of the case is discussed in detail at the bakery counter, whether Lyndsay wants to talk about it or not. The book is also filled with delicious descriptions of wonderfully spicy baked goods and a tempting recipe at the end. The mystery is interesting, even if it is not too hard to figure out. The special treats in this series are the family, their wonderful community of customers, and the way they interact with each other.

I also listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Janina Edwards, did a great job, and the specific accents are portrayed authentically. Edwards manages to convey the strong sense of community very well.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo