I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

I am a fan of this mystery series, and this third installment met by expectations. Fen is returning to Southampton from France in 1945, at the end of the war. Fen’s fiancée was killed in the war, and she is traveling with his friend James. Fen finds a dead body in a lifeboat, and becomes embroiled in three mysteries, all aboard a cruise ship. Fen is convinced to stay on until New York, as she becomes friends with some characters. I liked the twist that was unexpected, and recommend the series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the third book in the Fen Church mysteries. I have read book one which I loved and now book three and I must say book 3 was just ok for me. It was very slow going with not a lot happening and when things did start to happen it was still not very exciting. Although I was excited to read this instalment after reading book one I just found the whole thing rather lack lustre compared to book one and struggled to pick it up to finish. Maybe book 2 would have been more up my alley?

Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for the advanced copy.

The fantastic Fen Churche is off to New York on another dazzling adventure in the latest fabulous mystery by Fliss Chester: The Moonlit Murders.

It’s 1945 and Fen Churche’s dream of travelling to the Big Apple has finally come true. After booking passage on a steam ship to America from France, Fen finds herself counting down the days until she gets on board the steamer and spends her nights playing games on deck and waltzing in the beautifully lit ballroom. Nothing and nobody is going to get in the way of her trip – not even when an eccentric heiress’s diamond tiara goes missing! Fen refuses to get involved in another crime and instead plans to spend her journey curled up with her favourite crossword puzzles – until murder comes a-calling on the high seas!

Never one to resist doing a little bit of sleuthing, Fen decides to conduct her own investigation. Just who had strangled Genie, a young actress headed for Broadway, in her cabin? With a panicked captain and no police on board, it is up to Fen to catch a killer, but when another body turns up, Fen realises that these two dreadful crimes could be linked. On board a ship full of suspects in the middle of the Atlantic, Fen certainly has got her work cut out for her. From flirtatious lieutenants returning from war to snooty first-class passengers who treat Fen with dismay and disdain, Fen begins to wonder whether whether she will be able to solve this puzzle before they dock in New York – or whether a ruthless killer will end up getting away with murder …

Fliss Chester’s Fen Churche mysteries are simply wonderful! Not only are they beautifully evocative historical novels that brilliantly capture the spirit of the era, but they are gripping tales of danger, tension and suspense that hook the reader from the first page and keep them engrossed until the very end. The Moonlit Murders is a high-seas adventure written with all the flair and verve that I’ve come to expect from the wonderful Fliss Chester. Fen Churche is on top form and she will charm readers once again with her ingenious brand of style, intelligence, wit and panache.

Fliss Chester’s The Moonlit Murders is a brilliantly plotted tale sure to dazzle historical mystery readers – roll on Book 4!

Fenella Churche is excited with the prospect of returning from France to her home. But then she gets an offer she can't refuse and is invited to sail to New York. Her first mystery is the theft of some priceless jewels. Then the situation turns darker when someone has murder in mind...
The Moonlit Murders is the third book to feature Fen. However, it would work as a stand alone novel as there are no spoilers about the mysteries involved in the other books. The personal side to Fen does develop over the course of the series as personal circumstances initiated in the first book have led her to her current situation.
The word that strikes me about Fen is 'plucky'. She feels things deeply but that doesn't stop her determination to find justice for the dead. The ongoing motif of crossword puzzles is used by Fen to straighten out the clues in her head and make connections between the information she gathers to help solve the theft and murder.
The plot itself is a slow burner and the first murder does not happen until halfway through the book. This gives us plenty of opportunity to see the interactions and relationships between the characters. We also get the chance to be detectives by looking for clues and suspicious behaviour among the boat's passengers.
As a history graduate, I enjoyed the historical setting and the attention to detail that the author employs. The class system, the tension towards Germans following the end of WW2, gender inequalities all served to give authrenticity to the plot and characters.
The Moonlit Murders is an enjoyable and cosy murder mystery.

The Fen Churche books are quickly becoming one of my favorite historical mystery series. They're smart and plot driven without ever feeling trite (no easy feat for a historical mystery!). I can't wait to see Fen take on New York.

"The Moonlit Murders" is a mystery set in 1945 in France and on the ocean. This is the third book in the series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this one didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous mysteries.

