If there’s one thing I enjoy, it’s an English cozy mystery and this one didn’t disappoint. Milla, Ben and Harriet make good main characters and I’m keen to read about their future adventures. I enjoyed the humour at the beginning and would have liked to see more of it carrying on throughout the rest of the book. The fairy tale theme was different and certainly added more to the story. I would love to have Milla’s charm bracelet! Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for letting me read and review this book.

For a ‘cosy English mystery’ this book manages to pack in a surprising amount of dysfunctional family shenanigans, collegial bridge-burning and surreal literary-fairytale references.

I was mesmerised by the backstory and by the question of who main character Milla really is: is she really Camilla Graham, lost daughter to a tragic family, or is she pretending for her own benefit? And, if she is pretending, will she even survive to benefit?! The chapters from her point of view – as she flees the police, her possible family members and just about everyone else – manage cleverly not to give her secrets away and nor do the flashbacks to the night years ago when a family was destroyed.

Interposed with Milla’s breathless running and hiding, we also get chapters from the point of view of Ben and his sergeant, Harriet, as they investigate a more recent tragedy and Milla’s obvious involvement in the events surrounding it. The chemistry between Ben and Milla is obvious and it was interesting to see how quickly he ‘turns to the dark side’, or at least the dubiously grey side, when it comes to questions of police procedure over personal life. And hints at his own family background suggest there is more story to come there!

A lot of the plot is a little far-fetched – Alice and Mad Hatters, millionaires and masquerades – but it doesn’t really matter as long as you are willing to suspend your disbelief, as the story and characters are interesting enough to keep you hooked and hoping for them to succeed.

I can’t wait to read Murder at Ravenswood House next and find out what further trouble Ben and Milla are able to get themselves into if they try… watch this space!

Most of the cozy mystery series first instalment are not the best one as they have to introduce you to a world, the characters and sometimes it can be a bit confusing.
This novel starts in an original way and the first meeting with Milla and Ben is a bit shocking. Milla is not the most likeable characters but she grew on me.
I liked Ben since the beginning and found Harriet funny.
The mystery is intriguing and kept me turning pages as past and present mixes. It's a bit confusing at times but be patient because the second part is quite exciting.
I'm going to read the second novel in this series and I'm quite curious.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Storm Publishing and Rachel's Random Resources for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This was an enjoyable first book in a new mystery series. The mystery and romance had a nice balance and both were executed nicely. The ending was also very good and I'm looking forward to the next book.

Murder at Raven's Edge by Louise Marley

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

When Milla Graham returns to her childhood home of Raven's Edge after eighteen long years away, she finds the perfect English village looks much the same – all rose-covered cottages, nosy neighbours, and chintzy teashops full of scones and gossip.

But her nostalgic visit takes a dark turn when the body of a local woman is discovered in an abandoned manor house on the edge of the forest. The murder scene is chillingly close to that of Milla’s own mother, whose death was never solved. As she begins to investigate the connection, Milla realizes this adorable village is guarding some dark secrets.

Handsome, grumpy local policeman Ben Taylor doesn't believe in coincidences, and he doesn’t think mysterious newcomer Milla Graham is as innocent as she seems. Why is she really here in Raven’s Edge, and how come she keeps turning up at his crime scenes, causing trouble? Can he solve this murder case without losing himself – or his heart – to the rather distracting Miss Graham?

When another body is found, everyone becomes a suspect – from the barmaid at the local pub to Milla Graham herself. It seems that in Raven's Edge, not everybody is as friendly, or as innocent, as they first seem...

My Opinion

Going into this Louise Marley was a new author to me, but I had taken part in the cover reveal for this book and found myself wanting to read this book. Raven's Edge sounds like a great village - except for the murder. There is a lot going on in this book and there are a lot of characters to keep track of but I found this to be a great read.

Milla is returning to Raven's Edge following the murder of her mother, when a second body is found in similar circumstances the hope is that this one will be solved.

Rating 4/5

I found this book very confusing over what was truth and what was made up/imagination and it isn't until very late on that the book eventually starts to make sense. If it weren't for the fact I have the next book and wanted to read it, I would have given up reading this one as I wasn't really enjoying it, so glad I did persevere.

I enjoyed this murder mystery, which combines fairytale elements, quirky characters, humour, and romance in an atmospheric and intriguing mystery. It has a sinister ethos that contrasts with many lighter moments. I like Ben, Milla, and Harriet and their interactions. The vividly described setting and vibrant characters invest you in the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Murder at Raven's Edge is a promising start to a new cosy village mystery series.

