Birthday boy Rupert Iverson is found dead in the swimming pool after his lavish party. The police assume a party guest is responsible but the victim’s father insists that local politics provides an alternative motive. This seems more likely as another body is discovered on the beach…
Murder at the Manor is the fourth book to feature Sam Clayton and his police team. I have read and reviewed the third book in the series: Play Dead. Each works well as a stand alone novel as there are no spoilers about events in previous books.
DI Sam Clayton takes a step back for the majority of this book which allows his colleague Julie Everett to take centre stage. Her personal life as well as her professional side in the investigation are described and developed over the course of the book.
There is little violence or graphic forensic detail included despite the seriousness of the crime. I enjoyed the dynamics and authentic banter between the police characters which make them seem more human and relatable.
The initial focus is on the intricate romantic background to the victim and his party guests before moving onto the wider local community. The police need to be systematic and thorough to sort through relevant information which lead to twists and turns in the plot.
Murder at the Manor is an enjoyable police procedural. Although I did miss Sam’s prominence in the investigation, I enjoyed getting to know Julie in greter depth.
Murder in the Manor book blurb
DETECTIVE SAM CLAYTON IS BACK IN ANOTHER GRIPPING NORTH NORFOLK MYSTERY.
Has a village feud led to murder? Or is the killer closer to home?
Rupert Iverson is found dead in the swimming pool of his North Norfolk manor house, dressed as Louis XIV.
He was hit over the head with a blunt object and held under the water.
More than one of the twenty-four guests has motive — as do several of the local villagers, who have been feuding with Rupert’s father.
Then one of the villagers is discovered on the beach.
Will Detectives Sam Clayton and Julie Everett uncover a connection or will a third body turn up?
This page-turning crime mystery set in an atmospheric part of Norfolk is perfect for fans of Michael Hambling, Matt Brolly, J.R. Ellis, J.D. Kirk and Elly Griffiths.
ANNE PENKETH
Anne Penketh is originally from Lancashire, but her work as a foreign correspondent took her all over the world before she turned to writing fiction. Anne’s series of murder mysteries featuring DI Sam Clayton allowed her to return to Norfolk where her relatives live.
Anne is currently based in London, but she’s such an inveterate wanderer that she has no idea how long she’ll stay.
1948, Martha Miller is feeling blue on Valentine’s Day with a missing husband and an unrequited love for the vicar. But things get worse when she finds a young man’s dead body…
Death at Lovers’ Leap is the third book to feature amateur sleuths Martha and Luke in an English village shortly after WW2. I have previously read and reviewed the first two books in the series: Poison at the Village Show and Daggers at the Country Fair.
A love triangle seems to have caused the latest shock death in the village. Steven died at a place renowned for a tragic past and may have jumped to his death after his girl showed attention to another. Or was he killed by his love rival? Martha and Luke realise something else may be afoot in the village when another person dies. The murder mystery is maintained until the final chapter. I liked the historical details which add to the plot and depth of the characters.
The sleuthing couple have the added complication of the arrival of Luke’s father and later his sister too. I feel so sorry for Martha and Luke as they are perfect together and their hopes of a relationship seem as far away as ever despite their obvious feelings. I really want them to find happiness but I don’t see how it will happen due to his vocation and her marital history 🙁
Death at Lovers’ Leap is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery.
Death at Lovers’ Leap
Westleham Village 1948
As Valentine’s Day rolls around, Martha Miller finds herself unusually melancholy at the state of her own love life. With husband Stan still missing and with her growing feelings for Vicar Luke still shrouded in secrecy, there’s only one place Martha can go – famous local beauty spot, Lovers’ Leap.
Legend has it that those with a broken heart throw themselves off the bridge that spans the river, but Martha is certainly not about to do such a thing! But it looks like someone else has had other ideas…. Because there in the river, Martha finds a body. But is this misadventure, a moment of lovesick madness, or is foul play afoot? Martha knows one thing…the villagers of Westleham have another crime to solve! Let the investigation commence! Find out if Martha and Luke can catch the killer in a brand new Martha Miller mystery from bestselling author Catherine Coles.
Catherine Coles writes bestselling cosy mysteries set in the English countryside. Her extremely popular Tommy & Evelyn Christie series is based in North Yorkshire in the 1920’s and Catherine herself lives in Hull with her family and two spoiled dogs.
DI Jack MacIntosh has a grisly case. Bodies are being discovered with their lips sewn together, but during the post mortem investigation the pathologist finds a severed rat’s head was placed inside the mouth before death. Meanwhile a journalist’s wife has been kidnapped and a ransom is demanded…
Three Broken Bodies is the fifth book in the revised and redeveloped DI MacIntosh series. There are follow on aspects to Jack’s personal life and the murder case that relates to his mother so there are spoilers.
Jack’s latest case is very unpleasant. I liked how the natural revulsion of the police characters is depicted, showing that exposure to such atrocities can still affect them emotionally. There is a gang element to the plot and the violence is as graphic as you might expect.
