Murder While You Work

Carolyn, these arrived today. Thank you so much, for your kindness, and for thinking of me, truly appreciate! ❤️ I hope things are going well with you. 😘
#bookmail
#litsylove

CarolynM

batsy How lovely 😍 9mo

CarolynM 😘 9mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🩷🩷🩷 9mo

LeahBergen Lovely! 🥰🥰 9mo

61 likes4 comments

julieclair

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

A surprisingly tense mystery, with a sweet romance in the background. More of a “whydunnit” than a “whodunnit “. Set in England during WWII, with many period details creating an excellent sense of time and place. Very entertaining, and a creepily delightful departure from Susan Scarlett‘s usual style, making me an even bigger fan of her work!
#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub
#ReadAway2024 @GHABI4ROSES @Andrew65 @DieAReader
#JumpStart2024 @Lizpixie

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, CatLass007, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, willaful, MrsK

kwmg40 I agree with your comments. I wish there were more Susan Scarlett mysteries. 10mo

Tamra Yes - me too! She clearly was good at it. @kwmg40 (edited) 10mo

Aimeesue Creepily delightful! Exactly! 10mo

See All 10 Comments

elkeOriginal ‘Whydunnit‘ indeed! 10mo

batsy Yes! A tense and somewhat menacing whydunnit!Nice review. 10mo

Ruthiella I‘m super curious to read her other books now. Babbacombe‘s and Clothes Pegs were SO similar, this one quite surprised (and horrified) me. (edited) 10mo

DieAReader 🥳Great! 10mo

CarolynM Lovely review! 10mo

LeahBergen Great review! The creepiness really surprised me (but I loved it 😂). 10mo

quietjenn Very much a whydunnit! I am so curious about her other books and also wish there were more mysteries. 10mo

39 likes1 stack add10 comments

Jess_Read_This

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

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What stood out for me was the departure from family centered domesticity to outright family dysfunction in this Scarlett novel. The heroine isn‘t a beloved older daughter from a loving family, but a more worldly veteran of bombings, factory work, and trained in nursing on the job. The villain is pure evil. The victims undeserving and vulnerable- which was the hardest part of the book for me to read. Overall, a page turner on a blustery winter day.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, CatLass007, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Jess_Read_This #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub #JessReads2024 10mo

jlhammar Great review! I agree, definitely a page-turner. And really interesting to get something a bit outside the formula of the other Scarlett novels we‘ve read. 10mo

kwmg40 Great observation about the family relationships. 10mo

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Tamra Fantastic review! Pure evil indeed. 10mo

quietjenn Very much agree, especially about the victims. 10mo

batsy Yes, well said! 10mo

Ruthiella Great review! And definitely a u-turn from the previous Scarlett books we‘ve read together. 10mo

LeahBergen Great review! I was totally onboard for this Scarlett departure and loved it. 😆 10mo

CarolynM You‘re right about how different this family is from the those in the other SS books we‘ve read. She did it just as well, though. 10mo

Jess_Read_This @jlhammar Thank you! I did rather like the change of pace and theme in this Scarlett novel. It felt more “grown up” in its tone. Probably due to murder and a more worldly heroine. (edited) 10mo

Jess_Read_This @kwmg40 Thank you! I think the relationships really stood out to me because the other Scarlett novels we‘ve blurred together for me. But I did recall the strong loving family foundations in her others. 10mo

Jess_Read_This @Tamra Right? She would have been the perfect Dateline documentary villain! 10mo

Jess_Read_This @quietjenn I really struggled with that. And even internally screamed “not the dog too!” No one was safe. Then my mind was worrying there was going to be some wild plot twist and the monster kid was the killer! 10mo

Jess_Read_This @batsy Thank you! 💛 10mo

Jess_Read_This @Ruthiella @LeahBergen I didn‘t expect the u turn to be quite so sharp of one! But I was very glad for it. I think the previous Scarlett novels we read were blurring together due to the similar themes. This one jolted me out of that! Though I was internally screaming “not the dog too!!” 10mo

Jess_Read_This @CarolynM I agree. I thought it was very well done. And such a shame she didn‘t write more suspense mystery novels. 10mo

julieclair Excellent review! And you are so right about the family relationships - great point. 10mo

49 likes17 comments

kwmg40

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

More romance than mystery, this novel still had many elements of a good crime novel. I found it quite tense and suspenseful and I enjoyed the characters' sleuthing activities. The romance was charming, as I'd expect in a Susan Scarlett novel.

