I have loved this cosy old fashion mystery this is the series of books for you. Murder at the Old House
by Betty Rowlands is the omg 10th book in the Melissa Craig series and I have loved reading them. One thing I liked about this series was I never read them in order and I found you could pick these up at any time and get a great feel for these books as they are so easy to read and enjoy.

Highly Recommend this book if you Love Old fashion Mystery who done it books.

Big thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC.

Tenth book in this engaging series.So so involving great characters,twisty turning mystery.Already looking forward to next in series.#netgalley#bookouture

A thrilling read which kept me turning the pages, characters you care for and just brilliantly written. Great novel!!

As with most of the series, this can be read as a standalone, although you get a better sense of Melissa and other characters if you've read others too. A great writing style that draws you in straight away and Melissa is a great character. There is usually good twist involved and this was no exception.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

After reading book 9 in this series, I was beginning to worry that it was losing its appeal. However, this episode was much more entertaining. Melissa's estranged father is found murdered and her mother is the main suspect. So, Melissa travels to their town, along with her agent (and new love interest) Joe, to see what she can do to help. The story has several twists and turns and the new characters add some spice to the story. Loved this one!

A fast paced, well written and engaging book.
This is the tenth book in the series and as always they are a brilliant read
Can’t wait for the next one

This is the 10th book in the Melissa Craig series. Melissa has not seen her parents for 30 years after a major falling out with her father and asked to leave home. She is called home to the murder of her father and her mother is number one suspect. When another murder occurs the police are determined to make her mother confess. Her mother’s collapse and asking Melissa to find the killer sets her off on an investigation of her own. This is a good stand alone mystery. You do not need to have read previous books to enjoy this story.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

These books can easily be read as stand alone novels but reading them in order allows you to follow the progress and relationships between the characters.
They are wonderful cosy mysteries but very well written and they keep you guessing, I am totally addicted to them and highly recommend them.

Murder at the Old House, by Faith Martin is the #10 in the Melissa Craig Cozy Mystery series. Set in the the beautiful Cotswolds.

While this is #10, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Faith Martin has again created a marvellously intriguing plot with many interesting and well rounded characters. What scrapes is Melissa going to get herself into this time…..

A thoroughly engaging mystery with a slightly darker atmosphere as Melissa’s mother is accused of murder in this twisty cosy thriller with plenty to keep you guessing….perfect.

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

I never get tired of this series; this installment does not disappoint, either with the plot, or the development of the main characters, and there is always a twist! It was also good to get some of the back-story of Melissa's family. The sub-title says it all: A completely addictive cozy mystery novel!

Returning to the Cotswold's for the 10th book in the Melissa Craig series is delightful and I always enjoy her wonderful writing and setting of this series.. Melissa is a likable savvy protagonist who always solves her cases with a variety of suspects and clues. Melissa is contacted by her estranged mother when her mother is suspected of killing her father. After 30 years without contact, Melissa returns to her home town and tries to help even with their difficulties. This was a different departure from the previous in series with the family drama foremost of the story but as always entertaining and enjoyable to read. The sleuth was a great whodoneit with a surprising conclusion. I always enjoy this series for its fine writing and spectacular setting
I recommend this book. Thank you for the ARC. My opinion is my own.

Previously published as “The Fourth Suspect”, Murder at the Old House (A Melissa Craig Mystery Book 10) is a well-plotted cozy thriller hybrid. Estranged from her parents, due to the typical ideological differences seen between different generations, Melissa delves head first into a too-close-to-home death investigation. Donning her ‘virtual’ trench coat, even though she had decided to put her amateur sleuthing aside, she begins to question what she thought she knew and what is indeed the truth regarding her parents’ marriage.

As with all of the books in the series, thus far, Rowlands presents a winding plot, featuring realistic characters. To my delight, Rowlands has continued to depart from settings and predictable storylines, as seen with books 8 and 9. She has begun transporting the reader into a more intimate cases, which resonated with me.

Recommended for readers who enjoy reading a series of cozies that, while linked by a main character, change in intensity as the series progresses.

I received this book via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. Returning to the Cotswolds for the 10th book in the Melissa Craig series is always enjoyable. This can be read as a stand-alone. I like the change in location for this book from the others in the series. This time, Melissa is contacted by her estranged mother, only to learn that her mother is suspected of killing her father. After almost 30 years without contact, Melissa returns to her home town and tries to help, while dealing with lots and lots of emotional challenges. Finding out about her parents’ lives and watching her interactions with her mother makes this an interesting addition to this series. I recommend this book.

Fast-paced, engaging and well written, Murder at the Old House is the 10th book in the Melissa Craig series.

