Every time I see the first in a series, especially with more promised to come, my eyes perk up, and I almost automatically request an opportunity to get my hands on it. Sometimes I am rewarded for this impulse, but most often, I am not. In this case, I was glad that it was the former situation.

The leading lady in this is a very multifaceted character. She has a leg in the American world and the British, a painful past and did I mention this is all based in post World War Egypt? Jane has been asked to tag along with her aunt on an all-paid trip to Egypt and from the day she finds herself at the Mena house, she is thrown into a lot of happening things. First, she meets almost all the characters who are to play various roles in the upcoming mystery. Shortly after that, the first murder occurs, and Jane is strangely thrown into a situation where she finds herself a suspect in the ensuing investigation. In order to save herself and to just 'do' something during the trip, She starts digging (A pun for the Egyptian situation, I had to include it!). She finds a helpmate in the form of the mysterious Redvers. The only thing that felt a little off was the relationship between the aunt and the niece. The number of upheavals seemed a little dramatic even for a story like this. One less fight or a proper revelation would have satisfied me better, but Jane kept her silence, this is obviously a personal issue, and I am sure not everyone would harp on it like I just did.

The mystery itself had a few twists I did not see coming while maintaining the rationality that made it believable. The tenuous relationships between Colonial powers versus the Egyptian situation as a background felt believable and therefore added to the story. I actually thought it could have been a few chapters shorter and still made its point, but that is not too big a problem. I enjoyed the mystery aspect and the whole package and look forward to seeing what happens in the next one and where it might be based!

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

It's 1926, and American Jane Wunderly is vacationing with her aunt at Mena House, a luxurious Egyptian hotel overlooking the pyramids. When Anna Stainton, a hotel guest who dislikes Jane, is found murdered, and Jane's missing Scarab is discovered in her room, she immediately becomes a suspect in Anna's death. Jane is determined to prove her innocence and teams up with another guest, the handsome and mysterious, Mr. Redvers, to find the culprit.

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer is a great start to a new series. This is a fun and delightful historical cozy mystery, with interesting characters and a puzzling mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story is well-paced, and the author does a wonderful job with the setting. Her descriptions make it very easy to feel like you are right there with Jane, looking at the gorgeous views surrounding the Mena House, visiting the museums and the pyramids, enjoying the camel races and you could almost feel the heat on your skin. Jane is a likable and relatable character and you can't help but cheer her on and admire her determination to not let the past stop her from enjoying life to the fullest.
I enjoyed my time with this book and look forward to solving more mysteries with Jane.

I received an ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.75 stars

Sparkling series debut with a spunky heroine, a hint of romance, and an exotic setting. It's 1926 in Egypt, and war widow Jane Wunderly is on a grand exposition bankrolled by her acerbic and often unpleasant Aunt Millie. Jane's secret is that she was thrilled to be widowed after years of physical abuse by Millie's nephew -- and Millie has no idea. Millie too has a secret.

The various tourists staying at the Mena Hotel are an interesting bunch: a newlywed pair of theater folks, the mysterious and dangerous Redvers, Colonel Stainton and his bitchy but beautiful daughter Anna just to name a few. The bodies begin to show up -- lots of possibilities. Blackmail? Antiquities smuggling? The intrepid Jane is determined to get to the bottom of things and someone doesn't want her snooping around.

It's all great fun. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This cozy mystery is set in Egypt in 1926 and I enjoyed the sensory details that transported me to a posh hotel with balcony views of the great pyramids. Jane Wunderly travels with her aunt Millie from the US to Egypt to see the ancient sites and to drink some “quality liquor” – anything better than the bathtub gin of prohibition America.

I found Jane’s first-person narrative a delight to read. But her frequent descriptions of her own facial expressions felt stilted and unnatural to me (we tend to notice other people’s mannerisms but not our own) and I found myself getting impatient and scanning for the next line of dialogue. Examples: “My eyes widened slightly in shock.” “Disgust crossed my face.” “I raised my eyebrows in amusement.”

