Daniel Jonson, aged 61, who is hungover, is awakened at 3.20am one morning by his older brother, jer bearing the news that their mum has died from a heart attack. Daniel lectures at univsities around the world. Daniel adored his Uncle Paul, a rower and a sailor who was his mum,Connie’s youngest brother. Daniel is close friends with Claire Parsons who is also a colleague. Daniel, who lives in joburg, South Africa and has a passion for running, receives the news that the family home and farm is to be auctioned off. When Claire arrives for a visit, they start to ruminate on Daniel's former experiences linking his childhood and Uncle Paul and an event long hidden in Daniel's mind.

A good story for me that held my attention for the most part. The characters give the tale a lift.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Independent (David Marshall Hunt), Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Unfortunately this book seemed a little slow for me. I really liked the premise of the story but it seemed to wonder a little too much. I did however, enjoy the characters and the stories that were told. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is the first novel in the Family Gathering Mystery series. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is essentially a fictional memoir. The main characters are professors, Daniel Jonson and his girlfriend Claire Parsons (double PHD) and they are trying to unlock Daniel’s memory as to his family secrets and guilt that he feels after his mother dies. Most of the beginning chapters present history of Seattle’s Montlake Cut Bridge (The Cut). The characters are into distance running, and much of the history is about rowing. This may mean something to readers from Seattle, but the rest of the country most likely doesn’t care.

Reading this book is reminiscent of watching the old home movies of a family you’re not acquainted with. B-O-R-I-N-G. There isn’t any building suspense, no murder, and the uncovering of family secrets that nobody will really care about. Most of the story is about a deceased uncle and the history of Daniel’s relationship with him in Seattle. While the history of The Cut may interest some, it isn’t relevant to most of us and most readers may find it dry.

On the upside, Hunt’s writing is good, and he develops his characters so that they seem real; real, maybe, but not particularly interesting. There is also a recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie that sounds great and is worth trying during rhubarb season using home-grown rhubarb.

When seeing the title, one would figure that this novel is a cute cozy, but that isn’t the case. There is nothing cute about it, and it can certainly be used as a crutch for those with insomnia. Anyone who likes boring fiction with little happening, and virtually no suspense, will enjoy this novel.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This book and the description had me excited to begin reading. As I read through the story it was not exactly as described. It was a good start to a new series although more development would be good to really hook the reader. The characters are a good start but need a little more in order to be relatable to the reader. The family drama and mystery is not as developed in this book as it should have been to grab the reader and take off on the thriller plot line. More information in the first book of the series would be helpful to really take off in the reader's interest.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Somehow it was not a book for me. From the description I was waiting for real family drama and hidden secrets because it can be a great plot for a serie of books. Sorry to say but neither the plot, not the characters seems appealing and interesting to me.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit I wasn't overly enamoured with this book. It didn't draw me in, it wasn't that exciting and it didn't keep me enthralled like a good mystery should.

Family, Secrets and how things in life play out are a good start for a novel but this one although okay wasn't a favourite of mine I'm afraid.

A good start to a new series by the author. The story is intriguing and the characters come to life. The plot will keep your attention.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.