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The Embroidered Corpse (a Belinda Lawrence Mystery) Paperback – June 1, 2013

by Brian Kavanagh (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars 80 ratings
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Two startling murders that replicate the death of a mediaeval English king and the discovery of a mysterious ancient tapestry lead Belinda Lawrence and her associate Hazel Whitby into a vortex of suspense involving a bizarre religious cult, an enigmatic academic, a group of monks devoted to aggression and clues to a thrilling conspiracy nearly a thousand years old.

It is the murder of a local villager that ensnares Belinda and Hazel in this web of intrigue and as they follow up each clue they little realise that their own lives are in danger. Each perilous turn brings them closer to an electrifying climax and imminent death. Following on from Capable of Murder, this is the second in the Belinda Lawrence Mystery Series and continues the lively young Australian's adventures in England with the same degree of wicked humour and heart-stopping excitement.

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  1. Book 2 of 6
    Belinda Lawrence Mystery
  2. Print length
    236 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Vivid Publishing
  5. Publication date
    June 1, 2013
  6. Dimensions
    5 x 0.54 x 8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1922204498
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1922204493
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The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Embroidered Corpse (Belinda Lawrence Murder Mystery #2) by Brian Kavanaghcozymysterybookreviews.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-embroidered-corpse-belinda-lawrence.htmlThe Embroidered Corpse (a Belinda Lawrence Mystery)Two startling murders that replicate the death of a mediaeval English king and the discovery of a mysterious ancient tapestry lead Belinda Lawrence and her associate Hazel Whitby into a vortex of suspense involving a bizarre religious cult, an enigmatic academic, a group of monks devoted to aggression and clues to a thrilling conspiracy nearly a thousand years old.It is the murder of a local villager that ensnares Belinda and Hazel in this web of intrigue and as they follow up each clue they little realise that their own lives are in danger. Each perilous turn brings them closer to an electrifying climax and imminent death. Following on from Capable of Murder, this is the second in the Belinda Lawrence Mystery Series and continues the lively young Australian's adventures in England with the same degree of wicked humour and heart-stopping excitement. (Summary via Goodreads)I fell in love with Belinda Lawrence in the first Belinda Lawrence Mystery book, Capable of Murder and couldn't wait to read the next installment in this series. And let me tell you The Embroidered Corpse did NOT disappoint !!!Brian Kavanagh knows how to capture the readers attention and holding it from the first page until the last word !! And the twists, turns and secrets that unfold will have the reader turning pages as fast as they can. There are so many things going on that keep the reader focused and you cannot help but fall in love with everything surrounding Belinda, her friends and the things that she stumbles across.As I said I love Belinda....and I love her friends and her cottage and especially the situations that she gets into. Who would think that attending an auction with her friend Hazel would lead her down a dark road involving an old tapestry ? Well that is exactly what happens in The Embroidered Corpse and one's imagination cannot even begin to amount to the degree of storytelling that Kavanagh is quite capable of !!! I suggest that you don't even give it any thought other than to pick the book up and open it to begin reading an amazingly captivating and exciting journey...... I predict you will also become a fan of this series !!!Review by Missi S.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vivid Publishing
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 236 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1922204498
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1922204493
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.54 x 8 inches
  • Book 2 of 6 ‏ : ‎ Belinda Lawrence Mystery
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 80 ratings

About the author

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Brian Kavanagh

Brian Kavanagh

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After a lifetime making films, I have a new life writing cozy mysteries.

Author of Belinda Lawrence mystery series,

CAPABLE OF MURDER,

THE EMBROIDERED CORPSE,

BLOODY HAM,

A CANTERBURY CRIME,

A WICKED DESIGN

MURDER ON THE ISLAND

ILLUSION OF DEATH

CALAMITY AT KRYME COTTAGE

I'm proud to have a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Film Editors Guild and an Australian Film Institute award for Best Editing for the children's film, Frog Dreaming. Proud also of my first feature film, which I produced and directed, A City's Child, which won an AFI award for actress Monica Maughan and was invited to screen at the London Film Festival as well as Edinburgh, Montreal, Chicago and Adelaide, where it won the Gold Southern Cross Advertiser Award for Best Australian Film, all in the days when most of you were a mixture of multiplying cells, when the world hadn't heard of Australian films (apart from the dear departed, Chips Rafferty) and therefore was a neater and cleaner place. I am also a member of the Australian Society of Authors.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
80 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this mystery book to be a good cozy thriller with a compelling set of characters and a well-paced plot. They appreciate the writing quality, with one customer describing it as a real page turner.

