The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! The publication date is the 21st Sept 2023.

This book was so captivating it drew me in from the very first page. My favourite character is Lily I would always wonder what she would do next! This book is perfect for psychological thrillers fans alike. I read well into the night when I should have turned light dying to know what would happen next it’s definitely a page turner!

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and all the plot twists that it presented! Another cracking book by Lisa Hall!

In 2019, Lily is a cleaner at the famous Beverley Hills Hotel, the place where famous actress Honey Black was mysteriously and brutally murdered seventy years before.

Regaining consciousness after a bump to her head in the very suite in which the murder was committed, Lily finds herself in 1949, a fortnight before the actress is murdered.

Can Lily work out who the killer is and prevent the murder from taking place?

A time-slip cosy crime mystery set in L.A. during Hollywood’s Golden Age, The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black is clever and completely original, the plotting is flawless and the characters will stay with you long after you finish reading. This is one book you most certainly can judge by its amazing cover!

Time travel, old Hollywood, and a mystery!!! My type of book. This was a fun and easy read. The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Firstly, I must mention the title The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black is such an intriguing title. Why a double death? What’s the mystery behind the death of Honey Black? So many questions that are deftly answered by Lisa Hall in this original glamorous, time-slip murder mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood. It’s 2019, and Lily is a cleaner at the famous Beverly Hills Hotel. It’s the where the actress Honey Black was brutally murdered and they did not catch her killer. After an accidental bump to the head, Lily finds herself in Hollywood but in 1949. Rubbing shoulders with Hollywood’s elite, including Honey Black. Lily realises that the actress has only two weeks left to live before her murder date. Can she unmask the killer before it’s too late? Can she alter Honey’s fate? And so begins a compelling and addictive read.

I normally like my crime thrillers to be full of blood and gore. The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black is more of a cosy murder mystery. It made a pleasant change and reminded me of a classic Agatha Christie book, where the tension lies in the ‘whodunnit’ rather than the crime itself. It’s obvious the author has researched the Hollywood of bygone days, the glamour, glitz, gossip and scandal. She brings the era to life with her stunning visual descriptions.

I like how the author misdirects you at every given opportunity. It certainly keeps you guessing. No sooner had I discounted one suspect another character took their place! Amateur sleuth Lilly is such a refreshing character. She’s determined, resourceful and considering her circumstances, she’s incredibly resilient.

The thing that makes this book so interesting is that, alongside Lilly’s investigations, we get transported back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. I loved the references to the real life stars before they became household names. In case you haven’t guessed, I loved the Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black. It’s clever and so original, it’s brilliantly plotted, with incredible characters. Highly recommend.
I will be posting my review to my blog nearer publication day

The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black is about Lily Jones, who works as a maid at the Beverly Hills Hotel. One day in 2019 she is cleaning the Paul Williams suite, where Honey Black was murdered 70 years earlier, when she is transported back to 1949 to stop the murder.

This book had the same vibes as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo so I was immediately obsessed. I loved the descriptions of the glamour of Hollywood and thought that every character felt really real and fleshed out. The mystery was very intriguing and I found myself being suspicious of every character at some point which made the final reveal really satisfying and shocking. I loved the playlist at the end and felt that the songs matched the atmosphere and characters in this book perfectly.

My only complaint is that at times I felt the pacing was a bit slow.

Overall this was a really original idea and I absolutely loved the setting and characters!

"You know she has been murdered. Can you stop it happening twice?

Two very different lives...

It is 2019 and Lily Jones is living her dream in LA. Sort of. It hasn't quite turned out as she planned and instead of working as a movie producer, she is cleaning at the prestigious Beverly Hills Hotel. At least she gets to work in the renowned Paul Williams suite, site of the brutal murder of Honey Black 70 years ago, shrouded in rumour and dark glamour.

It is 1949 and Honey Black is about to hit the big time. She may have started out a country girl from Hicksville but now she is a star. And Hollywood had better watch out - nothing can stop her now!

One Hollywood murder...

After an accidental bump to the head, Lily finds herself in Hollywood, 1949. Like a dream come true, she is rubbing shoulders with the great and good of Tinseltown. Including Honey Black...Horrified, Lily realises that the actress has only two weeks left to live before she will be murdered.

Could this be why she has found herself in 1949?

To find the killer and stop them in their tracks?

A glamorous, time-slip murder mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood - All About Eve meets Back to the Future. Don't miss this unforgettable read from bestselling author Lisa Hall; fans of Stuart Turton and cosy crime will love this!"

Oh yes, definitely for fans of Stuart Turton!

Couldn't put this book down, loved the time travel element, old Hollywood and a murder mystery all rolled into one. I did work out who 'done it' quite early on but it didn't stop me enjoying the book. Only criticism is that I wished there had been an epilogue about what happened to Lily when she returned to the present day.

