‘Well, we did it again.’

Off to spend the Christmas holiday at her sister’s manor in the country the last thing Hannah expects is to be embroiled in not one, but two mysteries: a murder and the theft of a priceless ruby. Throw in a hapless local police officer in charge of the investigation and a house party full of suspects and you’re treated to an intriguing tale.

Today it is my turn on the blog tour for Murder at Midwinter Manor by Anita Davison

📚 Book Review 📚

Murder at Midwinter Manor by Anita Davison

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

Blurb

Escaping the city doesn’t mean escaping the criminals…

1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister, in her beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.
The huge house is full of relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone’s excited to have a Christmas to remember.

But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realise that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.

Because whoever’s behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor… And if they’re not found, who knows what their next ‘gift’ will be?

My Opinion

I have actually read this series order, although each book can be read as a standalone. Aunt Violet and Hannah are visiting a manor house for Christmas. This was such a cosy festive mystery. At less than 300 pages this was a quick read and easy to finish in one evening. With plenty of twists this was an entertaining read.

Rating 4/5

I have only just discovered this author, but really enjoyed this, I do need to read the previous books in the series though. Likeable characters, warm writing and intriguing mysteries - perfect read with a cup of tea and chocolate biscuit! I will look forward to more in the series. Many thanks

I would like to thank netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I find this a little boring, with not a lot going on.

This cozy mystery is one that's part of a series but can also be read standalone. It's quirky and fun, and I found it easy to get into.
I enjoyed the setting and the way the story unravelled.

A family get together for the holidays leads to a death in the library. Aunt Violet and Hannah and of course, Bartleby, the bookshop cat are at work. The twists and turns in the plot to keep you in the story. An interesting story. Can't wait for the next in the series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and leaving a review by my own accord.

If you love historical novels, the Christmas atmosphere, and cozy mysteries, then Murder at Midwinter Manor is the right read for you. The third novel in the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery series, I can assure it can easily be read as a stand-alone. The story is told from the perspective of Hannah Merril, bookstore owner and occasional detective, who, together with her aunt Violet, arrives at Midwinter Manor, her sister’s house, to celebrate Christmas with her family. Invited is also her brother-in-law’s enlarged family and she is excited to see that even her beau Darius is there. Amid a bit of family drama and talk of war and its effects on soldiers who suffer from PTSD, things seem to go fairly well, until one of the guests turns up dead and a valuable family jewel goes missing. With the inept local detective loose in the house, Hannah and her aunt Violet have no choice, but to investigate on their own.

Murder at Midwinter Manor is my first novel by Anita Davison and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the cozy Christmas atmosphere, the snowbound setting, the mystery with quite a few surprises, and there are also some romance and a fun (although a bit dangerous) chase in the snow. The characters are intriguing and well-developed. Especially, I liked the character of Hannah who, like her aunt Violet, is considered unconventional for her independence and her ability to solve murders, but she is determined to live life on her own terms.

I will definitely keep reading the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery series: it’s witty, entertaining, and immersive. Highly recommended!

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

This is the third book in the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet cosy mystery series. I've read the previous two books in the series, and I enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to this.

This had all the elements of a good historical cosy mystery, and it felt festive too. At the start, Hannah and her Aunt Violet go away to visit relatives over the festive period. I really like both Hannah and Aunt Violet as characters, and I like their relationship. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the manor house setting. I also enjoyed the presence of some of the other characters, including Darius, Bartleby the cat, and some of the other characters that I didn't recall from the previous books.

This was a fun, festive mystery and very entertaining. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a festive or wintry mystery to read, and if you like historical cosy mysteries, you might enjoy the rest of the series too.

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

Hannah Merrill and Aunt Violet are at Hannah's sister's house for Christmas and there are quite a few guests. After a mysterious death occurs and suspicion has been cast on just about everyone it comes to surface the truth and the conclusion is surprising yet wholly satisfying. With a devine setting of a snowy Christmas I imagine curling up with a book in front of a warm fire while the snow falls outside. The wonderful characters of Hannah and Violet make the story warm and inviting. The addition of the cat is lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed reading his character.The plot is brilliant with some clever twists to keep you on your toes. Lovers of cosy mystery will rejoice in this book!

This is the latest thrilling installment in the historical cosy series featuring Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet., but could easily be read as a stand alone.
Set in late December 1916, a snowbound house party is devastated when a murder and robbery take place overnight. Someone already in the Manor must be responsible and the local rural policeman isn't quite as efficient as Hannah and Violet would like.. naturally they determine to solve the mystery themselves with the help of Darius and Inspector Farrell.
I really enjoyed the book and the insight into Christmas festivities at a time of food rationing, but also the realities of the impact of war on ordinary families.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy.
#MurderAtMidwinterManor
#NetGalley

It's 1916, Midwinter Manor and and Hannah and her Aunt Violet are desperate for a break from the war so go to her sister Iris' house for Christmas and then all sorts of things keep happening and a murder then occurs

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read "Murder at Midwinter Manor" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the third book in the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery series and a very intriguing addition it is.

Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet Edwards are visiting Hannah's older sister Iris and her husband Mycroft Atherton at their home Midwinter Manor in Surrey at Christmas 1916. Everyone in their family is there - Madeleine and Hector Merrill - Hannah and Iris' parents, Mycroft's younger brother Selwyn and his wife Norah, along with their daughters Maura and Millie. Millie's fiance Captain Lynford Ellis is there with his parents Basil and Rose Ellis. Hannah's friend (whom her mother hopes to marry her off to) Darius Clifford has also been invited.

When one of the guests doesn't appear for breakfast, it starts a well plotted mystery by the author that involves many different secrets and plots. Along with the murder, there is also the theft of a ruby necklace that is the obsession of Norah - and she's quite an annoying character to be so worried about a necklace when someone has been murdered. Aunt Violet and Hannah can't resist helping Detective Sergeant Roper. Aunt Violet secretly phones DI Aidan Farrell to come to the manor and help investigate, even though it's far from his jurisdiction.

There are some very exciting scenes, and some surprises along the way. It will be interesting to see what everyone gets up to in upcoming books.

Loved the premier and the first few pages of the book, however it quickly lost its luster and was difficult to finish.

I'm very fond of cosy mysteries set around Christmastime. I liked the overall ambiance with this one, and the writing style was pleasant. And even though, it can be read as a standalone, it's book 3 in the series (which I should have checked beforehand), and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing some background info about the whole cast of characters. It's possible I'd enjoy this installment much more if I start from the beginning and work my way back to this one later on.

It reminded me of a new type of Sherlock homes. I had a hard time staying engaged in the book. The characters were well developed. The plot lines were good. It is just the hook to pull you in and continue to read. I was able listen and read the book which helped. I feel as though the book did well making you feel like you were in the book and visualize the surroundings.

4.5 ⭐ rounded up.

This was a fun, cozy, locked door murder mystery set in 20th century Britain. I loved this book. Seldom do I not enjoy murder mysteries, especially set in this era and, this book was no different.

I loved the atmospheric and cozy feel of the book. The characters were so fun, even the not so likeable ones. I loved the pacing, the mystery and the dialogue between the characters. The book at times took on a pretentious sort of chaos that I found quite humorous.

I also appreciated how it highlighted topics such as shell shock, prejudice and miscarriages of justice. Though, they didn't overshadow the plot as subjects such as these sometimes can.
Overall, a very quick, easy and fun murder mystery. Perfect for this time of year. I am now mildly obsessed with Aunt Violet and Miss Merrell.

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Anita Davidson for my eARC of this book. All opinions are my own and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
Pub Date: September 10th, 2024

The next installment of Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet and another fantastic book in the series. The funny antidotes and coziness keep you turning the pages and not wanting to stop. It’s a wonderful story for the holiday coming up.

DNF. Pokey pacing. Uninteresting characters. And too many of them! I was one-third of the way through and still hadn’t sorted them all out!

Hannah, Mr Bartleby, the cat and her aunt Violet, are going to Hannah's sister Iris's house for Christmas. Everyone is feeling the festive cheer until a fellow guest is found murdered in the library, and another guest has their precious ruby stolen. The local police are quick to jump to conclusions, so it is down Hannah and Violet to find out whodunnit.
The plot moved at a gentle pace while subtly suggesting culprits for both the murder and the theft! When I first started reading this book and I found out about the theft, I hoped it wasn't going to follow a similar format to previous books I read about a jewel theft. However, I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.
I did not guess who had stolen the ruby or who the murderer was. The ending felt a bit rushed and didn't take many turns. I was expecting a big twist at the end and for the sleuths to be proven wrong, but this didn't happen as Hannah and her family's suspicions seemed to fall too neatly into place. I also didn't fully understand what made Hannah undertake a search for the missing item, the link to earlier seemed a bit tenuous. I enjoyed the romance element to the book and I would have liked to learn more about Hannah and Aunt Violet's previous sleuthing adventures as this was book three. In this book, I felt Hannah did more of the sleuthing and her aunt was a little in the background. There was some good historical knowledge displayed, and the book did well to incorporate some of the issues of the day into the narrative. What a cute name for a cat too! 3.5 stars

A fantastic period mystery, with interesting characters and a great wartime setting. It felt accurate and was engaging. The Mystery itself was clever although slightly slow paced which felt a little frustrating.
I hadn't read any other books in the series but I will be going back and reading the first couple of books, it wasn't necessary to have read the earlier stories as any references were explained, it can be read as a standalone. However I think reading the earlier ones would help with background to the characters.