The synopsis of this story is what drew me to this book right away. I thought that the idea of having a couple disappear never to be seen again sounded very real. There's actually a story local to me about a couple that disappeared 15 years ago in Philadelphia and still have not been seen or found in that time. It hit a little close to home. I really liked that it was at a later time too that they were brought back to solve the case. There were a lot of questions surrounding the case, and it was cool to see after over twenty years, that there was still so much interest. There was a long list of suspects and they all had a motive so that made it exciting to see where this was going to end up. 

I had a lot of interest in the story, but the details and the writing fell a little flat for me. I think this was a very good mystery for it's genre, but the writing just wasn't the main point of excitement here. I think if the details were a little more in depth and the writing was the bigger part of interest with dialogue, etc., this book would be a five-star rating from me. 

The characters weren't as big of a point for me in this book as they should have been. As this is a series, I wasn't sure if I was missing a part of these characters due to the fact that I hadn't read the previous two. I went to the Goodreads page to see if there were issues for anyone else regarding this and I found that you should be able to read this novel first as a standalone. I still don't know if that's true, I guess I'll have to find out!

During this crazy time in the United states and around the world, I'd definitely recommend this book to someone who likes a cozy mystery. If you're stuck in the house, definitely give this series a try! It was definitely fast-paced and will give you a treat for the next however many weeks!

EXCERPT: Puck didn't expect to find a body. She certainly hadn't been looking for a skeleton of a man no one seemed to remember. How she had mourned him when he disappeared. Her mother told her to stop snivelling, that at fourteen she had no idea what love was.

But she did know!

Now, so many years later, she was still at Oxley Manor, and this morning she was hiding from her mother - as usual. The absurdity that she was thirty-eight years old and still trying to escape Mummy wasn't lost on her. If her beloved cottage hadn't been gifted to her, she would leave Oxley. Maybe.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: An English manor home, an unsolved mystery, too many suspects to count… It’s the perfect holiday for romance novelist Sara Medlar.

After solving two murder cases in their hometown of Lachlan, Florida, Sara Medlar, her niece Kate and their friend Jack need a change of scenery. Sara arranges for them to visit an old friend of hers in England. Upon arrival at Oxley Manor, a centuries-old estate that has been converted to a luxury hotel, Kate and Jack quickly realize that Sara is up to something. They learn that Sara has also invited a number of others to join them at Oxley.

When everyone assembles, Sara lets them know why they are there. Decades earlier, two people ran off together from Oxley and haven’t been heard from since—and Sara wants to solve the case. As the people who were there the night the two went missing, the guests find themselves cast in a live mystery-theater event.

In reenacting the events of that night, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide and no one is safe, especially when the discovery of a body makes it clear that at least one of the people who disappeared was murdered.

Sara, Jack and Kate are once again at the heart of a mysterious case that only they are able to solve. But someone is willing to continue to kill to keep the truth about Oxley Manor buried, and none of the guests are safe.

MY THOUGHTS: I liked the gist of this story but really, it was too long. I loved the characters...Sara, a well known romantic novelist who has developed a penchant for solving real life mysteries; Jack and Kate, her proteges; Puck, whose mother appears to detest her; Clive, the hanger-on; Nadine, so beautiful, so lonely; Willa, who just wants to be loved; Diana, earmarked to marry the heir to Oxley Manor, but who disappears the same night as Sean, the stable manager; Byon the poet; Nicky, heir to Oxley; Mrs Aiken, housekeeper and Puck's mother; and Bella, friend of Sara and current owner of Oxley.

This book had the potential to be really suspenseful, but it wasn't. Oxley is an old Manor House with its own chapel, graveyard, an attic and, no doubt, a cellar. A lot could have been made of the setting, but this was an opportunity missed to create a really atmospheric read.

It was interesting, and while I wouldn't call it 'irresistible' it was certainly intriguing enough to keep me reading. There are plenty of suspects for the title of murderer, all with motive and opportunity.

I did not realise, when I picked this book up, that A Forgotten Murder is the third in a series. While it does work as a stand alone, personally I would have liked a little more information on how Jack and Kate came to be involved with Sara. I enjoyed this enough that I intend to read the first two books in the series just to find out.

