A gripping locked-room (castle) mystery

Susan Flynn, a retired teacher living on the Isle of Wight, enjoys the island's peaceful, slow pace. Unfortunately, that peace is about to be disturbed again in this fourth mystery in the series.

Susan’s daughter Zoe and her four friends from their high school band are getting together at Carisbrooke Castle. The group will attend a ghost walk at the castle on Halloween. Once the walk is over, the staff lock the gate to the castle grounds. Suspicion falls on the group of friends with the discovery of a body at the bottom of the battlements.

A Halloween Murder is a traditional locked-room mystery. Everyone takes their turn being a suspect, and secrets are slowly revealed. Susan and Zoe suspect that the fall was no accident. But who among the friends is a cold-blooded killer?

This is the first book I have read by Mary Grand, but I know it won’t be the last! It has great character development and wonderful descriptions of English village life. There are so many twists and turns that it is like being on a merry-go-round. This is a wonderful cozy mystery to settle in with on a rainy day, with tea and a biscuit. Fans of T A Williams, Ana T. Drew, and Vicki Delany mysteries would enjoy A Halloween Murder

I don’t usually do spooky books but this one had me gripped, i especially loved that it was set on the isle of wight as i started reading it whilst i was away on holiday there. I loved that the island was a huge part of the story. I really liked Susan and her life with her dogs.
It was a real gem of a story, fast paced and compelling. I liked Zoe and it was great that she was lgbtq too. Thankyou netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Susan is excited to have her daughter, Zoe, in town—even if Zoe’s main reason for the visit to the Isle of Wright is to reconnect with her high school friends and bandmates at a performance dedicated to their former music teacher. While Zoe and a friend are staying at Susan’s house, the rest of the group are renting an apartment at the nearby castle. Following a late-night ghost walk around the castle grounds, one of the group members is found dead. Considering the castle was locked up for the night and the six friends were the only ones inside when the murder took place, the suspect list is very short. Because her daughter is one of the suspects, Susan inserts herself into the investigation. She must prove that Zoe is innocent and figure out which of her daughter’s former friends is a killer before anyone else is harmed.

My main reason for reading A HALLOWEEN MURDER was because it involved my favorite holiday and a ghost tour around an old castle. I really loved the setting. The castle came off as very creepy and it added to the atmosphere of the story. The characters I did not love at all. Aside from being a dog-lover (always a plus in my book), Susan is just bizarre. But I won’t go into her relationship with her quasi-boyfriend or the fact that she spends much of the novel hanging out with her daughter and her daughter’s former friends from high school. But speaking of those former friends…the true mystery of A HALLOWEEN MURDER is why this group of people is spending a week together in the first place. Sure, five out of the six were friends back in high school. They were in a band together, and they wanted to honor their former music teacher at a retirement party. But a lot of time has passed since high school, and recent events have caused serious issues among the group. Issues that are so serious that I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that they wanted to hang out with each other for any significant amount of time.

I enjoyed the twists and turns in A Halloween Murder, and the setting. It was a fun mystery. Mary Grand doesn't disappoint.

To be honest if the book is by Mary Grand I’m going to love it. It’s a guarantee at this point. I absolutely loved being back in the Isle of Wight. This was the absolute perfect cozy mystery for me to wind down with a cup of tea each night. Castles, Halloween spookies, and a mystery: what more could I ask for?

A great cozy mystery with lots of great characters, setting in an ancient castle, some twists and turns and even a few red herrings. What more could a reader ask for!! If you are a fan of this genre, I highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A light murder mystery book. Set on the Isle of Wight with a group of friends who were at school together decide to have a reunion in an apartment in Carisbrooke castle at Halloween. A few twists and turns with a few red herrings along the way. I became more engaged as the story progressed as at firstIfoundthe dialoguesomewhat stilted. Diverse characters, some not particularly likeable but interesting nonetheless.

A cryptic but ghostly message opens what is a quirky, intriguing and most enjoyable murder from Mary Grand, A Halloween Murder set on the beautiful Isle of Wight at Halloween; a time when a group of friends have decided to hold a reunion at the historic Carisbrook Castle; a castle considered as haunted.
Susan has only recently moved to the little village of Bishopstone and is still processing the fact she is now divorced and living on her own with her two beloved cocker spaniels, Rocco and Libs. Her daughter Zoe and friend LeAnne will be staying with her over the weekend as the small apartment at the Castle is too small to cater for the group.
Susan agrees to go on the Ghost Tour with trepidation which as it turns out was well founded as one of the group falls to her death; a death that could very easily be murder and it could have been anyone in the group who was involved.
When Zoe is considered as the prime suspect, Susan realises that she needs to be able to do something to prove Zoe had nothing to do with the death. In the face of what she considers as apathy from the local Police, she begins to look a little deeper into the lives of the people she has known since Sophie was in High School and sadly discovers more than one of them could have had reason to commit murder.
Filled with more twists and turns than a castle staircase, Mary Grand has created an entertaining ‘who dun it’ that will keep you following the clues until the cold blooded killer is finally revealed in horrifying circumstances.
A Halloween Murder is Book four in the Isle of Wight Killings series.

Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone title. I thought the characters were interesting and well written in the story was captivating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

It was good to be back on the Isle of Wight with Susan - the amateur sleuth – and her family and friends.

Following her divorce from Steve a few years ago and an upsetting murder near her old home, Susan moved to the village of Bishopstone. Her daughter, Zoe, lives on the mainland with her wife and little girl.

Susan’s daughter, Zoe, is visiting the island and meeting up with several of her old friends who were in a band together in their younger days. The group rents an apartment in an old castle for a few days, including a ghost walk on Hallowe’en. There’s not room for all of them in the apartment so Zoe and LeAnne stay with Susan.

Before too long, one of the group is found dead and it looks like murder. Any one of the group could be the murderer, but surely it can’t be Zoe, who was the last known person to see the deceased alive?

Lots of secrets and lies in this book, and it was a fantastic read. I couldn’t put it down until it was finished.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

A Halloween Murder by Mary Grant, Susan is hosting her daughter Zoe and good friend Leanne for the Halloween weekend. they’re meeting Zoe‘s childhood friends Maxine,, her husband Gino, Nick, and last but not least Annika. The rest are staying at a popular castle on the aisle of white where Maxine grew up and where the ghost tour will happen. When Maxine first planned this vacation it was to get the group together and have a fun time but since she planned it things have happened that made friends not so friendly and Maxine is regretting even inviting them. for starters her and Gino‘s marriage isn’t so great, Leanne blames Nick and accuses him of planting drugs on her brother and trying to kill him and this is all just the beginning. After the ghost tour the next morning they find maxing dead at the bottom of one of the spires and since Zoe was the last one to be seen with her she’s put right at the top of the suspect list. luckily for Zoe her mom is known for sleuthing and when it comes to Zoe you can bet your bottom dollar she’s going to do exactly that. There’s plenty of great suspects but once again Susan will risk her life trying to find out who is the actual culprit. Susan also learns her close friend ROBERT is moving to France and wants her to go with him. Let me start by saying I have really been getting into some cozy mysteries and couldn’t wait to start this one on the aisle of white which is a place I would love to visit. Sadly more than once I wanted to DNF this book for one thing let’s start with her friend ROBERT who she doesn’t want to commit to in any way due to the recent disillusion of her own marriage and how her husband left her so she keeps him at arm’s-length but then when she learns he started learning French and is planning to move to France to help his daughter with her farm house for the next two months she gets angry and doesn’t want to speak to him. I didn’t understand this because if she doesn’t want to be serious with him why would it bother her that he planned this trip before asking her and how can he invite her to go on a trip he is yet to plan? Vinci claims she doesn’t want to go because of Zoe her granddaughter Jamari and Zoe‘s wife but they don’t even live nearby but I digress. About the mystery more than once these friends over the week they’re together say things especially Leanne that would cause most people to stop speaking to them but no these friends not only continue their friendship but continue to plan and get together even after no one defend Zoe from a murder accusation. it seems lots of people like this book but I myself found it only OK especially and mainly due to the fact so many things happen that would’ve been a dealbreaker and I found that the characters completely acted the opposite way most people would act in the situation. I really liked the setting I liked Susan and her daughter Zoe but I just found this book holy unbelievable bordering on ridiculous but I will say I didn’t guess the culprit especially after the whole suspect run down in the apartment until they actually announced their self so there’s that. Read it at your own risk it was entertaining but again the characters didn’t at all act like normal people I will give this author another chance due to the likable characters and hopefully the next book will be better with the more believable story but whether I recommend it IDK I don’t think so. #NetGalley,#BoldWoodBooks,#TheBlindReviewer, #MaryGrant, #TheIsleOfWhiteMysteries, #TheHalloweenMurder,

A Halloween Murder was a thoroughly enjoyable read that captured the spooky, suspenseful vibe of a Halloween ghost walk perfectly. The Isle of Wight setting added a lovely atmospheric touch—the ancient castle felt like its own character, full of dark corners and secrets.

Susan is a relatable protagonist, torn between motherly worry and a growing determination to uncover the truth. Her relationship with Zoe brought warmth to an otherwise chilling story, and the dynamic among the group of old school friends added just the right amount of tension and suspicion.