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Suspenseful storyCharacter developmentReadabilityWriting quality
9 customers mention "Suspenseful story"7 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story of this cozy mystery, describing it as a good murder mystery thriller with twists and turns.

"...The pace of this "cozy" murder was good, gradually bringing the reader to the finish, building on the mystery all the way...." Read more

"...Belinda is a good, believable character and the story well paced and crafted...." Read more

"A pleasant tale but it seemed to glide superficially over the story, content to lightly draw the characters by dialog...." Read more

"..."The Embroidered Corpse" delivers its promise of a thrilling mystery with likeable characters, and that it was part of a series was a big..." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...Belinda's business partner, Hazel, is an intriguing character, bad tempered and of rampant tastes, which is unusual...." Read more

"...Belinda is a good, believable character and the story well paced and crafted...." Read more

"...Corpse" delivers its promise of a thrilling mystery with likeable characters, and that it was part of a series was a big bonus because I love..." Read more

"...Then, he turns up dead. Another compelling set of characters come from a religious cult. That you don't see too often...." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one describing it as a fun read.

"...All in all, a good, well-written and intricately plotted murder mystery, with a satisfying ending." Read more

"...I've since read a corrected version of the story and loved it! Belinda is a good, believable character and the story well paced and crafted...." Read more

"...Certainly this was a fun read - not sugar-coated, yet not revoltingly gory - and I quickly found myself engaging with the story and with Belinda...." Read more

"...Actually the plot is quite interesting and the book makes a very good read." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written, with one describing it as a real page turner.

"...All in all, a good, well-written and intricately plotted murder mystery, with a satisfying ending." Read more

"...one scene in particular (no spoilers) that was full of suspense and well written...." Read more

"The title and the synopsis saounded good, but I had trouble getting into the story...." Read more

"A real page turner!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Diana M. Hockley
    4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Medieval mysteries can always "suck me in" and this was no exception. Ancient tapestries and churchyards are always good fodder for a murder plot :) The pace of this "cozy" murder was good, gradually bringing the reader to the finish, building on the mystery all the way. I didn't suspect who was actually at the back of the crimes, or one of the familial connections, which is surprising since I usually pick the criminal early in the story. This was a nice change!

    I would have liked to know more about the character's private thoughts and lives. I was surprised to read that Mark has begun a relationship with Belinda as in the forerunner, Capable of Murder, it appeared that she didn't particularly like him. He was a rather colourless man, in spite of his good looks, and I did not get to know him much better in this novel, which relegated him to a minor role in my mind.

    Belinda's business partner, Hazel, is an intriguing character, bad tempered and of rampant tastes, which is unusual. Most authors do not give their older female characters much more than the kind, wise role and I found her endearing for being otherwise. As I got to know her better, I found her more interesting than Belinda.

    All in all, a good, well-written and intricately plotted murder mystery, with a satisfying ending.
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  • Pearl R. Meaker
    5.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed - but now Delighted!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Added on 10/1/2013

    As I discovered through messages here at amazon, the mistake I site below was not Brian Kavanagh's fault. I've since read a corrected version of the story and loved it! Belinda is a good, believable character and the story well paced and crafted.

    I now give The Embroidered Corpse a 5 star rating.! :-)

    *********************************

    Initial review:

    I was enjoying this book until I hit, what for me, was a major error on Brian Kavanagh's part.

    He misquoted something that is extremely easy to check. To me, this is much like plagiarism. You shouldn't steal from a source and you shouldn't misquote a source either.

    He has the main antagonist tell Belinda to read Second Kings, Chapter 5 in the Bible he hands her while she has come to his commune on the pretense of joining the group. When she reads it, Mr. Kavanagh "quotes" what she reads as the first verse. I got curious and checked it out in a Bible in my home.

    They lines didn't match.

    No part of the verses she was told to read matched the "quote" in Mr. Kavanagh's book.

    I thought perhaps this was to be part of the story, that the antagonist had changed verses in the Bibles at his commune's conclave to support what he wanted his followers to believe. That would have been a proper use of misquoting - to further the plot.

