Ambra Nagra is the owner of the Bad Girls Detective Agency. It's her birthday and her friends (Clio and Jeanie) have arranged for an exclusive preview of the new Chateau la Fontaine island retreat for the celebration. Even though Amber dislikes celebrating her birthday, she is looking forward to tasting food made by the renowned chef Valerie la Fontaine.

A storm starts to roll in on their way over to the island retreat and essentially renders them the only guests on the island until the storm dies. A situation ripe for a mysterious murder. The Bad Girls Detective Agency must figure out who the killer is, while ensuring that none of them become the next victims.

A thrilling and fast paced mystery that I sped through. I liked the three lead characters as they all have different strengths that play off each other. I did not realize that this was part of a series when I got it and will definitely go back and read the others. Not having read the first ones does not impact on reading this as a standalone. Recommended read!

Murder on the Menu is the third instalment in the Bad Girls Detective Agency series. I have read and enjoyed them all and this one is no exception. I enjoyed the fact that it is a cosy mystery with plenty of humour.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

loved this mystery and what happened during the dinner. Loved that they tried solving it and that they found the murderer and found love.

3.5 stars.
The three ladies of the Bad Girls Detective Agency are on a weekend retreat at a castle on an island. The weather turns out to be awful, with rain pouring down, winds breaking tree branches, and no cell reception. This is particularly bad when Amber literally crashes into a room to find the world famous chef and owner of the retreat, Amelie la Fontaine, bludgeoned to death.

Almost immediately after, another guest is poisoned, and Amber, Clio and Jeanie are desperate to find out who the killer is. With the police unable to arrive (there is a landline so Amber did report the death) for hours, the Bad Girls Detective Agency must not only protect the remaining people at the retreat from harm, but must also find the killer.

Coupled with the already high tension of the situation, Amber worries about the financial health of the agency, and wonders why the retreat's manager is dogging her footsteps. For someone with trust issues, and years of police training, Amber is highly suspicious.

The women unearth lots of secrets and Amber figures out who the killer is, while gaining some information that shakes her up considerably.

This had the feeling of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None", though I will state that Dame Christie's is better. That said, much as I found Clio irritating, again, she was less so this time around (compared to book two). I like Amber and her competence, and Jeanie is getting much better at the whole sleuthing thing.

The three women's friendship remains critical to them solving the situation and I like that a lot. While this is the third in a series, author Katie Marsh provides enough backstory and detail in this book to read this without missing anything critical about the trio, or their past adventures.

I think this was better than book two, and I hope the trio get to solve more mysteries together.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A cozy mystery meets fast-paced thriller! I loved this book and look forward to reading the previous books in this series.

The Bad Girls Detective Agency #3
I haven't read the first 2 books but I still really enjoyed this book.

The third instalment of the bad girl detective agency series… and it did not dissapoint! An intriguing story that I powered through!

Amber started a detective agency. She and her best friend go on a trip of a life time on a remote island. She was hoping to enjoy the time of her life. She was excited for the world famous chef Valerie. When she least expected it she found a dead body locked her room, which the two are force to solve the case on their own. They are forced to navigate the unknown, who is on their side and how much time they have to find the killer. Will they ever find what they are looking for? Its truly well written, and worth reading.

A quick easy read.
This is the third book in the The Bad Girl's Detective Agency series.
This book is like a locked room murder mystery.
I enjoyed it

Murder on the Menu is the third book I've read from Katie Marsh, and also the third book in The Bad Girls Detective Agency series.
I really enjoyed it. It was full of suspense, drama, mystery, and secrets.

I loved reading about Amber, Clio, and Jeanie again. They're all such fun, interesting, and complex characters.
Katie's writing draws you right in. I couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting.

Murder on the Menu was like an Agatha Christie mystery mixed with humour and friendship. All the books in the series have that similar vibe.
I hope there are more books to come.

I highly recommend.

4 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Katie Marsh for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fab mix of cozy mystery and fictional lighthearted drama.
Great storyline to keep you engaged but not overloaded. Loved the humour!

The thrid in a series of the Bad Girls Detective Agency. I read the 2nd and now the 3rd. They are cozy, well paced, likeable, and easy reads.

With all of the pressure of running the BGDA, Amber brings her two friends, Clio and Jeanie, off on a retreat to a mysterious castle in a remote location. Soon they start finding dead bodies. They have to solve the crimes while keeping themselves alive at the same time.

This book is exactly what you would expect. The third in a series. The characters are not ever really overly developed yet you are rooting for them along the way. The mystery is solved with some revelations and everything is wrapped up neatly before they go home. I will look forward to #4 in the series and will read that one as well.

