Member Reviews
Book three of the series, sees our protagonist investigating a case from the 90's for an annoying client who wants to prove her innocence of the crime. It's a typical cosy, eclectic mix of characters, some likeable, some not, but ultimately fun. Nice easy read.
Here is a cozy mystery that is just perfect for our current season. The story takes place in one of the most storied and wealthy vacation spots, East Hampton, in, yes, THE Hamptons (New York).
This is the third in a series although I think that it can be read as a standalone. This time Antonia is investigating a cold case. She is hired by a rather cold individual as well.
There are many secrets to uncover and Antonia is kept busy with her investigation and her inn. Matters are further complicated when individuals from Antonia’s past start to appear. Readers can sit back and relax as Antonia handles everything.
This book would make an ideal beach read. Get some sand between your toes, glance out at the water and turn the pages…or turn the pages from your couch.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
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Great story by Carrie Doyle and the first I have read of hers. Great plot and characters. Would recommend to fans of this genre.
I had never read anything by Carrie Doyle until I heard her on a radio talk show in April, and I was intrigued by this story and the plot as she talked a little about it. The descriptions of the Hamptons were vivid and sometimes while reading I swear I could hear the ocean and seagulls ever so slightly in the background! The characterizations are spot on as I imagine what lengths people of wealth go to in order to protect themselves and those around them when things in their starched, white linen world crumble. There is a feeling of ‘circling the wagons’ here, but then you have a lot of the blame game as well, which made the plot twist and turn. I kept wavering from one possible killer to another, as the clues Ms. Bingham kept uncovering continued going from one hot spot to another although it all made sense in the end like a good mystery should! There was also some flirtatious behavior and life drama outside the confines of the murder investigation, by more than one character, which added a different depth to the characters; to me it made them seem not so antiseptic – it made them real people.
Antonia Bingham has enough on her plate already, running her beloved inn. When Paula Framingham comes to her, asking her to investigate a cold case, most people would figure let it stay cold. Catch is that Paula was a suspect in that death all those years ago and she very good at manipulating people. On top of that, Antonia likes to snoop and solve crimes. So she has to balance a lot of things, a lot of people issues and close a cold case that probably should have stayed unsolved. The real killer comes out to play....and win?
A slow paced mystery packed with interesting characters and an intriguing storyline. Antonia was a softy, that allowed herself to be jerked around by the rich and bored Patricia, because of her curiosity she was still able to rattle a few cages in order to solve the cold old case. Bringing to light a lot of hidden secrets which the killer wanted to remain just that secrets, causing him the to shut down the investigation. Although threatened with legal action if they delved any further into the investigation, with the help of her friends Joseph and obnoxious reporter Larry they were able to put closure to an unsolved murder. I was looking forward to more excitement in the story but it was not to be, on a whole, it was an interesting read.
This was better the mystery was at the for front and it was a fantastic one. This is a beautifully woven mystery and I get to see Antonia Bingham growth as a protagonist and I really enjoyed it. The clues are there, but they are well hidden within the narrative; I realized the truth just shortly before Antonia herself, which makes a very good book indeed.
Engaging, interesting, and entertaining cozy mystery. This is my first experience with this series. I don't want it to be my last. I like the protagonist and her friends. This was a cold case that became too hot to pursue. Several potential suspects with the culprit being a surprise to me. I look forward to reading the next one in this charming series.
Innkeeper, Antonia Bingham, is hired to play amateur sleuth in a cold case. One thing Antonia loves is playing amateur sleuth. This particular case happened in 1990 when a teenager was murdered. Oddly enough, she’s hired by the prime suspect in the murder, Pauline Framingham. Antonia’s investigation leads her in a dangerous direction which could cause her to lose the lovely East Hampton inn she has grown to love. Not to mention that many lives seem to be in danger since the investigation has started up again.
This is the third book in the series. I did not read the previous two books, but I really want to. It would give me a better feeling for the characters. The story itself is self-contained in this book. It’s not a continuing storyline, but I do think it would be beneficial to read the first two books. I want to know Antonia better. It seems like she has an background to read about.
