Description

The first in a new cozy mystery series by Elizabeth Penney investigates a suspicious murder in a haunted British castle-turned-bed and breakfast.

Herbalist Nora Asquith is delighted to welcome Ravensea Castle’s first guests to the picturesque village of Monkwell, Yorkshire. After a thousand years of ownership, her family has decided to convert the castle into a bed and breakfast. But when Hilda Dibble, a self-appointed local luminary, is found dead in the knot garden the next morning, Nora’s business is not only at risk—she’s a prime suspect.

Hilda had opposed the hotel plan every step of the way, and although she didn’t succeed in stopping the venture, her disagreements with Nora seem to only further her motive. One of Ravensea’s guests happens to be Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new to the area and now finds himself with a murder case in his lap.

Nora and her actress sister Tamsyn decide to investigate for themselves. They look into the entangled dealings of their newly arrived guests, while also getting hints from Sir Percival, one of the castle ghosts. As they learn, Sir Percival’s tragic death centuries ago sheds light on present-day crimes. Surely they can get to the bottom of this mystery while keeping their new business afloat . . .

(Source: Goodreads).

Review

I was so excited to receive a gifted copy of Elizabeth Penney’s new Ravensea Castle series because I previously enjoyed her books A Treacherous Tale and Chapter and Curse. Whenever I see a cozy mystery with a cat on the cover, count me in! Even better, this one had a cat AND a dog. What more could I ask for?

What I love about cozy mysteries is that there is always a clear whodunit to solve. And in this series, the setting is lovely – a bed-and-breakfast that is also a haunted British castle by the water. Our protagonist is Nora, who is running the bed-and-breakfast but had a great deal of trouble trying to get it started in the first place. She had a lot of opposition from a woman named Hilda, who ended up being found dead in the knot garden by Nora. So, of course, Nora is now a prime suspect!

Of course, Nora has to clear her name while also investigating what has happened. Although she had disagreements with Hilda, she is shocked. As well, she would like to ensure the safety of her guests and the future of her new business. And who better to help her out than her sister Tamsyn, as well as Detective Inspector Finlay, who, let’s say … she is pretty interested in haha.

I think this book was a lot of fun to read and had some twists and turns along the way. At times, I felt the writing could have been a bit more captivating, but overall, it was fun to read and had cliffhangers after every chapter. As well, the appearances by her pets were a welcome addition. I loved seeing them on the page. I think that it is a delight to read if you are a cozy mystery lover!

Content Warnings

This Book in Three Words

Castles, Mysteries, and Coziness

Values/Themes

• Hidden Identities
• Sisterhood
• Adaptation

Favourite Part

Every animal appearance! And the paranormal vibes.

Feelings

• Mysterious
• Lighthearted
• Relaxing

Overall Rating

Numerical Rating: 4 stars

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Minotaur Books for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

QOTD: Do you have a favourite cozy mystery series? Do you prefer thrillers?