A Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery #1
Sherri Bryan
Self-pub, May 2015
Kindle ed, 194 pages, also in paperback
Genre(s) cozy murder mystery with romance
Source Author’s rep
Other books in this series: #2 Fudge Cake, Felony, and a Funeral; #3 Spare Ribs, Secrets, and a Scandal; #4 Pumpkins, Peril, and a Paella; #5 Hamburgers, Homicide, and a Honeymoon, #6 Crabcakes, Killers, and a Kaftan; #7 Mince Pies, Mistletoe, and Murder
Synopsis:
Small-town murder was never so calculated.
On a peaceful morning in the English coastal town of St. Eves, a handsome stranger meets a gruesome end.
St. Eves is a town with real community spirit. It’s the kind of town where people leave their doors open from sunrise to sunset, allowing friends and neighbours to pop in for a chat and a nice cup of tea. No one’s ever too busy for a chat and a nice cup of tea in St. Eves.
However, that wonderful way of life is threatened following the arrival of strangers to the town. Not that that’s unusual – St. Eves has a steady stream of visitors all year round. These strangers, though, are followed swiftly by murder.
As café-bar owner Charlotte Denver takes up the challenge to help find the killer before they strike again, she uncovers a shocking plot that rocks the close-knit community to its core and a surprising twist.
There are engaging characters, a little romance, and recipes to try for yourself in Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse, the first book in the feel-good Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Series.
Please Note; This book is written in British English and contains no strong profanity, sex or graphic violence.
About the Author:
When I was growing up, I carried a book everywhere I went. Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl were m
y favourites.
All grown-up, and after years of searching for it, I was fortunate enough to land my dream job of Events Organiser for a large hospitality company in the UK. (I’m south London, born and bred if you’re wondering).
Long story short, years later and keen for a new adventure, I moved to Spain to open a marina-front café bar, which was the inspiration for the series. It was a fabulous place to work, overlooking the sea and the boats, but with no experience of running a café, and very limited Spanish, it was the most challenging, most terrifying, but absolutely the most brilliant thing I’ve ever done…and the hardest I’ve ever worked!
In 2015, I read my first cozy mystery and knew I’d found a genre I loved to read, and wanted to write in. My first book, ‘Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse’, followed a few months later in May of the same year and the eighth book in that series is due for publication in July 2017. A new mystery series with a celestial theme will follow shortly…
When I’m not scribbling down ideas for new stories, or tapping away on my laptop, you’ll most likely find me with my nose in a book (I read everything from mysteries and romance to biographies and cookbooks), rustling up something experimental in the kitchen, or out with my gorgeous rescue dog, George, who has me well and truly wrapped around his little paw.
If you’d like to receive an early notification of new releases, launch day discounts, and other book-related news, please feel free to sign up to my readers’ list at http://sherribryan.com.
Thank you, and happy reading!
Sherri.
My Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book by the author’s representative. I am providing an honest review in which all opinions are fully my own. I am not being compensated in any way.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
My Review: ✭✭✭⭑
I decided I needed to read more cozies, but I really haven’t had a lot of time to look around to see what’s available. Yes, I have that whole board on Pinterest, but I haven’t had time to really LOOK. I seem to go for the ones with food on the cover. Is it possible to gain weight from just looking at the cover? I’ll have to switch my theme.
For the most part, the characters were pretty well developed. Charlotte and Jess were good. Nathan needs some personality work, I think. He’s a bit flat. Samantha was outrageous.
The story was good. I knew who had to be involved, but I couldn’t figure out why. What a surprise! The last scene with Samantha and her husband was crude and cruel, but I suppose that really reflected the person doing most of the talking. The pace was very fast. The concept is really cute for Charlotte and Charlotte’s Plaice where she sells the catch of the day fresh off her godfather’s boat. But the execution needs some work. I found it a bit uneven in areas. Needing a bit of smoothing out. Perhaps if it were a bit longer, the characters would have been a bit more developed and the book would have had a bit more depth to it. Are all cozies so short? I’ll have to check that out. Perhaps that’s a characteristic of the genre.
I love the idea of Charlotte’s Plaice, so I’ll go the series one more book to see if I get more comfortable with the regular characters. The titles are absolutely wonderful, too! So, at some point, you’ll be seeing a review for Fudge Cake, Felony, and a Funeral here. See what I mean about the titles? They all make me smile!
a thoughtful reveal 