kwmg40 #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
@Aimeesue @batsy @CarolynM @catebutler @Cathythoughts @CatLass007 @elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @Jess_Read_This @jlhammar @julieclair @Kimzey @LeahBergen @Lizpixie @MrsK @quietjenn @rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella @Tamra @Teresereading @willaful 10mo

kwmg40 Prompt 26: “Hybrid genre“ for #52bookclub24
@Kristy_K, @LaraReads, @KarenUK, @Hooked_on_books, @BarkingMadRead, @Crazeedi, @brittanyreads, @Magpiegem, @BookBelle84, @Larkken, @jenniferw88, @julesG, @Deblovestoread, @MidnightBookGirl, @Librarybelle, @triplem80, @Tove_Reads, @Read4life, @Bluebird, @BarbaraBB, @eeclayton, @hissingpotatoes, @Book_Lover95, @TheAromaofBooks 10mo

kwmg40 Prompt 23: Koffing for #gottacatchemall @PuddleJumper 10mo

See All 9 Comments

LeahBergen Lovely review! Scarlett is quite consistently enjoyable, isn‘t she? 😊 10mo

Ruthiella I also found it quite tense, which was not what I expected! 😆 10mo

Librarybelle I‘m so intrigued by this! 10mo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 10mo

jlhammar Yes, loved the sleuthing and suspense! 10mo

Larkken I'd never heard of this author before, but have been seeing it a bunch due to your buddy read and am intrigued! 10mo

66 likes1 stack add9 comments

jlhammar

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

A disturbing delight. Nick and Judy were a sweet couple, Clara was truly unhinged and her “little horror” Desmond provided some of the most memorable creeptastic moments. And the scene with Clara and Judy post-cocoa—yikes! Really enjoyed.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, CatLass007, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

LeahBergen Wasn‘t it a fun one? And I love the cocoa. 😆 10mo

Tamra Disturbing delight - yes! 10mo

Ruthiella Mmm. Did you enjoy your that cup of cocoa in the picture? I hope you made it yourself! It‘s hard to know who to trust…😱😂 10mo

See All 11 Comments

Tamra @Ruthiella 😅 10mo

jlhammar @Ruthiella 😆 10mo

Aimeesue @Ruthiella 🤣🤣🤣 10mo

quietjenn @Ruthiella 😆 never trust a cup of cocoa again 10mo

batsy Love the photo! "Disturbing delight" is an apt description ? 10mo

CarolynM A cup of cocoa😱 Makes me shudder😆 Great review and photo. 10mo

Jess_Read_This @LeahBergen @quietjenn @CarolynM @Ruthiella I was internally screaming while reading that scene “Don‘t drink the cocoa!!!” It felt like watching an old black and white suspense movie! 10mo

Jess_Read_This Terrific review! And now I want a cup of cocoa. Made in my kitchen with my two hands. 10mo

73 likes11 comments

batsy

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

This isn't a murder mystery, but a Susan Scarlett romance with a heaping dash of Celia Fremlin-esque domestic peril. It starts off cute then escalates fast 💀 Like @CarolynM says it made me feel sad about the conditions of life for vulnerable older people; it felt contemporary in that it reminded me of pandemic lockdowns & post-pandemic life in terms of isolation & abuse in the home. Quite dark compared to the usual #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub fare!

batsy I was quite unnerved by Desmond & also felt bad for him. I was a little troubled by how a child with some issues who just needed a guiding hand was instead made out to be a little Omen-ish, but that's to be expected with fiction from this era I guess. I was also like WHAT is everyone's problem with "clever girls" especially if they wear glasses? My god. Do they think girls with glasses turn into owls at night or something ? 10mo

Tamra Fantastic summary! 10mo

Tamra @batsy yes, the “clever” girl thing was an annoying theme. 😏 10mo

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batsy @Aimeesue @CarolynM @catebutler @Cathythoughts @CatLass007 @elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @Jess_Read_This @jlhammar @julieclair @Kimzey @kwmg40 @LeahBergen @Lizpixie @MrsK @quietjenn @rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella @Tamra @Teresereading @willaful 10mo

batsy @Tamra Thank you! I got a bit defensive over the whole girls with glasses thing 🤣🤓 10mo

rubyslippersreads @batsy I wear glasses, and now you‘ve given away my secret! 🤣🦉 10mo

batsy @rubyslippersreads You and me both 😆🦉🦉 10mo

Ruthiella Great review! I totally missed the clever girl stuff, though, so thanks for pointing it out. It‘s funny what a reader will pick up on (or not in my case)!😂 10mo

