| Title | : | Live and Let Diet (Australian Amateur Sleuth #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published February 3, 2016 |
Although the town is sleepy and nothing has ever happened, her arrival coincides with a murder in the property adjacent to her cottage. Sybil soon finds she is at odds with the attractive Blake Wessley, the exasperated police officer who is trying to solve the murder.
After Sibyl narrowly misses becoming the next victim, she turns her attention to the suspects. Is it the English gentleman, Mr. Buttons, who serves everyone tea and cucumber sandwiches, or her landlord, Cressida Upthorpe, who is convinced that her fat cat, Lord Farringdon, speaks to her? Or is it someone else entirely?
This is a non-paranormal cozy mystery.
Live and Let Diet (Australian Amateur Sleuth #1) Reviews
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Sybil Potts was pleased to be getting away from her ex-husband Andrew after the harsh and bitter settlement terms. Things had yet to be finalised, but in the meantime, the tiny town of Little Tatterford in country New South Wales was to be her new home. Sybil’s arrival at the boarding house where she was to collect the keys to her cottage was the start of a violent and distressing few days – a murder had been committed and Sybil was immediately embroiled in suspicion, innuendoes and police.
But when Sybil decided to investigate herself, she put herself in danger of becoming the next victim. Who was the killer? And why did the police think it was connected to her? After all, she’d only just arrived in town…
Live and Let Diet by Aussie author Morgana Best is a light cosy mystery and the beginning of the Australian Amateur Sleuth series. The title is catchy and the cover is excellent! The mystery isn’t too bad – I had partly guessed, but not about it all! With a cast of strange and weird characters including Max, the cockatoo and Lord Farringdon, the cat, Live and Let Diet is easily recommended to fans of cosy mysteries. -
Acquired Kindle edition when offered free on Amazon.
(See later edits if you're interested.)
Weak writing style; all tell, no show. That turned me off right away. And absolutely no Aussie-ness. None.
MC's background made no sense: she saves to buy mobile pet grooming van, then moves to remote Australian village she's never been to where she has no idea if she can make a living with the pet grooming biz nor does she know if there are any opportunities for supplemental gainful employment! (Oh, she's doing all this while waiting for her settlement after divorce from wealthy ex. . . .)
Secondary characters are just weird, not interesting.
YMMV, but I lost interest very quickly.
Edited to add:
Originally DNF @ 15% or so. For "reasons," I went back and read more to see if my opinion changed.
Short version: No, it didn't.
Long version: MC Sibyl lacks sufficient consistency to come across as real, or even as real as characters in a slightly mystical/magical cozy mystery should. First there's the whole moving to Little Tatterford (such an English name in the mountains of Australia) into a cottage her cheating ex has rented for her. Why would she do this without some very good reason? Sibyl doesn't seem to have one. Andrew, the ex, has cheated on her and is trying to make sure she doesn't get a cent from his wealthy family's fortune, but she trusts him to rent her a cottage in the middle of nowhere?
She admits -- first person narrator here -- she knows nothing about the place. Small, population 5,000 or so. Yet she has corresponded with her landlady, Cressida Upthorpe, and talked with her on the phone. How can she not know something about Little Tatterford? Didn't she ask questions? She starts out doubting her ability to make a living, yet within days she's in overwhelming demand with no explanation. She doesn't even express surprise or joy at this unexpected success.
As a reader, I want to care about and be interested in the characters in the story. I just don't give a damn about Sibyl.
So without a main character to care about, what's left? Well, there's damn little atmosphere. Live and Let Diet could take place in Cabot Cove or Long Piddleton or River Heights. Nothing, not even the extended "Glossary" of Aussie spellings and usages at the front of the book, gives me a sense of this story being set in Australia. Sibyl's occasional references to her former life in Sydney could just as easily be references to Chicago, Milwaukee, or St. Paul. If Ms. Best is writing for an Australian audience, she doesn't need the Glossary; if she's writing for non-Aussies, she did a poor job of putting the story in that setting.