Murder on the Menu is a delightful blend of cozy mystery and charming small-town drama. Katie Marsh crafts engaging characters and a twisty plot that keeps readers guessing until the very end. With its mix of humor, suspense, and heart, it’s a perfect read for fans of feel-good whodunits.

2.4⭐

This book started well but I lost interest half way through it. I didn't connect with any of the characters.

This is the third book on a series but felt like if could be read as a standalone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Murder on the Menu" is a light and funny locked room mystery novel that combines the thrill of a whodunit with plenty of humour. This is number 3 in the series but I think it works well as a stand-alone.
The plot is engaging, with a steady pace that keeps readers turning the pages. The murder mystery has several twists and turns, ensuring that the reader is guessing until the very end. However, some of the twists feel a bit forced, and the pacing occasionally slows down in parts.
The characters could have used more development, as they sometimes come across as one-dimensional.
There was a lack of suspense and building tension at times, and the occasional lapse into overly descriptive passages detracts slightly from the overall pacing.
"Murder on the Menu" is a delightful read for locked room whodunits. While it has its flaws, such as occasional pacing issues and some underdeveloped characters, the engaging plot, well-crafted setting, and unique protagonist make it a worthwhile read. It earns a respectable 3-star rating for its ability to entertain and satisfy locked room mystery enthusiasts.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

Favorite Quotes:

She had babysat Jeanie’s two-year-old twins a couple of months before, and had aged a decade in four hours.

I think this is officially the worst meet up we have ever had, including that time we went to the park in the rain and a tramp peed in my bag.

The more Jeanie looked at the castle, the more crumbling it appeared to be. It was like her body since having kids– neglected, sagging, mouldering quietly away unnoticed, the bottom of the priority list.

‘Back off!’ Jeanie could feel blood in her mouth. ‘Whoever the hell you are, you have two pissed off and starving midlife women in here with you, so just give up now, okay?’


My Review:

This was a well-plotted mystery that seemed unsolvable, even for the ever-intrepid trio of the Bad Girls Detective Agency. The little pea in my brain certainly was not getting anywhere from spinning in place with the odd events occurring and the dearth of clues collected, and the general tone felt more tense than cozy. However, Ms. Marsh’s signature wit and lashings of amusing humor kept it from being too angsty. It was a long, cold, and tiresome night on empty stomachs for the group as they navigated irksome people and kept stumbling upon bodies.

Amber, Clio and Jeanie win a hotel retreat to sample the fine dining of a famous chef. But within hours of their arrival they are stranded due to a storm and there is a killer In their midst…
Murder on the Menu is the third book in the Bad Girls Detective Agency series (I have read and reviewed the second book on my blog).
It has been a fraught year with murders and the mayhem of everydauy life. So Amber, Clio and Jeanie are looking forward to a well earned break. Sadly fate and a killer have other ideas and the detectives are soon at work trying to find the murderer, fighting against the weather and a whole host of secrets and lies.
There are several mentions of events in earlier books but no significant spoilers. Jeanie’s sisters don’t feature in this book so there are fewer characters to keep track of and a little less humour. Poor Amber has lots of financial worries and the murder provides a useful distraction!
The detectives are on their own as the police can't access the island due to the storm. Then the phone lines are cut and there is no help available so the trio need to investigate to keep themselves and the other guests safe. I feel proud of myself for actually guessing the killer correctly but I had no clue about the motive.
The style of writing is easy to read and I liked the strong character development and depiction. There are classic elements such as locked door murders, secret passageways and an isolated location. Technology is of limited help due to the storm so the detectives need to rely on their own powers of deduction.
Murder on the Menu is an entertaining murder mystery and I enjoyed being reunited with the Bad Girls Detective Agency again.

4 stars for this book! I was impressed with the storyline and could not wait to finish. It actually is part of a series so I will absolutely read the others! A closed room real murder mystery that was also a lot of fun!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love a good locked room murder mystery, and this is a great example, although in this case, it's a locked island. There are twists and turns throughout the book that kept me guessing on the identity of the murderer. Everyone on the island is a suspect, and the three main characters are kept running for their lives while they investigate the murders.

Katie is fantastic at descriptive writing, and her details of the island and the castle make it easy to see it all in your mind as you're reading.

This is the third book in the Bad Girls Detective Agency series of books, and this is the first one I have read. I was a little worried that I would get lost with the backstory for the three women, but thankfully I didn't need to worry. There are references to their past cases and earlier relationships, but they didn't stop me from enjoying the story or the characters. Although now I am encouraged to read the two earlier books.

The girls are back and once again wrapped up in a murder mystery whilst on what was supposed to be a relaxing break away. From the thrilling opening the book carries on at a break neck speed, so make sure you're ready to keep up the page turning pace.