Martin Edwards’ The House on Graveyard Lane offers a masterful blend of thriller and classic whodunit, with a plot that unravels like a darkly artistic puzzle. At the center of the story is Rachel Savernake, a sharp and sardonic detective who is asked to solve a murder that hasn’t yet occurred by the eccentric artist Damaris Gethin. The setting, an eerie art exhibit in the Hades Gallery, creates a haunting backdrop as Damaris stages her own gruesome death via guillotine, shocking her carefully selected audience. Though initially labeled as suicide, the artist’s chilling request to Rachel leaves behind more questions than answers, setting the stage for a twisting mystery where every guest is a suspect.

Edwards crafts a captivating, atmospheric tale filled with colorful and morally ambiguous characters, from shady financial players to washed-up songwriters. As Rachel investigates the tangled web of relationships surrounding Damaris, crime reporter Jacob Flint finds himself embroiled in his own dangerous subplot involving a notorious gangster and a mesmerizing femme fatale. The dual narrative keeps readers on edge, weaving together suspense and intrigue with Edwards’ trademark flair for intricate plotting. *The House on Graveyard Lane* delivers a satisfying blend of tension, mystery, and psychological depth, making it a must-read for fans of clever, character-driven crime fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC

The House on Graveyard Lane by Martin Edwards is a masterful blend of thriller and classic whodunit, set against the eerie backdrop of 1930s London. This fourth installment in the Rachel Savernake Golden Age Mysteries series plunges readers into a chilling and atmospheric tale that keeps us guessing.

The story kicks off with a surreal and macabre art exhibit by Damaris Gethin, a controversial artist known for her dramatic and unsettling works. The opening night at the Hades Gallery takes a horrifying turn when Damaris stages her own execution, leaving behind a cryptic request for Rachel Savernake to solve her “murder.” This bizarre and theatrical suicide sets the stage for a complex investigation filled with twists and turns.

Rachel Savernake, the enigmatic and astute protagonist, is a compelling character whose sharp intellect and unyielding determination drive the narrative forward. Her interactions with the eclectic cast of suspects, including a former lover with dubious financial dealings and a has-been songwriter, add depth and intrigue to the plot. Each character is meticulously crafted, with their own secrets and motivations, making it difficult to discern who can be trusted.

Edwards excels in creating a vivid and immersive setting. The Hades Gallery, with its subterranean location and haunting exhibits, serves as a perfect backdrop for the unfolding mystery. The author’s attention to detail in describing the gallery and the chilling reenactments of famous deaths adds a layer of authenticity and suspense to the story.

The dual narrative featuring crime reporter Jacob Flint adds another dimension to the book. His pursuit of a celebrated French beauty and entanglement with a ruthless gangster provide a parallel storyline that intersects with Rachel’s investigation in unexpected ways. This subplot enriches the overall narrative, offering readers a broader view of the dangers lurking in 1930s London.

The House on Graveyard Lane is a testament to Martin Edwards’ skill as a storyteller. His ability to weave intricate plots, develop multifaceted characters, and create a palpable sense of place makes this book a standout in the genre. Fans of historical mysteries and classic detective fiction will find themselves thoroughly engrossed in this dark and captivating tale.

I liked the intrigue of the mystery. The main character has her own secrets, but it is handled well.

I started in the middle of the series which is a big setback though, because it made it very difficult to understand the characters and their relationship with each other. I would have preferred if some background was provided.

Character names were also a bit weird for me and I understand the need of having unique names but it was hard to keep track. Also the pacing of the book is off, where there is a lot of description of things and events that don't matter.

I need to maybe start at the beginning of the series, before picking up the next one, since people who have read it in order seem to like it better than I did. (2.5/5)

i really enjoyed the historical aspect as well as the mystery. seeing the main character able to solve different problems and cases that she runs into without having the access to the modern day technology that we do now is so refreshing and shows how intelligent the main character is

Avant-garde artist Damaris Gethin knows she's going to die, and in a spectacular way on top of that. Why not invite the famed Rachel Savernake to her death, asking her to solve it?

I'd like to thank NetGalley, author Martin Edwards and Poisened Pen Press for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I'd like to say that this book is the fourth in a series, which I was not aware of when I requested the ARC. Following the backstory of various characters wasn't overly difficult, however, as there were several clues worked in dialogue and narration. I can't help but wonder if it doesn't become tedious for those who follow the series, though.

Like I said, the first scene was spectacular, and immediately pulled me in. Too bad that what I thought would be the real mystery in this novel wasn't followed as accurately as I'd hoped, and was resolved fairly quickly and sort of off-page instead.
“You're not a ghost,” Rachel Savernake tells Damaris Ghetin, who just asked her to solve her murder. “Not yet,” the artist replies. This little exchange led me to believe this murder mystery/thriller would be toying with the paranormal, but alas, it did not. A lot of the legwork needed to solve the mystery of Damaris Gethin's death was done off the page, and the reader was informed of it only through conversations between Rachel and the crime reporter Jacob.

The heart of the novel, instead, is the case Jacob has been following closely: incredibly beautiful socialite Kiki de Villiers is hiding a mysterious past, a tangled friendship with her maid, and dark affairs with organized crime. The noir atmosphere really helped to settle in the Golden Age of Murder mindset, so I definitely enjoyed this part. However, I think some descriptions are too lengthy and take away a lot of the suspense that a reader would expect from a thriller. The stakes were far too low for me to feel truly invested in the story, and reaching the solution to the mystery.

Lastly, the list of clues at the end of the book was a nice touch, although I feel that most of them were too vague or circumstantial to really give me that “Oh that's why!” lightbulb feeling.

I'm giving it three stars because I fully believe that if the book had been advertised as the fourth in a series and the blurb had been less focused on such a small portion of the story, it would have hit the mark much better. Alas, I went in with expectations that weren't met.

This one is a little hard for me to review. I am not super into historical mysteries AND I did not realize this was the 4th book in a series (that I have not previously read). That being said, I did finish this and enjoyed it for what it was.

As an aside - this cover is incredible and invokes the original VC Andrew’s covers from the 70s, which is what really drew me into this book.

I somehow failed to notice that this book was the fourth in the series before I started reading it. That didn't really end up mattering for me though. I feel like I understood who the characters were well enough without being familiar with their previous stories.

I liked the concept of the mystery in this one, but the execution didn't really work for me. I'm not sure why exactly. It just didn't click for me. That said, I did think this was a pretty solid, semi-cozy historical mystery that may work better for other readers.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I only read a little bit of this before I realized it was the 4th book in a series. But I liked what I did read! I will go back and read the first three books before reading and reviewing this one

I didn't check this well enough before requesting this one, and thus did not realize this was not a first book in a series or a standalone. From seeing other reviews I wasn't the only one that this happened to. I'm making my way through the series so I can fully enjoy this one, and therefore will come back to review once I have actually finished it! So for now this will be a 4 stars because what I read so far was fun before I realized my mistake.

"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.