This is a cosy mystery. There are references to violence and sex, but no graphic descriptions.

🤫🗝💌.5

THE AUTHOR: Jude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.

She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Mira US & Canada for providing a digital ARC of A Forgotten Murder by Jude Devereux for review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

The chapters in the story alternate between current times and the past. The first half of the book was a bit slow and I almost gave up. It did improve, but I still found it quite disjointed. I'm not sure if it's because this is part of a series, but I felt something was missing.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

A Forgotten Murder, by Jude Deveraux, is available at booksellers on 3-10-2020. Forgotten is book 3 in Ms Deveraux's Medlar Mystery series. Although a stand-alone story I felt that there was more I needed to know. We're told very little about what brought these 3 sleuths together. I would have liked a little, just a little, more sense of what happened before Forgotten. I also felt the ending was abrupt. No lead into the next novel, not really satisfactory for me. I've rated 4 stars because the story is so darn good, I couldn't give 5 because of my little disappointments.

Although the series is Medlar Mystery, Sara Medlar is an author, I thought Jack was the better main character. His lines were the best, like Ms Deveraux has a favorite character. He's a good one, I was invested in his journey. Kept waiting for him to kiss Kate, Sara's niece, but it never happened! Guess it'll happen in a later book. Or will it? Kate was bland & didn't have much to do.

A Forgotten Murder is a terrific "English" murder mystery. There's an old, falling down manor house, efforts to keep it going, quirky English people, horses, and lots of stomping across fields. I think you'll like it and, like me, want to know more. I look forward to the next book.

#JudeDeveraux #AForgottenMurder #MedlarMystery #Netgalley #MIRA #Harlequin

It was an entertaining and fun read, well written and engrossing.
I loved the mystery, the well thought cast of characters and the setting.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

For anyone who began reading romance in the 1980s as I did, Jude Deveraux is a well-known author. I cut my teeth on her romance books back in the day. And to be completely honest, it’s probably been years since I read one of her books because historical romance fell into a category for me that became the least of my favorites to read once I found Nora Roberts. So imagine my surprise at finding out that over the years that I wasn’t quite paying attention to what she was releasing, Ms. Deveraux has been writing more contemporary romance. And romantic suspense at that! A Forgotten Murder is book three in her Medlar Mystery series. I missed books one and two, but I’ll most definitely be going back to read them soon because while this book can be read as a standalone, I felt I was missing something where Jack and Kate are concerned. I’m a curious, sometimes nosey, person, so I have to know what I’m missing!

A Forgotten Murder was very much, at least in my head, like reading a modern-day telling of Clue. There’s a murder to solve and too many options for the who, the what, and the where. This murder happens to be a twenty-year-old murder that this trio of amateur sleuths happens upon when they are really hoping for a vacation from everything, including sleuthing. With some old fashioned detective work, and some rather unorthodox methods, as well, Sara, Kate, and Jack strive to figure out more than one whodunit.

NICUnurse’s Rating: It goes without saying that this author is a master storyteller. Her career speaks for itself. And I’m a huge romantic suspense/suspense fan, so combining those two factors had me fairly giddy as I began reading this story. With more twists and turns than a Colorado mountain road, this book had me turning the pages and not wanting to put it down until the very end. Needless to say, I’m still a big fan of Jude Deveraux’s writing!

I give A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux 5 out of 5 stars!

Because it's my first book from this series and apparently it's the third book, I kinda bit lost in the first few pages, but after I got the hang of it, I just can't stop, the mystery is so intriguing, and the back and forth between the past and the present makes everything more fascinating, I suspect everyone and the more I read the more I'm hooked. Then add the interactions between Jack, Kate and Sarah, makes this book unputdownable.
Everything is in perfect proportion, the mystery, the suspense, the sweetness, yup all is perfect, therefore I love it a lot.

If you're looking for easy-to-read mystery book, you have to read this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I tore through it during a road trip to visit family several states away. I read it was part of a series but the synopsis was so intriguing I requested the eARC from NetGally anyway. I am so glad I did.

Even though there are references to the earlier books/cases our main characters have been involved in, I was never too lost to distract me. I am so in love with the characters in this book I plan to buy the previous novels as well.

