"Last Seen in Santorini" by Vivian Conroy is a captivating blend of mystery and romance set against the picturesque backdrop of Greece. The novel follows travel writer Ella Blackwell as she unravels the secrets of a missing heiress on the idyllic island of Santorini.

Conroy's narrative is filled with intrigue and suspense, keeping readers engaged with its twists and turns. The exotic setting adds depth to the story, creating a vivid atmosphere that enhances the mystery.

Overall, "Last Seen in Santorini" is a delightful escape that combines compelling characters with a thrilling plot. Conroy's skillful storytelling and evocative descriptions make this novel a perfect choice for fans of atmospheric mysteries with a touch of romance.

This is the second book in a series. It is a cosy historical mystery. There are plenty of twists and turns. The characters are well rounded.

I really enjoyed this mystery despite the slow start.
Once invested I couldn't put the story down.
I'll be looking for more by Vivian Conroy now, easy to read, perfect holiday book.

The second is the series but the first I’ve read. A bit wrong-footed at the beginning as we were introduced to Atalanta and given a brief backstory, which confused me at first, but once I’d moved on made more sense. This is supposed to be set during the 1930’s, but there isn’t much of a feel of that, although the descriptions of both Venice, where the story begins, and Santorini, where it finishes, are quite lovely.

Atalanta is approached in Venice by the mother of a young Italian woman who died whilst working as a lady’s companion for the Bucardi family on Santorini. The woman’s mother is not convinced it was an accident, but has no proof otherwise, and wants Atalanta to find out what actually happened. Atalanta is hired, via this woman, as the new lady’s companion for the family’s elderly aunt (who, as a point I noted, if she never married, wouldn’t be Mrs Bucardi, but Miss).

Whilst the mystery is quite good and the characters reasonably well-presented, it moved quite slowly and Atalanta also spends a lot of time in her head asking the same questions and reviewing information over and over, and I skimmed quite a lot towards the end because I got tired of reading the same stuff again and again.

Definitely an armchair traveller type of book, gentle and not especially gripping, but good enough to while away some holiday time with. The series won’t be added to my TBR pile, but I would read it if I came across it at a charity shop or needed a bit of a break between other, grittier/darker books.

Very entertaining historical cozy mystery. I enjoyed sleuthing with Atatlanta..
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Very much in the style of Agatha Christie, the story twists and turns, with no one being who they first appear to be. I found myself suspicious of everyone right until the very, satisfying, end! Fabulous.!!!

Fresh from her adventure in Provence, Atalanta is off on another case as she goes undercover to determine if a companion’s death was an accident or murder. I love the setup of Atalanta being independently wealthy because this allows her a lot of leeway. At the start of this book, she’s enjoying her newfound wealth by travelling to places she’s always only dreamed about.

But of course, vacations in murder mystery books never turn out and this one gets derailed pretty quickly when a veiled woman follows and then begs Atalanta for help.

Even though the request is shrouded in vagueness and mystery, Atalanta can’t help but agree to look into things for the grieving mother. She travels to the beautiful Santorini and lands in the middle of a very tense and secretive family.

The dynamics between all the characters is filled with tension, hidden secrets, and explosive tempers. It makes for a very difficult case, as no one really trusts Atalanta, and she’s not even sure a murder has occurred.

This sequel is even more enjoyable than the first book, Mystery in Provence (you can read my review of that book here), as I found Atalanta has gotten a bit more comfortable in her role as a detective, but she’s still not over-confident and there are enough mixed signals and hidden secrets in Santorini to keep her more than occupied.

The rakish Raoul makes another appearance and he’s even more mysterious in this story than in the last adventure, although he does start to share some of his background with Atalanta. I totally thought his story was headed in one direction but then it went off in a completely different one, so, while I still think he may eventually end up with Atalanta, I think there’s a lot of work to be done before they get there.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns and trying to figure out who was telling the truth and who had something to hide. Plus the gorgeous backdrop of Santorini added a lot of beauty and charm to the story. Another great mystery with Miss Ashford – I’m looking forward to the next one!

*** Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

When Atalanta agrees to take on a case of a mysterious death, she looks forward to a trip to the Greek island of Santorini as a paid companion to an elderly lady. The death of the previous companion appears suspicious, and many suspects live right there in the household. There were a lot of characters and motives in this novel, which seemed confusing at times. The setting is very interesting, and the story is complex.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

When a D Atlanta isn’t doing Venice he is surprised to see Raul the guy who helped us solve her last case all the way in Italy and even more surprised when he tells her she is being followed by a veiled woman. When this woman approaches her she tells her about a job being the companion to an elderly lady but it’s too bad she didn’t explain the weird surroundings she would be living in. from the weird behavior of the lady at the house to the over friendly behavior of the gentleman and we haven’t even got to the lonely little boy and the elderly aunt. 80 Atlanta has her hands full with this mystery and Raul will be there and it’s a good thing he is because she will need the help. I love this international cozy mystery and I must confess I hadn’t read any of these books before but will definitely be looking forward to them in the future. I have recently become obsessed with Cozy mysteries and this was a great one. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Not usually a big fan of cosy mysteries but I quite enjoyed this one. Set in Greece with descriptions of beautiful sunny scenery while I meanwhile endure a cold winter in the UK . I’m not jealous, much.
The story was well written and easy to read and made a change from my usual choices.

Sadly a DNF I couldn't get into this book at all the style wasnt quite my cup of tea I wont publicly review any books I was unable to finish

A cozy, historical mystery, set on beautiful Santorini, featuring a female investigator. What’s not to like?

Ah well… Amateur sleuth Miss Ashford tries to solve a murder — or was it an accident? But she takes a mighty long time getting to her solution. Questions and are asked and asked again, then asked again… I also get that this book is set in a different era with different norms, especially when it came to women, but I thought Atalanta was portrayed as a bit too…thick/slow/naive??? for me to make her a believable character and an independent and admirable woman.

All in all, this book just didn’t do it for me. It was too slow to get to the point and although the setting appealed, there wasn’t enough of it to carry me through. It’s a shame, because I loved the concept, just wish it had delivered.

p.s. This book is the second in the series. It works fine on its own but I’m sure the first one would have added to my understanding of her background, etc.. Just FYI.

p.p.s. I hate writing negative reviews. I appreciate how much blood, sweat and tears go into the writing process so nothing gives me less pleasure than posting reviews like this.

I really enjoyed this read. It was light and interesting - and obviously set in Greece. I wish I was reading this on the beach in Santorini, or anywhere in Greece, rather than my reading chair in a cold Canadian Winter. Great writing and it pulled me out of my reading slump <3

With her grandfathers inherited wealth and his previous occupation under her belt, Atlanta Ashford is enjoying the sights and sounds of Venice, during her sight seeing trip she is accosted by a mystery woman who begs her to look into the death of her daughter on the island of Santorini, deciding to take on this task she travels to the lovely greek island to begin her investigation

Second in the series and a very good read

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

I have a definite thing for cozy mysteries set between the two World Wars, especially those with plucky female protagonists like Daisy Dalrymple and Kate Shackleton (I need to review both their series at some point) – so much so that I was keen to read this book and meet a new lady detective, even after I realised it was the second in a series. Miss Atalanta Ashford is independently wealthy, albeit newly so, and along with a fortune, estate and staff, she has inherited the role of private investigator to the upper echelons of society in a number of European counties. Holidaying in Venice following her first (successful) case, Atalanta encounters a mysterious stranger, who engages Atalanta’s services to investigate the death of a young local woman on Santorini.

Posing as the young woman’s replacement as companion to an elderly Venetian, Atalanta travels to Santorini, closely followed by a friend from her previous investigation, the playboy and racing driver Raoul Lemont. Raoul is suspicious of Atalanta’s new client, but also has connections to the family Atalanta is to investigate in connection with the possible murder. So she accepts his help, even as she ignores his warnings. Arriving on Santorini, Atalanta discovers a troubled family beset by tempestuous relationships. Any one of them could be the guilty party, assuming the death was not the accident others have assumed, and there are other suspects amongst the local and not-so-local people working in and around the family’s Venetian burg.

