Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

Mrs Stella Ryman is everything I hope to be when I grow up, except for the whole not having family around all the time thing. I love how she really thinks through situations and tries to help the underdogs.

It did take me a little while to get used to the format of the book. It is a collection of short stories that all combine into one. So, each short story has a mystery that needs to be solved, and the book as a whole is a complete story. I can't think of another book that is laid out in this way. It worked for this book, so good job Mel Anastasiou.

The answer to each mystery was not predictable, at least not to me, and that is a sign of a well-written book. It's no fun to know how everything is going to end early on. I like my mysteries to be a little more complex and give me something to think about as I'm reading.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Mel Anastasiou
Publisher: Pulp Literature Press
Publication Date: April 1st 2019

I really enjoyed this collection of stories. The characters are well developed and bring insight and understanding of senior life in a home. I particularly liked Stella who is relateable. She is sharp and quietly makes keen observations of others. She uses the cloak of invisibility that comes with age to her advantage and is quite courageous in her own way. Her memory lapses make her vulnerable but also bring comedic relief. Her circle of friends are a likeable bunch and all the characters are well developed.

A quirky fun read that was thoroughly entertaining.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the second book of a series but seemed to work well on its own. The background information was repeated enough times to keep the people straight in our mind.

Mrs. Stella Ryman, an ex-librarian who checked herself into a care home is the resident 'detective' with the worst sense of direction (something that does not seem to be a byproduct of her age). There are a total of two cases in this but it is divided into further individual parts. One case was more interesting than the other, mostly because I was unable to invest emotionally in the latter one which is introduced early on in the narrative.

In the first half of the book, an unexpected and relatively unwelcome man joins the brood of elderly folk at the care home. He seems to have an ulterior motive and unscrupulous moves to attain the goal and Stella is the only one who seems to be doing anything about it. The second story involves a mahjong box with missing money. The quirks of the people in the care home and some of the jokes were funny but for the most part, this was not a book for me. When I went into a story about a place where so many people live in almost prison-like protection, I expected something different from the tale. If you like quirky characters and the exchange of random conversations, I would recommend you give this book a shot! There is a lot of heart involved in the narrative and that in itself is a good thing.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.

A collection short stories. They we very light reading. There is some humor and interesting characters. Not a great read but not a bad one either.

The Labours of Mrs Stella Ryman: Further Fairmount Manor Mysteries by Mel Anastasiou is the first book I have read featuring Stella. Replete with packet chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese, Stella Ryman paused just outside Fairmount Manor’s dining room, where she used the sleeve of her fleece warm-up suit to wipe condensation from the streaked and fog-edged windows along the corridor. There was so much springtime glory outside Fairmount — although she was not allowed out on her own to see it — and there was so much gloom inside, that she didn’t want to add to it. But she couldn’t deny that trouble had resurfaced at Fairmount Manor. When the machineries of institution fail to protect Fairmount Manor, octogenarian amateur sleuth Mrs Stella Ryman rolls up her fleece jacket sleeves to protect Fairmount from a thief, investigate a gun-toting resident, set right a mishandled investigation of a man’s death, pursue spectres and footpads walking at midnight, and discover Thelma Hu’s long-lost fortune. No good deed goes unpunished, though, and Stella will face struggles, mysteries, and sacrifices that hit her where she lives. Mrs Stella Ryman is a fish out of water, a stranger in a strange land — an amateur sleuth, trapped in a down-at-heel care home. You’d be cranky, too.

The Labours of Mrs Stella Ryman: Further Fairmount Manor Mysteries is a collection of short mysteries that are entertaining but still heart wrenching at times because the reader can see certain things happening that Stella is not aware of. I thought that the setting, characters, and mysteries were all very well built and believable. I could see these people and their problems arise in almost any similar setting. Stella might be a little directionally challenged and forgetful, but she sees to the heart of the matter and cares more for the people than the things or consequences involved. I enjoyed getting lost in Stella's world and slowing down enough to notice some subtle clues about Stella and her world along the way.

The Labours of Mrs Stella Ryman: Further Fairmount Manor Mysteries is a fun and engaging read that made me care about the characters. I plan on taking the time to read more by this author.

Mrs. Stella Ryman lives in a nursing home and keeps occupied by solving mysteries for her fellow residents. I'm not usually a big reader of cozy mysteries, but Mrs. Ryman's interactions with the various occupants of Fairmount are entertaining, and the humorous commentary on the indignities of life in a facility for the elderly makes her stories stand out. Mrs. Ryman doesn't generally solve these crimes with major deductions; instead, she sort of Nancy Drews her way around, sneaking about Fairmount (to the extent that she can remember her way) until she happens upon the solution. Her no-nonsense dealings with young people and her sense of mischief make this all good fun. It is not necessary to have read the first Mrs. Ryman book to enjoy this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an advance digital copy of this book.

I'm a fan of senior detective and was very happy I requested this ARC because it's amazing.
I loved Stella and the likable and well developed cast of characters.
The stories are well written, engaging and entertaining.
I think it'd be interesting to read a novel featuring Stella.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Eighty-two year old Stella Ryman has found an original way to soldier on through the difficulties of old age, lack of freedom, bad food and the sheer boredom of living in an aged care home. She has become Fairmount Manor's resident amateur sleuth.

I love this concept, and it gets better, because Stella isn't your usual detective. She is curious and resourceful, sure, but she doesn't always remember just what she is trying to achieve. She is courageous and a bit of a rebel, determined to go wherever she wants, but she can't quite recall where the dining room is. And sometimes she just needs a nap. Nevertheless, she is no tame old lady:

“In this posture, she felt exactly like a teenaged juvenile delinquent. It was not a bad way to feel at eighty-two.”

In this loosely linked collection of five stories, Stella investigates several thefts, a mysterious new resident who may have a sinister agenda, a possible case of elder abuse and even the appearance of a ghost. And she does it in the company of some memorable fellow residents who are also anything but sweet old ladies. Stella's best friend, Thelma, is "perhaps the crankiest blind woman in Canada". Then there is the Greek Chorus (Iolanthe, Lucille and Sally the Nodder) whose snarky comments are a joy. Not to forget Mad Cassandra, who may or may not be dead. We also meet Ollie the rhymer, kind Cheryl and lovely Reliza, who care for the residents under the baleful eye of Mrs Warren, known as "The Warden".

Stella is an ex-school librarian and the stories are littered with references to heroes both historic and literary
“Stella reminded herself that the Scarlet Pimpernel and Lawrence of Arabia would have kept cool in similar circumstances, and so would she.”

I also appreciated all the nods to Greek mythology, from the title itself to mentions of Perseus and Andromeda, harpies, and this gem:

“Stella carried on past the activities hall, giving the door a wide berth. This was always a dangerous area to navigate. Odysseus himself would have had to tie himself to the mast of his ship to avoid some care worker dragging him inside and making him do Healthy Movement to easy listening recordings.”

I had a lot of fun with this. My only criticism is that the solutions to most of the mysteries weren't very interesting to me, but I realise that isn't really the point here. If you're looking for a clue-driven detective story, full of twists and turns, you'll have to go elsewhere, but if you want a bit of a giggle along with some insightful musings on old age and life in general, look no further than Stella and the gang in this delightful collection

Disclosure
A digital A.R.C. of this novel was supplied to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Charming cozy mystery set in an old folks home. Familiarity with the first volume (this is the second in the series) is not necessary.