The plot had me hooked from the very first page. It's twisty and has plenty of red herrings thrown in to steer you away from the truth and keep you guessing right to the end.

Birth Milla and Ben were fantastic characters and I soon became invested into them and their stories.

An enjoyable read full of lies, deceit and a fairytale.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

I was drawn to the book’s cover design, and before I started reading, I think I had an idea in my mind of what this book may be like. I think I expected a cosy mystery in a village setting, perhaps with some slightly eccentric characters and a touch of humour.

When I started reading, I noticed at once that the atmosphere was more intense and eerie than I first expected, and that surprised me. I was interested in the characters and wanted to know more about them, particularly Milla. There was a lot more suspense than I first anticipated, and I found I had to read the whole book in one sitting, as I couldn't stop turning the pages. It was difficult to put my finger on it, but I sensed something sinister, and wasn't sure which of the characters could be trusted.

I seemed to relate to Milla and identify with her a little bit, even though she didn't seem particularly like a person that I would make friends with. I also enjoyed the fairy tale theme throughout the book.

This felt like a really nice compromise between a cosy mystery and a gripping thriller, and I look forward to reading more from this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.

The first time Ben meets Milla he thinks he hit her with his car. What follows is an up and down mystery. Who’s actually telling the truth in this story? The book revolves around Milla and it seems like Ben is on the sidelines. He comes across being a bit wimpy compared to her. It’s a good first book in the series.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I do love a cosy mystery so I was really glad to get not just this one in the series but book 2 (that review is coming later this week) I've not read anything by Louise Marley before but very quickly into reading this I know ill be coming back for more.
I seriously love Ben Taylor, he's such a grumpy man and I always find they make the best characters in books i don't know what it is about a grump but they always make my day! And I found myself laughing and smiling at him on a regular basis, I love his relationship with Harriet and how they bounce off each other and have some banter, it definitely makes their scenes fun even when they're on the serious side. I enjoyed the fact that he had secrets that he worked hard to keep hidden, i think it makes him compliment Milla in a way, neither one being overly truthful in their encounters. On the Milla front, she was another interesting character, I was never quite sure if she was who she said she was, I kept flip-flopping between believing her and not.
It's been one of those books that I've just wanted to keep reading, just curl up and ignore this world in favour of theirs with all the murder that comes along with it. Louise Marley has a brilliant writing style that flows so well and just keeps you engaged with the story.
Definitely not off to go read book 2 now....

DI Ben Taylor and journalist Milla Graham meet unexpectedly when he hits her with his car as she tries to walk home to Norchester from a music festival after having her bag stolen. With a storm raging and roads flooded, he crashes the car and has no option but to take her to his picturesque cottage which he shares with cat Binx and occasionally his young daughter Sophie when his ex-wife permits. His DS Harriet March calls him the following day and takes him to a murder scene, the abandoned decrepit mansion King’s Rest where a strangely posed woman lies dead in a vintage gown like something out of a fairy tale. Initially in charge, neighbouring Calahurst’s DI Lydia Cavill believes it to be Camilla Graham due to the bag found with her, but Ben knows that’s not the case after meeting Milla the previous night. And everyone else knows it’s not her as she died in the house fire there in what came to be known as The Grim House Murders eighteen years ago. Didn’t she? Soon Ben and Harriet are facing a baffling case. Who is the woman calling herself Milla and why has she come back to Raven’s Edge? How much danger does that place her in as she keeps turning up on Ben’s radar? And will Ben allow his growing attraction for the woman to influence his handling of the case?
The first part of the story is quite confusing in many ways as there are lots of people and differing stories for the reader to take in. I soon realised it was just best to go with the flow rather than try to work it all out and I’m glad I did as about a quarter into the book much was explained and revealed about the main characters and the history behind the Graham family. That said, it really is a tangled web of lies and deceit and full of red herrings and surprises right up to the end. It’s essentially two murder stories in one, the past and the present, and of course how they tie into each other, with some great and likable detectives in Ben and Harriet. My only problem with Ben was how unprofessional his behaviour was at times but his heart was in the right place and his hunches often spot on. I am certainly intrigued to learn more about his own family history as the series progresses. Milla is more of an acquired taste, although the reasons for her behaviour become clear as the mystery unfolds. There really is loads for the reader to enjoy in this highly engrossing first story in a new series. I’m looking forward to diving into book 2, Murder At Ravenswood House, next!