Then there's the mystery. That should take primary position, non? But for all Sibyl's occasional ruminations about Tim Higgins's death, not much seems to be going on in the way of solving it. Mr. Buttons, one of the quirky secondary characters, routinely goes about mucking with evidence, and no one seems to care. There's no active investigation, except the one Sibyl is engaged upon. Why? The guy died/was killed, so what's it to her? Why does she feel compelled to investigate this total stranger's death?
Instead of any actual sleuthing, Sibyl grooms dogs. Her business is booming. Great Danes and Poodles and King Charles Spaniels and Maltese Terriers are being brought to her one after another for baths and clips. (The cat, Lord Farringdon, who featured rather prominently in the opening scenes and is apparently the figure on the current cover, hasn't been mentioned for several chapters.) What about the murder investigation? Sibyl's psychic abilities are tossed in here and there, but why?
It's all a jumble, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I didn't care about Sibyl, I didn't care about Blake Wessley, I didn't care about Cressida Upthorpe or Mr. Buttons or Nora or Alison or deceased Tim Higgins. I'm sure there are plenty of readers who don't care if they don't care about the characters or the plot or the setting or anything else. I'm just not one of those readers.
Final DNF at 60%. I didn't even skip ahead to find out who the murderer was. I just didn't care. -
This well written cosy mystery is set in a small Australian rural town which still apparently requires the services of a dog groomer. Our heroine has driven here in her new van after divorcing, luckily with no kids to squabble over, just a cockatoo being contested. But the boarding house owner is eccentric, as are most of her guests, and a death has occurred that morning... coincidence?
The archetype of a newcomer to town is well used as is the Aussie setting and wildlife. Despite the title the book isn't food themed.
I enjoyed the tale and would read more but the slightly paranormal aspect deters me from giving five stars - if someone has a premonition which keeps them out of danger and another which helps them solve the puzzle, that seems like cheating.
This is an unbiased review.
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A fun murder mystery, which reads like a game of "Cluedo?".
Sybil has left her cheatin' husband and taken her dog grooming van and moved to the country. She moves into an old country manor just as a body is discovered in the pantry. Whodunnit!
We then follow Sybil's amateur sleuthing as she finds out who is behind the murder.
A good fun read :) -
This was a fun mystery!💜
I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery with a twist. It was fun and highly entertaining. I loved all the characters and the narration was absolutely brilliant. I recommend this book.
Sisters Spotlight 💜 -
Live and Let Diet by Morgana Best is the first book in the Australian Amateur Sleuth Mystery series. Sibyl Potts, in the middle of a messy divorce, moves to Little Tatterford, a town in New South Wales, only to be met by a murder in the adjacent property to her cottage. A quick, light cozy mystery. Sibyl is likeable with a psychic ability which warns her of danger and is in the process of starting a pet grooming business. Other quirky characters include her landlady, Cressida Upthorpe who is able to talk to her cat Lord Farringdon, and boarding house permanent resident Mr. Buttons with an obsessive cleaning disorder. The title seemed a bit strange as there was nothing diet related in the book. An enjoyable and fun typically cozy mystery.
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Needs tighter editing--repeats of cold climate and haunted house images redundant in the very beginning. And--unless Aussies are made of very firm stuff--extremely firm stuff--Sybil never reacts to the dead body right in front of her--in fact, she proceeds to sniff the corpse for cyanide. If she had been a former nurse or paramedic or a doctor or police officer--it would have been believable. The police investigation is non- existent. For a murder. I did like Mr. Buttons and Cressida—and Max the cockatoo.
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After a messy divorce, Sybil can't wait to get a new start on life. Before she gets a chance to settle into into a small town in nowhere Australia, she discovers a dead body in the boarding house neighboring her cottage. Being the newest arrival puts her at the top of the suspect list. Can she clear her name before she ends up being the next victim?
This story begins with an Australian glossary at the front, although I found myself familiar with many of the terms, either because they were ones I used here in America or because I watch lots of Australian shows on Netflix. I am also pretty sure there were terms in the glossary that were not in this particular book, making me question why they were included in the first place.
