3.7 Stars

One Liner: Entertaining!
 

It has been six months since Flora and Jack married. They settled into married life, and things seem to be going well. The couple, along with friends, attends the rehearsal of the re-enactment of the Battle of Lewes to support another friend. The Abbeymead Historical Society seems to have a great done job. The castle ruins serve the purpose well. 

However, one of the actors and Society members, Alex Vicary, falls to his death during the rehearsal. Everyone thinks it’s accidental. However, Hector is determined that it is murder and someone pushes his dear friend. 

As the sleuthing reluctantly takes up the case, they realize that quite a few people have reasons to see Alex dead. Anyone could have killed him. As things get complicated, Flora and Jack need to find the killer before they become victims. 

The story comes in Flora and Jack’s third-person POVs. 

Though the book works as a standalone, I’d recommend reading the previous two books to get a better idea of the characters and their friendship with others in the story. 

Flora and Jack have gotten into a rhythm, dividing their days between Lewes and Abbeymead. While it is not all flowers and roses, things are decent and soon they can go on their honeymoon to Venice (possibly the next book). 

The recurring side characters in the series do their bit here too. Alice is grumbling but efficient. Kate is busy with her baby girl and the diner. Inspector Alan has too much paperwork and not enough time. 

The side drama is handled without too much conflict or unwanted displays of emotion, though we can feel the tension between the characters. There’s just enough to make things a bit uncomfortable for some of them. All a part of life! 

The mystery begins right away with the murder in the prologue. The details are revealed in stages and the suspect list grows/ changes accordingly. It’s Flora who does the majority of the work this time. Jack is less involved though he does manage to step in when absolutely necessary. Maybe in the next book, he’ll get back to proper sleuthing. 

To summarize, Murder in an English Castle is an easy cozy mystery with some history, secrets, danger, and dead bodies. As always, the book is fairly short and has a steady pace. Looking forward to the next one! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley