Murder at the Manor House - Katie Gayle

 Julia Bird is as keen as anyone in Berrywick to see inside the famous Greystone Manor. But when she does, the last thing she expects to find is a body!

When Julia Bird is asked to clear out the gatehouse at Greystone Manor after the sudden death of Colonel Loxton’s sister, she is intrigued to finally see inside the impressive house. But when she discovers the body of the Colonel, who greeted her only hours before, dead behind the sofa with a bruise on his forehead, Julia believes his death is no accident.

Once forensics confirm it was murder, Julia tries to piece together what happened. On the day the Colonel died, she saw an unknown man getting into a car outside the manor. The butler Garforth and the housekeeper Biddy claim there were no visitors that day, so who was this mysterious man? Or is someone in the Colonel’s family not telling the truth, with tensions running high over the inheritance?

Days later, Julia finds another body dead among the rhododendrons and knows the deaths must be connected. At the Colonel’s funeral she heard his friends talking about a long-buried secret. Had the second victim discovered it, and is it motive enough to kill? With time running out, can Julia solve the case before there’s another murder at the manor?

An addictive and totally charming cozy mystery set in the English countryside. Perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and J. R. Ellis.

My Review

I do love these Julia Bird murder mysteries. I don't think they are all that believable (at least I hope they're not; I don't think I'd want to come across nearly as many dead bodies as she seems to manage to), but they're very entertaining.

This time, Julia finds herself at a local manor house, helping to clear out the belongings of a woman who has died. It's not this woman who has been murdered, though, but while there, the woman's brother and owner of the house is killed.

I'd like to think that in Julia's shoes I'd be just as inquisitive and help the local police get to the bottom of things, but if I'm being honest, I'd probably be too scared. Julia isn't, though, and soon is snooping here and there and discovering all kinds of things that escape the police's notice.

I didn't figure this one out before Julia, sadly, but it didn't matter as it was still very entertaining and a really good read. I'm looking forward to more from Julia soon.

Readers are loving the Julia Bird Mysteries:

‘Fantastic… had me hook, line and sinker!!!… Stunning… I absolutely love reading these fantastic books in this amazing series… devoured the whole book in just a few hours… absolutely addictive… absolutely page-turning!!!’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Terrifically entertaining… So much fun!… I devoured in one sitting… Delicious and delightful read with a terrific sleuth that I absolutely loved. Funny, fabulous and far too good to miss.’ Bookish Jottings, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A great whodunnit… I was laughing out loud and was in complete quandary of who the killer was… Charming and extremely entertaining… Wonderful.’ PageTurners Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh my, I loved Julia Bird… She is a delight! I can’t wait for the next one! Please don’t let it be long!’ MoongloTexas, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I was hooked on the mystery immediately… If you haven’t read this series you are missing out! Pure entertainment… A fabulous read and I can’t wait for the next one.’ Onceuponatimebookreviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Kept me engrossed and I completed the book within a day… I would highly recommend this cosy crime page-turner as the perfect indulgent summer evening escape.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