Audiobook Review: A Scone to Die for by H.Y. Hanna

When an American tourist is murdered with a scone in Gemma Rose's quaint English tearoom, she suddenly finds herself apron-deep in a mystery involving long-buried secrets from Oxford's past.

Armed with her insider knowledge of the university and with the help of four nosy old ladies from her local Cotswolds village (not to mention a cheeky little tabby cat named Muesli), Gemma sets out to solve the mystery - all while dealing with her matchmaking mother and the return of her old college love, Devlin O'Connor, now a dashing CID detective.

But with the body count rising and her business going bust, can Gemma find the killer before things turn to custard?

Series: Oxford Tearoom Cozy Mysteries # 1| Publisher: H.Y. Hanna | Narrator: Pearl Hewitt  | Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins | Genre: Cozy Paranormal Contemporary Mystery | Source: Author | Ratings: Performance 3.5 Cups  Story 4.5 Cups

 

When Gemma Rose returns to her hometown in the Cotswolds, she never imaged that an obnoxious American tourist would be murdered in front of her teashop with one of her scones. Now Gemma’s in the heart of a murder mystery that has roots in a mystery out of Oxford’s past. And to add to the conflict, the lead CID detective just so happens to be Devlin O’Connor, Gemma’s former flame.

 

This was such a cute cozy mystery.

 

So, Gemma’s returned home and she’s dealing with the fear of being stuck living with her parents for the rest of her life. She’s also dealing with her mother trying to fix her up different guys. Then on top of everything she’s dealing with a murder investigation that brings her straight into the path of her ex-boyfriend.

 

I really liked Gemma. She has a lot going on but she maintains a wonderful attitude.

 

The murder mystery was interesting in the way that it was tied in with a mystery from Oxford. While I had a feeling who the murderer was, I was still interested in watching the mystery play out and seeing how Gemma went about investigating things.

 

There’s a slight attraction lingering between Gemma and Devlin but there’s also a lot of animosity. And while Devlin can be perfectly charming when he wants to be, he’s also very growly and rude and times.

 

For this being the first book in a cozy mystery series, I was pleased that it wasn’t bogged with facts that author thinks the reader should know. Instead of an info dump and who’s who, vital pieces of information has been worked into the story bit by bit. While I feel like I got a good sense of who Gemma is, there’s still somethings that I’m curious about so I’m planning on reading the prequel in the near future to see if things become clearer.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The mystery was solid, the plot was well-paced, the humor was well-balanced, and the characters were fresh, charming, and unique.

 

Oxford Tearoom Cozy Mystery Series

0.5-All-Butter ShortDead

1-A Scone to Die for

2-Tea with Milk and Murder

3-Two Down, Bun to Go

4-‘Till Death do us Tart

5-Muffains and Mourning Tea