Good writing and characters you get to know and care about. The story has a lot of ins and outs (and I didn't guess the murderer or motive), and it is satisfying to see Daisy work with the police instead o f haring off on her own. Also, she is studying forensic psychology on the side – interesting potential there. Add in a little romance-in-the making, and you've got a good book. (Oh, and check out the teaser for the next one! Very enticing.)

Series debut, and it's a winner! Harking back to Agatha Christie's country estate mysteries with a modern twist. Early on, Daisy Thorne palled around with the daughter of a legendary opera star which gave her firsthand experience with the moneyed class. Now she owns a hair salon, the center for information in their small town, while studying to become a forensic psychologist. When her friend's mother is murdered, Daisy steps up and starts investigating. Intelligent and empathetic, Daisy is a fascinating character and one I am already looking to reading her next adventure.

I really loved this book in a new to my series. Tha characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end

I don't usually read mysteries and such genres, but this book caught my attention and I really wanted to give this genre a go. It hooked me right from the start and I enjoyed every page of it. Maybe mystery books aren't for me, but cozy mysteries like this one definitely are.

A delightful cozy mystery.

Perfect autumnal/wintery read.

Great Cozy Mystery! I enjoyed reading this book about Daisy, a Hair Salon owner, helping her best friend solve the murder of her famous Opera Singer mother, Serena. The plot was intriguing with many suspects that were close to Serena and had a reason to kill her. I liked how easily Daisy was able to get information from people by asking questions in a non-threatening way. I especially liked the relationship between Daisy and Paul, the detective. I'm looking forward to seeing how that relationship develops as more books become available in the series! I would highly recommend this book to lovers of cozy mysteries!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Dame Serena was a famous opera singer but these days she spends much of her time in a bottle. Her current husband has vacated their home, off to set up a new habitation with a air stewardess on a tropical island. Things are not going well for the Diva and they turn deadly when she takes a header down the staircase. At first blush it looks like she was drunk and fell. It isn't long before the police change their opinion and declare it to have been murder. Was her death connected to the disappearance of a very valuable work by Modigliani or was there something else going on that caused somebody to want her out of the way permanently?
Daisy has become best friends with Serena's daughter Floria and together they set out to uncover bits of information that will help the police find the killer. She owns a beauty salon in the High Street that is gossip central. In her spare time she is studying forensic psychology and that comes in handy as they put the pieces together. They make a wonderful pair of investigators.
From the well crafted mystery with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader engaged to the lovely country setting, I'm looking forward to reading more of the sleuthing from the team of Daisy and Floria. Make sure to put Death at the Salon (pub date March 30, 2021) on your TBR list. It's already on mine.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

enjoyable read. Lots of interesting and quirky characters. Twists and turns in this murder mystery. Unpredictable and entertaining story. a must read.

4.5 Stars

Witty, delightful and impossible to put down, cozy mystery fans are going to love Louise R. Innes’ British set novel Death at a Country Mansion, which introduces an intrepid, intuitive and terrific new amateur sleuth set to become a huge reader favorite: Daisy Thorne.

Hairstylist Daisy Thorne is enjoying some quiet time in her garden listening to an online lecture for the psychology degree she is studying for via correspondence when she gets a frantic call from her best friend, Floria. As the daughter of notorious opera diva Dame Serena Levante, Floria is well used to her highly strung mother’s quick temper, scandalous love affairs, shocking behavior and her frequent starring role in every single tabloid in the land, but this time Serena has got herself into a spot of bother she won’t be able to get out of by fluttering her eyelashes and flashing her million dollar smile. Serena – whose penchant for alcohol is legendary – has had a tragic accident in her home and died at the foot of her majestic staircase. Floria is absolutely beside herself with grief and needs her best friend by her side during this tragic time. But when Daisy makes her way to Brompton Court to comfort her friend, more shocks are on the way when it transpires that Serena’s death was not a tragic accident, but cold-blooded murder!

