The death of Lucinda Reilly from cancer at the age of only 56 last year truly is a tragedy - not just for her family, but for the Bookloving World - she was at the height of her success with the Seven Sisters series, and who knows what else she would’ve gone on to write. This, her only crime novel, was written in 2006, and while complete, was not “finished”. Her son, Harry Whittaker, a writer himself, explains in the foreword that his dilemma was whether to publish it as it was, or rewrite and update it. He chose to honour his mother by leaving it unchanged, which I respect, but it means that this is not as good as it could’ve been with comprehensive editing and correction of various mistakes. She was such a compelling story-teller however, that this was still a very enjoyable mystery.

DI Jazz Hunter has quit the Metropolitan Police after the break-up of her marriage to a fellow detective, and moved to the Norfolk countryside to renovate an old cottage and contemplate her future. When her former boss offers requests that she investigate the sudden death of a pupil at a posh local boarding school, she relishes the opportunity to take the lead without her annoying ex undermining her. Charlie Cavendish, a notorious bully, appears to be the victim of a tablet substitution, but was it accidental or intentional? Then a member of staff is found dead, and one of Charlie’s victims disappears. The more Jazz learns, the more complicated the case becomes, when everyone she interviews has a secret - and one of them is a killer…

If you’ve read any of the Seven Sisters historical drama novels, you’ll recognise elements of the plot here - love affairs forbidden by the constraints of the past, secret babies, thwarted relationships & complicated family dynamics. This is an elaborately constructed murder mystery with multiple suspects but mostly hidden motives. I guessed relatively early who the perpetrator would turn out to be, and had worked out many of the twists - some rather painfully obvious to a crime thriller junkie like me - far ahead of our intrepid DI. For this reason, I would recommend this most to fans of Reilly’s who don’t usually read much crime. While not what I would call a cosy mystery, it’s got minimal gore or violence, but plenty of intrigue. The romance is similarly low-key, but it’s there, and I liked that most characters got the endings they deserved.

As mentioned, there are various mistakes, legal, forensic and medical, which should’ve been picked up by beta readers or the editor, and some rather glaring plot holes around who should’ve recognised whom, and what should’ve been obvious to the detectives much earlier on. It’s also about 100 pages too long for a thriller - if you took out all the mentions of coffee - characters thinking about it, offering it, making it, and drinking it, you’d be halfway there, and there was also an unnecessary and uninteresting illness in the protagonists family that went on too long. Jazz was an appealing main character, as were her sidekicks, and it is a shame they won’t get further adventures unless Harry decides to continue this as a series - I’m sure there are plenty of lesser known crime writers who would happily collaborate to make the most of Reilly’s name on the cover. Speaking of covers - the one shown on GoodReads, of an isolated stone hut, while not unattractive, bears no relation to the plot! 3.5 rounded up for good writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and AuthorBuzz for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. The Murders at Fleat House is published on May 26th.

It's a cozy mystery like story and I throughly enjoyed it.
Lucinda Riley was an excellent storyteller and this story kept me hooked and guessing.
I liked the solid mystery and the characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I binged this book like crazy. I loved the complex and engaging plot. There wasn't much violence or gore. More of a cosy- mystery type. Plenty of mysteries and twists kept me satisfied and ended until the end. I don't wanna give out much. Read for yourself.

What an absolutely amazing read!! It draws you in from the first page and keeps you engaged till the end. I finished it in 1 day and this is definitely by far my favourite book from Lucinda Riley. In the end, I was actually very sad because it would have made an awesome series! The best way I can describe this locked-room murder mystery is Agatha Christie meets Ruth Ware.
I was so glad they didn't do any rewrites and they left the book as she wrote it in 2006 because I found the voice very authentic and the descriptions were very visual. It's definitely a book that I think would make a wonderful movie or TV series. I also loved Jazz's character and found her to be very relatable.
I think the current Lucinda fans will definitely enjoy this 1 but she will also gain a lot of new fans who would want to read her other books as well.
We will miss this wonderful storyteller.

