Invitation to Die

Emily Castles Mysteries #3

by Helen Smith

Twenty-six-year-old Emily Castles is out of work… again. So when famous romance author Morgana Blakely offers her a job helping out at a conference in London, Emily accepts. Just as eagerly, American blogger Winnie Kraster accepts an invitation from Morgana to attend as a guest, not realizing she has, in effect, accepted an invitation to die.

As a cast of oddball characters assembles at the conference hotel, grievances, differences, and secrets begin to emerge. When Winnie goes missing, and then is found murdered nearby, Emily begins to suspect that someone involved with the conference is responsible. Could it be one of the organizers, one of the authors, a member of the hotel staff, or even the supplier of the chocolates for the conference gift bags? Emily teams up with guest speaker and eccentric philosophy professor Dr. Muriel to find out.

Offbeat and engaging, this entertaining comic mystery is the first full-length novel featuring amateur British sleuth Emily Castles.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Amateur Sleuth, Mystery Thriller, British Literature

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2013

About the author

Sign up for Helen Smith's Book News and receive a FREE Kindle copy of one of Helen Smith's books: http://helensmithbooks.com/freebook

Helen Smith is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, The Crime Writers Association and English PEN. She traveled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both – from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant – before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel. She's the author of Alison Wonderland, Being Light, The Miracle Inspector and the Emily Castles mystery series as well as children's books, poetry and plays.

Helen Smith's books have reached number one on Amazon's bestseller lists in the US, UK, Canada and Germany. Her first book, Alison Wonderland, was one of Amazon Publishing's top five bestselling books when it was launched in the US in 2011. In July 2013, following the publication of Invitation to Die, Helen Smith reached the top spot as "America's most popular mystery author" on Amazon. Her books have been praised in The Times, The Times Literary Supplement, the Guardian, Time Out and Wired.com. They have appeared on "best books of the year" lists in For Books' Sake, The Cult Den, The Independent and the Guardian.

Helen Smith has been invited to read at literary events and festivals in London and New York and points in between – including, most recently, a cruise ship en route to California via the Suez Canal. Her work has been read or performed at the National Theatre, The Royal Festival Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, Amnesty International’s Headquarters, The Edinburgh Festival and The University of London. She’s a Literary Death Match champion and the recipient of an Arts Council of England award. Her work has been optioned by the BBC. She’s amazing! Please buy her books.

"Smith is gin-and-tonic funny." Booklist

Reviews

[Margitte · Rating 2 out of 5]

To all those dedicated bloggers out there, this one is for you! Yes, and don't even consider forming a One Star Book Review Club, it might be a highly unhealthy choice to make ;-)

You might be invited to the conferences of the Romance Writers of Great Britain, a small but prestigious organization that claimed world-famous writers like Polly Penham and Morgana Blakely among its membership.

Well, the successful blogger, Winnie Kraster from Hartford, Connecticut, accepted the invitation, and so did two others. Only one of them returned home - alive!

Mmmm...this might go through as a satire, but honestly, I am not so sure about that...Nope, uh uh, don't think so... so confusing!

The gift bags contained chocolates, a book, and some girlie stuff. Some of it were laced. Really nice enough to die for. Yes, that's serious business folks. Be sure to add a street address to your acceptance form. It will be needed to send your body nicely bagged back home.

:-))

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliance Audio presents Invitation to Die by Helen Smith performed by Alison Larkin.
Published : 2013
Listening time : 6 hours : 20 minutes.
Adult fiction priced at $14.99 in CD or on Audible $5.45
Romance Writers of Great Britain is convening in a hotel. With a cast of characters as diverse and eclectic like the setting itself it becomes the scene of a murder. Is this the only murder? Other questions arise regarding the murder most foul…who and why were the poor woman murdered?
Emily, an assistant at the event soon finds herself in the role of sleuth.
I really love the way that the author plays with words use satire to make a sub culture into a force to be reckoned with. It occurred to be during the listen of this audio book that a sub culture is only a subculture until it becomes a persons' life. It then becomes mainstream and in this story I was constantly reminded of the Indie communities struggle against main published groups since even though these are not Indie authors…the implications of authors needing reviews desperately, the bloggers fights. The One Star club etc had me in fits of laughter since I come across these almost daily in my own subculture. I think the true appeal of this book will be towards others like me who live and love a subculture.
As to the sleuth part; Emily is a really fun character who makes notes and ponders over the weirdest and mostly too literal interpretation of statements by police and possible subjects.

