RECENTLY RE-PUBLISHED AS AN INVITATION TO MURDER

Originally published as Tongued with Fire.

Frank Renfield, the Baron of Renfield Hall, has fallen on tough times. He and his wife, Carole, will do anything to preserve their heritage ... including marrying off their daughter to a prominent .. read wealthy ... man.

Unfortunately for them, their daughter is in love with a very poor man, the nephew of a bookseller. The man her parents have chosen is wealthy, ambitious, and has hopes of being in charge of the manor ... after he marries the daughter.

The bookseller comes across an old book that throws a shadow over Renfield Hall. Are the Renfields that actual owners? Blackmail didn't seem to work, as he is found bludgeoned to death .... and the book is nowhere to be found.

He will not be the only body that falls.

Blackmail, crime. murder, revenge, obsession, deception, lies and secrets ... this one has it all. It's a modern day murder mystery, but it has the feel of something much older, more evil. Many suspects bear watching. Twists and turns lead to an unexpected conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This was such an interesting thriller that came my way and I just so happened to pick up. It was pretty thrilling and I enjoyed the twists and turns and the characters itself; writing was super fun too. 5 out of 5 stars!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of An Invitation to Murder, the first novel in the Oldminster series, set in the South of England.

Guy Lavender tried to blackmail Lord Renfield and was later found murdered in his home. Nothing to do with Lord Renfield obviously, but when a man is murdered at Lady Renfield’s birthday party questions are asked.

I quite enjoyed An Invitation to Murder, which has a convoluted plot with several strands and some interesting twists. It is slow to start with a long build up to the first murder, told from various points of view, then it starts motoring.

This is a very busy novel with all sorts of grudges being aired and so many strands to keep up with, at one point there are three separate investigations going on. The police, in the form of DI French and DS Edwards, are investigating the murder and associated crimes. PI Noel Greenspan and his assistant, Chloe, are investigating historical allegations against the Renfield family and an American PI is pursuing other enquiries. I liked the murder investigation and what the American was doing, but the historical thing made no sense to me, not that I couldn’t follow it, more in the sense of why and what was the point?

As this novel is all about the plot, events and outcomes of certain behaviour and as it is jam packed with them it is not a particularly profound or realistic novel. This is not a deal breaker for me as I can appreciate the author’s imagination and ability to comprehensively plot it. What I didn’t like about it was the stereotypical characters, which, along with the constantly shifting point of view, don’t allow the reader to identify with any of them and get really invested in the novel.

An Invitation to Murder is a solid read.

Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
This was a book set in the present, but it reminded me of the books I used to read years ago: cosy, set in England years ago and with interesting characters and a real feel for the environment.
Baron Redfield of Redfield Hall is in trouble and needs money desperately if he is keep his home and lifestyle. There's a super rich American he wants his daughter to marry, but she has other plans. Her mother threatens to beat her if she doesn't live by their rules - she must marry this man and save their home and heritage. Murder and mayhem ensue.
I really enjoyed this read and hope there will be more with the sleuthing couple and the police detectives who feature in the story.
I definitely recommend this book, it's well written and has a certain charm.
It was previously published as Tongued With Fire, but I couldn't find this edition on Goodreads to review

A Plan Not Without Problems…
Baron Renfield of Renfield Hall has problems - a financial crisis, in fact, together with a need to preserve his heritage. His answer is to marry off his daughter to an American millionaire - a plan not without its’ problems. Very enjoyable mystery, well written and entertaining, deftly plotted and atmospheric. (Note: previously published as ‘Tongued With Fire’)