I really liked this book, it was different than anything else I've read which was a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this to my friends, and auto buy this author!

I’ve been following this series since the beginning (when they were the Dulwich mysteries!) and they are great cosy British mystery stories with a very relatable main character and clever plots.

Beth Haldane returns in this 9th instalment to investigate the murder of an aging Lothario and attempt to balance that with the demands of her unreasonable mother, chaperoning teen school discos, smoothing out her friends’ personal problems and avoiding doing any work at her day job!

It is not only Beth that is likable and endearing, I also love her relationships with regular side character – son Jake, partner Harry, her pets and her various friends and family members – and how they have all developed as the series has progressed.

The plot technically stands alone perfectly well, but I would really recommend reading the series in order and seeing how Beth grows from a broke and lonely single mum to an intrepid investigator, mostly-confident teen boy mum, police partner and professional skiver (I seriously love her approach to her archive work!).

There were SO many suspects in this particular plot that I was amazed Beth even managed to narrow them down, but with the help of frequent sidekick Katie and her irrepressible pup Beth manages to sniff out a killer with a minimum of head-bonking this time round. It’s all a bit far-fetched but such good, entertaining fun, well-written and easy to read, so most mystery fans won’t mind the odd pinch of salt!

Two and a half stars.

Beth is shocked to be asked by her mother Wendy to accompany her to a funeral. Even more shocked to discover that her mother was engaged to the deceased. However, when they get to Len's funeral there seems to be a disproportionate number of female mourners, including his wife!

Although the police think Len died of natural causes, Wendy suspects foul play (by Len's wife) and demands Beth investigates. Soon Beth uncovers that not only was Len a serial philanderer with multiple women hanging off his arms, he also wasn't averse to borrowing large sums of money from them. Moreover, his job as a local councillor seems to have lent itself to Len helping or hindering planning applications for a 'fee'.

The police still don't suspect foul play, not until Len's secretary Bella is found dead in the street. Now everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else and Wendy wants her name cleared before her Bridge tournament.

Sadly for me this series has become very rinse-and-repeat. Too much dog walking and Year 8 disco, too many of Beth's friend Nina's malapropisms (which aren't in the least bit funny). All the characters, including Beth, are just two-dimensional. All of which I could probably live with, but the plots always seem to end the same way, with Beth finding 'something', which is not shown to the reader, and then willingly/deliberately be alone with the murderer so that they can attempt to murder her.

I'm afraid this is the last book I will be reading in this series. Like the Stephanie Plum series it has become a parody of itself.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

I have read the other books in this series and was glad to be accepted for the next instalment. Really fun reads

Accompanying her mother Wendy to the funeral of her boyfriend Len , Beth is surprised at how many weeping women of all ages are in the church and when they all start giving her mother the evil eye Beth knows someone is not quite right

Len the deceased local Councillor it seems was quite the local Giglio despite being married and although the village maybe small Len had a large presence which stretched to the next village along. When Wendy asks Beth to look into the details of his death as she fears foul play and not natural causes , Beth is at first not sure but when woman after woman claim to have been his one and only she soon undercovers the real reason why Len had so many women

Number 9 in the series and no end in sight

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc

I have now read a fair few of the Beth Haldane Mystery series and I loved them all. Unfortunately this one wasn't as good as the previous few that I have read. I found Beth and her Mothers constant arguments and attitudes to be fairly annoying and I ended up skimming the pages merely to finish the book.

A Beth Haldane Mystery #9

In a quiet village, mourners gather for a church funeral. But some of the tears flowing are fake = and Beth Haldane suspects foul play. On a rainy afternoon Beth Haldane accompanies her elderly mother Wendy to the funeral of her boyfriend Len. But as they gather in church, Beth can't help but notice how many women are there who look just like her mother. As the service begins it soon becomes clear that all the women thought they were Len's special someone - and one of them claims to be his distraught wife; Wendy suspects foul play and immediately asks Beth to investigate.

