This was a story with lots of twists and turns. and I had no idea how it was going to end. Very tense at times and the characters were excellent and added excitement to the story. Great conclusion.

This is first book by Louise Marley I have read. I found it engaging. The beginning drew me in. I could feel the panic of the children in the car.

I thought the premise was sound. There are plenty of family sins and village secrets to keep anyone guessing after the discovery of the body in the dilapidated green house.

Unfortunately, I found that the book dragged in many places. For that reason, I rate it a 3.5. I cared more for Harriet and her grandmother than anyone else in the book.

I was given and advanced readers copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.

Murder at Raven’s Hollow is the latest in this awesome mystery series by Louise Marley. While the characters and prose make me feel like I am living in Raven’s Hollow, it also makes me never want to move to a small town. Heehee Marley uses vignettes to weave in and flesh out the characters of Raven’s Hollow, past and present.

Detective Sergeant Harriet March happens to live next door to the local florist shop, which is run by her landlords. While having a clear out for an anticipated renovation, they stumble upon a skeleton, but DS March recognizes that it’s not a pet skeleton, as her landlady thought.

DS March calls in her boss, DI Ben Taylor, to organize the analysis of the bones, to determine if they were ancient remains or suspicious death.

As this case is being thoroughly investigated, another body is found lying in the middle of the road. Was this one a suspicious death? Are the two deaths linked, meaning a serial killer has been on the loose for years?

This is a crazy good installment to a cozy mystery series. The cast of characters are memorable and intriguing, and the town is quaint and inviting. I can’t wait for the next installment!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC!!

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I enjoyed the suspense as DS Harriet March discovers a skeleton in her garden which subsequently unearths further murders. DS March and her boss DI Ben make a good team and know each others strengths and weak points well. The story is told from various characters perspective and also different timeliness. These are very cleverly woven together. The village setting, means that everyone knows everyone else and thinks they know all the secrets. The ending was slightly unexpected, but no doubt the next book in the series will provide more detail and the impact on the characters.

This is the third book in the series by Louise Marley and again another excellent book. Well written with a story with a story of sad experiences beautifully told. Looking forward to Ben and Harriets next adventure. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

This books starts off with a scene that leaves you wanting more but sadly that is the flashback the story will need to circle back to. However, the writing in that scene was nearly alive and you could almost feel the panic as the car plummeted toward the water.
The scene quickly changes to Harriet enjoying a rare day off with no dead bodies or so she thinks. The scene reminded me of Castle when he and Beckett went on vacation and a body dropped. Like Castle and Beckett, our heroine Harriet is in her depth when she is investigating a murder. This was a little different because it appeared to be a cold case but the story would loose something if the case stayed cold. More bodies and more flashbacks ensue to tie past to present in a cozy mystery that spans time.
Harriet is a pretty good character but hit a rough patch in this book because some of the revelations she uncovers lead to her own history. Fortunately, she has friends, odd neighbors and a special guy there to help her along.
Admittedly this was my first book in the series and while it did feel like the book could be read alone, I feel like I need more backstory on the characters. I also had to re-read a few times to understand the meaning of some English words like skip in connection with something large being delivered. My biggest problem, however, is the book is a touch long and seems to lag a bit in the middle which is tough if the last book you finished was awesome. That made me think twice about my review star count. I would have put the story at about 3.25 stars but am bumping it up to 3.5 (so 4) because I think my initial reaction was harsh and based a comparing to the previous book. Other reviewers also seem to say a lot of positive things about this book so maybe for me I need to go back to book 1 and start properly.
It is a pretty good story with a quaint town for the perfect backdrop and the author invited through her words to enjoy that town.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Harriet is just trying to enjoy her day off. When she comes across a human skeleton she has no idea the can of worms that is about to explode all over the small town she lives in.

I really enjoyed our main mystery of who the skeleton is and what happened to them. I enjoyed seeing Harriet and her partner Ben investigate and with each new clue I was guessing who I thought the killer would be. We follow a few different POV's as well as scenes from the past and I did like following them all, with a bit of a softer spot for Iris. This has plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing,
I would definitley continue this series when the next book is released.

I loved this! This book made me feel like I was watching an amazing movie, with so much suspense, that I just wanted to pop popcorn and settle in for the long haul! 🍿😂 There were so many great twists, I honestly spent my day at work thinking “When can I get back to reading so I can see what happens next?!?!” I will absolutely go back and read the first two books in this series very soon! 5 ⭐️

A skeleton appears in Ravens Hollows garden, DI Harriett is on the case. When another body is found the plot thickens. I enjoyed this cozy mystery set in a lovely English village, it’s quaint, full of the usual gossips and written in a proper English way. I liked this series and recommend them. It’s an easy read with a great ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Poor Harriet, all she wants in a peaceful day off to enjoy a cup of coffee, while reading in the garden. Since, she didn't really want the day off to begin with ..But being part of a crime scene, was definitely not on the agenda..As things start to get odder in town, as the newcomer novelist settles in, life in town gets messy as a dead body ends up at Harriet's mothers driveway...Harriet is trying to keep her mother from going to jail, trying to see how her landlord may be involved in the first murder, while keeping her suspicions about the Author in play. Lots of twists and turns, you'll love this book, and I can't wait to read the previous 2 books in the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Louise Marley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder at Raven's Hollow coming out January 3, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I haven’t read the other books in the series, but I really love British cozy mysteries. I thought Harriet was a really interesting, intelligent character. I really loved the gothic setting. It made the story feel more Victorian, even if it was set in modern times. The mystery was really good. I loved the twists. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys British cozy mysteries!

