“Murder on a Winter Afternoon,” the fifth installment in the Melissa Craig mystery series by Betty Rowlands, is a gripping and atmospheric whodunnit that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Set against the backdrop of a cold wintry English village, Roland skillfully weaves italicize sense and intrigue as amateur sleuth Melissa Craig finds herself entangled in yet another puzzling murder. With its intricate plot, well-developed characters, and a clever blend of clues and red herrings, this book is a delightful addition to the series, offering fans and newcomers alike it captivating and satisfying mystery to unravel.

A dead body at a Cotswolds cottage amidst snow-covered hills... This mystery has all the makings of a cozy winter read! "Murder on a Winter Afternoon" is the perfect accompaniment to a mug of tea on a cold and dreary day.

This was not my type of book and I was very disappointed in it.
I had such high hopes for this book

In the latest book in the Melissa Craig Mystery series, Mel is swept into the investigation of a fellow writer’s death. At the same time, she is also attempting to complete the author’s final novel in time for its publication. The story takes place during the Christmas holidays, the weather is snowy and cold, and the pace is slow but steady.

I always enjoy these books by Betty Rowlands. And, I enjoyed Murder on a Winter Afternoon. As usual, the returning characters were entertaining and the descriptions of the English countryside were delightful. If ever you are in the mood for a gentle cozy with good dialogue, descriptive passages, sprinkles of British vernacular and a top-notch mystery as well, I would highly recommend this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Today I am reviewing #5 of Betty Rowlands’cozy mysteries, Murder on a Winter Afternoon. Remember Melissa Craig, the cozy mysteries writer who solves real murders too? Well, guess what! She can’t stay out of a murder even if she wants to.

This time, Melissa is hired to finish a mystery novel started by another writer who recently passed away. The lady writer Leonora Jewell was old and everyone assumed that she died of natural causes. But, Melissa, in order to finish the book, visits Leonora’s house and there she finds something that looks like a murder weapon. She reports her finding at the police station, but the police can’t find a thing. The murder weapon is gone! So, Melissa, even when specifically ordered not to, starts her own investigation.

Maybe, it was a burgler? Or maybe it has something to do with the book Leonora was writing?

Melissa is not going to involve in the investigation. No, she is just going to satisfy her own curiosity and sense for justice. Just that!

I absolutely love Melissa Craig as a main character. Stubborn, smart, full of imagination, a woman whose fantasy works well both in her books and the real world outside. A younger version of Miss Marple. I love the witty neighbor Iris and her cat. I love these cozy mysteries, written in a old-fashioned way, settled in a rural place, where characters don’t use the modern technology. I know, this story was originally published in 1995 and many things are changed since then. But these cozy mysteries are great relaxation after reading a hard-core thriller with a serial killer in it. This is a perfect read for a cold winter afternoon, settled in an armchair with a cup of warm tea.

MY REVIEW


This is number 5 in fifth Betty Rowlands series of books featuring her heroine, the author, Melissa Craig. This is again set in the Cotswolds, during a snowy winter.

Her vegetarian neighbour and friend, Iris is also part of this story and the usual Police and press characters and her ever faithful agent.

This is a nice, gentle tale with lovely descriptive walks in the snowy countryside along with a search for clues and suspects in the nasty death of a fellow author, Leonora Jewell. The marvellous Gloria also makes her usual appearance.  Melissa is again caught up in all sorts of scrapes and ends up in danger herself, in this charming, well written, cosy mystery. An absolute pleasure to read.

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review

#MurderOnAWinterAfternoon. #netgalley

I throughouly enjoy reading Betty Rowlands' work. Nothing is better than ending my stressful work day with Melissa Craig.

Wonderfully engaging plot, rich with lush descriptions and well-rounded characters.

Murder on a Winter Afternoon, full of novel twists, began when Melissa took an interesting assignment. From there, the story masterfully unfolds.

Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans who love in all things British and fancy a witty female sleuth.

