I really liked this book, it was different than anything else I've read which was a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this to my friends, and auto buy this author!

Murder in the Studio by Gretta Mulrooney is a great read. The writing is atmospheric, there's a solid police procedural, and the characters are all distinct and interesting. I loved the setting too. the backstory for most of the characters was developed well, I got more of a sense of who they were and their motivations. I kind of figured this out mid-way through the book, but nonetheless, a solid read. Recommended.

Utterly addictive and complex! Twists and turns strewn with red herrings with unique and interesting cast if characters. Siv Drummond has to be one of the most interesting detectives out there. Clear your calendar, you won't put this down until the end.

I found this one heavy going . Lots of characters and very little in the way of detection. The two main detectives, Siv & Alli were running around asking questions without following through with other evidence. Most of the characters were pretty obnoxious and both of the main detectives had personal stuff going on too which did not really add to the reading experience. This is a short book, there is not a great deal of action and it was like wading through treacle because of the pondorous use of language and the repetition . The ending, when it came, was sudden .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC, this one wasn't for me

Family always causes complications....
I spotted this on Netgalley and intrigued by the description, promptly read all of the preceding 4 Siv Drummond books back-to-back via KU before requesting this one. I'm delighted to find a new-to-me writer of police procedurals with such a great style, concise yet descriptive writing and strong characterisation.
With her detatched, abstracted sister and nightmare mother now complicating her Berminster bolthole, Siv has to solve a murder that increasingly shows just how everyone is always connected in a small community. The intertwined plot lines kept me on edge, and were always one step ahead of me whenever I thought I had identified the murderer.
I will definitely be trying some of Gretta Mulrooney's other books whilst waiting for the next Siv instalment.

"She rallied and smiled. Blood feuds could wait until another day. Tonight, she'd kick back with her other family."

It's true that our co-workers are often our "daytime" families; after all, we usually spend more time with them, during the week, than we do our real families (and I use the term "real", loosely). This go-round (#murderinthestudio), Siv investigates another sort of family, one borne of the close proximity of artsy shops and a cafe in Lansdown Court Craft Centre. Someone's been murdered, and it seems, as so often is the case, most everyone has a motive. Siv, still dealing with her husband's death, her sister's arrival in town and her mother ("Mutsi!") marrying Siv's boss, is a bit tired, but she takes on the case ("Get your skates on, I need you here."). Love her colleagues, lovable Ali and smartish Patrick - her other family.

Terrific plotting, as always, from Gretta M. Loved this book!

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

Whilst I normally love to read the Siv Drummond series i just couldnt get to grips with this one, not to spoil for others but it just didnt seem to flow like previous in the series

Wall Of Silence..
The fifth in the Detective Inspector Siv Drummond series of mysteries finds our protagonist and team investigating a murder at an artists community - as they are swiftly met with a wall of silence, matters become somewhat protracted and increasingly problematic. Another engaging instalment to this series with a well drawn cast, a nicely placed setting and a true puzzle at its very heart.

Murder in the Studio is a police procedural with likable main characters in an intriguing setting. The detective's family issues, including her mother living with her superior officer was an entertaining B story.The crime takes place in an artist colony which makes for an interesting bunch of suspects. However, the way the story was told from multiple points of view led to a lot of repetition and the story got bogged down. And using written statements by the criminals at the end was yet another drawn out repetition. Though it got boring in parts, it was still an enjoyable read.  I found the glossary for Americans at the end pretty amusing.

I don't do this often as I feel as though any book I am lucky enough to be granted an ARC for deserves my time and attention so that I can put together an honest review, but I had to send this one to the DNF shelf.

After making it to 45% and being utterly bogged down by too many characters and way too many unnecessary details, I set it to the side and read something else before giving this one a second chance. And sadly? I still just could not get into it. There is a lot of jumping around between characters, and so many of them that I never really warmed up to any of them, or gotten a feel for them as anything but a two-dimensional figure.

The plot, what little of it there was, seemed entirely way too slow for my tastes, but then I enjoy more action in my thriller novels than was given here. If you are already a fan of this series, or enjoy a great deal of detail in your stories, then you may enjoy this one more than I did and I encourage you to give it a shot.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

This is #5 in the Detective Siv Drummond series but it can easily be read as a standalone. I’ve read the previous books so was looking forward to the next one, and it didn’t disappoint.

It was good to be back with Siv and her colleagues in Berminster. Lansdown Court is a small studio/shop community and Siv is called out to a body there. Luanna was one of the creatives working there and was found stabbed, but not in her own premises, she was in the next-door studio belonging to Jem.

Jem claims to know nothing about it, having been drinking heavily all night at a party. Siv isn’t quite so sure about his alibi because her DS, Ali, was at the same party and noticed that Jem was preoccupied.

