Favorite Quotes:

The spring sunshine glinted off perfectly tousled blonde hair and the equally shiny metal clasps of a new handbag, the size of a well-fed toddler. Beth raised her eyebrows at Katie. That bag must have cost more than her monthly mortgage payment.

Dr Grover was famously married to a willowy actress– the only factor that kept most of Dulwich’s divorcees at bay. But when had being married ever stopped people? True, if it ever got out, there would be a fuss; not least from the disappointed divorcees.

It was true that the man had had a certain arrogant swagger. She’d just thought it had come from being a guy of a certain age, in possession of a penis. There was a type and a generation of men who thought this simple appendage made them superior to every woman around them, and also, in some very strange corner of their psyche, convinced that all females desperately wanted them to demonstrate their skills with that specific piece of gristle at the slightest opportunity, whether the women demurred or not.

My Review:

I took a gamble and decided to read an unfamiliar author with a three-part British mystery series, a genre I haven’t indulged in for ages. While still on page one I was struck by the refreshingly comfortable and amusing writing style, allowing me to relax into my chair and settle in for a cozy treat. The storylines were slowly developed yet easy to follow, engaging, and character-driven. I relished Ms. Castle’s dry wit and use of vibrant descriptions and amusing details, which often brought and kept a smirk to my lips. A young widow and single-mom, Beth was having the worst type of first day of a new job with the disheartening realization that her new boss was a loathsome letch, only to be the one to find that loathsome letch dead a few hours later while on her way to lunch. Yikes. Talk about bad luck… Beth had no alibi and being the snoopy sort, she felt compelled to launch her own inquiries for fear she was the top suspect. Although her efforts to clear her name were vaguely thought out and she tended to dither, I adored her anyway. I am eagerly looking forward to more of her hapless adventures and am ready to gobble the next installment, which is currently idling on my kindle.

Beth Haldane is starting a new job as assistant to a school historian. However, on her first day she discovers him dead and herself in the frame for his murder. Desperate to clear her name, Beth goes in search of the real murderer.

A great start to a new series.

A fun murder mystery to read ,but there was times that the characters did stuff that was just nuts. Will I go on with the rest of the series yes ,but its sadly going to be a series I read only one time

This is book 1 in the Beth Haldane series and it is a good start for the new cozy series. Beth is starting a new job at her little boy's new school. She's excited about this new start and needs the money. She is the assistant to the school historian and is dismayed to find him dead when she explores the school on her lunch break. Being new to the small English village makes her a prime suspect and she is determined to keep her job and protect her son. Looking forward to book 2.

First of all, this is a damn fool title for a book. How many hundreds of murder mysteries are published each year, adding to how many thousands already in existence? I would have thought that the point of a book title was to create a unique impression in a potential reader's mind, especially someone who has no idea who the author is and thus has only the title to go by, and make it easy for such a reader to find the book. When I typed "murder mystery" into the search window of my Kindle library, I still had to hunt for this thing. Worse, typing "murder mystery" into the search box on Goodreads brings up 17729 results. Not clever.

That being said, I enjoyed the book well enough. It was later instalments that slashed the ratings for the whole series down to where they are now; at the time, I rated this first book somewhat higher. It was a little depressing that so many of the Cozy Mystery Bingo squares were filled in: unqualified main character scores dream job - check; hot detective who will of course be the love interest - check; quirky friends - check; pet cat with more personality than most of the human characters - check... but really, that's all to be expected. It's the rare cozy mystery that either bucks convention or makes the Bingo board its own that keeps me reading the silly things. I suppose you could say that this author does something of the latter. The main character, even here in this first introduction, raised my eyebrows a bit; she is embarking on her first day in a new job as the book begins, and her boss is the murder victim she discovers at lunchtime. And almost immediately her attitude shifts from "I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be doing but let me see what I can find to do anyhow" to "well, nobody's watching me, so I'm going to skive off as much as possible and when I am in my office I will spend at least half my time playing detective". I've worked with far too many people who steal their employers' time and money by doing anything but their jobs for this to sit well with me. It's not a good look, and was not calculated to make me too fond of Beth Haldane.

