I love mysteries and ones starring kick ass female protagonists? Love it even more. I love lighthearted ones even more and this was just that

A really good read that kept me gripped throughout and it was not predictable

I really didn't enjoy this first book so I will not be continuing this series. The setting in early 20th century England was okay but the characters were too stiff, 2 dimensional, and predictable.

A deliciously wonderful mystery with lovable characters to root for, A Proposal to Die For makes for an exciting read that leaves you wanting more.

A nice start to a new series! This has good characters and makes terrific use of its 1920s time frame. Enjoyed it greatly.

DNF

I would like to thank netgalley and Carina UK for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the idea of the storyline. I managed to get halfway through the book before giving up, but the characters jump to stupid conclusions and have bizarre reactions to events. The writing is also a little stilted at times.

This was the perfect easy read where you could just escape back to the 1920's as you follow Lady Alkmene in her quest to help solve a murder.

I've only recently got into the cosy mystery genre, and I really enjoyed my time with these characters. It was fascinating to read about Lady Alkmene leaving her comfort zone and her privileged life, to help the journalist Jake Dubois as he found the death of Silas Norwhich a little suspicious and wanted to get to the bottom of things.

There was a little bit of uneasiness between these characters as they teamed up, but I think that as she saw more of a different life out there she began to understand the world a little better - the good and bad side of it! The story did feel a little too 'safe' and flat at times, but the intriguing story behind the murder kept my interest and also the descriptions of London and the lifestyles in the 1920's were well described.

This book was full of style and deception and is definitely a series worth following

EXCERPT: 'Marry me.'

The whispered words reached Lady Alkmene Callender's ears just as she was reaching for the gold lighter on the mantlepiece to relight the cigarette in her ivory holder.

Freddie used to be a dear and bring her Turkish ones, but since he had been disinherited by his father for his gambling debts, his opportunities for travel had been significantly reduced, as had Alkmene's stash of cigarettes. These ones, obtained from a tobacconist on Callenburg Square, had a taste of propriety about them that made them decidedly less appetizing than the exotic ones she had to hide from her housekeeper - who always complained that the lace curtains got yellowish from the smoke.

'Marry me,' the insistent voice repeated. . .

ABOUT THIS BOOK: The first book in the new Lady Alkmene Callender Mystery series

A murderous beginning
With her father away in India, Lady Alkmene Callender finds being left to her own devices in London intolerably dull, until the glamorous Broadway star Evelyn Steinbeck arrives in town! Gossip abounds about the New York socialite, but when Ms Steinbeck’s wealthy uncle, Silas Norwhich, is found dead Lady Alkmene finds her interest is piqued. Because this death sounds a lot to her like murder…

Desperate to uncover the truth, Lady Alkmene begins to look into Ms Steinbeck’s past – only to be hampered by the arrival of journalist, Jake Dubois – who believes she is merely an amateur lady-detective meddling in matters she knows nothing about!

But Lady Alkmene refuses to be deterred from the case and together they dig deeper, only to discover that some secrets should never come to light…

The twenties have never been so dangerous.

MY THOUGHTS: 'The best pleasures are the unexpected ones.'

I wasn't expecting a great deal from this book, but it was a light amusing read that provided more enjoyment than expected. Like a refreshing sorbet between main courses, it cleansed my palate, and
my mind, between two 'grittier' reads. It was really just what I needed.

This tale contains the requisite beautiful heiress, an intimidating stranger, a feisty and determined Lady with time on her hands and a sharp mind, and a death made suspicious by a snippet of overheard conversation.

I didn't bother to try to solve the mystery as I read, in fact for some time I wasn't even convinced that there was a murder to be solved; I just enjoyed the read. And yes, I would read another in this series if I stumbled across it.

Thank you to Carina UK for providing a digital ARC of A Proposal to Die For by Vivian Conroy for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This is a setup I highly enjoy and I was not disappointed! I love this character, she's so much fun, and the plot of this was just delightful. I'm excited to get further into this series and see what scenario Conroy concocts next for this delightful new character.

It was a fun read. I had expected more mystery and less romance, actually, but overall it was fun.

The mystery was a bit lame, based on random intuition rather than actual clues. The romance was nice, with two sympathetic characters and a situation that occasioned both personal growth and adventure.

The 1920s setting was a bit disappointing, instead. Not much to characterize the time. This story could have largely been told in any era, because there was nothing that was recognizable and uniquely 1920s.
I liked the rural environment a lot more than the London environment. It had more personality.

