**3.5-stars rounded up**

An Unfinished Murder is the 5th-book in the Medlar Mystery series by veteran author, Jude Deveraux. This is the 2nd-book I've read from this series, the other being A Forgotten Murder, the 3rd-book in the series. I enjoyed it a lot and hope to eventually get to them all.

This series follows Romance novelist, Sara Medlar, who along with her niece, Kate, and their friend, Jack, tend to solve a lot of mysteries. Like many other amateur sleuths before them, this trio seems to be at the right place, at the right time, when it comes to mysteries, particularly murder mysteries.

At this point, the trio has built up quite a bit of a reputation for themselves due to their superior sleuthing skills. Now known as the Medlar Three, in their small town of Lachlan, Florida, there's no case they're afraid to tackle. This latest mystery arises after Kate, a real estate agent, is given a listing for the storied Lachlan House, a local property with a dark past. Alarm bells may ring, but it's a substantial listing, one she has no intention of turning down.

Their first time visiting the property, the trio make a stark discovery, an actual skeleton in the closet. This one dressed in a rotting tuxedo. It's this shocking moment that causes Kate to realize, she did spend some time there as a child. This skeleton seems to have connections to her father, and it makes Kate wonder if the childhood she can't remember may be one she'd rather not anyway.

As Sara, Kate and Jack dive deeper into the skeleton's history, they discover it was a man who was last seen attending a lavish party at the Lachlan House in the 90s. Apparently, he had many enemies and most of them were in attendance that very night. With multiple motives and a suspect list as long as the party's guest list, the Medlar Three are determined to find the culprit and put an end to this decades long mystery.

I listened to this one on audio recently while embarking on a solo road trip. It was a great way to pass the hours and kept me fully-entertained while tackling Boston traffic. I found it to be a little convoluted at times, with all the characters involved, some were hard to keep straight, but it could have just been my frazzled vacation brain.

I liked how the Medlar Three were pulled into the mystery at Lachlan House. It made sense to me how urgently they would want to solve it. I also found their method, sort of recreating that decades ago lavish party, to be such a fun idea. The cast eventually assembled was vast and quite interesting. The culprit really could have been any of them.

Deveraux embraces the classic Cozy Mystery format that I tend to be drawn to and find to be so comforting. This type of book with keep you engaged, and on your toes, without requiring every single brain cell in your head. This has inspired me to hunt down the rest of these books, because I do love this trio: Sara, Kate and Jack. I need more cases to solve with them.

As with many Adult Cozy Mystery series, these don't necessarily need to be read in publication order. Clearly, I'm not reading them that way and I've never felt lost, or like I wish I had more information.

From the synopsis, this could be the final intended book in this series, which makes me sad, but on the bright side, I still have three more to go, which I'm excited for. I'd recommend this to any Cozy Mystery fan, particularly if you enjoy friends, or family, solving mysteries together.

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm stoked to wrap-up the rest of the published books in this series!

This is book 5 in the Medlar Mystery series and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous 4 books in the series. Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her “honorary grandson” Jack. It’s a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they’ve become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she’s been given the listing for the town’s storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that’s certain to haunt them all. The house set off hiden memories in Kate and the police are interest in solving the murder and missing jewels that took place there.

I want to thank Netgalley.com , Jude Deveraux and the publisher.

I was super excited to read this book because I LOVe Jude severaux.. but than I read it and well wish I hadn't.

The past few books have seemed messy and this one was no different. To many characters and the plot was messy.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. An Unfinished Murder is the fifth book in the Medlar Mystery series by Jude Deveraux. This book is a mystery with elements of romance. Sara Medlar was a retired romance author who had made a name for herself as an amateur detective. She lived with her niece, Kate, and a young man she took in because of the abuse of his father, Jack. Her brother, Kate’s father, lived on her property in a guest house. The four of them went to investigate a large mansion where Kate and her father had stayed when Kate was very young. Kate had been contacted to act as the real estate agent to sell the estate. When the four were touring the home, they found a skeleton sealed in a closet and convinced the local Sheriff to allow them to investigate the murder. In order to determine the identity of the killer, they threw a house party with exactly the same guests who were in attendance at the time the murdered man disappeared. What ensued was a little romance, a little danger, a little psychic connection, and a lot of sorting information to find out what had happened approximately twenty years earlier. I found this to be an entertaining mystery with the feel of an earlier time, despite being placed in a contemporary timeframe. The spice level for the romance was very low, a closed door story, allowing the reader to focus entirely on solving the murder. I have not read the previous four books in this series, which would have helped me to understand understand the dynamics between the characters better as well as their history, but it wasn’t necessary for the purpose of following the murder mystery. If you want to read a light murder mystery or romantic suspense story with a PG rating and a cast of interesting characters, then this book might be for you. It was well written novel. The mystery was well paced and progressed in a way that made sense. I am happy to have had the opportunity to read it and share my thoughts with others.

