"Murder at the Mill" by M.B. Shaw is an enthralling murder mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. Set in a picturesque English village, the book masterfully weaves together a complex web of secrets, motives, and red herrings, creating an immersive and suspenseful reading experience. The characters are well-developed and intriguing, each with their own hidden agendas and suspicious behaviors. The author's ability to create a vivid sens of the place adds depth and richness to the story, making me feel like I was right there in the quaint village, uncovering clues alongside the protagonist. With its clever plot twists and engaging writing style. "Murder at the Mill: is a captivating page-turner that mystery lovers will thoroughly enjoy.

In an effort to find mystery novels, I requested Murder at the Mill with the best of intentions. Unfortunately it wasn't what I expected. The character building lacked for me, as I'm a character driven reader. I wasn't able to feel for anyone, and that affected my overall enjoyment of the story.

Iris Grey is an artist whose marriage is falling apart. She is looking for a change of pace so she packs up and goes to Mill Cottage in a Hampshire Village. There she is able to reflect on her marriage, her husband's anger to her rising career and his failing one, and gets sucked into the Wetherby family's drama. This next door neighbor, the owner of the Mill Cottage, has her commissioned to paint a portrait of the head of the family, Dominic Wetherby. Dominic Wetherby is a famous writer who has secrets in his past that are beginning to rise up to the surface. His son, Billy, is coming back home after a stint in jail. He's perfect son Marcus, whom his mother Ariadne depends on, is coming home to celebrate his father's successes with a party. And his son Lorcan, a mentally challenged teenager, is the one who finds a dead body and blames himself for it. This family and others who hate them have now become suspects in a murder. Seeing how incompetent the police chief is, Iris Grey takes it upon herself to uncover the secrets this family is hiding and find the killer before they find her.

Iris's story is like most cozy mysteries in which an absolute stranger to solving crimes decides to solve a crime. It may sound silly but the mystery was fascinating in Murder at the Mill. There was a bit of a weird writing style and Iris herself was a bit odd, she wore mismatched clothes that made her seem more ridiculous than artistic and she liked to build dollhouse furniture which admittedly was kind of interesting. The addition of all the different suspects, the secrets within the family, and all the different POV's that you got to get inside their heads made this such a page turner. I think all the POV's were well placed within the story to try to throw readers off as well as make me wonder if this was the killer talking.

I read this during a time where I was having difficulty liking anything I picked up and I tended to skim read some of the horrible books I was reading. Murder at the Mill was completely different in that I didn't miss a word of what was on the pages. It had many layered stories within one story. Every person had a motive and secrets. It was the perfect mystery. However, I didn't absolutely love Iris and some of the choices with the writing style. There were some very odd descriptions/similes noted by another reviewer as well. Also, I didn't love how Lorcan was added, a mentally challenged teenager, to the story to traumatize him. It was kind of messed up. Furthermore, the book ended like it was a standalone which is odd because it apparently it's going to be a series. Most likely it will be in a different location otherwise I don't see the need to continue on with the series since it ended satisfactory for me.

If you want to see a layered mystery that is highly character driven then I recommend Murder at the Mill. There may be a couple of flaws but overall the mystery is what makes this story so fascinating to read.

This one just wasn't for me. It was slow moving for my taste. So many others loved this book tho, so don't go by my opinion!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

Iris Grey needs a quiet place to work on her art and decide what to do about her failing marriage. She finds just what she needs in Mill Cottage, deep in Hampshire and even featuring a picturesque stream nearby. Things are going pretty well until Christmas time. That's when the neighbors plan a big holiday party that ends with a body being found floating in the previously mentioned stream.

Iris is right in the middle of events. She was present at the holiday party and has been drawn deep into the neighbors secrets. Now she has to figure out what's going on before she dies too.

I liked this mystery, but from the description I was imagining a 1930s style house party with servants and sleuths and all. However, this is set in present day. I did enjoy this story and I quite like Iris. However the mystery wasn't all that hard to solve and I'm not sure I would feel compelled to read another in this series.

Murder at the Mill
By M.B. Shaw
Minotaur Books
December 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

When Iris Grey first came to idyllic Hazelford, England, she was struggling to pull herself out of depression. Her marriage to failing playwright Ian was crumbling, and she had left him to stay in the Mill Cottage to find inspiration for her painting. Iris had long admired the cottage, owned by bestselling crime author Dom Wetherby, a celebrity not just for his popular book series but for the television series it inspired. Iris’s first meeting with his son Billy is less impressive, as Iris interrupts him while he is in a near-physical argument with his mother. Aridne Wetherby attempts to downplay any strife, and in fact hires Iris to paint a portrait of Adriadne’s bigger-than-life husband. Iris finds herself unsettled by the flirtatious Dom Weatherby, especially when he seems to always power-play for dominance and see through her into her secrets.

