If you love a good whodunit with lively characters who jump off the page, then this one is for you.
If we just all could be a bit more like Morwenna, the world might become a better place. Seal Bay in Cornwall is lucky to have her. She runs a tea café with her daughter and mother, that is… when she is not solving murders.
The blurb…
Cornwall is a great place to be transported to.
Morwenna Mutton should be living the quiet life of a librarian and grandmother in Cornwall’s beautiful Seal Bay – if only dead bodies would stop turning up…
After the excitement of her last investigation, amateur sleuth Morwenna is looking forward to things getting back to normal. When local DJ Irina asks to meet however, desperate to share information she has discovered regarding nefarious goings-on, Morwenna can’t resist.
But Irina never arrives for their drink – instead her body is washed up on the beach, an apparent victim of an accidental drowning. At once keen wild bather Morwenna knows something is amiss as Irina was a strong swimmer who knew the local conditions well. What had Irina uncovered and who would want her dead?
When the local news dubs Irina’s murderer The Cream Tea Killer in honour of Cornwall’s famous delicacy, the clock starts ticking. Now the murderer knows Morwenna is on their trail, no one in her family is safe. She must get to the truth before the killer gets to her…
Why I chose this book
I’d just enjoyed Five French Hens when I stumbled across The Cream Tea Killer. I, myself, am in the middle of writing a cozy mystery. The outline of my thirty chapters is already done, my story has nothing to do with cream teas and takes place in continental Europe. So, there was no risk of inadvertently becoming a copycat. I was interested in finding out how other writers go about their cozy mysteries. And, of course, I had already hugely enjoyed Judy Leigh’s hen-lit novel.
There are many cozy mysteries out there. What drew me to this book is that I also write about an elderly hero, and one who is neither boring nor dull. Morwenna is just as quirky as my Jill, who I am sure would love to take a dip in the sea with the SWANs. I also love how Morwenna is still working things out at her ripe old age.
The Cream Tea Killer has so much going for it. You just want to return to Seal Bay as fast as you can after finishing. The dialect in the book makes it cozy. There is just enough to go round, and although there is a glossary in the front of the book, I found it easy to follow in the context the dialect was used.
The characters jump off the page. In the beginning, I worried I might not be able to tell who’s who in the extended Mutton family, but you effortlessly get to know them. I think her little granddaughter, Elowen – don’t you just adore the sound of that name? – and her ex, Ruan, are my favourites.
I also like it when I manage to find out who the culprits are somewhere down the line, and preferably not too much towards the end. And I did this time, though there were still a couple of unexpected twists.
What didn’t work for me?
I don’t want to give anything away, so it’s kind of hard to explain but I didn’t completely get certain romantic developments in Morwenna’s busy life. That could be me though, I am biased and just want Ruan and Morwenna to get back together.
So, how many stars
No surprises. For me, it’s five out of five big fat shiny stars!
Thank you, Boldwood Books, for providing The Cream Tea Killer for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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