seashell

Another fun mystery with Gemma Rose & friends

Revisado: 05-08-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I enjoy all of H.Y. Hanna's books, but the Oxford Tearoom series is my favorite. So I was a bit skeptical to find that this mystery was to be set in Scotland, rather than Oxford. But not to worry! All the familiar characters (including Muesli, Gemma's mischievous cat) are on hand, as well as beautiful scenery, delicious food, and plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing "who done it"!

Pearl Hewitt, as always, is an amazing narrator, who can jump back & forth from English to American to Scottish to "cat language" without a pause. Her engaging voice makes listening a lot of fun.

It was so nice to have Gemma and her friend Cassie back together again, and to get a hint that Gemma's romance with handsome Devlin O'Connor may not be quite over yet. As I've come to expect in this series, lovely descriptions of the area, mouthwatering foods, and laugh out loud humor abound. And the mystery kept me guessing till the end.

I admit that some of the situations may be a bit far fetched - but that just adds to the fun! A HIgh Whisk Situation is guaranteed to deliver an enjoyable listening experience. And I'm definitely adding Scotland to my bucket list!
Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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Gardening plus murder

Revisado: 11-14-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Too Mulch to Handle, while not the best book in the English Cottage Garden series, was a fun book to listen to. The reader, Pearl Hewitt, is outstanding with the different voices. (However, I have to say her rendition of the song "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" left much to be desired.)
I enjoy Poppy and her quirky friends for the most part. One character I did not like was the little old lady who made some rather rude remarks re/her grandson's anatomy which were completely unnecessary and (in my opinion) not funny at all, Other than that the book was a pretty clean read.
I have to admit I was able to figure out who the murderer was pretty quickly, and the repetitive references to chemicals vs. organic pesticides got a little tiresome after awhile. But the English countryside setting is charming, and I always learn something new about gardening from this series, which I like.
So, while this wouldn't be my favorite book in the series, it was still a fun listen, and if you like mysteries and gardening, you'll probably enjoy it.
I received a free copy of this Audible title in exchange for my honest review.

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Nice to be back in Oxford!

Revisado: 03-26-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I enjoyed this latest entry in the Oxford Tearoom series. There's trouble at the Little Stables Tearoom, and Gemma and her friends are in the thick of it. As always, there's a murder, a plethora of suspects, some great food, interesting characters, and the beautiful setting of Oxford. What's not to love?

Well, for one thing - the "Old Biddies" have gotten way too raunchy. Their inappropriate (and unnecessary) comments were definitely on the downside of this otherwise fun story. And Gemma still hasn't learned that lying, aside from the fact that it's wrong, won't improve her relationship with her boyfriend.

On the plus side, there was an interesting storyline involving Asian culture and foods. The mystery held my interest, the characters were well drawn, and as always, the book was well written. A beautifully described afternoon when Gemma takes a walk through the city of Oxford was a highlight for me, and really made me want to see it for myself.

The audio version was a pleasure to listen to. The reader, Pearl Hewitt, has a wonderful gift of being able to voice all the different characters uniquely - even Muesli the mischievous cat! She switches effortlessly between different accents, and is an outstanding narrator.

I would like to note that the Audible website states: "Recipe included" - but in fact, it is not in the audiobook which was a disappointment to me.

Overall, (with just a few negatives) "Wrongfully Infused" was fun to listen to, and good escapist fare.
I would like to thank the author for the complimentary copy of this audiobook which I received in exchange for my honest review.

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Not my cup of tea

Revisado: 06-28-21

I've enjoyed many of H.Y. Hanna's books in the past. They are always well written, with humor, suspense, interesting characters, and unique mysteries. But more and more they are straying from the clean cozy mystery genre and containing more adult content, sexual references, and language, which I don't enjoy.

In Fronds and Enemies, one of the main murder suspects (according to the various village ladies) is a "sexual pervert" who seems to be stealing ladies underwear. I didn't find this particularly humorous. The main character doesn't seem to have grown or matured at all since the first book. Some of the situations are way too farfetched and completely unrealistic.

The reader, Pearl Hewitt, is excellent, as always, and does a fantastic job with all the different voices,

Overrall, though, I just didn't enjoy this entry in the series, much as I wanted to.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review..

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Well written and original!

Revisado: 03-26-21

This 4th entry in the "Barefoot Sleuth" series is an entertaining read, perfect for anyone who needs a mini-vacation! H. Y. Hanna's gift for description helped me picture the inviting sunny Florida setting perfectly, and made me sad that this series is apparently coming to an end.
Pearl Hewitt's reading is a pleasure to listen to; she gives each character a unique voice that really brings them to life. Her ability to switch accents continues to amaze me.
The characters are well drawn, and like real people do, they grow and change as time goes on. It was interesting to see how Ellie, likeable, enthusiastic, intrepid, but somewhat naive, has matured since book one, and I enjoyed the way the relationships between the various characters developed and evolved as well (particularly Ellie's relationship with Blake!) Quirky Aunt Olive, as well as Mojito the cat, and Hemingway the parrot, added some great humorous moments.
H. Y. Hanna's books always have great settings, intriguing characters, a little romance, lots of laughs, and a mystery that keeps me guessing, but they are ALWAYS
well written and completely original!
Just a few instances of adult language and sexual references are the reason I give this cozy mystery 4 stars instead of 5. Other than that, it was a lot of fun to listen to.
I received a free copy of Bikinis and Murder in exchange for my honest review.

