Cover Image: The Cornish Curse

The Cornish Curse

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Member Reviews

A fabulously fun read set in Cornwall. Donna Nightshade has just set up her detective agency when a murder case lands on her lap. The only problem, is all the evidence pints to her as the guilty party.
An easy read that transports me back to the many hours I spent in that corner of the country, not with any dead bodies mind!

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I ended up DNFing this book unfortunately. I tried so hard to get into the story but I really struggled to like the main character.

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Unfortunately, this one is a DNF for me. It took me over 3 weeks to get to 23% in the book so it’s obviously just not for me.

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This is a funny Cornish Mystery with lots of fun characters. It will keep you entertained throughout and wonderfully entertaining. Donna is a warm and fun character that I am looking forward to following more.
#thewrecker'scurse#Netgalley

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Donna Nightshade is starting a new detective agency, and is quickly involved in a murder where she is a prime suspect. So of course Donna investigates, as does her policeman ex-boyfriend Joe.

At first, I thought this book would be more of a "cozy mystery" but it really didn't have that tone. Donna is tough, but certainly has a sensitive. A favorite character of mine is Donna's very musical sister. And I liked the setting and side characters

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An enjoyable mystery set in beautiful Cornwall, I think I enjoyed the setting the most about this one. It was a slightly complicated story but it kept me interested and Donna was an fun character to get to grips with. A solid mystery read.

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A dream location, a brilliant plot and a range of intricately detailed characters. This ticks all the boxes!

The Cornwall setting is described brilliantly and Donna is a great character. She is determined and focused on solving the mystery, no matter the consequences.
I'm sure this series will do well!

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Sadly this one was a DNF for me ,I tried 4 days to get into it and I just couldn't. It got to the point that I just decided this wasn't a book for me at all.

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I am very happy to have discovered this series. The mystery is solid and takes a few turns. i love the characters and the humor.
Many thanks to Harpercollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Jo Silva is a new author for me so I wasn't sure what to expect with The Wrecker's Curse but I loved every moment of this book with its clever plot and witty, well-developed characters and perfect setting. The family dynamic was entertaining and I'm now looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC copy in return for an honest review.

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The mystery within the book intrigued me and I wanted to know how it would all turn out and who did what and why. Some of it did seem to get a little complicated and far fetched but sometimes that works!

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This was a crazy story based around a family descended from Cornish Wreckers and the start up of a D,etective Agency. Some wonderful characters, well described, not to forget a Macaw called Ruby. It includes a mad chase by boat, plane and a Navy Frigate to the Isles of Scily to save a life and catch some smugglers. There was also an evening at the Minack Theatre that was a bit different from the usual offering.. Hilarious read from beginning to end!

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A smashing mystery, murder who done it set in Cornwall. A place that I love so much. Enjoyed trying to work out the culprit in this one suits me perfectly. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

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The first book in this series and I enjoyed it! Was a great read and loved the main character, look forward to more.

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The Wrecker’s Curse by Jo Silva is part of a series but could be read as a stand-alone. It was an interesting premise: a family “cursed.” It was also a matriarchal family, with both “powers” and real estate passing down through the women, a woman: Donna “Deadly” Nightshade. There were two living now: one was in prison, rather in an insane asylum; the other was at home running the family. Now, the second Donna was to be arrested for murdering the same man the first one had tried to kill. He was a bad man, everyone agreed. The family held lots of secrets, not least of which was why the first Donna had tried to kill this man, her husband. They lived on the coast in Cornwall. Lots of hills, cliffs, and water. Light houses and lanterns.

A group of interesting characters, from the Nightshade family to the police officer who had been in love with Donna(younger) for years. Well-written, interesting characters. Interestingly all the Nightshades and their friends had motives; they also had means and opportunity. Plus, it appeared they were covering for one another. This book was an interesting conundrum. I didn’t see the end coming and I’m usually good at it. There were twists and turns that the author didn’t introduce until well into the “investigation.” Not sure if that’s fair, or if it was disclosed in the earlier book. I enjoyed this book. It kept me interested and thinking.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Wrecker’s Curse by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HarperCollinsUKOneMoreChapter #JoSilva #TheWreckersCurse

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A solid mystery, a lovely setting, and a crazy cast of characters in a lot of crazy situations.
I had a lot of fun, the mystery kept me guessing and i loved the characters.
Can't wait to read another book by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

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A fun, enchanting and totally unexpected cozy mystery by a new author to me.

The author held me from the first page to the end! Quirky characters, a wonderful setting in Cornwall and a murder mystery with Belladonna Nightshade (lol) setting up her own detective agency.