DI Paul McGuinness is on the case and he has made it clear that he does not want anyone interfering in his crime scene. But seeing her best friend’s distress, and with an acute interest in psychology and a passion for crime fiction, Daisy is not about to be so easily deterred. She vows to do some investigating of her own and get to the bottom of this perplexing mystery which gets even more and more complicated as a priceless painting goes missing from Brompton Court. While the exasperated detective keeps telling Daisy to stay away from his case and to let him do his job, Daisy vows to leave no stone unturned and to discover what really happened on the night that Dame Serena Levante was murdered.

However, that soon proves to be easier said than done. Serena was a diva in the truest sense of the word and as the list of suspects continues to get longer and longer, Daisy wonders whether she will ever find out who killed her best friend’s mother. Can Daisy solve this mystery – with a little bit of help from DI McGuiness? Or will this case end up stumping them both?

Agatha Raisin fans are going to thoroughly enjoy Louise R. Innes’ Death at a Country Mansion. Fast-paced, brilliantly funny and full of twists and turns readers simply won’t see coming, this terrific cozy mystery is set in a chocolate box English village where danger and mischief are always lurking round the corner.

Daisy Thorne is a wonderful sleuth I adored. Not only is she smart, insightful and perceptive, but she is a brilliant friend and a kind and caring human being readers would love to spend time with over a cup of tea and a delicious slice of cake.

Cozy mystery readers looking for a new favorite author must add Louise R Innes’ name to their auto-buy list.

This was a strong start to a new series, and it did live up to the "surprising twist" as shown in its name. There's definitely a twist, and I hadn't seen it coming. Daisy was a hair stylist by day, but she was studying to be a forensic psychologist, so the handsome inspector Paul McGuinness was happy to have her help. I was glad to see that the law and amateur got along well.

There seemed to be no end to the number of suspects, and the showdown was one of those that wasn't a violent one, just a little sad. Now I'd like to read the prequel to this that I got from an online free book promo, and I'm anxious to see what happens in the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

This is a cute start to a new cozy mystery series. Famous opera singer Serena Levante is found dead in her home. When ex-husbands and secret children descend on the little town, can hairstylist Daisy help the police find out what happened before they all leave again?

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun start to a new cozy series. I liked that the police actually kind of accepted that Daisy was helping them. Especially since she had a better in with the community than the police did. I liked the characters and the story. I'm looking forward to reading more from this series!

This was a fun start to the exciting new "Daisy Thorne" cozy mystery series. Someone has done in the diva and a precious Modigliani painting has gone AWOL! There's way too many people with motive for silencing opera sensation, Dame Serena Levanté, not the least of which is her cadre of ex-husbands. Her diva-ness is more than skin deep as she uses and discards people left and right. In walks hair salon owner, Daisy Thorne, as comforting best friend to the Diva's daughter, Floria Levanté. Daisy is also working on procuring her forensic psychology degree through a correspondence course. This comes in handy as she assists Detective Inspector, Paul McGuinness, of Surrey CID, in working out the clues of this mind-boggling mystery. There also appears to be a bit of a spark igniting between these two. Only time will tell.

Author Louise R. Innes spins a fun and at times humorous yarn. The writing flows evenly through the bulk of the story, ramping up to a fierce climax and quickly tapering off. For some, the ending may feel a bit rushed. Yet, it does quickly tie up the loose ends in a pretty little bow. I can't wait to see what Ms. Innes as in store next for Miss Daisy.

I am grateful to Kensington Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Daisy Thorne is a hair stylist. Not typically someone who jumps into murder investigations. But Daisy also has an interest in forensic psychology. Her after work studies actually come in handy when her best friend's mother is found dead in her country home. The deceased was a very flamboyant diva -- a former opera star who definitely made an impression on those around her. But...who wanted her dead??

This first book in the Daisy Thorne mystery series actually caught me by surprise. I expected the usual simple cozy set in an English village, but the plot actually had a lot going on. There were several twists and turns I didn't expect. The mystery moves along at a nice pace. I liked the village and the local characters. Daisy is an intelligent and interesting main character. And the plot had more going on than most cozies.