A good debut.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a digital advance review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

It's 1926, and Jane Wunderly goes to Egypt with her Aunt Millie and they stay at the Mena house, a fancy hotel looking over the pyramids. This was fun for me to read because I stayed at the Mena House several years ago. The first night, Jane meets the very attractive British man named Redvers. She also meets Colonel Stainton and his beautiful daughter, Anna. Anna appears to intentionally spill her drink down the front of Jane's dress. Then a man in a white suit knocks Anna's purse to the floor.

The next morning, the Colonel can't find Anna, and asks Jane to enter her room to see if she's all right. Jane finds Anna on her bed surrounded by blood. The police arrive and soon believe Jane is the prime suspect of shooting Anna. Meanwhile, Jane's Aunt Millie is spending a lot of her time with two young women, Lillian Hughes and her friend Marie. Jane works with Redvers to try to solve Anne's murder. Life at the Mena House is well described, including the fancy parties going on. Jane gradually discovers a few clues, and figures out who killed Anna. She still isn't sure she trusts Redvers, but he is her only connection to the police. However, soon there are more bodies, and an exciting chase scene.

In Murder at the Mena House, Jane Wunderly and her aunt Millie are escaping Prohibition and the post-WWI shadows at the Mena House Hotel in Cairo.  The hotel is filled with Agatha Christie characters, including honeymooning actors with a surprising amount of cash, and Redvers, a man who claims to be a banker, although he never seems to go to work in a bank. There's also a gallant who seems to make a living charming wealthy older women, Anna Stainton, a young woman on the hunt for either a husband or a good time, and two new young women taking up almost all of Aunt Millie's free time.

When Jane discovers a murder in the hotel, she teams up with Redvers to investigate. Their snooping reveals so many secrets about the hotel's guests, and of course they visit the pyramids and do that kind of exploring too. (Look, I know that excessive visitors destroyed a lot of historical information, but I still imagine how awesome it would be, visiting the pyramids and actually walking inside and touching things.) But Redvers himself is hiding something, and Jane's own aunt can't seem to stay away from her "new" friends... 

A small warning, with as a few spoilers as possible: There are a couple scenes that don't seem great at first. One scene is a little cringey, with certain European tourists being entitled dickheads to an Egyptian hotel staff.  There's also another scene, where Jane finds a Giant Clue in a really obvious place, with everything but a giant light-up arrow pointing her there. These are actually subtle leads towards the actual mystery, and not bad writing!

Overall, it's a fun historical mystery, with a ending that makes a sequel pretty clear.

This was so much fun. Can I say that about a book where people get murdered?? This is a cozy - so I think I can - so I'm gonna! This was just a lot of fun! It takes place in Egypt in the 1920's - hello amazing setting. The main character is really, really likable and someone I can't wait to meet again. The mystery was very well done, although I thought it dragged a bit around 50% when it should have given me some kind of bang moment. And the main character's love interest - also very, very likable. I just hope they don't turn too sappy in the next book and the series becomes more like an icky romance {yuck} :) Notice how I am already planning the next books? I really did have that much fun reading this that I am excited to read the next one.

First book by this author and I enjoyed the interaction of Jane and Millie. Jane and her aunt Millie travel to Egypt. Col Stainton and his daughter Anna are also there in the hotel. Jane is brought into the investigation as a suspect. After becoming a a real sneak she finds the proof that Anna is a blackmailer. Anna is only part of the problem, there are several people that want Anna and her accomplice. Jane found the killer using logic and pure determination. .

