A Scone To Die For: The Oxford Tearoom Mysteries - Book 1 Paperback – January 18, 2016

This book was quite a page turner. I read it through from cover to cover with delight. Great main character, intriguing plot and mystery. Even a bit of romance.

I was on Amazon, taking a look at what kindle books they had for free and came across this book, A Scone to Die For, (Oxford Tearoom Mysteries #1) by H.Y. Hanna. With the cheesy title and the cartoonish cover with a picture of a gray tabby cat, stack of books, tea cup, scone, and a scull, I knew this was one of those cozy mysteries. I decided to get it, why not it doesn't cost anything? I needed to read something light and fun after finally finishing my last book, a historical fiction novel that took me all summer to get through, because I really didn't like it. In A Scone to Die For, we are introduced to the lead character of Gemma Rose, an Oxford graduate whom, after spending the last 8 years in a high powered job in Sydney, Australia, realized she was unhappy and needed to make a change. She quit her job, gave up her penthouse apartment, and moved back in with her middle-class parents in Oxford. Gemma decided to open a tearoom in her old hometown, and sees it as her second chance. The story begins with an obnoxious American tourist visiting her tearoom. He is the stereotypical American, large, rude and demanding. The next morning she discovers this horrible man dead at her tearoom, choked by one of her scones. With her business threatened by tabloid reports about her killer scones, Gemma decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate the American's murder herself. A Scone to Die For, is a fun read, and a cozy book to snuggle up with on the couch. The author is considerate of American readers and prefaces the story with an explanation of differences in English and American spelling, ie: tyre = tire, and provides a glossary of British Terms at the end of the book. There is a theme of second chances in the novel. Gemma, one morning, is unable to avoid attending her mother's book club, the book they are suppose to be reading is Jane Austen's Persuasion. Gemma remarks that this is her favorite of Austin's novels, as it is about second chances. Once this is mentioned, its obvious to see Austin's influence in this book. Gemma sees her tearoom as her second chance, but not only that, the detective that is investigating the murder at her tearoom is none other than her old college boyfriend, the man she had described back then as the love of her life. Throughout the book she struggles between her present acquaintance with him and memories of their shared past. What happened when things ended is never expressly stated, only hinted at. After visiting his expensive house, she muses that their fortunes have reversed from when they last knew each other, she was a proper middle-class girl, he was working class and struggling, now she's living with her parents, while he clearly has made quite a career for himself. This is much like the reversal of fortunes in Jane Austen's Persuasion, the rich girl and poor boy, turn to poor woman and wealthy man when they meet again. The story was overall pretty good, I was a tad disappointed in the reveal of who did it. I thought (from reading different mystery books) that it would be more complex and the killer would be someone who was only briefly mentioned earlier in the book, because I found a connection between her and the victim. The killer turned out to be *possible spoiler* someone that was a suspect right from the start but that Gemma didn't believe it could be. At the end, she has a moment of discovery and realization that this person is the killer and puts the pieces together as to the how and why. As he had been cleared earlier of being a suspect, I didn't see it coming, but it was a let down because it makes me think that if she had not meddled in the investigation, then the police may have arrested him already. She did, however, uncover a lot of background information about connections between characters that led to a motive. It was an entertaining read none the less, between her interactions with the detective, the nosy "old biddies" who also made it their business to investigate, and Gemma's middle-class mother whom wanted Gemma to get a job (a "proper" job, running a teashop doesn't count to her) or failing that, get married. My favorite line ends the novel, "I had faced a maniacal murderer. Dealing with my mother should be a piece of cake..." Good luck with that Gemma. Despite the lack of complexity, it was a light hearted, fun read. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Title: A Scone to Die for - Oxford Tearoom Mysteries Book 1Author: H. Y. HannaPublisher: Wisheart PressPublished: 1-17-2016Pages: 336Genre: Mystery & ThrillerSub-Genre: Suspense, Women Sleuths, Cozy Mystery, Crafts & Hobbies, Satire & Humor, Culinary Mystery,ISBN: 9780994292483ASIN: B01ARMFX2UReviewed For MyselfReviewer: DelAnneRating: 4.5 StarsOxford Tearoom Mystery Series1. All-Butter ShortDead (Prequel)2. A Scone to Die For3. Tea With Milk and Murder4. Two Down, Bun To Go5. Till Death Us Do Tart6. Muffins & Mourning Tea7. Four Puddings and a FuneralBusiness is flourishing, that is until a disagreeable patron is found deceased in the courtyard of the tearoom the day after creating a big scene. Then suddenly business is non-existent . Gemma then enlist her friend Cassie's help she begins looking into the tourist's death. Perhaps the prior relationship between the detective and Gemma and the loss of income from the tearoom being closed, may have something to do with her hesitance to waiting for him to solve the case.With numerous clues and a few red herrings readers are guided through the many suspects to the surprising ending. I was not expecting the killer to be who it was. Fun, interesting characters and a thought out plot that moved quickly and easily from scene to scene.My rating of "A Scone to Die for - Oxford Tearoom Mysteries Book 1" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Gemma Rose is home in Oxford after eight years in Australia, working her way up the corporate ladder. She finally decided the corporate ladder wasn't for her, sold her flat, quit her job, and went home to Oxford to buy a tea room. She's hired her best friend, as well as a local handyman who, it turns out, is also a fantastic baker. Things are starting to go really well, even with the hassles that go with being in food service and hospitality.Such as the really arrogant, hostile American tourist, who seems to be with the otherwise pleasant American tour group.When she arrives at the tea room the next morning, she finds him dead in her courtyard, apparently having choked on a scone. But why was he there in the first place?It's not an improvement in her already awful day when the Detective Inspector assigned to the case turns out to be her old university flame, Devlin O'Connor. They didn't part on the best of terms.The dead American turns out to be not just some obnoxious tourist, but the head of an American pharmaceutical company, with all kinds of unexpected connections to Oxford. Quite a few people turn out to have reasons to dislike him. When one of the possible suspects turns out to be a beautiful woman that Gemma thinks Devlin is interested in, it's inevitable that she decides she has to investigate the case herself, with the help of her friends.There's a great cast of characters here, likable and entertaining. There are some moments when Gemma does some very silly things, but she's presented overall as smart and capable, not as a ditzy fool.Overall, entertaining and fun.Recommended.I bought this audiobook.

