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The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander #Review

  The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander was published by Avon Books on September 25th.  A charming literary-themed novel about a young woman determined to save her great-aunt’s beloved bookshop from extinction by the shiny new competition—which also happens to be run by the handsome son of her family’s rivals. The cute, seaside town of Portneath has been the home of Capelthorne’s Books for nearly a hundred years… The shop, in the heart of a high street that stretches crookedly down the hill from the castle to the sea, may be a tad run-down these days, but to Jules Capelthorne, the wonky, dusty world of literary treasures is full of precious childhood memories. When her great-aunt Florence gets too frail to run it alone, Jules ditches her junior publishing job in London and comes home to make the bookshop’s hundredth birthday a celebration to remember. Jules quickly discovers things are worse than she ever imagined: The bookshop is close to bankruptcy, ...
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Banana Devil Cake by Susan A King #Review

 

We are off to cozy crime genre for Susan A. King's latest in her Beattie Bramshaw mysteries, Banana Devil Cake.  

 
With the murder of last year’s fête judge now but a hazy memory, the village of Elmesbury has retired to its former tranquil existence. That is, until a mysterious newcomer sets in motion a series of events that will see members of the W.I. crossing wooden spoons at dawn.

In the midst of preparing for her long-awaited engagement party, redoubtable village busybody Beattie Bramshaw not only finds herself embroiled in a one-woman campaign to save the elm tree from which the village gets its name, but having to contend with an outbreak of unrest within her beloved W.I. group. Rivalry to win favour with the judge of this year’s fête has fuelled dissent within the ranks and, when two members are found dead in mysterious circumstances, suspicions run rife.

Confident the devil is not only in the cake but in the detail, Beattie determines to uncover the clues that will ultimately lead to the killer’s conviction. But can she solve the mystery before another member of the W.I. is picked off?

Banana Devil Cake is a comedy crime caper in the spirit of Agatha Raisin and one that is guaranteed to lift your spirits. Prepare yourself for a tale of tea, cake and riotous goings-on from the author of Marrow Jam.


 My Thoughts

This is certainly a lot of fun as you follow Beattie Bramshaw as she turns her attention to mysterious events in her sleepy village of Elmesbury. This has all the attributes of a cozy crime story, from the plot to the cast of characters who we are introduced to. There may be deaths and dastardly deeds but you are always safe in the knowledge that there are no graphic violent bits coming up. You can relax and enjoy the mystery.

    Full of humour which is derived from the larger than life characters and the petty jealousies which the WI competitions seem to breed, you see the villagers warts and all. Beattie is certainly a determined sleuth, a faintly eccentric characters who observes life around her. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read- just perfect to pass a weekend with.

In short:  Watch out, Beattie's about!  


About the Author



Susan A. King lives with her husband in a quiet suburb in Hampshire. Between them they have four grown-up sons.

The inspiration for her Beattie Bramshaw novels comes from her long experience and observation of competitors at the local Romsey Show, where she regularly aspires to win Best in Show with her floral arrangements.

You can follow Susan here: Twitter |  Instagram 

Book links: Amazon UK  |  Amazon US 

Thanks to Susan A King, Lightning Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

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