My main takeaway from this book was a sort of vague surprise that it was set in England. If that was made clear in the early chapters, I missed it, and it certainly wasn't apparent in the rest of the book; I think at some point about halfway through I went on a hunt to see what state it was supposed to be set in, and was mildly astonished that it wasn't.

Again, this was a perfectly adequate start to a series - but I can't recommend it based on the later books, which made me deeply regret the time wasted reading this and the next couple. I plan on forgetting them quickly.

The Murder Mystery is the first Beth Haldane cozy by Alice Castle. Originally published in 2017, this reformat and re-release from 22nd Aug 2022 is 236 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently available to borrow and read for free. The other books in the seriesare also currently available on KU.

This is a competently written and engaging amateur sleuth mystery featuring an archivist who takes to sleuthing to prove that she didn't murder her new boss in order to take over his job. Much of the characterizations are somewhat trope-y and superficial, and to be honest the plotting is fairly linear, but it's nevertheless engaging and quite readable. I liked the setting, a tony school outside London, and the author does a good job with the settings and descriptions.

There were some iffy scientific tests performed as a casual part of the investigation which are costly and would almost *never* be resorted to in real life and which are integral to the plot. The dialogue is a bit rough and uneven in places but overall, it's an entertaining and readable cozy mystery. There are 8 books extant in the series currently (and all are available as part of the kindle unlimited library service), so it would make a good choice for a binge read for fans of light cozies.

Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of J.R. Ellis, Faith Martin, and Merryn Allingham.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Beth discovers a murder victim on her first day in a new job at a prestigious school. She fears she may become the top suspect as the victim was her immediate boss so she sets out to find the real killer and prove her innocence.
The Murder Mystery is the first of a 7 book cosy murder mystery series that Bookouture has published this month.
Beth is a character who is really easy to like. She is a widow, devoted to her young son. She wants some stability for him so applies for an assistant archivist job at Wyatts School in the hope that he will get a scholarship there in due course. Although excited by her new role, she feels underqualified and the head archivist acts too friendly for her liking. She therefore has mixed emotions when he is found dead and she is considered to have a motive (wanting his job, anger at his lecherous behaviour).
At the school gate and in her new job, Beth feels like an outsider which was really easy to relate to. The setting allows for plenty of suspects and Beth eagerly sets about overcoming her social shyness and conducting her own investigation. I found the pace to be reasonably slow so that we get to know Beth properly. There isn't much violence or information about the murder or body which fits in with the cosy murder mystery genre.
The Murder Mystery is a good start to a series and I will be reviewing the other books shortly.

‘The Murder Mystery’ by Alice Castle is the first book in this series and after reading this, I can’t wait to get my teeth into the next two. Beth Haldane gets a job as an assistant archivist at the local prestigious school, Wyatt’s. Her first day gets off to a surprising start, when she finds the dead body of her boss behind the bins. It soon becomes apparent that he had many enemies within the school. Was it one of Beth’s new colleagues? When she begins to investigate, it appears she may be in danger too. Will she find the killer before it is too late?

I like Beth . She’s a normal woman with a child. A widow, she lives in the south London village of Dulwich. It’s full of yummy mummies and Beth feels she’ll never fit the mould. But why should she have to. She’s clever, bright and determined, and more than a match for any of them. The story is well written, with interesting characters and I loved the descriptions of Dulwich and the local society.

I was given this ARC to review.
I

Interesting start to a series. I enjoyed the story, but felt it was a little slow to develop. I thought the characters were interesting and perfect for the story. The plot was good with the right amount of mystery. I did struggle with the British terms & had to look them up in order for the things to make sense. All in all, a good way to spend an afternoon or two.

“It’s back to school for this new super sleuth!”

..


