A widowed woman, Sarah, moves to a small town with her adorable dog as her sidekick. She and her friend stumble upon a dead body that they find in her friend’s recently purchased beach hut. Sarah becomes very intrigued with who could be the murderer and when the police don’t seem to be much help, she takes on the task of solving this mystery herself. I enjoyed the accent of the narrator of the audio book, as it really helped set the scene/tone of the book. I thought that the author, Alice Castle, did a good job of providing lots of description in her writing. I found myself depicting vivid pictures in my mind while listening! This is a suitable uncomplicated read and readers would enjoy if they are looking for a cozy, easy to read, mystery.

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.

This was too much like a Miss Marple storyline for me personally it had a good storyline but I like my thrillers a bit more gritty

I love cozy mysteries - especially the Thursday Murder Club books, so when I saw this book I had to give it a try. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I thought the characters could have been developed a bit more, particularly the minor characters who end up playing a larger role in the end. I didn't really connect with any of the characters because we just get to know them superficially. I will probably read follow-up books, hopefully to get to know the characters better, but won't necessarily be waiting on the next release.

The audiobook narrator was solid!

I enjoy seeing protagonists of a "certain age," and Sarah Vane is a fit for that demographic. The setting is compelling, and there are more than enough suspects to keep the investigation moving. However, I did not connect with these characters. Sarah was underwhelming, and Daphne was annoying. The well developed characters, tight dialogue, and camaraderie that I look for in a cozy were missing. I am uncertain whether or not I will continue the series.

Name of Book: Murder at an English Pub
Author: Alice Castle
Series: Sarah Vane Mystery - Book #1
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Jilly Bond
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pub Date: July 3, 2024
My Rating: 3.3
Pages: 311

This cozy mystery features Sarah Vane, a recently retired Doctor and recently widow.
She and her Scottie dog, Hamish, have moved from London to live in a small cottage by the sea which is also next door to her best friend Daphne.
Sarah and Daphne have known each other for sixty years. True Daphne is a bit eccentric -always dresses in spectacularly outfits and insists that the spirits from beyond tell her things.
Sarah and Daphne start organizing everything left by the previous owner. Yikes, they stumble upon a chest containing a body – who turns out to be Gus a local pub owner.
Daphne is the 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.

This was a nice easy read not a WOW was nice!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 3, 2024.

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.

Who ever thought retirement would be boring, never moved to Merstairs

This is my first read of this author. I didn’t know what to expect. At the start we meet recent widow, Dr. Sarah Vane, retired. She has moved to the village of Merstairs near her childhood friend, Daphne. Sarah doesn’t have a lot of room in her new home and Daphne offers to store Sarah’s husband’s things in her beach hut until Sarah is ready to let them go.

As the story progresses we learn of the history between Daphne and Sarah (they are a bit of an odd couple), Sarah and her late husband (married for many years with two children), and of course the victim (pub owner). Charles, the antique store owner, and the seller of the beach hut to Daphne. He is also, a suspect. There are many characters and many motives. Hamish, Sarah’s dog and Daphne, keep the story light.

The treatment of some heavy themes is handled very well. I like how Sarah is adjusting to her new life, embracing her grief (it has not been very long since her husband’s death), and learning her new strength.

As the mystery progresses, we learn about the town, the people - many are related to each other - and of course, the secrets.

The murder resolution most likely will cause a moment of pause and reflection. If you were perpetrator, would you do the same thing? Does the reason justify the murder?

I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sarah in her new home in Merstairs.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.
Happy Reading!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of Murder at an English Pub in exchange for my honest review.

This book is perfect for fans of small-town murder mysteries. Sarah and Daphne are delightful characters, but it's Hamish who truly enriches the story. While I appreciated the cozy mystery elements, it didn't quite captivate me as much as I had anticipated, hence my 4-star rating.

This is a cute, calming cozy mystery. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This was a wonderful plot and very well narrated.

A perfect cozy crime - easy to follow and plenty of twists to keep you guessing.
I very much liked the main characters and look forward to the next book in the series.

Murder at an English pub is a cute and cosy murder mystery. It’s a real art, keeping a mystery cosy as the bodies start to pile up!

A great read for lovers of Miss Marple and Murder She Wrote, I really enjoyed the small town setting and outsider perspective. Sarah, Hamish and Daphne were delightful, and I loved the way Sarah’s grounded nature played off Daphne’s fluffiness. The ending did feel a bit quick, so I’m hoping for another in the series to continue some of the relationship development.

The narrator was top notch, with fantastic character voices that made for such a comforting and easy listening experience.

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book is so well narrated and Jill did an excellent job at portraying the three main characters. I wouldn't normally read or listen to cosy mysteries but I really enjoyed this one , an easy listen and I'm hoping this will turn into a series. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this audio arc.

Retired doctor Sarah Vane is widowed and moves to the seaside like she and her late husband had always planned to do in retirement. Sarah has a dog named Hamish who goes everywhere with her and is adorable. She has an eccentric friend named Daphne who is helping her move in and together they find a trunk in Daphne’s hut with a mans body inside. Sarah doesn’t like how the police are handling the murder so she takes the investigation into her own hands.

