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Virtually Scared To Death by Gillian Larkin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I began reading a novella last night and, due to its brevity, I was able to finish it in one evening. It was Virtually Scared to Death by Gillian Larkin, and it's the first book in the "Julia Blake" cozy mystery series. The narrative is in first-person pov of the main character, Julia, who owns a cleaning business.

Julia is shocked to discover one of her clients, Mark Castle, dead on the floor of his apartment. The last time she saw him, he was working on a new computer game, and he said some odd things before arguing with a business partner. Julia begins to suspect foul play, especially considering the bottle of pills next to Mark's body were different than what she normally saw in his home. Although she shares her concerns with the detective inspector on the case, Julia soon learns she's a suspect, herself. It's up to her to clear her name and help bring a killer to justice.

This was shorter than I had anticipated, and it was basic and bland. If you wanted to introduce your tweens to cozy mysteries, this would be a good story to start them with. There wasn't anything wrong with it; it simply lacked substance and sophistication.

Favorite line: "Lower your lemon juice. We'll take over from here."

Average read, average rating: three stars

A Ghost In The Pub by Gillian Larkin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Last night, I read an ebook novella, A Ghost in the Pub by Gillian Larkin. It's the second part of the "Ruby and Nessa" series, featuring sisters and ghost hunters, Ruby and Nessa. Story is told in third person point of view, from Ruby's view. This was a short story, but it was chaptered; therefore, I'm counting it!

Ruby and Nessa are called to investigate strange happenings at a local pub. A disgusting smell is becoming more and more prevalent, and bottles have been upended. The owner is losing business as a result, and he's desperate for help. Ruby and Nessa soon discover that the pub is haunted by the spirit of an evil man. When Nessa does a sketch of him, locals claim it's Shifty Sid Simmons, a small-time crook who hasn't been seen in decades. The question is, why is he haunting the Red Lion Pub?

The story was interesting, although it was a bit too short to really get into it. Ruby and Nessa's investigation proceeded in an orderly fashion, but I felt that the climax was quite anticlimactic. Nevertheless, it was entertaining for a brief read.

Favorite line: "I bet it stinks of old people and cabbage. And wee."

Average read, average score

Over the course of two evenings, I read Death Takes a Trip, by Gillian Larkin. It was an ebook, a novella, and the fifth installment in the author's "Julia Blake Cozy Mystery" series. The author did a good job of not making me feel like I was missing anything by starting in the middle of the series.

Julia Blake cleans houses for a living, with her assistant Cain. One of her favorite clients is an older gentleman named Douglas Pedley. He has been mourning his wife, but has recently met a new woman. Julia and Cain are immediately taken with Nina, and they couldn't be happier for Douglas. Julia soon learns that a local real estate developer has been pressuring Douglas to sell his house, and the developer has resorted to underhanded tactics. The police don't take Julia's suspicions seriously, until Douglas is found dead at the bottom of his stairs. It soon becomes clear this was no accident.

This was a cute, cozy mystery. The writing lacked sophistication, but it was nice to read something that didn't get bogged down in wordiness. I believe this was a freebie on Amazon. While it was an entertaining read, I don't think I'll make an effort to read more in the series unless they're free. There are too many other cozies out there that I find more interesting.

Three out of five:

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