It took me some time to get into this book, but when I did, I couldn’t put it down. I had to know who was involved and what the scenerio involved in this cold case was all about. It’s touching how Antonia grew to care about the victim, who she never met, but I could also understand it. I cared too.
There were many twists and turns along the way. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. I knew something was up, but I didn’t put it all together quite accurately. The author did a great job of keeping the readers guessing and captivated until the end.
I adore this series for my summer reading list. I highly suggest to read the book outdoors in a light breeze for a more enhanced effect of reading. For those wondering can you read this as a stand alone or in must be in order? I would say you can easily pick this book up today, and feel an instant connection without feeling lost.
I was so excited to catch up with my favorite innkeeper turned sleuth!! In Death on the West End, Antonia Bingham finds herself being asked to solve the cold case murder of Susie Whitaker. Being that the murder happened more than 25 years ago, Antonia has her work cut out for her. Susie's murder rocked the little beach town of East Hampton, NY to it's core and there were several conspiracy theories as to who the murderer was. One of the suspects is Pauline Framingham, the very person who hired Antonia to solve the case!!! Wowzer!!!
I have to say from the very beginning Carrie Doyle has me hooked with her clever storyline and fantastic characters!! I loved meeting the new character additions to this series, but I LOVED catching up with my original favorites! Throughout the novel I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery all the while finding entertainment in Antonia's trial and tribulations that go with running an inn. Carrie Doyle does a great job of making me guess until the very end!! I was taken by surprise with the well timed twists and turns--loved that!!! Death on West End Road is a 4.5 star cozy mystery that is 100% worth the read!! I definitely recommend everyone 1-click this novel!!!
It’s always fun for me to delve into a mystery after reading so many romance novels. I love challenging myself to figure out who the villain is, collecting the clues the author leaves for her readers, and putting the puzzle together. Death on West End Road has all the pieces and parts that I enjoy, plus the added bonus of the Hamptons as its setting and the owner of a bed and breakfast as its detective.
This is book three in Carrie Doyle’s Hamptons Murder Mysteries series which features B&B owner Antonia Bingham as the amateur sleuth who just can’t stay away from trouble. Antonia is a bit quirky, but she’s also sweet and compassionate and in DoWER her overwhelming desire to help a young girl rest in peace has her nosing around in a decades old murder case, well after she’s worn out her welcome.
The characters are what truly drive DoWER. Antonia makes the reader feel as welcoming as she does her guests at the inn and I enjoyed the time I spent with her. She’s surrounded by an eclectic cast of characters:
**Antonia’s two investigative partners, widower Joseph, who lives at the B&B and the annoying Larry Lipper, a local reporter with a penchant for saying inappropriate things.
**Pauline, an old moneyed resident of Easthampton who hires Antonia to solve the murder of her best friend. Pauline is snobbish, abrasive, and manipulative—a great character that keeps you guessing until the end.
**Giorgio, an Italian visitor to the inn that has traveled across the ocean to find the woman he met once and fell head over heels in love with.
**Antonia’s kitchen crew, including the sous chef who is spending more time taking pictures of food for Instagram than preparing it.
**And, of course, the suspects including a beautiful model, a tennis pro, Pauline’s odd brother, the scorned would-be lover of the deceased, and Pauline’s one-time boyfriend. Each of these characters are somewhat cliché, but interesting nonetheless.
While I love a gritty mystery, DoWER doesn’t fall into that category. Just like a relaxing summer at the beach, the book ebbs and flows with little intrigue yet you’re happy just to be reading it. Antonia spends a lot of time interviewing suspects without making much progress, but the process is fun. Even when the murderer is revealed it feels more like an “Oh, sure” rather than an “Aha!” moment. Despite this, Death on West End Road is time well spent.
I received a copy of Death on West End Road from the publisher in exchange for honest feedback.
“Death on West End Road” earns 5/5 Old Money Mysteries!
