I'm so glad to be back for a second outing with Belinda and Harry! This time, the pair are involved in the investigation of wine critic Sadie Oppenshaw at Belinda's home. Sadie is not well liked and there are plenty of suspects. Things get more complicated when more bodies turn up...

Murder At The Castle is a light-hearted cozy mystery, that had some cute and funny moments, alongside a puzzling mystery to get your teeth into.

I think the pairing Belinda and Harry really makes this novel. Their obvious attraction to each other and back and forth, with a hint of flirting, adds that extra sweetness to the book.

I wouldn't say I wasn't overly surprised by the culprit, but there were plenty of red herrings to keep me on my toes.

I have to say I enjoyed the first book, Murder In The Village, but I think Murder At The Castle was even better! I'm very much looking forward to the next in the series.

Lisa Cutts has written a great follow up to her book "Murder In The Village" in her new mystery series featuring bubbly Belinda Penshurst.

Belinda is in Little Challham, Kent and her family home is the castle there. The gatehouse is occupied by Harry Powell, a retired detective inspector who moved to look for a quieter life. Belinda has organised a wine tasting event but a guest, the professional taster, ends up dead. Harry has trained to be a food delivery associate but it's not long before he finds himself getting involved in the resulting investigation as Belinda's potential beau, confidant and friend.

The characters are a brilliant mixed bag who are excellently drawn, each with distinct personalities. The locale and the castle are described in appreciable detail. The mystery itself was vastly intriguing with a great amount of suspense for a cosy. A fun, entertaining, humorous and atmospheric read with a bang on small-town setting. I'm already looking forward to the third instalment.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

It should have been a lovely time. A wine tasting at her castle. Instead, a guest dies and Belinda Penshurst won't let the matter rest, even though the police are actively investigating things. One thing is for certain - it was murder and Belinda, along with her love interest, former detective Harry Powell, she intends on discovering the cause of death as well as the murderer. Belinda does not shy away from this because she already has proven to be quite adept when she plays the role of amateur detective.

The guest that died, Sadie Oppenshaw, was a noted wine critic and apparently had more than a few enemies. Did one of those enemies attend the wine tasting, and will they have a chance at getting away with murder?

Not only is Belinda on the case, but she is also navigating her growing closeness to Harry. Will they or won't they when it comes to the gentle romance brewing between them? Or, will the current circumstances and slight misunderstandings completely derail any hopes of the two finding love?

Cozy mysteries just might be my favorite of all genres. This series, which includes the first book, Murder in the Village, is proving to be quite enjoyable. I love Belinda and Harry as they work together and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for them.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Murder at the Castle is the second in the Belinda Penshurst Mystery series by Lisa Cutts. After reading Murder in the Village, I was looking forward to this book to see how the author would continue the development of the main characters of Belinda Penshurst and Harry Powell. This book begins with the focus being on a wine tasting event that Belinda thought of at the conclusion of the first book. During the course of this event, one participant became ill from the heat and another one died after consuming some wine from a particular bottle. Although it was correctly pointed out in the book that neither Belinda nor Harry consumed any of that particular wine, it was not made clear that none of the other participants had tasted it so I was left wondering a bit as to why no one else suffered any issues on that day.

At times in the book, the author drew out the character development and intertwined misdirects a bit so it did appear to be a bit slow moving and several times I lost interest and had to set it aside so regain my focus. One of the hardest parts of maintaining my reading focus was that the body count continued to rise even though there was little to no apparent connection between the original victim and the later ones. The author has done an excellent job however of developing the back story of both Belinda and Harry to justify not only the personal draw between them but also the reluctance on both parties to quickly deepen their relationship.

Due to the many misdirects in the investigation, I was definitely ready for the culprit to be revealed. The drawback to this particular culprit is that there was little to no development of their individual character and I had to return to the original murder scene to even figure out who the person was as I could not remember the individual being in the scene and quite frankly could not determine for certain what the motivation was in making that person be the killer of any of the victims in the book. The lack of development for this single character was unlike the remainder of the author's writing style and, in my opinion, appeared to be a way to have a "throw-away" villain so that she could retain the remaining characters that have been developed over the two books for future installments of the series.

In future books containing these characters, I hope to see the author increase the involvement of Belinda's family dynamics and have her brother, at the very least, do more than just a "drive-by sighting". There adequate backstory contained in this book for it to be read as a stand-alone novel but it definitely helped to keep my interest in coming back to it from having read the first book in the series.