Great start to a new series! I will definitely be reading more!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I received an ARC of this intriguing story. Lots of twists and turns kept me reading straight to the end. Interesting characters, well-developed. Highly recommend!

Dame Serena, a famous opera star, has been found dead in her mansion. Her daughter, Floria, is distraught and wants to find the murderer. Her friend Daisy, a hairdresser and wannabe forensic investigator, lends her hand.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There’s lots of surprises and a great cast of characters. I heartily recommend this mystery.

This book is a promising start to a new cozy series. I love British cozies and was pleasantly surprised by this book. The story is fast paced and the characters interesting. A little art, a little murder, and an English manor, what's not to love?! I will definitely be looking forward to watching this series develop.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Daisy Thorne owns the hair salon, Oh La La in Edgemead England. She is also studying forensic psychology in her spare time. Both come in handy when her best friend, Floria’s mother is found dead at the foot of the staircase of her country mansion. Dame Serena Levanté is a famous opera singer/diva with three ex-husbands and one husband who has just left her for another woman. Last seen, Serena was drowning her sorrows with enough alcohol that her tumbling to her death is easily believable but it is definitely murder. When they notice a famous Modigliani painting is missing the case gets even more intriguing and Daisy vows to cut through the clues and curl the killer right into a jail cell.

Daisy is a people person with the perfect profession. Everyone knows to find the latest news and gossip you head to the beauty salon. Her studies in forensic psychology are teaching her how to read people even better. She is curious, smart, and loyal to her friends. All these things make Daisy Thorne a fantastic protagonist. They also make her the complete opposite of our victim, Dame Serena.

Ms. Innes has filled the story with dynamic and diverse supporting characters as well. From the elderly couple that takes care of the residents and grounds of the country mansion to Serena’s husbands, the staff at Oh La La, the hunky Detective Inspector Paul McGuinness, and more readers are treated to well-crafted characters left with plenty of room to grow.

This mystery was very complicated with surprises and twists. It starts out quickly with the dead body and the pace remains brisk throughout. It was a lot of fun to follow along with Daisy as she worked her way through all the clues. I had given a complete pass on the actual killer until late in the book so I clearly missed something along the way.

Death at a Country Mansion was an enjoyable escape across the pond. I can’t wait to visit Edgemead again soon. Death at the Salon is set to be released on March 30, 2021.

Death at a Country Mansion by Louise R. Innes is the first book in A Daisy Thorne Mystery series.

The cover looks more serious than the actual mystery which to me was as times a bit frivolous and not so realistic.
I liked some of the side characters a lot. There were funny and amusing.

Daisy I found to be ridiculous at times, as she forced herself into some situations and was pretty pushy.
At other times she acted as if her best friend's mother wasn't killed but as it was some kind of a joke.
She also immediately decided to investigate as if she has done it before but as this is a first book it seemed illogical.
I really liked the premise of famous singer getting murdered in her mansion, mystery children showing up and a missing husband. It had so many good points but unfortunately it didn't deliver as expected.

I am looking forward to the second book to see how it will develop further.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
This book is the first in a planned series, although I felt that the characters were well established pretty quickly and I was surprised to learn it was the first book.
For me there were flavours of a Miss Marple in this, but definitely brought into the modern age. There’s no sweet old ladies looking shrewdly over their knitting needles here. But there is a Manor House, a village/town where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and a murder victim with more enemies than you can shake a stick at.
It’s a fairly quick read and it held my attention throughout. The red herrings kept me guessing almost up until the end, but I did pick up on the one little bit of evidence that lead to the killer so I’m patting myself on the back for that.
An enjoyable read and I will be keeping my eye out for the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this British cozy. It was well written with interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep me reading. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author and this is my honest opinion.

What a great start to a new cozy mystery series! Loved the setting and characters. Felt a little bit like a grown up Nancy Drew which is so much fun! Looking forward to the next entry.