Very well written police procedural with an excellent plot and fantastic characters. Maybe a couple of coincidences that are too beneficial, but this is fiction, and it makes the pace very good.

This is the first Sukey Reynolds book I've read and it is a good book to read for a visit to the Cotswolds. I enjoyed the descriptions of the lovely countryside and a look into the life of a dedicated law and officer and mother.

When a hideous murder occurs, Sukey is drawn into solving the crime as it is her ex-husband's new rich wife who has been killed. At the urging of their son, Fergus, Sukey balances the love of a mother wanting to help her son exonerate his father with the prospect of losing her job. Paul, her estranged husband is all too happy to rely on her help. Sukey must solve the case and not lose her job or become the killer's next victim.

The book was fast moving and the characters were fascinating. Sukey and DC Jim Castle were a good match and I liked the respect each had for the other's opinions. Fergus and his girlfriend, Anita, bring a nice balance to the book. The book was full of "red herrings", which I love and while I thought I knew "whodunit", I was wrong!

I'll go back and read the first book - I think it would give me a deeper understanding of the characters and their motivations. So, another visit with Sukey is on the books!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of the book.

This is Book 2 in the Sukey Reynolds Mystery series, and I can't believe I loved it even more than Book 1, which was really great.
Sukey is a photographer for the police department, but has a sharp mind and thinks like a detective. She is a single mother of a teen age son,Fergus, and slowly starting to venture into the dating scene.
Sukey's ex-husband, Paul, has remarried a wealthy, shrewd business woman, Myrna, who has a reputation among those close to her as being ruthless. When Sukey is unexpectedly called to Paul's house to photograph a crime scene for a robbery, she finds that Myrna has been brutally murdered. All fingers point to Paul as the prime suspect because many know of the the tension and lack of affection that has been part of Paul and Myrna's marriage.
Fergus and Sukey are firm in their belief that Paul could not have committed this vicious crime, and they keep digging around to find clues as to who else could have killed Myrna. As more evidence come to light, the list of suspects grows and the book takes a few twists and turns to see you guessing.
I am truly looking forward to the next Sukey book.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy from which I wrote an unbiased review.

Death at Dearley Manor by Betty Rowlands is the second book in the Sukey Reynolds Mystery series and I just loved it.
This book is set in the gorgeous country house owned by a very wealthy woman called Myrna who is married to Sukey's ex Husband Paul Reynolds. Myrna was very manipulative and controlling and a tyrant. She was not liked by many who worked for her and who knew her.
Paul is the main suspect in her murder and has many reasons why he wanted her dead.
Sukey has been asked to step away from this murder case but their teenaged son Fergus want's her to get involved as he doesn't believe his dad Paul is capable of murdering his wife.

So who murdered Myrna?

Are more people going to be murdered and are they related to Myrna's Murder?

Blimey I was gripped from the first few pages and just loved this second book.

Highly recommend this book and so looking forward reading this third book in the Sukey's series.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this brilliant book for me to read for my review.

procedural, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, female-sleuth, England *****

Sukey is a civilian Scene of Crime Officer and is called to photograph at an estate, first to a barn arson and then to a break in at the manor house. At the house, things are disordered but it's hard to determine what's missing because the lady of the house is still sleeping following last night's party. Only she's not sleeping. Sukey finds the body. She has to do her job, but the deceased is the woman Sukey's husband left her for. The whole thing is a monstrous mess and just keeps getting worse! It really is a gripping mystery and I really had to keep reading until finished!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

Death at Dearley Manor is the second book in the series featuring ambitious amateur sleuth and police photographer Sukey Reynolds from the Queen of cosy mysteries. Originally written in the 1990s the book hasn't aged well but that is certainly part of its charm, in my opinion. It took me back to my formative years with the spot-on descriptions of 90s Britain. There are plenty of twists in the tale, and I appreciated that we saw more of Sukey as the central character this time. She's astute, intelligent and a very likeable protagonist; it seems Ms Rowlands has a knack for creating exceptionally enjoyable characters, just as she did with Melissa Craig, a series I adored.

The downfall of living in a small rural community means that Sukey, as a police photographer, can be called to photograph scenes that she knows all too well. She also knows the residents of those homes. Here, she is shocked to be the first to discover the body of the affluent woman Sukey's husband, Paul, left her for, despite having been called to Dearley Estate to merely investigate a robbery. I look forward to seeing Sukey develop over the course of the thirteen books and for readers to take her to their hearts as they did Melissa Craig. Recommended to those who enjoy cosy mysteries and those who loved her magical Melissa Craig series. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

I like Betty Rowlands' books and I like this series.
This is an entertaining and engaging book, the characters are fleshed out, and the mystery keep you guessing till the end.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was slightly different to the previous book and I did prefer the way this book was written to the first as Sukey is more of a main character. I really like the characterisation in this book however I guessed very early on (correctly) who had committed the murder and I felt that it was a bit too obvious and clichéd.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

When it looks like her ex-husband (and father of her son) has brutally murdered his rich tyrant of a wife, Sukey begins to investigate. Although not an actual police officer and removed from the case, she is able to wheedle information from unsuspecting places. A few things in this story had me scratching my head. I think I would have been fine with them if I just read the book for casual enjoyment, but I get a bit too involved in reading mysteries and therefore seem to hold them to higher standards. While Sukey is on her way to becoming a younger Ms. Marple, she needs to work on her deduction skills so that she is actually solving the crimes, not having them happen to be solved around her. However, I was glad to see that she played a more central role in the story line. Hopefully that will continue.

