Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

Murder at Morrington Hall by Clara McKenna is the first book in the historical cozy A Stella and Lyndy Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book in the A Stella and Lyndy Mystery series will have it’s own mystery to be solved so they can be read as a standalone or any in order if choosing to do so. There will be character development that carries over from book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning.

Stella Kendrick is an American who grew up on the Kentucky countryside where her family raised thoroughbreds. Stella is going to be traveling with her father to England on a business trip to deliver some of their horses. After arriving however Stella finds that her father has arranged her marriage to Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst as part of the deal. Before Stella can even process the news she and her groom to be find the body of the vicar who was supposed to marry them and knew there is a murderer on the loose.

The A Stella and Lyndy Mystery series gained my interest by having not only the element of it being historical but also romance involved in this cozy so I was really hoping to enjoy the mixed genres. However, after reading this one I didn’t really care for most of the characters in the story and felt the romance lacking. The mystery was a decent one but with not connecting to the characters this one turned into a just alright start to this series for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A lovely read. Humorous, lively, with a nice touch of romance. I enjoyed the historical setting as well.

A Dead Vicar In The Library....
American heiress and British aristocrat meet in this historical murder mystery set on the Morrington Hall estate. Amidst a meet of cultures murder rears it’s ugly head when a dead vicar appears in the library! Enjoyable romp, laced with humour and a colourful cast of characters.

I really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere of this book, as I'm a fan of historical fiction, especially today involving lady detectives. I enjoyed the protagonist, Stella. She was a wonderful, delightful character. The problem was that I just could not seem to connect with any of the other characters. They were unlikable and I felt sorry for her for either: being related to her being required to marry her and having to mingle I'm society with her. Honestly I would have liked the marriage to not occur, so that she could go far far away and start her life as a female detective somewhere else in the English countryside. I do understand that this is the first in a series, and I do look forward to book to since I was impressed with the way the author did her characterizations and the plot was solid. It just seemed to drag a bit.

I would like to thank Clara McKenna, Kensington Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and exchange for a fair and honest review.

To be honest, it took me awhile to get into this book. I really wasn't that interested for about the first third, mostly because I wasn't drawn to either of the main characters. Also, pretty much all of the side characters range from flawed to awful. I'm glad I persevered though. Stella and Lyndy get more interesting and likable as the story progresses, and the writing and mystery plot finds steadier legs. Overall a good start to a new 'cozy' mystery series.

Murder at Morrington Hall is the first book in a new historical cozy series by Clara McKenna. Released 28th May 2019 by Kensington, it's 304 pages and available in hardback, ebook, and audio formats. Set in Edwardian England, lead character Stella is one of the 'Million Dollar princesses' who married into the English aristocracy in the late 19th - early 20th centuries.

The book is firmly in the cozy historical murder mystery genre with a romance subplot. As such, the murder is bloodless and the language is clean. There is no graphic violence and no sexual content. The only cursing is an occasional 'bloody' or 'damn'; nothing to make Aunt Sylvia blush.

As far as I've been able to tell, this is the author's debut novel and as such, it's surprisingly good. She's a gifted storyteller with a sure feel for characterization and descriptive narrative. There is some unpolished dialogue, but nothing egregious. I wasn't yanked out of my suspension of disbelief. Some of the characters are a bit two dimensional (her father's a brute and mostly serves as narrative tension). The budding romance and cooperation between Stella and Lyndy starts off at a weird pace but by the middle third of the book, they've sort of found a common footing. There are a number of anachronistic turns of phrase, but all in all, the author has done her background research and the book moves along to a satisfying, if slightly telegraphed, denouement.

I would recommend the book for fans of cozy mysteries looking for a historical series (Downton Abbey meets Daisy Dalrymple). I'll definitely give the next entries in the series a look.

Four stars.

A feisty American heiress travels with her ambitious, horse-raising father from Kentucky to England, where she navigates upper-class British society while solving a mystery at the home of her (unexpected) fiance. The glimpse into pre-WWI life and the historical accuracy of rich American daughters being married into British aristocracy is intriguing. Stella and Lyndy are a delightful pair and I look forward to the next book in the series!