All in all, a light, fun read.

Whimsical, suspenseful, and amusing!

A Proposal To Die For is a lighthearted, cozy mystery that transports you back to 1920s London where Miss Lady Alkmene Callender has an abundance of freedom and imagination and where a timely introduction to the devilishly handsome, mysterious ex-con Jake Dubois has them teaming up to solve the suspicious death of the wealthy Silas Norwhich.

The writing style is fluid and smooth. The characters are engaging, endearing, and authentic. And the plot develops nicely and has the right mix of misdirection, deduction, suspects, clues, mishaps, and murder.

If you enjoy straightforward, entertaining mysteries that take you back in time to when forensics was almost nonexistent, social class was everything, and crimes could easily be solved by everyday snooping, shrewd reasoning, and stubborn determination this is a book for you.

The main character Lady Alkmene is a wealthy socialite living in 1920s London. She has lead a privileged, sheltered life but seeks a little adventure, whilst her father is away on his travels.

When she hears of a suspicious death, closely connected to a conversation she overheard, she finds herself compelled to investigate.

Jake Dubois, a local journalist is also on the case and despite a rocky start, the pair team up to combine the information they have got so far. He is a bit of a rough diamond with a mysterious past and the couple make a highly unlikely, but really entertaining. detective duo.

I love the contrasting backgrounds of Alkmene and Jake. She has a good reputation in society but is naive and unaware of the poverty surrounding her in the slums of London. Jake is only too aware, he has moved in many circles and knows the dangers that could lie ahead.

Sometimes Jake gets frustrated with Alkmene and other times he teases her but you just know that he will always protect her and secretly respects her. She sees a different side of society when they travel to investigate and a humbler side of Lady Alkmene emerges.

I think a tight relationship is forming, with a tiny hint of romance and great chemistry which makes an exciting detective duo.

The plot is tight, characters endearing and the story keeps you gripped. A really enjoyable mystery, charming and fun.

This would suit anyone who has not so far stepped into the world of cosy mysteries and if you are already a fan, this will not disappoint.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An absolute delight. A fantastic historical mystery!

I'm so in love with these books, and as a real fan of the 1920's it's a beautiful and fun detective novel encompassing the feel of the era. Lady A is a great central character with flair and gumption. The is no gore, a tiny bit of violence but essentially a well planned and brilliantly executed mystery. I was delighted to discover this is only book one of a series, I will certainly be finding the rest!

Lady Alkmene is a rich slightly bored woman whose Father is travelling leaving her living alone with too much time on her hands. She overhears a marriage proposal and later meets the glamorous recipient, Evelyn. When Evelyns uncle is found dead Alkemene is intrigued and decided to do some sleuthing. She eventually teams up with a Journalist Jake Dubois and despite his concerns that she is meddling wins him over so they investigate together. I enjoyed the setting of the 1920s. An enjoyable, easy to read book.

This is book one in the Lady Alkmene Mysteries and the first time I have read Ms Conroy and I love it, her writing is fresh and entertaining, it’s like an episode of Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries sprinkled with what I can only describe as a good old-fashioned Miss Marple.

It’s slick our leads just ooze sophisticated glamour of the era, Jack and Alkmene despite their difference in stations they make a great team. Alkmene is your stereotypical aristocrat, she has lived her entire life in the glitz and glamour and she really has no idea of how life is beyond her front door. Like a lot of aristocratic ladies of the time, she is spoilt and naive and too wrapped in cotton wool to be able to do anything for themselves – it is highly amusing when she attempts to launder Jack’s handkerchief and she makes a right pigs ear of it. Whereas Jack Dubois is a man of the world who has many skeletons in his closet that he is determined to keep well hidden, Monsieur Dubois has a certain Gaelic charm mixed with his slightly rough around the edge aura and you have a highly attractive and intriguing man. Between them they can get any information they want, have access to any home or authority as they both have connections in very different places which only aids their case

A proposal to Die for is a none taxing and cosy “who dunnit” which is thrilling, witty and oozes old school glamour. It is one of those books that can be read by any one, not matter what genre you favour this is very good and I very much recommend it.

Warm and cozy!