The narrator, Alison Larkin did a splendid job with accents and change of voice and pitch to denote the characters to make all of them as individual as their characters needs be. I think the narrator truly added to the story.
I am also glad that the book did not have any sound effects to accompany it. Although these many times add to the story line, in this particular story where the emphasis is on satire as much as a love of word, I believe it would have distracted.
All in all a 5 * read and listen.
WaAr

[Allison Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't gotten very far into this story, but have been enthralled from the first sentence. I thought i might be bored, but it has me guessing already and we haven't even left her desk chair. It can only get better. I finished reading it. It kept getting better - so many red herrings - i couldn't stop laughing, even when I reminded myself every few minutes this was a fast paced thriller and a good mystery. Helen's sense of humor kept me laughing no matter how serious the murders got. There was so much intrigue, but so much "Helen" and her sense of the ridiculous to balance it and keep me reading.

[Nicola L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first full-length mystery starring amateur sleuth Emily Castles. I read ‘Three Sisters’ by Helen Smith late last year, which was a short story starring Emily (an introduction to her if you will) and as a consequence, was looking forward to reading a longer mystery featuring her.

In this book, twenty-something Emily is called upon by a friend to assist at a conference of the Romance Writers of Great Britain who have gathered in London to host their annual event. When disaster strikes and an American book blogger is murdered, it is down to Emily to try and figure out whodunit, amidst a very large cast of suspects...

This was a fun, nicely paced read (though it did take a little bit of time to get to the action) with a lot of detail and vivid scene-setting. Great attention was paid to both characters and their surroundings, and as a consequence I could envisage what was happening very clearly. There was also some subtle and tongue-in-cheek humour about blogging and book reviewers generally, which I appreciated. I also liked the fact that I couldn’t figure out who the murderer was, as I hate mysteries that are too obvious.

Emily as a character is interesting, though I feel that I still don’t know a lot about her, other than superficial facets about her looks and the fact that her dog died recently, which is reiterated, in both this book and the short story about her. I would like to get to know her a bit better- what makes her tick? What about her family? Close friends? Relationships? I feel by far that the secondary characters in Invitation to Die were better developed than she was, unfortunately. I hope that this changes should the author decided to write (and I hope she will) more Emily books in future.

I was admittedly torn between giving this story 3.5 stars or 4- and in the end settled on 4, as it was a good escapist read and more strongly written than the short story was. I’m happy I read it and I would certainly like to read more Emily Castles mysteries in future. I think this book will definitely be appreciated by fans of the cosy mysteries genre.

**Thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review**

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun little mystery! I read two others by Helen and enjoyed them but I liked this one much better. This one really flowed very nicely and was easy to follow. It was a fun, light and very up-to-date story.

Helen used quirky characters which made it fun to get to know them. You never knew what to expect next from them, but they were also very likeable and real.
What I really liked most about the story was the use of a very timely subject - blogging! I love that Helen took something so current as blogging and book reviews and ratings and based her book around it! This made it so much more fun to read! This book is full of great lines, I was giggling through the book.

I have 8 quotes highlighted, but I won't post all 8! Here's just a few great lines for you -

"Bloggers!' M. Loman's horrified expression suggested he might be getting them confused with something he considered unrefined, like truckers. Or muggers, or joggers."

"Blogathon! There's a blogathon!' Morgana seemed to be genuinely frightened. Emily looked around the bar, but she couldn't see anything. What on earth was a blogathon anyway? It sounded like a made-up creature. A dragon in a kids story, something like that. And then the blogathon roared and all the flowers in the garden shuddered and closed their petals in fear..." hahahaha funny!


"It was like a romantic comedy, without the romance or the comedy." hahaha still giggling about that one.

