I enjoy this author's books. The mystery kept me guessing. I liked the setting and the characters. I look forward to more in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

˗ˋˏ ♡Thank you Dawn Brookes and NetGalley♡ ˎˊ˗

This was a good mystery that had great mystery elements! I was an overall fun read and the characters were done really well, most of them were likable. However, I would say the start of it was a bit slow for me which lead it to losing some points, but overall it was a good solid read! This was light and entertaining, would recommend!

Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe and her outspoken cousin-in-law, Edna, are on holiday in Romania. Their first excursion is a night at the opera, which ends with the suspicious death of a fellow traveller who had a reputation as a diva when she was an opera singer. The two amateur sleuths are in their eighties, but age is no barrier to investigating an untimely death. There is a diverse mix of personalities in the travelling group, and tensions, which are already high within the group, escalate with the death. I like the witty dialogue, the larger-than-life characters and the ethos the author creates with well-described settings and relationships.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Lady Marjorie Snelthorpe has agreed to join her cousin-in-law, Edna, on a holiday tour in Romania. They have very different personalities and Edna enjoys ruffling Marge’s feathers which makes for some delightfully witty situations and dialogue. Fellow travellers on the tour include Horace, who they met on a previous vacation, and Frederick, who has an interesting connection with another member of the party. The other members of the party are a family group which includes Dolores, a former opera singer and diva, her daughter, her sister and brother in law, plus a couple of friends. It’s a fun and eclectic mix of characters with tensions within and between the two groups.

The tour doesn’t go as planned with Dolores found dead outside the opera house. Marjorie is convinced it’s murder but when the police suspect suicide the tour group are allowed to continue on their journey. Another death soon follows and Marjorie, Edna and Horace are determined to find the murderer.

The story has good pace with some excellent descriptions of the opera, the train journey and the hotels. There is an enjoyable mix of mystery and suspense with some nice plot twists. A very enjoyable light hearted read.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
This is the first book in the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mysteries series. Lady Marjorie and her obnoxious cousin-in-law Edna go on a relaxing vacation in Romania. They meet a lot of friends and have fun, but then something goes wrong. A member of their group, an Opera Diva, is found murdered. This is the story of how they solve the murder. Some of the characters were likeable, others not so much. I thought it dragged in some spots, but it was a solid cozy mystery. I will read the next one in the series if I am given the chance.

A delightful and fun cozy mystery
The idea of four feisty octogenarians solving murder mysteries in exotic locations sounds wonderful. This is first in the series.
Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe and her irrepressible cousin-in-law, Edna, arrive in Romania for a relaxing escape on an organized tour, starting with a night at the opera. But their evening of culture strikes a fatal note when a demanding opera diva, Dolores Hagman, found dead. 
Marjorie and Edna, along with friends, Horace and Frederick, team up to find the true culprit. This is quite the fun group with their own differences, but they all investigate in detail, which means they may be amateur sleuths, but determined to find the truth. The dead woman's family was more concerned about their own selfish goals. Everyone got secrets of their own.
Wonderful enjoyable characters, exciting enough mystery, suspense, and suspicious circumstances with several suspects. Marjorie and Edna's quirky relationship was fun to read. Some little plot twists here and there with entertaining points of view. The vacation mystery setting is superb with perfect climax. It reminds me of the book, The Thursday Murder Club, with pensioners solving crimes in their own entertaining way.
It's a light, fun read. It was originally released a few years back, and now three books in the series are re-released by Storm Publishing.
Thanks to @Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Book Review: Murder at the Opera House by Dawn Brookes

Dawn Brookes brings readers a delightful mix of mystery, intrigue, and humor in Murder at the Opera House. Set in Romania, this charming whodunit follows the dynamic and often squabbling cousin duo, Marjorie and Edna, as they stumble upon yet another murder that needs solving.

From the start, Brookes introduces a well-crafted plot that keeps readers guessing. The opera house setting provides a captivating backdrop, with its dramatic flair and a touch of old-world elegance. The murder is intriguing enough to keep you turning the pages, but it's the quirky chemistry between Marjorie and Edna that really steals the show.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of Murder At The Opera House.

Four sassy seniors meet up on a holiday trip and end up helping to solve murders. What they do not bank on is the fact that someone traveling with them could be responsible for the murders.