New to me author, Alice Castle, introduces a brand-new style of amateur sleuth, that of the younger middle-aged, single parent, living in smart Dulwich Village, in the London Borough of Southwark. The Murder Mystery is book #1 in the Beth Haldane series, which was originally published in 2017, with the title Death in Dulwich. The entire series of seven (soon to be eight books) have since received new titles and been newly presented to the reading audience in 2022, by publisher Bookouture.

So, let’s say Hi! to Beth and find out what makes her tick…

..

For Beth, moving back to Dulwich was coming home to her roots, although as a widow of some seven years, she finds herself unable to compete with, or relate to, the new brand of ‘yummy mummy’, up and coming population, with their 4×4 SUV’s, live in au pairs, and as many extra-curricular activities as their upwardly aspiring children can cram into their free time. She is aware that hers may well be worst house on the best street, but she does the best she can to provide a safe and loving environment for her young son Jake. Her mother Wendy lives nearby but upsetting her very organised and highly scheduled routine is not something Beth really wants to do, as she knows from bitter experience that it becomes far too stressful for all concerned and she doesn’t want to cause Wendy any unnecessary distress. She loves her brother Josh dearly; however, he is a rather unreliable Peter Pan type character, who has never really grown up and tends to turn up randomly when he thinks about it and usually with his latest girlfriend in tow – not exactly the role model Beth has in mind for Jake, but nonetheless an occasional welcome distraction and male company for him.

Competition to earn a place at Wyatt’s School for Boys, is fierce and Beth is all too aware that nine-year-old Jake is probably going to struggle to make the grade, when his time comes to leave the local primary school. She is therefore pleasantly surprised when she manages to bag the position of Archivist’s Assistant within Wyatt’s hallowed walls, hoping that she may have a little leverage when places for the new academic year are allocated. However, right from her very first morning it becomes apparent that archives really don’t seem to figure too heavily on the agendas of the headmaster and his senior team, being located as they are in nothing more than a rather glorified shed, sharing space with various items of games kit, separate from the main school buildings and almost next to the rubbish bin area. Beth’s new immediate boss, archivist Alan Jenkins, isn’t very ‘user friendly’ either, as he has that uncomfortable way of undressing you with his eyes, even on your first day in the job, although finding him stabbed to death by lunch time, with his face covered, wasn’t Beth’s preferred way of dealing with the situation.

When what has now become her archive room at Wyatt’s is turned upside down, Beth, assuming that the two crimes are connected, sets about trying to work out what could possibly be of such interest to a murderer turned burglar. When she thinks she might have found evidence which doesn’t paint Alan Jenkins in too good a light, she foolishly removes it from the premises and takes it home to check it out more thoroughly, without telling the police which is very much frowned on, and which potentially places both her own and Jake’s lives in danger. When her home is trashed with even more venom than the first assault on school property, Beth realises that not only has she stupidly put her own life in danger, but Jake’s too, which is totally unacceptable to her. DI Harry York, who is the senior officer on the case, cautions Beth not to interfere in the police investigation, although deep down he also has a grudging respect for the feisty mum and is quite happy to listen to her thoughts about why Alan might have met his maker so suddenly and who might have helped him on his way.

It turns out that there are more lies, secret assignations and twists in the lives of the many members of Wyatt’s staff and their families, than Beth ever thought possible and if some of the pushier mothers knew half the truth, they may not be fighting so hard and furiously to attain places for their offspring within its revered corridors. However, gambling, corruption, illicit affairs and yes, even murder, pale into insignificance when the true depth of Alan’s debauchery is revealed. And just to add to headmaster Dr Grove’s woes, the reputation of the establishment itself is called into question when the ‘slavery’ word is mentioned, although that rather flamboyant gentleman isn’t going to miss a trick and knows just how to turn the situation to his advantage.

..


The physical footprint of the story is confined to a single, quite niche location, so for anyone looking for travel to far flung places, there may be slight disappointment. However, some evocative and observational narrative and dialogue, genuinely offers a great sense and feeling of sights and sounds, time and place. So, if a short sojourn to Dulwich Village in 2017 floats your boat, you definitely won’t feel cheated by this book.

