Amanda (RockStarGirl) reviewed High Marks for Murder (Bellehaven House, Bk 1) on + 329 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
While I liked this short historical cozy with a ghost, it moved somewhat slowly and had an anti-climactic ending. The characters needed to be fleshed out a little more (no pun intended). It was a cute read however, and set in a good time period (early 1900's).
Helpful Score: 5
There is a fine line between light, amusing cozy mysteries and formula, trite mysteries. This fell over on the formula side. Standard, stock characters: the old slightly confused gardener, the round, comfortable cook who mothers the rebellious parlor maids, the spoiled aristocratic daughters, the handsome, stand-offish yet mysterieously attractive property owner....and a troubled and troubling ghost-all come together to wander confusedly through what passes for an amateur murder investigation with a very flat denouement.
L. R. (twinkiestwice) reviewed High Marks for Murder (Bellehaven House, Bk 1) on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Same author of the "Pennyfoot Hotel" mysteries now takes us to an exclusive boarding school for girls circa 1905 in the Cotswolds in England. Headmistress Meredith Llewellyn has been at the school for around 5 years, following the death of her husband and the loss of her only pregnancy during that marriage. After a teacher and friend of hers dies under mysteries circumstances, Meredith begins seeing the friends ghostly likeness making appearances in her favorite place- the gardens she tended and where her body was discovered. Only Meredith can see her, and its up to her to discern if the apparitions are the result of stress, or are her friend unable to make peace in death until her murder is resolved.
Moves a little slow, but I would say typical of a first in a series publication as much time is spent setting up characters that will be used repeatedly. I liked the characters, but found the relating of past sexual abuse of one of the main characters to be out of place for the time frame, as well as unnecessary. There is some nice chemistry between Meredith and the owner of the school which I am interested in seeing how progresses in future novels.
I would say this is a good cozy read. The descriptions of the ghost are spooky enough to make for a nice late night reading, but nothing thats going to keep you from sleeping afterwards. I genuinely enjoyed the novel and hope this will be an ongoing series.
Moves a little slow, but I would say typical of a first in a series publication as much time is spent setting up characters that will be used repeatedly. I liked the characters, but found the relating of past sexual abuse of one of the main characters to be out of place for the time frame, as well as unnecessary. There is some nice chemistry between Meredith and the owner of the school which I am interested in seeing how progresses in future novels.
I would say this is a good cozy read. The descriptions of the ghost are spooky enough to make for a nice late night reading, but nothing thats going to keep you from sleeping afterwards. I genuinely enjoyed the novel and hope this will be an ongoing series.
Welcome to Bellehaven Finishing School, located in the English Cotswolds. Run by a headmistress who can turn the most incorrigible tomboy into a refined young lady, it's where the well-to-do send their daughters. It's the heart of elegance, the seat of sophistication, the scene of...murder? Finished Off One Saturday night, as the young ladies at Bellehaven slept, their home management teacher, Kathleen Duncan, was sent to meet her maker in the school's garden. Judging by the bloody branch near the body, Headmistress Meredith Llewellyn assumes it was a terrible accident, until she learns the limb didn't break off the tree. It was neatly sawed off...
Betty D. (babbs2you) reviewed High Marks for Murder (Bellehaven House, Bk 1) on + 41 more book reviews
Good read. Kept me guessing right up to the end of the book.
