"The House on Graveyard Lane" is a gripping murder mystery set in a historical context. The protagonist, Rachel, defies societal norms for women as she is asked to solve a murder. This compelling blend of historical setting and detective work created a truly refreshing reading experience. I extend my thanks to Martin Edwards, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the advance copy.

An interesting piece of noir fiction and attempt at Agatha Christie. I found the blurb that the book promised to be sort of a background story in the actual plot itself. I did not know when I requested this that there were three prior books in the series. I am not a fan of historical fiction in general but I thought the artistic slant would draw me in. Unfortunately, I will remain a distant reader of this genre.

The House on Graveyard Lane is the latest in Martin Edwards’ series of Golden Age mysteries featuring the enigmatic Rachel Savernake. Set in the 1930s with Britain and the world enduring a harsh depression, the story begins at a very outre gallery, that of surrealist artist Damaris Gethin. The Hades Gallery is featuring an exhibit “Artists in Crime”. Select members of the public have been personally invited to this showing. Just how select this audience is (and why) will become more apparent as the artiste Damaris performs an unexpected piece of performance art that sets the stage for all that is to come!

I enjoyed this book quite a lot and enjoyed seeing Rachel in action more in this novel than her last, The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge. For some reason this story felt more open and accessible in spite of the complexity of both the plot and the cast members/suspects. And the plot lines drew me along all the way to the conclusion. I didn’t mind being behind Rachel in solving the crimes. It was fun! Recommended!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Martin Edwards and NetGalley for an eARC of this book which is now available

I don't know if it's because this is the 4th in a series and I haven't read the others, but this did not hit for me. There were a lot of named characters, and this writing style meant that sometimes their full name was used, sometimes just a first or a last, and sometimes a nickname, so it was very difficult to keep all the similar characters straight.
I found the plot very convoluted, even for a murder mystery. They initial mystery set up in the first pages barely has anything to do with the plot of this book, so I kept wondering when we were going to resolve that, and it was brushed off as solved late in the book, but then continued to focus on the other mysteries that had come up.
Overall, I was bored throughout this story, and the confusion didn't help. I didn't like any of the main characters, and was annoyed at the detective protagonist instead of being impressed. If you've read the first three in the series and enjoyed them, you'd probably enjoy this one, but I don't think this is a series you can jump into in the middle of.

Rachel Savernake is a clever investigator who doesn't suffer fools lightly.. She has been hired by the victim of a locked room mystery to solve the case. The victim of a particularly gruesome killing hires. Rachel before her death. Rachel has to determine whether this is suicide of murder, and if its murder, who did it.

Rachel Savernake is a strong and independent investigator with a quick brain and a sharp tongue. The story is full of twists and turns, and the reader is kept guessing until the very end. It is a classic mystery novel that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first book by the author and when I requested this book, I didn’t know this was the fourth book of a series. Thank you @netgalley @poisonedpenpress and @medwardsbooks for the eARC of The House on Graveyard Lane.

This book was entangled in a web of clues, secrets, red herrings, twists, suspense, and unusual events. I like how the mystery of solving the murder wasn’t just based on one person, but many others were involved. Starting off the book with Damaris Gethin asking Rachel Savernake to solve her murder before it happened was what got me interested in the book. I was so confused at that part since she was still alive at that moment. It had me wondering if she planned it and nobody was really involved. Read the book and you’ll find out the truth!

I love a good murder mystery and with The House on Graveyard Lane we return to the world of Rachel Savernake and the mysteries she works to unravel.
The story opens with Rachel being invited to an art exhibit for crimes and criminals. There are portrayals of Lizzy Bordon and other infamous events and people. The artist, Damaris Gethin, is dressed as Marie Antoinette and has asked Rachel to solve her murder. She seems to know whatever happens from here will not be the staged event it is intended to be and has, in fact, been tampered with.. By why go through with it?
The story was a bit confusing to me at first, especially as to why the artist would "sacrifice" herself for the sake of her art, but I suppose some artists are willing to go to such lengths to make a name for themselves. I also though some of the pacing was a bit off and it could have been a bit shorter and more action paced rather than strung along for so many pages.
However, I will say I enjoyed the adventure and though this is book 4 of the Rachel Savernake series, they are fairly independent and do not have to be read in order. I had not read the others and felt I knew enough to move forward with this story but I also want to know more about the main characters, Rachel and Jacob so I plan to dive into some of the others in the series when I get the opportunity.