The book is written in the third person throughout to show the different layers to the plot. This allows us to see a variety of perspectives and feel the fear of the characters in danger. We witness the police investigation, gang members, potential victims, prison residents and a panicked husband of a kidnapped woman. There are lots of threads of plot which are woven together cleverly by the author.
Jack is a complex character and doesn’t always follow the rules. He works to his own code and keeps secrets from his friends and colleagues. His past plays a significant role in a number of the plot elements, for example his antagonistic relationship with the missing woman’s journalist husband and the murder of his mother.
Three Broken Bodies is a tense and enjoyable detective thriller with a fab lead character.
THREE BROKEN BODIES (Detective Jack Macintosh #5) by Michelle Kidd
MEET DETECTIVE JACK MACINTOSH IN THIS BRILLIANT CRIME SERIES.
An absolutely gripping crime thriller with a massive twist.
Detective Jack is called out to a body on the South Bank. The victim’s hands and feet are bound, her skin badly bruised, her lips crudely sewn shut.
Inside the dead woman’s mouth is the severed head of a rat.
This is the second body in two days.
The following night, a third body is discovered in a derelict brewery. The same bruising, the mouth sewn shut, a rat’s head. This time it’s a young man — and he’s been dead at least a week.
With no witnesses and no clues to who the victims are, Jack’s investigation is going nowhere.
Then he gets a call from journalist Jonathan Spearing. There’s no love lost between the two men — but now Jonathan needs Jack’s help. Katie Spearing is missing. She’s been gone for two days. And Jonathan just received a text: We have your wife.
Jack uncovers a connection between Katie Spearing and the three broken bodies. Now he’s in a desperate race against time.
Perfect for fans of Helen H. Durrant, Biba Pearce, Lynda La Plante, Angela Marsons and Rachel McLean.
READERS LOVE THE JACK MACINTOSH SERIES:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Truly gripping and suspenseful . . . keeps you guessing throughout.’ Bob
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Gripping and twisty. Couldn’t put it down.’ Sue W.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Full of unsuspected twists and turns . . . Incredibly fast-paced and puzzling.’ Nicola H.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant . . . This series gets better and better.’ Colin B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A real page-turner.’ Lynda C.
THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Jack MacIntosh is a dedicated police officer, the one person you would want to fight your corner. But he has been known to cross the line to get the job done. As a four-year-old boy he discovered his mother’s body swinging from a light fitting. Jack and his younger brother were taken into care — Jack did OK, his brother not so much. A bit of a loner, Jack has never married — although plenty of women would like to give it a shot. He lives in a charming mews cottage in central London. No one is quite sure how he can afford it on a detective’s salary.
MICHELLE KIDD
Michelle Kidd is a crime fiction author best known for the DI Jack MacIntosh and DI Nicki Hardcastle series. She qualified as a legal executive in the early 1990s, spending ten years practising civil and criminal litigation.
But the dream to write was never far from her mind and in 2008 she began writing the first book in what would later become the DI Jack MacIntosh series. Michelle now works full time for the NHS and lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. She enjoys reading, wine and cats — not necessarily in that order.
Mr Cunliffe fears for his life so reluctantly contacts his old friend’s butler. Clifford couldn’t possibly abandon his post so Lady Eleanor Swift travels to Cornwall with him. The pair arrive to find the police have discovered a body…
Murder on the Cornish Cliffs is the 16th book to feature Lady Eleanor Swift and her incomparable butler Clifford.
Mr Cunliffe has very specific ideas about class and gender so it is almost unbearable for him to feel the need to ask for help from a butler, let alone a woman. Luckily, Clifford and Eleanor are able to overlook his prejudice and focus on the murder. Ellie is disappointed to be far from home and her fiance in the lead up to Christmas. But the murder provides an opportunity to call on Hugh for help.
The wit and humour between Ellie and Clifford continues to work well. There are a number of eccentric characters in this book and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to laugh with them or at them. I enjoyed the change in setting although I did miss the rest of Ellie’s staff who often play such a significant role. The mystery was sustained well and I was kept guessing until the reveal.
Murder on the Cornish Cliffs is an enjoyable addition to this cosy historical murder mystery series.
Book Description:
A festive invitation from an old family friend, the promise of gingerbread at the village inn, snowy walks on the Cornish coast with Gladstone the bulldog… But wait, is that a body on the beach?
Winter, 1923. It’s nearly Christmas and Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather strange letter from an old friend of her uncle. Mr Godfrey Cunliffe has asked her to stay in Cornwall for the holidays – but only because he believes his gardener is trying to poison him! With not a moment to waste Eleanor hurries down to his picturesque manor house with her butler Clifford and handsome beau Detective Hugh Seldon. But they arrive too late to stop the crime…
Lying dead at the bottom of the steep cliffs, however, is not Mr Cunliffe, but the gardener himself. And his plans for restoring the gardens to their former glory are missing. Jerome St Clair has gone from suspect to victim. This certainly puts a twist in the tinsel!
