#Review: A Gift for Maisie Bloom by Jessie Cahalin @BooksInHandbag #blogtour #publicationday #cozymystery #romance #RespectRomFic #AGiftForMaisieBloom

I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my publication day review of A Gift for Maisie Bloom, the new novel from the lovely Jessie Cahalin – independently published today, it’s now available in all major ebook formats (for kindle via Amazon, for Kobo, and via both Apple Books and Google Play). I’d already pre-ordered my kindle copy – this is a book I’ve been looking forward to for rather a long time – but must thank Jessie for letting me have an early e-copy so that I could share an early review.

I first met Jessie back in 2018 on my first visit to the Narberth Book Fair – and thoroughly enjoyed her company. She’d recently published her first novel, You Can’t Go It Alone – I think she’d probably be the first to tell you that it escaped rather sooner than she’d planned – and I’d enjoyed sharing a really inventive guest post where she introduced me to her characters (you’ll find it here). It was a pleasure to later share my review (I’d share that too, but the book’s sadly no longer available), and I did say at the time that she had a real feeling for characters and place, and that it shone through her work even if the book’s structure was perhaps particularly ambitious for a first-time writer. So it’s been a rather long wait for this book, while she’s further honed her skills and continued to support the romance writing community – and it was one I was very much looking forward to reading…

You’re not supposed to fall in love when investigating your aunt’s disappearance.

 

When Maisie Bloom inherits her aunt’s cottage in Yorkshire, life is perfect, including her two love interests. But when mysterious mail and blog posts arrive, she discovers Aunt Ada was investigating the disappearance of a prolific author in Paris. Was it murder? Soon Maisie is hot on the trail.

 

But can you sleuth in Paris without falling in love?

Maisie is now the owner of Tanglewood Cottage in the Yorkshire village of Heatherbridge, a much needed refuge after the her partner’s betrayal, with a new teaching job on the horizon – but it doesn’t stop her missing her beloved Aunt Ada. She gifted her the property before apparently dying in a freak accident on the River Seine, although her body has never been recovered, and Maisie still can’t bring herself to organise a memorial service. She can’t believe she won’t be coming home again – in fact, she’s reluctant to accept that her aunt is dead, especially when new blog posts keep appearing documenting her search for a missing author.

But she does need to make the cottage her own – her parents will be helping her decorate – and, with her aunt having been a book blogger and editor, that means getting rid of the piles of books that have rather taken over. Leaving them in a wheelbarrow in the garden proves a welcome, if unexpected, source of income – with passers-by posting money through her letterbox, prompted by a hand-written sign by a helpful neighbour.

Her neighbours aren’t all entirely friendly though – her aunt’s distinctly eccentric friends, sharing their thoughts on Facebook, apparently think Maisie might have had something to do with Ada’s disappearance.  Maisie herself is rather more suspicious of neighbour Felix – he might be beautifully turned out and distinctly fanciable, always friendly and helpful, but there are certainly some strange goings-on over the garden wall. He’s not the only neighbour with partner potential – Danny, a rather sweaty jogger when she first runs into him, proves to be a particularly good friend with the potential for rather more, but with a few obstacles in the way.

The book changes gear a little when Maisie decides to travel to Paris, to follow up some of the leads in her aunt’s blog posts and to find out what she can about her final moments – although fresh leads, including finding a few surprises in the locked garden shed, make her increasingly convinced that she still might be alive. Or, if she isn’t, perhaps she might have been murdered? And with a few deliciously convoluted twists and turns, and some help from an unexpected arrival, she gradually discovers far more than she could ever have expected.

Maisie herself is an absolute delight – a touch ditsy, always cheerful, really lovable – but there are so many other well-drawn quirky characters in this lovely read too, and I enjoyed their every interaction. In part, the book’s focus is on the community as Maisie tries to carve out her place and win their trust, and the different relationships she builds. With two potential love interests, there’s always the possibility of romance – and that element is rather nicely handled.

The mystery – as the pieces slowly fall into place – gets increasingly complicated but is always intriguing, and not without its real surprises and moments of drama. And its outcome was certainly unexpected – but wholly satisfying, while it proved quite impossible to stay one step ahead of our young sleuth as she put her clues together. And I must commend the author on the book’s sense of place, with the atmospheric back streets of Paris every bit as well drawn as the small and nosy community at home in Heatherbridge.

I really enjoyed this one – something a little different, the complexities of the story well handled, plenty of smiles and laughter, a mystery that both perplexed and entertained, and with a quite perfect ending. I hope this won’t be the last we see of Maisie – I’m rather looking forward to seeing what she might get up to next…

Reviews

‘This wonderful mystery is a gift for readers who enjoy cozy crime, intrigue and romance. Loved Maisie and I want to solve more mysteries with her. More please!’ Lizzie Lamb, RNA Indie Author Champion

 

‘Refreshingly different! Laugh-out-loud humour laced with whimsy, eccentric characters and delightful glimpses of the Yorkshire countryside and romantic Paris. Will Maisie find what she is searching for? I so enjoyed the journey. I love the pearls of wisdom sprinkled in this lovely story.’ Angela Petch, bestselling author

 

‘Maisie is quite a unique character – a fascinating blend of innocence, creativity, joy, even zaniness. Loved her in this book and looking forward to seeing how her life and world evolve in future books. Congratulations! Readers are going to fall in love with Maisie. There are many other delightful characters, too. And we all love to read about small villages in Yorkshire!’ Jena Henry,  award winning US podcaster and reviewer

 

‘A Gift for Maisie Bloom is all things delicious… Not one but two handsome heroes present themselves for your (and the heroine’s) approval. I defy you not to laugh out loud at the antics of the nosy neighbours. Do you like a glamorous background? Take a trip to Paris with Maisie in search of her errant aunt, dead – or not? – in a tragic accident while pursuing a mystery of her own.’ P Stoner, author and journalist

About the author

Jessie is a northern writer who has lived in Wales for over half of her life. She writes romance books with an enthralling mystery to hook the reader.

From an early age, Jessie spun elaborate stories to explain why her father wore cowboy boots and owned many rusty cars. Writing has always been her perfect escape destination, and she was thrilled to encourage her pupils to love the power of words and follow their dreams.

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