The first in a new series, Sarah is not the typical main character of a cozy mystery set in England being that she is older and learning how to start a new life being retired and alone. Retirement is not as tranquil as she had imagined, as she moves into her new charming cottage in a seaside town just in time to find some dead bodies. With the help of her adorable Scotty dog and unique old friend Daphne, she starts piecing together clues while at the same time trying to settle into her new life. She slowly learns the backstories of the town inhabitants (who are feuding? who are exes?), while also worrying that she is growing closer to potential murderers. The story moves at a quick pace and there are laughs along the way.

Murder at an English Pub by Alice Castle and narrated by Jilly Bond is the first book in a new Sarah Vane cosy Mysteries. Now, I love reading these cosy mysteries however, this book just didn't pull me in. Sadly it was flat and I had to turn off the audiobook after a few chapters, I ended up reading it which was a ok......I really hope the next book within this new series is better especially as I love this authors books. I loved the two main characters - they were really lovely but this book was missing however, Alice Castle, did a brilliant job of providing lots of description in her writing throughout the book, You felt you were there in the back ground.
But, don't let my review put you off especially as it is a great quick holiday read to get your holidays started.

Big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Bookouture, for my Audiobook and Book.

Murder in a quaint seaside town.

This cozy mystery set in Merstairs features a sixtyish retired GP whose husband has recently died. Sarah Vane moves next door to her old friend, Daphne, and looks forward to embracing seaside life. While looking at a hut owned by her friend as a place to store some of her extra boxes, Sarah and Daphne discover a body hidden in a trunk. It happens to be the local pub landlord who was thought to be on a vacation. There are plenty of suspects, and Sarah tries her hand at amateur sleuthing.

This was sluggish and redundant at times and I'm sorry to say that the focus on the antics of Sarah's dog, Hamish, was beyond irritating. Way too much of the dog for me. I wanted to read an absorbing mystery, and this was not really it. Quite predictable from the start, the narrative wound its way slowly to the murderer at the center. The main character, Sarah, was not very believable for her all her being a doctor and fancying herself a detective. The first in a series, I won't be reading further installments.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book (both provided by the publisher) but had to put the audiobook aside because I could not listen to the narrator's voice a moment longer. It was grating and sounded like a 100-year-old crone (I mean woman). Not for me.

When Sara moves to Merstairs next to her friend Daphne she has no idea that her new less hectic retired lifestyle is going to be anything but.
While moving in some of her things to her friend's hut, which I think must just be a little storage shed, they find that all the previous owner's things are still inside.. They do what anyone else would and start looking through the boxes, and well in the process find a dead body... and the police at least the couple that get called to the scene don't inspire any confidence in Sara that they will be able to solve it. So she decides that she is going to solve it herself, with the help of her friend Daphne, and her trusty doggy Hamish. They are on the case, looking for clues, and interrogating her new neighbors.

I thought the mystery was quite good, there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and I didn't figure out who the killer was until it was revealed. I wasn't as big a fan of the characters, I'm not sure exactly why not but I had a hard time connecting with them. But the mystery itself did keep me interested enough in seeing where it was going to go for the characters not to bother me overly much. I loved the setting, and Hamish was super adorable.

I read and enjoyed Beth Haldane cozy mystery series and I was glad to read this one, featuring a more mature FMC and a different setting.
I think that the first instalment in a cozy mystery series is usually a bit less compelling that the rest of the series as the author must introduce the read to the characters and the setting.
This one was good and I look forward to read the rest of this series as I loved Sarah, Daphne, their pets and the lovely setting.
The mystery was entertaining, Sarah is a future amateur sleuth in training and sometimes her method is a bit trial-and-error. I had fun and didn't guess the culprit.
This is a character driven story, Sarah/Daphne and their pets are fleshed out and relatable. I would like some more feline time because I had a lot of fun.
The non human MC is the setting and I wished I could be there.
I look forward to read the next novel, this one is recommended
Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Doctor Sarah Vane has retired and she's moved to Merstairs after recently being widowed. She's got lots of boxes including her dead husbands clothes. Her friend Daphne suggests she puts some of the boxes in her beach hut only to discover it's full of rubbish. While trying to tidy it they come across a trunk with a dead body in it

Murder at an English Pub is a cozy mystery series starter by Alice Castle. Due out 3rd July 2024 from Bookouture, it's 317 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book will be included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a nicely engaging village cozy featuring a retired GP as an amateur sleuth. She's recently widowed and has moved to a new place to make a new start near her quite eccentric friend. Despite being chalk and cheese, they're good together, and it's heartwarming to read about their genuine friendship and how they get on together despite being utterly different.

The village is full of oddball eccentric characters and the "whodunit" part of the book is well constructed and satisfying to figure out. Even with the introduction first-book-in-the-series background necessary, the author has done a good job of providing the necessary info without bogging readers down or drowning them in details.