This is a well-written, clever, mystery that is intriguing and unusual. Although it was slow to develop which did cause the pace to be slower than I would have liked. The story was filled with twists and turns and was overall a fun read especially for those who enjoy mysteries from the Golden age. There is a Clue list in the back that helps you spot any clues you might have missed during the reading which was very nice and something I hadn't come across before. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. for the electronic ARC of the book, “The House on Graveyard Lane” by Martin Edwards.

When I requested this book I did not know that it was the fourth book of a series. Thankfully, it could stand alone and I wasn’t completely lost as the story developed. I really enjoy murder-mystery books and this one did not disappoint. Edwards sets up the setting perfecting to support the whole detective thriller story. The only drawback was the wordiness at times, the need to overexploit things gets a little annoying but it’s not so terrible as to hold one back from finishing the book.

All in all, I did enjoy the premise of the story and the way that Edwards went about developing the plot. It was methodical, drawing you in and following Rachel as she solves the mystery put forth by Damaris Gethin regarding how Damaris died.

At the end of the book, the author tells you the clues you could/should have picked up on in order to solve the mystery. I enjoyed that because it made me go back and re-read certain sections in the book. All in all, an enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction and mystery books.

It’s book review time! This month, I decided to go with an old fashioned cozy mystery. The House on Graveyard Lane by Martin Edwards was released yesterday (August 27th) from Poisoned Pen Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Before I get started, I also have to say that there was no indication on NetGalley that this was the fourth installment of an ongoing series, so just remember that I’m judging this book on its own merits. Things might have been different if I’d read the previous books. Let’s do the thing.

The House on Graveyard Lane primarily follows Rachel Savernake as she tries to figure out why surreal artist Damaris Gethin killed herself in front of a select group of people. Jacob Flint, a crime reporter, is also interested in the case, but he has his own case to follow involving the beautiful Kiki de Villiers until the story is mysteriously quashed by the powers that be. Set in 1930s London, it’s a mystery for fans of historical fiction as well as whodunits.

The plot is deceiving. The blurb on the back and the initial setup indicate that the main mystery will be solving Damaris Gethin’s suicide, but that really takes a backseat to everything else going on in the book. They wrap it up like two thirds of the way through in one or two paragraphs that are just offhand remarks in a conversation about the other stuff that’s going on. It’s really annoying. And even the main issues in the book are arbitrarily wrapped up. There’s a “clue finder” at the end with a bunch of stuff the reader was supposed to pick up on as proof of the outcomes, but it’s all vague stuff. Yes, I picked up on everything mentioned, but none of it was solid. Everything was guesswork that only came together because the villain was too stupid to keep their trap shut. Don’t confess and there’s literally a hundred other explanations for the so-called evidence. It’s just unsatisfying all around.

None of the characters are particularly likeable. Mostly because they all turn out to be some kind of bad guy. But even Rachel and her crew are not great. She’s a nosy rich person who thinks she should be allowed to do whatever she wants without consequences. Her “servants” aren’t really fleshed out in this book, but they have potential to be good characters. Maybe they are in the other books. I don’t know. And Jacob Flint turns into a whiny little bitch at the first sign of trouble despite acting like he’s tough. There’s no nice way of putting that. Maybe the other books give all the main characters more likeable qualities, but this one leaves everyone a bit thin. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have to actually like characters, but I do have to be able to see beyond the stereotype they’re filling to make them interesting. I can’t do it here.

I did enjoy the writing and the throwback to old timey English mysteries. For what it was, the pacing was fine. If the story had been what it promised to be and the ending had been stronger, I probably would have liked it a lot.

Ultimately though, I’m not a fan of The House on Graveyard Lane. There was just too much that was unsatisfying about it. I’m not even interested in trying the other books in the series.

Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. If you’ve read the other books in the series and enjoyed them, you might really like this book. I don’t know. But if you’re going in blind like I did, this is perfectly skippable.

** Thank you Poisoned Press and Netgalley for this book**

This book is the 4th in the series and I wasn't aware of that before I started it. This story is based in the 1930's. This book puts Rachel and Jacob together to solve this mystery. Rachel is invited to an art exhibit by Damaris Gethin. Why would they do that when it seemed like an obvious suicide. This is a slow start but gets better as you go. I would say start with book 1 to see if you liked the writing style.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The House on Graveyard Lane (Rachel Savernake #4) by Martin Edwards from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in order to read and give an honest review.

“...As always Martin Edwards has crafted a well-written, clever, suspenseful mystery that is intriguing and highly entertaining.”