Beth is trying to clear her mother's name in the death of her boyfriend and conman Len. Ther are lots of other women claiming they were the love of Len's life, I really liked everything about this cost murder mystery There's plenty if clues and red herrings to keep us guessing, and Beth manages to unravel a few secrets that she wishes she now hadn't known. There's some humour thrown into the mix. Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

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

Favorite Quotes:

Beth’s relationship with her mother had never been an easy one. She didn’t want to judge Wendy too harshly, but she did sometimes wonder whether she had cooked her father to death, presenting him with huge fry-ups every morning and massive steamed puddings every night, until he succumbed to a heart attack far too early. What was more, the family diet changed radically the day after her father’s demise, and Wendy had been picking at muesli and salad ever since.

‘He promised me he wasn’t seeing anyone else. But I’m beginning to wonder if he wasn’t telling me an incy bit of a lie,’ quavered Wendy, holding the damp tissue up to her welling eyes… Judging by the number of disgruntled well-preserved women in widow’s weeds packing out the church, yes, Len had been telling a thumping great whopper.

‘What actually is polyamory?’ Beth was silent for a second, then plunged in. ‘I think it must just be the latest modern way of saying everyone’s sleeping around and monogamy’s for old farts.’

It took a lot to get the better of Belinda McKenzie. As Beth knew only too well. She’d been trying for years and never managed it. Julie-Ann was clearly a ninja-level practitioner of dark arts Beth could only dream of.

My Review:

I adore this amusing and cleverly penned series, the wily author has populated her tales with realistic and uniquely composed yet recognizable quirkiness, and combined that with the humorous observations and witty inner musings of the main character. Nina’s malapropism is rather brilliant.

I remain enamored with the pixie-booted Beth, she is far from perfect and haphazard about observing her work hours and attending to her own personal appearance yet tenacious in following her insatiable curiosity. I would enjoy knowing her in the real world but must settle with following her exploits on my Kindle.

This was another fun Beth Haldane mystery from Alice Castle. I had read the first three books in the series and was invited to read the ARC for #9. I was able to jump into the story without feeling like I was missing a ton from the books in-between (though I do want to go and read them as well!).

Once again, Beth finds herself involved in a situation that turns out to be a murder. This time, a brewhaha erupts at a funeral for local councillor, Len, when the women in attendance all start to express their relationships with him. Unfortunately, they don't all know about each other (or his wife) and it turns out that maybe, just maybe, Len was using them all. Beth's mother is insistent that Len loved her and that he must have been murdered by one of the other women. To quiet her down, Beth agrees to do some investigating and finds out that maybe murder was what took Len down.

The book was an easy, enjoyable read and I liked reconnecting with so many characters from the first three books. If you are a lover of cozy mysteries with a small-town feel, you'll enjoy the Beth Haldane series.

"In a quiet little village, mourners gather for a church funeral. But some of the tears flowing are fake – and Beth Haldane suspects foul play…"

...

My Goodness! Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday that I was reading and thoroughly enjoying the first book in this series and now here I am with book #9 in front of me, having sampled none of the intervening episodes, yet pleasantly surprised that this works brilliantly as a stand alone story. There are several references to Beth's previous investigations, however they are peppered into the narrative and dialogue succinctly, so as to in no way overwhelm this storyline for any serious series readers, nor leave you feeling short changed if you were meeting Beth Haldane for the first time...
...

We now find Beth working as an archivist for the Wyatt Museum, where she is also writing a book about the very dubious past of the family's ancestry, playing as they did, an important role in the slave trade, from where their massive fortune was derived. That the the local population of Dulwich Village has benefitted from the family's ill-gotten gains is in no doubt, however, the present custodians of the estate have decided to catalogue and share the history, in the hope that by discussing the past, they can help to change the future. Beth is a long-term widow, and successful amateur sleuth, living in one of the more modest houses in this upmarket area with her teenaged son Jake. Whilst solving her first case, Beth made the acquaintance of Detective Harry York. It seems that whilst I have been absent, their relationship has moved on over the intervening period and Harry is now happily living with Beth and Jake, although rather annoyingly for Beth, Harry never shares any details surrounding his current cases, especially if he gets wind that Beth might be carrying out her own investigations, although it sounds as though he has had to pick up the pieces of Beth's bruised and battered body on more than one occasion.