Se, come me, siete fan di Inspector Morse e Inspector Lewis l'autrice H.Y. Hanna è la scelta obbligata.I suoi cosy mysteries sono tipicamente British, con quel pizzico di suspence che rende piacevole la lettura senza doversi guardare le spalle

Ich habe mal wieder ein Buch gelesen, in dem Tee vorkommt. Diesmal handelte es sich um einen Krimi. Einen harmlosen und unblutigen Krimi, genau so, wie sie mir gefallen. Die Autorin ist natürlich eine Teeliebhaberin, die in Australien lebt, und ein Fan der britischen Tea Time. Sie hat auch eine Katze, die sie sehr zu lieben scheint. Deswegen hat es eine Katze auf das Cover aller ihrer Bücher geschafft. In "Ein Scone To Die For" erzählt H.Y. Hanna nicht über eine große Leidenschaft für Scones, sie erzählt, wie ein Scone jemanden umbringen kann, trotz Fluffigkeit und einwandfreier Zutaten.Dieses Buch war für mich eine tolle Überraschung. Spannend, lustig und leicht, aber keinesfalls seicht. Die perfekte Lektüre für zwischendurch.H.Y. Hanna scheint Oxford zu lieben. Ihre Heldin hat dort studiert und nach einem nervigen Job in Australien kehrt sie nach England zurück, um eine Teestube zu betreiben. Was ihr sehr gut gelingt. Bis eines Tages ein Scone einen Besucher tötet…Um ihre Teestube zu retten – natürlich ist sie die erste Verdächtige – wird sie zu Ermittlerin in eigener Sache. Unerwartete Hilfe bekommt sie von drei älteren Damen, Stammgästen und Fans, die eigentlich alles durcheinander bringen, und nach deren Auftreten ich mich immer wieder gesehnt habe. Der gutaussehende Polizist kann na klar nicht fehlen, und die kleine Katze ist auch noch da!Jetzt möchte ich unbedingt Oxford besuchen, Nebenwirkung vom Lesen. Und Tee trinken, und Scones essen. Es wird mir schon nichts passieren. Hoffe ich…

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I was a little hesitant as I love murder mysteries and I’m not a fan of Harlequin romance type books. I loved this book. It was funny and very well written with a hint of possible romance. When Gemma was riding her bike home and started riding faster and faster and the car was getting closer and closer, I found myself riding with her trying to get her to go faster. Her side characters are really enjoyable, they made me laugh. Gemma understands customer service and the big ears people in small towns tend to have. I’m very much looking forward to starting the next book in the series Tea with Milk and Murder.

I am a great fan of cozy mysteries. What you may not know is that I’m also equally addicted to scones. So how could I possibly resist a cozy involving scones and that’s also set in Oxford, where I spent three wonderful years as an undergraduate more years ago than I care to remember!I was hooked by this book from the very start. It has a very dramatic opening: “I never thought I’d end the week facing an American with a sharp knife.” Gemma is our narrator. She owns the Little Stable Tearooms in Meadowford-on-Smythe. She’s turned her back on corporate life to follow her dream, much to her parents’ despair. But she’s sure she’s made the right choice for her. However, when the unpleasant American turns up dead outside her tearooms the next day with one of her scones stuck in his throat, then even she begins to wonder if she shouldn’t have stayed in Sydney.She decides to investigate, helped by a group of very nosey old ladies and her own inside knowledge of Oxford, where, like me, she was a student. The police are busy hunting down the killer too, led by Devlin O’Connor, Gemma’s ex-boyfriend who was at Oxford with her. His reappearance results in a lot of mixed feelings for Gemma and definitely causes complications.There’s a great deal of fun and clever writing in this book. It’s delightful – sweet but never cloying, and tongue-in-cheek at times but never slapstick. Extremely entertaining, it’s cozy at its most delicious. It comes with an explanation of very British terms for readers from different backgrounds, and has a glossary of those strange terms that Oxford University positively revels in. And there’s a recipe for scones too. What more could you ask for!

Really enjoyed the story and lots of surprises. A good read for any age. Looking forward for the next one.