This is a series where the books can be read as stand-alones, but in my opinion should be read in order.

Another instalment in the life of Melissa Craig. This one finds her writing once more, but not for herself. She is tasked with finishing something which brings her closer to danger than she first realises.

A nice easy read. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy.

I can't get enough of this series, the characters soon become friends and I loose myself in the storyline.
A well written "cosy" mystery but with a great plot that will keep you guessing. I am looking forward to reading more.
I would definitely recommend these books if you want a good old fashioned whodunnit to snuggle up with.

This is the first book I have read in this series, but will go back and read the first 4 entries to get more of the background. The series features a great setting and Melissa and her neigbour Iris are great characters. A great cozy mystery series!

I struggled to read the first few pages of this story. I was hoping to truly enjoy it but nothing appealed to me.
I found myself skimming the pages and not really paying attention at all.

Another mystery solved by the crime-loving fictitious author Melissa Craig. Betty Rowland’s’ feisty heroine prevails again in her 5th book in the series and Mel’s adventures continue. This time Mel is asked to finish another author’s final novel after her untimely death during a burglary gone wrong. As she becomes more embroiled in writing the mystery she discovers similar criminal activity happening on her very doorstep.

Melissa Craig,a successful crime novelist, is asked to finish the late Leonora Jewell her final book. Leonora died rather unexpectedly after a nasty fall in her cottage. As Melissa is trying to get as much information as she can in order to accomplish her task successfully, she encounters some discrepancies in different stories ,some things that do not match and all of a sudden poor Leonora's death is perhaps not so straightforward after all...
This is a blend between a cozy/cosy read and a typical English village murder. But it works,it doesn't sound too simplistic, the characters are not overly "vaudeville"and people do more than drink tea and have a chat with the vicar.
And then,an English(Cotswolds I think) village in the winter is always a bit of a winner.

There a different kinds of crime genres. I really like the psychological and the police procedural ones, but every once in a while I can find myself immersed in a cozy mystery. 

This is the 5th book in the series and I have read and enjoyed them all. Melissa, the main character, tries desparately to stay out of trouble, like she always does but never succeeds in. Somehow she can't help herself. She wants to solve the case but this time she needs someone to confide in. No one is better suited for this than a sollicitor, right?

I liked the setting and I was happy to see that Iris was more in the picture again. This is a series that keeps you coming back for more. 5 stars.

Thank you, Betty Rowlands, Bookouture and Netgalley.

In this episode of the Melissa Craig series, the author and amateur detective is asked to ghost write the final chapters of a mystery written by a famous author, who was found murdered in her nearby cottage. But, while doing so, she uncovers some clues as to who killed the author and thus becomes embroiled in three seemingly unrelated mysteries. In this story, the culprit seems to be pretty obvious from the start. So that made it a bit less interesting than previous books in this series. But, I still found the mystery a good one.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC, much appreciated and all comments are my own.
I really look forward to each new addition in this series. I agree with the many other opinions that the series just gets better and better. The books have an authentic feel and Mel, Iris, and all the other characters are very true to life. Any title in this series will be perfect to spend an enjoyable afternoon or evening with. Highly recommend.

The latest book in this series, a series that gets better with each book, does not disappoint. The characters are further developed as the series progresses and now seem like old friends. Melissa has the knack of getting herself into bother and then out of it again. The stories are always interesting and perfectly viable which makes for better reading. Looking forward to reading book 6.

A first time reader of this novelist and I am now hooked. It is part of a series of Melissa Craig mysteries but easily stands alone. Refreshing to read a story without gore, cursing and sex. I don't often give 5 stars but this is a winner. Easy to jump right in and keep turning pages. No need to 'report the book', the jacket cover and others have done this nicely. Enjoy!