There was nothing I could complain about for too long, because as soon as it upset me...our wonderful author helped us figure out why this was said or done.

I will say my one complaint is that Puck is treated so poorly by so many people. But again that is explained. And it proved necessary to the plot.

I will say I rarely give 5 stars, but this has earned one of my few 5 star ratings.

Thank you NetGalley, Jude Deveraux and Harlequin publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I was unable to provide a review due to a chronic neurological condition. However, I did post a feature or spotlight for the book with social media promotions linked to the post. Specifically, I promoted the post on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter tagging the author and publisher when possible.

This is the first book in the Medlar Mystery series I read, and I feel that you can read the story without knowing what happened in the previous two stories, but if you want to know how Sara, Kate, and Jack all came to be together (and I do) then you might want to consider reading the series in order.
Sara, Kate, and Jack are leaving sunny Florida for a manor house in England. Drawn there by the unsolved disappearance of two friends over twenty years ago, Sara pulls Kate and Jack with her, telling them that she’s going to send the pair to Scotland for a few days while she stays at Oxley Manor with her friend Bella. When the arrive, they discover that a skeleton’s been found by the fairy like daughter of the cook. Now, more than ever, the trio is determined once and for all to solve the mystery of the disappearance and now murder.
When all the major players from that fateful night arrive, they realize that they all know certain things, but no one knows the complete story. Sara, using her power of writing, and Byon, the playwright that was a part of the group, pair up to write the script of the final scenes of a pack of friends that haven’t laid eyes on each other in over 20 years.
From the complete overhaul of Poorwilla, to Diana’s triumphant reappearance, the cast from that night come back to figure out what happened to Shawn, Mr. Howland, and eventually Nicky.
This is a good story, intriguing, and full of twists and turns. The reason I gave this story 4 stars instead of 5 was that there were times when it dragged. Extraneous information put out like red herrings, but you recognize that they hold no use to the overall story. I’d figured out the killers (yes, more than one) before they were announced, it was a fairly safe bet each time, with the clues laid out for you to pick from like a breakfast buffet laid out on a sideboard in the Oxley Manor dining room. My favorite character, by far, was Puck, the fairy like creature who seemed to be everywhere even as a child.
Definitely a worthy read if you’re a fan of whodunits!
**I was given an ARC of this story by the publisher and Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Sara, a famous author now retired decides to go to England to try and solve a murder from decades ago. She invites her niece Kate and a friend Jack to come along on the ruse that it’s a vacation. When they land in England, they quickly find themselves immersed in the mystery of two missing people and the murder of a third. Things quickly heat up as guests start to arrive. Someone at Oxley Manor was behind the murder and disappearance, but who is it? Everyone involved seems to have had motivate and opportunity to be involved. Will Sara, Kate and Jack figure out who is guilty before it’s too late?

This was the third book in the Medlar Mystery Series, but I read the book as a stand a lone novel. The author did a fabulous job catching up the reader with back stories of the main characters, so it was easy to follow. I enjoyed the story and loved the interaction of characters and plot. Thank you so much to Jude Deveraux, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to read and review.

An Old Manor House Holds the Secret to Murder

Twenty years ago, two young people disappeared during a house party at Oxford Manor. The bodies were never found, and it was assumed they ran off together until Puck, a waif-like young woman who lives on the estate, discovers the remains of one of the missing couple. She tells no one until Sara, Kate, and Jack arrive.

Sara arranged the outing at Oxford Manor run by her friend, Bella. Kate and Jack are scheduled to go on to Scotland, a trip Jack is eager to take, but when Puck tells him about the body, the three decide to stay.

Sara has another surprise planned for the trip. She has invited the group of friends who were at the manor the night of the disappearance. She thinks they may be able to help solve the old murder. From the time the guests arrive, things get complicated and dangerous.

This is an enjoyable cozy mystery. Sara, Kate and Jack make a great team. Sara is eager to solve the mystery and Kate is equally eager to help her. Jack, having experienced their last foray in mystery solving, is not so enthusiastic, but he wants to protect Sara and Kate. This is the third book in the series. I have not read the other two, but this one was fine as a standalone.

