Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This is described as a 'Cotswold crimes mystery book' and I see that there are no reviews from the UK at present. I suggest the good ratings are because no-one from the UK has read it yet. I think the descriptions of the Roman Baths and Abbey go a good way to creating the scene, but that is where the 'British' feel ends. Whilst I know the main female character is American, and there are inevitably comedy moments where she struggles to understand English terminology (wellies, for example) all the spellings are American which was intensely irritating, and Lily would not have told Maddie how long a journey was in kilometres. I thought some of the writing style was odd (how can a 'stream', which is a word for running water be described as 'still'?), including the sections of the tale where the spray and the cream are detailed - is the spray a disinfectant or an antiseptic because she would not swallow a disinfectant, is the cream an antiseptic or a prescribed antibiotic? The final part of the story relating to the hospital is completely unbelievable. Whilst cosy mysteries do not have to be fully researched I think this book falls way below the standard of credibility to make a good story. I struggled through it and wish I hadn't bothered.
I would not read this author again.

contemporary murder mystery set in Bath.
Maddie is a nineteen-year-old archaeology student from America on a coveted internship at the Roman Baths in Bath.
Things take a suddenly sinister turn almost as soon as she arrives in England with a severed ear being sent to her new address followed by a murder and numerous 'accidents.'
Constable Edward Bailey is a friendly pal to help her through the ordeal but he blows hot and cold and I couldn't quite get a handle on their romance.
Maddie's co-worker, Simon made life very difficult for Maddie but becomes more likeable by the end and I hope he and Maddie remain friends.
There was a lot of suspenseful drama in this book and the final section was very exciting.
I'm looking forward to reading book two soon.

College sophomore Maddie McGuire has landed an archeological internship in Bath England. She finds a human ear left on her doorstep and if that isn't enough, she also finds a dead body. She also has to deal with a difficult coworker and a handsome constable. Will Maddie be able to solve this mystery?

You will enjoy this cozy if you like history, a budding romance and the thrill of the hunt for a killer. These all are included in this story.

I enjoyed it and recommend it to any cozy mystery lover.

Thank you, Level Best Books, and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

"Death Takes a Bath" by Sharon Lynn is a thrilling mystery that seamlessly intertwines the fascinating world of archaeology with a suspenseful tale of danger and intrigue. As Maddie McGuire, a college sophomore, embarks on an archaeology internship at the Roman Baths in England, little does she know that her journey will take an unexpected turn into the realm of crime and suspense.

The novel kicks off with a chilling discovery – a severed human ear on Maddie's doorstep, setting the stage for a gripping mystery. Lynn skillfully crafts a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats as Maddie, fueled by determination and curiosity, dives into solving the mystery behind the gruesome find. The stakes are high, with the looming threat of becoming the next victim or facing deportation, adding a layer of urgency to the plot.

The characters in "Death Takes a Bath" are well-developed and contribute to the richness of the story. Maddie's tentative friendship with young constable Edward Bailey provides both emotional depth and a dynamic partnership in the investigation. The backdrop of the historic Roman Baths and the Bath Abbey adds a unique and atmospheric quality to the narrative, creating a vivid setting that enhances the overall reading experience.

The antagonist, Simon Pacock, introduces an element of rivalry and sabotage, intensifying the suspense as Maddie navigates the challenges of her internship. Lynn skillfully weaves a web of deception and danger, keeping readers guessing until the very end. The discovery of a dead body with both ears intact raises the stakes, unraveling a complex plot that unfolds with well-paced twists and turns.

One notable aspect of the novel is Lynn's ability to balance the archaeological elements with the mystery plot. The incorporation of historical details and the exploration of the Roman Baths provide a unique backdrop that sets "Death Takes a Bath" apart in the mystery genre.

In conclusion, "Death Takes a Bath" earns its four stars for delivering a riveting blend of mystery, archaeology, and danger. Sharon Lynn's storytelling is compelling, and her ability to create a suspenseful atmosphere makes this novel a standout in the genre. Fans of mysteries with a historical twist will find themselves immersed in Maddie McGuire's quest for truth in the ancient city of Bath.

Rating - 4.7/5

This mystery novel seems to promise a thrilling and suspenseful story centered around Maddie McGuire, an archeology intern at the Roman Baths in England. The plot takes an ominous turn when Maddie discovers a severed human ear on her doorstep, setting off a chain of events that puts her in jeopardy.

The tension escalates as Maddie attempts to decipher the meaning behind the ear's appearance while trying to avoid becoming the next victim or facing deportation. The dynamics of her relationships, particularly with Constable Edward Bailey and the obstructive Simon Pacock, add layers of intrigue to the narrative.

The atmospheric setting of the Bath Abbey juxtaposed with the sinister discoveries creates a compelling backdrop for the unfolding mystery. The stakes heighten further when Maddie stumbles upon a dead body with both ears intact, intensifying the danger and mystery surrounding her.

From the novel, it appears to be a gripping tale filled with suspense, twists, and potentially complex characters navigating a web of intrigue and danger in a picturesque yet treacherous setting.