Gus Trubshaw is the man they found in the trunk. Sarah and Daphne talk to anyone around town that might know who killed Gus. Gus had been missing for weeks but nobody appeared to have noticed. The people around town thought he was in Canada. During their investigation another townsperson ends up dead. Eventually Sarah and Daphne sort of team up the mayors estranged husband Charles. I sense a budding romance between Sarah and Charles.

It was a pretty good book. Definitely room for some improvement. I think the concept is great if you like a cozy small town mystery. I did not predict who the murderer was but it also wasn’t written in a way that would have really allowed for me to guess who.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator does an amazing job.

Thanks to Bookoutour Audio and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Murder at an English Pub AUDIO by Alice Castle is the first in a new (and I hope ongoing) cozy mystery series. It features Sarah Vane, a retired GP and recent widow, who has moved to a cottage by the sea. Next door is her childhood friend, Daphne, who has chosen to fill her time with all kinds of bizarre hobbies. Sarah has yet to dispose of her deceased husband’s clothing and so her small cottage is filled with boxes. Daphne has recently purchased a beach hut and suggests storing them there but when they begin the process they discover it is already nearly full of other things. As they explore they open a chest, only to find a body. Sarah has no idea but Daphne recognizes it immediately as that of Gus Trubshaw, one of the owners of the local pub. Sarah recognizes the symptoms of strangulation immediately and dials 999. Eventually two constables show up and then wander off, deciding it was natural causes. Sarah and Daphne wait for the coroner’s van. The autopsy shows Sarah to be correct, but also that he had been drugged. This had happened some six weeks earlier and Gus’ partner, Trevor, believes Gus to be on vacation in Canada. Sarah is intrigued. Being a GP, she is used to solving mysteries so she is curious about this one. Then there is another murder, and he had been Sarah’s main suspect.

This was a gem of a listen. Sarah and Daphne make an enticing team: Sarah calm and level-headed; Daphne a bit in la-la-land. She is hilarious. What wonderful characters. Another of the main characters that is fairly well fleshed-out is Charles Digory, who owns an antiques and second-hand shop and is momentarily thought to be the murderer. This is a lovely quaint seaside village and Castle sets the stage perfectly. The mystery is a good one with clues appearing to Sarah as they appear to the reader. Sarah has a small dog, Hamish, whose mind the reader is able to read sometimes, which makes the book even funnier, as his opinion of humans is less than complimentary. I have never read an Alice Castle book before, a great deficiency on my part as this one was quite good. Thanks Alice Castle for Sarah and Daphne!

The narrator was Jilly Bond and she was priceless. She really only did three voices: Sarah, Daphne, and Charles and her version of Daphne made the book as far as I am concerned. I am not a big fan of airheads but I make an exception in this case. Jilly Bond was superb.

I was invited to listen the Murder at an English Pub by Bookoutre Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BookoutreAudio #AliceCastle #MurderAtAnEnglishPub

Merstairs has a new resident in Sarah Vane, a retired doctor and recently widowed. Her friend Daphne offers her storage space in her recently purchased beach hut. But on trying to make space they discover a body in a heavy trunk. Thus our cosy crime caper begins.

Very enjoyable, well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Great characters in Sarah and Daphne who will ask questions and follow the clues with Hamish the dog in tow. Will they discover the truth or put themselves in grave danger? Enjoy finding out.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audio book. This struck me as a cozy mystery by a retired Nancy Drew with a Barney Fife from Mayberry as a side kick. Was a fine read, with good narration but the story just didn’t keep you engaged. If looking for a quick witty mystery this one will fill the bill.

This is a cute cozy mystery set in a charming seaside town with a retired doctor as our amateur sleuth. It gave me Murder, She Wrote vibes although Sarah’s sidekick Daphne is much more annoying than the ever-loyal Seth Hazlitt.

Overall, I think this mystery had a strong start but seemed to rush through to the end leaving me wondering if Sarah, Daphne, and Charles(a new friend and potential love interest?) actually solved the crime at all.

I listened to this one on audio and thought the narrator did a good job distinguishing between the different voices. I recommend this one if you’re looking for an easy listen with a comforting vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley for this early copy!

When recently widowed Sarah Vane moved to a cosy seaside cottage with her dog Hamish she was looking for a fresh start, but this former doctor had no idea she'd become an amateur sleuth. A great start to a new series and I hope Hamish remains an important part of these stories. Cheers to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook with the sweet narrator.

This story follows the plot of a retired, widowed doctor who decides to move to a small countryside town in England. Her bestfriend Daphne also lives in that town close to her and she had recently purchased a hut. I'm not sure of the terminology in American english but think for it as a little cottage. In that hut they find a dead body and Sarah goes on a adventure to find out who killed the man and there motive.

I loved this book and cannot wait for it to come out in paperback. I love the amount of detail the book has and how though it is a small town take the secrets of some of the people is shocking and big. Theres so many twists and turns in the story and I will absolutely read more of the Sarah Vane mystery books.