"Now with purple lips, without a scrap of make-up on the rest of her face, she looked like a zombie in a YouTube video made by eleven-year-olds." that quote I dedicate to my friend Jen! lol (inside joke).

Oh! and I almost forgot - this book had me won over on the first page - there was a Maine Coon cat, Martina would be proud!

So if you are a big fan of mysteries, especially the fun quirky ones, you will love this book. And if you are a fan of stories using current themes like blogging, you will love this one!

[Joo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invitation to Die is a cozy murder mystery. The Romance Writers of Great Britain are about to have their annual conference and decide to invite some of their enemies - Bloggers. Emily Castles was invited to be one of the writer's assistant in organising the event.

Being a murder-mystery, some characters die and suspicion goes back and forth. This story flowed well. We were drip fed clues and red herrings, throughout. I didn't get it at all.

I understand this was originally a serial. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much. I read this as a book in one afternoon.

[Anthea Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the quirkiness of this mystery (I admit I have a fondness for the quirk) it was a lighthearted read which I could really use after reading so many heavy books lately. But at the same time it wasn't trite or predictable at all so I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries, I think they would really enjoy this author.

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazingly interesting and complex storyline. I was captivated, intrigued and carried away.

[The Flooze · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In Hartford, Connecticut, in the United States of America, just after eleven o’clock in the morning on a Saturday, Winnie Kraster received an invitation to die. Not realizing what it was, she accepted eagerly.”

So begins Invitation to Die, the first full-length novel of Helen Smith’s Emily Castles mysteries. Set at a romance novelists’ convention in London, it touches on a topic many Goodreaders hold dear: authors, and the reviewers who madden them. A bit meta, you might say, but good-humouredly so.

Prior to this, I’d read two novellas set in the same universe: Three Sisters and Showstoppers . They exhibited some quirks of humor and pacing that made me take pause, but the characters and writing were engaging. Besides, I do love a British mystery…and that Kindle Instant Gratification Button is my dangerous, enabling friend.

So onward I read, delighted to find myself smirking with appreciation. Invitation to Die is full to the brim with eccentric personalities - not the least of whom is Emily herself. She’s an odd little creature whose mind darts off in all sorts of imaginative, inappropriate directions. But she’s also rather sensible and reliable - and, most importantly, observant. As authors and bloggers and hotel staff dash around her she quietly takes it all in, making it a fun challenge to tease out the relevant bits from the whirlwind of misdirection. (I confess I did not know who the killer was until the denouement. Most everyone came under an air of suspicion.)

As for the rest of the cast, Dr. Muriel makes a reappearance - I do enjoy her - joined by Morgana and a host of other writers whose relationship I found entertaining. Smith is skilled at crafting both subtle and over-the-top characters and showcasing their long-lasting friendship. They have an amusing, supportive rapport despite the undercurrent of competition. Much more fun than painting them as catty challengers.

Smith’s droll humor pops up in unexpected ways, keeping the tone light and the pacing swift. So swift that the final chapters snuck up on me; I’d have happily spent more time in Emily’s mad little world. I look forward to the next installment.

_____________

“I’m presiding over a gathering of romance authors at a conference in London this weekend.”
Surely there was a more appropriate word than a gathering: a pash, a kiss, a smooch of romance authors?
Morgana interrupted Emily’s mental thesaurusing.


With the jingling, and the soft, appealing jumble of textures she was wearing in blue, Emily thought that Morgana would have made an excellent educational toy for a baby.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review and author interview on my blog: http://stephinlondon.com/2013/06/03/b...

I will preface my review by saying that mysteries aren’t ususally my thing. I’ve only read a handful and those have been of the gore/scare tactic variety rather than purely mystery. I won’t slate this book because it was entertaining and Helen’s characters were some of the most hilarious I’ve read in a while, but I also have to give an honest review… though after reading Invitation to Die I’m afraid I might be bumped off!

Invitation to Die had enormous potential and the makings of an entertaining ”whodunnit” and while it did entertain I felt that something was missing. To my own discredit, I can’t tell you what that something missing was, exactly. Part of my issue was the end of the book–it felt really rushed and I wanted more… more pages… more Emily… just more explanation even. The conclusion felt a bit rushed to me. To be fair, Invitation to Die was originally issued as a Kindle Serial so maybe knowing that threw me off a bit?