The fourth entry in Martin Edward’s Rachel Savernake Series we open with a launch of a new exhibit at an exclusive gallery called Hades. The exhibit from performance artist Damaris Gathin who has models re-enacting famous murders in history. While Rachel chats with Damaris, Damaris seems intrigued by Rachel and her reputation for solving crimes. Damaris announces she will be the one to portray the execution of Anne Boleyn but before she begins, she makes a request of Rachel “I want you to solve my murder”.

Confused Rachel shrugs it off but when Damaris recreating the death of Anne Boleyn is beheaded by her own hands it looks like she chose to take her own life, but her request begins to haunt Rachel. Something doesn’t sit right and with her when her dear friend and crime reporter, Jacob Flint who was also in attendance agrees that there is a bigger story in the works. When the editor asks him to bin the story, a story which could make his and the paper’s name, he knows it is bigger than they thought. Rachel and Jacob two set off to investigate perilously crossing paths with a vengeful mobster, his runaway mistress, corrupt officials, a washed-up songwriter, a widowed nurse, and an opportunistic seducer all of whom had the means.

With a dynamic plot involving multiple hitmen after the same woman, a dead physician, a murdered henchman, vengeance, and trying to uncover why Damaris chose to end her life and her cryptic words to Rachel before her death.

As always Martin Edwards has crafted a well-written, clever, suspenseful mystery that is intriguing and highly entertaining. Although it had a few issues with the plot and was a little slow to develop, the story was filled with twists and suspenseful turns. A fun read for those who enjoy ‘Golden Age’ mysteries from a modern voice. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Just a mention that I absolutely loved the Clue list in the back although I stumbled across most of them myself, there were a couple I missed.

Pros:
Intriguing Premise: The story opens with a showstopping exhibition of violence in London’s Hades Gallery, setting the stage for a captivating mystery.
Golden Age Tropes: Edwards masterfully weaves together classic whodunit and thriller elements from the interwar period.
Rachel Savernake: The enigmatic detective protagonist, Rachel, adds depth and flair to the narrative.

Cons:
Missing Focus: The spotlight occasionally shifts away from the central mystery, leaving readers wanting more clarity on certain plot points.
Unseen VIP: A mysterious VIP subplot remains unresolved, which might frustrate some readers.

Beyond pacing issues and the unresolved VIP subplot prevents, it is still a delightful homage to classic mysteries, perfect for fans of Golden Age detective fiction.

I've got the making series on the brain, and it's a perfect week to take on a new entry in the Rachel Savernake series by Martin Edwards. Sepulchre Street is Edwards' fourth novel, and the fourth to feature his mysterious amateur sleuth, Rachel Savernake. Edwards is, of course, the premier expert on Golden Age / traditional mysteries, and I'd be excited to read this advance copy on his name alone. (Many thanks to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for the gift copy!) But I've also been a huge fan of his sleuth Rachel Savernake since I first picked up Gallows Court. The series is clever, compelling, and a dark contrast to some of my cozier "comfort" reads.

In this latest outing, Rachel and her crew pursue the alleged murderer of a dazzling contemporary artist. When Damaris Gethrin approaches Rachel to "solve her murder" - and then proceeds to execute on the same at her art exhibit - Rachel, Jacob, and the Truemans ned to learn more. As they investigate further, they uncover and wrestle with layer on layer of conspiracy. It's an intriguing premise, and Edwards is known for delivering on his puzzles. But can he keep it up in Sepulchre Street?

Rachel goes on an adventure

Martin Edwards is the ultimate scholar on Golden Age crime fiction, and it’s clear he loves the intellectual challenge of a good fair play mystery. He has brought that appreciation and wit to all of the prior entries in the Rachel Savernake series. He continues with the rigor in Sepulchre Street, going so far as to include a clue-finder at the end to “prove” the solution. If you, like me, enjoy feeling intellectually challenged by a mystery, then you will appreciate this approach. It's nice to know that all elements of the ultimate solution are deducible with information fairly provided.

That said, Edwards has chosen to go a little closer to the modern adventure route than in prior entries. Rachel, Jacob, and the Truemans stumble into a broad conspiracy, and their actions incite behavior that actually uncovers information. Not only that - the criminals are also prodded on by external factors, revealing additional clues. There's a larger element here of luck and/or conspiracy than in prior works - Rachel and the team have to be more reactive.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this, and it can be fun to see what happens when an intelligent and resourceful character is put in a tough spot. But when I think of the Great Detectives, I always imagine a sense of control - that they generally have an understanding of possibilities and probabilities that allows each new incident to give them information. It's the difference between the detectives leading the charge and simply deducing the outcomes. There's nothing inherently wrong with either approach - but I'm surprised to see this more reactive mode from Edwards' characters.

What makes a detective Great?