I am new to Carrie Doyle’s Hamptons Murder Mystery series, not sure where I’ve been, but this third book in the series turned out to be the perfect place to start: Privileged families? Wealthy playground? Very cold, cold case of murder? Who knew that behind those shaded windows of the ‘rich and famous’ there could be something dark and deadly? I didn’t feel that I was left out of the back story and character connections having not read the previous two books, although eager to do so, enough information was provided to get ‘this newbie’ up to speed, and I greatly appreciated that no spoilers were revealed to ruin going back to the first two books. This story is very exciting, and I found Doyle’s characters well developed. My favorite, Antonia of course, is admirable as she enjoys running her Inn and restaurant, slowly entertaining the possibility of a new romance, and helping others who need closure from a tragic event. She is definitely as others have described her…Miss Marple! Her personal demons pop up again and some family revelations add more engaging drama. The setting of East Hampton and the ‘ins and outs’ of running an Inn and restaurant play out in the background making it a place to add to one’s bucket list… Personally? Joseph Fowler is my grandfather’s name. It was so much fun to see it pop up frequently. This is a great book, highly recommended, and a series I am eager to visit often.
This is the third in A Hampton Murder Mystery series but is a great stand alone too. Antonia is the perfect cozy mystery sleuth. The author has given her just the right amount of day job - in this case the owner and chef at an Inn and also a great back story - not great relationships with men including a bad ex husband. All of this just adds to the readability of the series. The re-occurring lesser characters just enhance the story line and the enjoyment.
The third installment in the Hamptons Murder Mystery series is still flourishing in regards to the descriptive details of the town, and the scrumptious food that is made at the main character’s, Antonia’s, inn and at other restaurants in the area.
I didn’t feel as if there was as much character development for the recurring characters as there has been in the previous two books. Antonia was so busy buzzing around town looking for clues, that it didn’t leave as much time for the reader to get to know them even better. While Carrie Doyle’s descriptions of the characters, as well as their dialogue was done very well, I just wish we got to read more about the wait staff, Joseph, and her best friend.
There was a lot of movement with the love interest though, so I am looking forward to reading about that in future books. And Doyle left even more sinister clues about Antonia’s ex-husband, so when he finally shows up, that should be very interesting.
I didn’t feel as emotionally attached to the murder victim and the various people that Antonia had as suspects as I did in the previous books. It could be because many of them were rich, and could have changed their situations, if they had been better people. The revealing of who did it was interesting, and I didn’t see part answer beforehand.
Another good book in the series, and I’m interested in what Doyle will have in store for us next.
Once the book comes out I will be posting my review on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, and Kobo.
Death on West End Road by Carrie Doyle is an engaging mystery set in the high end summer colony of the Hamptons. Antonia is an innkeeper and restaurant owner in this enclave at the end of Long Island where life revolves around the wealthy and those that take care of them. Antonia is an outsider who has moved here to open her businesses and maybe that's part of what makes her objective when searching for answers in a decades old murder. There are interesting characters and vivid descriptions of food that help make this an enjoyable read. The mystery kept me guessing until very close to the end.
I really liked this book. It's interesting to think that a place as lovely as the Hamptons could have such a dark side. In Death on West End Road by author Carrie Doyle, innkeeper Antonia Bingham is once again embroiled in a murder, this one decades old and very dangerous for our heroine, but she is unable to resist the proposition put forth to her to investigate. Ms. Doyle has woven quite the story, and there are even smaller mysteries interwoven throughout. I did not solve the mystery until it the end, a definite plus for me very well done! Of note - it's good background to read the first two book in the Hampton Murder Mystery Series (Death on Windmill Way and Death on Lily Pond Lane) but not necessary, as this book does very well as a standalone mystery. I look forward to future installments in this series, and any other books by the author. A+
5 STARS!!!!!!!!!!! I loved this book and cannot wait to find more by Carrie Doyle.~ Absolutely excellent example of a cozy mystery.