Member Reviews
I have read the other books in this series and was glad to be accepted for the next instalment. Really fun reads
⭐⭐⭐ -- I love the cover on this book.
I have mixed feeling about this one. And it's the same issue I had with the previous one I read in this series. I feel like these book are about 50 pages too long. The writing is great. The setting was fun. The plot was a little all over the place and a little too meandering. And the characters remained very likable. However, there were parts that just dragged and felt unnecessary to the overall storyline. On the whole I enjoyed it, however I am not sure I will continue with this series. maybe if it is holiday themed. 😂🤷🏻♀️
**ARC Via NetGalley**
Although I hadn’t read the ones before in this series it was easy to read as a stand alone book. This book carried me along quickly and I read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. I’m going to read the other three when I can and I hope there will be more in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
What a lovely and fun (!) cosy mystery. I love the banter between the main characters, also the story was a solid one, with enough intrigues to keep reading it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC and I can’t wait for the next installment.
Another adventure for this unlikely pair
Initially undercover to investigate but they need to take care!
On the set of a Christmas special baking competition and show
At least Fran knows how that should go!
The star has received strange gifts that may be threats
But no notes, or clues as yet.
However, when a contestant quits, Fran's skills are required
But the limelight is never something she's desired.
When the star is murdered, the police join in
There's no way they want the killer to win.
With so many cooks and not many clues
How can they make sure the killer will lose?
As Fran cooks, Adam is on the case
Trying to sort out who was in the wrong place.
So many suspects with alibis for each other
But just what is wrong, they need to discover.
A fascinating read with this sleuthing pair
This time working at the behest of the police so all is fair.
Can they discover the perpetrator of the deed?
To find out for yourself you need this book to read!
I really enjoyed this disparate pair
An odd couple but they really do care.
There are secrets, discoveries and more to be uncovered
Before the killer can finally be discovered!
Piecing the clues together so they make sense
Not jumping to conclusions - or sitting on the fence.
The ingredients are there for a tasty treat
Can you solve the case too, or will you admit defeat?
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
A brilliant cosy mystery I highly recommend in this, my honest review.
Death at Beresford Hall is the 4th Adam & Eve cozy cooking mystery by Emma Davies. Released 7th Dec 2022, it's 333 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, the whole series is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This is a fun and engaging cozy series. The author is experienced at her craft and quite adept at plotting and characterization. The mystery itself is well engineered and the clues are all "fair-play" and revealed slowly throughout the narrative. I was really engaged from the start with caterer Fran (her surname is Eve), and her erstwhile sidekick/young friend Adam, the socially awkward son of a former catering client. I found it charming and refreshing that they *are* friends and there's zero romance and never a hint of hanky-panky between Adam (he's 20something) and Fran (who's 40something and happily married).
This installment sees Fran entering a cooking show held in a stately home after another contestant suddenly quits, leaving a vacancy. Fran (and Adam) are really there undercover to investigate a series of ugly incidents aimed at the show's celebrity host, Miranda. When Miranda exits stage left, violently, with a cake slicer to the heart, it's up to Fran & co to get to the bottom of the murder without getting -eliminated- themselves. It's a holiday themed cozy set in a stately home and is enjoyable for those reasons alone, but Fran's talent at ferreting out secrets and motives make it a compelling read.
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours and 29 minutes and is expertly narrated by Mira Dovreni. Ms. Dovreni has a classically trained, well modulated voice and does a good job with the wide range of characters of both sexes and ages. I found her accent unobtrusive after a few minutes. It was easy to concentrate on the story.
The language is clean (PG rated) and the violence is mostly off-scene. It's perfectly safe for work/commute reading and the resolution and denouement are well written and satisfying. Spelling and vernacular are British English, but won't present any problems at all for readers in context. With four excellent books extant in the series, it would be a good choice for a long weekend binge read. The mysteries are all self contained, so they can be read in any order, but are best in the order written.
Four and a half stars. Very fun.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
This is book four in the Adam and Eve Mystery series which I have followed from the very beginning.
I would call this a cosy mystery with an unlikely pair thrown together to act as amateur sleuths trouble just seems to follow them.
Adam and Eve have a wonderful relationship I love their camaraderie and the way they just work despite their differences.
Tasked with investigating who is leaving unwanted gifts to a celeb chef Eve gets much more than she bargained for.
Another great edition to the series.
Celebrity chef Miranda is filming her Christmas special. Fran and Adam are pretending to be writing a book about her but in reality they are investigating a series of unpleasant gifts sent to Miranda but things escalate rapidly and soon they are trying to solve her murder...