In this delightful debut cozy mystery, we are introduced to Jane Wunderly, a recent war widow. It is 1926, and Jane has traveled to Cairo, Egypt with her Aunt Millie for a vacation at the luxurious Mena House. Although her husband was killed in the war, Jane is keeping secret the truth about her marriage with a man who was not all he seemed. She is more interested in visiting the pyramids, than in the single men at the hotel bar. Jane is introduced to Anna Stainton, a British colonel’s daughter, and the two get off to a bad start. When Anna is found shot to death, Jane becomes the number one suspect. Realizing she needs to find out who murdered Anna before she winds up in jail, Jane begins to investigate her fellow hotel guests in order to find the real killer. Is it the hotel doctor who disappears into the opium dens; the vaudeville couple who should not be able to afford so expensive a vacation; or could it be her own aunt who has been acting strangely since they arrived. Jane is soon joined in her detecting by the handsome, but mysterious Redvers, who seems anything but the banker he claims to be. Will Jane be able to find the murderer before he or she strikes again?

This was an entertaining cozy mystery, chock full of intrigue, romance and history! The dialogue is fast and witty, and the smart plot moves along at a quick pace. Cairo of the 1920's comes alive with pyramids, camels and antiquities. This was and enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next installment.

It is a huge coincidence but that this book was available when it was. I saved it a couple of weeks to read, as I just finished it while on my trip to Egypt. Perhaps that made me biased but it was a thrill to read about Jane's adventures in 1920's Egypt while being there myself. We didn't stay at the Marriott Mena House, but did pass by it on our way to the pyramids. I found the historical account of life traveling then to be quite interesting. It makes you realize how adventurous people were. Jane was unusual for the time as well, as she involved herself quite thoroughly in the mystery of a socialite's death. Then there is a second death, missing artifacts and a romantic interest. I found the characters to be well rounded and drew me into the story. I will be add this series to my list for the next installment.

Murder at the Mena House is the first book in a new series; it has not been published yet and I'm already eagerly awaiting the next one! I generally don't love author's debut titles; the characters are usually a little flat and their writing style is not as developed. This book is the exception that proves the rule. All the characters, even side characters are fully developed. I love the interplay between June and her aunt. The descriptions of Egypt and the hotel during the roaring '20s is on point and so well described I wish I could book a trip back in time to visit myself. The author deftly weaves murder, intrigue, and the politics of post WW1 Egypt into a neat plot with just a hint of romance.
This series is sure to be a must-read for fans of Daisy Dalrymple and Phryne Fisher.

Murder at the Mena House attracted me at first just based on two wealthy women visiting a glamorous hotel in the Egypt during the 1920's, and it did not disappoint. Jane and her aunt Millie are on an extended vacation after the end of WWI to relax and unwind. However their stay turns more interesting when a wealthy young woman is found dead in her hotel room the first morning there. Jane learns that she is a suspect based on a piece of her jewelry in the room of the woman, and decides to take the case into her own hands. Being the strong, smart, and independent woman that she is, she starts digging around in trying to find what happened to this girl. As Jane runs into visitors at the hotel, she learns this case is deeper than she realized. This book takes its readers through an exciting story as Jane explores not only the murder of this woman, but also the secrets that are hidden in all of us and influence the decisions that we make.

Set in the 1920's at the height of 'Tutmania'., Murder at the Mena House is a cozy murder mystery that takes place at the hotel of my dreams, the Mena House in Cairo, overlooking the pyramids. The book is really well researched and quite accurate in dealing with the time period. It is easy to tell that the author spent time at both the hotel and exploring the city. The characters are likeable, the plot is appropriate for the time and you're enveloped by the atmosphere of Egypt from the very beginning. 'Whodunnit' also wasn't as transparent from the beginning as many 'cozies' tend to be so that was nice as well. I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more in the series in the future!

A very impressive debut novel by Erica Ruth Neubauer! I could barely bring myself to put this down.

The plot moves swiftly along and the two main characters, Jane and "Redvers," are easy to like but with just enough mystery to leave you wanting more. There will be a lot to explore in succeeding books!