    But that was not the case.

    Later, when she is back home, Belinda looks the passage up again in her aunt's old King James Bible. (It is specifically stated that it's a King James Bible.) Again, the reference location is clearly stated - Second Kings, Chapter 5. So I looked it up in a King James Bible this time. Again, it is misquoted. So no. This was not done as a part of the plot. It was presenting a misquote as coming from a reliable, checkable, source.

    I even checked First Kings, Chapter 5 to see if that was where Mr. Kavanagh had gotten the "quote" from and he had simply switched things around by accident. (Though proper editing would have prevented that, especially since it happens twice. I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.) But no, the "quote" isn't in First Kings either.

    At that point, I quit reading the book and removed it, and Mr. Kavanagh's book "Capable of Murder" (unread) from my Kindle library. I will not read works by an author who flagrantly misquotes another source. Even worse, one that is so easily checked as the King James Bible. It made it obvious that he didn't care what he did as long as he could make it fit his story.

    If, somehow, later in the story Mr. Kavanagh had a reason why Belinda's aunt's King James Bible had the same nonexistent line in it, something that furthered the plot, then I apologize. But I truly doubt that's the case. Only altered Bibles at the commune would fit the line being where it obviously isn't in the biblical text.

    This did not bother me just because it was the Bible being misquoted. I would have done the same no matter what book was misquoted.
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  • Cynthia Maher Mull
    3.0 out of 5 stars Medieval mayhem and modern murder
    Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A pleasant tale but it seemed to glide superficially over the story, content to lightly draw the characters by dialog. The chapters were not well defined, switching scenes paragraph by paragraph without any division. Note to Kindle: Part of one chapter was out of order.
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  • Angela S
    4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and fun
    Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    They say never judge a book by its cover, and I didn't. I judged it by its name, which is possible just as unwise, but with a cracker of a title like this, I couldn't resist buying my first novel from Brian Kavanagh. I have no regrets! "The Embroidered Corpse" delivers its promise of a thrilling mystery with likeable characters, and that it was part of a series was a big bonus because I love the character development opportunities that a series offers. Certainly this was a fun read - not sugar-coated, yet not revoltingly gory - and I quickly found myself engaging with the story and with Belinda. There is one scene in particular (no spoilers) that was full of suspense and well written. Brian Kavanagh has an amusing turn of phrase and his interpretation of the wonderful English mystery series of yesteryear makes for delightful entertainment. I will be sure to read other Belinda Lawrence mysteries.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bobby
    2.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Put Down
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The title and the synopsis saounded good, but I had trouble getting into the story. Maybe if I had stayed with the story I might have found something to like. This story was not to my taste.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • heather cameron
    5.0 out of 5 stars Page turner
    Reviewed in Australia on February 17, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent for a quick yet good read
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  • padIpaws
    4.0 out of 5 stars History & Mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed "Capable of Murder" (which I got as a free kindle ebook), and as a result I purchased the kindle version of "The Embroidered Corpse". I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of history with the crime/mystery story and I look forward to reading "A Canterbury Crime" which is the next in the series, which I have also purchased.

    "The Embroidered Corpse" would benefit from a little careful editorial reading, there are a few missing words and that sort of thing. Also, about a third of the way through the book, Belinda is advised by Godwin to contemplate the Second Book of Kings, Chapter 5, verses 1-5: "Behold we are thy bone and they flesh"; however this appears to be in fact from The Second Book of Samuel 5:1; this error apart, I spent the remainder of the book wondering what the significance of this text was within the context of the story, and unfortunately it was never explained! One other point I would mention, and it may be my fault or my Kindle's, but in this book the font was either too small for me (on the second from largest setting) or too large on the largest setting. I hope that these minor criticisms do not deter others buying this enjoyable book, I only mention them in the hope that at some future time they might be rectified!
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  • Sue
    3.0 out of 5 stars Quite enjoyable
    Reviewed in Australia on September 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This was a bit of fun
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  • Barbara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Sometimes the story starts slowly but gets intriguing enough to have you gripped and want to read more from the author
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  • mrs linda j seaton
    3.0 out of 5 stars light holiday read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Quick fun read although got slightly irritated by the amateur sleuths not involving the police! Nonetheless I'd recommend as it's free
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