A visit to the Museum of Art
Ends up with Beth Haldane playing a part
In discovering an unconscious teenager where
She really shouldn't be there!

Another suspicious case
So to her friendly detective a call she'll place.
That's the start of another intriguing read
It could well prove to be just what you need!

With teenage girls in danger
Is it someone they know or a stranger?
What has happened to her and why?
To discover answers Beth will certainly try!

Another visit to this Dulwich community where
Folks tend to know each other but beware
There's no known motive or reason why
Someone thought this young girl should die.

Get ready for twists and turns all the way through
And the possibility of romance could come true
But detective work is certainly to the fore
As all the clues the potential couple explore.

Another intriguing case for Beth and friends
Let's hope no one meets a sticky end!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

I very much enjoyed this second book in the series. Interesting characters and setting and find Beth a likable lead character.

A light read, but no comparison to the first installment.

The second installment in the Beth Haldane series continues the adventures of Beth as she tries to solve the mystery of the “sleeping” girls from College School. With many of the same main characters in the mix, the environment felt familiar and welcoming.

This book, however, failed to capture my undivided attention as much as the last one. The pace felt a bit lax, and lapses in the plot left me a bit distracted. While still a good story, it begs the familiar saying, “the original was better”.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the first one so didn't feel I could read the second, sorry.

This is my review for the first book

I was really looking forward to this book, especially as there is more in the series. This was an introduction to Beth Haldane who is a widow with a 10 year old son. Beth starts a new job and immediately there is a murder and Beth feels the need to clear her name. Although to me she was never in the frame. I don’t want to say too much more about the plot as no spoilers. I was surprised that the murder happened so early on so was quite looking forward to finding out about the person and why they were murdered. I didn’t take to the characters at all really as I felt they lacked depth and we didn’t really get to know them properly. I found that the narration from Beth was quite infuriating at times as there was a lot of description of things that were not really relevant to the story (i.e. comparing the different coffee shops in her mind each time she met somebody for a coffee). The storyline was also a disappointment to me as I felt there was not a lot of substance to it. Overall I was disappointed.

This is the second book in the series, and this time Beth stumbles upon the body of a young student.

Enjoyable cosy crime

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Murder Museum’ by Alice Castle.

This is Book 2 in Castle’s Beth Haldane series of cosy mysteries set in Dulwich, South London. It was originally independently published in 2017 as ‘Death in the Gallery’. While it can be read as a standalone, reading in order allows for a better sense of character development.

Beth Haldane is enjoying an early morning visit to Wyatt’s Museum of Art to visit a few of her favourite paintings. Her quiet reflection is interrupted by the discovery of an unconscious teenage girl lying on one of the stone coffins in the mausoleum that houses the remains of the museum’s founders. At first Beth thinks she might be sleeping then notes that her hands have been crossed over her white dress, echoing the look of a painting.

With the unknown girl taken to hospital and the parents of Dulwich Village in uproar, there is a need to identify her as well as to determine what has caused her coma. Beth pesters the police for updates, including DI Harry York. Still, with her keen eye for detail and research skills, Beth is perfectly placed to do some sleuthing of her own..

This again proved a satisfying mystery, focusing on the College School, “founded some two hundred and fifty years after the original school, when someone had belatedly realised that girls might just be worth educating, too.”

The novel gave Castle an opportunity to examine a variety of issues including body image and the pressure via social media for teens to get a ‘deluge of likes’ and comments. Dangerous internet challenges are also touched upon.

I enjoyed this even more than the original novel and again Beth’s observations about life in Dulwich were so amusing. I was reminded a little of Gill Sims ‘Why Mummy … ‘ series with respect to the quips about school gate politics.

Highly recommended.

Any mother would be beside herself to discover a child in distress. That definitely proves to be the case when Beth Haldane is visiting a museum and discovers a teenage girl who appears to be sleeping on a marble bench. She is not just sleeping. In fact she is unconscious. More than that, she is in a flowing white dress, with her hands posed just so. The girl is swiftly sent to the hospital while continuing to remain in her unconscious state.

Beth, who is raising her son Jake alone after his father passed away years before, and other parents of Dulwich are concerned. After not getting the answers she expects from the police, Beth does what comes naturally to her. She uses her innate eye for detail and her natural skills of research to find the answers she needs before any other children fall prey to whatever happened to the teenage girl.

After learning that the girl’s name is Sophia, Beth approaches her friends. However, they have nothing to say, and this makes Beth even more curious. Meanwhile, as Sophia makes absolutely no improvement, Beth is in a race against time. She just might get too close, even to the point of making Sophia‘s attacker look in her direction.

As Beth gets closer to discovering what happens to Sophia, she starts to annoy the Detective Inspector, Harry York, thus beginning quite possibly a new relationship for Beth, which if readers continue this series, will discover. The Murder Museum is the quite enjoyable second book in the Beth Haldane Mystery series. I have already fallen in love with Beth after reading book one, The Murder Mystery, and this second installment follows Beth and her exploits in a natural and effortless manner.

This second entry in the Beth Haldane series was even better than the first. Beth manages to insinuate herself into another investigation after she finds a young girl laid out on a tomb in her favourite museum. The author shines a light on pressures faced by young girls who are lured into impossible standards by peers and social media.

Beth is back and enjoying her job at the Wyatt.
On a visit to the museum of art , Beth spots something that doesn’t look right on further investigation she finds an unconscious girl.
This story although an easy read does deal with some serious issues .
The story has various layers which come together aptly to reach the conclusion.
The main character Beth is an amiable and credible character.
This series is a great addition to the cosy mystery genre and look forward to reading more.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture.

