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jessicake1's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
carokinkead's review
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
lyrareadsbooks's review
4.0
I got this as a free book through a contest for cozy mysteries. I didn't win the contest, but discovering this new to me author makes me feel like a winner. I already bought the next couple of books. The setting (a village within biking distance of Oxford University) is a standout with lovely details that transform the locale into a character.
katreader's review
4.0
ALL-BUTTER SHORTDEAD by H.Y. Hanna
A Prequel to the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries
Gemma Rose is returning home to Oxford to open a tearoom, quite a departure from her high pressure job in Australia. After making friends with her nervous fellow passenger on the long flight, when Gemma finds that Jenn has left her scarf on board, she doesn't think twice about returning it to her, and is even persuaded to have a few drinks. Gemma soon discovers that no good deed goes unpunished when she wakes to the news that not only is her new friend dead, she's been murdered and Gemma is the prime suspect!
As dire as it sounds this book is filled with laughs as Gemma also deals with her technologically challenged mother, a gang of old biddies, and meets the lovable minx Muesli for the first time.
ALL-BUTTER SHORTDEAD is a fun novella that whets my appetite for more Oxford Tearoom mysteries.
A Prequel to the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries
Gemma Rose is returning home to Oxford to open a tearoom, quite a departure from her high pressure job in Australia. After making friends with her nervous fellow passenger on the long flight, when Gemma finds that Jenn has left her scarf on board, she doesn't think twice about returning it to her, and is even persuaded to have a few drinks. Gemma soon discovers that no good deed goes unpunished when she wakes to the news that not only is her new friend dead, she's been murdered and Gemma is the prime suspect!
As dire as it sounds this book is filled with laughs as Gemma also deals with her technologically challenged mother, a gang of old biddies, and meets the lovable minx Muesli for the first time.
ALL-BUTTER SHORTDEAD is a fun novella that whets my appetite for more Oxford Tearoom mysteries.
courtagonist's review against another edition
3.0
This was a prequel to the Oxford Tearoom Mystery series. I have actually read the first six in the series, and I want to say that those are amazing. This one however, was not as on point as I wanted it to be. Since I had already read 1-6 I was expecting something a little more detailed and a murder plot that I would have to guess more about.
I know that this is supposed to be a prequal to the series, but I know that if I would have read this book first, I would not have wanted to read the rest of the series. I am glad that I read it though! I loved seeing how Gemma was when she came back from Australia! I loved seeing her struggle a bit with getting the loan for her tearoom. But other than that, this seemed to be a little bit of a waste of time.
The only reason that I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars is because I know that the series does get a lot better, and you fall in love with the characters. This book however did not have me wanting to read more.
Overall, if I could give this book a 2.5 I would. It is not mandatory to read this book in order to love the rest of the series.
I know that this is supposed to be a prequal to the series, but I know that if I would have read this book first, I would not have wanted to read the rest of the series. I am glad that I read it though! I loved seeing how Gemma was when she came back from Australia! I loved seeing her struggle a bit with getting the loan for her tearoom. But other than that, this seemed to be a little bit of a waste of time.
The only reason that I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars is because I know that the series does get a lot better, and you fall in love with the characters. This book however did not have me wanting to read more.
Overall, if I could give this book a 2.5 I would. It is not mandatory to read this book in order to love the rest of the series.
lolasreviews's review
4.0
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
All-Butter ShortDead is a short prequel novella for the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries series. As a big fan of this series I was excited to hear there would be a prequel. This prequel takes place before book 1 and tells the story of how Gemma returned to the UK and started her tearoom. I have already read the first 4 books in this series, but I thought it was fun to go back where it all started and see a glimpse of what happened before 1. But I think you can also read it before book 1, it will just be a different experience. As I knew what is going to happen in the next books, it provided some fun perspective in a few scenes and the last few lines of the story made me smile knowing what's going to happen next.
There is also a small murder mystery in this book, I thought it wasn't as good as in the full length books simply because things happened a bit faster and there was less slow build-up, wading through clues and red herrings. It all just happened a bit faster, but with how short it was the author still did a great job making it a fun mystery. And I liked the plot twist at the end. I had guessed someone else as the murderer. So overall it was still an interesting mystery that kept my attention. Although it also made me a bit sad about who died and why.
I enjoyed seeing Gemma adapt to the British weather and life when she returned and how nostalgic Oxford was for her. I enjoyed seeing this piece of her history. We also see most of the characters we got to know in the series like the Old Biddies, Gemma her mom, Gemma her friend Cassie and Muesli ofcourse. There was a fun scene where Gemma meet Muesli for the first time.
To summarize: this is a fun prequel novella, that shows how Gemma started her tearoom and returned to Oxford. We see how Gemma meets Muesli and the old Biddies, gemma her mom and Cassie play a role as well. I liked getting this extra piece of Gemma her story and there was a short and fun murder mystery as well. It was a bit less intricate than the mysteries in the full length novels, but it kept my attention and I there was a good plot twist at the end. Overall a fun read for fans of the series or for those new to the series to start the series here.
All-Butter ShortDead is a short prequel novella for the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries series. As a big fan of this series I was excited to hear there would be a prequel. This prequel takes place before book 1 and tells the story of how Gemma returned to the UK and started her tearoom. I have already read the first 4 books in this series, but I thought it was fun to go back where it all started and see a glimpse of what happened before 1. But I think you can also read it before book 1, it will just be a different experience. As I knew what is going to happen in the next books, it provided some fun perspective in a few scenes and the last few lines of the story made me smile knowing what's going to happen next.
There is also a small murder mystery in this book, I thought it wasn't as good as in the full length books simply because things happened a bit faster and there was less slow build-up, wading through clues and red herrings. It all just happened a bit faster, but with how short it was the author still did a great job making it a fun mystery. And I liked the plot twist at the end. I had guessed someone else as the murderer. So overall it was still an interesting mystery that kept my attention. Although it also made me a bit sad about who died and why.
I enjoyed seeing Gemma adapt to the British weather and life when she returned and how nostalgic Oxford was for her. I enjoyed seeing this piece of her history. We also see most of the characters we got to know in the series like the Old Biddies, Gemma her mom, Gemma her friend Cassie and Muesli ofcourse. There was a fun scene where Gemma meet Muesli for the first time.
To summarize: this is a fun prequel novella, that shows how Gemma started her tearoom and returned to Oxford. We see how Gemma meets Muesli and the old Biddies, gemma her mom and Cassie play a role as well. I liked getting this extra piece of Gemma her story and there was a short and fun murder mystery as well. It was a bit less intricate than the mysteries in the full length novels, but it kept my attention and I there was a good plot twist at the end. Overall a fun read for fans of the series or for those new to the series to start the series here.
shaekin's review
4.0
I definitely breezed through this book and enjoyed it. There are some unbelievable character interactions, but overall, I enjoyed it. Definitely plan to continue the series.