This was a clue-based puzzle mystery. Fen asked good questions, was observant, and was able to link the clues together to solve the mysteries. It seemed obvious from nearly the beginning who was the jewel thief, though I wasn't certain until the end about whether or not that person had a partner. Whodunit was guessable based on the clues. Each clue just made me more certain of who murdered the German. The clues weren't quite so clear cut about who murdered Genie. The main characters were interesting, engaging, and had realistic reactions to events. Historical details like turns of phrase or rationing were woven into the story and brought it alive in my imagination without slowing the pacing.

There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery.

Third of a series of cozy WW2 sleuthing, with Fenella (known as Fen) Church and her friend James travelling back to England from France after some post war sleuthing and adventures. On board the ship they meet new friends and are involved in solving more murders.

This is incredibly well written and a fabulous read. This is the first of these that I have read and I am already invested in the characters and will be reading the first two and looking forward to the next instalment. It is fascinating to read about this era and learn more about the dress, way of life and how different things were as people were expected to live and behave in certain ways.

Fen and James are likeable characters and ultimately although the reader wants them to get together even more we want the “will they won’t they” and the solving of more crimes.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written book that immediately transported me to Fen Churche’s era. I hadn’t read the first in the series but it really doesn’t matter as this works well as a standalone, but I definitely will be going back to it.

I loved Fen she is a great character and it was interesting to see her follow the mystery aboard the ship back to England. The author has obviously researched the period well.

When a passenger is found dead in her cabin, there are no shortage of suspects, from the soldiers and passengers in third class to the rich and powerful in first.

As a lover of mystery novels, I really loved this book.

The Moonlit Murders by Fliss Chester is a charming English novel featuring Fenella Church and takes place on an ocean liner repurposed for civilian passengers after World War II. It is supposed to be taking Fen and her friend, James, back to England after their duties during the war were done. Only after they were on board did James reveal to her that he had booked passage on to America: he didn't feel quite ready to assume his duties as a viscount, which he was now. As much as Fen wanted to get home, she allowed herself to be persuaded by a young woman traveling with her aunt to accompany them to New York. It would be such fun, she said. She was correct: it was fun, until one of their friends was killed and Fen and James stepped up to investigate.
T
his book is very English and very 1945. Things were different then and the differences scream out at the reader. Morals, behavior, dress, class: all very different. Fen's dead fiancé, Arthur, had asked her to watch after James, and he was right. James needed her. As she was preparing to board the De Grasse, Fen met a curious young couple: Spencer McNeal, an English radio celebrity and his companion, Genie, both attractive and flamboyant people who were going to New York, and the, Los Angles to make it big in entertainment. They were traveling second class, as was Fen. In first class, alongside James were Eloise Miller-Wright, and her aunt, Mrs. Archer, both Americans who had been in trapped in Europe for the past five years. Such would be her traveling companions. Mrs. Archer was a snob, disapproving of Spencer and Genie, but Eloise took right to them. This motley group made for an entertaining voyage, until one ended up dead. It was kind of a locked room mystery as they were all on an ocean liner in the middle of the ocean. Fen is a good investigator and James was an excellent wingman.
All-in-all, it was an intriguing mystery, perfect for the era in which it was set and an interesting trip into the past. It was written in a very formal style and there were plenty of red herrings to confuse those curious enough to investigate. It was a fun book, and one I should suggest for reading if this time period holds any interest. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Moonlit Murders by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #themoonlitmurders

Favorite Quotes:

I was told by Mama that I would be much better placed to marry well if I knew how to get out of a motorcar without flashing my own undercarriage.

Handsome? Heavens no, but he had two of the best qualities you can hope for in a husband…. a vast fortune and a dicky heart!

She’d scare Hades himself away from the Underworld… Churchill should have sent her into Berlin and cut the whole thing short years ago.

My Review:

This was a well-plotted, unpredictable, and slowly unwinding cozy mystery with lush descriptions and active storylines involving new friendships, post-WWII recovery challenges, transcontinental ocean cruise travel and hijinks, shopping and dining fare in three countries, crossword puzzle development, burglary, and murder. I couldn’t even begin to solve this one as Ms. Chester had me addled and intrigued with her well-contrived schemes, yet the clues were there, just to skillfully buried among the richly detailed and abundant aspects described in each crime scene and series of events for the little pea in my brain to put together.

The characters were an interesting and unusual grouping of personalities and circumstances with Americans including a radio showbiz entertainer, a wealthy American heiress, and her vile Aunt, who was a detestable and snobbishly elitist old dragon who bossed and insulted everyone and got away with it; as well as a Nazi scientist quietly hiding in cabin #13. I adore Fen Churche and her honorable and straightforward nature and keep hoping a romance will spark for her soon with the deliciously handsome and highly likable Viscount. I do loves me a HEA.

