I loved Carmen Radtke's historical fiction novels so I was excited to hear that she was writing a contemporary cozy mystery and couldn't wait to dive in.
In Let Sleeping Murder Lie we meet Eve Holdsworth, a translator, who grew up in Seattle but has spent several years in England. Her latest rental property is Ivy Cottage, in a quaint countryside village, which is perfect for her requirements and when she runs into local man Ben things look even better.
What she doesn't know is that five years previous, Ben was accused of brutally murdering his wife Donna in their home and is somewhat of an outcast to the community. Having met and chatted to Ben she is reluctant to believe that he's capable of such an horrific crime she sets out to prove his innocence with the help of her new friend Hayley.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book with it's wonderful cast of characters, it was an absolute joy to read. The depiction of village life was exactly as I've always imagined it to be, with it's close knit community, local pub along with it's fair share of gossips who aren't afraid to voice their opinions! I was instantly drawn in and wanted to have a drink in The Green Dragon and be friends with Eve to help her solve the mystery.
Carmen Radtke has perfectly balanced mystery and romance without being too heavy handed with either, making Let Sleeping Murder Lie an absorbing read. It reminded me a little of M. C. Beaton's novels, Agatha Raisin, and I think that this would be a perfect beginning for a whole series of books. I, for one, would definitely read them!
About the author
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| Photo courtesy of Carmen Radtke |
Carmen Radtke has spent most of her life with ink on her
fingers and a dangerously high pile of books and newspapers by her side.
She has worked as a newspaper reporter on two continents
and always dreamt of becoming a novelist and screenwriter.
When she found herself crouched under her dining table,
typing away on a novel between two earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand,
she realised she was hooked for life.
When Carmen is not writing cozy mysteries, reading or
dreaming of travel, she is busy acting as resident cat servant or tap-dancing
(badly, but enthusiastic).
She is currently working on her next Jack and Frances mystery.
You can find out more about Carmen, her books and connect with her using the links below:
Funny that you should mention the idea of a series because it’s developing into one. Thank you so much, Neats!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear this Carmen. I'm looking forward to it already!
DeleteThank you so much lovely for this review and for taking part in this tour today xx
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure Zoe and thank you for the stop.
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