I enjoyed Murder on the Bus Tour for its vivid descriptions and British charm. The four main characters—Marjorie, Edna, Frederick, and Horace (The Awesome Foursome)—are great, especially Edna with her funny nicknames, impatience, and love for theatre music and rom-coms. The dialogue feels very British, and I liked the men standing for women and Horace’s hospitality, with his Romanian background. The writing is clear, fast-paced, and humorous, with short chapters making it an easy, cozy read, perfect with tea and scones. As a fan of British and Irish cuisine, I loved the food references like teacakes, and the Cornwall setting feels cozy. It touches on phone obsession and includes alopecia and mental illness representation. The lack of reaction to the professor’s death felt odd, but. This Poldark-like book, my first with characters over 50, has detailed visuals of clothes and hairstyles, and I’m excited for the series.
This book is a charming escape for anyone craving a light, witty mystery with a British flair. It’s perfect for a cozy day in or to inspire your next baking adventure!

It is always such a treat to see my beloved characters return for another cozy and fun filled murder mystery.

Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe has a good eye and a perfect nose, and she knows when a crime is committed even though the police have brushed it off as an accident.

So when Lady Marjorie, Edna, Horace, and Frederick take a mini vacation through the Cornwall coastline, they never expected to be caught in another murder mystery. The victim has a tendency to be disliked, and he has acquired quite a number of enemies aboard the tour bus. It is up to these 4 crime solvers to figure out who and the why before the killer strikes again.

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing, for this lovely eArc. All opinions are entirely my own.

I just finished reading "Murder on a Bus Tour" by Dawn Brookes. It is hilarious! Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe and her friends, Edna, Fred, and Horace, are octogenarians who occasionally travel together. In the book, they are travelling around Cornwall. In one of the stops, an accident or murder occurs, and the four friends decide to solve the mystery. They take a joyful time to find out what happened. You must read the book to find the truth. Have a good time.

I had not read any of the series and perhaps I would have understood the back stories of the core characters if I had .

But having said that it was perfectly possible to read this as a stand-alone book and enjoy it .
And enjoy it I did.

It was definitely in the realm of a .cosy mystery but nevertheless was entertaining.

It was centred around a bus tour in Cornwall and the main core characters were 2 pairs of friends who were not couples - not sure if they wanted to be or not if I am honest.
There’s a married couple, a Professor with unscrupulous morals, an artist, a student with a grudge against said Professor and an author. Not quite sure where he fitted in

There was death at Tintagel, an attempted murder and a Police inspector who was obviously well used to the sleuthing activities of Marjorie, Frederick, Horace and Edna. Loved the fact that Marjorie was Lady Snellthorpe with no airs and graces and Edna had a love of heavy makeup and colourful wigs.

A great read if you want something not too taxing but with a satisfying outcome

Marjorie, Edna, Horace and Frederick are on a bus tour of Cornwall run by their friends Faith and Nick, it is a small tour with only a few members. They are also joined by Professor Miller who will be giving talks on the history as they go. When Professor Miller fall from Tantagel Castle Marjorie is convinced it is not an accident and the four elderly sleuths go to work.
With a few twists and another member of the tour attacked before the culprit is identified a delightful cosy mystery unfolds.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

My timer gave out midway through reading this so add another death to the toll!

I imagine that this author gnashes her teeth when she sees Richard Osman’s name.

It must be frustrating that the elderly detective section of the book market has been dominated by him, whereas your older series is doomed to Walmart meme comparisons.

I’d have a lot more sympathy if not for the repetitive information shoehorned into every chapter- (did you know that Edna has permanent alopecia and wears wigs of different colours?) -or the waffling way of describing a scene, although, in her defence, that *is* very on brand for the elderly…

Take this example:

One could never tire of the view of the rocks and the beach below. Marjorie watched a golden retriever dashing in and out of sea while its owner threw a ball into the waves - the dog swam enthusiastically to retrieve it, returning triumphantly to its owner, in order to do the same thing over again.

Oh, is *that* how fetch works? How many times do you need to explain that a dog runs back and forth? (and back again, in case you’re senile).

