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machadofam8's review
4.0
In return for an ARC from #netgalley here is my review of Murder at the Met by E. W. Cooper.
The story picks up in November 1928 after the events of The Jade Tiger. Penelope is invited by her cousin, Mary to a meeting of the Hudson Valley Operatic Society. There she meets Patsy Galton, the hostess and Ivy and Tulip Warwick, and their overbearing mother, Violet. Penelope is hoping to find students she can teach.
Meanwhile, Lund is asked to investigate the drowning death of a woman in the summer of 1927 out on Long Island. Penelope and Lund meet after both are gifted tickets to the opera at the Metropolitan Opera House. There is a page that describes the minutes right before the performance starts and Cooper does such a great job of describing the sounds and the feelings that I could picture myself in a theater waiting for the curtain to rise.
A dead body is found on the stairs and it is Roger Warwick, Violet's husband. And then Tulip is found in the bathroom, poisoned but alive, barely.
Lund investigates the drowning death of Coralee and Penelope takes it upon herself to help Ivy and Tulip.
A fun cozy mystery - just enough red herrings and enough action to keep me turning the pages. Looking forward to more in the series.
The story picks up in November 1928 after the events of The Jade Tiger. Penelope is invited by her cousin, Mary to a meeting of the Hudson Valley Operatic Society. There she meets Patsy Galton, the hostess and Ivy and Tulip Warwick, and their overbearing mother, Violet. Penelope is hoping to find students she can teach.
Meanwhile, Lund is asked to investigate the drowning death of a woman in the summer of 1927 out on Long Island. Penelope and Lund meet after both are gifted tickets to the opera at the Metropolitan Opera House. There is a page that describes the minutes right before the performance starts and Cooper does such a great job of describing the sounds and the feelings that I could picture myself in a theater waiting for the curtain to rise.
A dead body is found on the stairs and it is Roger Warwick, Violet's husband. And then Tulip is found in the bathroom, poisoned but alive, barely.
Lund investigates the drowning death of Coralee and Penelope takes it upon herself to help Ivy and Tulip.
A fun cozy mystery - just enough red herrings and enough action to keep me turning the pages. Looking forward to more in the series.
markreadsbooks_sg's review
4.0
I got Murder at the Met By E.W. Cooper from Booksiens for a fair and honest review.
Murder at the Met is the second book in the Penelope Harris Mysteris. Once again we are in the world of late 1920’s New York.
When a night at the opera ends in a father being dead at the bottom of the stairs and a one of his three daughters dying of arsenic poisoning.
Penelope gets involved in the investigation, while at the same time Lund is looking into a suicide from a year ago.
This is the second book of the Penelope Harries mysteries and the book is so much better for this, because as a reader you have already been immersed in this world. Which makes the part before the murder is a better read in the first book
As well as improving the first part of the book, this follow up allows the reader to really start to know the characters that will be regulars in the series.
This is particularly true of Lund, while he was a major person in the first book, you start to learn a bit more about him and his motives, which makes him a more well rounded person, this is true even of Penelope, the main character of the book.
The crimes this time were a bit more throughout than ast time, which meant that it was a little more complicated than the first with a number of different suspects and even 3 murders in the story has me as a reader at least trying to work out if there was connection between them.
All of this makes E. W. Cooper's Murder at the Met a must read , either as part of the series or a one of novel.
Murder at the Met is the second book in the Penelope Harris Mysteris. Once again we are in the world of late 1920’s New York.
When a night at the opera ends in a father being dead at the bottom of the stairs and a one of his three daughters dying of arsenic poisoning.
Penelope gets involved in the investigation, while at the same time Lund is looking into a suicide from a year ago.
This is the second book of the Penelope Harries mysteries and the book is so much better for this, because as a reader you have already been immersed in this world. Which makes the part before the murder is a better read in the first book
As well as improving the first part of the book, this follow up allows the reader to really start to know the characters that will be regulars in the series.
This is particularly true of Lund, while he was a major person in the first book, you start to learn a bit more about him and his motives, which makes him a more well rounded person, this is true even of Penelope, the main character of the book.
The crimes this time were a bit more throughout than ast time, which meant that it was a little more complicated than the first with a number of different suspects and even 3 murders in the story has me as a reader at least trying to work out if there was connection between them.
All of this makes E. W. Cooper's Murder at the Met a must read , either as part of the series or a one of novel.
dogearedandfurry's review
3.0
This took quite a while to get going, and was quite heavy on the opera for me. I persevered because I like historical mysteries, even if I’m not the biggest opera fan, and overall I’m glad I did. While I don’t feel many of the characters were particularly vivid or fleshed out, I did like how the various plot lines all tied together at the end.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the long delay in providing this.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the long delay in providing this.
trisha_thomas's review
4.0
"I'm beginning to believe opera might serve the same function as a dark alley."
