Not what I was expecting, given the cover and seeing comparisons to Agatha Christie. I thought it was going to be on the cozy end of the spectrum but it's darker than a cozy. Now, I don't read cozies exclusively so I was not put off by that but the marketing was misleading. We do have a murder on the first page and that gets the reader's attention. The cast of characters was large and I did have to pay attention to the various points of view but that's something I have issues with no matter how good the book is. The pace is slow for quite awhile but it did pick up and I was glad I hadn't given it the 50 page rule and given up on it. It was worth the 4 star rating.
In classic mystery style of Dame Agatha, the setting is an English village complete with a stately home, a rich family, a seemingly happy one. Also typical are the many seething emotions and hidden skeletons. Lots of that. The amateur detective is the usual soon to be divorced woman seeking a new path in life but Iris is more than that. I loved her quirkiness, especially in her wardrobe. More than colorful, I wish I could dress that way. As an artist, it works well. She has been hired to paint the portrait of Dom Wetherby and is renting a cottage on his estate. The cast of characters on hand at the time of his death is large. Was it suicide, a tragic accident or was it murder? Who hated Dom enough to murder him? Many, it seems. Iris, of course, thinks it's murder while the police think it's anything but murder. In typical amateur fashion she sets out to investigate.
The writing is a bit over the top in descriptions but they are vivid and fit the scenes, adding to the mental image. A bit less of them would have worked just as well. Also, while the mystery is solid, the book could have been trimmed a little. As a first in series maybe it was trying to find its footing. I will be interested in reading the next entry to see if much has changed. Iris is a character I would like to meet up with again.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The annual Christmas Eve party given by author Dom Wetherby and his wife Ariadne is eagerly attended by Hazelford locals as well as television celebrities and the media. This year’s attendees include artist Iris Grey who is renting Mill Cottage on the Wetherby estate. Iris is taking a break from a troubled marriage and focusing on her painting. She is commissioned to paint the charismatic Dom’s portrait and in her dealings with the family learns there is another side to the members of the Wetherby family than what they show to the outside world. The morning after the party, Dom’s young son Lorcan tests his remote control boat in the Itchen River and discovers a body. Iris doesn’t agree with the direction the police investigation is going and is surprised to learn that in addition to her skills as an artist, she seems to have a talent for sleuthing.

The book begins with the scene in which Lorcan discovers the body, then flashes back two months. This method is effective because the reader is introduced to several characters, which creates tension as you are left wondering which one of these characters you’re getting to know will be the victim. About a third of a way into the book, the story goes back to the present and Lorcan’s gruesome discovery. When Iris is asked to look for clues by a member of the Wetherby family, she has her work cut out for her. There are many secrets within the highly dysfunctional Wetherby family which has far-reaching effects for them as well as their friends and colleagues so there are plenty of suspects. As the story continues, the author really keeps you guessing as to the motive of the crime and the identity of the killer.

I liked Iris more and more as the book progresses. She is smart, determined, and sympathetic even to those who may not seem to deserve the benefit of the doubt. The motive for the murder is more complicated than it seems at first and the outcome of the case isn’t what Iris or the reader expects. However, all of the events from the past and present result in a strong conclusion to an interesting novel. In a Question and Answer section at the end of the book, the author has promised a sequel, and I would definitely be interested in reading more mysteries featuring Iris Grey.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Minotaur Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

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

Iris Grey rents a quaint cottage in a picture-perfect Hampshire village, looking to escape from her crumbling marriage. She is drawn to the neighboring 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 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."

Murder at the Mill is on point to be my favorite book this holiday season.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This was an interesting mystery- I didn't have any heads up as to who had actually committed the crime, which is refreshing. Overall, I found most of the characters to be rather caricatures, which isn't necessarily bad but didn't leave me feeling entirely invested in them. However, the main protagonist, Iris, is a compelling and endearing detective, and I would love to follow her through more mysteries! There was a little bit too much time spent on her kookiness (the striped leggings! A crazy coat!) but she is a fascinating lens to view the murder through. Paired with alternate POVs throughout, she is a fine guide to follow.

Note: The cover makes it look like it will be a holiday themed cozy, but it is in fact a hard-boiled mystery with little to do with Christmas. This isn't a bad thing, just a bit different from what I expected!

