Snapped in Cornwall by Janie Bolitho

Rose Trevelyan had only met Gabrielle Milton once, but felt they might become good friends. She was delighted, therefore, to receive an invitation to the Milton's party where the wine flowed freely and a good time was being had by all - that is, until Gabrielle's crumpled, lifeless body was found underneath a balcony.

 Series: Cornish Mysteries #1 | Publisher: A&B Crime | Genre: Cozy Mystery Series | Source: Gift | Rating: 3.5 Cup

I received this book last Christmas Eve and finally decided to give it a go and it was a bit different but different in a good way.

Here’s what’s going on. When Rose takes on a commission from Gabrielle Milton, she never imagined it would end with Gabrielle’s death. Unable to get the events out of her mind, Rose soon discovers that she may have captured the killer in the background of a blurry photograph. Now Rose finds herself in the killer’s sights. Will she be able to help the frustrating—and attractive—detective catch the killer or will the killer catch her?

Rose was such an easy character to like. She’s an outsider but the villagers are slowly welcoming her into their community. There’s a lot she’s dealing with, including the death of her husband, yet she’s open to letting people in.

The mystery wasn’t as complicated as the plot wanted me to believe. There was an attempt at some red herrings but it missed the mark a bit. It was fairly obvious from the start what was going on but I still enjoyed the process.

Like most cozy mysteries, there is the start of a romance in this one and, I have a feeling, it’s going to be a bit rocky as the series plays out.

While the characters and the mystery have that cozy mystery feel, what really stood out to me in this book was the way it brought Cornwall to life. It really evoked the Cornish lifestyle to the point it became a character.

I have a feeling this book isn’t going to be for everyone. While I truly enjoyed this one, the book was a bit on the slower side as it portrayed the laidback Cornish lifestyle. This book was also originally published in 1997, so there’s a slightly dated feeling.

Overall, this one was a bit predictable but I enjoyed experiencing laidback Cornish lifestyle and the setting. 

Cornish Mysteries Series

Snapped in Cornwall #1

Framed in Cornwall #2

Buried in Cornwall #3

Betrayed in Cornwall #4

Plotted in Cornwall #5

Killed in Cornwall #6

Caught out in Cornwall #7