Title:

Murder at Melrose Court

Author:

Karen Baugh Menuhin

Series:

Heathcliff Lennox

Release Date:

December 3, 2018

Format:

E-Book

Genre:

Mystery

Sub-Genre:

Cozy, Historical, Holiday

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Read-A-Likes:

Summary: Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie with a touch of Wodehouse and a dog of distinction. It’s 1920 and Christmas is coming. Major Lennox finds a body on his doorstep – why on his doorstep? Was it to do with the Countess? Was it about the ruby necklace? Lennox must go to Melrose Court, home to his uncle, Lord Melrose, to uncover the mystery. But then the murders start and it snows and suddenly everything becomes very complicated…-From Goodreads

What I Liked: The Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie description for this book is perfect. I liked the locked room setting (or more accurately, snowed in) and the gathering of suspects at the end a la Christie. The story felt very Downton Abbey with the servants and the guests in the house having equal parts in the book. I loved the unexpected comedy and felt like the dry humor was reminiscent of screwball comedies from the 30s and 40s. Lennox was an amusing character and his interactions with the other characters added humor to the story.  I also thought the way he got roped into investigating the murders was clever. 

What I Didn’t Like: Sometimes it was hard to tell who was talking because conversions were written with no break in the action and in a very back and forth manner. I also felt that the middle dragged a tiny bit but the action picked up well towards the end. 

Who Should Read It: Agatha Christie fans will enjoy this book-Baugh Menuhin is clearly a fan of Christie and does a great job playing homage to her stories. Readers who like historical mysteries will also enjoy this book. 

Review Wrap Up: This was a new to me author and I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this story. This is a clever, wintery, who-dun-it, perfect for reading while the snow is falling outside.