Melissa receives news that her father, whom she hasn’t seen in ages, has been brutally murdered and her mother, who couldn’t hurt a fly, is the prime suspect.
Being sure of her mother’s innocence, she decides to conduct her own investigation and try to uncover the truth. But the deeper she digs, the more she learns about her seemingly upright and righteous father.

Then another murder is committed.

Who wanted her father dead and why? Was the motive for murder work-related or personal? Are the two murders related? And why is Melissa’s mother acting strange?

Thanks to the author, Bookouture and the NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

The latest Melissa Craig mystery focuses on her personal life, but there is still a murder to solve, with numerous suspects, an unhelpful police detective and danger for the intrepid, crime writer and unwilling detective.

Melissa has finally finished her long-running detective series and decides it's time for some relaxation, vowing to stop investigating murders in real life too. It's time for a change in her personal life too with the departure of Ken Harris her longtime love interest but unsurprisingly, fate catapults her back to a former life with the unexpected death of her estranged father.

When she travels to her childhood home, she finds her mother a shell of the woman she remembers and the prime suspect for her father's murder. Despite the way, they treated her when she was at her most vulnerable, she has to help, find the real killer.

Melissa faces her most dangerous and difficult investigation, without Ken's calming presence. However, she is not alone, as someone who she has kept out of her personal life, offers her much needed support.

The characters are as expected, complex and authentic, the police detective is not only dismissive of Melissa's investigative talent but in danger of missing the obvious because of his lack of experience and skill in detecting crime.

The plot twists are well thought out, the pacing fast, and the characters and setting perfect for this type of cozy mystery. The ending is cleverly crafted and ties up all the clues perfectly.

'Murder at the Old House' can be read as a standalone mystery, but this series is addictive, and every murder mystery lover deserves to read the whole series.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I suppose that I'm starting to be monotonous but I have to write again the same thing: this series improves with each new installment.
This one was brilliant, engaging and entertaining.
I don't know if these books can be classified as cosy mysteries or whodunnit but i don't care as I enjoyed all them.
I loved the mystery as much as I loved the developments in Mel life.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine

Our heroine is Melissa 'Mel' Craig, a successful British author of mystery novels. This is actually the tenth in the Melissa Craig novels written by successful British author of mystery novels Betty Rowlands, but Murder at the Old House is completely stand alone.

After thirty years of estrangement Melissa is notified by the police in her village in Cotswold of the gruesome murder of her father Frank Ross, and the possible arrest for that murder of her mother Sylvia in Thames Valley. It is obvious early on that the father was abusive in a psychological way with both Melissa and Sylvia, and that Sylvia is confused and in poor health. Melissa is tasked by her mother to find the murderer of her father, much to the ire of DI Adair, the young police detective inspector in charge of the murder case.

Rowlands writes a tight, fast tale, with a clean, easily followed story line and realistic characters. Her descriptive passages take you to spring in England. She is an author to follow. I am pleased to recommend her to friends and family.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, author Betty Rowlands, and publisher Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

A few months ago, I decided to stop reading blurbs. The cover is more than enough for me to know whether a book is for me, yes or no. I have to say that I enjoy reading even more because I have the 100% surprise element now. I felt that I was often lead by my brain in a certain direction as well, but not anymore. I go with the flow.

That's why this was such fun after devouring the prologue, because I had no idea what was coming. I thought it was just brilliant. The author has captured my attention my attention once again and I often have said that this one or that one was my favourite. I have to change my mind once more. THIS is by far my favourite.  It's such a wonderful series. Of course you don't have to take my word for it. You can find out for yourself and you will have to admit that I am right.

I can hardly wait for the next part. The more I read this author's books, the more I want more of them. I loved it! 5 stars, no doubt about that.

Thank you, Betty Rowlands, Bookouture and Netgalley.

Another superb old fashioned detective story. Though it may seem to plod along without the suspense of the more modern mystery murder thriller, the stories still feel good and the descriptiveness of both the surroundings, the incidents and the characters are all spot on.


This particular story is definitely different as it hits closer home. Melissa has just finished her last book and looks forward to a rest. She receives the news that her father from whom she has been estranged for years is dead and she now needs to get back to her mother with whom she has never had any contact since she left home and try to find out what has happened.

Frank her father she discovers has not been quite good! giving an appearance of being a church warden and a man of strict moral ethics and principles he seems to be just the opposite and her mother is quite a helpless sort of woman who has never had the courage to take a stand. When her mother is arrested for her husbands murder and (released quickly) Melissa knows she has to take the investigation under her wing to try to find out what actually happened. It does not help that she is also not very sure whether her mother is the murderer or not!

Coping with an investigation on the one hand, Melissa has also got to balance an emotional reunion with her mother who does not seem to be quite aware of the gravity of her situation.



Good reading in an old fashioned sense.