Helen Golden – Carol's Notebook

Murder Most Wilde by Helen Golden

July 20, 2025July 19, 2025 by CarolNo Comments

I love a good theater mystery. This time around, Perry is paying Algernon in an amateur production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Theaters are one of my favorite mystery settings, by the way. Actors are usually fabulously dramatic and I like the glimpses behind the curtains. But, this being the 12th Right Royal Cozy Investigation, of course someone ends up dead- Noel, the actor playing Jack. The police are stretched thin and ask for Bea and Perry's help. This one does work as a stand alone, but they are all such fun characters that really you should read some of the others too. The whole gang gets to work on the case. Perry has insider info from being on the cast and Bea sits in on the police's interviews. Simon, Perry's husband/former detective/crime writer/chef, and Rich, Bea's fiancé/police superintendent, add the professional perspective, as always. I like how everyone works together so well. And of course Daisy, Bea's...

I Kill Always Love You by Helen Golden

April 4, 2025April 1, 2025 by CarolNo Comments

Bea, Perry and their families are taking a much needed holiday on the beach in Portugal. There are three villas in the complex and the security is good, but the neighbors are famous Hollywood people, which is a little concerning. Bea certainly doesn't want the press showing up. But then the director ends up dead in the pool at a party Perry and Simon are attending and the press becomes the least of Bea's worries. The man was not universally liked, but the police are focusing on the maid who Bea and her team are sure is innocent. To prove she's innocent, Bea, Perry, Rich, and Simon need to figure out who the real killer is. They definitely have their work cut out for them - turns out almost everyone is lying though and the clues point in different directions. The characters are fun and I love how well our main group get along and work together. Even the kids...

A Death of Fresh Air by Helen Gold

October 3, 2024September 26, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

This time around, Lady Beatrice and her business partner, Perry Juke, are working on the refurbishment of Clary House, which a few years ago had been The Seaside Lounge. Simon and Ryan are planning to reopen it as a restaurant, Salt Air. Of course, it doesn't go smoothly and a skeleton is found inside the wall. Turns out the chef from the Lounge hadn't left for Australia, but had been killed and his body hidden. Bea and Perry get involved, of course. I really enjoy this series and the cover of this one is adorable. Lady Beatrice is a delight, as always. I love that her friendship with Perry and Simon remains a priority for her, even as her relationship with Rich develops. The supporting cast in these books is just so great. It's like catching up with old friends. The mystery was put together well. There were clues, but also enough red herrings that I was surprised by the...

A Cocktail to Die For by Helen Golden

January 10, 2024January 9, 2024 by CarolNo Comments

I thoroughly enjoy the Right Royal cozy mysteries, and A Cocktail to Die for is not exception. This time around Lady Bea, Perry and a small group of friends have gathered for a relaxing spa weekend at Chasingham House prior to Perry's wedding to Simon. Another small group is also staying at Chasingham celebrating a birthday. It's no surprise that one of the birthday party ends up dead. Lady Bea and Perry are the kind of people I would love to hang out with in real life if so many deaths didn't happen around them. The mysrtery is well-plotted and engaging.The story takes place over two days at the hotel, and there is a limited number of suspects, but with the lies and tension, it's difficult to guess the solution. As always, Bea and Perry are perfect. This is a fun read, a great mix of murder and humor. We also get to spend time at the hotel which sounds fabulous....

A Dead Herring by Helen Golden

June 5, 2023June 5, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

I admit to having a fondness for country house mysteries, especially when a winter storm has everyone snowed in. Lady Bea is refurbishing rooms at Drew Castle with her business partner, Perry Juke, while her brother, Lord Fred, is hosting a shooting party, so Bea has to mix her work with helping her brother by playing hostess. Then one of the guests, Ben Rhodes, ends up dead, killed in his bathtub. And it's just Bea's luck that DCI Fitzwilliam is the only officer closed enough to get to them through the snow. I thoroughly enjoyed A Dead Herring, as I have the other three in the series I've read. Bea is a wonderful character, smart and persistent. Perry is funny and competent in his own right. I love how he and Simon, his boyfriend/ chef/ former CID officer, help Bea and watch out for her. They make a great trio. The book moves along quickly with the expected clash and attraction...

Not Mushroom for Death by Helen Golden

December 16, 2022December 16, 2022 by CarolNo Comments

Lady Beatrice, Simon Lattimore, and Perry Juke are back at it again and totally at odds with Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam. I really enjoy these characters. Lady Bea can get a little annoying, but the banter between her, Simon, and Perry, and the friction with Fitzwilliam make up for it. There is a celebrity cooking event being held on the grounds of Fenn House, the king’s private estate in Fenshire. Lady Bea and Perry are at the estate to refurbish several rooms of Fenn House. Sebastiano Marchetti, Bea's boyfriend, is there too, overseeing the event which features several celebrity chefs. I was not a fan of Seb in the last book and continue to feel the same way. Daisy, Bea's West Highland Terrier, doesn't like him either. When chef Luca Mazza becomes ill after his demonstration and ends up dying, Fitzwilliam has to investigate and decide if it is accidental or murder. Of course, Bea and her friends can't help...