I received a free copy of Murder at the Castle through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Murder At The Castle' by Lisa Cutts.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Lisa Cutts, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 8th December 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'Belinda Penshurst Mystery' series but can be read as a standalone. I have read the first book which is called 'Murder In The Vilage' and I would recommend reading it.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I am also a huge fan of Lisa and if this book is half as good as 'Murder In The Village' it is guaranteed to be a great read. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of M.C. Beaton, H.Y. Hanna and Emily Organ will love the first novel in the Belinda Penshurst series!' I am a huge fan of Emily Organ so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 42 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Little Challam which is a fictional village in Kent, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Belinda Penshurst and Harry Powell. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

What an absolutely fantastic page turning editon to a riveting new series!!! Congratulations Lisa on a great success!!!

This book is very well written and very smooth and easy to read. The descriptions are vivid and helps you to really feel that you are in the middle of the village whilst everything is going on. The synopsis and cover suit the storyline perfectly.

The storyline itself is fast paced and there is always something going on to captivate your attention and keep you constantly turning the pages. I really enjoyed the storyline and loved visiting Little Challham again and exploring more of the fantastic countryside as well as more of Belindas castle. This book is filled with suspense, red herrings, tension, friendship, a hint of romance, lots of dogs and some laughter mixed in. A perfect combination for any successful cosy mystery. I had no idea who was doing what and am pleased to say that I was quite surprised when the reveal was made. It is getting harder and harder to surprise me after reading so many crime books and there is nothing worse than working it all out by 50% so another congratulations on this Lisa!! I love the atmosphere of Belindas Castle and I'm looking forward to seeing what adventure Belinda and Harry will go on next along with seeing how Harrys new job prospects go!!!

Although this is the second book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I really enjoyed meeting Belinda and Harry again along with all the new characters and some old faces too. I was not only invested on the storyline but I also became even more invested in them than the first book. I am looking forward to seeing more of both Belinda and Harry again plus meeting more old and new faces. These characters are he type to stay with me for a while. I love that Belinda is such a strong woman, being female myself I enjoy seeing strong female leads in books. The fact that I love animals and run a rescue and that both Harry and Belinda are animal lovers definitely helped me engage with them both. I liken them to a pair of naughty school children. The type in primary school who bicker but really fancy each other and I really am looking forward to see what becomes of them. They both had me in stitches on several occasions, Belinda with some of the things she came out with and her attitude and Harry for just being Harry, bless him!!! Extremely strong, likeable and realistic characters!!!

Well done Lisa on an yet another absolutely fantastic book in what is an epic series. Here's to reading the next adventure 🍻 🥂!!

Overall a page turning, non stop, addictive, hilarious cosy mystery that is perfect for the beach or in front of a fire, a fantastic addition to a riveting series!!!


Some of my favourite quotes in this book include the following:

😂 ‘Your attitude isn’t helping,’ he said. ‘I definitely can’t break into a vineyard and a brewery on the same day. It’s a – it’s a crime wave.’‘Would it make you feel any better if we waited until after midnight, and then it would be a different day?’‘No!’ he said. After a couple of seconds, he added, ‘Possibly, actually, it would.’

Genres covered in this book include Cosy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Mystery and Crime Thriller amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Emily Organ, Agatha Christie, Faith Martin, Helena Dixon and anyone looking for a fantastic, laugh a minute cosy mystery


301 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free if you have kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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A cosy read with a will they wont they relationship between two of the main characters , a well written read that is perfect for a rainy day where you can curl up and not be disturbed ,

When an attendee at a local event drops dead our Sleuth Belinda wants to know who did it and why,.....

This book was so much fun! I do love a cosy mystery and Murder at the Castle is a brilliant one! This story had a charming setting but there’s a deadly undercurrent as a murderer is on the loose. Can Belinda and Harry solve the crime, once more?

For me the characters gave this book an extra special edge. Belinda and Harry really do make the best team. Without fail they make me smile as they go about their investigations. Digging for clues and finding suspects left, right and centre. Usually finding trouble along the way but I love their friendship and the connection they share. There is also a hint of romance between the pair that gently teases the reader.

Lisa Cutts easily managed to keep me on my toes throughout this book. There’s an intriguing plot and I couldn’t help but try playing detective alongside Harry and Belinda. The addition of interesting and quirky suspects made this book even more entertaining. It’s safe to say that this was an especially tricky case for Harry and Belinda because the victim had upset quite a few people along the way.

Who knew amateur sleuthing could be so much fun?! Well Murder in the Castle really was all that and more. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish! As ever I can’t wait to catch up with Belinda and Harry again in book three.