LeahBergen The old “men don‘t make passes at girls who wear glasses”. 😂😂 (as I sit here in my big honking thick specs!) 10mo

jlhammar Yes, so glad you mentioned all that clever girl stuff! I felt the same. 10mo

willaful @batsy that was one of the things I really didn't like. I'm pretty sensitive about disability representation. 10mo

Cathythoughts Celia Fremlin-esque … I‘m even more interested now 😁 10mo

batsy @Ruthiella Thanks! It just came up in an off-handed way a few times about the girls who are right for marrying... And towards the end it was mentioned that Mr Former couldn't bear Clara because he "destested clever women" and I was like good god! ? 10mo

batsy @LeahBergen Exactly this! 🤣 #justiceforwomeninglasses 10mo

batsy @jlhammar @willaful Yes, it's among the many weird to downright offensive things that can crop up in books from this era. 10mo

batsy @Cathythoughts That's right! That was meant to further tempt you 😁 10mo

Cathythoughts @batsy You divil , you ! 😂 it worked. 10mo

batsy @Cathythoughts 😆 10mo

CarolynM Great review. I found myself feeling a very small amount of sympathy for Clara when the stuff about her curtailed education came out. There‘s no excuse for murder, of course, but it did give some explanation for the warping of her personality. 10mo

batsy @CarolynM Yes, well put. I did find her circumstances quite sad, as well. There seemed to be a lot going on at the social level (people having tough lives with no real help forthcoming) that made it feel all too contemporary. 10mo

Amiable This title makes my laugh every time I see it. Because it describes my feelings every Monday morning when I have to get up and go to work. 😄 10mo

batsy @Amiable Exactly! A very relatable title in a sense 🤣 10mo

86 likes22 comments

rubyslippersreads

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

This post contains spoilers

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As smart as Judy was, you‘d think she‘d have known better than to drink cocoa concocted by Clara. 😏

#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub

quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, CatLass007, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Tamra Bahahahaha I know right? I thought it was weird she wasn‘t more suspicious. 10mo

Aimeesue Right? I was yelling at my Kindle! “No, Judy! DONT DO IT!!” 😂 10mo

Ruthiella Yes! I thought the same. 😂 Seriously, I‘d have hightailed it out there after Mr. Jones! 10mo

See All 10 Comments

elkeOriginal AGREED. What a dingleberry 🤦🏼‍♀️ 10mo

quietjenn Yeah, I like Judy, but she was not the smartest. 10mo

Tamra Love the collage - very creative. 😁 10mo

LeahBergen Yeah, Judy. She‘s a DOG MURDERER for God‘s sake. 😆😆 10mo

batsy Exactly! What @Ruthiella said! 10mo

jlhammar Right? Love that original cover. 10mo

CarolynM Good point! 10mo

21 likes10 comments

Ruthiella

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

Fare thee well, Mr. Jones, fare thee well! The title is a clue that murder is part of the plot, yet I was not prepared for the level of menace this book had. 😆

Spunky young Judy goes to work in a munitions factory as part of the war effort. She‘s billeted outside of town with Mrs. Former, her daughter Miss Rose and granddaughter by marriage, Clara. But something‘s not quite right, not the least of which is Clara‘s creepy little boy, Desmond.

Ruthiella #furrowedmiddlebrowclub 10mo

Tamra Menace! 👹 Fabulous pics! (edited) 10mo

elkeOriginal ‘Not quite right‘ - indeed! 10mo

See All 31 Comments

elkeOriginal Plus, Excellent collage! Captures it well 😁 10mo

dabbe #stacked! 🤩 10mo

Ruthiella @Tamra Thanks! Positively menacing! 👹 10mo

Ruthiella @elkeOriginal Thanks! It was fun to search them out! 10mo

Ruthiella @dabbe I hope you enjoy it! 10mo

LeahBergen 😂😂 I‘m laughing at Desmond and Syringe Lady! 10mo

dabbe @Ruthiella With the review you wrote? How can I not? 🤩😍😃 10mo

Ruthiella @LeahBergen They are supposed to chill you, not make you giggle! 😂 10mo

jlhammar Awesome collage! 10mo

batsy Great collage 😆 I'm still in the early stages of the book but have passed the chicken carcase episode and feeling greatly perturbed about it 🍗 and am also deeply protective of Mr. Jones! 10mo

