Saturday, December 11, 2021

BLOG TOUR - Murder at the Castle


DESCRIPTION:

When the star guest collapses at a wine tasting, it seems someone has a taste for murder. Fortunately, amateur sleuth Belinda Penshurst was at the event – and now she’s on the case!

Belinda Penshurst loves her home village Little Challham, and its charming, peaceful ways. So when wine critic Sadie Oppenshaw dies at a tasting Belinda organised, she immediately turns detective to uncover the poisoner…

Accompanied by retired detective Harry Powell and her boisterous Labrador Horatio, Belinda sets out to investigate the world of wine. There are scandals brewing everywhere… but do the local DIY enthusiasts have a deadly vendetta, or did Sadie’s reviews cause a resentful restaurant owner to crack?

When another of the guests at the wine tasting is found poisoned, it becomes clear the killer is only just getting started. Can Belinda crack the case and open the champagne, before the murderer catches up with her?

A charming cozy mystery, perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, H.Y. Hanna and Emily Organ.

Buy Link:

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Murder at the Castle
Series:  A Belinda Penshurt Mystery #2
Author Lisa Cutts
Publisher:  Bookouture
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   301
Date of Publication:  December 8, 2021
My Rating:   4 Stars
It should have been a lovely time. A wine tasting at her castle. Instead, a guest dies and Belinda Penshurst won't let the matter rest, even though the police are actively investigating things. One thing is for certain - it was murder and Belinda, along with her love interest, former detective Harry Powell, she intends on discovering the cause of death as well as the murderer. Belinda does not shy away from this because she already has proven to be quite adept when she plays the role of amateur detective.

The guest that died, Sadie Oppenshaw, was a noted wine critic and apparently had more than a few enemies. Did one of those enemies attend the wine tasting, and will they have a chance at getting away with murder?

Not only is Belinda on the case, but she is also navigating her growing closeness to Harry. Will they or won't they when it comes to the gentle romance brewing between them? Or, will the current circumstances and slight misunderstandings completely derail any hopes of the two finding love?

Cozy mysteries just might be my favorite of all genres. This series, which includes the first book, Murder in the Village, is proving to be quite enjoyable. I love Belinda and Harry as they work together and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for them. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Cutts is a full-time detective constable investigating murders for a living. When off duty she writes a fictitious version of her day job. She lives and works within the county of Kent with her husband and Labrador.

She is the author of the DC Nina Foster books, Never Forget and Remember, Remember. Never Forgot was longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award 2013 and the winner of the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award 2014 for Best Thriller. She has also written four books in the East Rise Incident Room series, Mercy Killing, Buried Secrets, Lost Lives and Don’t Trust Him. All four centre around DI Harry Powell and his Major Crime Team battling to solve the latest murders within the county. Currently she is writing the Little Challham mysteries, cosy mysteries set in a fictional village in Kent.

She writes a monthly column, Behind the Tape, for Writing Magazine answering police procedural questions from other writers. In early 2016, she was honoured to become the Patron of Rochester Literature Festival and help establish Murderous Medway, an annual crime fiction festival packed full of amazing author panels. As well as being on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, Lisa has twice appeared on This Morning to chat about TV crime dramas Broadchurch and Line of Duty.


No comments:

Post a Comment