“A Most Efficient Murder” was my introduction to Anthony Slayton. The book blurb sounded like just my favourite type of thing, cosy, historical murder mystery, and it was! I can’t wait for next in the series, I’m hooked!

The characters are multifaceted and interesting, the mystery curious and complex, and the writing pacy! Mr Quayle is unintentionally charming as our leading man and I am keen to see what he gets up to next! His dry wit and quick intelligence makes the story all the better!

If you love murder mysteries, don’t miss out on this one! It’s highly recommended and a five out of five on the enJOYment scale!

A lovely meaty traditional country house mystery murder. All the usual elements: family scandal, missing jewels, interesting domestics and a policeman. All wrapped up in a ghastly 'old pile'. Interesting dynamic between Mr Quayle and the detective, looking forward to the next one.
A new author to me and I am glad I took the plunge. Thanks to Netgalley.

I just loved that it was action from the start of this murder mystery, and I was engaged in the storyline, right until the end.

The key characters have depth and I found Mr Quayle an intriguing lead in the story. He's the secretary to Lord Unsworth (a highly private, almost reclusive character), but not what you'd expect at all. His background you see gives him an unexpected edge in helping to identify the murderer. There are many twists and turns. Some expected, others less so. There are so many lies, so much deceit and yet there is also loyalty and caring as well.

It's FIVE stars from me, as I look forward to reading the next in this historical mystery series. I hope I don't have to wait too long.

With thanks to #Netgalley, Victor Editing NetGalley Coop and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a great start to a new series of Cozy Mysteries! I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment of Mr. Quayle's mysteries and hope this is just the beginning of many. The writing was good, great character development, and it had the perfect blend of wit and charm. I was entertained throughout and kept guessing to the end - several times I thought I had it figured out, only for a new twist to throw me off. Loved the 1920s setting in Unsworth Castle and hope we'll visit again in future installments of the series. Overall, happy to add this to my list of favorite Cozy Mystery series! I'm in for the rest of the adventure!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Anthony Slayton for the advanced eBook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

“I do not wish to disturb you, your grace, but there is a body in the garden…”

When a strange young woman is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle, the Duke and his family are astounded at first, but quickly become enraged when the police begin asking all sorts of impertinent questions.

Mr. Quayle has just been employed by the 13th Earl of Unsworth.

What starts as a celebration ends in murder.
No one knows the victim or do they?

I enjoyed this book. Witty, funny and everything in between. If you’re a fan of Midsomer Murders or Sherlock Holmes then this is a book you should get your hands on!

He has friends in high places!

A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton is the first book in Mr.Quayle Mystery series.

I was drawn to it for several reasons, first that it is historical cozy mystery, that it gave off that A.Christie vibe that is always a win in my book and who doesn't love a murder in a mansion set in an English countryside.
It is steady paced, the language is easy to read and enjoyable.
I quite enjoyed setting, it is really perfectly suited for the story of this kind.
Although I have to admit that I had hard time following and it didn't always keep my attention. I found it lacking, the characters were almost too stereotypical and they lacked depth. It just wasn't gripping enough for my liking.
This is a solid story for those who enjoy reading historical mysteries.

A Most Efficient Murder is a fun romp through a genre I've always enjoyed -- when well done. This first Mr. Quale mystery introduces us to Lord Unsworth, holding a family party of all things, where he is expected to announce the heir to his title. He is a pedantic historian of centuries of family history, collector of old family related artifacts and a bore. He has raised his niece, Fanny, since her parents died when she was eleven. His sister Constance is difficult and determined that her son, Arther, a gambler and ne'er do well secure the title, perhaps by marrying his cousin. Constance is married to Robert, a successful businessman. Lord Unsworth prefers his solitary studies and hobbies to his family and rarely sees any of them, except of course for Fanny whom he loves as a daughter. The characters are not terribly deep, but each has a role to play and we are offered sufficient backstories to enjoy and comprehend each one. In the middle of the party, a woman is found murdered in the garden. Mr. Quale, new secretary to Lord Unsworth and old friend of the former heir, Teddy, who was killed in the war, is asked to look after the family's interests. Inspector Winkle is in charge of the case. Various gardeners, constables and dead people appear at the proper moments to move the entertaining story along with a very satisfying group revelation at the end. In other words, Slayton has created just the right cast and plot to completely entertain with a few red herrings and some suggestions of further Unsworth issues to make me want to read the next book, already written. A quick and satisfying read! A well done entry into this genre.