Atalanta is soon deeply immersed in the family’s secrets and quickly realises both she and others are in danger from the killer, should they get too close to the truth. Fortunately, she has Raoul for backup, as well as a selection of words of wisdom from her grandfather in the form of sealed letters written before his death (I thought this was a quirky and engaging touch that will hopefully continue throughout the other books). Atalanta herself is brave and resourceful, of course, and plays a major role in the final showdown between the killer and those believed to have slighted said killer. I like the various twists and turns the story took, as well as the descriptions of the various locations in which the action took place. I’ve visited Santorini way back in my schooldays, but knew nothing about its Venetian connections and influences, possibly because much of the architecture from that period was destroyed in an earthquake not long after the time when our story is set.

Atalanta is a fabulous protagonist, and I was very taken by Raoul, as well as by the brief glimpses we see of Renard, her grandfather’s butler, who now acts as a kind of Alfred to Atalanta’s Bruce Wayne. This was not a perfect book, but I definitely want to read the one that came before it, as well as those that are yet to be released.

This is a well-written mystery with great plot twists, quirky, flawed characters, and a reveal you never saw coming. I noticed a lot of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes elements in the story which made it very intriguing and enjoyable to read. I also learned a lot about Greek culture, food, and mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The second book in the Miss Ashford Investigates series is an enjoyable mystery with engaging characters. The story itself is entertaining for. The start as Atalanta is engaged to investigate an allegation murder on Santorini, however on arrival things are not necessarily what they seem as the Burcardi family come to the fore with their various issues and a second mysterious death takes place. There are plenty of twists and turns as the book progresses to keep the reader engaged and the story was well plotted and paced.
I haven’t read the first book in the series and found this works perfectly well as a stand alone story, although I did feel I was missing some details regarding Raoul and Atalanta’s relationship as they had clearly formed a connection in the previous book. For me, the plot would have been enhanced with some scenes from other characters perspectives but on the whole I enjoyed the story and it did keep me guessing as to the mysterious deaths.

Lovely book. I liked the story of a young girl detective who is asked to go to Santorini to solve a murder but ends up facing several more plus can she trust the man she is falling in love with. There were many twists and turns that made it interesting and the pace of the story was good - not too fast but steady and a page turning. I definitely recommend.

Many mysteries claim to satisfy Agatha Christie fans, but this one did. It's one of the better cosy mysteries I've read because it kept me guessing about the murder and motives. I especially liked how the setting came to life. I felt completely immersed in the lovely, exotic location. Atalanta Ashford, the detective, is a very likeable, genuinely sincere and good person. I recommend this novel to fans of cosy mysteries. The author does an excellent job of describing. It enabled me to enjoy my armchair traveller experience in Venice and Santorini. It even prompted me to learn more about Santorini, which I was unfamiliar with. The photos I found brought the scene to life, but you don't have to do any research to enjoy your armchair travel. The noises, voices, vivid blues of the sea and aroma of the flowers will be heard, seen, and smelled. All without leaving your house!

This is only Atalanta's second murder investigation. She appears to have become overconfident after solving the first, reluctantly only giving Raoul the deserved credit for his assistance, not to mention information discovered in her late grandfather's papers. Raoul appears as a result of her butler's information. Despite spending real time with him, which is easily observed by others, she spends a significant amount of time denying her interest in him to herself. She even suspects he is a part of the problem, if not the answer to at least one of her questions. Then there was another death. The Bacardi family is not what it appears to be on the surface, and she is concerned for the safety of her young son. Atalanta convinced that she could solve the investigation independently, tends to jump from one hypothesis to the next. She even resents Raoul's observation that just because she believes something is true doesn't make it so. Her attitude was grating at times, but

Fans of Hercule Poirot and Maisie Dobbs will welcome this new series from Vivian Conroy featuring Atalanta Ashford a new heiress and discrete private detective. Atalanata just inherited a fortune from her grandfather whom she never met. Her father had been disinherited for his wastrel ways and her mother died when she was young. Her grandfather had been a "fixer/investigator" for the rich and he was also quite wealthy. He had been keeping watch over Atalanta from a distance. He had hoped to meet her but died too soon. After solving her first case in the French countryside she decided to take a break and travel to Venice to enjoy her new found freedom and wealth.

Soon after arriving in Santorini she is followed by a lady in black wearing a veil who asks her to look into the death of her daughter on Santorini. Atalanta also runs into Raoul, a man from her first case. He offers to travel to Santorini separately and help with her investigation.

Beautiful scenery and compelling characters make this period mystery a must read.