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annarella's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a fan of senior detective and was very happy I requested this ARC because it's amazing.
I loved Stella and the likable and well developed cast of characters.
The stories are well written, engaging and entertaining.
I think it'd be interesting to read a novel featuring Stella.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved Stella and the likable and well developed cast of characters.
The stories are well written, engaging and entertaining.
I think it'd be interesting to read a novel featuring Stella.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
lynwebster's review
4.0
Eighty-two year old Stella Ryman has found an original way to soldier on through the difficulties of old age, lack of freedom, bad food and the sheer boredom of living in an aged care home. She has become Fairmount Manor's resident amateur sleuth.
I love this concept, and it gets better, because Stella isn't your usual detective. She is curious and resourceful, sure, but she doesn't always remember just what she is trying to achieve. She is courageous and a bit of a rebel, determined to go wherever she wants, but she can't quite recall where the dining room is. And sometimes she just needs a nap. Nevertheless, she is no tame old lady:
“In this posture, she felt exactly like a teenaged juvenile delinquent. It was not a bad way to feel at eighty-two.”
In this loosely linked collection of five stories, Stella investigates several thefts, a mysterious new resident who may have a sinister agenda, a possible case of elder abuse and even the appearance of a ghost. And she does it in the company of some memorable fellow residents who are also anything but sweet old ladies. Stella's best friend, Thelma, is "perhaps the crankiest blind woman in Canada". Then there is the Greek Chorus (Iolanthe, Lucille and Sally the Nodder) whose snarky comments are a joy. Not to forget Mad Cassandra, who may or may not be dead. We also meet Ollie the rhymer, kind Cheryl and lovely Reliza, who care for the residents under the baleful eye of Mrs Warren, known as "The Warden".
Stella is an ex-school librarian and the stories are littered with references to heroes both historic and literary.
“Stella reminded herself that the Scarlet Pimpernel and Lawrence of Arabia would have kept cool in similar circumstances, and so would she.”
I also appreciated all the nods to Greek mythology, from the title itself to mentions of Perseus and Andromeda, harpies, and this gem:
“Stella carried on past the activities hall, giving the door a wide berth. This was always a dangerous area to navigate. Odysseus himself would have had to tie himself to the mast of his ship to avoid some care worker dragging him inside and making him do Healthy Movement to easy listening recordings.”
I had a lot of fun with this. My only criticism is that the solutions to most of the mysteries weren't very interesting to me, but I realise that isn't really the point here. If you're looking for a clue-driven detective story, full of twists and turns, you'll have to go elsewhere, but if you want a bit of a giggle along with some insightful musings on old age and life in general, look no further than Stella and the gang in this delightful collection
Disclosure
A digital A.R.C. of this novel was supplied to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love this concept, and it gets better, because Stella isn't your usual detective. She is curious and resourceful, sure, but she doesn't always remember just what she is trying to achieve. She is courageous and a bit of a rebel, determined to go wherever she wants, but she can't quite recall where the dining room is. And sometimes she just needs a nap. Nevertheless, she is no tame old lady:
“In this posture, she felt exactly like a teenaged juvenile delinquent. It was not a bad way to feel at eighty-two.”
In this loosely linked collection of five stories, Stella investigates several thefts, a mysterious new resident who may have a sinister agenda, a possible case of elder abuse and even the appearance of a ghost. And she does it in the company of some memorable fellow residents who are also anything but sweet old ladies. Stella's best friend, Thelma, is "perhaps the crankiest blind woman in Canada". Then there is the Greek Chorus (Iolanthe, Lucille and Sally the Nodder) whose snarky comments are a joy. Not to forget Mad Cassandra, who may or may not be dead. We also meet Ollie the rhymer, kind Cheryl and lovely Reliza, who care for the residents under the baleful eye of Mrs Warren, known as "The Warden".
Stella is an ex-school librarian and the stories are littered with references to heroes both historic and literary.
“Stella reminded herself that the Scarlet Pimpernel and Lawrence of Arabia would have kept cool in similar circumstances, and so would she.”
I also appreciated all the nods to Greek mythology, from the title itself to mentions of Perseus and Andromeda, harpies, and this gem:
“Stella carried on past the activities hall, giving the door a wide berth. This was always a dangerous area to navigate. Odysseus himself would have had to tie himself to the mast of his ship to avoid some care worker dragging him inside and making him do Healthy Movement to easy listening recordings.”
I had a lot of fun with this. My only criticism is that the solutions to most of the mysteries weren't very interesting to me, but I realise that isn't really the point here. If you're looking for a clue-driven detective story, full of twists and turns, you'll have to go elsewhere, but if you want a bit of a giggle along with some insightful musings on old age and life in general, look no further than Stella and the gang in this delightful collection
Disclosure
A digital A.R.C. of this novel was supplied to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
anjana's review
3.0
This is the second book of a series but seemed to work well on its own. The background information was repeated enough times to keep the people straight in our mind.
Mrs. Stella Ryman, an ex-librarian who checked herself into a care home is the resident 'detective' with the worst sense of direction (something that does not seem to be a byproduct of her age). There are a total of two cases in this but it is divided into further individual parts. One case was more interesting than the other, mostly because I was unable to invest emotionally in the latter one which is introduced early on in the narrative.
In the first half of the book, an unexpected and relatively unwelcome man joins the brood of elderly folk at the care home. He seems to have an ulterior motive and unscrupulous moves to attain the goal and Stella is the only one who seems to be doing anything about it. The second story involves a mahjong box with missing money. The quirks of the people in the care home and some of the jokes were funny but for the most part, this was not a book for me. When I went into a story about a place where so many people live in almost prison-like protection, I expected something different from the tale. If you like quirky characters and the exchange of random conversations, I would recommend you give this book a shot! There is a lot of heart involved in the narrative and that in itself is a good thing.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
Mrs. Stella Ryman, an ex-librarian who checked herself into a care home is the resident 'detective' with the worst sense of direction (something that does not seem to be a byproduct of her age). There are a total of two cases in this but it is divided into further individual parts. One case was more interesting than the other, mostly because I was unable to invest emotionally in the latter one which is introduced early on in the narrative.
In the first half of the book, an unexpected and relatively unwelcome man joins the brood of elderly folk at the care home. He seems to have an ulterior motive and unscrupulous moves to attain the goal and Stella is the only one who seems to be doing anything about it. The second story involves a mahjong box with missing money. The quirks of the people in the care home and some of the jokes were funny but for the most part, this was not a book for me. When I went into a story about a place where so many people live in almost prison-like protection, I expected something different from the tale. If you like quirky characters and the exchange of random conversations, I would recommend you give this book a shot! There is a lot of heart involved in the narrative and that in itself is a good thing.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
annarella's review
4.0
I'm a fan of senior detective and was very happy I requested this ARC because it's amazing.
I loved Stella and the likable and well developed cast of characters.
The stories are well written, engaging and entertaining.
I think it'd be interesting to read a novel featuring Stella.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved Stella and the likable and well developed cast of characters.
The stories are well written, engaging and entertaining.
I think it'd be interesting to read a novel featuring Stella.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
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