Benedict BrownResenhas

1920s. Marcus Quin and Lady Isabella have been hired to locate and retrieve a missing civil servant, Ernest Castleton, via a set of clues. Later they are recruited to stay at the home of the British Foreign Secretary to uncover a spy.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.

historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, England, banter, situational-humor, sly-humor, friendship, friends, verbal-humor, amateur-sleuth, abduction, cozy-mystery, poisons, secrets, secret-code, espionage, conspiracy, 1928, traitor, British Intelligence Service, book-film-research, codebreakers, writers, Vidoq, witty*****

There is a lot of real history revealed, but the author does state that there is a bit of poetic license about some of the timelines. For me, the very best part was the afterwords which explained all of the serendipitous ways that the novel interacted with real history. Fantastic! Loved it!
The story? Great fun and more interesting than most. Great path of investigation.
I requested and received an EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

It’s 1928 in England. Marius Quinn and Lady Isabella Montague have learned that some of their old friend from Hurtwood village may be in serious danger. The three Heaton cousins have all received notes threatening death. Marius and Quin head home to investigate with the aid of Scotland Yard Inspector Lockwood. But shortly after, they arrive, one of the Heatons is found dead and it’s is a race against the clock to save the others.

The Hurtwood Village Murders is the second Marius Quin Mystery and its a fun, entertaining historical cozy mystery with a nice touch of tongue-in-cheek humour running through it. Marius and Bella are extremely likeable protagonists and we learn a great deal more about their backgrounds but I think my favourite character is Percy, Quin’s basset hound. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing right up to the big reveal near the end. The story ends with a hint of what the next mystery will be for Marius and Bella and I am so here for it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

1928 Surrey. The three Heaton cousins, schoolfriends of Marius Quinn and Lady Isabella Montague, have been sent death threats. They journey to Hurtwood village as requested to investigate. Marius informs Scotland Yard Inspector Lovebrook of the threats. He arrives just as a body has been discovered.
A entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main characters supported by a cast of varied personalities.

1920s, amateur-sleuth, banter, cozy-mystery, detective, England, ex-military, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, local-law-enforcement, murder-investigation, pet-dog, poison-pen-letters, read, situational-humor, sly-humor, small-town, unpleasant-friend, unputdownable, verbal-humor, writers*****

Not an unbiased review because I laughed myself silly with the first book in this series!
Old flames, a father who went walkabout years ago, an interesting collection of people who were schoolmates before The War To End All Wars and have returned, poison pen letters, and the first body.
There is a lot of real history revealed, but the author does state that there is a bit of poetic license about some of the timelines. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

This standalone holiday novella has all the charm one hopes for in a Christmas cozy mystery. Set in 1925, we find the Marquess of Edgington, a former Metro Police superintendent, hauling his servants, daughter and her children up to the Cotswolds to spend Christmas at Mistletoe Hall. Residing at the hall is Lord Edgington's former boss and dear friend, Commissioner Lord Oliver Mountfalcon. Lord Edgington, having received an invitation to Lord Mountfalcon's Christmas party, was rather looking forward to catching up with his old colleague. Upon arrival, the family find the hall abandoned with not a soul in site. That is, until seventeen year old Christopher discovers the body of the deceased commissioner out in the snow. Gradually more and more guests arrive and the body count increases. With "Chrissy" as his aid, Lord Edgington has his work cut out for him But, will he be able to find the killer before each guest is eliminated? Tick tock...

What a fun and at times rather amusing story. It's a closed mansion mystery with everyone snowed in at Mistletoe Hall. The writing is solid and the settings are well described. There are quite a few red herrings as every guest seems to be a possible culprit. The relationship between Lord Edgington and his grandson, Chrissy, is at time tender but also instructive. Although this is part of the Lord Edgington Investigates mystery series, the book easily stands on its own. My curiosity is piqued and I'll be digging into the earlier installments of this series. If holiday cozies are your jam, you'll definitely want to add this to your Christmas list.

Publisher: Heathdene Books
Publication date: November 14, 2021
Number of Pages: 241
ISBN: 978-8419162007

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a fairly cosy murder mystery set at a house party in 1928. Marius, the hero, is struggling to write his second murder mystery, and there are a lot of knowing nods to 'how things always happen' in such novels. The tone was light throughout, apart from odd references to Marius' wartime experiences. I found his love interest Bella rather annoying, but the story itself was well-plotted - I guessed bits of it, but not all.

**I received an advanced listener's copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

The first in the new Marius Quin series, this is a fun addition to the 1920s-set house party murder mystery whodunits. I could see elements of Agatha Christie in this - a somewhat isolated house party, stuck together in a snowstorm, with a slightly reluctant amateur sleuth, and a grand reveal at the end of the novel. Plus, a red herring or two along the way! Very entertaining, and the voice narrator was great as the voice of Marius.