The setting is fabulous, an old manor house that has been beautifully restored with a mysterious wilderness on the grounds. The description of the manor’s interior is nothing short of fabulous. It makes you wonder where all the money came from. Apparently it came from Sara, who is a famous novelist, which adds an interesting twist to a plot that is full of them.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

I was really excited to receive this ARC! I haven't read the first two books in this series, but I was still able to follow along and figure out who was who. The book is good, but it isn't great. I'm not a huge fan of the characters, so I probably won't be grabbing the first two books!

Kate, Jack, and Sara need a break after two books of solving murders. Sara decides to fly them all to England, to an estate that her book earning help to reinvigorate. To an estate where a couple ran away twenty years ago and the heir killed himself, maybe because of the couple who disappeared. Now, Sara has invited the group who was there when the two young adults vanished in an attempt to either figure out what happened, or to gather information for the book that she claimed she wasn't writing. Neither Kate nor Jack is amused. Especially when it seems that someone doesn't want the truth of two decades ago uncovered.
If you enjoyed the first two books, you will probably find this one about the same. I find Deveraux to be often uneven, ranging from 2 to 4 stars in my opinion but this one is very much like the first two in this series.

Three stars
This book comes out March 10th
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin-Mira and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

**3.5-stars rounded up**

When romance novelist, Sara Medlar, arranges a trip to the UK for herself, her niece, Kate and their friend, Jack, she has more in mind than a relaxing family vacation.

They are headed to Oxley Manor, a stately British home, that her friend Stella has recently converted, with generous funding from Sara herself, into a luxury hotel.

The Manor house has quite a history, including the disappearance of two young people a couple decades before. Assumed to have run off together, that fact was never confirmed and their whereabouts never discovered.

Sara feels inspired by the mystery and her plan is to go to the house, inviting all the folks who were there the night of the disappearance, to finally weed out the truth.

Then, obviously, she will write a book about it.

This book was such a delight to read. It has a classic cozy mystery format with a fun group of main characters.

I loved Sara, Kate and Jack. Their chemistry is engaging and definitely a hoot to read. Together they bring some serious amateur sleuthing skills and y'all know I eat that stuff up!!

This is actually the third book in the Medlar Mystery series. I haven't read any of the other books and had no problem jumping right into this and enjoying the heck out of it. It was fast paced, with plenty of twists and red herrings.

Since reading this, I have added the first two books in the series to my 'to be read' list and definitely plan to get to them. I think with these three solving mysteries, my attention could be held for years to come.

Although the ending got truly wild, I am so happy to have a new go-to cozy mystery series.

Thank you so much to the publisher, MIRA, for reaching out and bringing this book to my attention. Also, a hearty thank you to them for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity and it is clear y'all know my tastes!

Let me begin by saying if you haven't read the first two books in this series you will want to do so quickly after you read this one!

Ms.Deveraux is a master at storytelling. As well as creating the best characters.

A little backstory for you. 

Sara Medlar is a successful romance writer from Florida. Her partners in meddling are her niece Kate and her godson, Jack. 

Soon after solving a couple of murders in their own town, Sara has decided they need a holiday. An old friend of hers in England owns an enormous estate with a rich and sketchy past. Now, it is a hotel but closes in March for the neverending repairs and renovations such as an old place needs. A perfect time for a visit from the woman who bankrolled the renovations.

Sara has also invited a number of other people and Kate and Jack are puzzled and know immediately that she is up to something. But what? Is she writing a book? Doing research? Or is it something more dangerous?

When the motley crew arrives, Sara lets them in on why they have been summoned. 

Decades ago, this group was here in this house when two people ran off and were never heard from again. Sara intends to uncover what happened to the couple by casting the group in a Hercule Poirot type of theatrical event.

What the group doesn't know is...no, I'm not spoiling it for you! Suffice it to say that no one is what they say they are and you will not believe the ending! This time our author, Sara, may not live to write the tale!

The characters in this were brilliantly done. I love Sara, Jack, and Kate. The secondary characters were awful at first glance but in the end, my heart hurt for a few.

I absolutely adored this one!