What a fun and interesting story! It was so great to be back with Penelope and her wild life and then Lund joining the mix. I loved that they bumped in to one another at the opera and their banter before the show started (they are so cute!). I also really enjoyed the two different storylines. Lund is investigating a suicide someone is suspicious about. Penelope is roped in to a messy family as one member is found dead and another at the brink of death. I loved that with each turn, you could tell Penelope and Lund, in turn, were drawing closer to their conclusions, and yet I couldn't see it and didn't guess it. So well done.
Also, if you decide to give this one a try without reading the first, this one absolutely stands well on its own (although Why you wouldn't want to read the first one is beyond me! It's great too!)
I'm so glad I continued the series. I can't wait for more!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
What a fun and interesting story! It was so great to be back with Penelope and her wild life and then Lund joining the mix. I loved that they bumped in to one another at the opera and their banter before the show started (they are so cute!). I also really enjoyed the two different storylines. Lund is investigating a suicide someone is suspicious about. Penelope is roped in to a messy family as one member is found dead and another at the brink of death. I loved that with each turn, you could tell Penelope and Lund, in turn, were drawing closer to their conclusions, and yet I couldn't see it and didn't guess it. So well done.
Also, if you decide to give this one a try without reading the first, this one absolutely stands well on its own (although Why you wouldn't want to read the first one is beyond me! It's great too!)
I'm so glad I continued the series. I can't wait for more!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
lswilliams3007's review
3.0
This is a fine mystery. The plot is interesting, and includes a few twists along the way. I wish the writing was just a bit better. The elements of a good story were there, but the quality of the writing keeps it in the average category. If you are looking for an undemanding bit of entertainment for a quick read, Murder at the Met will do the trick.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
thefictionaddictionblog's review
5.0
Murder At The Met (Penelope Harris Mystery #2), by E. W. Cooper, is a historical murder mystery set in 1920s Manhattan. If you haven't read the first Penelope Harris book, The Jade Tiger, it's still easy to pick up Murder at the Met and understand the plot. Penelope Harris has recently returned to New York from Shanghai, hoping to repair her reputation and restart a musical career. She's quietly networking and looking for voice students at an amateur recital, which turns into a dramatic mix with an incredibly pushy stage mother, talentless singer from a powerful family, and loads of casting dramas. I loved meeting all these characters, and seeing all their performance intrigue and personality clashes, and it sets up the rest of the book so well.
Penelope's bumped into an old flame, Thom Lund, and settled down to enjoy a night at the opera (and each other's company, obviously) when there's a mysterious death of another opera attendee. Without revealing spoilers, it could just be a tragic accident... but something's not quite right, especially as more is discovered. Penelope feels loyalty to the daughters she met earlier that day, and finds herself pulled into an investigation instead of canoodling with Thom. Meanwhile, Thom's been asked to look into a recent suicide, also while keeping his investigation quiet to avoid scandal and gossip for the family.
Penelope and Thom both find themselves pulled into a complicated investigation, where nothing's really what it seems at first. There are so many society secrets around affairs and money that at first it seems like Penelope and Thom could never solve their cases. I enjoyed discovering the secrets and the constant keeping up appearances, and I kept wanting Penelope and Thom to finally get some time alone.
Murder at the Met is a fast-paced mystery, with a roaring twenties backdrop. Yes, there's murder in the book, and the location and condition of the body is described, but none of the descriptions are gross. It's not quite a cozy mystery though, Penelope's in real danger and there's a real body count, but fortunately for me, there never any gory descriptions. Mostly there are wild personalities to meet and society secrets to uncover in this historical mystery.
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC. Opinions are my own, as always.
Penelope's bumped into an old flame, Thom Lund, and settled down to enjoy a night at the opera (and each other's company, obviously) when there's a mysterious death of another opera attendee. Without revealing spoilers, it could just be a tragic accident... but something's not quite right, especially as more is discovered. Penelope feels loyalty to the daughters she met earlier that day, and finds herself pulled into an investigation instead of canoodling with Thom. Meanwhile, Thom's been asked to look into a recent suicide, also while keeping his investigation quiet to avoid scandal and gossip for the family.
Penelope and Thom both find themselves pulled into a complicated investigation, where nothing's really what it seems at first. There are so many society secrets around affairs and money that at first it seems like Penelope and Thom could never solve their cases. I enjoyed discovering the secrets and the constant keeping up appearances, and I kept wanting Penelope and Thom to finally get some time alone.
Murder at the Met is a fast-paced mystery, with a roaring twenties backdrop. Yes, there's murder in the book, and the location and condition of the body is described, but none of the descriptions are gross. It's not quite a cozy mystery though, Penelope's in real danger and there's a real body count, but fortunately for me, there never any gory descriptions. Mostly there are wild personalities to meet and society secrets to uncover in this historical mystery.
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC. Opinions are my own, as always.
ktrainofthoughts's review
4.0
“The murder at met” by “E.W.Copper” is a murder mystery set in New York. I found the ARC free from BookSirens and writing an honest review voluntarily. It is the second book of the Penelope Harris Mystery series. I didn’t read the first one, but this read can read as a standalone.
Penelope returned to New York to restart her musical career. In search of students and making of network she met with many dramatic characters, I find reading that part quite interesting.
