Thank-you Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Death at Hazel House in exchange for an honest review.

Having been a fan of cozy mysteries for some time, I am embarrassed to admit that I had not read any books by the queen of cozy mysteries that is Betty Rowlands. When I saw that Bookouture had the first book of the Sukey Reynolds series (previously published as An Inconsiderate Death) up on NetGalley for request I just had to get it and I was not disappointed!

Set in the village of Gloucester, Sukey Reynolds a police photographer as well as a scene of the crime officer is called to the scene of the death of resident Leanne Chant who is the wife of Arthur Chant a very prominent and wealthy businessman. What seems like a burglary gone wrong soon turns into a murder investigation.

As a scene of the crime officer it does not mean that Sukey can be involved in the investigation but it doesn’t take long for Sukey to push these boundaries and is involved in the case.

But with Sukey’s involvement, danger looms for her when she is attacked by a masked man not once but twice! What does this man want and why has Sukey become a target? 

As if Sukey doesn’t have enough on her plate already being a single parent raising her son Fergus who is growling up way to fast for her liking to juggling a budding romance with detective inspector Jim Castle this murder investigation needs to be solved quick smart before Sukey becomes the next victim.

I rate this book 4 stars and look forward to the other books in the series.

All opinions are my own and are not biased in anyway.

After reading and loving Betty Rowlands' Melissa Craig series I was delighted to discover her Sukey Reynolds books were also being re-released. In the first of them we are introduced to Sukey, her son Fergus and love interest Detective Inspector Jim Castle and I think I'll get along with them all just fine. 

There is a different feel to these books, not quite so cosy and as Sukey is the mother of a teenage boy there are difficult discussions to be had! The fact that Sook (as Jim Castle calls her) is a Scene of Crime Officer means she has a reason to be at crime scenes but not to actually investigate them, of course that doesn't stop her! In this first installment she seems more hesitant than Melissa but still ends up in danger as she helps clear things up.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the Melissa Craig series and wants to immerse themselves in Ms Rowlands' world once more. I am looking forward to becoming as involved in this series as I was the previous one.

My new favourite crime author! Very enjoyable murder mystery with a web of interlinking suspects. Just the right amount of death, danger and suspense!