Iris, an artist, arrives to paint a portrait of Dom Weatherby, and finds him dead following a party on Christmas day. At first the local officers presume it to be suicide but when the toxicology report shows chloroform, she knows her hunch it was murder is correct. What follows is a rather convoluted plot. Although the book improves as it goes along, I failed to connect with the amateur sleuth and the official investigators seemed too far removed from the investigation. Another thread follows an older case which was determined to be suicide but provides motive for the current one. Iris also determines a wrong conclusion in that case, finding the guilty party. The similar circumstances make the plot too unrealistic. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Artist Iris Grey needs some time away from her failing marriage and a chance to get her painting mindset back in place. She rents a cottage on the property of well-known crime author Dominic Wetherby and finds herself enmeshed in the intrigue surrounding his family. On Christmas Day the youngest child, Lorcan, finds a body in the pond. Was it an accident, a suicide or murder? Iris is drawn into the case and tries to unravel the complicated life of the Wetherby family.

A review will be posted on MapYour Mystery.com on November 8. https://mapyourmystery.blogspot.com/2018/11/murder-at-mill.html

Set in the wintry English countryside, this book opens with the murder, and then backtracks for a large part of the middle section to set up the murder. I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn't like the main character, Iris, even though I tried to be sympathetic to her personal crises, and I Need to like my main characters. I loved how Lorcan was depicted and treated by his family and the book, and how the complicated family relationship was described. I loved the setting. But the mystery wasn't mysterious--I spied the murderer as soon as they appeared, and also nailed the issues behind several of the characters. Iris has changed a lot over the course of the novel, however, and has emerged a stronger person, so if this is a series, I might give the second one a chance. I'm going to recommend the book, although I'd probably give it a B/C borderline grade.

This is not a cozy. The cute title and cover are extremely misleading. I have no problem with this not being a cozy but it threw me when I started to read it.

This is a very well done mystery. Time is given exploring the characters and the mysteries surrounding all of them. Iris is a competent detective but is smart regarding knowing her boundaries as an amateur detective. At the end of the book, I wanted to read more about her.

The book could have been shorter. It has a tendency to jump character perspectives. There were some perspectives that wasn't needed (like the police detective and the sons) and some that made guessing who the murderer is really easy.

Iris Grey has escaped the ruins of her marriage by renting a little cottage in the British countryside. The neighbors, wealthy and eccentric, commission her to paint a portrait of Dominic Wetherby, a famous novelist. As the Wetherby clan celebrates Christmas with a grand party, a body is found on the grounds. Accident, suicide or murder? A combination of a cozy mystery and a good old-fashioned Gothic, this story will have something to please everyone

Iris Grey is looking for a peaceful place to contemplate her marriage at a beautiful cottage owned by the Wetherby family. She is commissioned by Dom Wetherby, a famous author, do paint his portrait. The family seems picture perfect, but at their annual Christmas party, tempers flair and secret threaten to come to light. Then on Christmas morning a body is found in the river. Was it an tragic accident? Or cold blooded murder? Iris is drawn into a world of long hidden secrets, romance and murder.


To me the cover and tittle of the book made me think that this was going to be a cozy mystery, but it was actually quite dark and very intriguing. Iris is a painter but during her stay in Hampshire village she becomes an amateur sleuth. This book had multiple points of view which kept me on my toes. At one point I had a suspect in mind, but then another person became just as much of a suspect. compelling suspect. I look forward to the next book in the Iris Grey series.

This is both a mystery and a character study of a family in crisis, each keeping his or her own secrets. This is a deeply engrossing, beautifully written book with wonderful descriptions such as that of a swan "shaking her feathers like a Brazilian carnival dancer showing off her bejeweled costume" which will make you stop and savor every sentence. The book begins with a death in the river, but you are left wondering who the victim is when the story switches to the Christmas preparations of the Wetherby family and showcases the tensions running throughout the family as well as the story of Iris Grey, an portrait artist in the midst of her own crisis who is renting their cottage and painting a portrait of Dom Wetherby, the head of the family. When the body is finally found and identified it becomes a story of the investigation - suicide or murder, as the complex characters continue to fascinate. Once I started this book I completely ignored everything else going on and kept on turning the pages, eager to continue the sage of Iris and the Wetherby's. This is one of the best books I have read in years, and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store.