Beth's mother Wendy, also a widow for many years now, lives a stones-throw away from Beth, although the two lead very separate lives. If truth be known, they rarely see eye-to-eye about anything and Beth spends all her time living in the shadow of her older brother Josh, who can do no wrong, even though his job as an overseas war correspondent, travelling to some of the most troubled hotspots of the World, means he seldom visits home, although when he does, Jake hangs on his every word in total adoration.

Thus the scene is set for Wendy to receive a massive shock, when a local council official, to whom she believes herself engaged, dies suddenly. When his funeral descends into chaos, it is apparent that a philandering Len Broughton had led a far from innocent life, with his duplicity towards Wendy being the mere tip of the iceberg. Harry is treating Len's death as 'natural causes', although a distraught Wendy is convinced it is murder, especially when she herself comes under suspicion from some of her fellow bridge club members, a slur on her good standing in the community she cannot countenance. She pleads with Beth to discover the truth surrounding her paramour's demise, to help her clear her name. Beth, who had no idea that her mother even had a 'gentleman friend', enlists the help of her best friend, Kate, who, in this area where appearances are everything, is as down to earth as Beth herself. It soon becomes apparent that the duplicitous and swindling Len, is not only married, but alongside his other addictions, likes to indulge in a little consenting polyamory, with just about any female with breath in her body, making him a sitting target for so many people. When the body of someone closely associated with Len is found, natural causes surrounding both deaths are ruled out and a full-scale murder enquiry is launched, presided over by Harry himself, with 'assistance' from the amateur duo, who may, or may not, prove to be more of a hindrance than a help!
...

This is just how I like my reading: short chapters which means there are plenty of breakout points for when real life gets in the way of my me time, whilst also keeping this multi-layered and highly textured storyline, well-structured and signposted, fluently written, evenly paced and seamlessly evolving, with literally never a dull moment.

Beth Haldane is a refreshingly new style of amateur sleuth, that of the younger middle-aged, single parent, living in slightly straitened circumstances following the death of her husband, in smart Dulwich Village, in the London Borough of Southwark. That she doesn't quite fit into the thriving 'in scene' of the wealthy, entitled, yummy mummy brigade, has long since failed to worry Beth, despite the fact that she is reminded of her difference in social standing at every opportunity, especially by her fellow 'playground mother' nemesis, Belinda McKenzie and her cronies.

The very nature of Len's errant lifestyle, means that just about the entire village of Dulwich, are suspects in his untimely demise, making the list I had begun compiling, rather redundant. Whilst I had my suspicions early on about the most obvious suspect, which in fact turned out to be correct, watching Beth and Kate unearth some aspects of Len's life which amazed even them, as did the eventual cause of his demise, was a real eye-opener and not without several moments which made me either gasp out loud, or smile quietly to myself.

A large, sprawling cast of guest characters occupy this storyline, none of which, with the exception of Beth’s best and true friend Katie Wood, are particularly likeable. Selfish, demanding, manipulative and duplicitous, are all words which come readily to mind, to describe this eclectic mix of the upper middle classes, who all seem to be jostling for some unspoken recognition or position, regardless of whose shoulders they need to stand on to attain the heady heights they want to achieve for themselves, their families and their offspring. Whereas Beth and Kate complement each other nicely, with one of them being as organised and methodical, as the other likes to fly by the seat of her pants. Even Beth's mother Wendy tends to keep her distance, living as she does, in the slightly smarter end of town. However, she is quick enough to ask for Beth's help when the chip are down and her reputation is at stake. I had hoped that there might have been a slight thawing in their relationship when Len's murderer had been unmasked, but I'm not so sure that is going to happen any time soon. Beth has really had to fight for herself and her son Josh, although the burden and loneliness have been eased somewhat with the arrival of Harry, who seems have an easy-going relationship with both both Beth and Jake, although I am still trying to decide if he is taking the situation a little too much for granted as a convenient option for an easy life. The jury is out, so I'll just have to wait for the series to progress.