This book was provided as an ARC by the publisher via Net Galley for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Murder on a Winter Afternoon is the fifth book in Betty Rowland’s Melissa Craig Mystery series. This story is set in the village of Upper Benbury in the Cotswold Hills. I particularly enjoy cozy mysteries in the Cotswold's and this never disappoints . i enjoy the entire series and do highly recommend it for all that enjoy mysteries.. This is such a well crafted mystery with multi layers and a excellent plot sequence.

Author Melissa Craig has isolated herself to her Hawthorn Cottage to do her rewrites and finished just in time to enjoy Christmas.
Her editor Joe calls her asking her to consider taking on the assignment to finish the chapters of the 100th book written by elderly author Leonora Jewell who has been found murdered not far from Melissa in the Cotswold's.
Melissa arranges to visit the late author’s home to look at her notes and research. As she researches for the assignment she is drawn into the circumstances behind the death of Lenora Jewell Soon she is building clues and a suspect list that may put her in danger as well.
This mystery had such a surprising ending! The story kept me interested and i was unable to figure out the ending. Thank you to the Publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book. My opinions are my own. I highly recommend this mystery series. I look forward to further work by the author.

I’ve had a bit of a binge session reading these books, so I’ll do my reviews all on my post! They are fabulous books to pick up and put down when you have five minutes here and there. The books are all part of the Melissa Craig series, but they can be read as standalone books with no problems at all. They also have all been released under different titles in the past, but the book fairy has come along and brought them right up to date with new covers and titles! They are delightful in the way that they are “cosy crime” books, meaning that there is no blood and gore, no overly violent scenes and a little bit of humour thrown in for good measure. If you like books written by the great Agatha Christie or MC Beaton, then you will love these!

Murder on a Winter Afternoon
This has previously been released as Deadly Legacy. Crime author and amateur sleuth, Melissa Craig is back in this Christmas themed mystery. Following the death of local author, Leonora Jewell, Melissa is asked to finish off Leonora’s last book. But when she visits Leonora’s cottage, she finds an iron blood which is covered in blood and suspects that Leonora was murdered. With the Police not believing her, Melissa decides to investigate Leonora’s death herself.

Murder in the Orchard
This has previously been released as Malice Poetic. Melissa Craig is asked to investigate some threatening notes which have been received by the owner of a nearby country house, but before she can do any kind of investigating, the owner is found dead in his own orchard. Universally hated, Melissa discovers that he wouldn’t have won any prizes in a popularity contest, but who hated him enough to kill him. Can she find the killer before they strike again?

Murder at Larkfield Barn
This has been previously been released as Smiling at Death. We are back in Upper Benbury where Melissa is shocked to discover one of her old neighbours has been murdered and the killer has painted a horrific smile on her face. Looking at her other neighbours and people who live in the Village, is the killer closer to home than Melissa could have imagined?

These were all great books to read. I love the character of Melissa Craig! Being a crime writer, she obviously finds it useful when she is investigating all these terrible murders that she appears to always be caught up in! I would like to imagine her to be your typical quintessential English lady, all dressed in tweed with thick ribbed tights and very sensible shoes, but reality probably has Melissa as a bit more ‘normal’ than that! She comes across as a bit of a “nosey neighbour”, but one that definitely has a heart of hold! One thing you could definitely say of Melissa though is how unlucky she must be to always be around when a murder has been committed!!

The characters, not just in these three books but in all of them I’ve read so far, are fun, interesting and likeable. As the books move on and some of the earlier characters begin to come back into the later stories, you begin to build a relationship with not just Melissa, but some of her friends as well. The locations of the books, and particularly the village of Upper Benbury, are beautifully set and you can just picture Melissa rushing round the countryside looking for clues as you read!

I would whole heartedly recommend these books if you’re after a good old fashioned whodunit! You won’t have to cover your eyes from fear or rest your uneasy stomach after too much blood and gore! What you will get though is a series of very easy to read books that are fun and light-hearted, but with enough crime and mystery to keep you trying to work out the clues before Melissa does!! If you’ve never tried a cosy mystery book before, then what are you waiting for!