Thanks Headline/Headline accent and netGalley for this ARC of a Deadly Discovery by Car Byrne which is the first in a new series of cozy mysteries involving a very known and therefore very unlikely duo of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell.

An ancient tablet is discovered in a castle and the local archaeologist is dead within hours of its discovery. This is as much of the plot that I'm willing to give away. This and the fact that it involves a very duo of sleuths - the famous writer Virginia Woolf and her artist sister Vanessa Bell.

I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries and this book( which is the the first in a series which I'm really happy about) doesn't disappoint. It has a three person POV, I love the there is inclusivity be it race, and topics around it, LGBTQIA which is usually not something you come to expect in a golden mystery.

But I love the fast paced plot and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell solve a murder mystery Watson/Holmes style in this historical fiction.

It is an easy read and very fast paced. There's a very large cast of characters full of motive, so it is fun to try and guess yourself. I felt like there were almost too many characters. I struggled keeping track of them all, especially because they were often introduced by name before any other identifiers (paragraphs or pages later). It would be beneficial to keep a list of the characters and identifiers (ie Leonard is Virginia's husband).

While I am all for LGBTQ relationships in a book, I felt like everyone having gay affairs distracted from the plot itself. I didn't get how everyone was pro LGBTQ (show not tell), but anti racism needed to be told and not shown. It felt very in your face and off-putting considering this is not what the book is about.

This didn't work for me, but I know someone else is going to love this quirky and light middle age Scooby Doo style mystery.

This is a solid golden age fiction - easy to read and enjoyable (I read it in a single sitting on a flight).

The basic premise is that, just after finding a potentially-valuable artefact, the lead archaeologist is found dead. Then another, then (maybe) an attempt at another. There are plenty of potential suspects and a few potential motives. Told from the perspective of three different women, we get a good picture of the people involved.

While I did pick the killer (which I usually don't - either it was too obvious or I was paying attention properly), I didn't pick the motive.

The thing that did distract me was the Virginia Woolf reference. I don't know much about Woolf (I know, I call myself a reader!) and I found it distracting wondering which aspects of the character were referential and how they were relevant. I really think it would have been less distracting to be a unique character.

It looks like it's going to be a series - I'm likely to read the next. The golden age structure certainly lends itself to a set of independent mysteries.

Ciao Byrne has created a very unusual detective duo in Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf who set about uncovering a murderer in their own backyard.
Byrne has obviously done her research into the real life sisters and describes them, their relationship with one another, and their partners, Leonard and Duncan Grant extremely well.
Within the story various well known artistic and literary names crop up, but they are deftly woven into the story rather than shoe horned in for effect.
She also sets the scenes in the two sisters houses and these she portrays so accurately that it is very easy to believe that the Bloomsbury Set really did solve local murders!
This is obviously set up to be a series and I look forward very much to reading what Nessa and Ginny get up to next! Literally, literary detective fiction!

This was a strong start to the Woolf & Bell Mysteries series, it ahd everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall concept of this. The mystery element had a great overall feel and enjoyed the overall feel of the world. The characters were everything that I wanted and glad I was able to read this, it left me wanting to read more in this series and from the author.

I could not put this book down! I ended up finishing it within one sitting The fact that it is so fast paced kept me interested and intrigued. It had a very interesting plot and it was executed very well. This was a great read! Thank you so much for the arc!

Creative Sleuthing..
The first in the Woolf & Bell series of mysteries featuring Virginia Woolf and sister Vanessa as a pair of most unlikely amateur sleuths. When, local archaeologist, Gideon discovers an ancient tablet somewhere near Lewis Castle, it is mere hours before he is dead. Who on earth would kill such a charming man? And why? It is not long before our intrepid pair of sleuths decide to investigate in their own creative and inimitable manner. A delightful start to a new series with a deftly drawn and unique cast, a well imagined backdrop and a solid Golden Age feel. Enjoyable and entertaining.

Virginia Woolf is one of my favourite writers of all time so I was really excited to see become a sleuth is this book!!

when an archaeological find and a familiar face comes home, with a new fiancée on his arm, it really causes a ruckus in sussex.

the quirkiness of the characters really shows through in the three perspectives shown throughout the book.

the fast pace, makes you want to carry on reading, whilst making you laugh a little at times. although, the book touches on dark topics, an air of lightheartedness is in the authors writing.

you cannot help but get sucked into the story, as the women band together to solve the murder of two of their friends. suspecting the people closest close to them, what secrets will be revealed ?

this story, proves that sometimes women’s intuition knows best. with a love triangle, gay affairs.. and a murderer on the loose, this is the perfect historical fiction late summer / autumn read.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this author or this book, as this is the first I've read from Byrne. While I appreciated the story revolving around an archeological dig, I could have done with less same-sex relationships that threaded the story together.