I love a good mystery, especially a good murder mystery. I love a good historical novel. And I love a good romance. Clara McKenna’s Murder at Morrington Hall promises all three. It’s 1905 and American heiress Stella accompanies her father to attend a wedding in the south of England only to discover that she’s the intended bride, traded along with her wealth and a prizewinning racecourse for a title. But Stella, being as spirited as the horses, isn’t having any of it — even though Viscount Lyndhurst, her intended, brings a flutter to her heart. And then there’s a murder.

There’s very little original in fiction, I suppose, which means we judge a book on its execution, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a light-hearted romp through a country house setting, perhaps a little light on the characterisation but great fun to read. It was engaging without being riveting and the characters were likeable. There are humorous touches and a couple of points where I laughed out loud.

The book is the first in a series, which is intriguing because unless something significant happens the romance is effectively concluded (no spoilers but, look, you know whats going to happen). Ms McKenna may surprise me, in future books, though, and actually I’m pretty certain the pairing of Stella and Lyndy is strong enough to stand the test of a happy marriage if that’s what she has planned for them.

I’m looking forward to reading more in this fun, light-hearted series and finding out what high jinks this entertain gin couple get up to in stuffed-shirted Edwardian England.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is a great start to a new series! I love historical mysteries and spent a wonderful day on the beach reading this. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing as to who the villain was. I look forward to Stella and Lyndy’s Next adventures.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a really fun read for me. It was a bit slow in the beginning and a tiny bit overly descriptive but that quickly faded away as the plot picked up pace. The main character, Stella, was very well done and I found that I liked her immensely. She has a very strong personality and it worked well with the story line. I could also relate to her love of horses as I have 4 of my own. Overall, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to book two!

Clara McKenna introduces us to Stella and Lyndy in the Murder at Morrington Hall. 1905 country hall life showcases the murder of a vicar who is racing mad and engaged to marry American heiress Stella to Viscount Lyndhurst. Horse breeding, racing and lordly debts swirl around the scandal. Stella is a reluctant engaged lady and Viscount Lyndy is marrying to save his country estate and acquire magnificent race horses. Stella's father is a bully and millionaire, Lyndy's friend has racing debts, whodunit? Lots of red herrings. Interesting romance blooming amid the crimes. Enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical mystery. If I recall correctly, this is the first in a planned series. I will definitely watch out for the others in the series. The hero and heroine were entertaining and I thought all of the characters were well fleshed out. I did figure out who the murderer was, but not until the last quarter of the book.

What an engaging and exciting debut from Clara McKenna! Set in the very early 1900s in the English countryside, Lord Lyndhurst (Lyndy) is engaged to American horse breeding heiress, Stella Kendrick. Lyndy is resigned to the betrothal to save his aristocratic family from financial ruin, but someone forgot to inform Stella - she was only made aware that she had a fiancé when she arrived at Lyndy’s home! Then the vicar is murdered, things are stolen, and chaos ensues!

McKenna has created a vivid world with interesting characters, and the story is told from a few points of view. I loved experiencing Lyndy and Stella work through their feelings, both for each other and for the unenviable situation (betrothal) dumped upon them. They don’t have simple decisions, and they take their time deciding them. And the mystery takes so many twists and turns, it kept me thoroughly engaged. Can’t wait for the next installment!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Description
Stella Kendrick is an all-American heiress who can’t be tamed. But when the lively aspiring equine trainer tangles with British aristocracy, she meets her match—and a murderer . . .

Spring, 1905: Free-spirited like the Thoroughbreds she rides across the Kentucky countryside, Stella takes adventure by the reins when she’s asked to attend a mysterious wedding in rural England. But once she arrives at the lush Morrington Hall estate, her cold and ambitious father confesses that he won’t only give away his best racehorses as gifts—he has also arranged to give away his daughter as bride to the Earl of Atherly’s financially strapped son . . .