The actual solution to the murder was a bit over the top, but not suspension of disbelief breaking. The language is very clean, nothing worse than an occasional "damn" and no graphic violence or sexual content.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours, 15 minutes and is capably read by Jilly Bond. She has an -excellent- command of modulation and accents and she delineates each of the characters well, with varying regional accents and of a wide range of ages and both sexes. She does an excellent job with the read; one can only hope that she'll be the choice for the following books in the series. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

The plot, denouement, and resolution are self contained in this volume, but there are foreshadowings for upcoming mysteries for Sarah, Daphne, and co.

Four stars for the mystery itself, a strong 5 stars for the narration and audiobook.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

My first thought when I saw this was ‘Oh good, I love a Beth Haldane book’, so I started this new series with a tad of disappointment. I should have known better though, as this author has the skill of inventing a whole community, peopled with colourful (but not over the top) characters. My favourite character was the dog, and I would love to hear a bit more of his POV. A very good cosy mystery with a seaside setting.

Retired Doctor Sarah Vane has moved to a cottage in the seaside town of Merstairs in Kent after the death of her husband Peter. Sarah is looking forward to walking her dog Hamish and catching up with her old school friend Daphne, who lives next door. Daphne has suggested Sarah uses Daphne's new beach hut to store a few of her unpacked boxes. After opening the door, they discover the body of Gus in a trunk. Sarah decides to investigate why, how and who committed the murder of Gus. Soon after, a second body is found by the beach hut. Sarah, Daphne and Charles can't help themselves by trying to solve the crimes. I loved how the characters are written and the book is easy to read. There were moments when I laughed out loud whilst reading this book. I loved the friendship dynamic with Sarah and Daphne. I will be recommending this book.

From the descriptions and early reviews of Murder at an English Pub, I thought I would enjoy this cozy mystery. I didn’t. It just wasn’t for me. Sarah Vane is a retired GP so I expected her to be smarter. Instead, she partners with her friend Daphne, a totally annoying character. The mystery is a farce about a body discovered in a shed. When a person is arrested Sarah wonders what he was asking the two friends to get for him. Daphne answers “A cigarette? Special meal? A priest? Perhaps a lawyer would be the right answer. I’ giving it two stars but I emphasize it was the wrong choice for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Alice Castle for this ARC.

After the death of her husband, Sarah Vane has retired to the seaside village of Merstairs. She’s looking forward to walks by the sea with her dog Hamish, and time spent with her oldest friend Daphne. But after they find a body stuffed into a trunk in Daphne’s beach hut, quiet seaside walks will have to wait.

Satisfactory writing, a simple plot, and characters that are, for the most part, well depicted. But, while there were plenty of twists, the story was too drawn out and I often found my interest waned.

A fair to middling read for me.

Retired GP, Sarah Vane moves to Merstairs after the death of her husband. She’s moving next door to her best friend, Daphne.

Sarah needs time to grieve and recuperate. She’s looking forward to long walks with her dog, Hamish, and to relax.

When Sarah and Daphne discover a body, everything changes. Sarah decides she can do a better job than the police, and starts investigating herself.

This story is a cozy mystery and there was also plenty of humour along the way. It is an entertaining tale and I did race through it.

I enjoyed the character of Daphne, she was rather eccentric. However, Hamish certainly steals the spotlight in this story, he was making me smile at everything he got up to.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an ok cozy mystery. The mystery itself was interesting enough to keep me reading, and had enough twists to keep me guessing. That said I didn't feel excited reading it, and a couple of times had to push myself to go back and finish. I found the characters weren't really to my liking, and the occasional aside of the dog's thoughts were completely unnecessary and distractions. I also felt like the book could have done with a little better editing. Overall I feel like this series might have potential and perhaps the characters would grow on me so I might give another installment a chance, but this one wasn't my favourite by far.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own

Great mystery element. This is a cozy, feel good read. Plot was ok and the character development was good.

This is my first time reading this author. I understand she has a mystery series aside from this one, and that this book is book one in a new, upcoming series. I struggled a bit getting into this, perhaps because I came from something intense and gripping, and this was a bit of a letdown. Once I got past the first couple of chapters, I found myself enjoying it, nonetheless it was easy to put down. I did like the wide variety of characters, the quaint village feel, and its coastal location. The mystery itself was a good one, and I suspect there’s potential for this series. Whether or not I read any future books I’ve yet to decide.

