A great addition to the Medler series. A grand hotel in the mix and a Mystery and this just wants one needs to read on a rainy day. I truly loved the descriptions of the hotel and throwing mystery into a stunning place is what the Dr. Ordered. I would highly recommend this if you love mysteries.

I have not read a Jude Deveraux book in quite a while. I forgot how snarky she can be. I laughed out loud in several places. And this story started very strong but then slowed down tremendously in the middle. There was a lot that could have been left out. There are also a great many characters. But, I did enjoy the tale, just not as much as I expected.
Need a forgotten murder…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

Promising plot, interesting characters but the pace was too slow for my taste. Love the English country setting, and the main trio of characters are fun with their banter and such. Wanted to love it but just was meh for me, might not be my cup of tea.

Wow didn't expect this one to be so full of suspense and quite the page turner but it was. It was full of wit and neighborhood gossip which made it even more likable. I loved the characters and the mystery, and totally would read Jude Deveraux again.

What a fun mystery!
This book is like a modern Agatha Christie, or like the movie Knives Out. It was a lot of fun to watch the characters piece together an old murder.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

This is Book 3 out of the Medlar Mystery, and I was able to read this as a stand-alone.

I did enjoy it enough that I would want to read the whole series. It was a great comfy cozy mystery!

I really enjoyed the setting of this novel, in an old Manor turned Hotel in the middle of Oxley.

The book was very atmospheric and kept me on my toes. There were a few suspenseful twists that kept me intrigued. Many characters with their own secrets and lies. I wasn’t keen on any specific characters; I was just in it for the ride.

Having said that though, don’t expect a fast-paced action-packed thriller. This is truly a book for cozy mystery fans. More slow-paced / whodunit vibes set in an elegant English manor.

A Forgotten Murder was the first book I have read by Jude Deveraux. It is #3 in the Medlar Mystery series. The main character is Sara Medlar, a romance novelist who also solves crimes. Looking for a chance of pace she and her companions Kate and Jack head across the pond to England and she dupes them into solving the 20-year-old mystery of a disappearing couple. Since this was the first book of the series that I read, I appreciated the fact that the author gave an in-depth backstory so the reader can quickly get up to speed. I couldn’t relate to the characters which made it difficult to fully enjoy the story. I would however consider starting with the first book of the series to get a better grasp of the authors writing style. It can be read as a standalone, for those that want a cozy mystery type to read.

I haven’t read a book by Jude Deveraux in quite some time but it was really nice to read her book again. A little romance mixed in with a little murder, what more can you ask for from a great book! Thanks Jude!

I recieved this for an honest review...

I was a little surprised that I struggled with reading this. It felt like it was a story inside a story an very confusing. I ad,it I will be going back an rereading it to see if it was just the time of year for me

A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux was a book I've had in queue for quite some time. This is my first time reading this author, and it was an enjoyable ride - I'll be back for more! This story revolved around a cold case brought back to life. While I haven't read the earlier iteration, this is a missing persons mystery where an "old gang" is getting back together to solve the crime. That said, I didn't feel like I was missing out by not knowing these characters before this installment. Kate, Jack and Sara come together at Oxley Manor where two people went missing long ago. As those who were connected to these people back when come back to Oxley, the trio must determine what their stories were then and now to finally solve these cases. This was an interesting ride as the past and present became connected, and the trio tried to piece together the clues. Thanks to NetGalley for the (belated) look at this read!

After a few romances of Jude Deveraux, I was now offered a mysterie of Jude. I hadn't read any of the Medlar Mysteries Suspense series, but the story is standalone, so that's no problem. The build up of the story took some time and I got a bit distracted by my To Read Pile, but after re-starting, the story really started flowing. And when all the characters are together at Oxley Manor and another death takes place, you can't help but wonder what will happen next. And while the story slowly unfolds, you forget that Jude put in some little clues here and there. And then suddenly in the end, the story takes a sharp turn and it shows the entire case in a totally different light. What a great achievement, Jude. Thanks! Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

This was a fun mystery. It wasn't the best writing and the outcome left me a bit flat but was still enjoyable enough for a lazy afternoon and I will probably check out hee other work.

I had so much fun reading this book!!!

The setting was adrorable, and old english manor, with lots of secrets hidden away in its closets.

The characters were very well written, but you could definitely tell they came from a series, so without the first books I felt a little lost.

The ending was somewhat predictable, but other parts completely blew me away. Which is kind of perfect, because I thought I had everything figured out, but nope. Ms. Deveraux had some cards up her sleeve to surprise me with. Very well written mystery.

I loved the idea of using the characters as actors to recreate the night of the disappearance/murder in order to find the killer. It was an original way to show and explain to the reader what happened that night, plus it was so much fun to watch the characters react in that moment.

Reminded me a lot of Knives Out in the best ways possible.

This was a fun mystery. A bit Agatha Christie-esque. It wasn't the best writing ever, but was still very enjoyable and I will definitely be checking out Jude Deveraux's other books.

New From Jude Deveraux
Sara, Jack, and Kate….Another Mystery

Two decades ago a man and woman disappeared suddenly, assumed to have run away together. So when Puck, a quiet, nearly invisible woman falls into a hole and discovers bones of one of them, she knows there is a different truth.