There is something a little bit special about this series which is making it stand out from the rest. I cannot quite put my finger on it but it is something to do with the characters and the way the author writes. There is somehow more logic and less silliness than usual even though all the characteristics of a cosy are very much present. I like it!

Belinda and Harry make a really great team and their humorous bickering keeps the story moving along. I enjoyed their relationship with the police which was also frequently entertaining. The setting of an English village with a castle which is also Belinda's home, is perfect.

This turned out to be one of those books I have trouble putting down. I am very much looking forward to the next in the series.

Belinda Penshurst loves her home village Little Challham, and its charming, peaceful ways. So when wine critic Sadie Oppenshaw dies at a tasting Belinda organised, she immediately turns detective to uncover the killer. Accompanied by retired detective Harry Powell and her boisterous Labrador Horatio, they set out to investigate. There are scandals brewing everywhere but do the local home brew enthusiasts have a deadly vendetta, or did Sadie’s reviews cause a resentful restaurant owner to crack? When another of the guests at the wine tasting is found poisoned, it becomes clear the killer is only just getting started.
This is the second outing for Belinda & Harry & the second murders to occur in the sleepy village within a few months. Belinda & Harry are both likeable, they are opposites with Harry being laid back & Belinda very full on. A well written cosy mystery with lots of red herrings plus twists & turns some of which I didn’t see coming. The characters had depth & were well portrayed, the book flows well & there’s a lovely mix of humour & suspense. I also love how the relationship between Harry & Belinda is developing even though they are both feeling unsettled about the others past relationships, the chemistry is growing. A well written engrossing read & I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I love cozy mystery and this is a good example of a cozy mystery I love: well written, full of humour and fun, and with a puzzle to be solved.
I think this another of those series that improves with each new instalment: I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was one of those books that you cannot put down as you are having fun.
Belinda and Harry are an “Odd Couple”, even if there’s a lot of difference there’s also a chemistry, an excellent collaboration and they care for each other. Their possible romance always makes me smile as they seem to be black belt in avoiding to accept that maybe there’s something more.
They are also clever and able to put together the pieces of the puzzle and bring culprits to justice.
There’s an interesting puzzle at the core of the solid mystery: how they did it and how it was possible to do it in front of other people. There’s no scarcity of suspects and there’s plenty of twists. I found the solution satisfying and the plot kept me guessing.
It was a fun and relaxing read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MURDER AT THE CASTLE (Book 2 of the Belinda Penshurst Mysteries), by Lisa Cutts, in exchange for an honest review. Belinda Penshurst, lady of the manor and staunch supporter of village businesses, arranges a free wine tasting to promote a local winery and to provide a treat for the villagers. Belinda has invited wine critic Sadie Oppenshaw to lead the wine tasting sessions and to provide a review of the local wines. When Sadie is publicly poisoned by the featured red wine, Belinda is embarrassed and infuriated that someone would taint her event and thwart her efforts to gain a financial advantage for the local vintner. Belinda and her best friend retired detective Harry Powell swing into action to avenge the stain upon her fete, to remove the shadow from the local winery, and to obtain justice for a cranky wine critic.

I liked this book and the previous one. I really like that Harry’s character is used to soften Belinda’s imperiousness by reminding the reader that she truly has a soft squishy heart and good intentions.

#MurderattheCastle #NetGalley

Another great cozy mystery in this series.
Belinda is hosting a wine tasting at the castle in the barn. She has opened up the event to the whole village, hoping it will bring in some business as well as become a fun afternoon. Five lucky residents were given advance wine tasting time with the critic, Sadie. But things don't go exactly as Belinda had planned. Especially when a body is discovered, and within a few days two more. Of course being told to stay out of the investigation has never deterred her, and Matt is not willing to let her look into this on her own.
Lot of nice twists, great characters, and an enjoyable plot. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Great addition to this series!
Belinda hosts a wine tasting - an effort to build her business as well as working relationship with Little Challham. Ben Davies supplies samples from his local winery. Only for the professional taster to be murdered.
Of course Harry was in attendance. Together, they explore suspects using a whiteboard, while working around the local police.
Three local residents have started a home brew - but someone kills one, are the others in danger?
Very enjoyable addition to this series - Belinda and Harry are great characters, well written, love their relationship.

Belinda is attracted to Harry though they are two very different characters. They've solved one murder mystery
and are now on their second. The local Detectives are a bit miffed that the two seem to get the upper hand on
solving the mysteries whenever they occur and have to remind them that they are not police detectives but this
definitely does not hold back Belinda who drags the slightly unwilling Harry on.