The story started a little slow, with a lot of background information that I would have preferred to have learned later. Since Sybil is a new person in a new town, there is plenty of opportunity for her to introduce herself to others and reveal some of this information instead of narrating it at the beginnings.
That being said, I did enjoy the story and look forward to reading more by this author. -
2020 bk 125. A quick read - maybe took 4 hours - but a fun mystery altogether. A recently divorced woman moves to a small town in the middle of Australia. Her ex gave her the lead on a cottage located there and her first mistake was taking him up on that offer. Her first day there, before she even unpacks, she enters a building to find that a body has just been discovered. From there she acquires a dog, survives a murder attempt, and becomes very familiar with the local police. The 'whodunit' was a surprise. I enjoyed this slower paced novel, after the intensity of the previous book I read.
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Live and Let Die is the first book in the Amateur Australian Sleuth Series. This is a fun, fast and easy read to a new series by Morgana Best.
Sybl Potts is reeling after her divorce and moves to Tattersford, a quaint and quiet little town. This story has wonderful quirky characters and I have to admit, Mr Buttons is absolutely one of my favorites. As soon as Sybl arrives, there’s a murder, will Sybl be next?
Great start to a series. I truly enjoyed reading this and highly recommend it. -
See my full review at
Mystereity Reviews
Sybil Potts, recently divorced from her cheating husband, is starting over in Little Tatterford, a tiny town in middle-of-nowhere Australia. The minute she arrives at her new cottage, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery when a man is found dead next door.
Do they have cool names for cozy mysteries in Australia? Like Cozy-Dozies or anything? If so, that would be enough to draw me in, but if not, the plot was more than enough, with a big plot twist that set up a satisfying ending that left me wanting more.
I really enjoyed this, a very promising start to a new series. I loved Sybil, she's smart, likable and a little naive. Mr. Buttons was by far my favorite character, he made the story for me, from "straightening" up the crime scene because the cat shed on the carpet to his bath scene, he was the standout character. The landlady, Cressida and her cat, Lord Farringdon (who talks to Cressida) were also enjoyable but not developed as much as I wanted. How, exactly, does Lord Farringdon talk to her? I'd love to know how that came about.
Overall, a quick, light read and very recommended for cozy mystery fans. -
This book had a lot of potential. The storyline was well formed, the characters were eccentric and hilarious, and the setting was idyllic. Unfortunately the text was riddled with spelling mistakes, grammatical issues, and weird plot jumps. The whole vision thing really threw me for a loop, it was not mentioned once until about halfway thorugh and I feel like that required a lead in. Same with the dog grooming, it could have been explained early on that she had experience doing that. It saddens me that the text had so many issues because the characters were entertaining and I caught myself laughing out loud more than once. I might venture into reading the next book, but probably not anytime soon.
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I listened to the audio book of LIve and Let Diet by Morgana Best narrated by Amy Soakes and It was FANTASTIC.
The narrator does such a great job bringing the characters to life!
Sybil Potts was excited to finally be away from her Ex husband Andrew and has moved to the small town of LIttle Tatterford in New South Wales. She is living in a cottage at a boarding house and the first thing she encounters is murder.
The characters are fantastic including Lord Farrington the cat, Max The cockatoo and Mr. Buttons the highly eccentric boarder that also resides in the boarding house.
The mystery is fantastic and I did not guess until the killer was revealed in the very end.
Loved every minute of this book ! -
A very interesting mystery with plenty of twists. Sybil has moved to a new place after her divorce from her husband. On the day of her arrival there is a murder. The plot thickens as Sybil has visions which seem to come true.
Meet Cressida, Mr Buttons, Lord Farringdon, and Sandy and of course her ex and the murder and Blake. You have bit of humor which adds to the story and the tinkling of possible romance.
Enjoy the book because it is well and written and I enjoyed it and recommend this book! -
Interesting start to a series. I look forward to reading the next book.