Although the reclusive artist would rather hole in at her cottage and hide away from social interaction, she’s unable to politely turn down invitations to celebrate Christmas Eve in the Weatherby estate home.
Iris soon learns that the relationships within the Weatherly family are filled with rivalries and resentments, and when the author is found drowned and weighed down by a rock, Iris is unable to believe that the narcissistic writer would have committed suicide without leaving a note. Iris’s own severed relationship with her mentally troubled sister has Iris more than a little sensitive to the lingering effect of family abuse, which serves both to cloud and to help focus her observation of the Weatherbys.

This is a novel where it is impossible to escape the increasing sense of doom and menace that pervades what initially appeared to be such an idyllic town. Like Iris, it is impossible to know whom to trust or whose lies hide not murderous intent, but embarrassment or pain. The crimes have been set in motion decades ago, and it is apparent that the deceptions have only infected and spread. By the end, readers will feel connected to these characters and be invested in their futures. This complex, intricately woven novel starts off the adventures of an intriguing heroine finding her sense of self and strength to forge a new path for her life.

3.5 of 5 stars
MURDER AT THE MILL by M.B. Shaw is more of a traditional cozy mystery, set in a small English village where portrait artist Iris Grey is coming to terms with the end of her marriage. There, she finds purpose in agreeing to create a birthday portrait of The Mill's owner, Dominic Wetherby. Soon, the holidays arrive and Iris is drawn into some local celebrations. Of course, it is not long until Wetherby's body is found and Iris sets out with his suspicious daughter-in-law to disprove the ruling of suicide and find a culprit.

Overall, I thought the solution (in terms of perpetrator if not motive) was fairly obvious, but this is still a diverting read with plenty of family members as possible suspects and even a bit of romance. MURDER AT THE MILL received a starred review from Kirkus and is a mystery debut under a pseudonym used by established author Tilly Bagshawe.

I enjoyed this first in series mystery with a portraitist as our amateur sleuth. There are actually two mysteries here with enough greed, vanity, revenge, and twistedness to fill two books. I had figured out part of the denouement but still had some surprises. My only complaint...at almost 400 pages, a bit too long and drawn out. Liked heroine and would definitely read more. Iris Grey felt fresh as a character, and I liked that she, as a portraitist trained to capture hidden depths of her subjects, tapped into that ability as she began to search for the truth.

Great potential here for lots more mysteries/adventures as her career takes off and calls her to different locales.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress and #MinotaurBooks for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

After 100 pages, I found that I had no interest in either the characters or the plot. No grab, no hook, there was nothing that could keep me engaged. After putting it down, trying something else, and coming back, there was still no interest in continuing. I wish the author well, but not a series that I would continue with.

A first in a new series of mysteries featuring Iris Grey, a portrait painter whose skills of seeing detail work well in solving a mystery. Set in Hampshire, Iris is hired to paint the portrait of Don Wetherby, a celebrated author. Living on the grounds of the Wetherby house Iris has front row seats to the events that unwind after a murder. I look forward to reading the next Iris Grey mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This is the debut book of the series "Iris Grey" Mysteries. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my personal review.
Artist Iris Grey is renting Mill Cottage on the Wetherby estate. Iris is taking a break from a bad marriage and focusing on her painting. She is commissioned to paint Don Wetherby's portrait of the important Wetherby family and estate. She finds out that this family is not what they appear to be . The more she finds out the greater her concern. Secrets abound and Iris does not want to be in the middle of their duplicity. As things take a darker turn after a body is found in their nearby river she begins to realize its up to her to find out the truth.

Suspects and clues are plenty as Iris instigates. The author really kept this reader guessing as to the motive of the crime and the identity of the killer. I love the well crafted sleuth and the build up of clues. This was a darker mystery with underlying clues for the reader which made reading it all the more fun. i look forward to the next in series.

Murder at the Mill by M. B. Shaw takes us to charming village of Hampshire in England. Iris Grey, a portrait painter, has rented out Mill Cottage from Dom and Ariadne Wetherby. Dom is the charismatic author of the Grimshaw novels. Iris felt she needed time away from her playwright husband, Ian McBride whose career is on a downswing along with his attitude. Dom is retiring from writing and publishing his last Grimshaw book. Ariadne has requested Iris paint Dom’s portrait in honor of the occasion. During the sittings, Iris notices tension among the members of the Wetherby family. At the boisterous annual Wetherby Christmas Eve party, Iris meets Graham Feeney, lawyer and friend of the Wetherby’s. She is attracted to Graham, but Iris has yet to make a decision regarding her marriage. After a quiet Christmas day, Iris hears a scream down by the river. Lorcan, the Wetherby’s youngest son with Down’s syndrome, was playing with his boat in the river and it caught on a body. It looks like a suicide, but the victim had no reason to harm himself. Iris, with help from Jenna Wetherby, begins searching for the truth. The villagers are a curious and gossipy bunch who are happy to give Iris the lowdown on the Wetherby clan. Can Iris uncover the truth? Join Iris Grey in Hampshire on her inaugural investigation in Murder at the Mill.