It's 2019 and Lily works in housekeeping at the famous Beverly Hills Hotel in Hollywood. Although it's a bit of a thrill to be working there, where the rich and famous play. it's not quite what she had in mind when she envisioned "going to Hollywood". Her co-worker, Eric, entertains her with stories of all the well-known myths about many of the rooms that they clean, including the Paul Williams suite where rising starlet Honey Black was murdered 70 years previously. Very little is known about the incident and her murderer was never found. But Eric is nervous to clean the supposedly haunted room and Lily laughingly offers to do it for him. While doing so, she somehow manages to fall and bump her head.
She wakes up to discover that she's travelled back in time to 1949, and it's 2 weeks before Honey Black's murder. She firmly believes that she's there to prevent the event from happening and to find out who it was that wanted her dead.
What a fabulous, riveting piece of story-telling! A stunning look back at Hollywood in its heyday, and lots of fun trying to imagine who the author based certain characters on, although she does throw in quite a few of the big names for good measure, many of whom Lily recognises before they've even become famous. It's a great reminder of how far we've come in so many ways, but how some things never change. Greed, jealousy, secrets and lies were always around, and still are, as Lily discovers. Will she be able to do what she believes she was sent to do?
The research on this is impeccable, and I found it all so interesting. There were also some laugh-out-loud moments when Lily forgets herself from time to time, saying things that make absolutely no sense to the people around her as she mentions stuff that won't exist or happen for many years to come. And I really resonated with Lily when she desperately wanted to Google things, but just couldn't, for obvious reasons! It's unimagineable to us, isn't it?
If I had one complaint, it would be that the book is slightly too long, but other than that, it's a hugely enjoyable, highly imaginative read.

Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books for the eARC The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black. This was a good story to read. If you're into old Hollywood stories I think you would really enjoy this book .

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Loved this! I have read a few books where the MC travels through time in one way or another and I can confidently say this is now one of my favourites!

The MC was wonderful and the mystery is great.

Read this book!

A wonderfully crafted time slip whodunnit. Set between contemporary Hollywood and it's golden age, Hall has created a pacey pagetuner. Lily a disenchanted housekeeper at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the 21st Century suddenly finds herself embroiled in the glittery world of Honey Black the new star on the rise in 1949! Lily knows something no one else does, Honey will be murdered in two weeks, Can Lily find the would be murder and save Honey in time? A lively intriguing tale.

While working in the Beverly Hills hotel and trying to break into film production in Hollywood, Lilly is transported back to 1949.
There she meets and starts to work as a P.A for rising star Honey Black.
Lilly knows that Honey is murdered at the hotel 2 weeks later and thinks that preventing her murder will mean she can return back to 2019.
I really enjoyed this book and haven’t read anything like this before. The author has obviously researched Hollywood in the 40’s and I enjoyed this aspect of it as well as the crime aspect.

This is a split time line Historical novel. Set mostly in the glitzy, glamorous Hollywood Golden Age; where people smoke and starve themselves all in the hope they might be famous.

Lily is a chamber maid in the 2019, but is mysteriously transported back 70 years, apparently to save the life of an upcoming starlet Honey Black. There are definite glimpses of the 90s program Quantum Leap (without Al), but this adds to the story.

Lily has to try to stop the killing of Honey Black, all the while fitting in a different era with a different job, And a trusty pair of Converse.

I loved this and cant help hoping that maybe there will be another novel moving Lily to a different building, different era and different mystery to solve.

Five Stars.

This is a great concept for a book and I loved the idea of going back in time to try and stop an already happened murder.
This books takes you back to the Golden era of movies and the glamorous movie stars. It also brilliantly highlights the difference in those days when it came to women and the way they were treated and expected to behave. There's lots of little nods to our beloved and gone movie stars and I kept wondering what would have happened if our main character did try and change their fates also.
This is a very well written book and I loved getting transported back. A few flaws was I felt it did drag out a bit too long. I was getting restless by the end and was looking for the resolution. I would have also liked if the reader got a glimpse of what the butterfly effect would have been though I suppose it could be fun to draw one's own conclusions. A fun book with enjoyable characters and a most glamorous setting. I very much enjoyed my trip to the past.

With thanks to hera books giving me the chance to read and review.

I absolutely love Lisa Hall books this is totally different time travel murder mystery.

Honey Black was murdered back in 1949 at the famous Beverly Hills Hotel, fast forward to 2019 Lily is working at the hotel and cleans the room Honey Black was murdered in, after a bump to Lillys head she is transported back 70 years before the murder happened.

Can she stop it from happening again??

I found this book enjoyable and loved the concept, it was intriguing and kept me turning those pages.

I am sure I have read there is another in the series which I cannot wait to read.

