Honeymoon with Death by Vivian Conroy ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

This past winter Vivian Conroy started a new cozy mystery series set in the 1920s. I really enjoyed the tribute to Agatha Christie. Now she has another book in the series - Honeymoon with Death. It kept me guessing to the very end.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 2019; Canelo; ebook (245 pages); cozy mystery

As this is only the second book in the Murder Will Follow series, I wasn't sure how it would be. Would it be a whole new cast of characters? It opens with a newlywed couple arriving in the Greek Isles. They are carefree, but darkness seems to lurk in a long the edges. Strange things begin to occur and the questions come fast and furious.

Who is the other English couple on the island - the one with the Ford? Why did the painter include Mrs. Ramsforth in his painting? Did beetles really come out the bouquet of flowers or was it a figment of Mrs. Ramsforth's imagination? What are the images that keep coming into her mind? Are they long buried memories or strange dreams?

My first question about the series is answered early one with Jasper arriving on the same Greek island wanting a vacation from the murder mystery in the French Riveria. For a retiree, he doesn't seem to find much rest. Almost as soon as he disembarks the ferry he is caught up in the mystery of not one but two murders.

I feel really bad for Jasper. I like the character. He's a fun and easy going. I imagine he would be an amusing grandfather type. But unlike a lot of elderly, cozy mystery sleuths, he is not bumbling or clueless. He is sharp and observant. You can tell he was not only competent as a Scotland Yard detective but a superior one. The reason I feel sorry for him is that he just wants to enjoy a quiet retirement after a grisly career. But first, he was asked by a friend to watch over the house guests in the French Riveria (the first books) and now the local police dump this case in this lap.

Now the other questions that were raised in the story were a lot slower in being answered. There are a lot of twists and turns that will have you suspecting everyone and wondering really what is going on. Sure you will suspect a few things (and you will likely be right) but the whole picture isn't revealed until the end.

I'm not usually a fan of the sleuth gathering all the suspects together to reveal each character's role in the mystery, particularly when it involves providing information that hadn't been revealed to readers earlier (as opposed to just connecting the dots). But it works in this book. This series is a tribute to Agatha Christie and this type of reveal is a classic style for her. So for me, I was able to accept it.

Now that I know that we will be seeing Jasper in the role of sleuth, I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, particular Agatha Christie, you don't want to miss this series. Plus it is fun to spend the summer in the Greek isles, even if it is just in the pages of a book.

Buy Honeymoon with Death at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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