If you're a fan of mystery novels with a strong sense of setting, compelling characters, and a plot rife with unexpected turns, "Death Takes a Bath: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery" seems poised to offer an engaging and thrilling read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Level Best Books Publishers for an advance digital copy for my honest review.

I loved the setting for this book and the wit sprinkled throughout. The plot was engaging with some unexpected twists and turns.
Many thanks to Level Best and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my gosh
Maddie has come to the UK to do an archeology internship at the Roman baths in Bath itself but from her second day in the country when she finds a dismembered ear has been sent to her, to finding a dead body a few days later, it’s really quite eventful and through all this she has a possible romance with police constable Edward
I loved this book, it was a mix of my two favourite genres, romance and murder mystery which drew me in right from the very start and the only reason I didn’t read it all in one go was because all of the sudden it was 4am and my eyes were beyond burning
Set from her point of view Maddie is a brilliant narrator and she copes remarkably well with everything that happens and her resilience really made me love her as a character. I am going to be a bit picky here and say that I would have loved to have heard from Edwards point of view occasionally, but that’s the romance reader in me!
This book has so many twists and just when you think that things can’t get anymore strange something else happens that throws a wrench in everything. I will admit to spending some time chuckling with how Maddie had to get used to British things whilst coping with everything else happening but I know I would be worse if I had to go to the US (having to put a kettle on a stove and not plug it in? Like seriously?!)
The story kept me on my toes and I so wasn’t expecting the killer to be who it turned out to be but I think that made it so more addictive as a story as you never know what to expect
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a murder mystery full of drama that will pull you in and keep you reading

Please don’t publish this as is! There’s a story - somewhat unbelievable and slightly hokey, but a fun little story, nonetheless. But there are also factual errors (no one has used shillings and pence in the U.K. since 1971); many copy edits that need to be made; multiple places where the speaker/attribution is unclear; and several really awkward phrases, paragraphs, and even whole scenes. No one describes themselves as ‘padding lightly’ or their own eyelids as ‘fluttering closed.’ Some sentences don’t make sense: ‘Each pew displayed a different carving and resembled that one.’
‘He handed me the bags with breakfast into the dining room and set Roderick on the kitchen’s tiled floor.’
‘(I)…scampered to the console table, holding the phone.’ - the phone is on the table, not being held by the speaker.

There are also several instances of British phrases being used incorrectly. And what modern American college sophomore says, ‘She pulled out a little pad of paper. The delightful scent of rose emitted from it …’

In several scenes, every move is listed in excruciating detail and then suddenly the action jumps to another person or place, without a segue.

And some transitions are just awkward: ’Tori gathered our dishes and took them into the kitchen. I showed her to the garden to meet Roderick.’

Another good round of editing is needed to make this a more readable novel.

I love this book. Intriguing and very British. Imagining you are at the Roman Baths, can feel, see the history. The main character is bumbling along and it all happens to her. It keeps you in suspense wondering what’s around the corner. Great read.

Maddy had a nerve-jerking start to her internship, finding a bloody ear in a box on her step, which had her head spinning. Now, she has unsuspectingly got herself entwined in a murder mystery, imagine that, a body missing an ear and now a murder, these two incidents almost gave her a heart attack. To top it off, her coworker was an obnoxiously irritating aristocrat. It was an interesting, intriguing story.

Rating: 3.6/4

Review: All within the first couple of chapters our heroine hoists the drama Queen trophy with constant bouts of queasiness, dizziness, and homesickness. But the “I’ll show you” vim and vinegar spirit will suddenly appear with clenched fists and gritted teeth. A real renaissance woman who finds the time between murders to flirt with hunky men. She loves rabbits too.
Not only is she brilliant but hotter than a Pharaohs sun god and every bit as privileged and wealthy. She wants to make it on her own without relying on her parents’ wealth and influence but always has the option.

Did I like this? I didn’t want to as it has everything I hate about YA, in that authors pander to those shitwits by infusing romance into every genre. Mystery being no exception. The world building is extremely finite and some of the scenes lacked continuity. Dumbass is really annoying with her constant narcissistic flouncing and lack of expediting important information as it suits her. Her friend is even dumber but manages to make brilliant assessments a la deus ex. Within the first few pages you should already know whom the killer is, so that area needs some work.

This is not my story to tell, but why not make a good impression on the YA by developing a character that is believable. Make her smart, tough and vulnerable without the tembling, queasy, puking hunky man drama dependence.

So yeah, I still liked it.

Archaeology student Maddie McGuire is thrilled to have finagled an internship at the Roman baths in England, but from the first day she arrives things start going wrong. People are leaving unexpectedly and bodies are dropping everywhere. This is a fast-paced mystery that keeps the reader involved from start to finish. Some great bad guys and loveable good guys plus interesting historical facts. I highly recommend this mystery, especially if you love England, fish-out-of-water stories, and good pacing.

Death takes a Bath, the title of Sharon Lynn's first book in her Cotswold Crimes Mysteries series, has a double meaning. Not only does a death take place in the English city of Bath in Somerset, but the victim is actually drowned in one of the city's famous Roman baths. I really enjoyed following young archeology student Maddie as she tries to accustom herself to her new internship in England while at the same time trying to uncover a killer. The setting was spot on, and I loved the opportunity to revisit some of the fascinating Roman history of this place. If you're looking for a taste of the English countryside, some interesting history, and perhaps a severed ear or a dead body, then this is a fun series for you to try out.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book.