Than you so much to Netgalley and AuthorBuzz for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

First of all, I would like to thank the family of Lucinda Riley for deciding to release this forgotten work by the author without many editions. The author is a household name for fans of historical fiction, but The Murders At Fleat House is her first foray into crime fiction and it is so painful to know that she wouldn’t be able to continue writing this genre as her central protagonist DI Jazz Hunter seems like someone who needs a series by her own. Essentially Lucinda Riley’s historical fiction always carries a thread of mystery intertwined thru its story, the few books I have read had a dual timeline narrative added to the bargain providing a new dimension to the unraveling of the family dynamics at the end.

The Murders At Fleat House is the author at her best, weaving a crime thriller in the past to the events in the present. DI Jazz and her teammates Miles and Izzy are characters that gave “not completed yet” vibes. There is a small background of DI Jazz and the return of her ex in the story but as a reader, I felt that there is much history and many stories waiting to be explored by the author which sadly will never be done now.

Fleat House of the St Stephen’s boarding school finds itself at the center of mayhem when a child is discovered dead in his room. The investigation that proceeds with the arrival of Jazz and Miles reveals the secrets that have connections to events in the past. Effectively talking about the bullying and psychological trauma suffered by some students, the author has also highlighted issues of alcohol addiction thus creating a twisty page-turner. The characters are well-crafted and even the pathetic Angela Miller and the incompetent headmaster of the school evoke pity at the turn of the events that rock their respective lives.

The Murders at Fleat House is not an adrenaline-rush thriller but at no point in the story, does the reader feel any lapse in pacing. The police procedural that shows the inquiries leading to more than one murder inside Fleat house is a ‘one thread leading to another puzzle’ type that untangles in a steady manner. I had guessed the culprit in the beginning but was happy with the author’s jumbled yarn that linked the past and present into one engrossing narrative.

Many thanks to Net Galley, AuthorBuzz, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published on my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Book Bub, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

I absolutely loved this!
A great twisty story of jealousy, family secrets and revenge, set in a boys boarding school in Norfolk. Following the death of a student Detective Jazz Hunter returns to work to lead the investigation. One death soon turns into two, then into three. The story takes you on a journey of who done it and why.

It’s full of red herrings and it will have you quickly turning the pages. The character development and writing are superb. I loved the way it led to the past as it made the story very interesting to read.

It’s beautifully written and was a pleasure to read. This is a must read and I highly recommend it. If you enjoying reading mystery, suspense, crime and relationships then this book is for you.

Thanks to #NetGallery #AuthorBuzz #LucindaRiley for an ARC of #TheMurdersatFleatHouse in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book up because I've enjoyed many of Lucinda Riley's previous works - both her historical fiction and The Seven Sisters series. It was with sadness that I read of Riley's death last year in the forward by her son. This book is being published posthumously and is the only police procedural/crime novel undertaken by the author. No surprise - it is well written!

The book centers on a death in Fleat House at St. Stephen's, a boarding school in Norfolk. Murder can't be ruled out, and Jazz Hunter, who had left her police career in London, reluctantly agrees to lead the investigation. Concerns grow as the investigation progresses. It becomes more complex when a young student disappears and a classics master is found dead.

This was suspenseful and secrets were revealed along the investigation that kept me reading and interested. The book didn't need to use violence and horror to provide a good story. The mystery was similar to a "cozy" type. Jazz was a good, strong character and I think this would have made a nice series.

Thanks to AuthorBuzz through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on May 26, 2022.

There was a student death at a private school. The local police cannot count foul play, detective Jazz comes to help with the investigation, what will she find out? What secrets are behind this school or is there one?
I really enjoyed this quick read, engaging, suspenseful, definitely thriller and crazy ride.
Thanks too Blue Box Press, netgalley and the author in exchange for a review.
Publishing date May 26th 2022.

