Michelle Salter delivers another compelling historical mystery with Murder at Mill Ponds House, a gripping whodunit set in 1924 that keeps you turning the pages.

Iris Woodmore, a tenacious reporter, is ready to leave her scandal-ridden hometown behind—until her long-time enemy, Archie Powell, is found murdered shortly after a heated argument with her. Suddenly, she’s the prime suspect, with both the police and society closing in on her secrets. To clear her name, she must find the real killer before her carefully guarded past is exposed.

Salter does a fantastic job blending historical atmosphere with a suspenseful mystery. Iris is a strong, complex protagonist, and the stakes feel incredibly personal as she navigates danger, social expectations, and moral dilemmas. The 1920s setting is richly drawn, capturing both the glamour and the rigid constraints of the era.

While the pacing slows in the middle, the twists and turns make for an engaging read. Fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Verity Bright will love this smart and immersive mystery. Murder at Mill Ponds House is an enjoyable addition to the series, with an ending that leaves you eager for more of Iris’s adventures.

A Cosy mystery set after WW1. Iris seems a headstrong but sensible woman that doesn't always make the best choices were romantic partners are concerned. Her past with Archie comes back to haunt her and we follow her journey into solving a murder in what seems a normally decent little community - well, with the exception of Archie.

I liked the slow pace as we were introduced to characters and their backgrounds/connections. Many could have had a motive for being the killer but on the whole many seemed too decent with some naively thinking the victim had reformed.

Murder at Mill Ponds House is a cosy crime story based after WW2. It had all the hallmarks of cosy crime which I loved and made for an easy enjoyable read. The only thing is I wish I'd of realised this book was part of a series as would of read previous book prior to this and as such sometimes I lost the placing of each character in the story.. However in comparison to many other cosy crime reads this does stand up as a standalone wanting of read the previous book is a personal preference. The storyline it's self was very easy to follow. I had thought it was going to be an ending with the murderer being easy to predict but was surprised by the actual ending. All in all a great read and an easy way to spend a day or two reading.

Iris has had it with Archie Powell's insinuations and snide remarks, and she's contemplating leaving home for London. Her friends know something is up, and Millicent and Ursula, her roommates and friends, also know that Iris has an out-of-town boyfriend, but nothing more about the man. Iris knows that Archie's threat of revealing the man's identity will ruin not only her reputation, but also harm her friends reputations, and likely her relationship with them, and her family.

Archie has managed to garner a lot of support in town for his work at the Mill Ponds House in preparation for providing a hostel for fellow veteran soldiers. There are already three vets there, and they're putting in the work on the grounds as best they can.

When Archie is found dead in the Mill Ponds garden, everyone is shocked, and Iris immediately comes under suspicion as she was out the same night of the murder (and meeting her London boyfriend), and people know she does not like Archie. Steadfastly refusing to reveal the name of her romantic interest to protect his reputation and family, Iris does herself no favours, but is determined to dig into the lives of the vets, Gordon and Jennifer Tolfree (who own Mill Ponds House and are busy repairing the Tolfree name after an earlier situation in town), and anyone else who might benefit by Archie's death.

Though it's not necessary to have read the previous novels in this series, it helps a lot as characters from these books feature to varying degrees, and previous relationships and investigations are referenced.

Iris has already proven she's good at snooping, and she does suss out the murderer, but it's her maturing here, and finally caring how her actions could and have affected those close to her that deepened my enjoyment of this story.

I liked the way author Michelle Salter uses the connections between characters, as well as previous incidents (from other books) to explore how Archie has wormed his way into the affections of the town. Salter also shows the contradictions in the man, and how though vindictive with Iris, he genuinely cares for his fellow vets and wants to help them as much as possible.

The mystery was compelling, but I keep returning to this series because of the characters and the historical details. I hope Salter writes more in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This cosy murder mystery series goes from strength to strength. Iris is such a strong, modern woman at a time when women were not equal at all; I can only imagine how frustrating that must have been. The descriptions of life in that period are excellent, (the clothes, houses, transport), one particular picnic scene with croquet on the lawn stands out for me as particularly good. This could be read as a stand alone novel but it is satisfying to know the backstory of the characters and how their relationships have developed. I hope there are many more mysteries for Iris to solve in the future.

I really enjoyed this book, the story was so good and it has such an amazing characters.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you like a good mystery.

I would like Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

I enjoyed this Agatha Christie-feeling the book gave me. I trusted the author immediately because the well written research was so perfectly executed. This was my first book by the author and I loved how her writing just jumped off the page and captured me.