After being in France for nearly two months, Fen Churche is excited to be heading home to England. With the aristocratic Captain James Lancaster in tow, she travels to the port of Le Havre to board the De Grasse, which will take them to Southhampton before heading on to New York.

The passengers are a mixed bunch of returning Allied servicemen and civilians. Amongst them are Genie, an aspiring actress; her fiancé, Spencer, a popular US radio entertainer; the wealthy and formidable Mrs. Mariella Archer; and Eloise, her niece. Fen and James become part of this group.

When James confesses that he's not ready to go home and has decided to carry on to New York with their new friends, Fen is surprised and disappointed. Although Fen is looking forward to seeing her parents and friends, an offer from Mrs. Archer persuades Fen to also remain with the ship.

It's not long before the peaceful voyage is disrupted. Mrs. Archer's jewels are stolen. While searching for them, Fen discovers a body in one of the lifeboats and when Genie is found strangled, Fen now has three crimes to solve. She does this in the way she solves the cryptic crossword puzzles she so enjoys.

Just like the other books in the series, I was thoroughly entertained by Fen's sleuthing adventures and the camaraderie that she shares with James. Their banter is witty and amusing, especially when the phrase how rude is thrown into the conversation. It always results in a giggle or two at an inappropriate moment. This time around the story is also peppered with lots of raised eyebrows and winking, which also adds to the fun.

While this is a cozy mystery, it does touch on some serious aspects of the aftermath of the war: how Germans were viewed and the grab for their scientific and technological research.

As to the solving of the jewel theft and the murders, I had no idea who was responsible. The reveal came as a big surprise, but was totally credible.

This is a wonderful mystery series. I'm looking forward to the next instalment.

The war is over and it is 1945. There is a lot of jubilation to be returning home from France for Fen Churche. She hasn't seen family and friends for years and is looking forward to going home. An overnight journey to Southampton turns into a longer journey to New York on the invitation of Eloise and her snooty aunt Mrs. Archer to join them and act as companion to Eloise.

On the outward journey when Mrs. Archer's jewels of which she is inordinately proud, are lost and when a body is discovered in a lifeboat by Fen and Eloise all hell breaks loose on the ship. The Captain wants to keep the matter as closed as possible, as this kind of publicity can lead to uneasiness amongst all his passengers. At least till they reach New York and can hand it over to the Police there.

Sleuthing on behalf of Mrs Archer (reluctantly on her part) Fen and James (her friend from stories past) try to solve the mystery of the dead German and then find the missing jewels, all on the few days they have left to them, before they dock at New York.

A lot of history interspersed with detection was well told. Descriptive too.

It's 1945, and Fen and James are en route to England. On the voyage, Fen meets two women from diverse backgrounds who change her mind about returning to England. In a classically styled locked room murder mystery, Fen is forced to investigate, first a robbery and then two suspicious deaths that look like murder.

This is the third book in the Fen Churche Mystery series and the first post-war, and once again, the author evokes the ethos and emotion of this period. The characters are vibrant and the suspects numerous, and the reader investigates alongside Fen to solve the crimes.

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

Fen and James are returning to England via ship De Grasse. But things don’t go to plan when Fen gets an offer she can’t refuse, to be a travel companion for lonely Eloise and stay on the ship to new York all expenses paid by Eloise’s wealthy aunt.
When some precious jewels go missing and a man is murdered, Fen and James do their best to unravel the mystery using Fens unusual but affective technique of collecting crossword puzzle type clues and connecting the key words to solve the crimes.
Fen and James are wonderful protagonists, so likeable, smart and a formidable team, a force to be reckoned with! I am hoping down the line a romance blooms between them both, they are perfect for each other, I just don’t think they’ve realised it yet.
I adore this series, the attention to detail is superb. the hairstyles, the clothing, the lifestyle of different classes, the food eaten, the descriptions if the sights, sounds and smells. I’m transported back in time to the cosiest of cosy mysteries, I love reading books that I completely lose myself in and cant put down!

This is my second Fen Churche novel and it did not disappoint!
Following fast on the heels of the previous book we meet Fen and James taking a cruise ship back home. Only, the decide to stay on and travel to America rather than disembark in England.
Two horrific murders and a jewel theft that are intricately linked together for the backbone of the story.
I think James could have played a bigger role and I would like to see their relationship develop as well.
So I am looking forward to the next book!