Stella refuses to be sold off like a prized pony. Yet despite a rough start, there’s something intriguing about her groom-to-be, the roguish Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst. The unlikely pair could actually be on the right track with each other . . . until they find the vicar who was to marry them dead in the library. With culture clashes mounting between families, a scandalous murder case hangs over Morrington Hall. Now, Stella and Lyndy must go from future spouses to amateur sleuths as they team up to search for the truth—and prevent an unbridled criminal from destroying their new life together right out of the gate.

My Review:

I just love this book. I could not put down until the very end. It leaves you guessing and surprises which is the type of book I thoroughly enjoy reading. I especially liked Stella’s character, well done.

This book was provided for free in exchange for my honest opinion. So, my recommendation is to definitely purchase the book, you will not be disappointed.

I thought this was a fun cozy mystery that kept me guessing who the murderer was until the end. I liked the main characters of Lyndy and Stella, and thought they made a good couple. I had great sympathy for Stella and the unexpected dilemma she was facing due to the cruelty and uncaring of her father. It took me a little bit longer to warm up to Lyndy, but by the end of the book I had decided he would make a good husband for Stella.

For some reason, I had problems smoothly shifting back and forth from the point of view of Lyndy or Stella. I also got tired of Stella’s dad being so obnoxious, but it did serve its purpose in the storyline. These are just minor things, and I’m looking forward to reading more of their story in the next book in the series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this but the style is really putting me off. It tries to convey the historical setting by having the narrative refer to the leads parents as 'Mother', and 'Father', or even 'Daddy'. To me that was distracting and contrived. It made the story sound immature and silly.
Pity, because that cover is lovely.

A slightly different take on the trope of the American heiress in England - our couple finds themselves engaged to each other, and in the middle of a mystery. Some nice character tension, and interesting plot. Recommend.
I provided this honest review in exchange for a free advance reader's copy.

An American heiress “fish-out-of-water” in England, romance, horses, the Edwardian era, and murder – all of these elements caught my eye and come together to make a marvelous first book in the Stella and Lyndy Mystery series by Clara McKenna.

Stella, daughter of a self made Kentucky horseman, finds herself on the auctioning block when she and her odious father travel to England under the guise of selling some prize horses to Lord Atherly. Stella is stunned to find out that she is part of the bargain, betrothed to the Atherly’s son Lyndy. When the local vicar, who was supposed to perform the wedding, is found murdered, the prize stallion stolen, and a houseguest attacked, Stella and Lyndy combine forces to get to the bottom of it all…and they might fall in love along the way.

I really like no-nonsense Stella. She is smart, independent (especially given the era), and spunky, all qualities that make her a wonderful amateur sleuth. At first, I did not like Lyndy much, but he grew on me, morphing from a stuck up, entitled heir to worthy fiancé. The pair has good chemistry from the start, and I look forward to seeing how they progress in future installments, both romantically and as investigative partners. The supporting characters are varied and interesting, if unlikable at times, and I enjoyed getting to know them all. I do hope that Lady Atherly eases up on Stella.

The mystery is complex with enough red herrings to keep me guessing until the very end. I truthfully did not know the killer’s identity. The pace of the tale is nice and steady, and there is plenty of period detail to ring true. MURDER AT MORRINGTON HALL is thoughtful and entertaining. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Kensington Publishers’ generosity, I received an ARC of this title through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Wow was this disappointing. The main characters weren't really investigating but would run into clues. I'm not sure how the Stella figured everything out. She seemed more worried about her cardboard villain father and being a fish out of water. Lyndy drove me crazy because he had a suspicion that his friend wasn't telling the truth but didn't talk to him about it until the end. There was so much time having Stella be unladylike and her father being fat and uncouth. Please, writers in general, stop describing fat people as if they were part of a horror story. I'm tired of reading about a fat character where every descriptor used makes me ill. Other people aren't described with this intensity of body horror.

I did like the detective character. I preferred his point of view then the main characters.