The physical footprint of the story is confined to a single, quite niche location, so for anyone looking for travel to far flung places, there may be slight disappointment. However, some astute and often rather humorous, observational narrative and dialogue, genuinely offers a great sense and feeling of sights and sounds, time and place. So, if a short sojourn to Dulwich Village, as witnessed from both sides of the class divide, is what you crave, then you definitely won’t feel cheated by this book.

A wonderfully addictive read. A mystery that really held my attention all the way through and a host of characters that delight and entertain. This series shows no sign of slowing down.

I loved the underlying humour flowing through this book. It added a lighthearted touch. In addition to the mystery and murders, Beth had to contend with family life, friendships and frenemies. I found the mean girls subplot to be quite entertaining especially when Beth and her friends met each barb with one of their own. Beth's mother and brother are equally as entertaining and it amazes me that Beth manages to stay sane around them.

For an addictive, light-hearted read and clever mystery the Beth Haldane series hits the mark.

I was invited to read this by the publisher.

This was an enjoyable cosy crime, though I haven’t read many of the previous books and I feel I maybe would have enjoyed it more if I had.

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

The 9th book in the series, I had read most but not all however it didn't matter as you can easily get up to speed.

A fun, cosy nurse mystery. I felt it was a little obvious but the characters were great and I'm glad Beth's friend was more in the scene too.

Thank you for the arc.

Beth Haldane’s personality shines through in this cozy crime story. The dialogue between Beth and her friends and family is full of humour and shows you how down to earth she is. The contrast between Beth and the entitled inhabitants of Dulwich comes over clearly and the observations of how society is operating in this affluent area are pithy and to the point.

Beth’s relationship with her mother is an interesting dynamic. Although you can tell that she is frustrated at her mother’s attitude towards her, Beth nevertheless feels protective and obviously loves her family very much. Family and friendship are important in the story but not everyone is a sympathetic character. The murder mystery at the centre of the story is well paced and makes for an entertaining read. This is Book 9 in the Beth Haldane series but shows no sign of getting stale . Her relationship with Harry is subtly drawn and gives an interesting dynamic as he raises his eyes at Beth’s sleuthing.

In short: clues and red herrings abound

The Murder Affair is book 9 in the Beth Haldane Mystery series and it is a lovely cosy series. I love the setting and characters in these books. This one focuses around the death of local councillor Len who is Wendy's (Beth's Mum) boyfriend but at his funeral it turns out Wendy wasn't the only woman in Len's life. It was quite the page turner, with plenty of tension and red herrings. I would highly recommend this book and indeed this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

EXCERPT: There it was. The sure sign of dark deeds, a white SOCO tent shivering in the autumnal breeze. Beth had recently had one of these in her own back garden for far too long. Immediately she started wondering how she could possibly get some information on what was going on. Could it really be another killing? And if so, who was the victim?

ABOUT 'THE MURDER AFFAIR': In a quiet little village, mourners gather for a church funeral. But some of the tears flowing are fake – and Beth Haldane suspects foul play…

On a rainy afternoon, Beth Haldane accompanies her elderly mother Wendy to the funeral of her boyfriend and local councillor Len . But as they gather in the church, Beth can’t help but notice how many women are there who look just like her mother.

As the service begins it soon becomes clear that all of the women thought they were Len’s special someone – and one of them even claims to be his distraught wife. Wendy suspects foul play and immediately asks Beth to investigate.

As Beth begins to speak to the women she has to ask, was one of Len’s many disgruntled girlfriends out for revenge? Why was Len borrowing money from the ladies he romanced? And why did his work for the local council seem so suspicious?

Then, Len’s secretary Bella is found dead amongst the dahlias in a planter. Beth starts to suspect Len was involved in something far more dangerous than she’d assumed but what did Bella know about his business that led to her unfortunate end?

With the village rumour mill in full swing, fingers start to point at Wendy. After all, distraught Wendy is telling everyone who lends her an ear that Len was murdered – and she saw Len the very evening he was found dead. The clock is ticking for Beth to clear her mother’s name before it’s too late!

MY THOUGHTS: So many suspects! The Murder Affair is a fun read. I had to suspend belief in places and there were a few things, one in particular, that niggled,but beyond that I enjoyed this episode of Beth Haldane Mysteries. Although this is a series, each book can be read as a stand-alone as each contains a complete mystery.