1925. The Earl of Unsworth, Edward Statham, is holding a party at his castle when proceedings are interrupted by the discovery of a body. When D.I. Wintle and his superior Colonel Rye arrive the Earl has made an arrangement that his secretary Mr Quayle will shadow the investigation. But who is the dead female and why was she in the castle grounds. Can Wintle and Quayle sift through all the lies they are told to find a motive, and the killer.
An entertaining, well-plotted and well-written historical mystery. With its likeable main characters. A good start to the series
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My kind of book when family secrets come to the surface at an alarming rate, thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it ..

A most efficient murder by Anthony Slayton.
The Mr. Quayle Mysteries Book 1.
When a party thrown by the reclusive Lord Unsworth is marred by murder, his loyal secretary, Mr. Quayle, must unravel a web of red-herrings and old family secrets in this
Really enjoyable read. Great story and characters. 4*.

It's the first book I read by this author and I hope to read others as I thoroughly enjoyed.
It's well plotted, compelling, and the solid mystery kept me guessing. Fleshed out characters, vivid historical background.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

On the surface, this is a good old fashioned murder mystery. That’s about all it is, though. It is all surface. If you go any deeper, it doesn’t stand up. This is the beginning of a series, so maybe it will get deeper in the future. This story begins with a murder at a large party. When a body is found no one seems to react too seriously about it. Too polite? Too British? I don’t know. A brand new personal secretary is asked to investigate for the Lord. Even Mr. Quayle wonders why he is being asked to do such a thing. The story has a good pace and is a quick, enjoyable read for a quiet weekend day.

What a fun story! If you’re a fan of Marple or Midsomer Murders, then this will be right up your alley!

What starts as a celebration ends in murder.
The time: 1929
The place: Unsworth Castle
The victim: no one knows…or do they?

This was a rather enjoyable tale from start to finish. It gave multiple perspectives and had insight into different histories for different characters, but did not overload with information. In fact, gave you just enough information to satiate.

These characters had so many sides to them that it was fun to see how everyone related to one another and how everything played out. This story showed that murder is not always so upfront and there were quite a web of knots that the inspector and Quayle had to untie and come to a conclusion on.

As I was reading, I was really able to see this all play out in my mind; I could see the surrounds of the castle and even imagine tones of voice along with minute facial expressions.

Secrets and lies can hinder and ruin relationships quite completely and I’m curious to see what comes next for Quayle.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC ebook edition of this story!

I absolutely loved #AMostEfficientMurder! Mr. Quayle is one of my new favorite literary characters, a little mysterious with ties to the House of Unsworth that are not fully explained and a questionable employment history but entirely honorable, loyal and smart!

A body is found in the garden during an infrequent party at Unsworth Castle. The Duke, Quayle's current employer, and his family are incensed that the police think any of them could have been involved in the crime and so Quayle is instructed to "assist" the police in their investigation, Luckily, it is a war time friend of his that is leading the investigation. During the hunt for the killer, many of the families' secrets are uncovered giving some of them a motive.

I strongly recommend downloading the short story via the link at the end of the book. It explains what happened at Quayle's former place of employment and how he came to work for the Unsworth family. I am so grateful to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and advance copy and look forward to the second book.

England, 1929. When a strange young woman is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle, the Duke and his family are astounded at first, but quickly become enraged when the police begin asking all sorts of impertinent questions.
And when suspicions dare to fall on one of their own, it is up to Mr. Quayle, Lord Unsworth’s exceedingly efficient secretary, to find the true culprit. The characters are well-drawn and believable. The plot is perfectly paced, holds your interest, and keeps you guessing. It’s a page turner, for sure!

Set after WWI in 1925 England, A Most Efficient Murder is an enchanting cozy mystery, resplendent with fun, wit, intrigue and quirky characters. The writing style is quick, catchy and engaging. I was pulled in from the get go and enjoyed being immersed in deceptions until the end. But as this is the first in the Mr. Quayle series, thankfully this is actually just the beginning!

