Unfortunately I had trouble getting interested in this book. The character Angelica was extremely unlikable and my attention was distracted from the storyline.

Murder for Nothing

by Veronica Heley

This is the second book for me to read in Veronica Heley’s Ellie Quicke Mysteries, and I am sold on the series. Perhaps it is a reflection of my own age, but I like that Ellie Quicke, the main character, is a grandmother and she solves crimes using her brain rather than a lot of running around. I like that she is unabashedly a woman of faith, but does not see herself as perfect, nor is she a prude. She displays courage and insight.

The other characters in the book are what I would call a mixed bag. Some are extremely evil, some are really nice, and a number are common folk just trying to do the best they can given their circumstances.

Ellie is caught in the middle of a number of conflicts, all of which seem to center on a spoiled young lady, Angelique, who has gotten herself in trouble with her ambitions to marry a rich man and live a lifestyle she can not currently afford. Running free and easy through the money of others, Angelique can turn on charming tears at the drop of a hat. She finds herself in over her head, however, when she hosts a rave party at her cousin’s flat while he is on his honeymoon.

I enjoyed Murder for Nothing from start to finish and found myself not wanting to put it down, not because it was so suspenseful but because I wanted to watch the mystery and its solution unfold. Although there are many differences, Heley’s choice of heroine and her focus on detection through conversation and thought calls to mind the unparalleled Agatha Christie.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Severn House for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #17 in the Ellie Quicke Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone

Publication: November 1, 2017—Severn House

Memorable Lines:

I try, however difficult it may be, to do the right thing and not to compromise. And I bet I sleep more soundly than you do.

She got it. He was feeling guilty. If he would talk about it, she could help him. If he remained mum, the guilt was going to work inwards and poison his whole system.

She had indeed gone for the safe bet in marrying her first husband, only to find out that he had a need to dominate everyone in sight. Yes, it had been a successful marriage in worldly terms, but only because she’d made herself into a doormat for him.

Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for the eARC.
Unfortunately, I didn't like this book much. It was way too busy, with many unpleasant characters. Ellie Quicke seems weak. She allows herself to be bullied by her rude daughter, who always complains at the way Ellie looks after her little grandson, but drops him off many a time, never mind that Ellie is already overwhelmed by the chaos in her household. Then there's the spoilt, lying and manipulative girl Ellie has given a temporary home to. She should have been booted out the very first day she showed up. There's a murder, drugs, Ellie's good friend's apartment is wrecked by a wild party and many comings and goings by unsavory visitors to Ellie's home. Phew...if I were Ellie, I would have gone for cigarettes and never come back. Too bad, I was looking forward to reading the book.

For some reason I just could not get into this book. I absolutely hated Angelica and that might have been why I had such trouble. To me this book how so much going on with it that it was hard to know who was what.

Thank you NetGalley and Veronica Heley for allowing me to read and give an honest review of this book.

Thanks everyone for letting me review this book. What can I say about Ellie Quicke she can be good and bad and you either like her or you don't I fortunately liked her. Good read

This is the first Ellie Quicke mystery I have read. My initial impression was not favourable. It seemed slow moving with too much dialogue, not enough action, and some really unpleasant characters. There was the bullying, boorish husband of a recent bride who was suffering a miscarriage; a manipulative, deceitful, opportunistic girl; a spoilt daughter taking her mother for granted; even the toddler seemed a brat. In the middle of these, Ellie appeared put-upon and lacking in backbone.
It was only when Ellie stopped dithering so much and began to demonstrate that she was capable of independent thought and action, together with the introduction of some more sympathetic characters that the story began to progress and it became more entertaining.
Ellie displays a genteel, old world charm and I would have preferred the story without the initial unpleasant chapters. The behaviour of the drug lord in ringing Ellie regularly seems unlikely and although the story overall appeared a little lacking in credibility, together with deaths that were more accidental than murderous, l still enjoyed it and I think I would try some more books in the series.

This is one of the worst books I have every read. I could hardly get through the first few chapters there was so much antagonism and literally raving and ranting at each other, I finally quit in order to save myself.

Great book. Brilliant plot and main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Very enjoyable.