PINTEREST
BLOGLOVIN
GOODREADS
You know she has been murdered. Can you stop it from happening twice?
Two very different lives…
It is 2019 and Lily Jones is living her dream in LA. Sort of. It hasn’t quite turned out as she planned and instead of working as a movie producer, she is cleaning at the prestigious Beverly Hills Hotel. At least she gets to work in the renowned Paul Williams suite, site of the brutal murder of Honey Black 70 years ago, shrouded in rumour and dark glamour.
It is 1949 and Honey Black is about to hit the big time. She may have started out a country girl from Hicksville but now she is a star. And Hollywood had better watch out – nothing can stop her now!
One Hollywood murder…
After an accidental bump to the head, Lily finds herself in Hollywood, 1949. Like a dream come true, she is rubbing shoulders with the great and good of Tinseltown. Including Honey Black… Horrified, Lily realises that the actress has only two weeks left to live before she will be murdered.
Could this be why she has found herself in 1949? To find the killer and stop them in their tracks?
A glamorous, time-slip murder mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood – All About Eve meets Back to the Future. Don’t miss this unforgettable read from bestselling author Lisa Hall; fans of Stuart Turton and cosy crime will love this!
The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black
A time-hop crime mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood
(The Hotel Hollywood Mysteries Book 1)
Publisher: Hera
Format: Ebook and Paperback (21 September 2023)
Source: PDF to review
MY THOUGHTS
My thanks to Kelly of Love Books Tours for the invite and to the publisher for the PDF to review. I’m delighted to share my thoughts on publication day as one of the bloggers starting off the tour.
A bump to the head in the bathroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel whilst she is working as a chambermaid, transports Lily Jones from 2019 to 1949. The thing is she is in the Paul Williams Suite, the very room where upcoming Hollywood starlet Honey Black was found murdered 70 years before, the killer’s identity remaining a mystery. Events conspire to give Lily a new job as PA to Honey however Lily knows that in two weeks time, Honey will be dead – unless she can prevent it.
Lily certainly has a task on her hands, there is no internet, no Google, no mobile phones and in the short time she has, Lily could do with all three to assist her. There are no shortage of suspects – from the jealous and angry ex husband to the director of Honey’s current movie. Although I had my suspicions from early on, with all the misdirection and surprising turns, I was never quite sure who was the guilty party.
This was such a fun and entertaining read. Although it is a murder mystery I would regard it more as time slip cozy crime than hardcore and I enjoyed the concept of a murder mystery set in this period which name drops stars of the past. There are some fabulous characters here, not least Lily herself. She was a modern sassy young woman with her own personal difficulties unexpectedly thrown back to the 1940s where misogyny and restricted lives for women were the norm. Lily with her Converse and straight talking attitude certainly raised a few eyebrows. With references to #metoo and the indiscretions of former actors of that time, this is a thought provoking story highlighting the secrets and personal manipulation behind the glitz and glamorous facade of old Hollywood.
I loved the interaction between Lily and Honey – Honey was ambitious and would do whatever was necessary to be a star but also had a vulnerability about her which I found endearing. There is also a hint of romance and a well plotted thread connecting the past and the present. The amount of research involved both in the setting and the dramatic storyline is clear to see and the characterisations together with the pace are spot on.
I very much enjoyed meeting Lily and her friends and as this would appear to be the first book in a mystery series I look forward to reading more.
Lisa Hall is the bestselling author of six psychological thrillers and the Hotel Hollywood time-slip murder mystery series. Her debut novel Between You and Me was a Kindle UK number one bestseller, sitting in the top spot for over four weeks. Lisa has a First Class Honours degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. She lives in Kent with her husband and their three children.
Follow the author : Twitter | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon UK
Buy Links – Amazon https://amzn.to/3NSSaWW
Other reviews:
Tell Me No Lies (review and guest post)
Great review Karen! x
Thank you Claire, your review nailed it! x
I see we had similar thoughts on this book. I really enjoyed it too!
I’ve just seen your review Joanne, nice one. It was a fun read and I really liked Lily