Ruthiella @jlhammar Thanks! 😊 10mo

Ruthiella @batsy I was looking for a chicken carcass for the collage, but couldn‘t do it. It was too gross!🤢 🍗 10mo

quietjenn I love your collage! 😍 10mo

erzascarletbookgasm I‘m so intrigued by your review. And collage! 10mo

Ruthiella @quietjenn Thanks! 😊 10mo

Ruthiella @erzascarletbookgasm I can‘t wait to hear what you think of the book! 😃 10mo

CarolynM Great review, and wonderfully creepy pictures😱 10mo

Ruthiella @CarolynM Thanks! The story definitely put me on edge at times. 😱 10mo

batsy Oh my god, things escalated so fast! Mr Jones, noooo 😭 10mo

Ruthiella @batsy I know. That hit me hard too. Was not expecting this from the author of Babbacombe‘s and Clothes Pegs! 😭 10mo

rubyslippersreads This is fabulous! Isn‘t that actress on the right Gloria Stuart? (Old Rose from Titanic.) Also, Clara deserves the worst possible punishment just for what she did to Mr. Jones. 😭 (edited) 10mo

Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads It could be Gloria Stuart?!?! I just googled scary black and white movies. 😆 Yes to the punishment. We don‘t know exactly what happens, but surely being separated from Desmond will be enough to put her over the edge! 😠 10mo

Aimeesue Excellent collage! 10mo

Ruthiella @Aimeesue Thanks! 😊 10mo

Jess_Read_This Starting this one today so am looking forward to coming back to your post for the spoilery comment discussion! 😄 10mo

Ruthiella @Jess_Read_This Hope you like it! 👍 10mo

Jess_Read_This @batsy @Ruthiella 😭I wanted to just quit the book right then at there because of what happened to Mr Jones. 10mo

Ruthiella @Jess_Read_This I know! 😭 It was NOT a cozy murder mystery. 10mo

74 likes3 stack adds31 comments

quietjenn

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

A typical Susan Scarlett book - complete with an early meet-cute, a sweet romance, and a cheery, lovable heroine - mashed up with a domestic thriller - complete with sinister off-hand comments, a disturbing child, heaps of tension, and murder. It is rather incongruous, but somehow works. As is usually the case with Scarlett, you know all the bits from the beginning, but there's pleasure in how exactly it all plays out.

#furrowedmiddlebrowclub

quietjenn I knew that Mrs. Frommer was going to be a victim, but was still pretty bummed when it actually happened, as I liked her a lot. But OMG, Desmond with the bird? 😖 10mo

Ruthiella Desmond was definitely a disturbing character . 😱 10mo

quietjenn @erzascarletbookgasm @rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella @batsy @catebutler @elkeOriginal @tamra @kimzey @jess_read_this @MrsK @jlhammar @julieclair @kwmg40 @lizpixie @aimeesue @willaful @teresereading @catlass007 @Tamra 10mo

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Tamra @quietjenn yes, Desmond was definitely creepy on multiple occasions, which made me suspect he was in cahoots with Clara! 10mo

Tamra Sinister is right! 🥹 10mo

LeahBergen I suspected that she would end up a victim, too, but poor Mr Jones?? Noooooooo! 🙀 10mo

batsy Great review. I'm midway through; things have started to escalate in a most disturbing manner! 10mo

jlhammar Oh my gosh, yes, Desmond with the maggoty bird was disgusting. Let‘s hope he isn‘t too far gone and Dr. Bloomfield can make a difference! 10mo

Jess_Read_This Diving in today on this one. I‘ll be sure to come back for the spoiler tagged comments! 10mo

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CarolynM

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

Very enjoyable. Hits all of Susan Scarlett‘s usual romance beats while telling the story of a serial killer. It shouldn‘t work but somehow it does🤷🏻‍♀️ Maybe it‘s just because I‘ve been spending a lot of time with vulnerable old people recently, but I found it quite sad too. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, CatLass007, jlhammar, Ruthiella, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

erzascarletbookgasm It‘s great many are enjoying this! I‘m looking forward to read this 😘 10mo

Cathythoughts Nice review ♥️ 10mo

julieclair Great review. 10mo

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Tamra You hit the nail on the head! It really was a bit sad & melancholy with the disturbing bits included. 10mo

jlhammar I read the first third or so last night. Really enjoying it so far! 10mo

batsy Lovely review! I've just started and am liking it. 10mo

elkeOriginal It shouldn‘t work, but it does! 10mo

elkeOriginal I think preying on vulnerable old people not only adds sadness but heightened my anxiety for them to hurry and catch the killer. Drew me in even more. 10mo

