Hugh Standish is an earl and he has a mother keen to marry him off - an exhausting combination. So he invented a fake fiancée named Minerva, to give him some respite. But now his mother is coming home to meet her. It's incredibly convenient that he meets a real life Minerva who agrees to pretend for a little while. But Minerva Merriwell will soon wonder if the money he's paying is worth it!

"But why's it over? I don't want it to be over," I told my husband sadly as my Kobo asked me to rate the book I'd just finished reading. Such is my love for this book. I became so fond of Hugh and Minerva's chaotic families and the comedic hijinks were actually funny (as opposed to some novels that make such things feel cringey). I'll obviously be devouring the sequel next, but still I wish the story had gone on forever...

Atticus Pünd could ignore what seems to be the accidental death of a housekeeper, but when the body count continues to rise he is drawn to a small English village - the typical setting for the typical English crime novel. But he is fictional and so is his world. Even he could not conceive what a few missing pages might lead to when an editor goes on the hunt for them...

Look, this is an incredibly clever book and it was almost masterful in its execution. But it is definitely not my thing. I read it because A) my aunt sent it to me and B) the cover was exquisite (except, as it turns out, I had got my hands on an uncorrected proof and sadly the real cover isn't as good). I'm also a little tried of this type of female character that male authors seem to enjoy writing - usually they make abysmal decisions that make me dislike them enormously.

Anyway, Horowitz achieved what he set out to do. Which is create a book that plays with the crime genre and inserts the reader as a detective themselves. So this is actually very good and I can appreciate that...but it's not good enough to make me swear off my undying hatred of the crime genre. ;)

Sharda has had enough of her relations and their plans for her, so she needs little convincing to run off to the Highlands with a lovely lass. Finella manages Balintore Castle as much as she can, but it's becoming harder and harder when its owner does so little. A new owner is exactly what the castle needs. But Sharda has something - ahem, someone - else on her mind.

Gosh, this was cute. I had so much fun reading it, especially during the "there was only one bed!" scene. Sharda and Finella are so delightfully perfect for each other. I'd definitely opt to spend a Hogmanay at Balintore Castle, if they were in attendance. I do wish that some scenes were longer - it would have really ramped up my enjoyment of the tale - but ah, that's what you get with novellas.