Now that this series in on tv it's difficult to imagine the characters as anything other than the actors. Enjoyable murder mystery without too much violence or blood! Prefer the Whitstable setting though. Thanks to Netgalley.

Such a well crafted novel, compelling enough to pull you through and very quick read. I enjoyed it so much from the first page till the end.

I'd read all eight of the previous books in the series before this one, partly due to being local myself and so them being both cosy and familiar, and also given it helps me to picture it all and set the scene.

However, given Murder at Mount Ephraim is (while still local), the second book, after Murder on the Pilgrims Way, to be set slightly further afield and have more of a 'locked room' mystery style about it than a local feel, it was intrigued to read this one and find out whether I'd still enjoy it as much.

I needn't have worried - I really enjoyed it. The closed nature of the setting and the small number of characters led to more interesting links between the characters and an interesting mystery when the titular murder happened, and like the others in the series, I thought it was a nice gentle, enjoable read.

My only criticism of the series is that sometimes the great reveal at the end feels a bit more 'oh, OK, right' than a big 'ahhh yeah!', I don't feel like the clues are always there if you'd spotted them, which I do like in a decective series.

However, it's a small criticism and I've now enjoyed all 9 books!

Pearl Nolan is invited to an old school friend’s wedding in a beautiful setting at Mount Ephraim a Manor House in Kent.
The friend Amy is getting married to Guy a successful and wealthy man
The select circle of people invited to the wedding all hold their own secrets .
A murder occurs and Pearl is on a mission to find both the murderer and uncover the untold secrets.
The writing is excellent and makes an easy read , the characters are likeable and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow.

Immersive, Engaging…
The ninth in the Whitstable Pearl series of mysteries and a wedding invitation prompts Pearl to travel to a glorious countryside estate. Leaving the criminal side of things behind, so she thinks, together with the restaurant will be a short pleasure and she is keen to join the pre-nuptial celebrations. Needless to say, murder soon rears an ugly head. With a well crafted cast of characters, an immersive and engaging storyline and an enjoyable backdrop this is another entertaining addition to this long running series.

I have read all of Julie Wassmer's Whitstable Pearl series with mixed feelings. I, therefore, approached Murder at Mount Ephraim cautiously, hoping that some of the things that have irked me throughout the series would have gone. But no. I am still irrationally irritated that Pearl refers to, and addresses, Mike as McGuire. I am more rationally irritated that she interferes in a police investigation and demands that Mike gets hold of information about it for her. She can see nothing wrong in this. By the end of the book I was really hoping she'd be arrested! And she is still incredibly careless of her own safety.

For most of the book Pearl rushes around like a headless chicken, getting nowhere. Then she has a flash of insight and the last ten per cent of the book is measured. In fact it feels as though someone else has written it, or that it comes from another book. I really did think that the change was that dramatic.

So why am I still reading the series? Well, because the characters (even when they annoy me beyond belief) are well created. Actually it's pretty much only Pearl I have problems with!

This is a departure for this series which is normally very firmly based in the seaside town of Whitstable. This time, Pearl has been invited to the wedding of an old friend who she hasn’t seen for years. The wedding is due to take place in an exclusive country hotel when a body is discovered. This is Julie Wassmer’s version of a locked house mystery and while the setting is brilliantly described, I did miss the seaside setting of the previous books.
The mystery is an interesting one with lots of people having possible motives for getting rid of the murder victim. The characters are a varied lot but they lack some of the sparkle and originality that this series normally provides and I definitely felt echoes of Agatha Christie in some places. Pearl herself, who is one of my favourite amateur detectives in fiction, is more subdued and introspective in this novel and the lighter moments are few and far between.
This was still an enjoyable read but in my opinion, not in the same league as the earlier books by this author.
Thank you to Net Galley and Nosy Crow for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pearl Nolan's old school friend Amy is home to get married. The venue is exquisite and exclusive, the guest list small.

But the weekend doesn't go according to plan. There's a lot of dishonesty about. Is anyone really being truthful?

Death is the uninvited guest...

A fantastic addition to this wonderful series