A delightful cosy mystery read set in 1920s Australia. Book two in the Thornton Mysteries series, Alexandra and Benedict are on their honeymoon when it is interrupted by a burglary and then a murder. After that, it’s business as usual for the sleuthing pair.
The author pays meticulous attention to the aspects of the period and it’s clear she has done her research. There is a lot of rich detailing to the stories – such as every meal described meticulously – and this creates an all-inclusive atmosphere for the reader.
The story is a complex and twisting tale of a curse and family secrets that bubble to the surface threatening the newly married bliss of Alexandra and Benedict.
There was much I enjoyed about this book, and the relationship between Alexandra and Benedict is sweet and besotted – although possibly a few too many “darlings” were thrown about for my liking. But there remains one character in this series that I cannot warm to, that of Edith – this is a purely personal opinion – I prefer my female characters to be strong, and a woman who can’t brush her own hair or unbutton her own clothes is a bit of a turn-off for me. I also lost track of the number of times I muttered “lock the door” to Alexandra, as Edith yet again burst into the room of a pair of newlyweds on honeymoon without being invited or even knocking.
But that in no way detracts from the five stars I am giving this sweet and charming tale.

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The Inca's Curse (The Thornton Mysteries Book 2) Kindle Edition
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Ellen Read
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Format: Kindle Edition
Ellen Read
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Product details
- ASIN : B08FF1BS2K
- Publisher : Crimson Cloak Publishing (6 August 2020)
- Language : English
- File size : 3121 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 338 pages
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Best Sellers Rank:
720,074 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 4,936 in Historical Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- 7,611 in Historical Mystery
- 14,929 in Women Sleuths
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
7 global ratings
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Top reviews from other countries

Julia Blake
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delightful cosy mystery read set in 1920s Australia
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 April 2021Verified Purchase
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Steve Griffin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Radiant Murder Mystery set in 1920s Australia
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 October 2020Verified Purchase
A book that takes you on a radiant journey back in time to the Australia of the 1920s. Alexandra and Benedict Archer have their honeymoon peace shattered by a series of increasingly disturbing events, first the stealing of Alexandra’s pearl necklace, followed by a series of murders. What was the thief after – and why were they subsequently killed? Is some fiendish mastermind being increasingly frustrated by the failings of his or her subordinates? And is there some link to Alexandra’s grandfather - and the curse of Inca treasure? Once again Alexandra's instincts for amateur sleuthing kick in...
I recommend this book for lovers of cosy mysteries, who also like lavish settings and true romance. It transported me to an era of fine eating, antiques, musicals, and reading classic books. And it threw well-researched light on the gold-mining communities of southwest Australia, which drew people from all over the world, including the fascinating Swiss-Italian Ticino community.
I recommend this book for lovers of cosy mysteries, who also like lavish settings and true romance. It transported me to an era of fine eating, antiques, musicals, and reading classic books. And it threw well-researched light on the gold-mining communities of southwest Australia, which drew people from all over the world, including the fascinating Swiss-Italian Ticino community.

