A murder mystery with plenty of twists to get this series off to a good start. It starts with a murder in an abandoned, burnt out mansion but the murder is intricately entwined with a murder that occurred 18 years before. It did get a little confusing at times trying to figure out who did what, but it was an overall good read. I look forward to seeing how Ben and Milla's characters develop in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a twisty, upside down, maze of a book. The family relations are strained and no one is quite sure who is related to whom and who owes who support, protection or love. The book needs reading with concentration to keep up and it is so worth it. The opening chapter is a cracker and sets the scene for the fairy tale inspired dark and nightmarish plot twists and scenes. The police don’t overplay their roles and the focus is on the murder and suspects. The hint of romance was a refreshing strand!

Once I'd worked out who was who, except for Milla, it was an easier task to concentrate upon the murder historic and the murder present. Milla returned home after being away for 18 years in order to find out who actually murdered her mother. Whilst feisty and determined she was an inveterate liar and I did not like her character at all. Ben, the local DI, shared his young daughter with the estranged/divorced wife, lived with his cat (one endearing feature) and met Milla under challenging circumstances. He was investigating an odd murder in her old family (maybe, maybe not) home, populated with a really odd bunch of characters, allegedly her uncles, cousin and maybe grandmother. Eccentric shall we say. There was a lot of lying going on, quite plausible at times, some detectives supportive of Ben, others less so. Not convinced about the police procedural things at all. I already have the next in the series and will see how Milla and Ben develop and what she gets up to next. 3.5* rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

A nicely paced murder mystery. I loved Camilla’s character and found Ben entertaining, despite him always seeming to have a headache, and walking into situations he didnt seem to know how to handle. There is definitely chemistry between the two, although how a police inspector could get quite so involved with Camilla (Milla) who is either a victim, suspect or witness, it raises a lot of questions. The Graham family is a family you wouldn’t really want to be a member of, on the face of it. However, as any good murder mystery show, things aren’t always what they seem. Enjoyable read, and I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a deliciously twisted book, where it is difficult to work out who is telling the truth, who is lying, and who is omitting vital information. It appears that Ben is the good guy, but even then there could be doubts. With the gradual release of information on the original crime, we are still bemused until almost the end. I enjoyed Milla's character, she was gutsy and brave, even if a little pig headed! I look forward to reading the sequel to see what Ben and Milla get up to next. The English setting and the fairy story aspects added an extra dimension. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for chance to freely review this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Murder at Raven’s Edge by Louise Marley in exchange for an honest review due to be published May 7, 2024.
Milla Graham returns to Raven’s Edge, her childhood home, after eighteen years away. On the outside it looks the same, but as a body turns up eerily like that of her own mother’s murder that was never solved, the village starts to take on a more sinister look. Milla decides to investigate her mother’s murder, with the help of the local policeman, Ben Taylor, and finds herself the subject of another murder investigation.
It was a little hard to get into this book – the names in it were strange and it was hard to tell who was related to which person in what family. After a while, I caught on and it got better. I usually don’t read “cozy mysteries”, but this one was good. Lots of backstory woven in with the present time so I got to know more of the family histories.
Although I do like psychological thrillers better, I will definitely read the second book in the series and possibly look for more books from this new-to-me author.
#NetGalley #LouiseMarley #StormPublishing #MurderAtRavensEdge

Oh my heavens, what an excellent read! First time author for me, I loved how the story flowed perfectly. And kept me guessing on who the evil devil really was (nice twist!) Milla is a likable character, who wants to figure out who really murdered her family so many years ago. Along with Ben, they are surprised by the outcome.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review!

contemporary, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, secrets, lies, false-identities, false-information, small-town, rural, situational-humor, framed, fraud, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-history, professional-rivalry, dual-narrators, due-diligence, personal-issues, perspective, procedural, local-legends, multiple-murder, investigations, twisty, wry-humor, new-series, first-in-series, England*****

Milla is ready to do and say whatever she needs to in order to make sense of her past and find out more about her family and its history. DI Ben Taylor missed out on having his daughter for the weekend and instead gets sent to Raven's Edge to investigate a rather bizarre murder in abandoned manor house despite another jurisdiction claiming it for their own. The other DCI is an aggressive, dismissive sort of the kind that I really wanted to smack the smugness off her face. But in actuality she is more involved than is known until quite near the end. The characters are so real as compared to some of the situations and background, but the investigations are amazing to keep track of. Loved it! Hope it gets into audio for those of us with vision issues.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 07 May 2024 #EnglishVillageMysteryBk1

When Milla returns to the village she was born in - all she wants is answers. But she ends up finding so much more. Suspected of murder, faint memories, and quite a few unanswered questions, there are things not adding up. However, Ben, the young police officer who hit her with his car, is trying to help, but she is having a hard time being honest with him, with anyone really. She has been so careful all these years, but someone knows more than they are telling, and it could end up costing her life.

Good read! In the beginning I was not entirely sure where it was going, but once the story started to unfold and the characters became less one-dimensional, it progressed much better. I enjoyed the story. Good deal of suspense, although still a cozy mystery.

Most of the time I was reading Murder at Raven's Edge I was perplexed and bewildered about who everyone was and what had happened in the past. In fact I shared Ben's seemingly constant headache! Milla (let's call her that for argument's sake) was a well-executed character, an incorrigible liar but with a streak of vulnerability, and very appealing. Ben was more stereotypical and the whole police set-up was not very easy to believe in. But I was desperate to find out what was going on and I read the book in three chunks. And, although it's flawed, I'm keen to read the next in the series.

What a well crafted story. I was engrossed at the first page. It’s twisty and a roller coaster of twists and turns. This is such a captivating tale. I loved Camilla. She keeps everyone on their toes. This book kept me engaged throughout.