The second novel in the cosy, chatty BOOKSHOP DETECTIVES series, TEA AND CAKE AND DEATH sees intrepid bookshop owners Garth and Eloise sniffing out a prolific poisoner ahead of a fundraising event - the Battle of the Book Clubs. Most of the actual sniffing is done by rescue dog Stevie, with Garth and Eloise sticking to the more traditional form of detecting, with a sideline in gossip and bookshop owning duties.
Set in the small New Zealand town of Havelock, for those new to this series, Garth and Eloise are ex-UK coppers, now bookshop owners (the shop is called Sherlock Tomes), who are developing a rather major sideline in lurking baddies, murder and chat. The first outing introduced all of the main characters, and gave readers a really strong feeling for the style of this series, this second one, reintroducing a serial killer from the UK and Eloise's past with, it has to be said, somewhat startling reach. And a mouse called Basil.
So heftily on the cosy side - the chatty, all around the houses cosy side - one of those novels that the journey is very much the point, with the destination seeming to come as a bit of a side project. It's probably worth noting that the authors of this are bookshop owners in their own right, so you can't help but think a lot of the in jokes, observations, and day to day is pretty well spot on - and for what it's worth, all sort of seems to fit into the slightly airheaded stylings of this story. I mean Stevie the dog is one thing, but Basil the mouse might be a subplot too far for readers who aren't here for the fun, frivolity and slightly tongue in cheek goings on.
Definitely one for fans of cosy, and the sort of humour that comes with a slight sense of self-aware, celebratory dottiness.
The Bookshop Detectives: Tea and Cake and Death
When we opened Sherlock Tomes people warned us that we’d made a terrible mistake. The one thing they didn’t warn us about was the murders . . .
The Bookshop Detectives are on the case!
In this rollicking new adventure, Garth and Eloise (and Stevie) must sniff out a prolific poisoner ahead of a vital fundraising event, the Battle of the Book Clubs. As time runs out and the body count rises, it seems the bad actors are circling closer to the people and places they care about.
Could Pinter, the infamous serial killer from Eloise’s past, somehow be involved? And when anyone could be a suspect, how can Garth and Eloise keep their customers, their small town and their beloved bookshop safe?
Add comment