I liked the first book in this series but this one is even better as it's more complex and there's multiple POVs.
Beth is as likeable as usual and the author did a good job in developing the plot and the interesting characters.
There's plenty of twists and the solid plot kept me guessing till the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, had fun and was glad that Beth is still the witty and sharp character I loved in the first instalment.
The social remarks and the satire are still valid and I like them.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Murder museum by Alice Castle.
Beth Haldane mystery book 2.
Beth is gazing at enchanting paintings of the rolling English countryside when her daydream is rudely interrupted: by the discovery of a teenage girl unconscious on a marble bench.
Really do love this series. I love Beth. Read in one sitting. Can't wait for book 3. 5*.

This second book in the series starts off with a very creepy but artistic sort of crime scene where Beth finds a lifeless girl posed in a way that resembles some of her favourite paintings at the museum. The mystery of who the girl is and what happened to her sparks a complicated investigation that seems to hit dead end after dead end. There is a very real sense of urgency as the victims, in this case, are young teens.
DI Harry York, against his better judgement, is tempted once again to involve Beth in the investigation as she has a logical mind and the uncanny ability to be in the wrong place at the right time. I enjoy their interactions and their inner musings about one another. I really like Harry and found it sweet that he thought of Beth as a princess. It also made me laugh that he felt the need to include her in the investigation only to get very cross with her for being in harm's way when events develop out of her control. He really gets on Beth's nerves at times but they tend to get over any squabbles very quickly.

I love the social commentary in these books. The teachers and their attitudes towards certain students and their parents are very true to life. The report card comments made me smile as did the perils of the parent cliques at the school gates.
Parents and their relationships with their children are also keenly observed by the author as is social media and the alarming impact it has on today's youth.

The Murder Museum is the second book in the Beth Haldane series and it is another corker of a book. Beth finds the body of an unconcious girl in the museum and sets out to find out what has happened. Yet again I raced through this enjoyable cosy mystery in one sitting. Bring on the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up

A Beth Haldane Mystery Book 2

Beth Haldane is dazing at enchanting paintings of the rolling English countryside when her daydream is suddenly interrupted: by the discovery of a teenage girl unconscious in a marble bench. Shocked, Beth realises this is no snoozing schoolchild. Someone dastardly has carefully crossed the girls' hands across her white dress, as if she's in a painting herself. And the girls discarded red backpack found in a corner of the museum is totally empty. Is someone suspicious hiding evidence? And who would want to harm this innocent soul?

Beth stumbles across another body, this time it's a teenage girl who's found on a bench at the museum, but she's not dead, just unconscious. DI Harry York is once again on the case. We get to know more about Beth, her friend Kate and DI Harry York in this book. They are all likeable characters. The book is descriptively written and easy and quick to read. There's also some humour. I did feel the story ended a little abruptly, so I took off half a star for this. The book can be read as a standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #AliceCastle for my ARC of #TheMurderMuseum in exchange for an honest review.

Beth Haldane is visiting one of her favourite places, The Museum of Art when she sees something out of place, she summons help only for them to find a young girl unconscious on a marble bench. The girl is rushed to hospital but it’s not looking good. Beth works with DI Harry York to find the villain
This is the second book in the series & whilst it’s easily read on its own, I love that the characters & relationships are evolving. I love the five foot nothing Beth who isn’t perfect but I'd certainly want her in my court. I also love Harry who sometimes is tight lipped & at others lets Beth into the investigation, their relationship is one step forward, two steps back. There are twists & turns, plenty of suspects & I certainly didn’t work out how the victins were drugged. Now onto book 3
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Previously published as The Girl in the Gallery, The Murder Museum sees the return of single-mum to Ben, Beth Haldane, a determined and amusing protagonist whose priority is her son. In this tale, Beth indulging in her passion for art at the Museum of Art finds a young girl unconscious on a seat wearing a white dress, in between gazing at the beautiful pictures. DI Harry York is on the case again and it was a treat to return to Dulwich to follow the case and receive updates with Beth. Katie's friendship with bestie Beth is an enjoyable part of the novel, too. Well written and intriguing.

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

I loved this second book in this series. It was just as enjoyable as the first one. So much so, that I’m going to read the third one straight away. I love the main character and her son. The setting in Dulwich is just perfect. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A Passion For Art…
The second of the Beth Haldane mysteries finds Beth indulging in her passion for art. The Museum of Art is relaxing and interesting but things soon take a bizarre turn when Beth discovers an unconscious girl on a bench prompting the amateur sleuth to begin to investigate. A delightful murder mystery in the cosy vein with a likeable protagonist in Beth and a well crafted supporting cast. Enjoyable and entertaining. (Note that this was previously published as The Girl in the Gallery)

The second in the Beth Haldane Mystery series and very enjoyable...

On a visit to the school museum Beth finds a mysterious young girl who apoears to be sleeping but is in a coma posed in a way that replicates some of the work of arts where she is placed,

Lots of questions start going round Beths head and she is determined to get answers

This is book number two in the 'Beth Haldane mystery series' which us being re released by Bookouture. I found this book just as enjoyable as the first.
Once again we follow Beth who manages to stumble across another body, but this time not dead just unconscious.
Again, this book is more about the characters rather than the crimes. We get to know more about Beth, Inspector York and her close friend Katie.
Thus was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to book number three.
Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for this advance read.