3 Stars
One Liner: Interesting mystery; not-so-interesting MC

Sarah Vane is a 60-something retired GP from London. She moves to the quaint seaside town of Merstairs with her dog, Hamish, looking for a fresh start (and to mourn the death of her husband, Peter). Her best friend Daphne already lives here and is a neighbor. However, what Sarah doesn’t expect is to find a dead body in a trunk among the contents already presented in a hut her friend recently purchased.
Sarah is determined to solve the case, especially when she finds out that the dead man is Gus, a much-loved local pub owner. Soon, another body adds to the list. As she digs deeper into the cases, she finds secrets and links that connect the two deaths. Can Sarah solve the case before the killer targets her next?
The story comes in Sarah’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
You already know my love for cozies, so I won’t repeat it. ;)
The premise and the beginning are fun. We meet a newly widowed Sarah who moves from London to a seaside small town. She brings her judgmental attitude along with her, which adds a realistic touch to her character but also annoys the readers at times.
The setting is beautiful! I love the changing weather, the vast blue sea, the clear skies when the sun shines, and the near-constant breeze that turns windy in a blink. There are enough shops and eateries, too!
The best part of the book is the pets (and their names). Sarah has a Scottie called Hamish. Daphne has a massive orange cat called Mephisto (wish it had a bigger role), and another character has a Chihuahua called… Tinkerbell!
The mystery is actually decent, but it’s hard to like it much due to Sarah’s sleuthing abilities (or the lack of them). Wasn’t a fan of her, so I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted.
There are several side characters. Most of them seem to be colorful, even if their reactions and words seem off. Or maybe the MC’s POV makes them appear that way.
Moreover, the repeated comments about Daphne’s ‘eccentricity’ got boring. I get it already! Also, as a supposed best friend, does it seem like the MC takes more than she gives? In this book, yes! It might change in the subsequent books. Can’t say.
The actual reason for sleuthing wasn’t great, nor was the book’s ending. Let’s say that as much as I love mysteries, I do want my living space to be peaceful. I’d rather have other kinds of excitement.

To summarize, Murder at an English Pub will appeal to some readers, though I can’t say whom. It’s not a bad book by any means. If you prefer judgemental MCs, you might enjoy this more than I did.
Cozy mysteries are the author’s genre, so can’t say if this was a variation that didn’t come out as planned or if something else. I hope the series gets better as it progresses. I’ll have to say goodbye here.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #MurderatanEnglishPub

This book has some high points and not-so-high points. I enjoyed the actual mystery part - with this being the first book in the series and not knowing anything about the characters it left it wide open as to who could be the killer. I sometimes liked and sometimes didn't really like the main character, Sarah, very much. She's established as a recent widow so you inherently like her, but then she sometimes comes across as a bit of a snob. She sometimes takes on a superior attitude to the village and its residents - there are several comments about how some of the other characters are not very smart. And then at the end she kind of hopes for bad things to happen to others in order to keep her life interesting. My biggest complaint about her was that she completely overlooked the person who ultimately turned out to be the killer. In other cozy mysteries our main character/snooping busybody usually has some connection to the town or person murdered so it makes sense as to why they would investigate. And there is usually some competence at the local police force. It never made much sense beyond her being bored as to why Sarah got so invested in solving the crime. And considering the fact that she knew nothing about any of her suspects why was she expecting people to tell her anything, especially something incriminating?

widow, new-series, first-in-series, Scottie-dog, relocating, friendship, friends, grieving, local-law-enforcement, family, family-dynamics, psychics, situational-humor, verbal-humor, rivalry, witty, small-town, local-gossip, local-politics, amateur-sleuth, unputdownable, cozy-mystery, murder, investigations*****

I really enjoyed this low key cozy mystery. Retired and recently widowed Dr Sarah Vane moves out to the seaside in Kent and gets back together with her old school chum (daffy) Daphne of the Tarot cards and seances. Daphne allows as how Sarah can use her storage shed for whatever, but instead they find the body of a local man stuffed into a trunk. Amateurs are discouraged, and Daphne's daughter is a newly recruited local constable who tries to discourage them as well. Good luck with that!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is the first in the series and I'll look out for more as I really enjoyed it.

A fun, easy to read cosy who dunnit.

Thank you for the arc.

Murder at an English Pub is the first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring Sarah, recently retired and widowed, and her eccentric friend Daphne. Sarah has just moved to a small cottage by the sea and next door to her dear friend. In hopes of being able to store some extra boxes in Daphne's newly acquired beach hut, Sarah and Daphne start organizing everything left by the previous owner. Unfortunately, they stumble upon a chest containing a body - the local pub owner, Gus. With Daphne as a prime suspect, Sarah is determined to solve this murder before her friend is arrested. Throughout her investigation, Sarah quickly gets to know the village and its people.

Murder at an English Pub is a delightful cozy. The setting is absolutely perfect; however, I felt that some of the characters, including Sarah, were a bit one-dimensional. My favorite character, by far, was Daphne. She was quirky and confident and kept Sarah on her toes. The mystery was intriguing, and I enjoyed the descriptions of the various pubs, restaurants, and stores. While not my favorite cozy, it was still enjoyable, and I may just pick up the next in the series to find out what Sarah and Daphne get into next.