I did NOT see that reveal coming.

I am going to buy this book for my mother because this is just perfect for her. I feel that this wonderful female main character can stand tall beside Miss Marple, and that is not easy! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy!

May, 1924. Reporter Iris Woodmore plans to move to London to avoid a shocking hometown scandal. Longtime enemy, Archie Powell has been threatening to reveal her darkest secret. - and she's desperate to flee before he does. But when he's found murdered after a violent argument with her, there's no escape. Iris must stay and clear her name even though the truth could ruin her reputation. With the police closing in. Iris has to find the real killer if she's to keep her secret.

Iris Woodmore is a reporter for the local paper. She lives with her friends Ursula and Millicent. The characters are all back with the addition of some new. When Archie is found dead, the prime suspect is Iris. The pace is steady. there were twists and red herrings, and the characters are well-fleshed out. Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Published 9th March 2025

I woujld like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #MichelleSalter for my ARC of #MurderAtMillPondHouse in exchange for an honest review.

"The BRAND NEW installment in the page-turning Iris Woodmore Mysteries from Michelle Salter!

When murder hits close to home, Iris must fight to clear her name...

Spring, 1924. Reporter Iris Woodmore plans to move to London to avoid a shocking hometown scandal. Longtime enemy Archie Powell has been threatening to reveal her darkest secret - and she's desperate to flee before he does.

But when he's found murdered after a violent argument with her, there's no escape. Iris must stay and clear her name even though the truth could ruin her reputation.

With the police closing in, Iris has to find the real killer if she's to keep her secret. Can she prove her innocence without revealing the identity of the one man who can provide her with an alibi?

A gripping new mystery for fans of Verity Bright, Clara McKenna, and Helena Dixon."

I mean, there's your reputation and then there's prison, your choice...

I really enjoyed this historical mystery. I was hoping Iris could clear her name and solve the mystery. This is book 6 of 6 in the series, I hope there will be more of Iris to come.

The BRAND NEW instalment in the page-turning Iris Woodmore Mysteries from Michelle Salter!
This is sharp, beautifully written and incredibly readable. I have been completely pulled in from very early on in this one. It has definitely been a book that is bound to be a success.

Reporter Iris Woodmore investigates a murder at a newly opened hostel for unemployed veterans and at the same time is a suspect in the murder, as the victim is someone she knew well. Murder at Mill Ponds House is the 6th book in the series and brings to an end several threads that have run throughout multiple books. Several recurring characters appear, which may make the book a bit difficult to follow for first-time readers of the series. Hopefully the conclusion of these storylines will allow Iris to move forward in her relationships and career. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Boldwood Books for the eARC.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Good

Reporter Iris Woodmore decided a move to London would be better to avoid a scandal in her hometown, Walden. When, her arch-rival, Archie Powell, is found dead, her secret could be safe.
However, Archie’s death after an argument with her doesn’t help. The spotlight is on Iris, which means her secret could be exposed anytime. Unless she finds the killer before the police do and protect her reputation.
The story comes in Iris’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
Considering the premise, this book wouldn’t be effective as a standalone. You’ll have to read at least the previous book and preferably the last three books to have a better idea and understand the situation. There is enough background information if you want to jump right in.
The story starts four months after the previous book ends. It’s May Day and Iris is annoyed about her situation. The murder takes a while to happen but this delay is necessary to catch up with the changes.
NGL, I was pretty irritated with the FMC in the last book. She made it hard to empathize with her even in this one but finally, she showed some promise. I like her mystery-solving brain. It’s her taste in men I find stupid. Anyway!
The dreaded nemesis is dead, and not surprisingly, there are quite a few suspects. After all, the man, despite his charming and magnetic personality, made many enemies.
There’s quite a bit of repetition with the FMC risking everything for someone who couldn’t and may not do the same for her. It was starting to grate on my nerves. She has been stuck in the loop for too long. Okay, I understand… but TBH, I can’t say he deserves what she’s putting herself through to protect him.
The mystery is well done. They are grasping at any lead and many are dead ends. Until a random and unexpected lead brings things together to complete the picture.
Percy comes later on and we do see some of his antics. There are new additions to the character list, and I think they will reappear in other books too. I sure am excited to see how a certain track will unfold.
The ending gives a lead to the next setting, and naturally, something will happen for Iris to investigate. I can only hope she has learned her lessons by now. Making her repeat the same mistakes would affect her arc and make readers disinterested.