Whilst the chapters are slightly longer than I have become used to in many of my recent cozy mystery series reads, there are plenty of breakout points which kept this multi-layered and highly textured storyline, well-structured and signposted, fluently written, evenly paced and seamlessly evolving, with literally never a dull moment.

I had my own suspicions about the identity of the perpetrator quite early on, however, being new to the detective game, Beth’s modus operandi is still in its early-stage development, so it was good to see how she handled the investigation and to follow her train of thought. She has a list of relevant suspects and to give her her due, she does manage to ‘out’ the guilty party from some very tenuous DNA evidence. However, despite her journalistic background, she isn’t the most methodical of individuals given the head space she is in right now, so hopefully with her new job promotion requiring a tidy frame of mind to come as second nature, that organisation might well spill over into any new cases she may embark on. And of course, as with any good amateur sleuth, Beth also needs to try and avoid getting herself injured or killed, and a couple of close shaves in her very first case, should be focussing her mind and making her much more alert to potential danger.

A large, sprawling cast of guest characters occupied this storyline, none of which, with the exception of Beth’s best and true friend Katie Wood, are particularly likeable. Selfish, demanding, manipulative and duplicitous, are all words which come readily to mind, to describe this eclectic mix of the upper classes, who all seem to be jostling for some unspoken recognition or position, regardless of whose shoulders they need to stand to attain the heady heights they want to achieve for themselves, their families and their offspring.

There also may be a more personal and potentially romantic liaison developing between Beth and DI Harry York, although we have so far learned nothing about his private life, so right now that is pure speculation and supposition, and might be a strand of the storyline which is never going to lead anywhere. However, after being loyal to James’s memory for so long, Beth is coming around to the idea that a little adult happiness in her life and a male role model for Jake to look up to, may not be such a bad idea and there are certainly discernible sparks of mutual respect and attraction simmering away beneath the surface.

And of course, no self-respecting amateur sleuth who ever featured in a cozy mystery, did so without having the extra support of a four-legged confidante by their side. Beth is no exception to this rule, although the usual assortment of canine companions has been traded in by her for Magpie, a rather supercilious feline who shuns human company whenever possible but is nonetheless loved by her owner and displays a grudging respect in return, but only when required to and generally only if there is food involved!

A good solid start to a promising new series and it will be interesting to see just how Alice develops Beth’s character in the coming episodes. Books #2-7 are heading for my ‘wish list’ right now.

Publish Date: August 22 2022
📖📖📖📖

Beth gets her dream job at the esteemed Wyatt’s School. She is the school's new historian assistant. During her lunchtime she decides to take a stroll around the beautiful grounds. She finds the gardens of the five hundred year old school to be breathtaking, until she stumbles over the body of Alan Jenkins who happens to be her new boss. Not exactly the first day she was hoping for. No one knows Beth and as the newest employee she is also the number one suspect. Beth must clear her name not only for the sake of her reputation but also for her young son attending the school. She becomes a super sleuth and must find the killer before they can kill again.

What a wonderful and fun story. I really enjoyed the first installment of A Beth Haldane Mystery Series. This well written cozy mystery was enjoyable and engaging. I was hooked from the beginning. The characters were believable and relatable. I loved the detailed description of Dulwich Village, and the beautiful gardens surrounding the school, which sounds like a lovely place to visit. I love the writing style of this author as she kept me guessing until the very end. This is such a fun read and a must read for every cozy mystery fan. I am so happy that this is only the beginning of what I’m sure will be a wonderful series. I highly recommend this book.

Its Beth's first day on the job. She is a historian assistant at the prestige's Wyatt school. While taking a lunch break she discovers her boss murdered and lying by the trash bins. Beth starts to investigate on her own, She finds not only her office but her home ransacked. What is being looked for? Will Beth find it first, or will she be the next victim. Ready to read the next one, thanks netgalley

Beth Haldane is a young widow, raising her son and doing the best she can in the upscale Dulwich Village. When she lands the assistant archivist job at Wyatt’s, a highly regarded prep school in town, she thinks she’s finally turned a corner. But when she finds her new boss, Alan Jenkins, stone dead on her first day there, she fears her time as assistant archivist – and maybe her freedom – may soon be at an end.

