Welcome to Litsy!

This book was just an utter treat to read. The characters ranged from enviably serene to comically inept to hideously unlikeable, and they all WORKED in wonderful ways. A neat little mystery in a suitably isolated setting, and also a rather unique one, made for entertaining and somewhat soothing reading. I didn‘t love the solution, but weirdly, that feels like a small quibble in the scheme of things. The overall ending was still satisfactory.

A fun, diverting mystery-comedy. If this becomes a series I'd enjoy spending more time with Helen and her bevy of butler buddies 😁

“Edna Todd was in love with herself and had been for a long time.“

It's a great opening line for a murder-comedy!

Susan Juby has always been good at creating lovable oddball characters and her latest book, which is an unconventional mystery, is no exception. This story centres on a west coast island spiritual centre and its former manager, Helen, who used to be a Buddhist nun and is now a formally trained butler who comes back to the institute to decide who run it in the wake of its owners unexpected death (aka murder!). Fascinating characters!

I‘ve been listening to this off and on for weeks. The premise, with a bunch of butlers (one of whom used to be a Buddhist nun) teaming up to solve a murder was interesting, but the execution left a lot to be desired. There were too many separate first-person points of view for me. I can handle two, maybe three, but not as many as exist here. I do think the author is a Supernatural fan. Why else have characters named Jared and Jensen? 😄 #audiowalk

It‘s a cozy mystery with three butlers… and none of the butlers are responsible for the murder. Helen—a former Buddhist nun and recent graduate of butler school—investigates a murder at a fictional meditation retreat centre which is based on the real Hollyhock of Cortes Island off the coast of British Columbia. Amusing fluff with a really great central character. #ShadowGiller2022 #CanadianAuthor

Helen got up, opened a window, and then sat back down, trying to ignore her watering eyes. Had he taken a bath in his perfume? It had a top note of rotten citrus, a middle note of pressure-treated lumber, and a bottom note of petrochemical slurry.

I had high hopes for this book, but it ended up being a bit slow and kind of repetitive. Lots of meditating, flower arranging and repetitive insights into the character‘s state of mind. I could have done with a bit more mystery and action.

This is a almost a cozy mystery, with some humour, not a lot of violence and some words of wisdom thrown in. It features Helen, who is a former Buddhist nun and now a newly graduated butler. When she must return to settle the affairs of a woman she used to work for, she begins to suspect the woman was murdered. The book has a cast of eccentric characters and I really hope Helen will make a return appearance in another book. I gave it 4/5.