Sara Medlar has decided to investigate. To learn what happened all those years ago, they invite the rest of the group that was there that mysterious night. Each arrives with secrets. Are all of them living a lie?

The investigation is thorough and effective, step by step, clue by clue. Ms. Deveraux is clever at drawing the reader along the path toward solution, building the relationships at the same time as the tension.

This third entry in the Medlar Mystery Book series was the first I’ve read (or listened to). I think this series might be good to read from the first. No question, this is a stand alone novel, but it felt like history was missing that would have shown the character and relationship development ahead of A Forgotten Murder. For instance, how did the group begin? I’ll be listening to the earlier series books soon, to appreciate the background.

Each character makes you want to know more about them, so it looks like I’ll go back to book one, A Willing Murder, and learn the answers. Since the mysteries are solid and complex, it should be very enjoyable anyway.

The Audio Version

I received an advanced reader’s copy as part of the books’ release. I purchased the audio version from Audible so I could read/listen between the two. I’m so glad I did! Narration by Susan Bennett made for a delightful listen. She carries the story well, with excellent pacing and very good voice variation. Listen to the sample here to help you decide. Audiobooks have given me so much more ‘reading’ time, since I can keep listening while I do nearly everything! It’s such a plus.

Either way, mystery lovers will enjoy this one. Give it a try.

Book Description:

Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar is determined to get her niece Kate out of Lachlan, Florida before someone from her past can cause trouble. Searching for a reasonable excuse, Sara concocts a plot the way she used to write books. She contacts an old friend in England who owes her a favor and the two agree that Sara should rush to her bedside an the friend will pretend to be dying.

Sara adds to the story by suggesting they try to solve a decades old disappearance that occured on the estate. Sara’s friend eagerly agrees to invite all of the people who were there 25 years ago to reenact that weekend and solve the mystery.

Sara also wants to encourage a romance between Kate and her friend Jack so she insists he come along for the adventure. However, once they arrive in England, no one is who they seem to be and everyone is protecting secrets. What was meant to be a distraction becomes a real murder investigation when human remains are discovered on the property.

Suddenly, Sara, Kate and Jack are trying to solve another mystery…but will it tear them all apart?

The 3rd novel in the Medlar Mystery Series, sequel to A Justified Murder by Jude Deveraux, this time our intrepid detectives are in the UK, where they stop for a visit to a B&E that Sara has funded. Now, Jake and Kate were planning on leaving Aunt Sara there to enjoy her stay and do some research for a new book.

But, with the discovery of the scheme Sara has worked up, and finding a skeleton, neither of them can leave her behind.

Okay, I tried. I tried really hard.

I enjoyed the first book, really liked the second, but I just couldn’t really get into the mystery of this story.

The characters, particularly the estranged daughter who lives on the property, were so interesting. I wanted to learn more about them. And I really enjoyed the flashbacks to when the heir was still alive and this, seemingly random, group of… teenagers? Twenty somethings? Used to spend all of their time at the manner.

But this book just jumped around too much for me.

Decently written, but not the best of the series. If you have enjoyed the first two in this series, though, give this one a shot.

I realized once I started reading this one that it was a part of a series. I DNF'd until I could read the previous titles in the series and will come back and edit my review when I do.

Sara Medlar had solved two murder mysteries, and it's time for a well deserved break. She goes to visit a friend in England with her niece Kate and their friend Jack. However, this is a break that still involves work of a sort: two people had run away together from Oxley Manor decades ago, and now they're all essentially doing live dinner theater. Over time, it seems like there was a murder in the past... and someone is willing to do it again to keep that secret safe.

This is the third book in the series, and I hadn't read the first two. It isn't necessary, because there's enough backstory given about Sara, Kate and Jack. The mystery unfolds slowly; Jack is right, it isn't fair that Sara didn't tell them right away what the plan was for heading to Oxley Manor. He befriends Puck, who had been a young girl at the time of the disappearance/murder. The story is on of frustrated love, jealousy, greed and fear. There are multiple variations of what had gone on twenty years ago, each version with more and more details as we go along. It paints a picture of a very tense and angry household, and it isn't much of a surprise that it fell apart so spectacularly.

I can't say that I am really emotionally invested in the characters. I'm drawn more to the mystery of it than the characters themselves. They're not very pleasant, and for most of the most part, I don't quite care about the emotions that most of them go through. The care and attention to detail in the mystery itself, and the planning for the play to recreate the night in question is fascinating. It's at that point that I started to actually care about the characters and the stories that they told. The ending is full of surprises until the very last page, and it was a very satisfying conclusion. As much as many characters are unlikable at the start, this is still a good mystery from Jude Devereaux.

Let me start out by saying that I did not read the first 2 books and this is the 3rd in the series. While the author did remind us a little of the characters in the book, I still felt I didn't really get a good sense of them until pretty far into it. That's not to say it wasn't an enjoyable read, with witty dialogue and lots of twists. As far as mysteries go, I feel like this is one I need to start over and read more! I will delay my video review until I do so i can get a better grasp on the development.