Ruthiella OMG this made me super anxious. I haven‘t found a FMB group read this tense since

All Done by Kindness: A Novel

10mo

quietjenn I completely agree on all points. 10mo

LeahBergen Yes! I was anxious about the older characters, too. 😬 10mo

Jess_Read_This Eek! I‘m diving in this weekend and seeing your review/comments is preparing me well for what to expect! 10mo

75 likes12 comments

LeahBergen

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

Crikey, #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub ! This was a bit of a departure from our usual Scarletts, wasn‘t it? 😆 We get the “meet cute” of a charming couple that we come to expect from her novels but then she throws in a completely terrifying antagonist with an equally gruesome child. It was propulsively readable and I loved it.

LeahBergen @erzascarletbookgasm @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @LeahBergen @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella @batsy @catebutler @elkeOriginal @tamra @kimzey @jess_read_this @MrsK @jlhammar @julieclair @kwmg40 @lizpixie @aimeesue @willaful @teresereading @Tamra (edited) 10mo

CarolynM Nice review! It was quite different, but at least the good people winning and the bad losing was still there🙂 10mo

erzascarletbookgasm Cool! Can‘t wait to read this. 10mo

See All 29 Comments

Cathythoughts Great review! I hadn‘t intended to read this one , but your review has changed all that. Stacked 👍🏻♥️ 10mo

Bren912 You had me at “crikey” 10mo

julieclair Can‘t wait to read this! 10mo

Tamra 💙 Terrific! I was just describing the same to my husband; this wasn‘t a typical light entertainment from FurrowedMiddleBrow. I enjoyed the mystery departure - didn‘t want to put it down! 🥹😬 10mo

jlhammar “Chicken soup, chicken soup.” Desmond is a tad creepy. Just read that chicken carcass part last night 😬 Really enjoying it so far! 10mo

batsy Great review! I've just started and liking the tone of it so far (felt so invested in a lipstick 😆). Happy to see that it's a resounding pick for everyone so far. 10mo

elkeOriginal Perfect review - ‘terrifying‘, ‘gruesome,‘ CRIKEY! Love your book stack too - excellent set😉 10mo

Ruthiella I also enjoy this departure from the imprint‘s usual fare. It‘s a nice preparation for our upcoming May inaugural mystery read. 😃 10mo

quietjenn What a way with words you have here 😅. And you are utterly correct with them! 10mo

rubyslippersreads I just started this, but am loving it so far (except for Desmond). Mrs. Roal gives off some real Miss Gulch vibes, threatening to have Mr. Jones destroyed. 😠 10mo

LeahBergen @CarolynM As we come to expect from our Furrowed Middlebrows! 👍 10mo

LeahBergen @erzascarletbookgasm I think you‘ll like it! 10mo

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts I hope you like it, Cathy! 🤞 10mo

LeahBergen @Bren912 😆😆 10mo

LeahBergen @julieclair Enjoy! 😊 10mo

LeahBergen @Tamra It had surprisingly gothic undertones, didn‘t it? 10mo

LeahBergen @jlhammar Eek! 😆😆 10mo

LeahBergen @batsy I was like, “No!!! Go get that lipstick!” 😂 10mo

LeahBergen @elkeOriginal 😆 And thanks! I had started a Greyladies collection of her republished novels before FM decided to bring them out again. I now have a mixture of the two editions! 10mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella I was thinking ahead to that, too! 👍 10mo

LeahBergen @quietjenn 😂😂 10mo

LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads Both he and his mother are “nasty pieces of work”. 😆 10mo

elkeOriginal @LeahBergen Honestly, I have always been deeply annoyed at how ugly FM spines are so seeing your Greyladies makes me want to collect those instead 🤦🏼‍♀️📚 10mo

LeahBergen @elkeOriginal They are ugly, aren‘t they? The covers of the early Greyladies are plain but they‘ve moved on to pretty vintage illustrations in recent years. 10mo

Jess_Read_This Terrific review! Hoping to dive into this one today. Greyladies just know how to produce such lovely editions. I‘ve got a mix too. I was late to the party on buying them. Some of the out print ones are pricey on Abe! But I always love to see them 😊 10mo

LeahBergen @Jess_Read_This There are several that I‘m always on the hunt for! 😆 10mo

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Tamra

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

🥹Be careful where you billet!

