Death at the Auction

Felicia Grant is back at the family auction house, thanks to an accident her dad suffered. She's taking the Saturday auction at short notice, and hoping it'll be a flying visit.

But when a rival auctioneer's body appears during the sale, everyone is under suspicion.

Somehow, Felicia won't be escaping Stamford any time soon - especially as the body count rises rapidly

A super mystery

This is a thoroughly enjoyable cosy murder mystery. Having recently visited Stamford I could picture the scenes in the cobbled streets. I’m sure it will inspire readers to visit this unique town. Felicia is a great main character, complete with foibles, and all other characters are realistically portrayed. The book includes beautiful descriptions - of places, picnics, cakes, antiques…. I’m pleased to see this is the start of a series,I’m looking forward to the next book already!

Mystery and intrigue…written by a talented and gifted author…this book is difficult to put down. Mystery and intrigue…characters who come alive on the pages. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. This is a story read for enjoyment. Curl up in a cozy chair with a warm blanket…grab a cup of steaming herbal tea…relax and read…

Death at the Auction was a delightful read. The characters were easy to like and the plot kept you guessing right till the end. If you want a nice easy read and a cup of tea then this the book for you.

This was an absorbing murder mystery. A great cast of characters and a delightful setting. Lots of interesting information about Antique auctions was a added bonus. There were lots of twists and turns some serious, some amusing and some farcical but always interesting.. Great read!

Death at the Auction was a fun read that kept me reading through to the end. E.C. Bateman's book certainly held my attention with a group of interesting characters, any one of which might have been a multiple murderer.

Bateman's carefully constructed plot provides an unexpected serial killer, a bit of family drama, an especially likable young boy, and a hint of possible romance for any subsequent novels, should this mystery become the first book in a series. There is also plenty of sadness over at least some of the victims. Although I had figured out the identity of the murderer in advance of the ending, I still enjoyed reading how Bateman was going to tie together all the details and the personalities.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I hope lots of people will buy this novel and be as entertained as I was while reading it. And finally, thank you to NetGalley for suggesting this novel for me to read.

A very readable novel and ideal for fans of Richard Osman’s books. Beautifully set in the gorgeous Stamford, this murder mystery will keep you guessing as the bodies stack up! Full of red herrings, twists and turns, wonderful characters and fabulous houses. This is a cosy murder book, as there are no grisly details, but it is well written and very enjoyable. Highly recommended and I really hope that this is going to be a new series of books featuring Felicia, Algie, Dexter, Peter and the wonderful detective Pettiffer. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in the historic town of Stamford, this murder set in the antiques trade is a brilliantly plotted mystery.
Felicia Grant rushes to Stamford to run her father’s auction one Saturday after he fell over the cat and broke his leg. The auction is proceeding normally until things are disrupted by her ex-husband suddenly appearing on the scene and the discovery of a dead body in a wardrobe. After that inauspicious start, life gets even more complicated for poor Felicia who finds that she is not only a suspect in the investigation but also that there seem to be attempts being made on her life.
It’s less of an amateur sleuth mystery than some cosy crime novels as the local police are definitely in charge including the almost sinister Inspector who has the extremely inappropriate name of Heavenly. However, despite threats to her safety, Felicia is unable to keep out of the investigation and she is the one to find the key to everything that has gone on.
I really enjoyed this crime story. The antique trade is a great set up for a murder mystery with plenty of eccentric characters to add local colour. The characters of Felicia and her son and ex-husband are interesting and I enjoyed the family dynamics between them. There is a fair amount of humour interspersed with the drama and plenty of red herrings to keep the reader on their toes. I love novels when I can visualise the setting and the town of Stamford is vividly described which was a real plus for me.
I can definitely see this series being one that I need to look out for.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such an enjoyable read. Setting in the centre of the action at an auction is truly inspired. I don't live too far from Stamford and I love the idea that it's sleepy yet glorious appearance hides some nefarious goings on.

Think I’ve found a new cozy crime series to obsess over. Loved it. Well written and easy to read. Brilliant.

A thoroughly enjoyable read! I couldn’t put it down! It’s what I’d call a cozy murder mystery novel, I.e no expletives, violence (apart from the murder being discovered), and no sexual content, so is suitable for all the family, and is told in such a way that the reader isn’t on edge reading, instead is just thoroughly hooked on where the story is going. It kept me hooked all the way through, and I didn’t guess who it was up until it was spelt out who and how. I really enjoyed this read and will be looking out for more from this author; I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Cosy mysteries are a favourite of mine, so I was very happy to be approved to read and review this.

It was a charming cosy mystery. From the beginning, I felt the author brought the setting and the characters to life, and it had that warm, light-hearted feel that I expect from a book like this.

One of the reasons I'm so fond of cosy mysteries is the fact that they cheer me up, and this one did too. It was very amusing, there were a lot of moments where I found myself chuckling, and I found the characters likeable and relatable.

I don't know if this book is part of a series, but I would be interested in reading some more books by this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my opportunity to read and review this.

Death at the Auction was such a wonderful read that I was hooked from the very beginning! The great plot and well created characters kept me totally engaged throughout the entire book!.

Felicia Grant steps back into the family business when her father breaks his leg. She’s set to run the auction and it seems all chaos breaks loose with the ex showing up and then a dead body found in one of the auction items.

Being a suspect herself, Felicia finds herself sleuthing to try and figure out who the culprit is before she’s forced to leave her son behind and head to prison for a murder she didn’t commit. But will her efforts to solve the case be pulled out from under her by the killer? Going once, going twice…

The author’s writing brought this book to life for me. I could almost envision everything and even smell the auction house as I was reading. Add in some quirky characters, a strong female protagonist, an adorable boy and a solid mystery and you’ve got a perfect British Cozy!

A brilliant first instalment in this series! Loved every chapter along with the characters, It was well set in Stamford. I do hope there are more in this series! A great cosy mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc, having not read this author before i was unsure what to expect and i am glad i requested this copy as it was a very enjoyable read

The main character Felicia is filling in for her father an auctioneer when someone is murdered, deciding to find the murderer sets Felicia and her son on a journey into a town with a lot of secrets