I just could not get into this book. I just was unable to feel invested in the story or the characters.

A great book. I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series. Loved the characters and the twisty clues. A very easy read with a different setting. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the mystery; it kept me guessing until the very end! And those characters are a hoot too!

Not a fan of this cozy mystery it dawlded when i wanted to run. Saying that if you want to curl up relax and dander this meanders along.

Lady Marjorie Snelthorpe and her cousin-in-law, Edna, are off on another trip. They hope for a peaceful, relaxing vacation when they arrive in Romania. On their first evening in town, they arrive at the opera, expecting a relaxing evening of music. Instead, they are faced with the tragic death of one of the opera's most demanding divas, who is found dead outside the opera house during intermission.
One of their fellow travelers, her former fiancé Frederick, whom she abandoned at the altar, is immediately suspected of her murder. Marjorie and Edna once again rise to the task of solving another murder. They begin their investigations with their traveling companions, Horace and Frederick. Things become complicated when they are confronted with feuding family members and the sudden arrival of a so-called best friend who is out for vengeance.
After a second body is discovered, they realize they are facing a persistent murderer. Marjorie begins to worry about whether they will be able to find what appears to be a persistent killer before there is another victim.

Murder at the Opera House is a debut British cozy mystery by Dawn Brookes and the series is off to a solid start. There is a prequel novella that introduces the characters and has a murder that is referred to a few times but I started with this book. Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe and her cousin-in-law Edna Parkinton are going on vacation together to Budapest and a Danube River cruise. When they arrive to begin their vacation they meet up with Horace Tyler from the novella. They meet Frederick Mackworth and the four of them work together to solve the death of the Opera Diva and her.daughter who both are murdered. The relationship between Marjorie and.Edna.adds.humor because they are unlikely traveling companions. There are 6 other people in their group and.at times I had trouble remembering who everyone was and.their relationships to each other. Overall, this was an enjoyable cozy mystery with mostly likable characters and a cozy mystery that kept me guessing. #MurderAtTheOperaHouse

Love the idea of Lady Marj striking out on her own and in a setting less liquid than usual!
She did not disappoint with her own band of cronies she is determined to solve the suspicious death of a fellow traveller and boy does she do it in style!
Dawn Brookes always transports you right there, to the side of her characters and provides lovely detail of the surroundings as well as the mystery.
Another fine mystery!

This is the first book in a very long time that I could not finish. I really tried! I gave it until 42% when it looked like things might have started to picked up -- but maybe not. I didn't really like anyone in the book or feel sorry for the victim. There was too much sitting around and complaining. And only one scene in the actual opera house - I expected more theatre-related stuff since more than one character was previously involved with theatre.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I found this crime story a little to predictable. Some of the characters are interesting, but overall it isn't for me. I finish Ed the story, but I could easily have left it unfinished.

A cracking good romp through murder and mayhem with an unlikely group of elderly sleuths. Written with humour and intelligence and so refreshing to have people of "mature" years leading the narrative. Set in Romania, as a disparate group of people set out on a tour , starting with a n evening at the opera, it culminates in murder as the action moves on to an overnight train. Great characters -sone almost caracature -like but well written with some laugh out loud moments. I look forward to travelling on the next adventure with these clever and entertaining sleuths!

This is a good old fashioned type mystery with older characters solving the case. This ensures it has colourful and quirky characters with lots of drama, so many plot twists and turns to keep you guessing. A good start looking forward to more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dawn Brookes for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder at the Opera House coming out January 30, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really love murder mysteries. I think Marjorie was really fun character. The mystery was good. I don’t think it was as cozy as I usually read however, I enjoyed the story. I do love mysteries set on a vacation. I would check out other books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.

Murder at the Opera House brings a classic Agatha Christie vibe with its intricate plotting, colorful characters, and the setting of an opera house murder. What made it even more special was seeing the action unfold in my own hometown.
The sleuths, Marjorie and Edna, have a charmingly old-school approach to solving mysteries, reminiscent of Christie’s sharp-witted detectives.

However, while the book captures Christie’s spirit, it falls slightly short of delivering the same spark and tension that keep readers glued to the page, certain twists feeling predictable. The suspects lacked the complexity that makes Christie’s characters so memorable, leaving the story feeling a bit flat in places.