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bags_and_bookz's review
3.0
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.
Child star from Hollywood, Cora Clarke, moves to England to find long-lost relatives or to look for a new life, as she is no longer can play a girl detective. She outgrew that role and was unable/did not want to get another. The reasoning was quite vague in the novel. The move was also quite ambiguous as some scandal in Hollywood was briefly mentioned. However, Danger on the Downs is a second book in the series, but haven’t read the first, I assume most of my questions were answered there.
The book is ok, a bit slow from the start, but picks up reasonably soon. I found it a bit hard to follow, as it seems that characters were jumping from conversation to conversation, from discussing one person to the other. Few parts I found quite hard to believe and/or lack of explanations. For instance, Cora always acted on impulse, she never considered rules of the house, and was in and out of the table as she pleased. Remembering Downtown Abbey and any other movies/series set in the same period of time, that kind of behavior seemed very rude toward the hostess.
I wish the author would elaborate more on the characters in the story and provided some kind of background. They were detached and hard to imagine.
I give the book three stars. I was into the sequences of events, but couldn’t connect to any characters and didn’t enjoy the flow.
Child star from Hollywood, Cora Clarke, moves to England to find long-lost relatives or to look for a new life, as she is no longer can play a girl detective. She outgrew that role and was unable/did not want to get another. The reasoning was quite vague in the novel. The move was also quite ambiguous as some scandal in Hollywood was briefly mentioned. However, Danger on the Downs is a second book in the series, but haven’t read the first, I assume most of my questions were answered there.
The book is ok, a bit slow from the start, but picks up reasonably soon. I found it a bit hard to follow, as it seems that characters were jumping from conversation to conversation, from discussing one person to the other. Few parts I found quite hard to believe and/or lack of explanations. For instance, Cora always acted on impulse, she never considered rules of the house, and was in and out of the table as she pleased. Remembering Downtown Abbey and any other movies/series set in the same period of time, that kind of behavior seemed very rude toward the hostess.
I wish the author would elaborate more on the characters in the story and provided some kind of background. They were detached and hard to imagine.
I give the book three stars. I was into the sequences of events, but couldn’t connect to any characters and didn’t enjoy the flow.
d_marie's review
4.0
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I was not disappointed. This story draws you in and keeps you guessing until the very end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
ssejig's review
3.0
Cora Clarke was a child star who didn't age quite fast enough; her voice is still high, she is a bit short to be a real leading lady. Everyone knows that she's older so audiences just aren't seeing her the same way. And she's not really sure she wants to be an actor anymore anyway. She's traveling in England and her great-aunt asks her to come visit. Her aunt is one of the maids for a woman who was married first to a wealthy man and now to a foreign prince. When the hostess of the house, Mrs. Ivanov, finds out who Cora is, she invites her to join the dinner party upstairs. But she has a problem that she wants Cora to figure out (since Cora played a girl detective); who is trying to kill her husband? Cora isn't really excited about that plan but she's delighted to find out one of the guests is her best friend, Veronica. Too bad someone kills Mr. Ivanov anyway. At least that means Cora gets to see investigator Randolph again.
I wish this book had had about 80 more pages for a little more exposition. It was a nice, quick read but would have benefitted by a little more filler. The story was so pared down that I felt a little whiplashed by how fast the "ending" changed. It would have also served to make the ending a little less abrupt.
I wish this book had had about 80 more pages for a little more exposition. It was a nice, quick read but would have benefitted by a little more filler. The story was so pared down that I felt a little whiplashed by how fast the "ending" changed. It would have also served to make the ending a little less abrupt.
vesper1931's review
2.0
Its 1938 and unemployed actress Cora Clarke has been invited by her Great Aunt to visit. Her Aunt who works for a Mrs Ivanov. On finding out that Cora has played a detective in films she employs her to find out who is trying to kill her husband. Tragedy strikes when he is found dead, but he is not the last.
A lightweight cozy mystery which unfortunately I didn't really find any depth to the characters or find them interesting.
A NetGalley Book
A lightweight cozy mystery which unfortunately I didn't really find any depth to the characters or find them interesting.
A NetGalley Book
kristin's review
3.0
I would like to thank the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Cora arrives in Sussex to visit her great aunt, only to find that the last of the house wishes her to investigate the threat to her husband's life. I read this as part of the boxset for the first three books in the series.
Cora arrives in Sussex to visit her great aunt, only to find that the last of the house wishes her to investigate the threat to her husband's life. I read this as part of the boxset for the first three books in the series.
thecaffeinatedreader's review
3.0
3.5/5
I read this in a few hours, and can only say I found it amazingly charming and delightful! Bianca Blythe has set us up with a lovely protagonist who takes people unawares with her sleuthing abilities as they think her only a silver screen darling.
Cora Clarke is charming and real, I liked her flaws and quirks, and I enjoyed the voice Bianca has given her. I had not read book one in this series but found it wasn't necessary which I find to be a huge bonus when you pick up a book that seems up your alley.
The style is a bit reminiscent of Agatha Christie, a dinner party, no one else in or out which means its one of the guests or servants and it is a fun game of guess who. Some of you may find you'll know who did it right off the bat, but, she still provides enough twists and turns to divert you if you aren't sleuthing yourself for the real culprit. Overall if someone is not into grisly murder mysteries but want a good 'whodunnit' novel with some adorable romance... they'll find this one truly a delight, the sleuthing starlet is definitely a series I look forward to keeping an eye out for.
I read a free ARC of this that I accessed from Netgalley, I was not paid or enticed to give anything but an honest review.
I read this in a few hours, and can only say I found it amazingly charming and delightful! Bianca Blythe has set us up with a lovely protagonist who takes people unawares with her sleuthing abilities as they think her only a silver screen darling.
Cora Clarke is charming and real, I liked her flaws and quirks, and I enjoyed the voice Bianca has given her. I had not read book one in this series but found it wasn't necessary which I find to be a huge bonus when you pick up a book that seems up your alley.
The style is a bit reminiscent of Agatha Christie, a dinner party, no one else in or out which means its one of the guests or servants and it is a fun game of guess who. Some of you may find you'll know who did it right off the bat, but, she still provides enough twists and turns to divert you if you aren't sleuthing yourself for the real culprit. Overall if someone is not into grisly murder mysteries but want a good 'whodunnit' novel with some adorable romance... they'll find this one truly a delight, the sleuthing starlet is definitely a series I look forward to keeping an eye out for.
I read a free ARC of this that I accessed from Netgalley, I was not paid or enticed to give anything but an honest review.
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