Or this gem:

“Having finished her coffee, Faith stood up, her eyes puffy. "If you don't mind, we'll say good night. Who's joining us on the Doc Martin set tour tomorrow?"
"We intend to," said Horace. "Edna's a fan."
Marjorie felt a moment of confusion, but then remembered Edna and Horace were talking about a village where they could visit settings where scenes were shot for a television programme they both watched.”

Do you not trust the reader to be able to google the name of a programme set in the town that they’re visiting, if they’re unsure?

Or this infantilisation of both characters and the reader:

Faith took a few moments to explain how the seat belts worked, and to request that everybody kept them fastened while travelling. "The Cornish roads wind, and if others try to overtake, it can be dangerous. It will be much safer and a legal requirement for you to keep seat belts fastened at all times," she said.
As soon as everyone had done as she requested, Faith continued.

My particular favourite is the way that the author is clamouring to tell you that someone made a joke and everyone laughed: “This led to another joint laughter and snorting session.”
Please make my day and slap this quote on the cover, out of context. That’ll get you readership!

I roll my eyes a lot about how smugly Osman writes his characters- possibly because he’s so tall that he really does have to clap his own back- but this scene is just annoying:

Looking out at the beach, Marjorie felt she'd never tire of watching seagulls diving in and out of the sea.
Children played happily and people walked their dogs. She thought of Edna as she watched a couple eating fish and chips while strolling along the seafront.
**Just then, for no reason at all, the clarity that had evaded her pinged in her brain.***
The final piece of the jigsaw clicked into place. All she had to do now was prove it.

What do you mean, for no reason at all?

You’ve spent the whole book lauding it over the rest of us plebs about how clever Lady Majorie Snellthorpe is compared to the aggressive, incompetent police for this?
A thought just pops into her head?
Why doesn’t an apple fall on her noggin instead, so she discover gravity?

Aside from my rant, which will surely cause gasps of horror and a letter written to the Daily Mail (that’s a newspaper, don’t you know?) the book wasn’t bad.
It’s a low stakes, British Ra mystery that can be quickly polished off with some afternoon tea, and I do have friends that would enjoy this kind of story.

I fear that meeting these characters on holiday would cause any hotel staff to have a stroke- particularly if these lot stumble across any of “those foreigners”- but that’s the Brits for you…

This is one of the genre of cosy murder mysteries, this one a typically British one with a spattering of British aristocracy. It is what it says on the box, a very enjoyable, gentle read. Enjoyed very much

The second book I have read by Dawn Brookes and another enjoyable read. Again this book echoes the styles of two of my favourite authors; Agatha Christie and Richard Osman. Looking forward to more of the same.

Murder on a.Bus Tour is the 7th book in Dawn.Brookes's A Lady Shellthorpe Mystery series. This was a pleasant British cozy mystery with four sleuths in their 89s. Lady Marjorie and her three traveling companions Edna, Fred and.Horace are off to Cornwall for vacation. Their tour group is a diverse bunch with personalities and.secrets. One of the group dies at Tintagel Castle and another nearly drowns. The Awesome Foursome work together to find the culprit. They each bring life experiences and their individual strengths to sort through clues. The banter between Marjorie and Edna adds some humor. The characters are likable and the cozy mystery kept me guessing. This was an enjoyable book. #MurderOnABusTour. #LadyMarjorieSnellthorpeMystery #StormPublishing

A Cornish coastal tour turns deadly when a history expert falls from Tintagel Castle. Marjorie and her friends suspect foul play and must uncover the killer among their fellow travelers before another death occurs.

This is an intriguing mystery with a familiar cast. The Cornish setting plays a picturesque role in the novel. Marjorie is a prickly character, and I hope we’ll see her develop more as the series progresses.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Marjorie & her friends are gearing up for a beautiful tour of Cornwall's coastline when a fatal accident halts the tour. Follow Marjorie & her friends on this cozy, "who dunnit" mystery.

It gave me *Clue* vibes, felt very posh, cozy mystery. The friends are snarky, the vibe is cozy, Marjorie is still sharp in her 80s.