Death at Beresford Hall is the 4th book in the Adam and (Francesca) Eve series. There are mentions of earlier cases but no major spoilers about the crimes and criminals.
Fran sees the clay feet of her idol when she arrives on set. The reality behind the show surprises and disappoints her but she has taken on the challenge of finding who has an axe to grind agaist Amanda. She is ably supported by the constantly hungry Adam and I love their friendship.
We see the murder right at the start and then go back in time by 24 hours to see what led up to the death. Miranda's PA Midge has the motive and opportunity but Fran and Adam can't believe she would have actually done it. Could someone else have sneaked off set to commit the murder and why?
I really liked the setting of the cookery show and the reality behind the TV fiction. Fran and Adam are a likeable pair of amateur sleuths. They are easy to relate to and have a self-doubt and little quirks that make them seem authentic.
Death at Beresford Hall is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery and fans of TV cookery shows will love it!
. . . Loved the concept of this book, and the inside peek at TV cooking contests.
I really wanted to be drawn in to the characters and the story, but it just didnt come together for me. Most cozy mysteries and amateur sleuths require a serious suspension of disbelief, but this asked too much of me for what it returned.
Netgalley provided me with a complimentary copy in exchange for a candid review.
I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and Bookouture, in return for an honest review. This is the fourth book in this series and easily read as a stand-alone. I love this series and it’s delightful to return to Francesca (Fran) Eve and her young sidekick, Adam. I recommend reading all four just because this series is so good. This time, it’s perfect for the holidays as Fran ends up working at a holiday cooking show as the caterer when foul deeds happen. Since Fran is a caterer, this allows her presence at events to be very natural and always interesting. Adam is the perfect assistant for her and they make a great crime-solving duo. Such a fun series!
Death at Beresford Hall by Emma Davies Narrated by: Mira Dovreni is the Forth book in the brilliant Adam and Eve Mystery Series and I have really enjoyed these books especially as I love cosy mysteries and they're a easy quick read which is great for holidays etc. They have all been a well written, well narrated whodunit I love loved them.
Fran and Adam go undercover to a TV cooking competition as journalists to find out who is sending cooking show host Miranda Appleby threatening notes. When one of the contestants drops out Fran is roped in to replacing her which gets her closer to the action and the people she is investigating but then, while most everyone is on the set filming, Miranda is murdered and her assistant becomes the prime suspect. Sure that Midge is innocent Fran and Adam delve deeper into the investigation to find the killer while Fran also must concentrate on her cooking so when the show airs her customers do not come to believe she is a bad cook.
I enjoy the dynamic between the two main characters: Fran, a middle-aged caterer and Adam, a 20ish game designer. I had wondered after the first book in the series how a caterer could keep stumbling over dead bodies and still have people hire her to cater but so far each case seems to flow naturally into Fran’s life - in this case Fran and Adam were asked to help investigate by Nell, the police officer they deal with the most. I had suspicions of who the murderer was but not until fairly close to the denouncement. This is a really delightful series with plots just complicated enough that you do not realize who the murderer is immediately following the murder. I look forward to more of Fran and Adam’s escapades. Recommended
Francesca Eva, professional caterer & Adam, her sleuthing buddy are asked to go along to Beresford Hall, where a cookery competition is taking place. Detective Nell has asked them to investigate the odd 'gifts' left for the presenter Miranda Appleby. as she is quite spooked by them. Fran is in her element- it's a show she loves- although she wasn't prepared to being actually a contestant- one of the cooks having dropped out. At first the 'gifts' seem to be harmless but when Miranda is stabbed by a sharp kitchen implement Fran & Adam are in the thick of it. Miranda wasn't the lovely person she seemed on TV but everyone seems to have an alibi.
I've enjoyed this series from the start & am delighted by how quickly the next installment arrive. Emma Davies knows how to captivate her readers! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Death At Beresford Hall' by Emma Davies.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 7th December 2022.
This is the sixth book I have read by this author. It is also the fourth book in her 'Adam And Eve Mystery Series' but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'A Year At Appleyard Farm', 'The Little Island Secret', 'My Husband's Lie', 'After The Crash', 'Death In Disguise' (First book in the 'Adam And Eve Mystery Series') and 'Death On The Menu (Third Book in the' Adam And Eve Mystery Series') and would recommend them all!!