This is a fun start to the series! Beth is earnest and hard-working and likable. I really felt for her when she worried (not without reason) that the investigation seemed to be focusing on her as Jenkins’ killer. She knew that, even though she’d been officially warned off sticking her nose in things, she had to try to clear herself.

The characters are delightful, ranging from thoroughly likable to downright creepy, and as Beth pokes around, she learns that more than one of them might have had a reason to want Jenkins dead. Small towns hold secrets, and Dulwich is no exception!

I liked the not-quite-romance between Beth and DI Harry York. It wasn’t an instant attraction/insta-romance, but there was absolutely a spark there. I hope they get to know each other better in future books.

The pacing was good, and I never felt like I was slogging my way through the book. Quite the opposite. I read past my bedtime to find out what was going to happen next. And the ending surprised me! When we first met the killer, I did not peg that person as the one who’d knocked off Jenkins.

With a great small-town setting, a murder that’s not heavy on the gory details, a hint of romance, and a heroine who takes action to defend herself (even if she tends to leap before she looks), The Murder Mystery is a mighty fine cozy. I really enjoyed it, and I’ve got to keep on with the series. Five stars for a good escapist read!

Re-published with new titles and cover designs, the Beth Haldane Mysteries is a series of seven cozy mystery books dealing with widow Beth Haldane and her quest to solve mysteries while raising her son in the upscale Dulwich Village.

Each book deals with a murder mystery revolving around the residents of Dulwich Village with the elite Wyatt's School and College School and other landmarks of the village making up the scene of the crime. Each murder mystery is connected to a social/moral issue (child sexual abuse, incest, peer pressure, health and image issues amongst teenagers, abusive relationships, cheating and jealousy, foul play/fraud, etc.) which becomes the motive for the crime.

As an inquisitive character with a strong sense of truth and justice, Beth can't resist attaching herself to each mystery and doing everything possible to make sure the culprits are caught and punished, which irks DI Harry York to no end.

In my opinion Beth should just become a private investigator instead of staying on as an archivist at the Wyatt's School, a job she rarely finds herself doing.

The thing that gradually became annoying as I kept reading the books was Beth's constant introspection and self musings about everything that was happening in her life at that moment, her past, her future, etc...it was repetitive and most times steered away from the issue at hand.

I have so far read the first four books in the series. I will continue and read the rest of the books but I feel I do need a break from all the incessant self musings/brooding of Beth.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Alice Castle for the e-Arcs of the books.

Ratings:

The Murder Mystery (previously published as Death in Dulwich)- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Murder Museum (previously published as The Girl in the Gallery)- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Murder Question (previously published as Calamity in Camberwell)- ⭐⭐⭐💫

The Murder Plot (previously published as Homicide in Herne Hill)- ⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
This was an easy and fun read. Ready to check out the next one in the series.

This book was really slow and I'm not sure the payoff was worth it, it's a shame as I was really interesting in going on with the series but if they are as slow as this it would be a struggle.

I may continue the series in the future but it's not a priority right now.

EXCERPT: No one had asked her the cause of death, and she didn't like to broach it herself, but she had seen a lot of blood. Now this mention of a knife over the police radio. Jenkins couldn't have fallen on the knife by accident, surely? He had been lying on his back, although his face was covered. For the first time, she wished she'd got closer and been able to see what it was over his face. But the fact that he'd been covered up certainly implied there'd been a second person present when Jenkins died.

Unless he'd pulled something over his own face as he expired? No, ridiculous. So, with the knife, the covering, the blood . . . the whole thing was beginning to look like . . . murder.

ABOUT 'THE MURDER MYSTERY': (This book was previously published as 'Death in Dulwich')

Meet Dulwich Village’s most daring resident, Beth Haldane. Mother to a sweet little boy, owner of a sulky cat… and solver of mysteries?