I was saddened by Lucinda Riley’s recent death, although glad that her family still had a few surprises for fans in the form of the conclusion to the Seven Sisters (completed by her son) and this one, an earlier title, only now being published. However, upon trying to proceed with it, I struggled, finding the characters hard to connect with and keep track of. Ironically, that was the same issue I had with a prior book that her son’s foreword also confirmed was a prior later release of an early book. I’m glad she was open to spreading her wings and exploring multiple genres during her early days as a writer, but I can’t help but feel that these books really do stick out and feel less engaging (at least for me) compared to the stuff she became more known for. This book also skews more toward the “cozy mystery” end of the genre spectrum than I initially believed, leaving me very unenthralled by anything going on.

I really enjoyed this older mystery by Lucinda Riley. So different from her usual writing. I liked the detective she introduced and am sad that she could not create a series featuring her.

This is my first book from Lucinda Riley. Indeed she is better known for her historical fiction books which is not my genre in general. Being aware of this author as she has been listed many times in the Amazon charts, I was really intrigued to find she had written a mystery book based in North Norfolk at an English boarding school. Both my children went to boarding schools as day pupils so the theme really intrigued me.
Well, this is a wonderful book, beautifully written and a pleasure to read.

I am very sad to find out that the author sadly passed away and therefore as we won’t get the chance to read more from this talented author. I know I will read this book again and I am very grateful to her son and family for having enabled this book to be published and therefore bringing much joy to readers around the word enabling them a peek at the British private education system.

This book is a must read, I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Being unaware of the author's passing made this release of an early and the only crime mystery she ever penned even more special. Her son's forward brought me to tears. I had read and enjoyed "The Butterfly Room", but none of her others.
It's a murder mystery set at a private boarding school in Norfolk, England. The atmosphere and time period were very authentic. There are quite a few characters with the St Stephen’s School staff and students, the parents, the various police officers and departments. They are very well described with personal life details, some secrets, affairs, loves and even romance woven in, which made them realistic.
Charlie Cavendish is a bully, not very likable, and now he's been found dead in his bed at Fleat House.  Everyone knows about his allergy to aspirin, did he commit suicide, an accident, or was this murder? 
‘Jazz’ Hunter was a Detective Inspector in London. After Patrick, her now X- husband, betrayed her, she quit her job and fled to the countryside.
Her former boss,  Assistant Commissioner Norton, has asked her to investigate the death and determine if it was just a tragic accident. He's even offering to send down her Sergeant, Alastair Miles, to assist with the investigation. Should be a simple enough case to resolve, of course it isn't. Norton feels she's had sufficient time on leave and needs to get back to work.
There is plenty of mystery, twists and turns, witnesses lying, hidden history and motives, cover-ups, numerous likely suspects, and very unexpected discoveries. It made for an excellent suspense filled read.
It is a book both the author's loyal readers and new readers can equally enjoy, I certainly did, and highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of "The Murders at Fleat House" by Lucinda Riley and to Blue Box Press. These are my honest, personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

Easy read murder mystery although it was obvious from quite early on who the murderer was. Not Riley’s best

This a really enjoyable mystery from Lucinda Riley, sadly now deceased. She wrote this back in 2006 but never found a publisher for it at the time. The story takes place at an English boarding school where a boy dies under suspicious circumstances. The inspector on the case, Jazmine Hunter, has been on leave following an ugly divorce from a coworker. When more deaths occur, it will take all of Hunter's skills to uncover the truth, some of which lies in the past. Thank you to NetGalley and AuthorBuzz for a digital review copy.

This crime caper was an early change of pace for Lucinda Riley, known for her historical fiction. Unfortunately, Ms. Riley died recently and we will not another such work from her; that is unfortunate because this novel, long as it was, kept you engrossed all the way through, tied together at the end with logic and evidence. Highly entertaining. My condolences to Ms. Riley's family. Her talent is greatly appreciated and will be greatly missed.

This is a very enjoyable police procedural set in North Norfolk. It would make a great start to a series but unfortunately Lucinda Riley, best known for her historical fiction, sadly died last year and this was published posthumously with the help of her son.

Jazmine (Jazz) Hunter was formerly a DI in the Met but after her husband, also a DI cheated on her she filed for divorce, handed in her resignation and fled overseas. Now, seven months later her boss, Commissioner Norton has asked her to come back to work, to lead the investigation into the suspicious death of a school boy at a local boarding school.

