Thank you to Corvus and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of The Mystery of Four by Sam Blake.

I really enjoy Sam Blake's books and have read quite a few already.
The Mystery of Four took me a while to get into, and found that the story lines of the various characters sometimes confusing.
Although it is not one of my favourite Sam Blake's books it still provided the twist towards the end of the story and with a proper unfolding of why the perpetrator did what they did.

This book was over 100 pages too long. The pace was slow and it dragged a lot. There are a lot of characters which became confusing in places. Not for me

This was the twisty, turny mystery that I was hoping it would be!

It’s for an Agatha Christie vibe that I loved and although the start was a bit slow paced for me personally, the ending was very gripping.

This is an absolute gem!!! I’ve been so excited about this book and it hasn’t disappointed.absolutely will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen to me.

I'm so pleased to see how well this book is doing. Excellent writing but the story missed the mark for me, there was too much going on and it meant I didn't connect with the storylines. The bodies on the land was the most interesting to me and I'd have loved more focus on that thread.

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A curious and slow burn thriller with elements of Agatha Christie in the latest murder mystery from Sam Blake.
The setting is a scenic fictional village in Co. Wicklow. The type of bubolic setting that would make an ideal holiday getaway - except for the rather high body count!
Tess Morgan has bought and restored the stunning Kilfenora House and Gardens, and now the opening weekend is rapidly approaching. Tess of course has a complicated backstory which few of her friends know, except for Clarissa and Gen. With stress rising as the opening nears, there is a terrible accident, followed by a series of murders leading Tess to fear that she is being targeted. And when a poison from her gardens is suspected to be used in the deaths, Tess seems likely to be involved.
The pace of this story is slower than previous Blake novels but than is not a negative as it allows the author time to develop the relationships between the characters and to fully build up the tension. There are some nice tense moments and the setting of the old house and gardens is reminiscent of the older style murder mysteries. An enjoyable and fun story.

Awww.... I REALLY wanted to love this one!
From the cover to the premise it all looked right up my street but it missed the mark for me.
It felt too muddled for me to really get into & I didn't really like Tess at all.

I did like this but it was a tiny bit underwhelming. The characters and the pacing were good and i liked the premise but i didn't love the outcome fully. I think there were a few moments that could've been neatened up as the way they were handled seemed a little messy. The characters were all really interesting and i think that their objects and desires made sense when you looked at them overall.

Tess Morgan returned to Ireland after leaving her job in Dubai and has been renovating Kilfenora House, County Wicklow in the last few years. It’s about to open to the public, however, Tess's plans are set to go awry when an accident befalls an actor named Conor Kelly in the production of Dr Faustus to be performed in the Manor's ballroom. In addition, there is a suggestion that a body is buried on her land...

Compelling and entertaining, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Mystery of Four.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Atlantic Books, Corvus via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A good cosy crime novel set in a country house. The author is very adept at creating atmosphere and detail that makes the house come alive. There was a good plot and an interesting bunch of characters. What a house! I really want to go there after this. Not for what was in the novel though. I'm not daft.

Thanks to #netgalley and #atlanticbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was the first time I’ve read anything by this author. Although I enjoyed the writhing very much I felt the story moved forward far too slowly. I loved the setting in Ireland and the grand country estate that had just been renovated by Tess, but the mystery was rather predictable and I felt there were far too many characters to keep count of.

After a confusing first chapters where I struggled trying to keep the characters apart the story became quite interesting (and rather creepy) and I enjoyed the last twist.

A cozy read which I can recommend to all mystery lovers.

The Mystery of Four is packed full of complex characters, all facing their own challenges. There's Tess, who's renovating Kilfenora House whilst still grieving her fiance who died in a hit and run. Then there's Gen, juggling a new career, being a single parent and supporting Tess with the opening weekend of the house. Throw in retired stage actress Clarissa, pub owner Mark and a whole dram cast, and there's a lot of stories to contend with. However, the book is so well written, and the stories so entwined, that you don't lose sight of who is who and what's going on.

The opening weekend plans take a turn for the worse when a journalist claims that there are bodies buried in the House grounds. Should Tess allow an investigation to take place? And what could be uncovered? What links a spate of past disappearances?

The Mystery of Four is an excellent read, combining a great thriller with excellent character development and a lot of red herrings to distract you!

This is a very enjoyable locked room murder mystery. Set in an elegant, recently restored mansion, with our heroine and her tragic past, this is an ingenious tale. Complete, with the inevitable twists at the end, I highly recommend this book.

I'm always excited to read a new Sam Blake book and like all her previous novels The Mystery of Four didn't disappoint. I loved the country house setting and the exquisite descriptions that helped bring everything to life in my mind as I read. The characters were great and fully fleshed out. It did take a couple of chapters to get to know each of the characters but once I did I read the book in one sitting. The plot is intriguing and as always I didn't predict the outcome. I'm looking forward to adding the paperback to my bookcase.

Tess is set to open her new project to the public, the restoration of Kilfenora House, however things soon start going wrong. As the body count increases, Tess begins to worry for her own safety.

I cannot resist a murder mystery set in a grand country house and this one did not disappoint. It really did make for a perfect setting because it added so much intrigue.

The plot is very cleverly written and carefully constructed. I loved trying to spot clues throughout and work out what was going on. Sam Blake has done a brilliant job in creating such a page-turner.

Every character felt so genuine and believable and I particularly enjoyed getting to know Merlin the cat!

I would really recommend this for fans of Agatha Christie for an incredibly fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atlantic Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A new author to me and I am glad to have made Sam Blake's acquaintance. A classic country house setting, a series of unfortunate mishaps before it opens to the public, corpses discovered and phenomena unexplained. The writing is excellent, the characters convincing and the plotting engrossing. I looked forward to more from this promising writer.

I absolutely loved this book from the first few pages it was creepy, it really grabbed your attention from the start and then I could not leave it down. The story kept you addicted as you read each chapter so you just had to keep reading. It was so well written and the story had the thriller , mystery and definitely a lot to creep you out . I would highly recommend this book as a fantastic read and have recommended it to all my friends.

Thanks so much to Publisher for allowing me to review an advanced copy of this book.

I was excited to start this book as the synopsis made it sounds great, as I’ve read mysteries set in grand houses before.

The “locked house” premise worked well, although it’s more of a slow starter that builds up to everything then it really gets going!

It’s the perfect book for that post Christmas thrill

📚BOOK REVIEW 📚

Sam Blake- Mystery of Four

Release date - 5th January 2023

I was very lucky to receive an early advanced copy of this book through @netgalley

I've never read a book by Sam Blake before and I was really intrigued and drawn in by the cover. I think the cover is fab and really pulls you in.

The book is a really slow burn and I felt it was quite drawn out at the start with a lot of characters. I found that very confusing. I didn't like that there wasn't a heading to tell you which character's point of view was being focussed on. It really took me awhile to adapt to the writing. However, there was a good mix of characters and the story was good to keep you guessing as to who the serial killer was.

I do feel the book could have benefitted from a faster pace with fewer characters as I think I would have connected more with the characters.

It is still a good murder mystery with Agatha Christieesque type vibes and it wouldn't put me off reading another book by this author in the future.

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