I really enjoyed Fen’s last adventure, Night Train to Paris when I did the blog tour last year so was looking forward to this book. I will need to read the first book, A Dangerous Goodbye at some point. This is very different than the previous book and the majority takes place in a steam ship. Fen is passenger intending to return home to England but is waylaid by the theft of expensive jewels and two seemingly unconnected murders and a change of plan which puts her on course for New York. Fen does have a habit of stumbling right into the heart of sinister events. With a long journey ahead of her, Fen determines to find the stolen jewels and the killer or killers. Is there a link between the events? Is the killer and thief among them? I thought this was a terrific read. I really enjoyed myself.

November 1945 Fenella Churche and Captain James Lancaster (Viscount Selham) are on their way back to Southampton via Le Havre and on the ship De Grasse. But soon they are on the way to New York, faced with two dead bodies and a jewellery theft. James and Fen decide to investigate.
An entertaining well-written historical mystery with its two main likeable characters. A good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*** 3.5 Stars ***

This is book 3 in the ‘Fen Curche Mystery’ series and can be read as a standalone adventure.

Brief Synopsis: WWII has ended. Fenella (“Fen”) Churche and her friend James Lancaster are leaving France, headed to America by steamship. During the journey, high-dollar jewelry is stolen and a couple of murders take place. The ship isn’t staffed for a formal investigation, so Fen and James use their sleuth skills and investigate. Is more than one suspect involved, or are all of these crimes linked? We follow Fen and James as they work against time to bring justice to the victims.

“I think it may be one of those puzzles that we have to approach like a crossword. There will be clues around as to who did it, and some of those clues might be very cryptic indeed.”

Thoughts: This book definitely had an Agatha Christie mystery quality to it. The characters were diverse and well developed. In addition, the scenery was vividly described. There were plenty of suspects to sort through.

Though this is a “race against time” plot, I didn’t feel the suspense that this type of storyline normally presents. Especially when you layer in that a murderer must be on board with you. That said, it’s still a cozy, historical mystery with clues being revealed at good intervals. The mysteries themselves were tough to solve which helped to keep me engaged.

Thank you Fliss Chester, Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of this book. It was fun mystery, that I did not figure out until final confessions were made.

The Moonlit Murders is the third instalment in the Fen Churche Mystery Book series, and this is the most compulsive and tightly plotted to date. It's 1945, the fog of war has finally lifted and amateur sleuth and former land girl Fenella ”Fen” Churche is itching to return to her native England after her time spent in France. Her reason for being in France throughout such a dangerous time, when it had been occupied by Nazi forces, was to attempt to discover what happened to her fiance, Arthur. Travelling from Le Havre back to Southampton with Arthur’s friend Captain James Lancaster, who she met while he was also in France investigating Arthur’s disappearance, the pair board the de Grasse steam liner who is on her way from Europe to New York. However, as they make the crossing James decides he isn't quite ready to return to England and so he informs Fen he is going to stay aboard until they dock in NY. Fen meets young American heiress Eloise, who had also been stranded in France due to the war, and her aunt as well as actress Genie, who convince her to accompany them to The Big Apple. When a new friend tells Fen that she would be happy to pay the rest of the fare to allow her to continue to America, she graciously accepts. But when Eloise’s aunt’s near priceless jewels are stolen, in Fen’s routine search of the lifeboats, she discovers a little more than she bargained for.

There is a dead body hidden there away from plain sight as the lifeboats would unlikely be used. So ably assisted by loyal James she sets out to find both the pilferer and the murderer among them. Set in 1945 just after the war has ended, we are treated to another superbly enthralling and riveting mystery with Fen and co and this time it's more like an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery as they are confined to an ocean liner with the petty criminal turned murderer. Once again, it's a pleasure to step into the (post-war) atmosphere where everyone is feeling jubilant that the bombs and guns have ceased. The well-woven plot captures your interest from the beginning and the single perspective, that of Fen, makes the whole experience more immersive. It's a real page-turner with Fen mainly using her intuition to guide her to those responsible. The twists, surprises and reveals come thick and fast and propel the story along effortlessly and the resolution was realistic and satisfying yet unpredictable. As always, the narrative is peopled with wonderful characters; those that certainly represent the attitudes and ambitions of the time. This is a charming, richly historical and thoroughly enjoyable piece of escapism with one of the most likeable and believable protagonists in crime fiction. Highly recommended.