Thanks to NetGalley for offering me a copy of this book for review.

An Unfinished Murder offers up a complex collection of suspects involved in a recently discovered murder that happened at a party many years earlier. The characters were reasonably engaging and the plot proceeded smoothly for the most part.

As with many ongoing series, it might have been helpful to have started with book 1 and been more engaged with the ongoing characters, but their personal part of the story was handled well.
Would I read the rest of the series? I might if the time was right, but I did not rush out to buy it.

I absolutely love this series. I gathered that this is going to be the las of them but I so want want more. This cozy mystery series is absolutely gripping. I love it! Each book gets better and better. I love her romance books but I love these mystery books even more! This was the best in the series so far! This book had me hooked til the very end!
I just reviewed An Unfinished Murder by Jude Deveraux. #AnUnfinishedMurder #NetGalley
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I haven't read anything by Deveraux in a long time, but with this book I was reminded how good she really is! Easy to get into and get hooked on! I for sure recommend.

I have been reading Ms. Deveraux's books since I was twelve years old in 1992 when I found a copy of her book The Conquest at my middle school. I turned it in, no one claimed it, and two weeks later I got called to the office to pick it up. That was the first novel I ever read, and I still have it, and I've made sure to read all of her after that. An Unfinished Murder is book five in the Medler book series, and while the should be read read in order for maximum enjoyment, the reader can understand each storyline without reading the prior books first. This book doesn't have one main character, but three, though if one has to be chosen, it is the matriarch of the family and not the niece whom she is trying to push into a relationship with her "honorary" grandson because they are perfect for each other. The the story is relatively fast paced, the characters are well developed, and the plot is well developed, however it is missing the flare that Ms, Deveraux usually puts into her books to bring it to life, which I have found to be common for a lot of her books outside of her Montgomery/Taggart family series.

This series has become one of my spring/summer indulgences; they're certainly not the next Great American Novel, and sometimes, they're not even all that believable (even within the realm of suspension of disbelief that is the cozy mystery genre), but the characters are engaging and the plots move swiftly. That being said, this isn't the strongest installment of the series, and the plot is totally convoluted. Even the normally-engaging characters are a little bit on the annoying side. Sara is lacking her usual vivacity, Kate and Jack are completely self-absorbed, and the sense of warmth that I generally get from their interactions is more often than not missing, too. Randal is a delightful addition, but overall, I hope that the next book in the series bounces back to the usual, instead of following in the vibes of this one.

I think Jude Deveraux is a tremendously gifted writer whom I’ve enjoyed reading for over 40 years.
However, I just wasn’t feeling it with this book.
I thought there were too many story lines, like trying to keep several plates in the air at once while juggling. I got lost with who was with whom and who had cheated on whom.
The most interesting part was finally the development of the relationship between Jack and Kate.
But even that I thought got lost in all the other story lines and was a bit lukewarm.

Jude Deveraux is an accomplished author with many books under her belt; however, this is the first book I have ever read by her. It was about time I read one. I had been under the impression she wrote romance novels, but found out she also writes historical fiction and mysteries. I also found out she curently resides in North Carolina, as do I.

Description:
Sara Medlar may be retired as a bestselling author, but her career as an amateur detective is facing one final mystery—and it’s a killer.

Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her “honorary grandson” Jack. It’s a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they’ve become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she’s been given the listing for the town’s storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that’s certain to haunt them all.

With little memory of her childhood, Kate doesn’t understand what the fuss is about—until the trio visits the house and makes a grim discovery. Flooded by memories of the past, Kate realizes she spent time there as a child. But stumbling upon a skeleton dressed in a rotting tuxedo—a murder victim with connections to her father—causes Kate to wonder if the childhood she can’t remember might be one she’d rather forget.

As Sara, Kate and Jack delve deeper into the dead man’s history, they learn he was last seen at a party held at Lachlan House in the late nineties—a swanky soiree attended by his many enemies. With more than one motive in play, every partygoer is a suspect, and Sara is determined to find the culprit, even if it means digging up past secrets she’s worked hard to keep buried.

My Thoughts:
This book is the fifth in the Medlar Murder series, but it is easily read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the history of Lachlan house as it began to be revealed. The 'skeleton in the closet' was a shocking find and a setup to all that followed. Kate's triggered memories were revealing. The reenactment of the party at the house the night the man was presumed to have been murdered led to quite a few secrets being revealed. The characters were an enjoyable group.