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One often must suspend disbelief a bit in cozy mysteries, and this book certainly required that. The overall plot line was good, and it was a fun listen, but there were a few points when I just had to roll my eyes and think "really?" The police didn't seem very competent...even less so than in the average cozy mystery. The idea of leaving a hand-raised bird with an ex husband was odd, and then I bought the entire series of audiobooks on a special deal on Chirp, so I'll listen to them all, and I suspect the series will improve and tighten up the holes a bit, as is often the case with cozy mystery series. The narrator did a great job. I also enjoy the opportunity of a light and easy, fast listen between more intense listens. So overall, a fun story and some interesting new characters (loved Mr. Buttons and Lord Farringdon!)
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Recently divorced Sybil has moved from Sydney, Australia, to a small mountainous town. The divorce was traumatic and her wealthy husband is doing all he can to keep all the property from her. He has even kept her beloved cockatoo. Even as she arrives, she is met with a dead body. The two local policemen immediately suspect her, because she can smell cyanide on the body. It turns out she was correct. She is renting a cottage on the property of a large, but run-down and poorly decorated boarding house. The boarders are strange, the landlady and the only normal person is the maid. Sybil begins running her mobile dog grooming business, but is not sure if she can support herself in the small town.
There are scenes in the book that are laugh-out-loud funny, and others that are pretty grim, but altogether, this is a fun read!
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This was the perfect cozy mystery for my taste. The main character, Sybil, was likeable with secondary characters who were colorfully eccentric without being over the top. The story got into the murder mystery straight away and kept a good balance between Sybil's personal life and the mystery. Since Sybil was getting out of a bad marriage, it didn't get mired down with the usual cliché romantic subplot. Some clues were sprinkled throughout so that the murder was not out of left field, but was glaringly obvious, either. Overall, the tone was light. The Australian setting was a nice change of pace. It was just the thing to read on a dreary winter day.
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2.5 stars. It was ok but I was a little disappointed as I don't think it really captured the Aussie small town feel. Instead the town felt more generic and lacked character. I also found the story a little disjointed and didn't flow as well as it could. For example there is no mention or lead in for Sibyl's visions just part way through the story she has one then tells the police oh yes I have visions and that is how I knew. It was kind of weird. I did enjoy the eccentric Mr Buttons as a character.
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Sybil’s starting a new life after her divorce. She can’t wait for a fresh start somewhere new. She’s moved to a small town in Australia. She’s starting a new business as a mobile pet groomer. But it’s not long before she finds a dead body. She thinks she knows how they were killed. She’s determined to investigate to find the killer. But she’s in for a big shock. There’s lots of new interesting people in her life. And there is a lot of suspicious characters as well who could have been the killer.
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This is the first in the series. The main character is Sibyl. She is divorcing her husband and has hoped to a small town out in the country. When she arrives in town, there is a murder and somehow she is suspected. Then the next day there is a note saying she has decided to kill herself. And then they find a hidden stolen work of art. Everything is suppose make it look worse for her. But she is starting to figure it out with the help of her vision and a head cop that seems to believe her. Can she figure this out before whoever is after gets lucky?
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When a recently divorced dog groomer heads for the Australian countryside to recuperate from her messy divorce, her life will never be the same! Add in an eccentric B&B owner, a tenant who loves to clean - things and people - a cat that has his own opinions and a lovable rescue Lab puppy who is "just happy to be there" and you have a fast-paced and humorous mystery!
The main character, Sibyl, is my kind of cozy character - determined to survive her past, a little hesitant to strike out on her own and in the middle of a murder mystery that may have her as the next victim!
The setting was so different and exotic and I enjoy cozies set in different countries. Except for the snakes...I'd love join her and the "gang" for a mystery!
I've already bought the second book and look forward to many more reading hours with Sibyl & her friends! -
Sybil Potts moves to Little Tatterford to a rental that is rented for her by her ex-husband. Of course, the rental isn’t all it’s made out to be, but the neighbors in the adjacent boarding house make up for it. Soon after her move, one of the boarders is murdered. Sybil can’t help herself and becomes involved and almost becomes the next victim. Fun Read. Oh, and Sybil has a little secret of her own.