My first recommendation, should you choose to read this novel, is to quickly refresh yourself on the cast of the series. Edwards routinely references the team's past adventures, and spends little time reintroducing the characters and their stories. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to avail myself of this advice, and it took me a minute to refresh on each story and history before I could truly get into the swing of the novel.

Edwards continues to write Rachel with a vaguely mysterious past. While it was intriguing for a few novels, it's wearing thin in book 4. Rachel continues to have infinite wealth and intelligence. She can do no wrong when it comes to detecting - she's an effortless team leader and a great ally. But without enough of the personal touch, Rachel comes off as an in-story deus ex machina: there's no doubt she and her team will survive unscathed.

Of course, a mysterious crime-solver can still work when the surrounding stories and characters are sufficiently engaging. And while the story in Sepulchre Street is full of dramatic events, the characters themselves are a little thin. The victim dies in a truly shocking way - but we learn very little about her as a person. In my reading notes, I've noted one character gives off "Irene Adler in Sherlock" vibes - that is, shallow with the ongoing promise of depth.

My instinct is that Savernake could be great, if Edwards could commit to either approach. If Rachel's past stays vague, then the surrounding mysteries need to make up for it. Otherwise, it'll be important to dive deeper into her story (and her crew's). For the moment, Sepulchre Street fails to hit either mark.

Reader's notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐✨)

The above criticisms are in the context of a well-written traditional mystery / adventure novel. I gulped Sepulchre Street down in a single sitting and enjoyed the more dark, atmospheric vibe of the writing. This is definitely a good read, just a niche one - and one that feels like it could have been even better. I'd recommend this to anyone who's already a Martin Edwards fan - but if you're just looking for a great traditional mystery and not already familiar with the series, I'd suggest starting with Gallows Court first. Because it's so reliant on series attachment - 3.5 stars.

Read this if...

You love Rachel Savernake (and have recently read the other books in the series)

You appreciate the intellectual puzzle of a good fair-play / closed-circle mystery

You’re looking for something a little more on the dark side of mystery

Skip this if...

This is your first Rachel Savernake book

You need to empathize with either protagonist or victim in your mysteries

You’re looking for something cozy (like I often cover here)

The book is so twisted and terrifying. It is filled with unexpected happenings, red herrings and an inevitable web of suspense, mystery, hidden truth and secrets. The author has dropped clues in each chapter. This is a kind of book where the mystery was just not connected with just one character and their personal life but there was the involvement of many people. There were so many twists. I guessed one of the twists. I like the insights of art, murder, investigation and hidden clues. It felt like a twisted puzzle of human hidden facades, secrets, unsettling truth, and obsession. I love the characters descriptions and small details. This is great whodunnit

Set in 1930s England. Damaris Gethim, A surreal artist invited a small group of people including Rachel Savernake for her art exhibition. She wants Rachel to solve a crime that has not been committed yet but she is certain that she is going to get k!lled.

Many Thanks to Publisher and to the Author.

Let me start off by saying I didn’t realise this book was a part of series and I think I would have enjoyed things a bit more if I understood the background and the relationship of the characters. I don’t think I necessarily missed anything, but I like backstory, although I think our FMC’s backstory hasn’t been fully divulged in the previous books and so I do wish I had read the others first. But, as I said, I don't think you necessarily have to have read those other books in order to understand and enjoy this story.

I like a good personal detective (I am obsessed with Poirot and Holmes) and this is a pretty decent mystery. I think what might turn people off to this type of detective writing is you don’t always get given all the facts to try and work things out for yourself so when the idea is presented you think it’s a bit far-fetched or get lost trying to come to the conclusion. However, if you read this one through, you get a nice little wrap up.

I enjoyed: the historical aspects,1930s London, a Marple-esque detective, the supporting characters and the twists and turns.

The author has a series of historical crime which involve Rachel Savernake, a quiet retiring woman whose very clever skills of deduction, along with the enthusiastic support of Jacob, a young journalist seem to find answers for the mysterious and complicated situations they encounter.

1930s England is our setting and Rachel is invited for an exhibition of wax sculptures from the Master of Surrealism Damaris Gethim. Her need from Rachel is strange and straightforward. She is assured that she is going to be murdered very soon, and she wants Rachel to find out who murders her and bring them to justice.

The story is intriguing. The murder takes place that very evening where Damaris is guillotined in front of a big group of invitees. Rachel starts her investigation and she has to go back in Damaris’s life decades and meticulously uncover who Damaris’s long buried enemies were and why they acted as they did.

The story was intense, detailed and the characters of Rachel and Jacob who complemented each other and had ample support from the secondary characters in the story.