The story starts when she went to attend the Metropolitan Opera. She bumped into an old friend, Thom Lund. They both were enjoying the evening with each other company when their flirtatious evening was disturbed by the sudden death of another opera guest. Death or a murder? Penelope started the investigation of this case, many pages opened related to High society secrets, a dysfunctional family, and financial secrets. Meanwhile, Thom Lund was also investigating the Suicide murder. will both be able to solve the cases?
I found this read fast-paced. The narration is expressive, making it easy to imagine every scene and feel the emotions of the characters. Overall, it is an action-packed read with turns and twists.
I am looking forward to the next book of this series.
Penelope returned to New York to restart her musical career. In search of students and making of network she met with many dramatic characters, I find reading that part quite interesting.
The story starts when she went to attend the Metropolitan Opera. She bumped into an old friend, Thom Lund. They both were enjoying the evening with each other company when their flirtatious evening was disturbed by the sudden death of another opera guest. Death or a murder? Penelope started the investigation of this case, many pages opened related to High society secrets, a dysfunctional family, and financial secrets. Meanwhile, Thom Lund was also investigating the Suicide murder. will both be able to solve the cases?
I found this read fast-paced. The narration is expressive, making it easy to imagine every scene and feel the emotions of the characters. Overall, it is an action-packed read with turns and twists.
I am looking forward to the next book of this series.
lindsaybonnez's review
3.0
This is an enjoyable mystery book, but I couldn’t keep everything from getting mixed up. The plot is nice and I like the plottwists and storyline, but I wasn’t invested enough at all to actually care. The pace felt a bit to steady, some things overexplained & I had the biggest trouble in the world connecting the dots/remembering what was necessary. A few times people got adressed with their first name after being adressed continuously with their last name wich threw me off completely.
There was quite some mentioning of the first book, but you don’t have to have read it to be able to read this one. I do think it would have helped me alot, but you get enough info and clues along the way.
I liked how the plot intertwines and the plottwists were really good, I just could not bring up any feelings towards the characters wich made it just meh instead of good.
There was quite some mentioning of the first book, but you don’t have to have read it to be able to read this one. I do think it would have helped me alot, but you get enough info and clues along the way.
I liked how the plot intertwines and the plottwists were really good, I just could not bring up any feelings towards the characters wich made it just meh instead of good.
the_book_suite's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book; I enjoyed it a lot more than the previous one. And I already liked that one quite a bit to begin with!
Firstly, though, I want to talk about the most important thing in this book: the mystery itself. Honestly, this plot was so intriguing with so many different facets and threads; it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Plus, I truly didn’t see the conclusion coming; it completely shocked me. Of course, looking back, it made sense and the clues were there, but I didn’t even come close to piecing it together.
Aside from the basic case of the book, though, I really enjoyed the character development in this one. I liked how it built upon the information from the previous book, but it was also interesting by itself. Plus, I loved how it played into the plot, as well. There’s one thing in particular that goes outside the box when it comes to tying into the main plot, but I’ll leave it to you to find out when you read it!
Also, the relationship development between different characters in this book was just as good as the individual character development. Penelope and Lund’s storyline remains super interesting, but I personally liked how Cooper developed Penelope’s relationship with her mother.
Finally, I think I liked the setting in this book even more than I did in the first one. Of course, it’s still 1920s New York City, but we saw more locations in Murder at the Met, which I enjoyed. Though, I suppose we did get more flashbacks to Shanghai in the first installment.
So, I highly recommend reading this book as well as the rest of the series. It has an excellent plot that is guaranteed to fascinate you, and the characters are truly amazing, too. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more installments in this series!
(I received an advanced copy for review. I'm leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions and thoughts included are wholly unbiased and my own.)
Firstly, though, I want to talk about the most important thing in this book: the mystery itself. Honestly, this plot was so intriguing with so many different facets and threads; it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Plus, I truly didn’t see the conclusion coming; it completely shocked me. Of course, looking back, it made sense and the clues were there, but I didn’t even come close to piecing it together.
Aside from the basic case of the book, though, I really enjoyed the character development in this one. I liked how it built upon the information from the previous book, but it was also interesting by itself. Plus, I loved how it played into the plot, as well. There’s one thing in particular that goes outside the box when it comes to tying into the main plot, but I’ll leave it to you to find out when you read it!
Also, the relationship development between different characters in this book was just as good as the individual character development. Penelope and Lund’s storyline remains super interesting, but I personally liked how Cooper developed Penelope’s relationship with her mother.
Finally, I think I liked the setting in this book even more than I did in the first one. Of course, it’s still 1920s New York City, but we saw more locations in Murder at the Met, which I enjoyed. Though, I suppose we did get more flashbacks to Shanghai in the first installment.
So, I highly recommend reading this book as well as the rest of the series. It has an excellent plot that is guaranteed to fascinate you, and the characters are truly amazing, too. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more installments in this series!
(I received an advanced copy for review. I'm leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions and thoughts included are wholly unbiased and my own.)