I think this might be my favorite middlebrow read thus far. The mystery is propulsive and the characters charming & repelling as suits the plot line.

I felt like the end came on a little suddenly - I could have used more just desserts. 😆

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Tamra @erzascarletbookgasm @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @LeahBergen @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella @batsy @catebutler @elkeOriginal @tamra @kimzey @jess_read_this @MrsK @jlhammar @julieclair @kwmg40 @lizpixie @aimeesue @willaful @teresereading @catlass007
10mo

Tamra I really thought there would be a plot twist where sweet Ms. Rose was up to something with or without Clara. 😅 10mo

Ruthiella Ooh! That NEVER occurred to me. 😱 Sweet Miss Rose! 10mo

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julieclair So excited to read this one ! 10mo

Aimeesue I really enjoyed this one too. I kept trying to diagnose Desmond. Professional hazard. 😁 (edited) 10mo

Tamra @Aimeesue he was a hard one! I felt sorry for him and disliked him in equal parts. 😏 10mo

Tamra @Aimeesue I also thought he might be in on the ruse. But alas, no. 10mo

Tamra @Ruthiella 😉 10mo

Tamra @julieclair I think you‘ll like it! 10mo

Aimeesue @Tamra I think he was autistic. Whether it was intentional on Steatfeild‘s part or not, that‘s how he reads. At the time ASD was thought be some to be closely related to schizophrenia, and/or the result of “refrigerator mother” parenting, so maybe that was a red herring? (edited) 10mo

Tamra @Aimeesue good call! I do suspect he‘s a red herring in part because some of his behavior in this context was disturbing. 10mo

elkeOriginal @Tamra Me too regarding Miss Rose! 10mo

jlhammar Now I‘m even more excited to get started! 10mo

batsy Love this review! Like @jlhammar I'm even more excited to begin 😁 10mo

Tamra @batsy @jlhammar enjoy! 😊 It‘s a fun one. 10mo

LeahBergen @Tamra @Aimeesue I thought FOR SURE it was going to be Desmond who strung that string out in the garden to trip Mrs Former. 😆 10mo

CarolynM Great review! @LeahBergen Glad it wasn‘t just me, I even wondered if Desmond was going to have been responsible for his great grandfather‘s death somehow. (edited) 10mo

erzascarletbookgasm Your favourite! 😍 I‘m excited to begin too! 10mo

Cathythoughts Another great review of this book. And your favourite…I‘ll have to read it now. ♥️ (edited) 10mo

Aimeesue @LeahBergen @CarolynM @Tamra I suspected Desmond at first too, but then I realized his age cuts him out. Too much planning involved for. 9YO. Then his behaviors, fixation on certain topics and completely lack of social skills kinda said ASD to me. Then off he goes to the “special school.” 10mo

Tamra @Aimeesue @LeahBergen @CarolynM I didn‘t think he was the architect, but that he was doing some dirty work for Clara, ala kicking poor Ms. Rose. 😳😳 10mo

Tamra @Cathythoughts you won‘t be disappointed - I know you like a good mystery. 😃 10mo

Tamra @erzascarletbookgasm 👏🏾 10mo

Aimeesue @Tamra Ahh, that would fit. Clara was manipulative enough. 10mo

72 likes1 stack add24 comments

elkeOriginal

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

pick

A rollicking read for our first #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub book of 2024! The MCs have meet-cute in the very first pages, we get to know Judy‘s situation at her billet (where she is discouraged from staying by everyone) and meet interesting characters in the wartime factory town. The Who of the dunnit is not in doubt but the How + Why are riveting. The investigation is engaging and the real danger palpable.
Different vibe for a S.Scarlett bk but 👍🏻

elkeOriginal @erzascarletbookgasm @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @LeahBergen @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @Ruthiella @batsy @catebutler @elkeOriginal @tamra @kimzey @jess_read_this @MrsK @jlhammar @julieclair @kwmg40 @lizpixie @aimeesue @willaful @teresereading @catlass007
10mo

Tamra I‘m loving it - so fun and yes a different vibe. 😄 10mo

batsy So glad to see that you liked it! It sounds fun and I'm hoping to start it soon. 10mo