This is the second in the series of Betty Rowlands new Sukey Mystery series and it is quiet a good read, with plenty of twist and turns and more bodies - enjoyable and easy to read.

When SOCO Sukey Reynolds is sent to gather evidence from a break in at a manor house, she realizes it is her ex husband’s home and responds, hoping she won’t run into the new Mrs. Unfortunately Sukey does more than run into her, she finds her body in her bedroom where she was violently murdered. Having to be removed from the case due to her relationship with the main suspect, she still believes he is innocent and for the love of their son, she finds herself inserting herself when she should be staying far, far away.

Just how far will Sukey go to help her ex for the sake of her son, Gus? Not only does this murder put Sukey’s relationship with her inspector boyfriend Jim in danger, it puts HER clearly in the killer’s line of sight.

The second book in the series is just as much of a page turner as the first. While you will want to read the first one, because it’s that good, you don’t need to read it before this one, as this serves just fine as a stand alone. Absolutely adore this series and am off to read the next in the series. A great cozy series to add to your must read list!

Called to a break-in at Dearley Manor, police photographer Sukey Reynolds discovers a body. It's the lady of the manor, currently married to Sukey's ex-husband.

Despite being officially taken off the case, Sukey has to try and prove Paul's innocence, despite him being prime suspect

Another very easy read from Betty Rowlands. Her investigator Sukey Reynolds leads you one way and then another to solve the murders.

Sukey has a hard time staying out of this case of death at Dearley mamor as it involves her ex husband. She and her son can't believe that he done it. Lots of twists that keeps you wondering who actually is the killer.

The second in the Sukey Reynolds series. This novel focuses on Sukey’s ex - Paul Reynolds and his vicious second wife Myrna. Seven years after leaving Sukey for Myrna, Paul realizes he has made a mistake. Myrna has tired of Paul and has been flaunting other men as well as women. In his face. Their marriage has deteriorated to mutual loathing of each other. However, Paul is not the only one to hate Myrna, she has made enemies of all of the directors of the company she inherited from her father. When Myrna is found brutally murdered there are many suspects, chiefly her husband. Paul enlists Sukey’s aid, and due to the pleading of their son, Gus, Sukey reluctantly tries to help Paul. These actions by Sukey get her into hot water with her police supervisors and damage her relationship with DI Castle.
Another really good read by Betty Rowlands. I am really enjoying this new series.
Many thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an electronic arc. I recommend.

This is the second Sukey Reynolds book, and like the Melissa Craig series before it, I've got another amateur detective that I'm enjoying reading about. As a rule, I'm not that keen on so-called cosy mysteries. I don't know that I'd entirely label this series as that. It's not particularly dark or nasty, but a lot more true to life than some of the comedy style cosy mysteries. I prefer to call this type a classic mystery myself.
This time the Sukey find's that the murder is close to home, with her ex-husband being married to the victim and therefore a potential suspect himself. Sukey is not able to be involved directly in the investigation herself and she hands the SOCO work over to a colleague. But, with her son, Gus, worried about his father, she can't help but try and help to get to the bottom of who has committed the murder.
Unfortunately, this time I didn't solve the mystery. There were plenty of suspects that might have been guilty and I just didn't guess right. I really enjoyed reading it though and I can't wait to read her next mystery.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Scene of crime officer Sukey Reynolds is called to investigate a barn fire on the Dearley Manor estate & then is called to a seemingly routine break-in at the beautiful Dearley Manor, but when she arrives, she is shocked to find the body of someone she knows all too well. The owner of Dearley Manor is none other than Myrna the wealthy woman whom Sukey’s husband, Paul Reynolds, left her for… And she has been brutally murdered.
With her close personal connection, Sukey is officially pulled off the case, however as the police close in on Paul, convinced he is guilty, Sukey realises she has no choice but to try and prove his innocence. He may not have been the world’s best husband, but he’s no killer.
When yet another woman on the Estate is found dead, Sukey fears that anyone who knows too much about the troubled family is in danger from a ruthless murderer.
The second book in the series which could easily be read on its own but the events do take place a couple of months after the first book & there is the continuing thread of both Sukey & Fergus’ romances. Another well written page turning read, that I read in a sitting. I was drawn in from the first page & even though Paul was a cheat I was routing for him not to be the murderer. Sukey of course can’t keep away from the case & by chance finds herself the confidante of a couple of people. I'm hooked on the series & hope the rest are re released
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Wow im absolutely loving this series from Betty Rowlands, the Suky Reynolds are just as good as the Melissa Craig series .

A murder very close to home proves to be a bit of a tough case for Suki and those close to her but will it be the end of her career or the start of a new beginning ?

I loved this book and would highly recommend it to all. It has a great story line, brilliant main characters and is a real page turner. I couldn't put this book down.

The second in the series of single mom Sukey, who does photography for the police department. When she comes across the murdered wife of her ex-husband, it is really hard to stay out of the search for the killer. Since her ex is naturally the main suspect, it is hard to tell her son no when he asks her to help. A well written story line, full of rich characters that keep the reader guessing who is the real killer. I enjoy how the author lets us see through Sukey's eyes, and piece together the clues as she finds them. If you like cozy mysteries you will love this one. Highly recommend this book and author.