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Christmas at the Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page #Review

  Christmas arrives in Essendale in Jennifer Page's latest novel, Christmas at the Board Game Cafe which was published on 10th October by Aria . Kate seems to have it all – wonderful friends, a successful career and an idyllic life in the quirky Yorkshire town of Essendale. But under the surface Kate’s lonely, and she longs to feel part of a family – especially during Christmas. With the holiday season fast approaching, and the town desperate to attract more visitors, Kate conceives a brilliant plan: an enchanting living Advent calendar. Each December evening, a captivating window display will be unveiled across town. With local businesses struggling, including her best friend’s board game café, she's feeling the pressure.   But Kate’s picture-perfect plans take an unexpected turn when her ex-boyfriend arrives in Yorkshire, insisting on creating the Christmas Eve display. Can Kate trust him to deliver a show-stopping window? And can she finally put the past behind her

Murder in Verona by T A Williams #Review

 

Welcome to another in the  Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery series, Murder in Verona by T A Williams.It was published on Novemcer 3rd by Boldwood

 
A tragic accident?

When Italy’s greatest opera singer, Rodolfo Argento, is killed in a terrible car accident, the police initially rule his death a tragic accident or suicide. But his elderly mother, Violetta, believes this to be poppycock! Her son was a brilliant driver and had too much to live for. She suspects foul play and turns to Private Investigator, Dan Armstrong to discover the truth.

A cheating spouse?

So Dan and Oscar travel to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, to find out what really happened. There Dan discovers Rodolfo’s private life could have come straight out of a Shakespeare play. Although now happily married, Rodolfo was a man with a reputation to rival Casanova, his past strewn with heartbroken women. Could his death have been a star-crossed lover determined to get revenge?

A family feud?

Or does the truth lie much closer to home? With his large inheritance still to be settled, the motive for Rodolfo’s murder could simply be greed. As Dan searches for suspects while staying at the Argento Opera Academy (where people randomly launch into operatic arias.) life for Dan is complicated by the fact that Oscar has a habit of joining in with the singing…

Can Dan solve the case before he and his tone-deaf dog get thrown out?


 My Thoughts

Dan Armstrongs travels around Italy stay closer to home this time when one of his neighbours enlists him to look into the death of her son. This leads him to Verona and a magnificent centre for the operatic arts. Oscar and Anna come too and with Anna's academic interests, she finds a lot to keep her busy, leaving Dan and Armstrong to get on with the sleuthing. Because of the nature of the setting, there are several vivid, lively characters who people the story and a list of possible suspects.

    One of the aspects I enjoy in this cozy crime series has to be Dan Armstrong's personality and his voicing of his observations. He has a slightly humorous way of looking at life and never takes anything at face value. Oscar's nose for sizing up the good guys is as potent as ever and he plays his usual part in the quest for the truth. With the sun shining an all the sights of Verona, this was a delightful escape from the cold November days at home.

In short: cozy mystery set in beautiful Italian countryside


About the Author

I've written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I'm enjoying myself hugely writing romance and whodunnits. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. Murder mystery is all very well, but it needs to put a smile on your face, so that's why I like to inject some humour.

You can follow Trevor here: Twitter | Website | Facebook | Newsletter Sign Up | Bookbub: @trevorwilliams3

You can read my reviews of some of Trevor's books here: Dreaming of Christmas |  Dreaming of Florence   |   Dreaming of St Tropez| Dreaming of Rome | Dreaming of Verona | Dreaming of Italy
  
Thanks to T A Williams, Boldwood Books, and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the event.
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