Sharon Lynn’s Death Takes a Bath, a Cotswold Crimes Mystery, is a thrilling page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The book’s protagonist, Maddie McGuire, lands an archaeology internship at the Roman Baths in England. But her dreams of a pleasant and productive internship quickly come to a halt when she finds a severed human ear on her doorstep. Maddie is forced to solve the mystery surrounding the ear and the subsequent dead body she discovers. With the help of young constable Edward Bailey, Maddie navigates the dangerous path to uncover the truth.

The novel is written in an engaging style that brings the Cotswold countryside to life. Lynn’s descriptions of the Roman Baths, the Bath Abbey, and the surrounding areas are vivid and transport the reader to the heart of England. The story is well-paced, with just the right amount of tension and suspense to keep readers engaged. As the mystery unfolds, readers are left guessing until the very end.

The characters in Death Takes a Bath are well-drawn and relatable. Maddie is a likable and determined protagonist, and Edward is an endearing sidekick. Simon Pacock, the aristocratic coworker who sabotages Maddie’s every move, is a well-crafted villain. The relationships between the characters add depth to the story and keep the reader invested in the outcome.

The illustrations by Misha Jovanovic add a nice touch to the book, giving readers a visual representation of some of the key scenes. The use of black and white drawings adds to the noir feel of the story.

Overall, Death Takes a Bath is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery novel that will satisfy fans of the genre. Sharon Lynn has crafted a compelling story with engaging characters and a well-realized setting.

There's a lot of potential and it's a solid mystery but I felt the character quite younger than the expected age and I didn't like it.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I was keen to read the book because I have lived near Bath and know the city well. Unfortunately, I soon found out that this was not really my book.

Briefly, it is about an American archaeology student doing research in Roman Bath. Soon after arriving, there turns out to be a severed ear on the doormat: the start of all sorts of madness, which Maddie McGuire knows how to deal with.

I enjoy reading cosy crimes, as a form of escapism. What bothers me a little about this story are the clichés, and the lame jokes, which are mostly meant to be funny. It doesn't stop there. The differences between American and British English, the jokes about first floor and ground floor, the differences in pronunciation, different words for the same things, making fun of everything British.

I found it all a bit too contrived. It was fun at first, but eventually it started to become distracting. Tiring, and eventually very annoying. All the cliches about loud-mouthed Americans unfortunately turn out to be order of the day in this book. Childish humour and, wasted on me.
2.5 stars. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy. I leave this review voluntarily.

Death Takes a Bath is narrated in a fresh Gen Z voice. Set in the holiday town and archaeologically significant town of Bath, the reader is taken along for the day to day experiences of a student on a work/study abroad experience as she struggles to feel she’s valued. A well crafted plot unfolds in an unconventional contemporary and youthful voice. Unpleasant and seemingly unrelated bad things happen to her and around her. She wonders whom she can trust and longs for close relationships that will help further establish her as an emerging adult, not dependent on her parents. Well suited for anyone wanting a mystery read with a fresh approach, I suspect the style will especially appeal to YA readers.

first-in-series, new-series, cozy-mystery, college-student, archaeology, cotswolds, internship, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, pet-bunny, romantic, Y/A-only-means-no-gratuitous-erotica, women's-fiction, women-sleuths, students, friends, friendship, family-dynamics, family, verbal-humor, situational-humor, snarky, snobs, historic-buildings, historical-places-events, historical-setting, museum*****

What fun!
Girl from Arizona going to college in Chicago snags an internship in archaeology in Bath, Cotswolds, England. The surprises stat early and multiply rapidly. Too many of them are negative, but meeting the friendly constable is the best of them. Great read!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Level Best Books/Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles via NetGalley. Thank you!
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Great world building, Informative, Original, Page-turner, Unpredictable, Witty, Wonderful characters

Loved this story, and can't wait to see what happens to the characters next. Solid mix of YA romance and caper. A fairly bloody book, but with the right level of detail.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.
First off, I don't know if this is meant to be YA or not - the protagonist is 19 and seems to act a lot younger a lot of the time, but she's on her own in a foreign country and confronted with a lot of puzzles and violence.
I liked that she is a young woman trying to figure out who she is an assert her independence from her parents. A lot of the time Maddie is faced with challenges and does her best to figure things out.
However, she doesn't seem to me to demonstrate enough smarts or knowledge to have won this prestigious internship. She seems to have a lot of unaddressed anxiety issues. Maybe this is because she subsists on toast and hot chocolate (oddly called 'drinking chocolate' by the author).
I struggled to finish this, the author just kept piling up more weird events. Also, the bunny has just disappeared by the end, what's up with that? Many of the characters were quite stereotyped.
The writing isn't bad, it just meanders a bit too much - maybe since the author mainly writes short stories, she lost track of some stuff? I would venture to read another instalment as there's a lot of potential, but I think that this could have used a good edit...