Of course her first case is a relative and with the help of a detective, she might just find out what happened!

Will be looking to read more!

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'ye curse of the deadliest of all ye black pyrates.'

Wow!! What a fantastic, totally quirky and wacko, entertaining, and completely engrossing mystery. Three things I liked the most about this series debut: 1)quirky characters 2)setting - Cornwall!!! 3)pirates and curses

I have to talk about the side characters. Apart from Donna, there's one character who stood out from the rest and that's Lamorna, Donna's younger sister. She's practically a child (eighteen years younger than a thirty-something Donna) but she's far more intelligent than all the Nightshades put together. She plays various instruments and has a tune for every mood.

Then there's Ruby - the family macaw - who has an Attitude with a capital A. Aunty Kerensa and her sibling Aunty Donna (Donna's predecessor). Kerensa is the lollipop lady - the one who holds a stop sign at school crossings. Donna is in a prison for psychiatric patients - she tried to kill Uncle Jack(her husband) a couple of years ago. Finally, we have Uncle Jago (a Nightshade) who loves pigs and smells like pigshit.

If this eclectic mix of characters wasn't enough wacko, we have a totally wacko murder mystery here. Donna dons her pirate suit and arr, arr, arr she goes in search of clues. Ahoy!

I loved every bit of this story. Quirky humor seals the deal. The murder mystery keeps one guessing till the end. Speaking of which, the ending is simple unexpected and mind-blowing. Wow, so many twists and revelations, I was like "let sleeping dogs lie!"

The Wrecker's Curse by Jo Silva is a fantabulous series debut. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

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What a great detective story that’s set in beautiful Cornwall. The author describes the location so well and all the characters perfectly.

Donna who’s a want to be detective has a murder to solve, when Jack turns up dead at her play. Who did it and why? Loved the little clues and the back stories.

Great little mystery that’s easily readable in one sitting.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

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This could be the sleeper book of the year. It gets off to a slow, weird, lumbering start. Almost weird enough to be irritating. It’s goofy and a little hard to follow, the rhythm seems a little off, facts that we think we need to know seem to be jumbled up. But stick with it. Soon it slows down or speeds up or you adjust to the rhythm or something. Whatever it is, you get more and more familiar and comfortable with the narration, dialogue, and pacing. Then you start to smile, then chuckle, then laugh out loud.

About a quarter of the way in, it just picks up and takes off. Suddenly you don’t want to – and can’t - stop turning pages. You think you know where the story is going but you’re probably wrong. The weird characters, weird environment – well, everything is still weird, but every separate part starts to find its place, to fit. And to be very, very intriguing. It’s funny, but it’s dark. Bad people, bad history, bad things happening. It put me in mind just a bit of the latest Stuart MacBride mystery, and that’s a very good thing.

The first-born woman of every generation of the Nightshade family is named Belladonna Nightshade and subsequently known as Donna or ‘Deadly’ and is also the heir to the Penberth throne – in charge and responsible for the family. And what a family. “Our” Donna is Deadly Nightshade XIII. She’s in charge because her Aunty Donna was certified insane and sent to prison after trying to kill her husband, Jack. The current Donna has been in prison (put there by her ex, Detective Sergeant Joe Enys}. And that’s just the beginning. Wait until you meet Jack and Donna’s sister Lamorna and Aunty Donna and Aunt Kerensa and Uncle Jago. That’s only the family; the residents of Penzance are equally . . . interesting? fascinating? weird?

There’s a murder. Donna is the main suspect and Joe is investigating. You get the feeling there is still something between these two exes, but since, you know, there’s that whole he’s the one responsible for sending her to prison thing you aren’t really sure where this might go. Since Donna just opened her detective agency – and since it’s her butt on the line – she decides to investigate, too. She can’t believe any of her friends could be guilty; he is looking for anyone but Donna to have done it. They bump heads. A lot.

I almost gave up at the beginning or resigned myself to slogging through because it was an ARC. But what a mistake that would have been. This book is so much fun to read that you forget to even try and solve the case; you are having too much fun being taken for the ride. And good luck solving it anyway, with twists within twists within twists. Just when you are nodding your head thinking how amazing the solution is – there is another twist! The last quarter of the book zips along at breakneck speed, and all you can do is hang on for dear life and enjoy – love – every word.

Thanks to Harper Collins Publishers One More Chapter for providing an advance copy of The Wrecker’s Curse via NetGalley. I am so glad I stuck with it, because once it got going it went straight to the top of my reading stack and stayed there until I was finished, and I cannot wait for the next book in what promises to be an amazing series. Great writing, great author, great characters – just great. I am voluntarily leaving this review; all opinions are my own.

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