Beth isn't a yummy mummy - she's short, dumpy and lives in old jeans and sweaters. She is, however, incredibly inquisitive. She has a 13 year old son, Jake, and her partner Harry is a detective who mostly doesn't share his information and is always telling Beth to stay out of the way.

Beth enlists the help of her best friend Katie, a yoga instructor, and her brother's girlfriend Julie-Ann to help her solve this mystery.

Running parallel to the mysterious death of Len, is the story of the two teenage boys, Jake and Charlie, navigating their first school social, and the cruelty of teenage girls.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#TheMurderAffair #NetGalley

I: @alice_castle_ @bookouture

T: @AliceMCastle @Bookouture

#contemporaryfiction #cosymystery

THE AUTHOR: Alice Castle lives in South London with her two children and two cats. She was a feature writer on the Daily Express for many years and has written for most other national newspapers. She has a degree in Modern History from St Andrews University, is the British Royalty expert for Flemish TV, and lived in Brussels for nearly a decade.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Murder Affair (A Beth
Haldane Mystery #9) by Alice Castle for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Murder Affair' by Alice Castle.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Alice Castle, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication Date 18th May 2023.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read the first book in this series 'The Murder Mystery' which I highly recommend. It is also the ninth book in the 'Beth Haldane Mystery' series but can be read as a standalone.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beautiful cover and intriguing as well as intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'A deliciously cozy and gripping murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and The Thursday Murder Club' I am a huge fan of The Thursday Murder Club so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Alice and of this is half as good as the first book in this series The Murder Mystery it is guaranteed to be a page turne!!! 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 46 chapters. The chapters are short in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Dulwich, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.

This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Beth Haldane. 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.

Wow!!! Absolutely LOVED this cozy murder mystery and looks like I've gone and found myself a new favourite author!!!

This book is extremely well written. It is just so easy to read and the descriptions were absolutely gorgeous and vivid. The way Alice describes everything in her writing completely sets the scene for readers ensuring they are can see everything around them in depth and detail.

Yet another brilliant addition to a fantastic series!! I cannot wait to go back and get sucked in to the previous books and cannot wait for the rest of the books in this brilliant series to come out!! The storyline is fast paced and grips the reader straight in from the first page to the very last. Beth has been roped in to going to her mother's boyfriend's (Len) funeral but there's more drama at the funeral than on the soaps when arguments about whose Len's beloved really was!! Unfortunately for Beth's mum it turned out that there were many of them and then begins to think that he must have been murdered so begs Beth to find out the truth. Beth agrees and starts digging into Len which leads to half of the village becoming suspects!!! Will Beth discover who really killed Len and why? Can she find out before there is another death in Dulwich? Well ladies and gentlemen, if you want to find out the answers just grab your copy now!! I promise you won't regret it but you may just end up as addicted as I was and buying all the previous books in this brilliant series!!! I was completely invested in the storyline which completely sucked me in from beginning to end. This truly is a page turner and I felt myself walking around with my kindle in my hand every chance I could get and if I couldn't use my kindle then it was the kindle app on my phone. The atmosphere is perfectly suited for the plot and with the fantastic descriptions throughout I felt myself investigating alongside Beth throughout. It actually made me want to visit Dulwich regardless of the fact that there was a murder. Alice's writing style completely captures the readers imagination and this is just the type of book that can be read in the sun on a beach or on a rainy day curled up by the fire in your living room. I enjoyed the fact that although this is a cozy mystery there wasn't any unnecessary violence involved making it a nice "soft" crime. There doesn't seem to be many of these available which is a shame as many of my friends ask for crime recommendations but do not want anything with too much violence so I will definitely be recommending this to them along with other readers! There is so much going on in this book to keep the reader absolutely absorbed in the pages. One of the other things I admire about this book is that although it is filled with suspense, murder, mystery and twists there is also plenty of humour to lighten the story up ,breaking up the bad with some good. This book kept me guessing throughout and was filled with unexpected twits. I never did guess who the murderer was so a HUGE WELL done to Alice. It is getting harder to shock me but you managed it perfectly!!!