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Ruthiella I‘m about halfway through and Clara is TERRIFYING! 😱 10mo

elkeOriginal @batsy I had seen negative reviews so was worried but I quickly became entranced and tore through it! 10mo

elkeOriginal @Ruthiella SO terrifying. And that kid was worrying too 😬 10mo

jlhammar Can't wait to dive in! Sounds great. 10mo

julieclair Looking forward to it! Sounds fun. 10mo

LeahBergen I‘m only a couple of chapters in so far but I‘m loving it! 10mo

quietjenn Yes! I've been trying to pace myself, to help with some of the tension. 10mo

LeahBergen Great review! I couldn‘t put it down either! 10mo

CarolynM Great review! 10mo

erzascarletbookgasm I look forward to read this! 10mo

40 likes13 comments

elkeOriginal

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

Just posting the summary for our next #Furrowedmiddlebrowclub read since Litsy has no info. I have read that this is Susan Scarlett‘s only foray into mystery - that plus the wartime factory setting make this different from our previous Scarlett reads set in department stores and clothing shops! Loading ebook now…

LeahBergen I‘m looking forward to this one! 11mo

julieclair Thanks for posting this! 11mo

26 likes3 comments

Ruthiella

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

Happy New Year #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub members! 🥳

A quick reminder that we will be reading the tagged book to start our 2024 bimonthly group read in January. As usual, read at your own pace and post as you please. The general aim is to be finished by mid month. Happy reading!

If anyone wants to be added or removed from the list, let me know.

Tamra Looking forward to it! 💙 11mo

julieclair Any book described as “Frothily readable” sounds right up my alley! 😀 11mo

jlhammar Happy New Year!! Hoping to start this weekend. Can‘t wait! 11mo

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catebutler Happy New Year! Looking forward to our first book of 2024!! 11mo

LeahBergen And we begin again! Yayyyy! 👏👏 11mo

quietjenn Should be a fun way to kick off the year! 11mo

willaful Already read it and it's my least favorite of them, but I hope others will enjoy it. You can keep me on the list if it's not too much trouble. 11mo

Jess_Read_This Thanks for the tag! I‘ve got to rummage my shelves to see if own it. If not, I have to get my order in. 💸😂 11mo

CarolynM Just about to get started🙂 11mo

batsy Looking forward to this! Might save it for a midmonth pick me up 🤩 11mo

Cathythoughts Hi Ruth,reluctantly I‘d like to be removed from this list , please. I‘ll definitely still stay in the Persephone Club, but for the moment I‘ll pass on the Furrowed Middle Brow. I hope to come back to it in the future, but for now I‘ll bow out. I‘m definitely going to read this one though as the reviews are so good. Thanks Ruth , I hope you are well 😘 10mo

Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Will do Cathy. I will miss you. ❤️ 10mo

55 likes12 comments

LeahBergen

Murder While You Work | Susan Scarlett

Here it is, #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub : our 2024 reading schedule!

Thanks for all the speedy voting and my apologies if I‘ve missed tagging someone.

Anyone on Litsy is welcome to read along with us any month and join in on the discussion!

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Teresereading, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, jlhammar, Ruthiella, julieclair, willaful

batsy Fun! Another year to look forward to! Thank you so much for compiling it ❤️ 12mo

CatLass007 Please add me to your tag list. Thank you. 12mo

Kimzey Thanks for creating the graphic, @LeahBergen ! So much to look forward to in 2024! 📚📚🎉 12mo

See All 47 Comments

CarolynM Thanks Leah😘 I‘m looking forward to continuing reading these lovely books with our wonderful group🥰 12mo

Jess_Read_This What a terrific line up for 2024! Looking forward to reading with everyone. Leah, thank you for organizing, prompting, and tagging the group. I sure appreciate the extra work you do for the group! 12mo

jlhammar Thanks, Leah! Looks like we've got some wonderful reads ahead. Can't wait to order these beauties! 📚 12mo

elkeOriginal Wahoo! Looking forward to furrowing my middlebrow with you all in 2024! 12mo

kwmg40 Great line up! I'm looking forward to reading these. 12mo

Tamra 😃 thank you for the summary Leah! (edited) 12mo

Ruthiella Thank you Leah! This will be fun! 🤩 12mo

erzascarletbookgasm Thanks Leah! Fun line up for the year! But if I do not join in for the month, means I couldn‘t get hold of the book..I‘ll look forward to seeing everyone‘s posts then. 12mo

julieclair Thank you Leah! I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful group. Lots of excellent reading ahead! 12mo

rubyslippersreads @elkeOriginal 😂 12mo

rubyslippersreads Thanks for organizing this, @LeahBergen 😊 Looking forward to a new year of FM reading! 12mo

quietjenn Hooray! Looking forward to another fab year of FMB reading with you all! And thanks so much Leah for keeping us organized and in good shape! 12mo

