NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

This is an amazingly quick read. A coming into one's self, after some major life changes with a mystery thrown in. I was not aware it is the second book of the series. Bess and Margaret, balance each other. In between solving the mystery of the house, Bess has an opportunity to curate another exhibition.

Fans of the author and first book will love this, as well as fans of Bette and Tina of the LWord..

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


As I was reading I realize it’s just a sample of first three chapters but what I read I enjoy it’s seems like a good mystery to read. I finally was able to read the book I enjoy it the mystery was good I like that Margaret and Bess are totally opposite but they work.

I wasn’t really a fan of the first book so I’m choosing to forgo the second one in the series

I would still like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity

Two years after A Curious Woman, Bess and Margaret are back! While on vacation in Tasmania, they’re confronted with another mystery. I loved seeing how their relationship has progressed over time and being a part of their lives once again.

A sequel to A Curious Woman. Bess and Margaret are back! An unlikely couple that seems to work. They have been together for 2 years now. Margaret lost her job and is currently unemployed. She also lost her sister to cancer. Bess is stuck in an unfulfilling job. The two are taking a holiday in Tasmania and whilst they were there, Margaret’s old university acquaintance reached out for help and that was the beginning of the mystery.

Lighthearted and occasionally humorous. Bess and Margaret are really an oddball couple who are polar opposites. But there are sweet moments nonetheless. It was nice reading their story again, how they navigate now being in a relationship. Bess also had the opportunity to design a new exhibition and some of the story arc was about wanting to exhibit an extinct animal and she was seen chasing down the people who could help her. The main bulk of the story was the mystery about an old house and it’s occupants, and discovering the secrets within the little town and the people involved. The mystery does keep you guessing and it was the main thing that kept me engaged.

It was an ok, easy read overall. If you liked the first book, you may like the second as well.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Quirky cozy mystery set in Tasmania
What a treat: A cozy mystery set in Tasmania (still on my bucket list, sigh), featuring the quirkiest of quirky characters with a side-dish of sapphic story-line.
A really, really loved how Jess Lea brings to us the parochial, rural side of Tasmania. I loved her descriptions of the bush, the near abandoned house, the large pinch of Australian history, the wildlife (I keep my fingers crossed for the Tasmanian tiger), the close knit community, the drafty cold - last stop before Antartica. I felt transported to the setting and immensely enjoyed it. Add to that the unabashed Australian-English (and some Latin fittingly used by one of those quirky characters) and I am a very happy camper indeed.
As a cozy mystery set in a rural area the story lives from the setting, the main and secondary characters as well as some secondary storylines. There is nothing fast paced, Jess Lea takes her time to unfold the story and lovingly polishes the nooks and crannies - at times quite literally. It is a story to savour which lingers in your mind once you put the book down.
Bess and Margaret, quirky heroines and amateur sleuths, are as unlikely a couple as ever. Bess, the easy-going hippie embracing the world, and Margeret, stark, socially unadapted and no-nonsense. It is interesting to see how the situations challenges them and their relationship. I love how they defy many a preset notion of a sapphic relationship. But what else have we come to expect from Jess Lea‘s brilliant writing?

And no worries: if you haven‘t read the A Curious Woman where Bess and Margaret met, A Curious Visit can be perfectly read as a stand-alone or you‘ll have the pleasure to read two cozy mysteries.

Thanks to Ylva for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦: 𝚂𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙲. 𝙼𝚈𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚈. 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺𝟸. 𝙸𝙲𝙴 𝚀𝚄𝙴𝙴𝙽. 𝚂𝙻𝙴𝚄𝚃𝙷. 𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚂𝚃.

Margaret Gale and Bess Campbell had the most emotional chaos ever. I loved that I could still recognise the behaviourism of both characters even after reading book 1 in 2019. The emotional development on Margaret's character is very intriguing because in book 1, she was intense. Bess seemed a little different too but that was stated in the book and given the circumstances, it was very understandable.

𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗛: I enjoyed the detective part in this book. It was a little straining to understand and get into but when the good parts started, well, that was just fun. Yes, the circumstances around the detecting part were rough but I was saddened when Bess didn't tag along with Margaret on the major parts. Mainly because, I didn't understand what she was doing with those forest-people. That near-ending was well-coordinated. I loved it.

𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗧: I love angst and angst that comes in form of tantrums is like my ultimate favourite and there was tons of it here. It was really adorable but when it got intense at the near-end, that wasn't so cute because the situation was getting dangerous.


𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲: I enjoyed this one as well as the first one. I missed the chickens from book 1. 𝙋𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧: Were Viviane and Antoinette identical twins? or just sisters? I missed that part.


𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

Every bit as fun, quirky, and dangerous as the first book in the series! It was a joy to revisit Bess and Margaret and see them solve another mystery, and also to see how their relationship has progressed two years after the events of A Curious Woman. I enjoyed every moment and hope this isn't the last we've seen of these two!