I also got the hint that there was a backstory to heroine Emily Castles; Smith drops in little clues about Emily’s relationship with Detective Rory James and Dr Muriel among other things that I didn’t get at all. I’m assuming that’s because I’ve not read either of the short stories (Three Sisters, Showstoppers) featuring Castles. As a standalone novel, Invitation to Die could have done with a bit more backstory on Emily.

Enough negativity! Helen Smith’s writing style is very easy to read and enjoy. She’s very clear and concise without seeming sharp but also doesn’t dither away on little details and “fluff” in her writing. There’s nothing worse than a writer going on for paragraphs about the “dewey morning” or what-have-you.

And the characters–whoo wee! I Loved (that’s right, big L!) the writers in the RWGB, particularly Zena and Nic, the hotel manager, had me in fits. I currently work in the conference and events industry so it was fun to read a book based in a setting that I’m (very) familiar with–minus the murdering. So far, anyhow.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the full review and others like it at my blog, Inkspots & Tea.

I really enjoyed this book, although the fact that it was a debut novel seemed a little odd with how Ms. Smith introduced the main character, heroine, and amateur sleuth, Emily Castles. There was very little introduction to Emily Castles; she just kind of appeared and we were to accept that she had a keen mind and had the ability to figure out mysteries such as the one presented in this novel.

However, the mystery was fun to read, since it centered around writing, blogging, and writing reviews for books. It seems a little odd to be writing a review for a book like that, though, I must admit!! It was relatively light-hearted - I don't believe Ms. Smith intended for this book to be a frightening, realistic series. The characters were a little over the top, for the most part, and while they were well-written and mostly likable, they were just not quite believable.

Many thanks to Amazon Publishing through Netgalley for allowing me to read this title in return for an unbiased review.

[Donna Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this third entry in the Emily Castles mystery series, our heroine is assisting at a romance writers conference. I loved this concept and, as you can probably guess, it makes for some very entertaining and amusing insights into the whole publishing world. Nothing escapes Ms. Smith's witty pen as she takes subtle digs at authors, bloggers, conventions, fans, book signings and panel discussions. There's almost nothing that does not fall under her droll pen, but it's all done with good humor and makes for a highly enjoyable read.

With each outing, I come to like Emily more and more. Her laissez-faire attitude almost makes the crime seem to solve itself. With her ambitious note-taking and seemingly disparate clues, she still manages to pull everything together and unmask the killer in time for a good old-fashioned denouement. This is quintessential British mystery writing at its finest.

**I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review**

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd Emily Castle story that I've read though this is the first actual full-length novel. I read the first two short stories several months ago and really enjoyed them. If you haven't read the first two, you should read them before this. You need to get a sense of Emily's personality before reading this one.

The characters in the book are quirky and the humor is as well. It's very British :) The plot is quite fun and moves quickly. The murder mystery aspect of the book comes to a satisfying conclusion when Emily puts all of the nonsense clues together to figure out who-done-it.

My favorite part has to do with women who've never gotten over Di's death...I was cracking up.

I look forward to reading more Emily stories, whether they are in full-length or short story format!

[Erin Al-Mehairi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Installment 1: Awesome start that made me question how...why...when...then her introduction of characters as they prepare to come to the hotel gives us a look at their varying personalities, questioning if one of them could be the killer of a possible murder. Just like a Agatha Christie novel...get to know everyone, start to slip in clues, and leave the reader putting it all together...can't wait for installement two in this serial novel.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invitation to Die is a cozy murder mystery. The Romance Writers of Great Britain are having their annual conference and invite some of their enemies- Bloggers. Emily Castles friend asks her to assist at the conference When an American Blogger is murdered at the conference it is up to Emily to figure out who done it among a large cast of suspects. A fun read with a lot of detail and great scene setting.

[Marina Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy, cheerful, pleasant read. A delightfully satirical treatment of writers conferences, wannabe writers, book bloggers and egos aplenty. While the crime plot itself is not wholly believable, this book has a slightly surreal flavour, and is more about ambiance and entertainment. Very enjoyable!

