Member Reviews

An amusing and entertaining read with fun characters and a good plot. I hope this will be the first in a series!

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The Cornish Curse is a light and funny who dunnit with a rather quirky cast of characters. I was compelled to buy the audio version as I knew that the dramatised narration would do the characters better justice than my inner reading voice.

To enjoy this series you should start with this book as it outlines the history of Donna's family, pertinent family members and what makes them special compared to the ordinary people in their town.

In this first instalment, Donna goes around in circles trying to find the identity of a killer when all the evidence points to her. The local detective tries to give her the benefit of the doubt but time is running out.

Chaos, twists and turns, blackmail and subterfuge abound and it's very humourous and witty in its unfolding. I couldn't put the book down and listened to it at every available opportunity. The narration was excellent and I'll continue with the series in audio.

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A fabulously fun read set in Cornwall. Donna Nightshade has just set up her detective agency when a murder case lands on her lap. The only problem, is all the evidence pints to her as the guilty party.
An easy read that transports me back to the many hours I spent in that corner of the country, not with any dead bodies mind!

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I ended up DNFing this book unfortunately. I tried so hard to get into the story but I really struggled to like the main character.

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Unfortunately, this one is a DNF for me. It took me over 3 weeks to get to 23% in the book so it’s obviously just not for me.

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This is a funny Cornish Mystery with lots of fun characters. It will keep you entertained throughout and wonderfully entertaining. Donna is a warm and fun character that I am looking forward to following more.
#thewrecker'scurse#Netgalley

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Donna Nightshade is starting a new detective agency, and is quickly involved in a murder where she is a prime suspect. So of course Donna investigates, as does her policeman ex-boyfriend Joe.

At first, I thought this book would be more of a "cozy mystery" but it really didn't have that tone. Donna is tough, but certainly has a sensitive. A favorite character of mine is Donna's very musical sister. And I liked the setting and side characters

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An enjoyable mystery set in beautiful Cornwall, I think I enjoyed the setting the most about this one. It was a slightly complicated story but it kept me interested and Donna was an fun character to get to grips with. A solid mystery read.

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A dream location, a brilliant plot and a range of intricately detailed characters. This ticks all the boxes!

The Cornwall setting is described brilliantly and Donna is a great character. She is determined and focused on solving the mystery, no matter the consequences.
I'm sure this series will do well!

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Sadly this one was a DNF for me ,I tried 4 days to get into it and I just couldn't. It got to the point that I just decided this wasn't a book for me at all.

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I am very happy to have discovered this series. The mystery is solid and takes a few turns. i love the characters and the humor.
Many thanks to Harpercollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Jo Silva is a new author for me so I wasn't sure what to expect with The Wrecker's Curse but I loved every moment of this book with its clever plot and witty, well-developed characters and perfect setting. The family dynamic was entertaining and I'm now looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC copy in return for an honest review.

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The mystery within the book intrigued me and I wanted to know how it would all turn out and who did what and why. Some of it did seem to get a little complicated and far fetched but sometimes that works!

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This was a crazy story based around a family descended from Cornish Wreckers and the start up of a D,etective Agency. Some wonderful characters, well described, not to forget a Macaw called Ruby. It includes a mad chase by boat, plane and a Navy Frigate to the Isles of Scily to save a life and catch some smugglers. There was also an evening at the Minack Theatre that was a bit different from the usual offering.. Hilarious read from beginning to end!

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A smashing mystery, murder who done it set in Cornwall. A place that I love so much. Enjoyed trying to work out the culprit in this one suits me perfectly. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

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The first book in this series and I enjoyed it! Was a great read and loved the main character, look forward to more.

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The Wrecker’s Curse by Jo Silva is part of a series but could be read as a stand-alone. It was an interesting premise: a family “cursed.” It was also a matriarchal family, with both “powers” and real estate passing down through the women, a woman: Donna “Deadly” Nightshade. There were two living now: one was in prison, rather in an insane asylum; the other was at home running the family. Now, the second Donna was to be arrested for murdering the same man the first one had tried to kill. He was a bad man, everyone agreed. The family held lots of secrets, not least of which was why the first Donna had tried to kill this man, her husband. They lived on the coast in Cornwall. Lots of hills, cliffs, and water. Light houses and lanterns.

A group of interesting characters, from the Nightshade family to the police officer who had been in love with Donna(younger) for years. Well-written, interesting characters. Interestingly all the Nightshades and their friends had motives; they also had means and opportunity. Plus, it appeared they were covering for one another. This book was an interesting conundrum. I didn’t see the end coming and I’m usually good at it. There were twists and turns that the author didn’t introduce until well into the “investigation.” Not sure if that’s fair, or if it was disclosed in the earlier book. I enjoyed this book. It kept me interested and thinking.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Wrecker’s Curse by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HarperCollinsUKOneMoreChapter #JoSilva #TheWreckersCurse

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A solid mystery, a lovely setting, and a crazy cast of characters in a lot of crazy situations.
I had a lot of fun, the mystery kept me guessing and i loved the characters.
Can't wait to read another book by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

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A fun, enchanting and totally unexpected cozy mystery by a new author to me.

The author held me from the first page to the end! Quirky characters, a wonderful setting in Cornwall and a murder mystery with Belladonna Nightshade (lol) setting up her own detective agency.

Of course her first case is a relative and with the help of a detective, she might just find out what happened!

Will be looking to read more!

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'ye curse of the deadliest of all ye black pyrates.'

Wow!! What a fantastic, totally quirky and wacko, entertaining, and completely engrossing mystery. Three things I liked the most about this series debut: 1)quirky characters 2)setting - Cornwall!!! 3)pirates and curses

I have to talk about the side characters. Apart from Donna, there's one character who stood out from the rest and that's Lamorna, Donna's younger sister. She's practically a child (eighteen years younger than a thirty-something Donna) but she's far more intelligent than all the Nightshades put together. She plays various instruments and has a tune for every mood.

Then there's Ruby - the family macaw - who has an Attitude with a capital A. Aunty Kerensa and her sibling Aunty Donna (Donna's predecessor). Kerensa is the lollipop lady - the one who holds a stop sign at school crossings. Donna is in a prison for psychiatric patients - she tried to kill Uncle Jack(her husband) a couple of years ago. Finally, we have Uncle Jago (a Nightshade) who loves pigs and smells like pigshit.

If this eclectic mix of characters wasn't enough wacko, we have a totally wacko murder mystery here. Donna dons her pirate suit and arr, arr, arr she goes in search of clues. Ahoy!

I loved every bit of this story. Quirky humor seals the deal. The murder mystery keeps one guessing till the end. Speaking of which, the ending is simple unexpected and mind-blowing. Wow, so many twists and revelations, I was like "let sleeping dogs lie!"

The Wrecker's Curse by Jo Silva is a fantabulous series debut. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

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