Linda L. Oliphant
5.0 out of 5 stars
Who needs Miss Marple when we get to have Alexandra?
Reviewed in the United States on 29 August 2020Verified Purchase
In this second book, Ellen Read takes us to Daylesford and immerse us into the gold mining history of 1860s Australia. Along the way, we discover a trail of bodies... coincidences or curse? More importantly, what does James Thornton, Alexandra’s grandfather, have to do with any of this? Once again, I found myself pondering the clues. To top it all off, Alexandra and Benedict are on their honeymoon!
As with the previous book, The Dragon Sleeps, it was easy to allow myself to step into the story with the beautiful descriptions of the furniture, china, antiques, paintings, drapery and floral arrangements. It was like a literary peek into 1928 Victoria. Yes, Stardust is still playing and Alexandra and Benedict are still dancing. Some things will never change. <sigh>
The mystery has its roots way, way back and there were many convoluted twists. One I saw coming; one I did not. Edith! She had a “character growth spurt” which I much liked. She’s reading Pride and Prejudice and trying to model herself after Elizabeth Bennett. Ellen Read expertly weaves this into the story without dropping or missing a stitch. It was like tasting dessert. It is my hope that Edith will continue to develop and blossom. I think this was the biggest takeaway for me. One more thing, no make that two things. I love the way Reed brought in the Inca connection; but even more the history of the Swiss Italians and, of course, the food, “recipe competition” and the competition between Thornton Park and the Manor.
So, we have Grandfather Thomas, a mistaken identity, goldmines, emeralds, a necklace, a curse, murders, love, a love lost and a love letter. Who needs Miss Marple when have Alexandra?
As with the previous book, The Dragon Sleeps, it was easy to allow myself to step into the story with the beautiful descriptions of the furniture, china, antiques, paintings, drapery and floral arrangements. It was like a literary peek into 1928 Victoria. Yes, Stardust is still playing and Alexandra and Benedict are still dancing. Some things will never change. <sigh>
The mystery has its roots way, way back and there were many convoluted twists. One I saw coming; one I did not. Edith! She had a “character growth spurt” which I much liked. She’s reading Pride and Prejudice and trying to model herself after Elizabeth Bennett. Ellen Read expertly weaves this into the story without dropping or missing a stitch. It was like tasting dessert. It is my hope that Edith will continue to develop and blossom. I think this was the biggest takeaway for me. One more thing, no make that two things. I love the way Reed brought in the Inca connection; but even more the history of the Swiss Italians and, of course, the food, “recipe competition” and the competition between Thornton Park and the Manor.
So, we have Grandfather Thomas, a mistaken identity, goldmines, emeralds, a necklace, a curse, murders, love, a love lost and a love letter. Who needs Miss Marple when have Alexandra?

5.0 out of 5 stars
Who needs Miss Marple when we get to have Alexandra?
Reviewed in the United States on 29 August 2020
In this second book, Ellen Read takes us to Daylesford and immerse us into the gold mining history of 1860s Australia. Along the way, we discover a trail of bodies... coincidences or curse? More importantly, what does James Thornton, Alexandra’s grandfather, have to do with any of this? Once again, I found myself pondering the clues. To top it all off, Alexandra and Benedict are on their honeymoon!Reviewed in the United States on 29 August 2020
As with the previous book, The Dragon Sleeps, it was easy to allow myself to step into the story with the beautiful descriptions of the furniture, china, antiques, paintings, drapery and floral arrangements. It was like a literary peek into 1928 Victoria. Yes, Stardust is still playing and Alexandra and Benedict are still dancing. Some things will never change. <sigh>
The mystery has its roots way, way back and there were many convoluted twists. One I saw coming; one I did not. Edith! She had a “character growth spurt” which I much liked. She’s reading Pride and Prejudice and trying to model herself after Elizabeth Bennett. Ellen Read expertly weaves this into the story without dropping or missing a stitch. It was like tasting dessert. It is my hope that Edith will continue to develop and blossom. I think this was the biggest takeaway for me. One more thing, no make that two things. I love the way Reed brought in the Inca connection; but even more the history of the Swiss Italians and, of course, the food, “recipe competition” and the competition between Thornton Park and the Manor.
So, we have Grandfather Thomas, a mistaken identity, goldmines, emeralds, a necklace, a curse, murders, love, a love lost and a love letter. Who needs Miss Marple when have Alexandra?
Images in this review


PaulineReidBookReviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fast paced book, full of mystery and a very surprising ending.
Reviewed in the United States on 8 August 2020Verified Purchase
My Thoughts
I am extremely interested in conversational dialogue in general, so I was pleasantly surprised that I got just that in The Inca's Curse. Questions and answers leaded to more intriguing scenarios, problems and then solutions. Ellen Read is a dab hand at creating and writing a scene in this way. A very "dialogue" driven book.
This is an extremely facinating, interesting and intriguing book, that has a very involved storyline, with lots of plot twists, its chockablock full. Apart from the mystery aspect, there is a newly wedded couple. There is alot of references to antiques with the Thorntons being in the antique business and because Ellen Read herself, loves flowers and nature, we have the countryside of Daylesford with Wombat Hill, where there are black ducks, willy-the-wagtails, Asters, bluebells, daffodils, lillypilly and a whole range of flowers that are all wrapped up like a bouquet, not forgetting the scrumptious food mentioned, this time, there is an element of Italian, with the occasional mention of scrambled eggs and Maderia cake on the side, with copious amounts of tea drinking. I learnt quite alot of Italian dishes, plus the heritage of the Swiss-Italians. Plus I learnt about the family tree and who is related to who. We have references of books, more in depth this time is the book, Pride and Prejudice that Edith models herself on and Ellen Read executes the storyline superbly well into HER story, and lastly, because this is a historical fiction I must add that the information on the history of Daylesford, plus the gold mines is very educational which I was extremely interested in. The story-line and plotting, again, faultless and delivered to perfection.
It was a great honour to be able to delve into such a book with such a vast lot of information, inspiration and hard work that Ellen Read put into this. Ellen Read is definitely a mastermind of her own craft.
Give this a go, you won't be disappointed, as it will captivate you and hold your attention till the end.
Recommendation
The Inca's Curse comes highly recommended by me and will suit anyone who is interested in Italian cooking and heritage. For Historical Fiction lovers. For antique lovers. For anyone interested in the fashion of the 1920s, especially music and clothes. Lastly for all readers who like flowers mentioned in their books.
.
I am extremely interested in conversational dialogue in general, so I was pleasantly surprised that I got just that in The Inca's Curse. Questions and answers leaded to more intriguing scenarios, problems and then solutions. Ellen Read is a dab hand at creating and writing a scene in this way. A very "dialogue" driven book.
This is an extremely facinating, interesting and intriguing book, that has a very involved storyline, with lots of plot twists, its chockablock full. Apart from the mystery aspect, there is a newly wedded couple. There is alot of references to antiques with the Thorntons being in the antique business and because Ellen Read herself, loves flowers and nature, we have the countryside of Daylesford with Wombat Hill, where there are black ducks, willy-the-wagtails, Asters, bluebells, daffodils, lillypilly and a whole range of flowers that are all wrapped up like a bouquet, not forgetting the scrumptious food mentioned, this time, there is an element of Italian, with the occasional mention of scrambled eggs and Maderia cake on the side, with copious amounts of tea drinking. I learnt quite alot of Italian dishes, plus the heritage of the Swiss-Italians. Plus I learnt about the family tree and who is related to who. We have references of books, more in depth this time is the book, Pride and Prejudice that Edith models herself on and Ellen Read executes the storyline superbly well into HER story, and lastly, because this is a historical fiction I must add that the information on the history of Daylesford, plus the gold mines is very educational which I was extremely interested in. The story-line and plotting, again, faultless and delivered to perfection.
It was a great honour to be able to delve into such a book with such a vast lot of information, inspiration and hard work that Ellen Read put into this. Ellen Read is definitely a mastermind of her own craft.
Give this a go, you won't be disappointed, as it will captivate you and hold your attention till the end.
Recommendation
The Inca's Curse comes highly recommended by me and will suit anyone who is interested in Italian cooking and heritage. For Historical Fiction lovers. For antique lovers. For anyone interested in the fashion of the 1920s, especially music and clothes. Lastly for all readers who like flowers mentioned in their books.
.

C
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Inca’s Curse, Book 2 of the Thornton Mysteries - a wild ride which I fully enjoyed.
Reviewed in the United States on 27 August 2020Verified Purchase
It all begins when one of the main characters has her pearls stolen. From that point on no stone is left unturned to uncover much larger mystery..
The story contains murder, romance, and deception. The setting Australia, year 1928. A curse has gone through the generations beginning sometime in the 1850s.
I loved the story. I became attached to the characters and what would happen to each and everyone of them. The ending caught me by surprise.
What’s next… I can’t wait.
The story contains murder, romance, and deception. The setting Australia, year 1928. A curse has gone through the generations beginning sometime in the 1850s.
I loved the story. I became attached to the characters and what would happen to each and everyone of them. The ending caught me by surprise.
What’s next… I can’t wait.