Reviews

Marius Quin is a mystery writer who is down on his luck; he has a bad case of writers block and is way past due on delivering his latest book. Quin happens to run into his childhood friend (and one true love) Lady Isabella who invites him to a holiday party in hopes of helping to get his creative juices flowing. At the party someone is killed and the story unfolds with Quin and Lady Isabella trying to uncover the killer.

I'd like to preface this review by saying that I pick my books based on the title and cover and I rarely read the synopsis of a story. That being said, this one just was not my kind of read. I do love a cozy mystery but this one was very reminiscent of Agatha Christie, though much less creepy. The story itself wasn't bad, it's exactly what you would expect from a dinner murder mystery. It's definitely something to pick up if you enjoy books set in the 1920's and love cozy mysteries. #MurderatEverhamHall #NetGalley

thekissballad's review

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I liked it well enough, but I was also pretty bored by it.

I skimmed a lot because it felt like the story was going in circles and not going anywhere, even after finding the way out of those circles. I don't feel like I missed much either.

My initial guess at who the killer was incorrect, but surprisingly, the reasoning I had for the murder was correct.

The obsession with Bella was annoying. It sometimes felt like this SUBPLOT took up more of the page than the actual murder mystery.

Overall, it was good, just a bit too wordy for my liking.

duchessofreadin's review against another edition

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5.0

When a down-on-his-luck writer is invited by a former girlfriend for a weekend away at the home of one of her friends, he is hoping that maybe inspiration will strike. Trying to write his second novel, Marius Quin has hit writers block, and the words are not coming. His editor is breathing down his neck, and nothing seems to be going well.

When their host is murdered, Marius teams up with his former sweetheart, Lady Isabella to solve the crime. There is a mass of potential killers, any one of whom could strike again. With the guests under suspicion, Marius is determined to get to the bottom of what happened.

What a great book! I had a hard time putting this one down. It was a great read, and although I wrongly guessed the killer, (I was rooting for Gilbert), it unfolded in such a way that was fantastically mesmerizing. I look forward to reading more from this author, and hope for many more books in this series!

kofoworola's review

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4.0

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I love love a good murder mystery and this absolutely delivered. The writing was great, I felt carried along and even though I had suspicions, I was absolutely surprised by the ending.

I think my favourite part of the story is the murder mystery writer detective 😅

Love!

lmstraubie's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious

4.0

jammersbookstacks's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is my First book by Benedict Brown and it won’t be the last. This is a new cozy historical mystery series. It’s set in the 1920s and Marious Quin is solving a murder at a New Year’s Eve house party. As a best selling author, he has no idea what book is coming, what he knows that there’s endless looming mortgage payments and a lot of pressure to what he is writing!

When his childhood friend, Isabella, invites him to a party, hosted by a famous actor. He sees the opportunity as a distraction. Little does he know he’ll be snowed in and there will be a murder. Can he use his skills as a writer to be the detective of the murder? Pretty soon there is some more people attacked, and he soon realizes that solving mysteries is harder than writing them!!

This is a delightfully intriguing, murder mystery party and I’m looking forward to see what comes next for our protagonist , Marious Quin!

I think I’m really going to enjoy this new cozy mystery series. Marius is full of wit, humor and charm. I like how it connects him with his ex girlfriend and together they form a new sleuthing duo. I love the 1920s era and I think the author did a fantastic job making this time and setting come to life.

The narrator George Blagden does a fantastic job creating these characters and bringing the story and suspense to life!

mandysbooknook's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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