This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Bookouture and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Brilliant cozy mystery series in an idyllic setting, you'll want to read the next one as soon as you finish the one you just finished.

Very good cosy mystery that sneakily pokes its tongue out at London yummy mummies and their preoccupation with property prices and the right schools for their children. Beth, the protagonist, is a well drawn character that you find yourself rooting for. I can’t wait to read the next instalment.

Such a well crafted novel, compelling enough to pull you through and very quick read. I enjoyed it so much from the first page till the end. Rather longer chapters than I’m used to but overall a good start to a new series!

I really wanted to like this book based on the premise but I struggled to get into it. I think it took too long to get to the murder and I didn’t connect with the main character.

The Murder Mystery is the first in the Beth Haldane Mystery series and a good start to this cozy series. It is Beth Haldane’s first day in the job at Wyatt’s School and nothing goes as planned. When Beth finds her boss murdered, she pokes around the murder investigation and uncovers the killer.

I enjoyed getting to follow Beth as she uncovered clues and unraveled the mystery. I thought this was a good start to this new series and I look forward to seeing what else this series has in store. The Dulwich Village setting was quaint and the perfect place for this cozy new mystery series. I would recommend this to cozy mystery fans!

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

department-politics, departmental-rivalry, family-drama, family-dynamics, guilt, law-enforcement, psychological, rumor-mill, series, suspense, verbal humor, situational humor, small town, widow, gossip, murder, murder investigation, friendship, cosy mystery, astounding plot twists, inventive red herrings, amateur sleuth*****

What a great start to a new series! Beth is a widow with a small son living in an interesting small town obsessed with status (not Beth, the town). She has just added a new job to her income stream, and on the first day she finds the dead body of the slimy department head. And it only gets crazier from there. Took up my whole Saturday afternoon!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was just an okay book for me I really really struggled with the extremely long chapters (25-30+pages each) the mystery in itself was good and I liked the setting but it kinda dragged out for me

Beth's first day at the Wyatt school was not at all like she expected. First, her boss was being kind of pervy, leering at her while they walked to the archive building, then he leaves her alone with no direction on what she was supposed to be doing... Then on her way to lunch, she happens to stumble upon his body... I mean that is a pretty memorable first day. And as the person who discovers the body is usually the primary suspect, she decides that she is going to investigate on her own.

I enjoyed this book, it was a fast and fun cozy mystery. Every new clue made you second guess who you thought the killer is, and I really enjoyed the budding relationship between Beth and the cop investigating the case.

This was a good first book in the series, and I'm definitely intrigued enough to pick up the second book.

You follow Beth Haldane, a mother of a young boy, who starts her first day at Wyatt's School. She is the new historian's assistent. After a quiet morning she goes out to have lunch but she finds the body of her new boss. People are looking at her, could she be the killer? She had to clear her name and starts her own investigation.

It's a very fun read, an average mother who starts her own investigation with all the little hick-ups she comes across. The author is great in telling the story lightly and it's great fun to follow Beth around on this 'quest'. The characters are well worked out and the story itself flows greatly turning it into a lovely reading experience.

Single mother Beth is delighted when she is offered the post of Assistant Archivist at the prestigious Wyatts school but her delight turns to dismay when she finds a dead body on her first day. Realising that the person to discover a body is often the prime suspect Beth decides to do some sleuthing to clear her name. Her investigations uncover the guilty secrets of the victim and the school and Beth narrowly avoids becoming the murder’s next victim. Set against the back drop of yummy mummies who have to buy their Waitrose shopping on the internet or heaven forbid venture into Camberwell the story has many laugh out loud moments. An excellent start to the series, really looking forward to book 2.

Previously published as Death in Dulwich.

Beth Haldane seems like a nice woman, realistic, likable and somehow both confident and unsure of herself. She compares herself to that adorable little pony while wishing for longer legs herself and a more tameable mane. I immediately liked her attitude, which is good as we spend a great deal of time in her head. Determined to give her 9 year-old son the best life possible, she's accepted a job at a posh, rather snooty school. Yet, she can't figure out why they hired her. She knows her own resume was sketchy in the area of historical archivist and that there were surely other applicants far more experienced. She's grateful, however, as she presents herself at the school the next morning.

That gratefulness turns to uneasiness. To be polite, let's just say her boss leers. She's actually glad when he heads out to meet someone and leaves her alone in the shed, er, office for hours. He never returns. Finally steeling herself to find lunch and a restroom, Beth heads out, only to get turned around on the school's paths. Then, she finds her boss. He's dead. That is where the story truly begins. Detective Inspector Harry York soon arrives to begin the investigation.

Who killed Dr. Alan Jenkins, her boss? She slowly comes to grips with the thought that the person who finds the body is often a suspect. Determined to prove her innocence, albeit without a clue how to do so, Beth begins her own investigation. Will this get her in trouble? Oh, come on. You know the answer to that. This is a cozy mystery after all. This brings her into frequent contact and conflict with Det. York. Will he tell her not to get involved? Of course. Will she listen? Of course not. They gradually come to respect and even, hmm, like each other, however, as the book continues.

What I liked most about this book, aside from the likable main character, is that the murder plot involved more depth than who killed Jenkins. Sadly, many readers, especially women, will relate. Like Beth, Jenkins has a backstory and it isn't an admirable one. Maybe this explains the reactions of so many to his death? Will Beth get herself fired asking nosy questions at the school? It's an upscale facility, think parents with money and prestige, and the school is anxious to move past this and regain its usual hallowed status. Is the fact Beth spied the headmaster near where the body was found meaningful? Who was that flash of pink she saw? Is the receptionist friend or foe? Why are so many relieved to know Jenkins is dead? Why was there a handkerchief over his face? What secrets are hidden in the archive office? Oh, my, so much to think about but, enough teasers. Read the book.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for introducing me to Beth and her posh new job setting. I wasn't sure what to expect but am glad I accepted and am looking forward to the next in the series. I wonder if she'll listen more to her cat's not so subtle hints that a bad day may be at hand.

Murder and mayhem…mystery and intrigue…a great quirky protagonist…thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this electronic copy for me to review…although the story moves slowly at times, it comes to a resounding end…I look forward to the next book in this series… get in your cozy chair, grab a comfy Afghan, a cup of herbal tea and lose yourself in this story.