Murder At The House On The Hill
by Victoria Walters
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Pub Date Sep 23 2021 | Archive Date Aug 24 2021
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Description
Once Upon A Crime…
Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens…
That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in thirty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party.
While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short when beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade.
But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why?
Nancy and Jane decide to investigate – after all, not only do they own a crime themed bookshop, they were also both named after famous literary detectives – but soon wonder if they’ve taken on more than they can handle. Especially when it seems the killer has worked out that they’re hot on their heels…
Can they catch the murderer before the murderer catches up with them? Or will there be a deadly ending to this story?
Join the unlikeliest detective duo for the first of The Dedley End Mysteries series, for fans of Richard Osman and Charlaine Harris’ Aurora Teagarden series.
Available Editions
ISBN | 9781912973637 |
PRICE | £2.99 (GBP) |
Featured Reviews
#MurderAtTheHouseOnTheStreet #NetGalley
Wowsome.
Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens… That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in thirty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party.
While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short when beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade. But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why?
Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for giving me an advanced copy.
Nothing much ever happens in Dedley End.
Until the reclusive Roth family open up for the first time in decades, and invite half the village to an engagement party.
And someone dies....
Village bookshop owner Nancy and her grandmother Jane bet Nancy's friend, local journalist Jonathan, that they can solve the murder before the police.
And why couldn't they? After all, they run a crime bookshop....
It turns out that the key to this modern murder definitely lies in the past.....which is not a pleasant place to be
Excellent - can't wait for more adventures
Murder on the House on the Hill
By Victoria Walters
Growing up, I always wanted to be Nancy Drew; I felt it was my right and obligation as a Nancy. I am so jealous of Nancy Hunter, owner of Dedley Endings Bookstore, as she lived out my dream in Victoria Walters debut book in her new Dedley End Series, “Murder on the House on the Hill”. What a delightful Christmas cozy!!
We meet Nancy a few days before Christmas with her best friend Jonathan, at the bookstore Nancy is running for her Gran called Dedley Ending, a bookstore selling only, what else, murder and mystery. I love the way the author has developed the relationship of Nancy and Jonathan; in fact, the author handles all the relationships in this book with an adept hand. These two are best friends with a strong competitive edge honed as only the years of childhood can do.
Nancy and Gran receive an invitation to a formal engagement party at the House on the Hill, owned by the wealthy recluse Roth family. Jonathan, the local town reporter was not invited and begs Nancy to be her Plus 1. At the party, the head of the family, Marcus is leading a toast for the newly engaged couple when screams pierce the festivities. Jonathan and Nancy rush forward to view Lucy Roth, the black sheep of the family lying dead at the bottom of a staircase, the apparent victim of murder!
The plot just glides on from there. This is a fast-paced British cozy, full of caring friends and family, wonderful quirky characters and a good dose of ho ho ho and holiday spirit. Get your tea and biscuits or mulled wine ready to enjoy as you settle down for a wonderful adventure in Dedley End; I award this book 4 stars.
An overall excellent cozy mystery! The characters are well written with depth that sometimes is unseen in these types of books. I’m looking forward to future adventures of Nancy Hunter!
This book was provided to me via Kindle by Hera Books and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.
Unputdownable! You’ll be all in from the first word. Don’t skip on Murder at the House on the Hill.
I was hooked on page one and I devoured this book! Love the author's writing style. It has elements of the classic who done it. Gather around folks and let's discover just who pushed Lucy to her death. I definitely want more! Thanks #netgalley and #HeraBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.
This was an enjoyable cozy mystery set around Christmastime in the Cotswolds.
I'll be honest a few times I was a little bored but I'm glad I kept reading b/c the whodunnit was great.
The epilogue sets us up for the next mystery and I look forward to reading it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hera Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Hera Books.
Murder At the House On The Hill is a blast! It has everything you want in a thriller. It's fast paced, fun and it keeps you guessing till the end! Murder At The House On the Hill was like a modern day clue. I love a good murder mystery and this one delivered all the retro vibes of Clue! I loved the bookshop as a setting. I felt this was a such a fun twist and I'm a sucker for all things bookshop. The story is fill with lots of characters and unusual twists. I can't wait to read this again during spooky season
5/5 stars.
Murder at the house on the hill is the perfect read for thriller lovers. First of all, the cover is gorgeous and I think a pretty cover can get a lot of attention and for the good reasons, because this book was as perfect as the cover.
The story follows a grandmother and her granddaughter and they both run a shop named Dedley Endings and as reader, that’s one of the coolest names i’ve ever heard. Can I sign up so more bookshops will get cool names?. Because I would enter that one in a heartbeat (or should I?). Jane and Nancy’s library is specialized in crimes, thrillers and horrors and they are avid readers of this genre. They know everything about it and one day they get the invitation to attend and exclusive party organized by the Roth family. Everyone in town is going to attend and during the event, a young lady named Lucy who got married to one of the Roth members ends up dead and nobody knows who did it or what happened that night. Jane and Nancy find themselves living the story their books talks about and decide to use their knowledge about crime to find out who did it and what happened at the Roth mansion.
