Member Reviews
The eighth outing for DI Hillary Greene. Hillary is called to investigate the death of a wealthy woman who, it transpires had a host of enemies. Enjoyable, fast moving murder mystery with some credible characterisation and engaging plotting. Can be read as a standalone although there is a timeline in character development and enjoyment to be had in reading from the start of the series. Note that this re-issue was previously published as 'Down A Narrow Path'.
Another great Murder in the series book. Love the way you find out more about the main characters each time. Look forward to more.
This is the first book that I have read by Faith Martin. This was the 8th in the DI Hillary Greene series. I enjoyed this mystery. It had a list of english slang words and a list of the characters in the book. The main character Hillary Greene was delightful. She was smart and very likeable. Her staff below her was challenging in different ways but DI Greene could handle them.
Another entertaining murder mystery in the company of Hillary Greene and her colleagues. The Oxfordshire setting gives us an insight into life beyond the dreaming spires and is picturesque without being twee. Faith Martin manages the balance of longer-storylines and one-book puzzles well.
Good to have the next in the Hillary Greene series to read. In this one, Hillary and her team are trying to find out who viciously stabbed a woman to death in the hallway of her lovely home. In the meantime, a father is set to take revenge for the mishandling of a case involving his daughter, and for which he holds the police completely responsible. Another good story - thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.
A most intriguing and captivating story, with its, interesting characters and an excellent storyline, it presented its usual challenges that Green handle the way she always does with her customary aplomb. A sniper was on the loose targeting policemen, a case went absolutely wrong, and a murderer hiding in plain sight, these are some of the challenges DI Green had to deal with and to top it off she just called it quits with her new relationship. With her usual take the bull by its horns way of doing things, she was determined and adamant in finding the culprit, no matter how things were stacked against her. It was gripping, intense, filled with intrigue and totally captivating. There was a myriad of emotions playing out, making this book an explosive package, a great read, I especially liked the ending where you need to read the other in the series to know the outcome of her superior and friend Mel.
Hillary Greene, a detective inspector with the police, is called to a murder scene near the Cotswold where a wealthy woman has been stabbed to death just inside the door to her mansion. There is little evidence at the scene and Hillary is left to rummage through the woman's past life to identify potential suspects.
The likely suspect is her current paramour but who is clearly not the capable type. Song with the current murder case Hillary is confronted by her teammate Gemma trying to search her narrow boat again. Gemma hosts a dinner party for the sole purpose of having her lover meet Hillary and give Gemma his opinion of Hillary. It's not one Gemma wants to hear.
In addition Hillary's boss mellow mallow is worrying about a technical error which has left two thugs go free after raping a young girl. The family is falling apart and Mallow has no way to make it right.
The story is not as light as some of her other books in this series but is well written carting forward several threads from previous stories. The book can stand alone but is obviously better as part of the series. Faith Martin is a great storyteller. Her chapters are real people with realistic personal problems that impact the job. The series is easy reading and this particular story is one of the stronger.
I have just finished reading DI Hillary Greene 8 and want to continue reading next one I have found this series quite addictive. Great series. The book has everything including a final twist in the tale which I wasn't expecting.
A thoroughly enjoyable read from an author new to me. I usually like to read series in order but it didn't affect my understanding or enjoyment, can definitely be read as a standalone. Very good characterisation and a well plotted story line with plenty of twists and turns to keep up your interest. I will certainly be adding Faith Martin to my list of favourite authors and look forward to reading more of her books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my digital copy of a great read.
Hillary Greene continues to be an engaging character in this series of classic English police procedurals. The ongoing story of her late husband’s crimes tends to overshadow the murder Hillary investigates. This is certainly a readable mystery but could have been stronger if the denouement was at least hinted at earlier in the book. And who would have thought that the villages of North Oxfordshire had such a high population of the murderous?
DI Hilary Green at her best. Another great story line and an unbelievable end! Can’t wait for next instalment
As this is now book 8 in the series there is not much back story left to tell so I would strongly suggest you read at least a couple of the previous books to get some knowledge about the main characters in the book.
This book follows on nicely from the previous one with the same characters, including Hilary's ex-husband's former lover, who is still looking for his money.
There are two main story lines involved in this book, one arc is regards to a soon-to-be-divorced woman who was stabbed at her home; and the other arc relates to a sniper killing police officers near their stations.
Both of the story lines are really engaging, especially the woman;s murder as there are a number of suspects, and the most obvious one is looking the least likely.
There are lots of twists and turns in the book and the ending was a bit of a shock, but this only added to my enjoyment of it.
This book is just as good as Faith's previous ones and I cannot wait to read the next one.
