Clues to You by Claire Huston

"You and Max are as bad as each other."

"What do you mean?"

"This sleuthing business. You both take it far too seriously. It's a game, Kate. No one's dead for real."

Not yet, thought Kate as she trained her sights on Max. Not yet." 

Clues to You by Claire Huston is a sweet romantic comedy and a cosy mystery in one.

This is book 3 in the Love in the Comptons series (all are standalone romcoms).

Clues to You

One murder mystery weekend. Two rival sleuths.

They’re looking for answers. But will they find love?

 

Kate Brannon is delighted to be attending her first murder mystery weekend in a movie-worthy Victorian manor house. Still getting over being dumped, cracking the case would be a welcome boost to her flagging confidence. And the prize money wouldn’t hurt either.

But Kate’s dreams of victory become a nightmare with the arrival of Max Ravenscroft. Smart, enigmatic and annoyingly handsome, Max is Kate’s sleuthing nemesis.

 When she and Max are forced to work together, Kate despairs. But, as the investigation brings them closer, she finds being his partner in solving crime isn’t all bad.

 With growing suspicions that the game is rigged against them, can Kate and Max beat the odds to find the killer? And, as their partnership deepens, can they find romance too?

 

Kate Brannon arrives to The Old Grange Hotel for Merryman's Murder Mystery Weekend with great hopes. For her, spending a weekend, trying to solve the murder mystery, is pure happiness. Her best friend Bella is expected to attend the event with her fiance Ethan. With these two on her team, Kate knows she has a chance.

She " was determined to have a fun weekend with good friends. And maybe, just maybe, it would be a weekend with a dream ending. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment and she pictured her team solving the case to rapturous applause and carrying off fifty thousand pounds".

Her bubble of excitement is burst, when Max Ravenscroft makes his appearance, "her old rival, sleuthing nemesis and destroyer of dreams of detective glory..." She dreads working together with Max on the same team.

"She had hoped she stood a small chance of cracking the case. But the addition of another mystery - and none other than the diabolical enigma that was Max Ravenscroft - could well make the weekend more than she could handle".

To be fair, Kate does exaggerate her dislike of the formidable Max. In fact, he is very considerate to her, offering Kate cookies, when her stomach makes embarrassing noises.

With his sharp mind, Max asks direct questions that help their team. "In the middle of a weekend of extended role play, a weird fictional situation in which everyone was voluntarily suspending their disbelief, he was unwaveringly present and solid".

Like Elizabeth to her Mr Darcy, Kate's prejudices begin to melt away.

As Kate and Max probe further into the secrets of the family, they seem to be drawn together. Max shows that he can be caring and attentive, and not at all the monster she has envisaged in her mind. As each clue is being revealed, their mutual attraction grows.

There are rumours that the game has been rigged, and the game organisers are not playing fair, which they obviously deny. Is it possible for anyone to solve the clues and win the game?

Kate and Max are determined to find the answers. Will they find the killer? They are following the clues, but is it finally the time to start following their hearts as well?

Kate is a sweet likeable character, shy and not overly bursting with confidence, and with a quirky style in clothes. 

Max is the epitome of elegance and poise, and at first appears borderline smug over-confident.

They make an awesome duo of sleuths, complementing each other's strenghts. And they do take their hobby seriously (which is quite endearing).

The murder mystery is set in the 1930s, and at times you forget that the main action is happening at present, and the murder investigation is staged and performed by the team of actors. The murder mystery characters are fleshed out effortlessly, with insightful glimpses into their backstories. 

The whole story would make a fabulous TV series with a delightful set of characters, Archie "Tinkety-Tonk" Forbes being one of my personal favourites.

Clues to You is a very entertaining and an immensely enjoyable story, with a great charm and a sense of humour. 

A charming and fun read, with an original concept.

This review is part of the blog tour for Clues to You.

Many thanks to Claire Huston, Goldcrest Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book (and it's also signed by the author!)

Purchase Link - 

https://mybook.to/CluesToYou

Author Bio:

Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire with her husband and two children. She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but sometimes need a little help to realise it.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for over a hundred sweet treats at clairehuston.co.uk. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.

Social Media Links: 

https://linktr.ee/clairehuston_author