What I like about this book is the premise and the setting. I love small town thrillers because they give me that creepy feeling and all the chills. Who did it? Who might have a motive? Everyone knows everyone so it’s really fun to get to know all the suspects and Nancy and Jane are perfect because they are readers and they use all their knowledge to solve it. The dynamic between the two of them was so wholesome. There’s something so cute and warm about a grandma and a grandniece not only working together, but enjoying the same stuff and teaming up to solve everything. I don’t know any other books that have this dynamic and it was refreshing to see. This is a really compelling and unique thriller and I highly recommend it.
Lovely start to a promising new series! This has been such fun to read and is a great mix of cozy and Agatha Christie. Set in a small village in the English countryside, a big house on the hill, and a warm and loving cast of family and friend, this has all the heart of a cozy. But, the mystery in the big house has me feeling all the Christie vibes, in the best possible way. I loved that there were subtle signs regarding Richard, which she didn’t overlook! I do hope that Jonathan isn’t end game though; I’d love to see for once besties can just stay besties.
It's Christmas season in the Cotswolds and Dedley Endings Bookshop is being prepped with delectable displays of crime and mystery books. Nancy and her grandmother happily run the shop and know almost everyone in their village. So, when they receive invitations to attend an engagement party at elusive Roth's house (ahem...mansion), they are surprised...no guests have been welcomed there for decades Villagers, agog with curiosity, show up for the event. What are the Roths like and more importantly, what is the mansion like? Nancy's best friend from childhood, Jonathan, works with the media so he is tickled to attend. While guests busily chat away with their hosts and gape at the sumptuous surroundings, a scream is heard and a body is found. And that body is dead.
The suspect list is long, including the Roths and the guests. Nancy does some sleuthing of her own as she is well read on mystery fiction and knows a thing or two. While inveigling, she discovers secrets. History has a way of creeping up on one.
My favourite aspect about this book is the library and book talk! I also enjoy the relationship between Nancy and Gran. If you are seeking a light and cozy murder mystery, you ought to read this charmer.
My sincere thank you to Hera Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this delightful book.
Wonderful new cozy series.
I loved this brilliant cozy read. Set in the large house with a small group of people who are all suspects, it felt very Christie-esque. Nancy and Jane were fab, I loved their relationship. And I can't wait for more.
Thanks to the publishers, author, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.
Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane make a wonderful pair of sleuths in this great book by Victoria Walters.
I had a great time reading this book, and the murder investigation was well written and kept me guessing until the end.
The secondary story which focuses on Nancy and her ex, Richard, was quite good and it added a bit of intrigue to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#MurderAtTheHouseOnTheHill #NetGalley
I've been reading Victoria Walters' books ever since The Second Love of My Life. I was pleasantly surprised that her writing had taken a completely new direction with this book, breaking away from her usual chick lit, providing a refreshing change.
This was a compelling read. Situated in a small Cotswold village called Dedley Endings, Nancy Hunter runs a bookshop with her gran Jane. They get an engagement party invitation from the reclusive family who owns the local manor house. Cue the murder at the party. Nancy along with her best friend Jonathan become sleuths and fully immerse themselves into investigating and solving the mystery and motive behind the murder.
I look forward to reading the next installment of this series. I hope we get to see more depth of character when it comes to both Nancy and Jonathan (and please don't get them romantically involved).
It's a good cosy mystery that can offer some enjoyable hours for the readers. It has several elements that are typical to the genre, so it is not that original. However, the author uses these panels really well.
The story starts a little slow and I felt sometimes a little repetitive, but later it gains momentum and the solution is really exciting. There is also an unexpected turn at the end.
All in all it was an entertaining story and I can recommend the book to anyone who likes this genre.
4 STARS
Definitely got Nancy Drew/Agatha Christie vibes from this one! It had a slow start but it really was entertaining.
Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This book will release on September 23, 2021.
The plot is absolutely brilliant and I loved Nancy and her grandmother, Jane. Jonathan is also a fabulous character and I loved his relationship with Nancy. This is a brilliant “whodunnit” which gave me some serious Miss Marple feels……and THAT ENDING!
Murder on the hill by Victoria Walters
I really enjoyed this book. Such a good cosy murder set in a small village Agatha Christie style. The plots where well thought out with plenty clues.
I can see this book could be a promising new murder series, our readers in my local library would love it.
Thank you for letting me preview this book.
Right from the start of Murder At The House On The Hill I found myself delighted by its whimsical charm. The main character, Nancy Hunter, is named after Nancy Drew and, along with her grandmother, runs the Dedley Endings Bookshop, a book store that exclusively sells thrillers, crime, and mystery books. Come on, how can you not love that? It’s almost too cute, right? And it’s a good thing that Nancy is so fluent in the genre because when she and her grandmother are invited to an engagement party at the Roth mansion, the most well-to-do and typically reclusive family in all the Cotswolds, she finds they’ve walked into a real life murder mystery. This book featured a great cast of characters (you’ll absolutely love Nancy, her grandmother and her friends) and a solid mystery with plenty of twists and turns. Hopefully this is just the start of a new series because I know I wouldn’t mind returning to the village of Dedly End for another adventure.
Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Murder At The House On The Hill.
Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens…
That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in thirty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party. While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short when beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade. But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why? Being a huge fan of Nancy drew back in the day, this story really appealed to me. Fun location, Interesting characters and a great mystery...what more could you want. Well-plotted and immensely enjoyable. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.