Murder at the Mill is set in Hampshire, England which will please readers who enjoy English cozy mysteries especially those with a bit of edge to them. Hampshire is a small village where gossip runs rampant. Iris Grey is a portrait painter known for capturing the essence of her subjects. Doing a portrait of Dom Wetherby would be a feather in her cap and would greatly help her career. Iris has a colorful and quirky clothing style which some find garish. Dom is known for being charming and flirtatious which makes it hard to get to know the real man. Billy Wetherby, the middle son, is the villain of our piece. He has just been released from prison and a lack of funds has him living at home once again. Billy and Ariadne are frequently at odds. There are numerous characters in Murder at the Mill. It can be hard to keep them all straight. It is made more difficult since the point-of-view alternates between several of them including Iris, Marcus Wetherby, Ariadne Wetherby, and Jenna Wetherby. I think the novel would have benefited if the story had been told from Iris’ perspective or in the third person. It would have helped the flow of the story. The author has a descriptive writing style and likes to use similes. Some of the authors comparisons made me cringe (“the spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind like the starved limbs of concentration-camp prisoners, pleading for escape” or “Lorcan tore at the wrapping on his gift like a starving child clawing at a bag of rice”). Her descriptions, though, help readers imagine the scenes in the book and bring the story to life. There are two mysteries in Murder at the Mill with multiple suspects, good clues and red herrings. I like how the two whodunits tied together and all the threads were tired up at the end. I do want to warn readers that there is a significant amount of foul language and animal lovers will be offended at how Ariadne uses real animals as subjects for her sculptures (she uses anesthesia to put them to sleep while she sculpts). Murder at the Mill is a potboiler that will have you on the edge of your seat as you quickly turn the pages to the surprising ending.

a good mystery though a bit darken than I was expecting the pace is a little slow and there are a lot of characters to keep up with but its well worth a read

It’s hard to know exactly what to think of this mystery. There are so many things about it that bugged me, but I still wanted to continue reading it, but couldn't

I love discovering new mystery series and new to me authors. M. B. Shaw is not a new author, but she is new to me and I was eager to check out a book that sounded like an Agatha Christie mystery.

An quirky protagonist solves crime at a country house party…..at the holidays? Yes and double yes! I was so excited to read this one, especially during the holiday season!

A picture hides a thousand lies . . . And only Iris Grey can uncover the truth

Iris Grey arrives at Mill Cottage in a picture-perfect Hampshire village, looking to escape from her crumbling marriage. She is drawn to the neighbouring Wetherby family, and is commissioned to paint a portrait of Dominic Wetherby, a celebrated crime writer.

At the Wetherby’s Christmas Eve party, the mulled wine is in full flow – but so too are tensions and rivalries among the guests. On Christmas Day, the youngest member of the Wetherby family, Lorcan, finds a body in the water. A tragic accident? Or a deadly crime?

With the snow falling, Iris enters a world of village gossip, romantic intrigue, buried secrets and murder (summary from Goodreads).

So the first thing that I thought when I put my eyes on this book, was that it was going to be a cozy mystery. The cover alone says cozy to me. But the description I had seen that some people had tagged it as crime fiction or thriller on Goodreads. For me personally I think it’s probably lands a little closer to cozy without firmly being placed in that genre. I definitely would’t call it a ‘thriller’. A simple ‘mystery’ would have been better as it borders between a couple of subgenera.

I liked reading this book but it was a little silly at times for me—-but that’s entirely ok. October and November found me jam packed with back to back reviews and by the time December 1st came up, I needed something silly and frivolous.

For me the plot was full of little side scandals that kept things interesting and moving along. Sometimes the mystery part would drag a bit but over all between the mystery and the scandals/secrets/lies, I felt like the plot made progress and held my interest.

I know a lot of authors like using the house approach when trying to solve a murder and honestly I love it too. It reminds me of the game and film Clue. It forces the reader to weigh each character and decide if they could be the murderer or if they are guilty of something else. I loved how Shaw deploys this device and I thought it worked well and kept things interesting.

Some of the descriptions were a little much for me. I think she could be a stronger writer by limiting some of her similes. I noticed one reader pointed out a couple of more colorful descriptions on Goodreads and while I wasn’t offended, I found that there might have been a better option in describing something and at times questioned the need for a lengthy description.

Overall I loved getting to know Iris. I found her quirky and fun and I would gladly read something with her again in the future. This was a nice ‘escape’ book that was easy to read and light hearted for a book about a murder. It was a fun little mystery to solve and read about and I am excited to see what comes Iris’s way in the future.

