Sunday 22 March 2020

#SocialMediaBlast A Body in the Bookshop by Helen Cox


Today it's an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour A Body in the Bookshop (Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mysteries #2, by Helen Cox.

About the Author
Helen Cox is a Yorkshire-born novelist and poet. After completing her MA in creative writing at the University of York St. John. Helen wrote for a range of magazines and websites as well as for TV and radio news. Helen has edited her own independent film magazine and penned three non-fiction books. Her first two novels were published by HarperCollins in 2016. She currently hosts the Poetrygram podcast and works for City Lit, London

Helen's Mastermind specialism would be Grease 2 and to this day she adheres to the Pink Lady pledge.

Follow @Helenography on Twitter, on Goodreadson Amazon,Visit helencoxbooks.com, Buy a Body in the Bookshop


About the book
Librarian Kitt Hartley and her friend Evie Bowes thought their life had gone back to normal after the shocking events of Murder in the Minster. Then DI Malcolm Halloran breaks some bad news: DS Charlotte Banks has been suspended from duty, on suspicion of assaulting the suspect in the burglary of a local bookshop.

Evie wants justice for Charlotte, who she is sure was not the attacker, and how could any self-respecting librarian turn down the chance to find missing rare books? The two friends team up once again to investigate the rarefied world of York's bookshops and antiques dealers and find out just who has framed their friend.

But Kitt and Evie will soon learn that there are some books people will kill for - will this story  have a happy ending?

Review
This is the second book in the Kitt Hartley Yorkshire Mystery series. Both books can be read as standalone novels, although I would recommend reading the first just for the read.

This time the story starts out quite aggressively with Banks being accused of assault linked to a burglary. Halloran is walking a fine line by telling Kitt and Evie about the case, especially when they decide to get involved. The amateur sleuths rattle quite a few cages as they try to solve the mystery and get Banks out of trouble.

I enjoyed the way Cox approached the budding relationship between Evie and Charley. The way Evie is unsure about her attraction to Charley, which intensifies the insecurity she feels about the scarring on her face. At times she finds it hard to distinguish between the desire someone might feel for her and the way everyone is reacting to the new her, or at least the way she thinks people are reacting to her.

The relationship between them flows smoothly beside the murder plot with moments of shyness, laughter and ultimately of honest and open emotional responses. Kudos to the author for this subtle approach to their story.

It's a quaint murder mystery series set in Yorkshire with two amateur sleuths at the helm. I  think what will make this a favourite for readers is the fact the series is set around the world of books, regardless of whether it be the library or the bookshops.

Buy A Body in the Bookshop at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Quercus; pub date 19 Mar. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of Murder in the Minster by Helen Cox.

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