45) Once Upon A Crime by P.J. Brackston

The Blurb :

Gretel (yes, that Gretel) is now 35, very large, still living with her brother Hans, and working as a private investigator. The small, sleepy town of Gesternstadt is shaken to its pretty foundations when the workshop of the local cart maker is burnt to the ground, and a body is discovered in the ashes. It is Gretel who notices that the cadaver is missing a finger.

At first, she does not see this as significant, as her mind is fully focused on a new case. Not that she wouldn’t far rather be investigating an intriguing murder, but her client is willing to pay over the odds, so she must content herself with trying to trace three missing cats. It is not until she is further into her investigations that she realizes the two events are inextricably and dangerously connected, and that the mystery of the missing cats will lead her into perilous situations and frightening company.

Very soon Gretel finds herself accused of kidnapping Princess Charlotte, twice locked up in the cells at the Summer Schloss, repelling the advances of an amorous troll, strapped to a rack in Herr Schmerz’s torture chamber, and fleeing a murder charge. With dubious help from her brother (whose scant wits are habitually addled by drink), she must prove her innocence, solve the puzzle of the unidentified corpse, and find the stolen cats before they meet a grisly end.

My Thoughts :

So let's start this one with how Goodreads confused me completely by listing this book as #2 in the Brothers Grimm Mysteries when it is indeed the prequel of Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints. If I had known this I certainly would have read the books in the correct order but in the grand scheme of things it didn't make much of a difference. Also this prequel isn't your typical novella prequel but a normal sized novel and it also didn't ruin the story.

Now let's go onto how funny and inspiring this series is. Paula Brackston is well known for her serious and incredible Witch books but this fantasy filled cozy mystery series is completely different! There's a lot of humour weaved into this interesting twist on the good old Hansel and Gretel tale from the Brothers Grimm and for any German speakers some cute language usages as well. Granted this prequel didn't make me laugh as much as Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints but the mystery kept me intrigued and most of all it kept me reading until the end.

I look forward to reading more in this series. It is something different with historical twists and lots of fantasy. It makes for very light reading and the story flows really well with some very funny characters and amusing situations. Well worth checking out and a must read for fans of the author.

13) Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints by P.J. Brackston (Paula Brackston)

The Blurb :

Bavaria, 1776. When Albrecht Durer the Much Much Younger's Frog Prints go missing, he knows exactly where to turn for help. Gretel (yes, that Gretel), now 35 and still living with her gluttonous brother Hans, is the country's most famous private investigator, and she leaps at the opportunity to travel to cosmopolitan Nuremberg to take on the case. But amid the hubbub of the city s annual sausage festival, Gretel struggles to find any clues that point toward the elusive thief.

Even with the aid of the chatty mice living under her bed, the absent prints remain stubbornly out of view, and Gretel is forced to get creative in her search for the truth."

My Thoughts :

You may know P. J. Brackston as Paula Brackston the wonderful storyteller that gifted us such books as The Winter Witch and The Witch's Daughter.  Well if you wondered if she can write something other than the serious witch based stories then you will find your answer inside the first installment of the Brothers Grimm  Mysteries.

You can tell that Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints is going to be fun before you every start the story.  Look at that cover and title and then read the blurb.  There is so much promise and the author manages to deliver what is expected by way of a fun and fantasy filled cozy.  It is unusual and extremely entertaining!  I was hooked within the first couple of pages and couldn't put the book down.

The surprises inside this book are amusing and quite witty.  The author definitely took some time to plot out this well thought up twist on the Hansel and Gretyl story.  The addition of the German names and places are, if you know the language, delightful and the historical angle is not too over powering and fitting.  I managed to get engrossed in this one very easily and the characters and plot wouldn't let me go.

This is a book you need to try when you need cheering up or just want something that will bring on a giggle or two.  If you like Jasper Fforde's work then you will appreciate the style of this one and if you don't mind a little fantasy twist (there be talking animals for one) then you will also enjoy the magical details that are weaved into the story.

I am really looking forward to reading the next installment in the series and hope I will be able to pick it up soon.  This was a refreshing read and just the thing I needed to lighten up my reading and break the hard, cold and more darker books I have been reading lately.