Book Review: The Mystery of Montague House

I'm spreading out my genre reading wings. Because I want to boost the signal for other authors when I read something I enjoy. 

And it's good to diversify, or so I'm told.

BOOK TITLE: The Mystery of Montague House

AUTHOR: Emma Davies

DESCRIPTION OF BOOK COVER: A magnifying glass in the middle over the last three letters in the word House with a Basset Hound looking up from the bottom right corner. Color scheme is light burgundy.

GENRE: Murder Mystery/Cozy (Dash of paranormal)

PAGES: 289

BLURB:

With enough rooms to fill a Cluedo board several times over, Montague House has often been the subject of rumour and gossip. Tales of strange goings on, an owner who disappeared one day and was never seen again, not to mention the treasure that rumour has it lies at its heart... But now the present owner has died and the house is to be sold. Has the opportunity come to finally settle the stories once and for all?

Clodagh Wynter doesn’t believe in ghostly goings on and tall tales of secrets. She has her feet very firmly on the ground and, tasked with the job of valuing and cataloguing the house and all its contents, she’s simply looking forward to working in such a glorious setting. And if she happens across a priceless painting, well, that’s just icing on the cake.

Andie Summer is a self-styled Finder of Things (dead bodies mostly), and looking for hidden treasure sounds right up her street, even if there was something very fishy about the mysterious Mr Mayfair who hired her. Because it’s just like she said to her faithful basset hound, Hamish; I saw something out of the corner of my eye as I was leaving, and you know what that means. It’s never good news when I see something out of the corner of my eye...

As the unlikely pair are thrown together, it soon becomes very clear that they are not the only ones searching for the treasure. And they’re going to need all their ingenuity and resourcefulness if they’re ever going to untangle the web of secrets that surrounds Montague House. One that reaches even further than they ever thought possible...

 # OF STARS: 5

I don’t read murder mysteries or cozy murder mysteries. Not very interested to be honest (Though I write fantasy/mysteries, so make of that what you will).

But the cover has a basset hound. Obviously, I had to read it.

And I quite enjoyed it! Once I got into it (Took about 50 pages or so), I devoured it which is good because I have a stuffy head cold in my ear and I needed to something to take me out for a while before I went nuts.

Written in a very friendly and easy to read style, The Mystery of Montague House starts a little slow but builds up really well until by about two thirds in, you’re feeling kind of prickly and suspense filled, in a good way. The reason I don’t read many mysteries is because they are either super bland and boring or they go way over the top in the mind twisting and I lose track and then get annoyed. The Mystery of Montague House does neither of these things, but rides the line really well and I didn’t feel like I had to constantly check back to make sure I didn’t miss something (or find plot holes. I hate big plot holes. I can forgive little ones, but big ones…)

Anyway.

I really enjoyed the two characters Andie and Clodagh, though given that I’m a bit of a paranormal nut, I think I enjoyed Andie a touch more (or at least her parts). I really liked the Montague House and all the history around it and I quite enjoyed the twist. Yeah, I kinda saw some of it coming (but not others), but that didn’t bother me one bit. I don’t mind knowing parts of the ending since it’s the getting there that I enjoy! And this is a good ride to get there.

I am definitely looking forward to book 2 and 3. More Hamish the Hound!