The twisty and engaging plot takes some time to untangle as there will be further deaths that don't at first seem connected. However, Jazz is tenacious and has good instincts and begins to suspect the events that connect the murders are firmly based in the past. Even the reappearance of her handsome, Irish ex who wants a quick and easy result doesn't distract her from following the leads she has sniffed out. Recommended for those who enjoy a good crime novel without any violence.

I enjoy a crime story and when I saw acclaimed author Lucinda Riley had written this one I was keen to read it. It was actually written back in 2005 and published by the author’s family after her death. The story is set in Norfolk; a senior student and heir to an aristocratic family has been found dead at his boarding school. DI Jazz Hunter has been asked to lead the investigation despite resigning from Scotland Yard after discovering her husband who is also a detective has been having an affair with a colleague. Jazz has moved to Norfolk to revaluate her life and follow a different path. While trying to solve the crime Jazz uncovers deceit and secrets.
While I did find this story engaging it was rather slow being over 1000 pages in length. Readers who enjoy a “Midsummer Murder” type of crime story will enjoy it; there were no gruesome descriptions of crime scenes and it had a very English village atmosphere. Thanks to Netgalley for access to this pre release title.

Thank you Author, Netgalley, and Publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an excellent mystery. It was suspenseful and had me guessing throughout. The links to the past made the plot mysterious and characters were also connected in an interesting way. I also loved the boarding school setting.

Overall it was a great read.

I am saddened to realise that we will not have any more books by her. I would have loved to see this turn into a series.

4+

Lucinda Riley, who unfortunately died recently, has written some very popular historical fiction. This book, her only foray into crime mystery, was posthumously published by her son.

I loved the story. Although I would call it a cosy in that there is no overt violence and it is not dark, it is nevertheless an engaging and complex mystery that challenges the police at every step of the way. It is set in a somewhat prestigious boarding school in Norfolk.

A senior pupil, Charlie Cavendish, has been found dead in his room one morning, ostensibly from an epileptic fit. It was known he suffered from the illness and he took regular medication for it. It was deemed a tragic accident - until the autopsy revealed he had aspirin in his system. It was well known that Charlie was severely allergic to aspirin. A murder enquiry is launched headed by Detective Inspector Jazmin (Jazz) Hunter who was on sabbatical from the Met for personal reasons. Her boss Superintendent Norton encouraged her to go back to work on this case.

It is not long before another death occurs at the school. One of the masters, Hugh Daneman, is found dead in his study. This one is clearly a suicide but it is still unsettling. One of the younger pupils, Rory Millar, is clearly distressed and frightened. His parents have just divorced and Rory is desperate to see his father, David, who has embraced alcohol again. To top it all off, Julian Forbes, a lawyer who has moved in with Rory’s mother is found dead in the cellar at the school, the same cellar where a young boy killed himself 25 years ago. This one is clearly a murder and greatly muddies the waters!

As Jazz investigates further things start to look increasing related. The characterisations were outstanding and were really well portrayed. Some were very relatable and others - not so much. It was also clear that many of the characters had secrets and things were indeed very related and the answers lay in the past. The plot was immersive and the reveals kept coming. This was not so much an action book, the policing was more cerebral in nature, but the pace nevertheless kept up a good clip and I found the story very compelling. Many thanks to Netgalley and AuthorBuzz for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Huge amount of thanks to NetGalley and blue box press for an advance copy of this book!
Let me start off by saying I love Lucinda Riley’s historical fiction. I was surprised to find out that this isn’t historical fiction, but more of a modern day detective/crime/mystery novel. Again, it didn’t disappoint. Also I was saddened to realize that we lost Lucinda Riley this past June. This was actually one of her earlier written books, but published after her passing.
After the sudden death of a student at a small private boarding school, Detective Jazz Hunter returns from her self imposed hiatus to take on the case. As with all old buildings, Fleat House holds many secrets and all of the answers Jazz is looking for.
I really liked this one! It was a good mystery. The twists were good and believable. My interest was held from the beginning. While it is much different than her other works, this is a solid crime/mystery novel and well worth picking up a copy on May 26.