Although this is the ninth 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.

The characters were all well developed and realistic. I was completely invested in Beth and found that I related to her in the fact that we are both mothers of boys and both know the fun that comes with it!! Beth is just a likeable and friendly character that makes the reader want her to succeed. She is a down to earth single mum who just wants the best for her son in a village filled with mums with partners and many of whom are snobby. Beth struggles to fit in with the typical crowd and this was another thing I could relate to her with. I enjoyed watching the relationship between herself and the other characters continue to develop and watching her meeting new people. There was a great mix of characters in this story and I loved meeting many of them, some who made me laugh, some I found annoying and others who were just strange. I always seem to love books with strong heroine protagonists and this book doesn't fail there!!! Katie is another female character thay I really liked and I really enjoyed meeting her and several other characters again, along with meeting new ones. This book contains an absolutely fantastic eclectic group of characters who work together to make this addictive storyline come together and Alice does an absolutely fantastic job of bringing each and every one of them to life ensuring they leap out of the pages at the reader. I am looking forward to meeting Beth again and seeing what adventures and mystery she gets wrapped up in next!!!

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Alice on an absolutely perfect addition to an addictive new series!! I cannot wait to get sucked into your previous and future books!! This is exactly why you are om my favourite 5 cosy crime authors list !!! Here's to your next success 🥂

Overall a perfect and page turning addition to an addictive series with an absolutely fabulous, funny, lovable and memorable main protagonist!

Genres covered in this novel include Cozy Mystery, Thriller, Women Sleuths, Humourous Fiction, Cozy Animal Mystery, Literature And Fiction, Murder Suspense, Amateur Sleuths, Police Procedural, Crime Thriller, Contemporary Fiction, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Women Sleuths, Murder and Noir Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin, Verity Bright, T.E Kinsey, Helena Dixon, The Thursday Murder Club and anyone looking for the perfect cozy murder mystery series to sink your teeth into.

290 pages

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £8.99 in paperback via Amazon at time of review 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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Aah, coming back to this series is like coming home.

Accompanying her mother to a funeral, Beth Haldane expects everything to go quietly; what she doesn't expect is a whole bunch of women causing a scene as the deceased seems to have been in a relationship with them - all of them, more of less - and then his wife makes herself known. Beth has never seen a funeral like it. How did the man die - and why? With her mother a target of all the local gossips, Beth agrees to investigate and find out what really happened.

I love this series! Beth Haldane isn't your usual 'cosy' investigator, and Alice Castle writes a fabulous mystery. She has the character of the 'ladies who lunch' to a 'T' and I just revel in every aspect of her stories. Having followed this series, I feel as if I know Beth and her family quite well. Each story is entirely different, but no less entertaining. Who knew Dulwich was such a hot bed of crime - and gossip? Another wonderful read and one which I thoroughly enjoyed. No doubt about it, five glowing stars and one I happily recommend to all lovers of really excellent cosy mysteries.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

When Beth Haldane goes to a funeral with her elderly mother, she is shocked to discover that her mother had been involved with the deceased, Len. Even more shocking, more than a few of the mourners are elderly like her mother and they were also involved with Len. Beth’s mother Wendy begs Beth to find her boyfriend’s killer, and refuses to take no for an answer.

Beth wants to know how Len, a man of a certain age, had so many women at his beck and call. Sadly, Len is not the only murder victim, and Beth is determined to solve both murders, knowing full well that she will not get much help from her boyfriend Harry, a local detective. In fact, Beth wonders about her future as she knows that she is becoming much more than an amateur detective.

This Beth Haldane series is a real treat and I truly enjoy following Beth on her exploits. This latest book in a delightful series was thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to Beth’s next adventure.

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

Again, I wonder how Beth manages to keep her job at Wyatt’s School, because she is hardly ever there! This time Beth is trying to clear her mother’s name in the death of con man and playboy Len. So many women all claiming they were the only love of Len’s life, and Beth is determined to find out who caused his death. As always, there is lots of humour as well as opportunities for Beth to get into trouble!