LeahBergen @batsy @Kimzey @CarolynM @Jess_Read_This @jlhammar @kwmg40 @Tamra @Ruthiella @erzascarletbookgasm @julieclair @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn No problem, everyone! We‘re going to have a fabulous reading year! ❤️❤️ 12mo

LeahBergen @elkeOriginal No Botox for you then! 😆 12mo

LeahBergen @CatLass007 Will do! 😊 12mo

Gissy I‘m still reading the books assigned for 2023 but these editions are so pretty with great stories that I will continue acquiring the books and read them but slowly. I‘m a terrible slow reader🤷🏽‍♀️ 12mo

Kimzey @Gissy I‘m behind on our 2023 reading too! I read faster with audiobooks, LOL. 12mo

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen @elkeOriginal 🤣🤣🤣 12mo

Aimeesue I was really trying to cut down on all the spam, but if one must indulge, one must. 😄 12mo

CatLass007 Wow! You‘ve added me already. Thanks for working so quickly. 12mo

LeahBergen @Gissy It‘s nice to have a good stockpile of books to read. 😆 12mo

LeahBergen @Kimzey Oh, well. At least you know you have nice reads to look forward to. 😊 12mo

LeahBergen @Aimeesue We shall all partake of the spam together. 😆 12mo

LeahBergen @CatLass007 No problem. I hope you enjoy reading with us! 12mo

Kimzey @LeahBergen Yes, definitely lots more to look forward to! And I‘m loving my growing collection of Furrowed Middlebrow books! 12mo

CatLass007 I get Botox injections to prevent migraines. I‘ve always considered the fact that I can‘t scowl like Worf, the only disadvantage of the treatments. Now I can‘t furrow my middle brow along with the members of this group.😣 12mo

Gissy @LeahBergen Yes! And I can‘t resist those beautiful vintage covers. I have my tbr journal ready for decoration to write down all these reading challenges for 2024 but also including books from reading challenges that I couldn‘t complete this year...stacks of books 😳📚📚📚📚love them😃and there is no such a thing as “book shopping ban” for me. I know it is not going to work☺️ 12mo

LeahBergen @CatLass007 😆😆 You must furrow it in your imagination. 12mo

LeahBergen @Gissy 😂😂 Book shopping bans don‘t work for me either! 12mo

CatLass007 Hahaha! 12mo

CarolynM I assumed I‘d have some of these already, but I‘ve just had a look at my shelves and the only one I have is a hardback Anna and her daughters. Looks like it‘s a FMB Christmas for me😆 12mo

elkeOriginal @LeahBergen I am updating my list of what we have read together and I remember Nothing to Report and Somewhere in England were ‘unofficial‘ in the earliest days. Was Late Mrs Prioleau also an early unofficial read - or did I just read it in my own? Thanks for any insight. After that I kept good track, I think…🤦🏼‍♀️ 12mo

elkeOriginal @CarolynM A hardcover sounds fun! 12mo

LeahBergen @CarolynM Oh dear. An FMB Christmas sounds simply awful. 😆 My copy of Anna is an old hardback, too! 12mo

LeahBergen @elkeOriginal I scrolled back (way back 🤣) to the first post I made about what we had read from the beginning. I‘ll tag you in it! 😘 12mo

elkeOriginal @LeahBergen Thanks! 12mo

batsy @monalyisha This is our list for 2024! Everyone is welcome to read and join in, but if you want to be added to the rotation to suggest titles and vote please let @LeahBergen know. There's no official discussion with questions; everyone just reads and reviews when they're ready. It's all very low-key 😁 8mo

monalyisha @batsy Thank you! I‘m going to have to look into this. I appreciate you tagging me in the post! 8mo

LeahBergen @monalyisha I hope you read along with us if one of the titles strikes your fancy! 😊 8mo

Jess_Read_This @Sace Here is the list for 2024. I hope you can join us! 6mo

Sace @Jess_Read_This ha! I just found it and was about to tag you. 😊 6mo

rubyslippersreads @Jess_Read_This You beat me to it! Hope you‘ll join us, @Sace ! 😄 6mo

Sace July looks promising! @rubyslippersreads (edited) 6mo

LeahBergen @Jess_Read_This @Sace @rubyslippersreads I‘ll try to remember to repost this again before our next read! 6mo

55 likes47 comments

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