[Jakenv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchased serial when offered by author. Enjoyed every segment. Get in on the action now. Only improves with each episode. Now available in paperback for those without e-book reader. Highly recommend. Emily is a new favorite character I hope to read more of her adventures.

[Bookphile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun serial. It was a little madcap and zany, and I loved the dry humor in it, as well as its meta examination of the tensions between bloggers and authors. Very well done and very enjoyable to read.

[ChrisGA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light, quirky cozy mystery by an English author. It is set in London at a romance writers conference. Emily, hired as an assistant to the function's organizer, solves the murders, fire, and poisoning. Fun and enjoyable.

[NVTony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoy characters and their adventures. Friend recommended and I have found a writer who knows how to create excellent mystery while not leaving characters short of personality.

[Nancy Phy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful mystery

This mystery a great story. I enjoyed the story and the characters were wonderful. If you like great mystery then I would recommend this book.

[Tracey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This might not have seemed so awful if I hadn't just been reading really excellent authors right before. But I was, and it did. But it's such a pretty cover ... Returned to Amazon.

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A full length Emily Castles book that will not disappoint. The story is very well developed and contains enough twists and turns to keep you guessing whodunit until the very last pages. I have to say this is my favorite Helen Smith story/book so far.
If you haven't read any of the Emily Castles stories you could certainly start with this one and probably get hooked on this young woman detective who reminds me of a cross between Inspector Clouseau and Columbo.

I'm looking forward to the next in the Emily Castles stories.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Droll humor and wacky characters are the best parts of this book. There is something a little dull with the plot, but I can't quite put my finger on it. It just didn't suit me.
Purchased as Whispersync on the cheap courtesy of Book Gorilla.
Alison Larkin is an expressive narrator.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invitation to Die is an Emily Castles Mystery written by Helen Smith. It is a mystery that just begs to be solved by the reader. You tend to pick up on some of the clues as you read and yet they don’t make sense.
Emily Castles had just finished a job when she was hired by Morgana to be her assistant at the Romance Writer’s Conference being held at the Corman Hotel in London. Emily would have a room at the hotel and get to enjoy the conference herself as she helped Morgana with the organizational details. It didn’t seem to be a very difficult job but Emily was determined to do her best. Upon her arrival, she met Nik Kovacevic, the manager of the hotel, who wanted to write and was discussing this with Morgana. Then she met the committee, Cerys, Zena, and Archie. Only Polly Penham was absent. Polly was a famous author who was wealthy and had a wealthy husband who had just bought a swannery. Polly was toying with the idea of running for a seat in Parliament. Just then, M. Loman came in to tell Morgana he had delivered the violet cremes for the gift bags. They were in the kitchen. Emily was sent to get the cremes and then finish filling up the gift bags which had been set up in a separate room.
On her way through the kitchen, Emily was rudely told not to enter the kitchen by the chef and routed outside through a side door. This door led to the alley which, of course, wasn’t the cleanest place to be. As she was trying to find her way to the front of the hotel, she ran into Polly Penham who was outside having a smoke. She had told the papers she had stopped smoking so had to hide if she wanted to smoke. Coming up behind her was Nik. What was he doing here? Anyway, it was arranged that Nik would have someone bring the cremes to the gift bag room and Polly would go get her books which were to be in the bags as well. Emily just shook her head and let the questions she had go away. Nothing so far with this job seemed sane.
The group had invited three bloggers to the conference for special recognition. They had entered a contest to write a romance in less than 200 words. These three were voted on by the committee as winners, although the committee seemed to know nothing about the contest. Winnie was coming from America where she wrote Tallulah’s Treasures and was overwhelmed to have been invited to come to London. Teena Durani was from England and Maggie was from England as well. They were prolific bloggers and reviews of romance novels among other things. Teena had recently taken up the cause of wind farms for electricity and she had an argumentative and angry appearance. Maggie was a quiet forty something plump lady who was retiring and shy and seemed to be afraid someone would steal her purse. She seemed to have no idea why she was here. They were to have tea with Lex Millingtom, a literary agent, and a private chat with Polly. Unfortunately, Winnie hadn’t shown up.
Unfortunately, Winnie would never show up. She had been murdered and her body placed in the empty lot next to the hotel. She hadn’t been robbed so her purse was there with her identity papers. Then Polly evidently has been poisoned, she thinks from the violet cremes but will be fine. The police were called and newly promoted Detective Rory James appears. He and Emily had met and he had asked her out but she hadn’t gone. Was this romance to bloom here at this conference?
Who killed Winnie and why? Who poisoned Polly and why? Once more Emily is in the middle of a mystery and she starts gathering clues. Will she be able to figure out what is going on?
I loved this book just as much as I loved Helen’s other books about Emily Castle. The story is told without a lot of gore, sex scenes, or profanity. They are clean books that create a mystery and try to solve it. I have no problem in even recommending them for reading by junior high students who love mysteries.

