I admit I shouldn't have started this book without reading the first three. Although it said it could be read as a standalone, I disagree. I was frequently feeling lost as details from the other books were hinted at without much detail. I did enjoy the friendship between Sara, Kate, and Jack and how they work together so well. The story itself kept me entertained until the end, but I really feel like I missed a lot reading this one first. I've been reading Jude Deveraux books since I was a teenager so I was excited to read this one as an ARC, but I much prefer her romance books.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Medler Three stole again. When Kate’s father is released from prison and she learns he isn’t dead all the past family mysteries come to light along with a few dead bodies. ARC from NetGalley

This is book 4 in the Medlar Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone, I read 1 and 2 but missed book 3. Sara Medlar, her niece Kate and friend Jack are known as the Medlar 3 as they have helped police solve several murders in Florida. The story has a few issues with too much going on but the cast of characters from the previous books are back and as crazy as ever. Sara discovers a dead body and with the sheriff on vacation, Jack is the deputy in charge. Hopefully they discover the killer before the family falls apart. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Bestselling novelist Sara Medlar is skilled at sharing stories about other people, but she hoped the truth about her own family would never surface. Her home in Lachlan, Florida, is her refuge and she loves having her niece Kate and dear friend Jack Wyatt together under her roof. The Medlar Three, as they are known around town, have sworn off getting involved in any more murder investigations.

While I am not fond of romance books, I did not read Ms. Devereaux's books until she started her mystery series. Now I am hooked. They are easy to read and not so complicated that you become lost. Nor are they so descriptive that you get turned off by the gore. I will admit that I was almost to the end before I realized that the title for this book was descriptive of what would happen in the book. I guess I am just not as smart as I was when I was in college with Ms. Devereaux.

Now that we have been introduced to the family, I think we have a much better understanding of the interaction of the characters. I was a bit confused at first which who was who but as the story went along I became familiar with the various characters..

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of the book.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Anything by Jude Deveraux is actually. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC audiobook.


Description from NetGalley:
Bestselling novelist Sara Medlar is skilled at sharing stories about other people, but she hoped the truth about her own family would never surface. Her home in Lachlan, Florida, is her refuge and she loves having her niece Kate and dear friend Jack Wyatt together under her roof. The Medlar Three, as they are known around town, have sworn off getting involved in any more murder investigations.

When the sheriff unexpectedly leaves on vacation, Jack is surprised to find himself appointed as deputy. So when Kate stumbles upon a dead body while visiting a friend, the Medlar Three are back in the sleuthing game. Kate also has a charming new real estate client with a mysterious past. He seems to be followed by trouble and that makes Sara and Jack uneasy.

It doesn’t take long to discover that the murder and the new man in town are somehow related—the question is how. When the stranger’s true identity is revealed, Sara realizes her carefully crafted story is about to unravel and she fears she’ll lose Kate and Jack forever. But she desperately hopes that love and honesty will win out over years of lies and deceit. And besides, family is family—even if you sometimes want to kill them

I just don’t think this was for me. I’ve tried this author before but haven’t had much success. I know many people like this one but my attention just kept drifting.

Overall: 2.5/5

Just mention Jude Deveraux and I’m in. Read and review. Anything and everything by Jude Deveraux is my mantra. One I’ve lived with for about thirty years. Hooked by her time travel stories and in for the long haul. So of course when offered A RELATIVE MURDER I jumped at the chance to read and review the next installment of the Medlars.

Kate, her aunt Sara and Sara’s grandson Jack are once again caught up in a crime scene. They have a history and reputation for solving murders. When faced with deaths this trio works tirelessly looking through random clues. The people in Lachlan Florida are familiar with the trio. Kate is in real estate sales; Sara is an author. Jack is a contractor who refurbishes homes. Not what you would picture as a dynamic trio of sleuths. But Jude Deveraux created them, and they are devilishly good.

In A RELATIVE MURDER we witness the exposure of some lifelong secrets. Secrets that Kate is beginning to uncover about her own family. Secrets about her long-lost dead father and her fragile mother. Kate’s life had been tough on her. Until she arrived at Lachlan and had the loving, protective support from Sara and Jack, Kate’s life had been rather scary. As the secrets begin to unravel Kate is going to face some harsh new realities.

As in any of the Medlar based novels it is imperative that details remain purposely vague in my review. If you follow the dialog and cast of characters Jude Deveraux treats you to a wondrous joyful story. Be prepared to laugh and smile at the shenanigans of this trio, known as the Medlar Three. The depth of the crime mystery is incredible.

I’ve read and reviewed all this series. Each one becomes my new favorite and that is once again the case with A RELATIVE MURDER. The series does not have to be read in order, each stands alone and is a smash. Lots of ah ha moments in A RELATIVE MURDER. How can a crime novel be fun, well when written by the master of storytelling Jude Deveraux. In A RELATIVE MURDER we get to know the real Medlar Three. And that is the central theme of the latest installment by Jude Deveraux. Central to the theme is family with a side order of intrigue and suspense. One of the best by the best. Sit back and enjoy.

This is the fourth book in the Medlar Mystery series. I haven't read the prior books, and I found that this could be read as a standalone novel (though it may be better appreciated if the books are read in order). Deveraux creates believable characters and a solid mystery with enough twists to keep the reader engaged. The pacing is just right to keep the reader sleuthing along with the characters.

