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hlflosser's review
4.0
I love love the cover of this cozy. I really enjoyed the mystery and the house. It had two mysteries to follow one being solved the other continues in next book. I don’t usually like a cliffhanger but this one closed the end enough I’m happy with it. And plan to read the next one sometime.
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
4.0
A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley is the first book in A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series. Lena London has finished graduate school and is looking for a job when she receives a call from her friend, Allison. Allison has the perfect job for Lena. Allison happens to be in a knitting group with Lena’s favorite writer, Camilla Graham. Camilla is looking for a ghost writer (of sorts). Camilla is a writer of romantic suspense and Lena has been a fan since she was a teenager. Camilla needs someone to brainstorm with her, do research, and do some writing. Lena is the perfect candidate. She did her graduate thesis on Camilla and her work. After a phone interview, Lena is hired. She will get to live in Graham House with Camilla. Lena arrives and quickly settles in. She is looking out a window and notices someone on the beach—and they are not moving. Camilla and Lena go to check and find Martin Jonas dead. Martin was a waiter at Wheatgrass, a restaurant owned by Adam Rayburn (who visits Camilla regularly). This is just the first incident. It seems that someone is coming onto the property at night. If it was not for Camilla’s dogs, they would never know. However, whenever they investigate the person (or persons) have disappeared. What is going on? Then Lena hears about a “secret” regarding Graham House. Does the house have a secret? Then there is the matter of Sam West. Sam is Camilla’s closest neighbor. He came to Blue Lake, Indiana to get away from the press and rumors in New York. A year ago Sam’s wife disappeared. Sam was accused of the crime, but there is no proof (and no body). Now people are accusing Sam of Martin’s death. Lena does not believe that Sam is guilty and is quite vocal on the matter. Then blood is found in Sam’s New York apartment and it belongs to his wife, Victoria (and Sam was in New York recently). Lena wants to find a way to prove Sam innocent. Looks like life is not so quiet in Blue Lake as Allison indicated. Join Lena as she sets out to get answers.
A Dark and Stormy Murder was not bad for a first book in a new series. The book is easy to read, but had some slow parts (especially when Lena got off on her thinking tangents). The murder occurred too early in the book which made the novel seem really long (thought it was not). There was one thing that I found just odd. I did not understand Lena defending Sam so vehemently. She had just met the man, but she was absolutely convinced of his innocence. How can you be certain a man is innocent if you just met him (and know nothing about him)? I give A Dark and Stormy Murder 3.5 out of 5 stars. There was some repetition of information (an example is Camilla’s books and how much Lena enjoyed them). I enjoyed the two mysteries especially the one regarding the murder of Martin Jonas. They were interesting (if I say more it would be a spoiler) and complicated (especially the Sam West case). Unfortunately, only one case gets wrapped up in A Dark and Stormy Murder. We will have to wait for the next book to see what happens regarding Sam West and his missing wife. A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series has potential. I think with more character development it can be a good series to enjoy. I will be reading the next book.
I received a complimentary copy of A Dark and Stormy Murder from NetGalley (and the publisher) in exchange for an honest evaluation of the book.
A Dark and Stormy Murder was not bad for a first book in a new series. The book is easy to read, but had some slow parts (especially when Lena got off on her thinking tangents). The murder occurred too early in the book which made the novel seem really long (thought it was not). There was one thing that I found just odd. I did not understand Lena defending Sam so vehemently. She had just met the man, but she was absolutely convinced of his innocence. How can you be certain a man is innocent if you just met him (and know nothing about him)? I give A Dark and Stormy Murder 3.5 out of 5 stars. There was some repetition of information (an example is Camilla’s books and how much Lena enjoyed them). I enjoyed the two mysteries especially the one regarding the murder of Martin Jonas. They were interesting (if I say more it would be a spoiler) and complicated (especially the Sam West case). Unfortunately, only one case gets wrapped up in A Dark and Stormy Murder. We will have to wait for the next book to see what happens regarding Sam West and his missing wife. A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series has potential. I think with more character development it can be a good series to enjoy. I will be reading the next book.
I received a complimentary copy of A Dark and Stormy Murder from NetGalley (and the publisher) in exchange for an honest evaluation of the book.
lareinadehades's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
zimm_zamm's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
melinda1962's review
4.0
4.5 Another series I can’t wait to dive into after reading this first one. It ticked all my boxes: great characters including the furry four legged ones; big gothic house with older writer residing; a murder mystery; an ongoing mystery going into the next book; a village with all sorts of colourful characters; and a love interest or two for the main character.
jenjansen's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
blogginboutbooks's review
4.0
WHAT I LIKED:
- A fun literary setup
- An intriguing old house with lots of secrets to discover
- Warm, likable characters
- A quaint, idyllic setting
- Quick read with lots of action
- Clean read
- An engaging, enjoyable novel overall that makes me want to keep reading the series
WHAT BUGGED:
- The storytelling and pacing is a bit frenetic, with so much going on that it made my head spin a little. I would have preferred a calmer pace, so the plot and the development of relationships felt more realistic and authentic.
- An annoying, insta-lovey love triangle
- Characters are likable, but not super unique or memorable
- Plot is far-fetched and contrived (although I expect this in a cozy and, honestly, this one is not nearly as improbable as some I've read)
- The story's structure is a bit odd, focusing more on a secondary mystery than the murder at its center. Also, the latter isn't solved in this book. It's to be continued in the next installment, which is not something that usually happens with cozies. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it did catch me by surprise, making the novel's ending feel too abrupt.
I've never read Buckley before, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I quite enjoyed this series opener. It's warm, fun, clean, and entertaining. I've already reserved the second installment at my library and am looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. Since I can't, I'm rounding up.
- A fun literary setup
- An intriguing old house with lots of secrets to discover
- Warm, likable characters
- A quaint, idyllic setting
- Quick read with lots of action
- Clean read
- An engaging, enjoyable novel overall that makes me want to keep reading the series
WHAT BUGGED:
- The storytelling and pacing is a bit frenetic, with so much going on that it made my head spin a little. I would have preferred a calmer pace, so the plot and the development of relationships felt more realistic and authentic.
- An annoying, insta-lovey love triangle
- Characters are likable, but not super unique or memorable
- Plot is far-fetched and contrived (although I expect this in a cozy and, honestly, this one is not nearly as improbable as some I've read)
- The story's structure is a bit odd, focusing more on a secondary mystery than the murder at its center. Also, the latter isn't solved in this book. It's to be continued in the next installment, which is not something that usually happens with cozies. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it did catch me by surprise, making the novel's ending feel too abrupt.
I've never read Buckley before, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I quite enjoyed this series opener. It's warm, fun, clean, and entertaining. I've already reserved the second installment at my library and am looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. Since I can't, I'm rounding up.
pr727's review
Did not get far into this book before giving up due to annoying writing and dialog. Way too much irrelevant detail. I listened to the audiobook - the reader's voice was also annoying.