I have read the rest of the series and while it’s possible to read this as a stand-alone book the relationships between the characters make more sense if you have read the whole series.

There were lots of twists and turns and many unexpected and perhaps, shocking, elements within the book but it was brilliantly written and pulled together.
The perpetrator was not at all easy to predict - in fact there may have been more than one as the cases unravelled - as well as the lives of some of the characters.

I definitely hope there will be more to come

The story is well written with plenty of plot twists and turns to keep you from guessing the ending!! The descriptions of the characters and locations are well written. I will be recommending this book to my fellow readers.

Thank you to Louise Marley, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the arc of this book.

A. nicely twisty, twisted read, with a good story, interesting characters and a satisfying ending. DS Harriet March is an unusual police officer, with a great story of her own, which is woven skilfully into the main tale. 6 degrees of separation have nothing on this small community. I liked the realism of the police investigation, with DI Ben Taylor admitting, if only to himself that, at his rank, he really shouldn’t be going out interviewing suspects and making enquiries himself. Another really good read from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the third book in the "English Village Mystery" series but the first I have read. Nevertheless, I would consider this a stand-alone novel. It is headlined as a "cozy murder mystery", but I feel it lies somewhere between that and a police procedural.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot, as more relationships are revealed among the villagers. The main character, DS Harriet March is fairly likable, although most of the time I just felt sorry for her. Her colleagues at the police station all seem dedicated to their jobs, especially DI Ben Taylor who looks out for Harriet. There are various strange characters in the village, and it isn't immediately obvious who is important to the story. I felt very supportive of the novelist Iris Evergreen, despite the implied issues with her past.

All in all I enjoyed the way the author wove together the plot with excerpts from the past. It kept me guessing who the murder was and where the whole story was going. I was satisfied with the ending even though there were loose ends which I hope are resolved in the next book.

Maybe I'll go back and read the first two books!

British Cozy-ish Mystery that finds two police officers investigating the discovery of old human bones and a new murder and how they connect to the arrival of an enigmatic novelist.

4/5 stars: This is the third entry in Marley's English Village Mystery series which is a British Cozy-ish Mystery that features a two detectives as they investigate the discovery decades-old human bones leading them to a cold-case. Then when a body's found in a snowdrift, they realize that the killer's anything but history. As the past and present collides, the two officers must work fast to uncover how these crimes connect to the arrival of an enigmatic novelist, who's looking into her family history, before someone else winds up dead. With plenty of twists and turns, Marley has crafted a mystery that balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Marley manages to mix the new murder investigation with a cold case effortlessly. Told in multiple POVs and utilizing flashbacks, Marley's writing and character work is great; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. The main POVs are Harriet and Ben, both with the police, with additional POVs added in the present, the enigmatic novelist Iris, and in a character in flashback to fill out the plot. I really like learning more about Ben and Harriet and getting to know Iris. Marley touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and check the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Murder at Raven's Edge.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Murder at Raven's Hollow should be called Murders At Raven's Hollow, because there were several.
This was a great book, perfect to close the year on a great note. I will most definitely be reading the previous books from this series.

DS Harriet March is renting a room at the local florist shop. When the owner decide to fix the garden, they discover human bones. Harriet must find out which of the several men that went missing at Raven's Hollow may be the one buried there and how did he die. Author Iris Evergreen, has arrived at Raven's Hollow looking for her father. Iris also comes with a lot of baggage and a shaddy partly criminal past and while she searches for her father, another man dies in her proximity. A great, cozy, murder mystery in a magical town with beautiful scenery and marvelous ambiance. A must read for all Agatha Chrsitie lovers.

Book 3 in the series, and can be read stand alone.

When a decades old skeleton is found literally in DS Harriet March's back yard, the little town of Raven's Hollow is awash with chatter. Around the same time-frame, famous author Iris Evergreen returns to her roots and moves into the home that's belonged to her family for years and has had a history of mysterious happenings.

The skeleton could be one of several men that were missing or disappeared from the area during the appropriate timeframe. Harriet and DI Ben Taylor are intent on determining who it may be and providing the family closure. As they come closer to identification, another body turns up in the snow, seemingly out of nowhere.

I have enjoyed each in the series, though I've found each to end abruptly. This may be by design to lead us into anticipating the next in the series. One of my favorite cameo-type characters are Binxy the cat, and now Sparkle the rescued kitten! Enjoyable and a quick read - the right amount of mystery and intrigue with a smattering of romance and luxury.

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Louise Marley for the eARC.

When a skeleton is found, it leads to many twists and revelations for Harriet and Iris. It leads to further death and a complicated romance. Recommended for murder mystery lovers. I received an ARC copy for free from Storm Publishing, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had read the previous two books and enjoyed them so I was looking forward to this one. This book was too slow moving for me. It starts out in the present when some human bones are found. It then jumps backward twenty years. There were a few surprises but for most part I struggled with book.