The anticipation for this book was off the charts. I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to our beloved Bess Campbell and her ice queen Margaret Gale. And what kind of adventure would they encounter, because certainly, what could go wrong on vacation?

First, you really must read A Curious Woman to appreciate the complexities surrounding an established couple moving forward beyond the HEA. And so here we are, the happy couple are, vacationing in Tasmania? There is the updated news of where Bess and Margaret are as a couple, and what’s happening in their respective careers, etc. We find out that Margaret is dealing with drama following her sister’s death and Bess does not know quite what to do to help her. But the game is afoot when Margaret’s old friend from a graduation event rings her up and asks for her help. Given her current job situation, it’s right up her alley, though it does seem an odd situation and it doesn’t take long to see that nothing is really what it seems.

What really resonated was an even deeper dive into the thoughts and feelings of Bess and Margaret as they confront different issues including dealing with grief/loss, guilt, jealousy, and more. Neither of them are acting like their “normal” selves. The environment they find themselves in is a fantastic means for seeing them deal with adversity, wrestle with old feelings while encountering new ones, and basically testing their strength as individuals and as a couple. Per usual, secondary characters are well done, and have their own little quirks and whatnot to keep everyone on their toes. But what really brings it all home is Jess Lea’s razor sharp wit- as in cut you with a polished antique sword wit.

Highly recommend it and hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next Jess Lea book.

I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

A Curious Visit is an atmospheric dual-point-of-view mystery with a light sprinkle of sapphic romance. The story begins with Margaret receiving a call from a former acquaintance asking for help. It seems Vivienne needs to have her grandmother's antiques appraised. So, Margaret and Bess take a detour from their vacation in Tasmania to the small town of Mount Bastion. Upon their arrival, a sense of foreboding overtakes them. The town is a handful of run-down businesses, suspicious residents, and murmurs of cryptid activity. Vivienne's home is the “haunted” Crossroads House, a dilapidated manor full of valuable antiques. Vivienne believes someone is stealing items from the house. It’s up to Bess and Margaret to figure out who is taking them and why.

To begin, the author provides adequate context for events that occurred in the first book. So, reading a Curious Woman isn’t necessary. I do *want* to read it because I enjoyed this experience. A Curious Visit will appeal to readers who enjoy gothic horror. It’s a slow-burn mystery that focuses on minute details to escalate tension. For example, every time Bess and Margaret visit Crossroads House a new detail emerges about its health. The paint is peeling. The ceiling is leaking. Cobwebs hang over most surfaces. Boards creak over breaks in the windows. Weeds are overgrown. I imagine a whisper would send the beast toppling to the ground.

While I love the imagery of the text, I’m also a converted fan of the characters. I’ll admit my hesitancy. Bess is so unlike me! She is warm, eccentric, and propelled by her sense of adventure. My sense of adventure is reading a new book in the same genre with a different subgenre. So, I’ll admit relief when Margaret entered the scene. She is cold, terse, and frets over organization and germs. Their relationship is like the one I have been in for a decade, and I relate to the difficulty of two stubborn people butting heads. I'm sure my partner agrees. With regard to themes, Bess and Margaret are exploring what it means to adapt as life changes. They’re testing the limits of their commitment.

Additionally, sarcasm is my favorite love language. It keeps things spicy and funny. “Margaret opened her laptop, took out her disinfectant wipes, and began cleaning the keyboard. ‘Anyone who thinks that animal is still around must be –’ ‘– a very special type of person,’ Bess finished, although she doubted those would have been Margaret’s words.” The tone of Lea’s work is humorous and eerie. It’s a dichotomy I adore. Nothing is ever hopeless, but obstacles interfere to permit growth. The ending was as Scooby Doo as I hoped it would be. The reveal was not especially surprising, but I am suspicious of everyone. I am sure mystery readers will also spot the clue.

In the way of constructive criticism, I would prefer to see Latin used less. Using it more than three times for character affectation is excessive. I located one typo – hardly reason to call in the National Guard. While my criticisms of this book are few, I caution those who need books to maintain a frenetic pace. I *love* a slow, thoughtful examination of characters and facts. There are five suspects and each has a motive and opportunity for the events which unfold. Exploring those threads is delicate and slow work. I appreciate a good red herring, and this book has a veritable buffet of them.

So, do I recommend A Curious Visit? Yes. In fact, I am excited for my partner to read it because she obsesses over the cozy mystery genre. I’ve no doubt she will identify with Bess and that certain quotes will ricochet to me as ammunition. Ha. I look forward to it. This is a satisfying read with excellent motif work that creates a spooky atmosphere. I wish more books in the sapphic romance genre used scenes to the same effect.