To summarize, Murder at Mill Ponds House is a good continuation of the series and might be the book that marks a definite change in the FMC (if we are lucky). The mystery is cool and the pacing is decent, so give it a go if you read the series before.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a very enjoyable cosy mystery. We're in Walden, in 1924 with Iris Woodmore, our main character. She's a reporter at the local paper and is lodging with friends, Millicent and Ursula. There's a character from previous books who is well known to Iris and he's an absolute royal pain in the ass. He's causing lots of trouble for her and she ends up in a right mess. Luckily she has some good friends who are always there for her and she certainly needs them now.
This is the second book I've read by this author. You can read this as a standalone but I think it would be more enjoyable to start at the beginning and work your way through. There are a lot of recurring characters and it can get confusing trying to keep track of everyone. I knew two from the previous book I read and that helped. Percy, Iris's friend, I really liked and remembered him from the other book, A Killing at Smuggler's Cove.
There are a lot of twists and turns and long time secrets unearthed. I changed my mind a couple of times on who I thought was the murderer and I still got it wrong. For me it was wholly unexpected but very satisfying.
I'm definitely going back to the start to read the books I missed. I already have the first one downloaded.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy.

I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book!

This was a good story, yes if you read enough classic mysteries youd be able to piece this book together. Despite that it was an intriguing story, well thought out and uncommon in use and I really liked it. I also really liked the main characters they were really fleshed out I know 7th book in the series but still really real and relatable.

To be honest I've never read any of these books before and didn't realize at first it was a series, but it does catch you up and you don't really feel like youve missed out anything. My biggest problem is that I've read other series of literally the same sense and read them out of order so it's not the book in a series I've not read before being the issue. It's the too many characters. I get needing characters to put a story together but for a book as short as this is there are far too many and far too many with similar names I could follow along but the constant trying to remember who is who took away from the story. This book is far too many people forward and not story forward enough, and for someone who's suppose to be a journalist, she used honestly far too many other journalists to do the work she should have been able to do herself.

Overall this was a very good story just the characters need to be pulled back and streamlined you dont need so many people at one time all the time to tell this story. It just took away from the wonderful thought put into the story that was to be told. Thank you so much again for allowing me the privilege to read this book again I really appreciate it.

I really liked the imagery and how the author kills the town asshole first and shows the implications of the town asshole being dead. I also like how the book didn’t end until our main girl, Iris, reconciled with her friends. This was a pleasurable read! I give it a 3-7.75 stars!

A neatly plotted historical mystery with a classic feel. I enjoyed the 1920s setting which felt well-researched. From the cover I was expecting a story with a lighter, more humorous tone, but this felt quite serious and realistic (though still cozy in the sense that it was a 'clean' read without swearing, grisly details etc.) I think it would suit readers who like classic mysteries, and want to focus on solving the puzzle without zany distractions.

Many thanks to Boldwood and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Murder at Mill Ponds House is the sixth title in the Iris Woodmore mystery series. I've read and thoroughly enjoyed every title, and Murder at Mill Ponds House is just as fabulous.

To wax a little lyrical, I want to say how much I love these books. I thoroughly appreciate the tight plotting and the continuity between all the books in the series. They're a joy to read because the author never drops the ball and misses out someone important, or forgets an event from an earlier book. They're also delightful to read, well-paced, and have interesting and intriguing difficulties for our main character to resolve.

I read Murder at Mill Ponds House in just two sittings, and that's only because I couldn't stay up any longer to finish the story.

A fabulous mystery, well put together, well plotted, well resolved and thoroughly enjoyable. They are a true delight, and I always know I'm in safe hands with a Michelle Salter mystery.

Huzzah.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

It feels like we're back on track.

I have read all the books in the series and didn't quite gel with the last couple. Readable but a little predictable. This one had a more intriguing story and a really interesting cast of characters. Iris is evolving even more as. a character and shows great maturity, understanding th impact of perceptions on her family, friends and community. It adds depth to the read. The continuation of a storyline from previous books, reached finality. It is time to move on. It's four stars out of five on the enjoyment scale.

With thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book incredibly enjoyable to read, lots of suspense and unexpected twists - a perfect cozy mystery!
Set in Hampshire, in May 1924, this is the sixth book in the Iris Woodmore historical mystery series. Most of the familiar supporting characters are present - including the villainous Archie who continues to torment Iris with scandalous allegations - and some intriguing new characters make their presence felt!
If you are a fan of this series, this book won't disappoint as it builds on previous themes and wraps up a few story threads; if you are new to the series it will work well as a standalone and you'll probably want to go back and read the previous books!

Thank you to Boldwood Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.