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. I am a huge fan of Emma and if this book is half as good as 'A Year At Appleyard Farm', 'The Little Island Secret', 'My Husband's Lie', After The Crash', 'Death On The Menu' and 'Death In Disguise' it is bound to be an epic read!! The synopsis stated that this book is 'An utterly gripping cozy crime mystery set at a Christmas cooking competition. This is perfect for fans of Faith Martin, M.C. Beaton and The Thursday Murder Club. .' I am a huge fan of Faith Martin so am interested to see if it will live up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 23 chapters. The chapters are medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in England 🏴 , UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and stayed in England so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise any places mentioned in the book.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Francesca Eve and Adam Smith. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
WOW!!! JUST WOW!!! YET ANOTHER ADDICTIVE ADDITION TO THE FANTASTIC 'ADAM AND EVE' SERIES!! I LOVE HOW YOU CAN JUMP FROM GENRE TO GENRE ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY AND WHETHER IT IS A ROMANCE, WOMEN'S FICTION OR MURDER MYSTERY YOU SLAM DUNK IT EVERY TIME AND THIS BOOK IS NO EXCEPTION!!!
Another huge success by Emma Davies!!! This book is beautifully written and filled with vivid descriptions to the point where I can hear the trees rustling in the wind and taste all the divine dishes on offer in the competition while curled up on the sofa reading. The cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVED IT!!! AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING COSY MYSTERY!!!!
I must admit that I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this fantastic series when I read 'Death In Disguise' but I will start by repeating that you Emma are a lady of many talent! The first book of yours that I fell in love with was 'My Husband's Lie' which was a psychological fiction filled with mystery and suspense, I then read 'A year at Applewood farm' which was filled with romance, I moved onto 'The Little Island Secret ' which was a gorgeous romantic holiday fiction and the last book I read by you was 'After The Crash' which was a romantic mystery. I then moved onto the first in this series 'Death In Disguise, somehow I think I may have missed' Death On The Dinner Plate', read 'Death On The Menu' and now I have just finished this absolutely addictive page turner and yet again you have outshone yourself!! Does your talent have no boundaries? Not many people can jump from one genre to another and even less do it well but you have done an absolutely fantastic job Emma!!!! Congratulations and I am looking forward to your next successful surprise!!
The storyline is absolutely addictive and will also make your mouth water almost as much as Adam's!! Emma has managed to cook up yet another unique and addictive murder mystery!! This is most definitely one the best cosy murder mysteries I have ever read!!! It was filled with murder, suspense, mystery, humour and rammed full of red herrings!! What more could you ever ask for in a cosy mystery? This book is perfect to read curled up by a fire or relaxing on a beach. There were so many different red herrings and different leads that Emma took me down and I enjoyed solving the puzzles and clues along with Fran and Adam. I would never have worked out who the killer was so a MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to Emma for managing to surprise me. I have read several books by authors who have only ever written mysteries and yet have worked out the whodunit by 50% in some which is a pet hate for me. However, you normally write romance novels and amazing ones at that, and yet managed to completely shock me!!! I also loved how everything was explained and tied up as another pet hate of mine is when a piece of the puzzle is mentioned then seemingly forgotten and never spoken of again. I absolutely loved the ending and was especially pleased when the winner was announced! Emma, I absolutely LOVED this book which is an absolutely, perfectly explosive addition to what has promised to be an absolutely epic new series!!! I would LOVE to see this book, well this whole series turned into a movie which is sure to be a huge hit. Keep up the amazing work and I cannot wait for your next success whether it's another romance or the fourth part in this fantastic series!!
Although this is the fourth book in the series reader's would have absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
I absolutely love Fran and was over the moon to meet her again!!! When I started this series and I realised that she was a 50 year old caterer I did not know what to expect but straight away her personality lit up like a lighthouse. She made me laugh until I had tears streaming down my face. I can't remember the last time a character made me laugh so much! She is such a realistic character that jumps out of the pages and who is smart, caring and intriguing. The fact that this was a cosy murder mystery was even better as she definitely made it lighter than most I have read. She is such a larger than life and bubbly character who says it as it is, doesn't take any crud and has the most gorgeous personality. She is friendly, knows what to says who to trust and the fact that she swears now and again makes her my perfect cup of tea!! Fran is definitely the type of woman I would want by my side whether I wanted to laugh, cry or have a 5 course meal. I immediately clicked with her after the first few pages of 'Death In Disguise' and she hasn't left my mind since. The second I started reading this book it felt like I had only just finished saying Goodbye to her as qshe materialised in front of me again. I am happy to say that the same went with Adam who was nervous, funny and minced his words. They are complete opposites who made the perfect team. Again, neither knew each other previously when they first met yet they hit it off straight away and they work just as well together in this book as they did the first. They make one of the best teams I have ever met!! They make a perfect pairing and I cannot wait to meet them both again. They are most certainly the type of characters whose personalities stay with you for a long time and I've already started missing them... Hint hint Emma 😉
DO NOT PICK THIS BOOK UP UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ⚠!!