In The House on Graveyard Lane, amateur detective Rachel Savernake is once again hunting a killer in 1930s London. However, this time her client, famous artist Damaris, kills herself in full public view. What drove Damaris to suicide? And why didn’t Damaris just expose the reason herself rather than using Rachel’s services?

The plot above is intriguing and made me want to read this book. However, there is a bit of bait and switch to this mystery. The Damaris story is bumped by another plot line, the story of the mysterious fem fatale Kiki. Kiki’s story takes up more than three quarters of the book. It involves tediously long explanations of 1930 British politics that I could barely wade through. There is also a current political hot potato dropped in the story too. Eventually, we circle back to Damaris, but it seems more of an afterthought that the important twist it should have been.

Overall, The House on Graveyard Lane was the worst book in the series so far. I see enough politics in real life, I certainly don’t want it invading my fiction too. I am hopeful that the great Martin Edwards will return to his usual modern golden age mystery plot in his next book without all the political claptrap and thriller tropes that are mucking up this one. A disappointed 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advanced review copy.

The House On graveyard Lane is the fourth book in the Rachel savernake historical mysteries by Martin Edwards, The story begins at a museum call Hades with models exhibiting famous murders in history. Anne Boleyn will be done by the artist her self in the exhibit will end the same way Miss Boleyn‘s did. The catches the actress Ask Rachel to solve her murder when she is very much alive but not for long her name is Damaris Gathen and before her artistic offering is over just like Miss Boleyn she will be beheaded but it will be at her own hands. If millionaire Rachel wasn’t interested before she certainly is now. It seems the Sherlock home type investigator likes to divulge other peoples secrets unlike those in her own life. She is very private about her past but has some very faithful companions as well as admirers. Despite sussing out clues as to why the strange eclectic artist would kill her self soon Rachel has a bona fide attempted murder and then murder on her hands. The suspect List contains a crooner who star is falling, a doctors widow who’s clinic is flailing and a top-tier bona fide shady dealer but before it’s over Rachel will find another suspect. This is the first book I’ve read from this Series but I think it’s safe to say most people in this book have a pass with Rachel and it’s not the part she’s keeping to her self she is very secretive very intelligent bold daring and independent and has fierce loyalty from those who live in her home. I love a book who you know there is no way the end could’ve been predicted but I do think a lot of it due to the fact it was never mentioned in the book at all at least not one aspect of it I found this book to be very smartly done I liked Rachel the detective and the reporter and especially her loyal friends there’s a lot to say for a main character who has a secret of pass that seems to only make you want to continue reading to find out what it is but a last will have to wait and hope it is divulged in the next installment. I think how do I read the other three books in the series I would’ve given it a higher rating without as if I was coming in in the middle of the story as most of these characters knew each other previously having said that I feel I have been caught up on the ins and outs of Rachel her companions ET see and would definitely read another book although I did find this one to be very very long.#NetGalley, #PoisonPenPress, #MartinEdwards, #TheRachelSavernakeMysteries, #TheHouseOnGraveyardLane,

The House on Graveyard Lane by Martin Edwards #seventysecondbookof2024 #arc #rachelsavernake

Artist Damaris Gethin has invited a small group to the opening of her exhibit “Artist in Crime.” She asks guest Rachel Savernake to solve her murder, then enters her head into a lifelike guillotine, but when the blade drops and Damaris is actually killed, Rachel starts investigating. She quickly learns that Damaris herself accomplished the deed with the push of the button, so why did she ask Rachel to solve her murder? Rachel begins sniffing around the other invited guests, including a former lover with shady financial dealings, his widowed sister-in-law and her husband songwriter friend. Meanwhile, crime reporter Jacob Flint, also in attendance in hopes of meeting celebrated beauty, Kiki de Villiers, allows his fascination with her to endanget his own life when a ruthless gangster returns to London, looking to take back what’s his.

My thoughts: the summary of this book, while accurate, is a small portion of the actual story presented. The main plot deals with some of the guests at the victim’s party, the “meanwhile” of the summary. Ultimately they do connect, but I really wish that book jackets were more consistently accurate to the actual novel. That said, this was a fun romp into the Golden Age of 1930s England. It turned out to be book 4 in the Rachel Savernake series. I can’t imagine I’ll read the rest of them, but this one was entertaining enough to finish. I enjoyed reading about the fancy dishwashing gadget acquired by the main character. I couldn’t believe they were around back then, but it turns out they were invented in 1886 by a woman. Who knew! I appreciate this novel for causing it me to research that fact.

Thank you to @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Pub date 8/27/24)

#thehouseongraveyardlane