The locked-room style mystery—trapped inside the castle with a killer—was classic and well-executed. I enjoyed trying to piece together the clues alongside Susan, and the suspects all had believable motives that kept me guessing.

My only quibble was that the pacing slowed a bit in the middle, and a few twists felt a little predictable. But the strong sense of place, the engaging characters, and the eerie Halloween atmosphere more than made up for it.

If you like cozy yet creepy mysteries with a hint of supernatural ambiance, A Halloween Murder is a great choice to curl up with this season.

Well Paced Mystery..
The fourth entry into the Isle of Wight Killings series of mysteries finds Susan battling a sense of foreboding that she simply cannot explain when daughter Zoe invites her to a Halloween ghost walk at a nearby castle. It soon transpires that Susan’s sense of trepidation was more than well informed. Another enjoyable, well paced murder mystery with a nicely drawn cast of characters, a firm sense of place and a steady plot.

Halloween, ghost walks, friends and a mystery all elements that provide a spooky backdrop to this mystery. Zoe and her high school friends are meeting up on the Isle of Wright to celebrate the retirement of their music teacher. Most of the group are staying at the castle that is purported to be haunted, while Zoe and LeAnne are staying with Zoe’s mom, Susan, in her home. What starts as a fun night on a ghost walk ends up with one of the friends missing and later found murdered. Maxine had several in the group that would have benefited from her death. Susan and Zoe team up to find out just who is responsible for her death. The characters are engaging and the twists enough to keep me on my toes.

ARC Review

A Halloween Murder by Mary Grand is the fourth installment in The Isle of Wight Killings series.

Susan enjoys her peaceful life on the Isle of Wight, despite having solved a few murder mysteries in the past. When her daughter Zoe reunites with old friends at a supposedly haunted castle, Susan is invited to join them for a Halloween ghost walk. The night is filled with fun—until one of the guests turns up dead. It’s murder, and the killer is among them. With the police not making much progress, Zoe and Susan must act fast before the murderer slips away.

This is a cozy, small-town Halloween murder mystery with a simple yet engaging plot. The story unfolds at a steady pace, with well-developed characters and clear motivations. There are plenty of suspects and motives, making it difficult to guess who the culprit is. Beyond the murder investigation, there’s also development in Susan’s romantic life, which adds another layer to the narrative.

I particularly enjoyed the eerie backstory of the castle and the way the characters shared local legends and secrets. The ending was satisfying and impactful.

If you’re a fan of mysteries, this one’s worth a read!

A breath of fresh air, wonderful characters, wild goose chases and clever murderers!
This is the second book of Mary Grand's Isle of Wight Killings series I have read and it's like coming home to visit with Susan and her furry friends.

You'll be in for a treat trying to find the murderer as it's no easy task, as Susan will tell you. Lovely descriptions of the countryside and attractions with a few good places to conduct murder!

Susan is happy to have her daughter Zoe home to celebrate a former music teacher's retirement. While one of
Zoe's friends will be residing at Susan's cottage, the others will be staying at a haunted castle which is locked
down each night. When Zoe returns to the castle after a ghost walk held the previous evening, one of the friends
is missing. When her body is found and revealed as a homicide, Susan and Zoe investigate the group of friends
to uncover the reason for the murder. Interesting characters with well placed red herrings make an engaging read.
#AHalloweenMurder #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley

I was delighted when NetGalley offered me a chance to read an advanced copy of Mary Grand’s latest book. I very much enjoyed her other books and looked forward to catching up on the characters. The Halloween setting in a castle is a great concept. The character development as well as the storyline were extremely well done. I lost some sleep in my quest to get to the end! While this works well as a standalone, if time permits, read her other books first. This opinion is my own.

Zoe invites her mum Susan on a ghost walk in a castle on the Isle of Wight. It's with a group of school friends who are reuniting for a week. Susan has a foreboding about this walk and then one of the friends is found dead. Lot of twists and turns. Loved it

Susan is happy to have her daughter, Zoe, stay with her for a few days when she is in town for a retirement celebration for her old music teacher. Zoe is meeting up with a group of old school friends and most of them are staying at the old castle in town. What starts as a fun reunion becomes serious when one of their group is murdered and they are all suspects, even Zoe. Susan and Zoe work together to follow the clues and find the killer.
The characters are so realistic, you feel like you know them. I love the setting on the island and the old castle is very atmospheric—perfect for Halloween. I suspected the killer’s identity, but the red herrings kept me second-guessing myself! This is a fun cozy mystery, perfect for Halloween.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.