Nicola Whyte's "10 Marchfield Square" is a page-turner of a mystery, mixing suspense and character-driven storytelling in a quaint neighborhood.

The plot kicks off with Celeste Van Duren, an elderly heiress who dreamed up Marchfield Square as a haven for folks seeking refuge from their past. However, her peaceful plans go awry when one of her tenants is murdered in his kitchen, and the cops seem ready to point fingers at his clueless wife.

Determined to uncover the truth, Celeste teams up with two unlikely partners in crime-solving: Audrey, her resourceful and amiable cleaner who knows everyone in the square, and Lewis, a jaded crime writer feeling out of place and weighed down by his failures. The duo's contrasting personalities—Audrey's warm charm and Lewis's cynical broodiness—create an intriguing dynamic as they investigate their neighbors, digging up secrets and motives tied to the victim's dodgy art dealings.

The setting of Marchfield Square comes alive with its picturesque homes and lively community vibe. Whyte crafts a vibrant picture of the place, making readers feel like they're strolling alongside the characters through its bustling streets. The atmosphere is an enticing blend of comforting familiarity and subtle tension as the veil of secrecy begins to lift.

Whyte's writing style is captivating and approachable, infused with witty dialogue and spot-on observations about human nature. The emotional depth she imbues in her characters makes it easy for readers to relate to their trials and triumphs. While the premise may feel like a familiar tune—a murder mystery set in a tight-knit community—the execution is refreshing and gripping. Admittedly, some plot twists could benefit from being less predictable, but the balance between suspense and character development is bound to please many readers.

Nicola Whyte is skilled at crafting relatable characters that mirror real-life intricacies. Her background in psychology shines through in her writing, allowing her to delve into the underlying motivations driving each character's actions.

"10 Marchfield Square" presents an irresistible fusion of mystery and character exploration. It invites readers to ponder how well they truly know their neighbors, while delivering an entertaining story peppered with warmth, humor, and shocking revelations.

This novel not only keeps readers hooked but also inspires contemplation on the power of community bonds and the hidden layers within each of us.

When Celeste Van Duren established Marchfield Square as a sanctuary for those in search of one, the last thing she ever imagined having to deal with was a murdered tenant. But that is exactly what she has on her hands...

Celeste being Celeste, she decides that the best way of dealing with the situation is to set an unlikely duo of sleuths to find the culprit. The result is a murder mystery packed with quirky characters, plenty of action and a healthy dose of humour. Enjoy!

As someone who enjoys reading murder mysteries by authors such as Richard Osman and Sarah Yarwood, I was looking forward to this book, however I did struggle through it in parts. At around the 60% point I really struggled to continue reading as I felt it was all going so slowly, and, although the main characters were doing something, it all felt for naught and just a waste of pages from the readers POV. The characters were good, but I wish it were either a slightly shorter book, with some of the bumf cut out, or else a bit more fast paced, or with some comedy to make the slow bits more entertaining

This book gave me strong Only Murders in the Building vibes! The characters were so well-crafted and truly brought the story to life. The plot was smartly constructed, keeping me intrigued from start to finish with its clever twists and turns. I loved how the mystery unraveled and found myself totally hooked. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Celeste presides over her small gated square in London, watching her tenants living their lives from her upstairs window. When one of the residents is found dead, she enlists some help in working out what happened - something that becomes more and more complicated as the bodies start to pile up ...

This is such a good mystery, with excellent characters and a real cozy vibe. There were plenty of twists to keep me on my toes and a satisfying ending - I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the author!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In a clever variation on the locked-room format, two residents living in London’s smallest square investigate the murder of one of their neighbours. Initially, there’s an obvious suspect, but when a second murder follows, Audrey and Lewis have to cast their net wider – and also learn to work with each other, all the while watched over by the square’s dowager grande dame. The characterisation is deft, the dialogue sharp, and there are plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing all the way to the end. The whole thing is a joy, and such an accomplished debut. More please!

5 stars this was an excellent read. All the characters were very interesting and highly likeable. An awful man gets his comeuppance in a gated community which means there are a lot of potential suspects close to home! Including his poor downtrodden wife - surely this is now her time to start living - until that is she is also killed. This mystery had me guessing and changing my guesses often! Audrey and Lewis make an excellent team and I hope there will be more mysteries for them to solve. I would definitely be happy to live in Marchfield Square and I think there are many more stories to come from its many interesting residents and their formidable matriarch Celeste!

When reading the blurb for this book, I was immediately hooked and requested with my fingers crossed, I am a huge fan of cosy mysteries and this one fit the bill perfectly.
A gated community in which the neighbours are friendly, distant but friendly. They all have their own lives, mysteries and quirks and they all get drawn together with a murder within their own community. When the body of a man is found, no one is sad- they all disliked him for his arrogance and incredibly poor treatment of his wife, a mousy woman, named Linda. Many just believe she shot him after too many hits and insults.
However, Celeste, owner of the homes, knows differently and she requests that two of the other residents, get stuck in to solving the murder, which then amounts to a plural! Murders…
Audrey is a cleaner and Lewis a writer- neither know the other but over time, a strange friendship and mutual respect is founded and they come to spend most days together plotting, examining and debating the evidence and clues, As the reader, you get drawn in to following their thinking, but also being left other clues they haven’t pieced together yet. I was kept guessing all the way through to the end!
I was really impressed with the plot and intricacies of the characters and suspects all living so closely together.

I highly recommend this one!