I think this would be a great summer to fall transition novel!

Thank you to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for this e-ARC.

Murder on a Bus Tour is the 7th instalment of the cosy Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe series and brings with it the same heart and wit as its predecessors.

A fun and trope filled journey through the Cornish coast, perfect for fans of the Thursday Murder Club

A clever mystery, told in one of my Gran’s favourite places in the world - Cornwall. Was a nice placeholder to hear the descriptive imagery, and to hear about fish and chips on the beach - memories she and I had together, but in Devon - until I can get to go there myself.

A delightful cozy mystery about 4 friends going on holiday. Definitely reminiscent of Thursday murder club. This is actually book 7 in this series which I don’t know but can definitely be read as a standalone and I’ll be checking out the others too when I’m in the mood for another cozy mystery. Lighthearted humorous and fun!!

Murder on a Bus Tour is book 7 in the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe mystery series by Dawn Brookes, and it's another fun adventure with Lady Marjorie and her three geriatric friends.

Lady Marjorie, cousin Edna, and their companions, Frederick, and Horace, are embarking on a bus tour of the Cornish coast, when one of their fellow travellers, a professor who volunteered to share his knowledge on the tour, falls to his death. Initially his death is written off as an accident, but Lady Marjorie thinks otherwise, especially as she views the behaviour of her fellow tourists and finds out about their connections to the professor.

I believe this is the second book I've read in this series and I'm really enjoying reading about these four elderly friends as they solve murders that they come across. I will admit that although the main character is Lady Marjorie (Marge to her cousin Edna), Edna is actually my favourite character. I sometimes get a bit annoyed with how Marge treats Edna. When in Marjorie's point of view she often conveys that she appreciates Edna, but at the same time she often shows impatience, and is kind of disrespectful toward Edna.

Edna on the other hand is a tell it like it is kind of person. She is a bit silly at times, but I think he heart is generally in the right place.

The mystery in this novel was interesting, and as new details about the character of the professor were revealed, the number of suspects continued to grow. This kept me guessing about the murderer's motivation, and which of the characters we'd been introduced to wanted the professor dead.

Murder on a Bus Tour is a light cozy mystery with some funny moments, and I think most cozy mystery lovers will enjoy it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Even though Murder on a Bus Tour is the seventh book in the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe series, it’s the first book I read by this author so I can tell you that it can be easily read as a stand-alone and that the hints to their previous adventures make me want to read the other books.

The protagonist of the series is Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe, recently widowed and still feeling the absence of her beloved husband, she is a force of nature, managing to get into the investigations and get people to confide in her. Her travelling and detective companions are her vibrant cousin-in-law Edna, the charming and affable Horace, and the steady and thoughtful Fred.

It seems that whenever the four friends go on holiday, they get involved in a murder investigation, and this time is no different as, during a bus tour of Cornwall, a man falls to his death at Tintagel Castle. The suspects include a married couple who’s been behaving strangely since they first met them on the train, a crime author in search of inspiration, a PhD student with a grudge, and a local artist who is hiding something.

Murder on a Bus Tour is a fun cozy mystery. The story is well-developed and moves at a good pace and there is suspense and a few twists. The quirky characters are entertaining and their dynamics are interesting. Overall, this is an intriguing and engaging story, the perfect read to enjoy during the weekend for a few escapist hours.

A readable cozy but I did not fully engage with the characters. I found Edna particularly tiresome and I would not have liked to be on a bus tour with her. (or with any of them really) I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a fun read. I didnt realize this was a series when I requested it but I still read it without reading the others. The characters are well written and I honestly dont think you need to read the others to enjoy this book. Its funny and has a juicy story.

Thank you to netgalley and publishers for this ARC!

A simple, sweet cozy mystery in the same vein as The Thursday Murder Club! This was my first introduction to these characters, and the author writes them in such a way that you don't need to have met them before to enjoy the book. Lots of fun!

This bored me very quickly. No wit or fun. 30% of the book before anything happens, and then once it does the pace doesn't pick up.