It’s a crisp spring day in Dulwich Village when Beth arrives at the intricate iron gates of Wyatt’s School for her new job as the historian’s assistant. But on a lunchtime stroll admiring the pristine grounds of this five-hundred-year-old institution, Beth is shocked to stumble over the body of her new boss Alan Jenkins: spectacles askew, his mustard-yellow tweed jacket covered in blood.

Gossip about outsider Beth spreads like wildfire. The parents in the playground are all whispering: did she bump him off to get her hands on his job?

Desperate to clear her name and protect her own little boy, Beth turns her research skills to hunt for the true killer. She soon discovers Alan rubbed his fellow teachers up the wrong way… could the handsome headmaster be involved? Why did Beth see a flash of the school receptionist’s bright pink jumper at the murder scene? And what is the groundskeeper hiding?

When Beth returns from her sleuthing to find her office in disarray and documents missing from the archives, it’s clear this prestigious school hides a deadly secret. But with parents and teachers panicking that the long-protected reputation of Wyatt’s is under threat, will Beth herself be in the murderer’s sights before the school bell rings?

MY THOUGHTS: I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy-murder-mystery until the last 10% and then it all fell to pieces for me.

I really don't like the 'confession at the end because I'm going to kill you and you won't be able to tell anyone' resolution. It's predictable, and lazy.

However, the first 90% of this book was brilliant! I liked Beth's character immensely. She's a widow with a seven year old son. Although she is a native Dulwich born woman, she doesn't fit in with the ultra-competitive 'yummy mummy' culture at the school gates. Most months she struggles to pay her mortgage. She certainly doesn't have the funds to shop in the local boutiques. She doesn't have a 4x4 SUV, or an au pair.

What Beth does have is a burning need to prove her innocence. After all, she was the last person known to have seen Jenkins alive, and she discovered the body.

There are a large number of viable suspects for this murder on the grounds of proximity alone, and as Jenkins was not a man who was well liked or, indeed, liked much at all, that only increases the pool of suspects.

As I said, I hugely enjoyed the majority of this mystery. But, in addition to the unsatisfactory ending, there were a couple of things that weren't explained - (view spoiler)

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series, but hope that this type of ending is not going to be repeated.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#TheMurderMystery #NetGalley

I: @alice_castle_ @bookouture

T: @AliceMCastle @Bookouture

#contemporaryfiction #cosymystery #crime #murdermystery

THE AUTHOR: Alice Castle lives in South London with her two children and two cats. She was a feature writer on the Daily Express for many years and has written for most other national newspapers. She has a degree in Modern History from St Andrews University, is the British Royalty expert for Flemish TV, and lived in Brussels for nearly a decade.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Murder Mystery (A Beth
Haldane Mystery #1) by Alice Castle for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

This was a delightful read. The setting, cast of characters, plotting, and pacing all worked perfectly for me. I am looking forward to more in this series.

This book was a lot of fun to read, and the pages seemed to fly by quickly. I liked the character of Beth, who seemed, for want of a better word, relatively ‘normal’. I was able to identify with her work ethic, her nosy nature and her occasional feelings of loneliness.

As cosy mysteries often are, this book has far more to offer than the mystery at its core. It’s about new beginnings, work, family, as well as touching on topics like equality and prejudice. There was a lot bundled into the book and the majority of it was delivered in a light but yet engaging way.

Although I did manage to predict, or at least strongly suspect, the perpetrator from early on, I still enjoyed seeing all the twists and turns unravel. I was left quite a long time wondering, and was beginning to worry that the book would end on a cliff-hanger. However, there is a satisfying and quite dramatic conclusion which I enjoyed.

Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read with all the hallmarks of an excellent beginning to a sustainable and engaging cosy mystery series. I recommend this book and series to fans of Katie Gayle and Verity Bright.

A great start for the series. If you like cozy mysteries, you will enjoy this one. I’m hooked and I can’t wait to buy the whole series. I really enjoyed her writing style so I’ll be buying her other books as well.