Lisa Hall is one of my favourite authors so I was intrigued to read this novel, dvi h is a slight departure from her normal genre. Such is the quality of the writing that I felt transported back in time! A rich narrative that weaves a strong storyline; a really great novel.

I loved this book so much!! Give me a book set in the golden days of Hollywood anyway, throw in a murder and I am hooked!!

Lily is a cleaner at the famous Beverley Hills Hotel in 2019. After she bumps her head, she finds herself in the same hotel, but in 1949. It is 2 weeks before the actress, Honey Black, is murdered in the very same hotel. Lily feels that her way back to her time is to save Honey, but how? All she knows is she is murdered in her hotel suite and the date.

I didn't want this book to end. I was transported to Hollywood back in the good old days. I love reading about Bing Crosby playing piano, a very young James Dean arriving in town and so much more. It was a time of glitz and glamour and so many scandals. Lily has a hard time keeping her knowledge of the future to herself which was entertaining.

I urge you all to pick up this book..It was so much fun. Step back in time with these characters that will get into your heart.

Thank you so much Hera Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. A very different book from Lisa Hall and I just loved it so much.

The idea behind this is so clever- a housekeeper gets sent back in time to save Honey Black, an actress murdered the night before her 21st birthday in 1949, and no one was ever arrested or convicted of the crime.

Lily Jones takes a while to adjust to her new time but ends up figuring out her purpose for being in the Golden Age. She meets all the cast of characters who might have reason to kill Honey - and there are many people who might resent her or want her off the production of the movie that's being filmed. Like her ex husband, her costar's wife, her director's assistant...

I loved the setting of 1949 and seeing Hollywood as it used to be but I have to confess -I didn't love Lily. She was kind of dumb. That or the writing/drawn-out plot didn't do her any favors because I had so much figured out before her. I love a good mystery and this one wasn't compelling. I found the story itself slow, though I enjoyed meeting Louis the bartender and his sister Tilda.

It ends pretty abruptly, and I would have liked a bit more resolution at the end. Lily changed history and there should be ramifications from that. Like if Honey did actually live, she would have had kids, been in movies, etc. The murderer didn't win any awards or go on to marry, so history was altered, maybe in big ways.

Brilliant book, it was hard to put down once started to read as you really wanted to see if honey black could be saved or not. Will definitely recommend this book

Join Lily Jones as she travels back in time to 1949 to solve the murder of Hollywood Starlet, Honey Black.

This novel gripped me from the very beginning. The storyline was enticing, historical and fun. I enjoyed the time change to solve the murder, creating a ‘Double murder’ ideally. I also enjoyed Lily and Honey’s friendship.

The characters are true to the time and truly classical in the way they talk and act. The author also brings up some very controversial topics for the 40s, yet continues to hold the readers attention throughout the novel. It didn’t seem to progress as quickly as I had anticipated or hoped, but that just added more detail to the time and friendship of Honey & Lily.

I think most lovers of psychological thrillers can agree the authors ‘between you and me’ is a defining book in the genre…so it is always with anticipation I start a new book by Lisa Hall
This book is magical, it is about Lily who in 2019 suddenly whilst cleaning a suite in The Beverley Hills Hotel finds herself in 1949 with the knowledge the Hollywood Star ‘Honey Black’ is to be murdered in 2 weeks
It plays seamlessly, real writing skill needed with the timelines but it is done so well and with a touch of humour too that was appreciated
I loved the book being set in Beverley Hills and L.A. and adored the characters ( even the baddies ) and their portrayal, the descriptions of Hollywood in the late 40’s were amazing and you felt you were there with them all
Really really enjoyable book that scores top in everything it tried to do
Give this one a read, it’s different enough to become a favourite and shows just how this author can write different genres and write them so well
Loved it

Oh this was absolutely wonderful! We meet Lily a cleaner at the famous Beverley Hills Hotel in the year 2019, she bumps her head and wakes up in the same hotel in 1949. She realises it looks like she's been sent back here to stop the murder of the famous actress Honey Black. Lily has read about the murder of Honey but she only know when it happens but she doesn't know who does it because it was never revealed.

Once I started this book I just could not stop reading and I did not want it to end. I loved Lily as a character, I loved how she kept accidentally mentioning things that happen in 2019 or earlier but the characters in 1949 had no idea what she was talking about. I also loved the character of Honey, she was such a sweet character and a wonderful friend as well. Louis and Tilda were the perfect friends for Lily they took her in weird expressions and clothing the lot.

I loved the mentions of (now) very famous Hollywood actors/public figures like James Dean, Bing Crosby, and Ingrid Bergman for example.

I can not recommend this book enough if you love the feel of old Hollywood (I have only read 2 books in the genre but I am definitely reading more after this one!)

Thank you to Hera Books, NetGalley and Lisa Hall for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.