The romance between Kate and Jack was interesting too. Since they had always been friends growing up together and living in the same house, treating each other as brother and sister for so many years, it seemed to surprise both of them when they started to feel differently. Sara was one of my favorite characters, and she had a secret of her own that is revealed. This is a good mystery as well as a romance that I would recommend to friends.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I am normally a huge Jude Deveraux fan, but this book was very disjointed. The book begins with Sara, who is a retired romance writer and Kate, her niece and Jack. Kate has hidden memories involving a shady house where they find a corpse. It was hard to follow because it has been a while since I read the first one. I really did not enjoy this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Mira for the chance to read An unfinished murder by Jude Deveraux. When I requested this title, I did not realize that this was a series. I decided to read the first book, An unwilling murder first. I enjoyed it and the characters, and continued with An unfinished murder. The story dragged a bit, and I found there were too many characters but overall it was a good story. I recommend reading the series from the beginning.

An Unfinished Murder by Jude Deveraux. Apparently this is a series however this is the first one the series that I've read and find it doesn't make a difference. The group of three main characters that are good at solving mysteries are also great characters and you will like them! Sara, Jack, and Kate are working together to solve an old crime. They found a skeleton in a closet of an old mansion that Kate has been hired to sell. Now they want to recreate the party that ended in murder so many years ago. During the recreation more trouble arises and Sara has memories return that were long forgotten about that night when she was just a small child that can help.
I found the characters likable and interesting but the amount of introduced participants could get confusing. The story was fun and light but dragged a bit in the beginning. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for this eARC this is my honest opinion.

For one, I binge read all 5 books at one time and now I miss my people (Sara, Kate and Jack) and have the worse book hangover EVER! Once again the Medlar Trio is back to solving mysteries this one just happens to be a very old mystery that happened at a party Kate attended when she was just a young girl. She doesn't remember a lot about the party but begins to have burst of memories as they begin to investigate. The Medlar Trio gets to the bottom of the murder mystery and get a few surprises in the love department along the way. However, Sara finally opens up to Kate and lets her in on the reason she left town and never married Jack's grandfather. I love this series and now I need more of this amazing group of characters.

This story begins when Kate is given the listing for Lachlan House. When she, Sara, and Jack go to look at it, Kate is overwhelmed with memories of having spent time there as a child. Trauma had erased many of Kate's childhood memories so this ease in Lachlan House rings alarm bells for Sara and Jack.

Things escalate when they find a skeleton sealed up in a closet in the playroom and escalate more when they find one of Kate's toys stuffed with jewels in the skeleton's skull. Things become interesting when the Medlar Three, along with Kate's father Randal, decide to try to recreate the weekend party that ended with the death of the man who is now the skeleton in the closet.

The book is filled with interesting characters, many of whom have connections with Sara, Randal, Kate and Jack, who all have their reasons to come back to a place they left twenty-five years earlier because of secrets there.

I enjoyed this twisty plot filled with suspicious characters. I also enjoyed a resolution to the romance between Kate and Jack which has been brewing since the first book. And we finally learn the secrets hidden in Sara's romance with Jack's grandfather.

I’m a very long-time Deveraux fan, been reading & listening to her books for about 20 years. The Medlar Mysteries series is more mystery with less romance but just as good as her other series, if not better. I fell in love with these characters so many years ago - and have been waiting such a long time for this next instalment!

Book 5 isn’t quite as good as the first 4 in the series - a bit of a letdown… especially after waiting so long, but I still enjoyed returning to Sara and Kate and Jack. It felt different than her other books and writing. I know some big authors or aging authors get others to write for them so I wondered if that was the case here (because it was out of character and didn’t feel right). I rated it 4-stars but when comparing it to her other works that might be generous.

This one is a miss for me, but I still hope to have more, better books from Deveraux in the future and in this series, to make up for it!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing (MIRA), and this is my honest feedback.

I enjoyed this book. It was the first book I have read by Jude Deveraux. I loved the murder mystery parts. I even loved the romance between Jack and Kate. I loved the ending. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The 5th book in the Medlar Mystery series, a trio of amateur detectives solving murder mysteries in their small town in Florida.

This book seemed to be advertised as a standalone murder mystery, however, I quickly became confused with the cast of characters. Sara, Kate, and Jack were quickly introduced as the 3 MCs, however, we jump straight into the love affair between Jack and Kate, which had apparently been brewing for the 4 previous books in the series. Without that background knowledge, however, I would've preferred to get to know them a bit more or at least be given a synopsis of the prior books in the form of an interview with their local news or a newspaper article summarizing the past events. Then the trio finds a dead body and decides to invite all the murder suspects to town, so I had to quickly learn another whole cast of characters and got confused about who was who. The story had too much dialogue and not enough explanation of thoughts and feelings. The POV and timelines switched frequently without much explanation. I would've rather the story been told chronologically, with the details of the past being slowly revealed throughout. Sara and Kate's odd abilities to tell the past and see the past never really got explained. It was an interesting mystery but it felt like too much got squeezed into one story, almost like a one-hour episode of Murder, She Wrote.

The keys to her memory and a murder?

This was a women's fiction meets murder.
Sara is a retired romance writer (sound familiar?) and Kate, her niece and Jack.
Kate has hidden memories involving a shady house where they find a corpse.
Its part of a series.