Yet one more HUGE CONGRATULATIONS Emma on the best cosy mystery series I have ever read and I am impatiently waiting for the next success in this series!!
Overall an absolutely addictive, hilarious, fun, light hearted cosy mystery which will keep you up until 2am turning the pages
Genres covered in this novel include Murder Mystery, Cozy Culinary Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy Crafts & Hobbies Mystery, Women Sleuths, Cozy Animal Mystery and Crime Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as FANS of Agatha Christie, Clare Chase, Helena Dixon, Martin, M.C. Beaton, 'The Thursday Murder Club' and anyone who loves an amazing cosy mystery and especially you reading this!! .
333 pages/8 hours and 29 minutes
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, £16 for audiobook and £8.99 in paperback on Amazon at time of review, which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Reluctant sleuths go officially undercover in this fun murder mystery. It takes place around Christmas so what a perfect time of year to read it! This book ends up proving the adage about never met your heroes correct. She idolized the famous Miranda for her cooking TV show and recipe books but when she is put in a position to help find who might be threatening her, Fran discovers the TV culinary star has a lot of enemies... so where to start?
What follows is such a fun, page-turning cozy mystery. Highly recommend. Very pleased with the outcome and it wasn't one I saw coming.
Highly recommend. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Francesca Eve is so happy the Christmas season has arrived. She has been selected as a participant in a baking competition. Shortly after her arrival, trouble is brewing. Miranda Appleby, the famous presenter turned chef is receiving some peculiar and unusual threats. And when a contest unexpectedly quits the competition, Miranda jumps in to fill the empty spot. Fran has problems of her own when her mince pies burn and not to mention her runny cranberry sauce. Fran finds Miranda in the kitchen with a cake slice through her heart. Who would do such a horrible thing and, at what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. Who could the murderer possibly be? Is it the contestants, the crew or the producers themselves? The police arrive and take over the investigation and everyone is a suspect, and no one is allowed to leave. But Fran begins her own investigation of the suspects, knowing that she has to find the culprit before it’s too late.
This was such a fabulous addition to the Adam and Eve Mystery Series. The setting of this story was brilliant. I love the idea of a Christmas cooking competition and haveing to solve a murder. I loved the twists and turns of the story and I was so captivated by the characters. They were so quirky and I could not figure out who-dun-it. I liked all the characters and I didn’t want any of them to be the culprit. This rapid and festive read was so entertaining and a rapid page-turner that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was completely surprised at the ending as it was totally unexpected. What a wonderful escape this book was. This installment to the series can be enjoyed as part of the series or as a stand-alone novel. I highly recommend this must read for every cozy mystery fan. It is a lovely series.
Thank you Emma Davies for a wonderful addition to the series. This cozy mystery was an absolute delight. I loved it and I highly recommend it.
A cozy murder mystery that kept me guessing until the end.
Amateur sleuths Francesca Eve and her friend, Adam, are asked to go undercover on a cookery competition. The star of the show, Miranda, has been murdered with a cake knife. Who would want to kill Miranda? What Eve finds is a lot of surprising facts that arise along with many secrets.
I really enjoyed Death at Beresford Hall. Though I haven’t read the previous books in the series, I had no problem reading this as a standalone read. I do plan on reading the previous books in the series!
If you enjoy watching Great British Bake Off….you will certainly like this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Fran and Adam find themselves on the set of a cooking competition show in this latest entry in the Adam and Eve Mystery series, which features a very clever plot! They are there to see why the star of the show has been receiving various “gifts”, and it isn’t long before there is another murder to solve. At the same time, Fran has also found herself taking part in the cooking competition and is finding that very uncomfortable. Fortunately, Adam is proving himself very useful with fact finding, as they both help the police track down the killer..
In modern day, what is more Christmasy than a Christmas Bakeoff show. Now Francesca gets a chance to see how good she really is...well, as a side to her real reason for being there: to investigate the threats against the host. Things don't go well, particularly when the host is found dead. Now Francesca and Adam must try to find the culprit before they kill the holiday spirit.
Another fun entry into this series and a just in time for the Holidays. It is interesting to see the behind the scenes of a baking show and the mystery is filled with the murderous spirit that is just right for those of us who like a Homicide Holiday.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
I like this bake-off-styled cosy mystery featuring amateur sleuths Francesca Eve and Adam. There are many false leads as the intrepid duo helps the police find the murderer. All the suspects have alibis, but the victim had secrets, and many of the characters have motives for murder. The cookery competition setting is vibrant. I like the dynamic between Fran and Adam; both are clever and likeable protagonists. I enjoyed the festive element in this story that makes it a fun seasonal read.
I like the characters, the dynamic between the detectives and the setting.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.