Though Lord Unsworth would rather bury himself in a book or medieval objects, he hosts guests at Unsworth Castle for a special event. But before it could proceed a body was found in his garden. After that layer upon layer of mystery and secrets are revealed...and no one's closet is devoid of skeletons. Mr. Quayle, Unsworth's private secretary, is asked to investigate on behalf of the family. But Inspector Wintle is officially in charge. Or so he thinks. Mayhem ensues.

My favourite aspects are the eclectic characters, wit and setting. Social classes are fascinating to read about and in this book we see different vantage points, teetering between pearl-clutching traditional Constance and modern Fanny. Mr. Quayle is one of my favourite characters.

Those besotted with the flair of Golden Age mysteries, do read this. It is well worth your time. Bits of it are reminiscent of P. G. Wodehouse characters and Blandings Castle setting. In my view this is the perfect escapist read...we all need that now and then!

My sincere thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the privilege of reading the first in this new series! What joy to anticipate the storylines in the second!

A body is found during a birthday party at the vast estate of the Unsworth family. Lord Unsworth is throwing a party for his niece, and suspected heir, and with the sudden death of a supposed stranger, everyone there is now a suspect, family included.

The cast is this: Lord Unsworth, his niece, Fanny, his sister, Contance, her husband Robert and their son Arthur, Fanny's boyfriend Major Eatwell and Mr. Quayle, the Lords new assistant. Inspector Wintle rounds everyone up and starts questioning. The Lord asks Quayle to assist the police in their investigation and they oblige. They soon discover that not everyone in the family is innocent and the secrets go deeper and are larger than anyone realized. Can Quayle and Wintle discover who the murderer is before they escape?

I really enjoyed this book. Mr. Quayle reminded me of Poirot or Marple. I would classify this as a "classic whodunnit". Quayle's wit and wisdom was fun to read, the mystery parts of the story were spot on and I was guessing until the very end. The chapters are short and the pacing is perfect for an afternoon read. The story is intricate yet easy to follow once all of the pieces fall into place. If you enjoy, A Christie style read, then this is the book for you. I am excited that this is a series and I cant wait to see what else Quayle gets himself into. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

This was super cute. I really like the voice of narrator and the feel of the book as a whole. Really gives meaning to the term cozy mystery. Believe it or not I want to try rereading it via audiobook just because I think with the right narrator and accent this could be bumped to a 4 star read.

This is a delightful 1929 house party mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s work. Mr Quayle is the secretary to Lord Unsworth, the father of his deceased former commanding officer. He has great loyalty to the family so when a woman’s body is found on the evening of a grand party he steps up to solve the crime and protect the family from scandal. I am hoping for a second in a series featuring Mr. Quayle.
This is a review of an advance reader copy provided by NetGalley.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for a review copy of A Most Efficient Murder, the first novel to feature Mr Quayle.

England, 1925. Lord Unsworth has opened his house for a glittering party, but events are marred by the discovery of a murdered body in the garden. It is left to his secretary Mr Quayle to solve the murder and shield the family from scandal.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Most Efficient Murder, which is an old fashioned country house murder mystery in the style of the Golden Age, where the emotions and personality of the detective take second place to the investigation. And it’s fair to say that the author outdoes himself in making Mr Quayle an enigma as there is no hint of even a first name, never mind a story of his life. There are allusions to life before Unsworth Hall, but no real meat on the bones. I rather like it as it’s intriguing and makes me want to read more.

The plot is well done and, the word that comes to mind, robust. It offers all the main ingredients for a substantial mystery, unidentified body, several suspects and no clear motive. The details are fairly silly, a pastiche I suspect of some of the more lurid offerings of the time, think secret codes and hidden diamonds, but fun. It is well paced with strategic reveals that offer enough intrigue to keep the reader turning the pages and mulling the permutations, but I defy any reader to get the whole of the solution correct. I got some of it, but it’s unexpectedly complex and at the same time offering more pastiche so great fun as well.

A Most Efficient Murder is a very credible start to a new series, so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.