Sunday, August 28, 2022

On My Radar: Hannah Dennison's A Killer Christmas at Honeychurch Hall!

 


Even though I've found myself moving away from cozy mysteries the past couple of years, there are still a few series that I enjoy too much to ever abandon. Hannah Dennison's Honeychurch Hall series is one of them, and when I learned of a new, Christmas-themed one, being released in November, I just had to pre-order it. 

Dennison's combination of excellent characters, her wit and humor, the main character's antiques business, and the setting of a down-at-heels English country house checks too many boxes for me to ignore. Let me tell you more about it!
 
 
Available November 10, 2022!

 
Synopsis: 

"Following the butler's death and the cook's retirement, the ever-gullible Lady Lavinia replaces them with a power couple who are determined to thrust the crumbling estate into the 21st century. The Dowager Countess reluctantly agrees to hold a big-ticket Christmas gala and silent auction with a mystery celebrity flying in from Monaco as the guest of honour.

Needless to say the newcomers' make a few enemies in their quest to change the status quo and when one body is discovered in the Victorian stumpery and a second, in the ha-ha, it seems that their high-flying past is catching up with them.

Meanwhile, Kat is dealing with the theft of a valuable doll that had been earmarked for the auction. When it turns out that all the ticket money has vanished and there never was a celebrity guest, it's up to Kat to save the day and bring the cold-blooded killer to justice
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I don't know about you, but the synopsis put a smile on my face. I'm really looking forward to reading A Killer Christmas at Honeychurch Hall. There's always something new to learn about life in a dilapidated English country house, and you may think Dennison is pulling your leg with mentions of stumperies and ha-has, but she's not; both were commonplace features of country estates in England in centuries past. As I read, I know I'm going to learn something interesting about antiques, and as I can't stand Kat Stanford's mother, I always read the newest book in the series in hopes that the woman will finally have her well-deserved comeuppance. (I know... shame on me!)

This is a fun series to read, and if you haven't already, I hope you'll give it a try.

8 comments:

  1. Oh, I agree, Cathy! This is a fun series, and I like the way the characters have developed over time. And the Devon setting's done nicely, too, I think. There's a nice balance, too, between 'funny' and a good plot. Good to see that a new one's on the way!

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    1. It certainly is, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Dennison weaves the Christmas season into her story.

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  2. This does sound like a fun series. The first line of that blurb totally made me smile! And my library has several of Dennison's books. Is it a series where you should start with the first book, or do you think I can jump in pretty much anywhere?

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    1. You could jump in anywhere, but-- after having a little think about it-- I believe it's best to start at the beginning. :-)

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  3. I haven't read the series but I am adding it to my TBR list.

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    1. Often, one of these Honeychurch Hall mysteries is just what the doctor ordered after reading heavier, darker fare.

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  4. I'm glad to see she is continuing on with this series even while writing a newer one. These are on my TBR. I have read both of the books so far in her Island Sisters series and really enjoyed them. This one sounds fun.

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    1. It is fun, Gretchen. I really liked her 2nd Island Sisters mystery, too.

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