I also have a giveaway happening for this book (US only) which I will post in a second post for you to enter for a chance to win. Don’t miss out on this new cozy mystery!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: Murder at the Mill (Iris Grey #1) by M. B. Shaw

Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Published November 30th 2017 by Trapeze
ASIN B01MZIDZPS
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own
Recommendation: 3.5 out of 5
Genre: mystery, cozy mystery
Memorable lines/quotes

My first thought is, it may be marketed as a cozy, and I can see it has some cozy features (no lewd language, no steamy sex scenes, no graphic violence, etc.), but it doesn't meet my personal definition of cozy. It isn't light or quirky or sometimes funny nor does it have that idealistic feel that, to me, feels like a cozy. It isn't especially suspenseful or heavy or dark either. Straight up mystery here, people. And a good one!

Immediately, I liked Iris, despite her dithering about in ending an obviously failed marriage, one that had been sucking the soul out of her for years. It's just that it was so obvious she was already emotionally out of the relationship, but after so many years, was reticent to lower the casket. She did have the strength to finally take a breather, give herself some space, and that choice impacts her life in ways well beyond the state of her marriage.

I love that she's a funky and gifted creative. I found it impossible not to root for her. When things took a somewhat unexpected turn (I suspected, but didn't want to believe it!), it was like a punch to the gut. But rest assured, the future has good things in store for Iris. This is meant to be the first in a series after all, and I couldn't be happier about that.

The story was very smartly written. The character development was superb, and a huge factor in keeping me off track. In the end, my gut feeling wasn't far off the mark, but I questioned that feeling, often betting against it, all along the way.

One of my favorite things about this book: the author focused on the intangible gifts that can come along with being a creative type. Some might be hard-pressed to buy into an artsy fartsy type like Iris being a natural sleuth, but we're reminded throughout the book that there are often innate skillsets that come along with talents in the arts, like attention to detail, patience, and persistence.

All around, a wonderful read. Very much looking forward to Iris's next mystery!

I LOVED this book! You have an older lead character (!!!) trying to find herself, and determine where she wants her life to go, when she finds herself slap in the middle of a murder. But is it murder? The local constabulary doesn't think so, so it's up to iris and the family to sort things out. Or will they? Does everyone in the family want the truth exposed? Or is someone trying to thwart any investigation? It's a modern take on the classic English mystery, that Agatha would love! Be sure to have this one on your reading list!

MURDER AT THE MILL by M. B. Shaw
The First Iris Grey Mystery

Iris Grey is an accomplished portrait painter looking for a respite from a bad marriage. Staying at the cottage of Mill House she finds comfort in her doll house and opportunity in painting a portrait of her landlord, famous crime writer Dom Wetherby. But all is not what it seems in Mill House. Undercurrents simmer beneath the family that strives to be so perfect. On Christmas day, Dom's body is found dead. The author, retiring his favorite character, both in book and TV, has committed suicide. His daughter in law doesn't believe it and enlists Iris' aid to prove it was murder. Will Iris be able to uncover the secrets of the Wetherby family? Will she stay in her unhappy marriage or will she find a new life for herself? Or will trying to find a killer only bring death?

Although set at Christmastime, MURDER AT THE MILL is not a cheerful holiday mystery. It's an involved psychological drama with a multilayered mystery. The Weatherby family seemingly has it all, but what have they done to get there? And what will they do to keep their image intact?

The book is also a journey as Iris Grey comes into her own. I enjoyed watching Iris evolve, finding her confidence, discovering who she really is, and not letting anything or anyone stop her. She will uncover the truth, no matter how difficult.

MURDER AT THE MILL is a complex mystery that looks to the very core of its characters.

I really enjoyed this first book in a new series. I loved Iris Grey and look forward to her helping solve more murders. This book had many twists and turns that had me guessing as to themurderer. I will look forward to reading more books by this author. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Family secrets abound in Murder at the Mill.

Painter Iris rents a cottage on the grounds of famous mystery writer Dom’s large Hampshire family estate. Iris is deciding what to do about her verbally abusive husband and failing marriage. When Ariadne, Dom’s wife, hires Iris to paint his portrait, Iris is happy to comply. However, when Dom is found dead in the river, the police believe it’s suicide. Iris cannot picture the vain and self-centered author taking his own life so she investigates.

Iris is a refreshingly new detective. She uses her eye for visual details to solve the crime. However, Murder at the Mill cannot be compared to the tightly plotted Agatha Christie books. The author never used one adjective when a ten-word simile could be used. Every character has a multitude of secrets that are repeated over-and-over throughout the book. The plot goes down dead ends without explanation. This is the first book in a new series. I would read another just because of Iris. I pray the editing will be better in the next entry.

Murder at the Mill is recommended for readers looking more for atmosphere than plot. 3 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.