Together in one bargain collection, the first three books of the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Series:Aunt Bessie Assumes that she’ll have the beach all to herself on a cold, wet, and windy March morning just after sunrise, then she stumbles (almost literally) over a dead body. Elizabeth (Bessie) Cubbon, aged somewhere between free bus pass (60) and telegram from the Queen (100), has lived her entire … her entire adult life in a small cottage on Laxey beach. For most of those years, she’s been in the habit of taking a brisk morning walk along the beach. Dead men have never been part of the scenery before. Aunt Bessie assumes that the dead man died of natural causes, then the police find the knife in his chest.
Try as she might, Bessie just can’t find anything to like about the young widow that she provides tea and sympathy to in the immediate aftermath of finding the body. There isn’t much to like about the rest of the victim’s family either. Aunt Bessie assumes that the police will have the case wrapped up in no time at all, then she finds a second body. Can Bessie and her friends find the killer before she ends up as the next victim?
Aunt Bessie Believes that Moirrey Teare is just about the most disagreeable woman she’s ever had the misfortune to meet. Elizabeth Cubbon, (Aunt Bessie to nearly everyone), is somewhere past sixty, and old enough to ignore the rude woman that does her best to ruin the first session of the beginning Manx language class they are both taking. Moirrey’s sudden death is harder to ignore. Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey’s death was the result of the heart condition that Moirrey always complained about. The police investigation, however, suggests that someone switched some of the dead woman’s essential medications for something far more deadly. Aunt Bessie believes that she and her friends can find the killer. But with Doona suspended from work and spending all of her time with the dead woman’s long-lost brother, with Hugh caught up in a brand new romance and with Inspector Rockwell chasing after a man that might not even exist, Bessie finds herself believing that someone might just get away with murder.
Aunt Bessie Considers it an honour to be giving a presentation about her research at a conference at the Manx Museum. Miss Elizabeth Cubbon is known as “Aunt Bessie” to nearly everyone in her hometown of Laxey. While she never earned a college degree, she’s become something of an expert in the history of the island that she’s called home for all of her adult life. Once she turned sixty, she stopped counting how many years that includes. Aunt Bessie considers it unfair when the entire conference schedule is thrown into disarray by Mack Dickson’s sudden arrival. Mack promises that what he has to say is important enough to warrant the upheaval. But even more turmoil follows when Bessie discovers Mack’s body only a short time after he’s finished giving his speech. Aunt Bessie considers Police Inspector Peter Corkill a poor substitute for her friend, John Rockwell. But the Manx Museum is out of Rockwell’s jurisdiction and that means Corkill is in charge of the investigation, no matter what Bessie thinks. With Corkill insisting that Mack’s death was probably an unfortunate accident, Mack’s slides that shocked the conference disappear. Bessie finds herself drawn into another investigation, and she’s determined to drag her friends, Rockwell, Doona and Hugh, in with her.
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Delightful cozy series with a retired female sleuth who lives on the Isle of Man. You’ll learn about the Isle of Man, its language, and how it is separate from England. Lots of fun to read, something light — a sorbet between courses.
Attention getting, funny characters, amusing plots
Everyone should have an Aunt Bessie! I enjoyed the stories.
Loved it!
A little different than the usual cosy mystery. I’m on book three and enjoying the series a lot.
I love Aunt Bessie. Any of the numerous books will never let you down!
Visit the Island of Man and meet the people that like their quiet life away from the hustle and bustle and world of crime.
Aunt Bessie aka Elizabeth Cubbon is an older lady, never married but had been loved deeply, minding her ps and qs in the small town of Laxey. Doesn’t drive a car, doesn’t tolerate fools, and is surrounded by friends and all the kids that run to her home when the parents are being “mean”.
Her home is small, loves books and learning. And manages to almost fall over a dead body on the beach. She manages to observe details as Miss Marple would in an Agatha Christie. Her new crew in solving three different crimes in these first three cozies are Hugh, deputy and use to hideout as a child in her home, Doona, younger good friend and works at the police station, and the new detective in charge, John Rockwell.
Each of the three mysteries are well plotted, at times scary, with clues, likeable killers and dislikeable dead people and occasionally a nice dead person and a killer with no conscience. Not easy to solve but so fun to read and the four main characters are a delight! Learn about the language, lifestyles, and people that live on the island. The books just pulled me in as great plots, characters and I loved learning cetain expressions like “mutton dressed as lamb” referring to older person dressing too young!! 4 stars
Nice mysteries. Loved learning about the Isle of Skye.
I am more than ready to visit the island and share a cuppa and biscuit with Aunt Bessie. I love her spunk!
Great stories.
How can anyone not love Aunt Bessie??
A fun series.
Easy enjoyable reads
I love Aunt Bessie and her cozy mysteries. She’s such an enjoyable, feisty and independent woman who keeps finding herself at the scene of murder. A witty, very entertaining clean read. Couldn’t put it down!
Extremely enjoyable with great characters and plot twists. Long live Aunt Bessie!
I really like the characters in these stories. The mysteries are good. Fun read.
Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Series Books 1-3 by Diana Xarissa are fun to read. The characters are interesting, the island and its history compelling, and clues encourage figuring out ‘who done it’.
I enjoyed the characters and the description of the settings. Easy read, but very enjoyable.
A spunky older character that shows grey hair doesn’t mean loss of brain power. Bessie is everyone’s favorite aunt on the Isle of Mann. An enjoyable read.
While Aunt Bessie quit keeping track of her age at age sixty, it is likely that she is in her mid seventies. Bessie has lived in her cottage on the Isle of Man for over fifty years, and she knows pretty much everything about everybody. When CID Rockwell begins a first and then second investigation of the murdered bodies Bessie has stumbled over, he comes to rely on her connections for background that helps him solve the mysteries. Overall, these three books were fun to read. The only false note came when Detective Rockwell, Bessie, Hugh (a young and untried policeman), and Doona (Bessie’s friend and a constabulary employee) met regularly at Bessie’s for a late supper to hash out the latest rumors and details of the investigation.