Book Description
Meet DI HILLARY GREENE, a policewoman struggling to save her career and catch criminals.
Mattie Jones is found brutally stabbed to death in her palatial home. Hillary Greene is called in to investigate the murder of this wealthy woman. Who wanted her dead and why?
Hillary discovers that Mattie’s snobby attitude had made her many enemies. Mattie was also going through a messy divorce and had a secret lover.
Meanwhile, in a terrifying turn of events, police officers are being gunned down outside their stations. A sniper is on the loose. Who will come under attack next?
Can Hillary cope with the enemies within, a complex case, and the whole force under attack?
My Thoughts
Murder in the Mansion was my introduction to DI Hillary Green and author Faith Martin. There are two main plots as well as several minor ones that unfold over the course of the book. Who killed Mattie Jones and why is a sniper killing seemingly random police officers?
My favorite mysteries are well-crafted stories with many layers and enough suspects to keep me guessing “ who done it” until the end. Faith Martin did not disappoint as the characters had enough backstory to ensure I understood why they acted the way they did individually and as a team( DI Green's team). There were quite a few twists and turns and while I did figure out certain aspects of the story, the ending took me by surprise. This was an enjoyable read and when I finished, I wanted to read more books in the series, which is always a good thing to me.
Thank you, Faith Martin, Joffe Books and NetGalley for the digital copy to read and review.
I am a huge fan of this series, I love Hillary's character and I find the books very easy to read, they are not full of unnecessary violence or graphic sex scenes and sometimes that is exactly what I want.
This book has two main plots lines, the murder of soon to be divorced Mattie Jones who lives in a mansion in a local village, and the more worrying plot of a sniper who has been targeting Police throughout England - and no-one knows where and when they will next strike.
Four stars from me - another great addition to the series!
Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Another terrific addition to the series and it's great to know more are going to be published soon.
DI Hillary Greene and most others in the Oxfordshire's police are on high alert. There's a sniper on the loose, killing members of the force, causing a lot of tension.
Hillary is conducting an investigation into the death of a wealthy woman, Matilda (Mattie) Jones, brutally stabbed in her mansion. Still living in her narrow boat, she has just ended her relationship with her lover, leaving her relieved and a little depressed. However, between the sniper and Mattie's murder she doesn't haven't much time to wallow; there are many interviews to be held, backgrounds to be checked and trails to be followed. Mattie was not a particularly likeable person, cold and hard, and was in the middle of divorcing her husband who left her for a younger woman. Obviously he's one of the first suspects, but his alibi checks out, leaving quite a few other persons of interest to look at.
This is an excellent mystery, with quite a few interesting, well fleshed out characters. I love this series and this story's ending had my mouth open in shock, leaving me panting for the next book...can't wait!
An enjoyable read. I'm delighted there are more in the series and I will be looking out for them.
#MurderInTheMansion #NetGalley
A sniper targeting the police is on the loose. A woman is found brutally murdered in her mansion. She was not liked by many, but who would want her dead? Her soon to be ex husband? Secret Lover? Jealous sister? DI Hillary Greene and her team are busy trying to find the killer, while also dealing with the media backlash of a case that went wrong. A teenager was raped by a group of teen boys, they can not be charged due to an error in paperwork made by a law clerk.
A very enjoyable read with many twists and turns.
Thank you Joffe Book Publishing and #NetGalley for the eARC copy.
Thank you Net Galley. Another great installment in the DI Greene Saga. Loved it!
4.5 Stars
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “DOWN A NARROW PATH.”
A fatal stabbing of a wealthy almost-divorcee leads DI Hilary Greene and her team into investigating her somewhat convoluted life. The woman, Mattie Jones, was almost divorced, had a boyfriend, was arrogant, and downright mean at times. Not surprising that when talking to neighbors, no one liked her very much.
Heading up the list of suspects is her husband, who also has a much younger girlfriend, and a large insurance policy on his wife's life. But he's not the only suspect, and Greene and her colleagues have their hands full seeking out the truth.
There is also a sniper loose ... and he's targeting police officers ... mostly on their own turf. Who's next ... and will it be one of Greene's team?
This series has become a favorite. Green is such a solid character ... yes, she has her quirks, but she never seems to lose her humor, and she has such a way of reading people. She has a boyfriend, of sorts, but she really doesn't want to share her space with anyone. The rest of her team lend an air of credibility to the story.
Although this is 8th in the series, I highly recommend starting at the beginning ... go for a reading marathon! Each book is well-written with twists and turns .... usually with an ending that you never see coming.
Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy. I look forward for the next book in this crime fiction series. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
I adore the storylines and characters in this series and this book did not let me down. I would highly recommend this book.