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sshh... whisper it, but I do have a secret passion for the subgenre of cosy crime! Before I gravitated to the altogether more hard-boiled, darker side of crime fiction I found my feet in the world of cosy crime. Still, to this day, I am a devotee of M.C. Beaton and the Agatha Raisin series and like to indulge in a lighter, quirkier and altogether more humorous read on occasions. Better still, when this comes from the pen of an author who writes well, introducing a cast of colourful and idiosyncratic characters and producing a fast moving and captivating storyline. And Helen Smith can certainly write... Invitation to Die is an absolute hoot from start to finish and should be compulsory reading for all book reviewers and bloggers.

Finding herself once again out of work, twenty-six year old Londoner Emily Castles accepts a temporary position helping out at the hosting of a romance writers' conference in Bloomsbury, central London. For the first time this year, bloggers have been invited to the conference and this has caused a little disquiet amongst the organising committee, all of whom are authors with egos highly sensitive to the reviews their books receive! Taking place in a posh hotel which has a new manager who is keen to impress, and with all the authors seeming to have their own niggles about the attending bloggers this is all set up for a delightful slice of British mystery action at its most farcical and Invitation to Die does not disappoint!

The three bloggers who have been invited to attend have 'won' an online competition to produce a 200 word romantic setting. Bizarrely none of the organising committee can even remember casting their vote on the entrants and the invited trio, including one hailing from the USA appear a diverse batch. When two out of the three bloggers die at the hotel and a number of peculiar coincidences occur there is very soon a mystery afoot.

Backed up by the eccentric Dr. Muriel Crowther, with her trusty notebook in hand, Emily Castles works through the events and puzzles over the influencing factors. It is wonderfully charming when Emily works through the various facts in the final revelations and whilst I would have loved a more detailed portrayal of Emily herself, perhaps her sweet and unassuming appearance and studious intelligence allow her to segue discreetly into the background and allow her to ponder on events. I would therefore like to see how the Emily Castles character develops and understand that she does indeed feature in more stories. Dr. Muriel Crowther obviously has a great deal of spirit and I was itching for her to be introduced in further detail. It seemed that the people who were at the heart of solving these mysteries were also those individuals who characters were less clearly developed and this was a source of disappointment to me.

I believe Invitation to Die was originally produced as a Kindle Serial however I had the joy of experiencing in it's entirety - I certainly do not think I would have had the patience to wait for the next instalment and it certainly kept my attention wonderfully. This is my first read from Helen Smith and indeed from her series of mysteries which feature Emily Castles. I can certainly see myself reading more of the Emily Castles series and being tempted to try other novels by this author. Regardless of whether an author is writing cosy crime or the cynical, darker side of the crime world, what matters is that the author writes well, engages readers and keeps the momentum up and Helen Smith certainly does this!

Terrifically witty, this is cosy crime at it's best! An astute and very shrewd commentary on the insidious world of book publishing, reviewing and blogging from an author who is not afraid to poke fun at the industry. A must for all book reviewers and bloggers and anyone who has written an online review for any product or service, this is cosy crime given the classy treatment.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by Helen Smith that I have read and a good introduction to the Emily Castles mysteries. The story is based in an hotel in London for a conference of romantic writers. Winnie, from America and not a writer of romance, received an email as an 'Invitation To Die' and to attend the writer's conference as a guest. Winnie never made it to the conference and was found dead outside the back of the hotel.