I really enjoyed this book. This is book four in the Medlar Series and I have read the other three. I keep returning to this series for closure with Jack and Kate. Once again, no closure between those two but a couple secrets that I had not seen coming were leaked in this novel. It was just enough to keep the suspense for book number five.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title in ebook format.

It would be hard to pick the best of the best. I’ve read all the Devereaux books and really felt a connection to each one, but this ne has stayed with me. I did not see all the possible connections and it was the most interesting twists I’ve read in a while. Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced ReaderCopy.

I wish I would have known this was a part 4.

This is can be read as a standalone mystery even though it is fourth in the series. Enough information is provided that you won't feel as if you've missed something. This is a murder investigation, but it is somewhat of a lite-investigation, more entertaining than foreboding. There is some humor, a few twists, secrets revealed, and family drama galore. The characters are well developed and vary widely from easy to relate to, personable, intelligent, annoying, and goofy. All in all a nice mix of personalities wrapped up in a satisfying mystery. This is a nice, quick enjoyable mystery to read. Those who are following the series will be happy to see this new addition.

There were many twists and turns in this latest book with Kate, Jack and Sara. We get to learn a lot about Kate and her mother and her fathers past. Sometimes I got a little confused as to who a few of the characters were but I loved the story. I recommend reading these books in order to know who everybody is. I received a copy of this book from edelweiss for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

This is my first Jude Deveraux book in years and I loved it!!!! This is the fourth book in the Medlar series and it can be read as a standalone. I didn't even know this was part of a series. It is written so well and detailed that you don't miss any of the backstory that go w/the characters. June Devereux is a master Storyteller and always will be.

A Relative Murder by Jude Deveraux is the fourth book in The Medlar Mysteries. While this book can be read on its own, I wish I had read the series in order (I did not know it was part of a series when I acquired the book). It would have allowed me to get all the background details and it would not have felt like an information overload. There is plenty of family drama in A Relative Murder along with a murder or two. There is a diverse cast of characters. Some I like while others I detested (like Ava). The characters are well-developed. I like Sara, Kate, and Jack. They are all clever, kind, and with extremely curious natures. A Relative Murder is well-written with steady pacing. You can tell that the author carefully plotted out this book as well as the whole series. There are twists and surprises all the way to the conclusion. Some things can be predicted, but there are plenty of surprises. I liked the humor in the story. There are a few times when I ended up laughing out loud (like when Lenny debated on the best way to dispose of a body—an alligator or a woodchipper—he wanted to pick the one that was the most environmentally friendly.) The murder investigation takes a backseat to everything else going on. It gets solved in the end (I could have done without the condescending Broward County detective). Jack as a deputy was humorous. He could not wait to be done with that job. Fans of the series will be delighted with this installment. I do want readers to know that there is foul language in the story. A Relative Murder is an entertaining romantic suspense novel (it would not be a Jude Deveraux book without romance). Be prepared to stay up late to finish the story and have a book hangover the next day. A Relative Murder is a lively mystery with a melodramatic mother, surprising secrets, a whole lot of holes, a staycation vacation, conniving uncles, a blast from the past, a mysterious murder, and a determined daughter.

The format of this book was weird and I was not able to download the book. I am disappointed because I am a fan of Jude Deveraux books.

Jude Deveraux has created another solid mystery with the characters of Jack, Sara and Kate. It appears that Kate was not told the complete history of her family and that her father is actually not dead as she believed but had gone to prison. Further, her Aunt Sara had known. Add to this that Jack, who has been sworn in as temporary Sheriff, is trying to solve a murder and you have the recipe for some fun! Oh yea.... and Kate's shady mom is in town! Enjoy the read- I know I did!

The chickens have come how to roost. They all flock to the central hen house in Lachlan, where Sara, Kate, and Jack reside. I found this story to be very humorous and full of goofy, cheesy characters. Kate finds out some startling, life altering news, twice. Most of the town knew about it already. Ava is an exhausting character and a great match for Everett, who is a weasel. My favorite character is Lenny, the conscientious crook. When he pondered whether to use a wood chipper or an alligator, due to it being more environmentally friendly, to dispose of a body, sent me into paroxysms of laughter.
It’s a classic Jude Deveraux with zany plots that have to be peeled back.

Kate, Jack and Aunt Sara, the mystery-solving crew of Lachlan, Florida, are thrown for a loop when Kate’s father (and Sara’s brother) Randal shows up after being in prison for 25 years. As a young child Kate was told he’d died and now has to wonder what other secrets her mother has been keeping.

Crazy small town antics keep you guessing. Fourth in a series best read in order.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Relative Murder by Jude Deveraux is her fourth book in her Medlar Mystery series and can be read as a stand-alone book. This lovely mystery has fascinating characters and a mystery that I couldn’t put down.

Sara Medlar, her niece Kate, and their friend Jack have given up on solving murders, but when the sheriff leaves town and deputizes Jack to take his place, they all get involved in one more murder that takes place on their friend, Charlene’s farm on the outskirts of town. This murder investigation also opens up family drama for Sara and Kate. Will their relationship survive the secrets?

This is a twisty mystery that had me on the edge of my seat until the end. These characters are well developed and I liked Sara, Kate, and Jack immediately. They are smart, curious, and kind characters. I also enjoyed the pacing of the story as I was immediately immersed in the story and couldn’t wait to find out who was the murderer as well as the family secrets.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book. The rating of this book is entirely of my own opinion. #NetGalley #ARelativeMurder #MustReadMystery