This was a pleasant cozy mystery murder - set in very English surroundings with the usual inhabitants knowing
everyone else's business and if they don't finding out by one means or another. Nothing is very private so that
when a murder takes place, every one in the village has an opinion of what and how and who.

Very engaging and full of humour, this was a very pleasant read. It does well as a stand alone.

They always said that alcohol was bad for your health. That certainly proves to be the case for celebrity wine critic Sadie Oppenshaw, whose scheduled appearance at Belinda Penshurst's wine tasting event turns into a case of murder. Lucky for us readers as it means we get another fun, mystery and suspect filled adventure with Belinda and her lodger, and former police detective, Harry Powell. Less lucky for Belinda as the event just happens to be in the grounds of her family home, and she seems to be developing a bit of a reputation for being around whenever misfortune strikes. She's kind of the Jessica Fletcher of Little Challham and, I must admit, I really kind of like her.

This is another brilliant mystery from Lisa Cutts, a serving of cosy crime with brilliant characters I can't help but love and a mystery that kept me completely entertained from start to finish. As well as offering generous quantities of wine, and cheese, the author keeps us as readers topped up with a wide array of suspects, and reasons, for the ultimate demise of the revered, and often hated, Sadie Oppenshaw. It's a heady mix of humour, suspense and misdirection that tantalises the reading taste buds and leaves us hungry for more. Well it certainly did me anyway. Looking back into Sadie's past, as well as her present, to try and determine a motive, Belinda and Harry are faced with no end of reasons why she may have been targeted, all of which are startlingly close to home. No-one is safe from suspicion, not even the local Postie it seems, who has been delivering far more than just letters to the businesses of the village.

I do love the characters of Harry and Belinda. They have a wonderful chemistry and work together brilliantly, even if they are almost polar opposites in terms of character and background. Belinda has a quite wild past as we discovered in book one, and if you haven't read it then you really should, whilst Harry's had, until his arrival in Little Challham, been all about his career in the police. They perhaps shouldn't work, but they do and whilst you can see and feel their mutual attraction, there is always something which seems to be just in the way of it moving beyond the realms of friendship. But it makes for a wonderful amount of banter and back and forth between them, the crossed wires and the misunderstandings making them an irresistible pairing and just adding to the number of reasons this book made me smile.

The setting is perfect, Lisa Cutts capturing that village mentality where everyone knows everyone, or at least they think they do. There is a sense of community in Little Challham, which makes pinpointing the villain just that little bit harder. It couldn't possibly be one of their friends ... could it? But the murders in the community make for scandalous local headlines, and plenty of gossip, played out in the story in a truly fun and engaging way, the everyday moments of village life contrasting with the shocking nature of the crimes. And as the investigation takes us, and our heroes, further afield, Lis Cutts still has great fun with her characters, and her storytelling, making for a truly charming and light hearted mystery that I simply raced through.

I don't read a lot of cosy-crime like this as I am a woman with a darker heart, but I have loved making an exception for these books. The characters are charming and fun, the story both full of mystery and humour and the whole thing is just thoroughly entertaining. I really do look forward to seeing more of Belinda and Harry. They are a bloody fun pair to spend time with, although I'm not quite sure I'd be ready to move to a village like Little Challham any time soon. It's seems to be as dangerous as Midsomer, and it's residents have no end of creative ways of bringing about someone's demise ... Love it.

A fun cozy(ish) murder mystery. Belinda and Harry are once again in the middle of a murder. Belinda is especially angry because it took place at her castle - how could they abuse her hospitality that way - and it was a free do for the village.

Really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

I’m afraid I did not have the patience with this one and abandoned it. A bit too contrived. Sorry!

I found this book rather drawn out and tedious in places. I thought the characters could have done with more developement. Sorry I seem to be in the minority but that is my opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this second mystery featuring the effervescent Belinda Penshurst and the rather more restrained Harry Powell. Belinda’s into everything, with her finger in many local pies, which puts her in pole position to investigate when a murder takes place in her own home. As before, former police detective Harry’s skills come in handy too, as Belinda drags him along in her wake. The humour’s wonderful and had me chuckling to myself – the timing’s spot on. Belinda’s an original, but the books have the same charm and energy as MC Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series. Wonderful!

I was looking forward to reading this one, but sadly just couldn't take to the protagonist or her wingman. Just too many elements jarred for me, so I didn't make it to the end. Just not my cup of tea, but I am sure many other cosy mystery readers will enjoy this book and the series.

With thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.