As always with this author, it was a clever and brilliantly written plot, with a totally unexpected twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

I loved this detective mystery, full of suspense and mystery. I loved all the characters I got introduced to as the story progressed and the ending was great! I love this author's writing style and can't wait to read more in this series.

Murder in an artists' bijou colony - a good set of varying characters, each with issues of course. Siv and Ali have a tough time with lies, fabrications, half truths, untruths. Well written and a generally good read. Well-developed police team and little back-biting for a pleasant change. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This was my first Siv Drummond read and my third from this author. It was interesting coming into the series in its fifth book as relationships and back stories are plentiful and much has happened. Luckily the author explains the characters and past situations well and the first few books are not definitely needed to be read first before reading this one.
I liked the fact that it was written in the point of view of two different characters, both of whom are beautifully flawed. The character names and some other words intrigued me and I was stuck trying to determine where the story was set for a while.
As the story unfolded, there were multiple crimes, storylines and head scratching moments to keep me interested. The story didn't have a great action content and could be a little slow in parts, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Part of a series featuring Detective Siv Drummond and her team. An intriguing murder to solve with red herrings galore. Siv also has to deal with her mother and sister who cannot get on.

One Saturday morning, Detective Siv is called to Lansdown Court, a secluded little seaside community of artists, entrepreneurs and drifters. Behind the doors of Jem Calloway’s studio, the walls, the canvases, everything is stained red. With blood. Slumped in Jem’s chair, there’s a dead woman. A knife plunged deep in her neck . She is Luanna Forbes , owner of the bijou gift shop next door.
The fifth outing for Siv & another well written engrossing read. I really like Siv & like how her home & work life feature, her sister Rik is now living with her, which causes problems. The case is intriguing & there are twists & turns as well as suspects not telling the truth. I was kept guessing as to who the killer was, which is always a bonus. An intriguing read
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I loved this book, this is actually the first in the series of these books that I have read despite this being book number 5!

I like our main character Siv and love the fact that we have some major personal family drama on the side! She seems to play it tough both at work and with the family but there does seem to be a softer side to her too.

As for the murder storyline itself - there were several people that could have done it and I loved the fact that everyone seemed to have something to hide, with some characters being written as 'more dodgy' than others it was brilliant and kept me guessing as the story unfolded and the secrets came out.

A fabulous read that I couldn't put down!

series, local-law-enforcement, procedural, murder-investigation, small-town, small-business, working-partners, secrets, lies, suspense, intrigue*****

What a truly remarkable investigation and ride to the conclusion. Clear and relatable characters, wild crazy twists and mind bending red herrings! Fantastic read!
I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Absolutely fantastic read.
Siv Drummond book five.
Angus Fraser birthday party and Jem Calloway is just about to tell Ali a concern he has for his neighbour when his taxi arrives. The next morning he finds her murdered in his studio premises at the craft centre. Siv thinks he hiding something from them. Luanna Forbes was stabbed for a reason that ended her life it's now up to Siv to dig deep into the reason why.

Another fantastic read that you wont be abled to put down from this brilliant legendary author

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Murder in the Studio, the fifth novel to feature DI Siv Drummond, set in the fictional Sussex town of Berminster.

Luanna Forbes is murdered in the studio next door to her own in an upmarket arts and crafts centre. The studio where she is found is rented by artist Jem Calloway, who coincidentally or not wanted to talk to Siv’s sergeant, DS Ali Carlin, about Lu at a drunken party the night before. Circumstances intervened and today he is denying all knowledge of the murder and Lu’s strange behaviour.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in the Studio, which is a great puzzle with some pleasant characters and a welter of secrets waiting to be discovered. It is a straightforward police procedural with Siv and Ali interviewing all potential suspects and witnesses, even some with only a peripheral connection to the victim. It would appear that she is a secretive, perhaps selfish woman with outspoken views and little restraint in airing them, and yet she is well liked and a good businesswoman. So where does the motive lie? Siv and Ali have to work hard to find out and it still came as a surprise to me. Obviously I wasn’t working hard enough.

I like Siv and Ali. He is the more straightforward with a happy marriage and a sweet tooth, not an ideal match with his diabetes. His constant calculations about how much he can eat is refreshingly normal and his rationalisations all too recognisable. Siv’s situation is more complicated. She’s an unexpected widow and returned to Berminster for comfort and a slower pace of life, but unfortunately her dysfunctional family has followed. She’s caught in the middle between her narcissistic mother and volatile, unpredictable sister. To make matters worse her mother is living with her boss and he’s not shy about bringing family matters to work. It’s so awful it makes me laugh.

Murder in the Studio is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.