Set in the 1920's, the bulk of the action takes place within Mena House, a hotel sitting in the very shadow of the pyramids of Egypt. Jane has come on a vacation with her aunt after being widowed in the first world war. Jane's story of life with her husband comes trickling out within the novel, and though she appears confident and secure, the reader learns about her weaknesses as they pop up in context. Within the first few pages, she meets a diverse cast of characters at the hotel. Some can be trusted; others have ulterior motives. A murder discovered early one morning lands Jane squarely on the radar of local investigators, and purely in self-defense she finds herself doing a little investigating on her own...well, not entirely on her own! The banter and chemistry between her and Redvers lights up every page.

Can't wait for more!

I have been hoping that someone would at least try to take the place of the late Elizabeth Peters in writing mysteries about women in Egypt. So, I was anxious to read this book, having actually stayed at Mena House 20 years ago. The mystery only has a tangential relationship to Egyptology, but the rich descriptions of the setting helped to enhance the basic storyline. The characters were complex and easy to visualize. I would love to see more books set in Egypt by this author.

This was a great start to what I'm sure will be a really fun series. There were enough carefully dropped clues that you were able to follow along with the mystery without feeling like it was too obvious. The heroine is delightful and I"m very much looking forward to her next adventure!

Murder at the Mena House is the debut book in a new cozy mystery series. I love that it doesn’t follow the cookie cutter setting, characters and plots of many contemporary cozy mysteries. It’s set in Egypt in the 1920s. Author Erica Ruth Neubauer takes the mystery and character depths to a new level. If your looking for a book to get lost in and to do a bit of arm-chair sleuthing with – this is your book!

Murder at the Mena House is the debut book by Erica Ruth Neubauer and it starts a new cozy mystery series. Set in 1920's Cairo Egypt. Jane and her aunt Millie are on vacation, staying at the luxury hotel called The Mena House. Millie is trying to help Jane find a new husband and release her from her status as widow. Jane isn't too fond of the idea of another marriage. But they socialize with other patrons of the Mena House, and meet all kinds of interesting people. Anna seems to be Jane's rival for male attention, until Jane finds herself looking at Anna's dead body and then becomes the main suspect. There are several other interesting characters that all have their own stories.

#MurderattheMenaHouse is a fun read and enjoyable. It gives you the feel of 1920's Cairo, along with the mystery. I would recommend this book, it was enjoyable to read. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to give my honest review.

Just enough murder, just enough romance, and just enough of ancient Egypt at the height of acheological discoveries in the roaring twenties. This book offers a peak at it all without going into depth on any one subject. It is well balanced between the characters, the mystery, and the atmosphere.
This is the first book in the proposed Jane Wunderley series and here’s hoping there are more to follow. It is engaging from the first sentence and does an excellent job of giving the reader enough information to become acquainted with the characters without bogging them down with so much history as to slow the pace of the book.
Jane is a delightful somewhat complex character who hints at a tragic history without giving it all away in the first chapter. She is joined in this book by her irascible Aunt Millie, a tart tongued woman who is paying Jane to be her companion on this trip and by Redvers, the inevitable “handsome stranger who manages to be captivating and entertaining none-the-less. If the series continues, one can only hope we will see and learn more about these three.
In this novel, Jane meets the very epitome of the old fashioned British Colonel, Colonel Stainton, his daughter, the ravishing Anna Stainton and several other characters often found in cozy mystery novels. To her credit, Erica Ruth Neubauer, author, writes them with such good prose and freshness that they feel unique and entertaining.
The conclusion of the book was not a surprise to me, nor were the several reveals throughout the book. I suspect that will be the case for most experienced cozy readers. That in no way spoiled the enjoyment of the book. It is an excellent way to escape to another era, another continent, and engage in a little armchair sleuthing just for the fun of it. Easy to read, it would make great entertainment for a rainy day or a vacation read. I hope there is a second in the series and look forward to the opportunity to read it. My thanks to Kensington Books Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I do love a 1920's murder mystery, and Murder at the Mena House is set in Egypt no less. It has a very Agatha Christie vibe about it, although our main character is far from as fastidious as Poirot and benefits from an intriguing back story.
The mystery unravels quickly and well, and there are more than enough suspects to keep the reader guessing as to what's really happening.
An enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.