I would definitely read another in this series, as well as the author's other series.

cozy-mystery, 1927, writers, country-house, England, historical-novel, historical-research, situational-humor, verbal-humor, sly-humor, first-in-series, closed-circle-mystery, snow-season, amateur-sleuth, murder, investigation, unpleasant-guests, unputdownable*****

A WW1 veteran/ mystery writer with no plot to offer, an old flame, a drunken film idol, and odd assortment of guests on the New Year holiday weekend. Then there's the murder.
Let the sleuthing (and more hilarity) begin! Great fun!
I requested and received an EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley.

1927. Mystery writer Marius Quin is invited to a New Year's Eve party by childhood friend Lady Isabella Montague at Everham Hall, hosted by owner actor Cecil Sinclair. But when the host is shot dead, Marius and Isabella decide to investigate as the guests (suspects) are snowed in.
An entertaining and well-written cozy historical mystery with its cast of diverse personalities, and likeable main character. A good start to this new series.

Listen, it's very hard to write a golden age mystery in the modern era, so I have a little sympathy for those who try earnestly. I prefer that to the smarmy winking of tony-who-we-shant-name. That said this is fairly jarring at first and I don't really buy the tone. I'm fine with a three-star murder mystery, so I'm fine with this. An entertaining listen while cleaning.

A retired detective enlists the help of his young grandson to solve a murder. The victim was a member of the family, and the fear is that more of the family is at risk. The setting is England in 1925, and the family is a well-to-do one. Suspects include family members and staff, as well as other associates of the family. With the precise mind of an inspector, the grandfather instructs his protege on case-solving. There are tense moments as well as a sprinkling of humor. Of course, the grandson doesn’t always get it right, but the two work well together. The writing is quite good, and the mystery is intriguing and entertaining. The main characters are well developed and likable, though some are quirky. The audio version is nicely done by George Blagden who gives a stupendous performance and adds much to the enjoyment of the mystery.

Lord Edgington has been reclusive ever since the death of his wife many years ago but decides that he is going to revive the Spring Ball but before the event can start, his daughter dies having drunk champagne meant for the entire family. Who was really the intended victim? Why after all this time?

It was a bit confusing at the start with all the characters blending together, but once they all individualized, the story and mystery were entertaining. It's great to seethat mysteries can still be written that don't have to have cell phones and computers to make them work.½

Lord Edgington and is throwing a party for his relatives and of course, there's a murder. With the help of his teenage grandson's snooping (who desparately wants his grandfather's admiration for his detective skills) they plod their way through the guests before solving the murders.

The reader was excellent and made the story interesting because I think I would've given up if I were reading it myself.

1920s, country-house, closed-circle-mystery, grandfather, teenager, England, historical-fiction, murder, murder-investigation, family-drama, family-dynamics, fun, red-herrings, relatives, resilience, retired-cop, sly-humor, situational-humor, verbal-humor, caricatures, first-in-series****

Take one determined grandfather, his rather shy teenaged grandson, a house party full of caricatures of relations and neighbors and toss in a murder. That's the major basics. The set-up takes a few chapters because the cast of characters is so zany, but it's worth the slog. Loved it.
Voice actor George Blagden has a vast repertoire of voices to go with this bunch and really made it more fun.

I can't recall enjoying a Christmas mystery like this since Charlotte MacLeod's Rest You Merry.

Mystery of Mistletoe Hall is now my favorite all-time holiday book. Set in the 1920s, narrated by a seventeen-year-old boy, it is a fresh, fun, atmospheric, joy ride. A group of guests are invited to a holiday weekend at the manor of a retired detective, only to find that his servants were dismissed, and he was murdered. The guests are now snowed in with phone lines cut to await what the killer has in store for them next. The young man and his grandfather, also a retired detective, hope to reveal the killer before the body count piles up.

Stoke up the fire, get your hot toddy, and get cozy with this treat!

EIghteen year old Issy Palmer arrives at university hoping to find like minded people, but for her peace in the student halls to be destroyed by the arrival of Eilish Hart. Can the five students find a way to live with each other.
An entertaining story

1920s. Christopher Prentiss 16, has arrived home to Cranley Hall, that of his grandfather, the Marquess of Edgington, ex-superintendent of Scotland Yard. Lord Edgington has decided that it is time to be adventurous and so the next day they are up in a balloon piloted by Chet Novicki when a death occurs. Edgington and Christopher investigate.
An entertaining historical cozy mystery

Issy Palmer is invited by an old school 'friend' to a birthday party. Unknown to her it is a children's birthday party. One that will result in a murder. Can she solve it before the police.
An entertaining story