NetGalley/ March 10th, 2020 by MIRA

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Forgotten Murder

Author: Jude Deveraux

Book Series: Medlar Mystery Book 3

Rating: 3/5

Publication Date: March 10, 2020

Genre: Mystery

Recommended Age: 16+ (TW rape mention , alcohol, drugs mention, violence, gore, language)

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 400

Amazon Link

Synopsis: An English manor home, an unsolved mystery, too many suspects to count… It’s the perfect holiday for romance novelist Sara Medlar.

After solving two murder cases in their hometown of Lachlan, Florida, Sara Medlar, her niece Kate and their friend Jack need a change of scenery. Sara arranges for them to visit an old friend of hers in England. Upon arrival at Oxley Manor, a centuries-old estate that has been converted to a luxury hotel, Kate and Jack quickly realize that Sara is up to something. They learn that Sara has also invited a number of others to join them at Oxley.

When everyone assembles, Sara lets them know why they are there. Decades earlier, two people ran off together from Oxley and haven’t been heard from since—and Sara wants to solve the case. As the people who were there the night the two went missing, the guests find themselves cast in a live mystery-theater event.

In reenacting the events of that night, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide and no one is safe, especially when the discovery of a body makes it clear that at least one of the people who disappeared was murdered.

Sara, Jack and Kate are once again at the heart of a mysterious case that only they are able to solve. But someone is willing to continue to kill to keep the truth about Oxley Manor buried, and none of the guests are safe.

New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux has crafted another irresistible case in her bestselling Medlar Mystery series.

Review: For the most part I enjoyed this mystery book. It was a fun read and it was very fast paced for me. The characters were well developed and the story really kept me intrigued.

However, this book was kind of hard to get into. The book just starts in the middle of the action and while some readers really enjoy that and I do on occasion, it didn’t help me here. The book was kind of chaotic as well and sometimes really hard to follow along with. It also took some time for me to get into the book.

Verdict: A good mystery, but pay attention to it.

I have read romance books written by Jude Deveraux for 20+ years. I must say I love that she is writing suspense now. She is equally masterful in spinning a mystery. She keeps the reader guessing how the story will unfold until the very end.

A Forgotten Murder starts in Florida but moves to an English manor house. This is a fun, fast moving mystery -- fans of English manor house mysteries will enjoy.

The Forgotten Murder is the latest installment for the series and while this is the third book in the series, it is not necessary to have read the previous books as they read as stand-alones quite easily. I read and enjoyed the first installment but somehow I missed the second one but I will be checking it out here soon too. Once again we are introduced to another mystery for famous author Sara Medlar, Kate her niece and their beloved friend Jack to solve. But this time they might even be danger when the truth comes out.

Kate and Jack believe that this trip is just for a change of scenery from Lachlan Florida, but it doesn’t take them long to figure out that Miss Sara has other plans for this trip when they find themselves in England at Oxley Manor where Sara plans to write another book about a crime that took place a couple decades ago. Two young people went missing and they supposedly ran off together on the same night and no one in their “pack” has spoken of it since. Things don’t add up with what she knows because there are pieces of the story missing and Sara is determined to uncover the truth of what happened that night.

Sara has called the group of friends who were there the night the “couple” went missing to see what they know and if there is any truth to the story that has been told. Or was is something else that really happened that night. It doesn’t take long for the three of them to figure out there was a lot more was going on around the time the two went missing. This group who were teenagers then, now adult, have been harboring secrets for many years and there are some that will do anything to keep it that way. Even if it means murder.

We of course have our main three characters Sara, Kate and Jack which I just adored but we are introduced to quite a few new ones. Some were likable, some that weren’t and then there was a couple that I just wasn’t sure about at all. But it all played a part in the story so it worked rather well. Now, Kate and Jack have some chemistry just like in the first book and their banter back and forth was so much fun. I am still hoping that they will finally give in already. And overall, it was such a great cast of characters.

The mystery at the heart of the story was very well done with just enough suspense and little clues here and there that keep my attention and trying to piece them together along with the trio. But it was the re-enactment that Sara put together of that night brought the past and present together making for more suspects and more questions. It all comes together at the end with a twist that I most certainly did not see coming. Wow, was it a doozy.

A Forgotten Murder was a great cozy mystery with characters that you want to root for and a mystery that keeps you guessing and I am hoping that there will more installments for the series. Finger crossed…