The story starts off at a good pace with Detective Inspector Ben Taylor driving home in a violent storm and accidentally hitting Milla Graham with his car. Refusing hospital treatment she accepts Ben’s offer and stays the night at his cottage. By morning though she has gone with little explanation of who she is. Next day a body is found in an abandoned manor house. The victim resembles Milla and also has her ID and credit cards. It’s down to Ben to solve the murder, unwrap the mysteries surrounding Milla’s identity and the murder of her mother 18 years earlier whilst also trying to save his own career. This has all the ingredients of an intriguing mystery.

The main characters and their relationships are fun and quirky. The extended Graham family is large and quite complex. I had to keep a note of who was who and had to draw a family tree to try to make sense of it. On occasions the family relationships were a bit confusing and difficult to interpret which detracted from the storyline to some extent.

Overall, there is a nice balance of drama, intrigue and romance with some unexpected twists throughout. This story held my attention and I am looking forward to book number two.

This book starts out with a bang within the first couple pages and had me hooked from the beginning. It was a little hard for me to follow the back and forth between who Milla was, but I think that was by design! I honestly had no idea if Milla was telling the truth about who she was or if she was just trying to capitalize off of the Graham family. There are a lot of secrets that are uncovered about the family, so it does have elements of family drama. I also see that this is the first book in the series, so I imagine it will be fun to see where the story takes Ben and the rest of the police force, as they investigate crimes in the quaint village of Raven’s Edge.

Milla returned to Raven’s Edge to find out who had killed her mother. She had been raised to believe she was Kiran Graham, but she insisted that she was Camilla Graham. Was she Kiran or Milla? Had her father killed her mother? He spent time in prison, but always claimed he was innocent. Only policeman Ben Taylor appeared to be totally trustworthy. As soon as I thought I knew who was telling the truth, things would twist around and I found myself unsure once again.

The story held my attention well, never knowing what twist would come next.

The characters were well written, with complicated relationships with one another. I did have trouble latching onto Kiran/Milla as a sympathetic character, since she was difficult to believe. That made Ben’s attraction to her challenging for me, since he was clearly honest and straightforward. With those caveats, I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys puzzling plots and suspense.

Police officer Ben becomes entangled in Milla’s case, a woman accused of murder and trying to solve her past.
My thoughts
The book opened like a dark, twisted fairytale coming to life, complete with a mysterious stranger turning up. I loved all the fairytale themes which connected back to the original murder and the central characters lives.
Raven’s Edge is a real cottagecore setting with quaint thatched roofed shops, a big posh house and the cutely named Rose Cottage – it was giving me all the Midsomer Murders vibes.
Police officer Ben is a very likable character who is willing to see the best in people and wears his heart on his sleeve. The plot really got going for me when the relationship between him and Milla started to develop and they began investigating together. I was quickly drawn into Milla’s story with her dark past which was rather intriguing. She investigated better than the police and they were inept at tracking her down.
While the police came up with many theories, they didn’t find a lot of clues. The murders tied in with the overall fairytale theme and whilst chilling, some of the motivations could have been a bit more explained. Also, I was left wondering what happened to Ravi. Maybe he’ll come back in book two.
I would read a sequel of this book to see where the characters storyline goes. The sequel Murder at Ravenswood House also comes out on the 7th of May. Whilst I received an advanced reader copy of this book, this review is left entirely voluntarily and all opinions in it are my own. 3.5 stars

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

This is the first in a series and I really enjoyed it. There were lots of twists and turns and many red herrings which made working out whodunnit rather hard. It was also not easy to distinguish between the characters which meant lots of reading back to find out who was who.

It was well written and involved a character going back to a childhood home with lots of secrets and mysteries.

Now to read book 2

A really enjoyable mystery which I thought was a cut above the average, although I must admit I was totally confused most of the time! Who was Milla really and who actually set the fire in the first place?

The plot was fast paced and I found Ben to be a very sympathetic character. Milla was obviously a liar and a thief but was still very charming and an excellent main character. I was wishing the whole way through that the two of them could hook up and make a second book. I was delighted to discover that such a book exists and I am off to find it right now. Five stars.

Who doesn't love a good cozy mystery?? Louise Marley has a home run with Murder at Raven's Edge. I loved every page and couldn't put it down.

Ooh I really enjoyed this, I love an unreliable protagonist. Great characters and some scary moments mixed with a little humour and a very good plot. Can’t wait for the next one.