The first chapter is a bit loud in that it introduces most of the characters who are a vociferous and kaleidoscopic bunch. Once you've put a face to the names it's easy to follow their roles in the plot. Emily Castles is a curious character and solver of crimes in the most British of ways. From a room full of writers, hotel staff, suspicious chocolates and poisoning, she begins to jot down in her notebook anything significant, unusual or just whatever comes into her mind as being out of the ordinary. From the eclectic mix of characters, I couldn't pick one of them as the murderer and when a second death happened I was completely at a loss as to who could be the culprit.

In the final chapter I had three suspects but still didn't have a firm clue which one 'did it'. Emily Castles stands armed with her notebook and literally thinks and speaks on her feet. The murderer is revealed and unsurprisingly wasn't one of my shortlisted stooges.

Helen Smith uses colourful characters and cleverly weaves a web of deceit and confusion so that the reader doesn't guess who did it until the very end.

Well worth a read and I shall seek out more books by her.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off really well - the author grabbed my attention from the start and had all the makings of a page turner. Unfortunately, scene set, we come to the action ground. As soon as the attempted poisoning took place, it was obvious 'who dunnit', the why remained obscure. It was a little like reading a crime setting from Agatha Christie but without any of Christie's subtlety. So instead of having to disseminate the information you have been given and work out which is a relevant clue and which is not, the clues in this instant are painfully obvious. For example, the person who was poisoned by cyanide didn't die, or even remain ill for very long and the author gave us an indication that there was an antidote to cyanide present in the 'victim's' room.

Even when the why is revealed, it remained obscure, and as for the manner of the revelation - given by a young girl who starts off talking without a conscious idea of the culprit and only scribbled notes to go on, as she starts talking she realises who the murderer is and the why and the how. Three stars is therefore a generous rating for me, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt - for me, I felt like I'd read a work by someone who had been to creative writing classes and had got the technique for introducing the work perfectly well, but now needed to continue to work on how to continue, maintaining the standard.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline sounded really cute/interesting but I was pretty disappointed with this book. It took the first third to get through the characters (I really hated that they were all introduced this way instead of as the story developed). I also felt like there was too much information, much of it seeming unrelated to the story and very "run on". Once I trudged through the characters, it seemed like the story was picking up and I was ready to give it another chance. I was soon annoyed (again) trying to remember who was who as I read (remember the characters were all introduced in the first third of the book). I found there to be a good bit unnecessary writing that was so distracting I actually started skimming paragraphs here and there. When the second victim was murdered, I had no idea who she was and didn't feel like going (back) through the lengthy process to find out. I would generally be able to read a book like this within a week or less but I just did not feel compelled to find out what was going to happen with this one. It took me over three weeks. I don't know why but I forced myself to finish this book. I would say don't waste your time or money on this one. I have since removed the other books from this author from my reading wish list.

[Tara Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to read & fun to listen!!

I listened and read (back and forth) the book Invitation to Die: Emily Castles Mystery Series, Book 1 on Audible in one day, as it is short enough to do so, but still long enough to feel like a full story from start to finish. This is my favorite length of audiobook because it fits into my schedule perfectly. :-)

I thought this book was really funny and the storyline was clever! I enjoyed the characters and their quirky ways. The author, Helen Smith, now has a new fan...me! This is the first full book I have listened to of hers, and I plan to read more!

For those of you interested in cozy mysteries, you are in for a treat! The narrator does a fantastic job. I love her accent, though I'm sure that to some of you, she doesn't have an accent at all. I hope she is the same narrator in future books written by Helen Smith. She did a great job with her volume, pace, and inflection. She was a joy to listen to, and I recommend you give this book a go!

Again, for those of you who love cozy mysteries, you will enjoy both the book and the audio for this story. It is funny, and it kept me engaged. I look forward to finding out what else Helen Smith has in store for her listeners!

Thank you for reading my review!! :-)