I don’t read much ‘cosy crime’, it’s usually when I need a break from the usual modern-day crime fiction books that tend to be more grim and which sometimes can be difficult to read. So, when I chose to read this book in preparation for book 4 which I will be reviewing in a few weeks time it was perfect timing.
It is the first book in the Alkmene Callender series and I enjoyed it a lot. I wish I had read it sooner, then I would have time to read book two and three, I feel that this is a series that I would really get into.
It is very sedate, Alkmene has too much time on her hands and decides to play private detective after overhearing a conversation at a party and then reading about a death in the paper. One of the people she heard talking stood to gain from the person’s death. She is helped in her investigation by Jake Dubois, a journalist and possible ex-convict who would love to get a story into his paper.
It is only a short novel but packs a lot in. There is the crime to solve but it also shows the difference between social classes. Alkmene is upset by things that she sees and when she tries to help, struggles to accept that she might have made the situation worse. Jake has obviously had problems in his past and I wonder if more will be revealed further on in the series.
I liked both characters, Alkmene was like a young Miss Marple with Jake in the background to keep her safe and also make her aware that her world is different to most other people.
With thanks to Vivian Conroy for the initial contact and to the publisher for the copy received via netgalley.

I read this book as a pre-cursor my stop on blog tour for Viv's upcoming new book Fatal Masquerade,  due for publication on October 4th 2017.  My stop on the tour is 11th October.

A Proposal To Die For is set in 1920's London and is the first in a series of books known as "The Lady Alkmene Callender Mysteries". 

Whilst out at the theatre Lady Alkemene overhears a conversation that adds a little spice to her boring life, the American actress Evelyn Steinbeck is in town.  News is heard of the death of wealthy Silas Norwhich, to Lady Alkmene, the death sounds suspicious.  Her mind starts working overtime and decides to see if there is anything she can discover for herself.  Whilst doing this she makes the acquaintance of Mr Dubois, a consulting detective and journalist.  When Lady Alkmene discovers he is also looking into this mystery she believes she has found an ally of sorts, and so an unusual and workable relationship is formed.

The partnership of Alkmene and Dubois as I have said is unusual, she from a very privileged and wealthy background, he a streetwise,working man.  He is very resentful of her social class and vociferously mentions this through the story, she is naive but determined that she is not what he thinks she is.  They work together well because of this social difference, she has access to people who would not even look never mind answer Dubois' questions.  Where as Dubois has the access to the working class, servants, valets doormen and the such like.

This is a cosy mystery that has several story lines running through it pages.  It is a very refreshing read, it is not reliant on blood and gore, instead it is a deductive style of story.  As the duo progress through their case and discuss their thoughts and opinions, so then is the reader shown their reasonings.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it has a similar deductive style as you would find in Agatha Christie's books.  If you like Poirot and Marple, then I think you will really enjoy The Lady Alkmene series of books.  This is a gently paced book with some wonderful and memorable characters who all have their parts to play.  Little details mentioned earlier in the book suddenly becomes a bigger clue.  I read this snuggled up in a blanket on a foggy autumn afternoon on of my "lazy-days".  I would definitely recommend this book to readers who like a gentle more classic style of mystery who like good characters, plots and is well written.

My thanks to Vivian Conroy who authorised a copy of this book via Netgalley.  My thoughts expressed here are honest, unbiased and are my own.

fun, light mystery featuring yet another feisty, aristocratic amateur sleuth. Now, don't take this as a criticism---this is a genre I seek out, and I enjoyed spending time with this bright heroine. The
plot was appealing, but the language lacked a bit of sparkle.

If the dialogue and descriptions were a bit more appealing, it could have easily earned four stars. Lady Alkmene shows promise as the protagonist in an interesting series and I hope that in future books we will learn a bit more about her past.

Net galley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (less)

This is a delightful cosy mystery set mainly in 1920’s London, involving Lady Alkmene and the multi-faceted journalist, Jake Dubois, as they work together to discover what really happened to Silas Norwhich. The wealthy art lover was found dead but was it accidental? What would the motive be and who carried out if it was murder? These amateur sleuths will work together to solve the mystery, even though they are from very different social classes in this inviting read.

The characters are well crafted, the plot engaging and it is a brilliant story to escape into. I love the author’s writing style, taking the reader into the story and painting pictures of the scenarios in their imagination. With death, blackmail, double crossing, deceit and so much more this is a fun read. I look forward to reading more in this series and will be particularly interested in if and how the relationship between the disparate pair of sleuths develops in future!

I requested and was given a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion after choosing to read it.

Thanks Carina UK and netgalley for this ARC.

I didn't realize I was requesting the first book in the series. I read this one while ago and loved the series. I'm looking forward the the latest.