As snow begins to fall, Eleanor quizzes the family. Mr Cunliffe’s alibi is as fragile as the glass baubles hanging from his towering Christmas tree. Eleanor quickly realises everyone from the handyman to the housekeeper is keeping secrets, and she’s convinced that Mr Cunliffe is still scared for his life.
When Gladstone the bulldog pulls a charred corner of the missing garden plans from a fireplace festooned with a gold-ribboned garland, Eleanor thinks the clue she needs is hiding out in the grounds. But when someone tries to run her over with the huge lawnmower, she knows she must wrap up the mystery fast before her Christmas is cancelled for good…
Murder on the Cornish Cliffs is a fun, twisty and absolutely gripping historical English cozy mystery, perfect for fans of T.E. Kinsey, Catherine Coles and Agatha Christie.
Author Bio:
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
A serial killer is on the loose, taking teen girls and making them sew their own shrouds before killing them. He mutilates the body to avoid identification of his victims and the police are stumped. DCI Alice Rossi is called upon to breathe new life into the investigation but can she work quick enough to save the next victim?
The Ravenswood Murders is the second book in the detective and serial killer series featuring DCI Alice Rossi. I have previously read and reviewed the first book The Ash Lake Murders.
Alice is called in to support a team trying to catch a killer. She faces a little opposition but the team are desperate to solve the case. Four teens are dead and another is missing. She brings in officers from her last big case as she respects their input and needs their contribution.
The descriptions of the bodies is quite graphic as they have had their hands removed and teeth smashed to avoid dental or fingerprint identification. Hauntingly, the most recent victim sewed her name into the shroud and this causes an emotional spike and additional determination for Alice.
I really love Alice’s character. She has issues from her past which came to the fore in the last book. Now she is trying to focus on the case, bringing a fresh pair of eyes to the situation. The author creates a fast pace through quite short chapters and the writing style was gripping as the plot develops. I kept thinking I had guessed how the events would play out but in fact I was skilfully misdirected.
The Ravenswood Murders was a compelling killer thriller and I can’t wait for the next book!
THE RAVENSWOOD MURDERS by Helen H. Durrant
MEET DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW BRITISH CRIME SERIES FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS.
A brand-new mystery from #1 bestselling author Helen H. Durrant that will have you gripped from start to explosive finish.
Day 1. A young woman’s body is found in a shallow grave in the woods, buried in a white shroud. She’s been dead for a week. Her teeth are smashed in, her lips stitched together. Her hands are missing.
She’s the fourth young woman found like this.
With no witnesses, no clues and no leads to follow, the investigation is going nowhere.
That’s when Detective Alice Rossi is called in.
Alice knows this case is a poisoned chalice. Not least because she has a new team to contend with — who don’t like being bossed around by a woman.
Day 2. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Hewson is reported missing. She never came home from school, and her father is beside himself.
Will she be the fifth girl to die?
Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Joy Ellis, J.D. Kirk, Rachel Abbott, Elly Griffiths or J.M. Dalgliesh.
READERS LOVE THE DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI BOOKS:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Full of suspense with a storyline that kept me guessing right up until the end.’ Annette T.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A really good read . . . the perfect balance of investigation versus personal drama for the lead.’ Linda B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The start of a fabulous new series from Helen H. Durrant . . . Brilliant book — I loved it!’ Charlotte M.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.’ Sandra G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I absolutely love Alice Rossi . . . This is a gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you turning page after page all the way to the end. Absolutely brilliant, I can’t wait for book 2.’ Jill B.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The story line flows along nicely, making it an enjoyable read, with a nice twist, leaving you keen for the next instalment which will surely follow. Recommend.’ Iain McC.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another stunningly good police procedural from Helen H. Durrant. Fabulous plot and great characters, with everything I want from a whodunnit.’ Amanda P.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great start to a new series . . . I couldn’t put it down. Amazing storyline.’ Michelle G.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Thoroughly gripping and suspenseful with an astonishing surprise. Not one to be missed.’ Carol S.
THE DETECTIVE
DCI Alice Rossi of Greater Manchester’s Serious Crime Squad has served with the police for the past twenty-nine years. Since the death of her husband, Paul, six years ago, she has lived alone in a large, three-storey Edwardian terrace on the outskirts of Manchester. Her grown-up son lives in Edinburgh with his family. Alice is about to retire — but she’s not looking forward to it. Since her husband died, work has been her mainstay, not because she misses Paul — he was a bad man — but because it keeps her dark thoughts at bay.
HELEN H. DURRANT
OVER 1.5 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
Helen is one of the ‘baby boomer’ generation and began writing when she retired from her job at a local college. Born in Edinburgh to an English father and Scottish mother the family settled in a Pennine village between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is an environment which has shaped her stories. Writing is a second career and, despite having a bus pass, keeps her busy, and tuned in.
Helen’s children are all grown-up and she has five grandchildren.