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Will keep you guessing!

Revisado: 02-19-21

In this 3rd entry in the Barefoot Sleuth series, murder suspects and alligators abound!
A class on how to make cocktails, a visit to an alligator farm, a fishing trip, and of course a murder, make for an exciting week for Ellie, an English girl visiting Florida.
This was an entertaining story. H.Y. Hanna is an expert at combining humor and suspense, and creating interesting characters. Her descriptions are always spot on, and make me feel like I'm right there. Some parts of it were laugh out loud funny, and some were on the edge of my seat scary. Never a dull moment in an H.Y. Hanna book!
Pearl Hewitt is an expert at bringing the characters to life with her excellent reading style.
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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Another fun Florida mystery

Revisado: 02-19-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Seashells and Murder continues the adventures of English girl Ellie on her first visit to the states. H.Y. Hanna, in her usual style, describes the Florida resort setting so well you almost feel like you're there.
This time Ellie is a judge in a Key Lime Pie contest, and the pie descriptions will make your mouth water, as well as give you some great hints on how to make a really great Key Lime Pie. The variety of characters all seem to have possible motives, and the mystery will keep you guessing till the end.
As always, a lot of humor, a little romance, some suspense, intriguing characters, and entertaining animals add to the fun.
The reader, Pearl Hewitt, does a great job with all the different voices, and adds to the enjoyment.
If you need a weekend getaway to a fun Florida resort, this is a great way to take one!
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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Fun new series

Revisado: 09-28-20

This new mystery from H.Y. Hanna was fun to listen to. Her stories set in Britain are my favorites, but this book was entertaining and enjoyable as well.
It has some interesting characters, and as in all of her books, some fun animal characters too. The narrator, Pearl Hewitt, does an excellent job with all the different voices, and in this book even adds a sassy macaw to her repertoire.
Don't expect anything too serious - this is light escapist fare, and I must admit I was able to figure out who the murderer was fairly early on.
Just listen, laugh, and enjoy.
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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A fun listen!

Revisado: 07-03-20

Trowel and Error, the latest in the English Cottage Garden mysteries, is an entertaining cozy mystery with interesting characters, plenty of humor, and a great setting, which is described so well by the author that I almost feel like I'm there. I always learn something garden related from this series - this time it was about how to grow gardenias, and was really helpful.

One thing I particularly like about H.Y. Hanna is she always comes up with unique methods of murder, as well as plenty of suspects to keep you guessing, and this book is no exception.

The story was well written, intriguing, fast paced, and kept me listening. I'm enjoying seeing the main character, Poppy, grow and develop, through her problems, mistakes, successes, and relationships with her various friends and neighbors. Oren, the feisty feline, is always entertaining. A new invention by Poppy's eccentric neighbor Bertie, CLARA the cleaning robot, provides several laugh-out-loud moments.

The reader, Pearl Hewitt, is adept at voicing all the different characters, even a cat and a dog, (and now a robot as well!) . She really brings the characters to life, and is certainly one of the best narrators I've ever listened to.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you will love this series! Highly recommended!
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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Too much adult content -

Revisado: 01-13-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I have very much enjoyed previous books in the Oxford Tearoom series, and have recommended them to others. But it seems to have strayed from its original premise.
First of all, I will say that I cannot fault the reader - Pearl Hewitt is excellent, and a pleasure to listen to.
In this Christmas mystery, Gemma, owner of the Little Stables Tearoom, caters a party at a country house, and gets stuck there when a snowstorm hits. While she is there, a murder takes place, which she and her friends, the indomitable and somewhat wacky "Old Biddies" attempt to solve.
Several of the original characters do make appearances, although minor. In previous books, I felt one of the strengths of the stories came from the relationships between Gemma and her friends Cassie and Seth, and her boyfriend Devlin. Devlin and Seth make token appearances, and Cassie not at all. Closed for the holidays, the charm of the tearoom and its Cotswolds setting, one of the most enjoyable aspects of previous books, is missing.
This book seems to follow a formula: all the suspects are together in one house - each has a possible motive - and at the end, Gemma gathers them all together in one room, much like Agatha Christie's Poirot or Miss Marple (and the detectives on the TV show Death in Paradise) and proceeds to identify the murderer.
But what I disliked most about this story were the adult situations and language. The Amazon description clearly states: "Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language." Unfortunately, that is not true. There are several instances of language, more than one incident of groping, one mentioning the fact that the woman's shirt was unbuttoned. Promiscuity, adultery, and homosexuality are also included in the plot. not to mention a scene in which two men are found in bed together.
Because of this, I will not share this book with my daughters or recommend it to my friends. For me it was a very disappointing offering in this formerly enjoyable series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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