A hospital for soldiers injured in the Great War
Is closing soon, it isn't needed any more.
With only five patients, a doctor and a nurse,
But is the place under a curse?

A nurse was murdered, no killer found,
Now all sorts of rumours are going around.
When more deaths occur, the tension mounts
With so few left, each one of them counts!

A historical murder mystery with a serial killer
But events in the hospital are a real chiller.
Sister Helen Hopgood is determined but can she survive
And keep the remaining patients and herself alive?

A tense read with plenty of twists, too,
To keep you guessing the killer is - who?
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Maisie Dobbs meets The Woman in Black in this spooky, unsettling and nail-biting historical mystery by Michelle Salter: Murder at Merewood Hospital.

In 1916, Sister Helen Hopgood and her team were sent to Merewood Farm in Hampshire to care for wounded soldiers in a makeshift military hospital. The war is now finally over and Helen is the only nurse left caring for the remaining five patients. With the last ward having to close, Helen is working as hard as she possibly can to find new homes for the servicemen who had nearly given their lives for king and country.

Joseph Wintringham had nearly lost Merewood Manor. It was only by selling the farm that he had managed to keep the stately home, but it’s been anything but easy. Since the murder of a nurse, locals believe that the place is haunted and with the many unexplained deaths of soldiers from their injuries, the village grapevine continues to go into overdrive with many believing that the whole place is cursed. Is this just mere conjecture? Did those soldiers die because of their wounds? Or because of something even more sinister?

Helen must work hard to uncover the truth – even though she fears that it might already be far too late…

Michelle Salter’s Murder at Merewood Hospital is a heart-jumping yarn that will make the hairs on the book of your neck stand on end. Taut, tense and totally terrifying, Murder at Merewood Hospital is a creepy and menacing mystery best read in broad daylight with the doors and windows tightly bolted.

Sure to delight thriller and historical fiction aficionados alike, Murder at Merewood Hospital is the unmissable new novel by Michelle Salter.

June 1919. Merewood Farm Hospital has been reduced to two medical staff and five parients. A year has passed since the murder of a nurse. Now there is suspicious death, and pranks to contend with. Superintendent Townsend investigates. But how many more deaths will there be.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of varied personalities.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of the author’s ’Iris Woodmore’ series I was very keen to read this stand-alone novel and it did not disappoint! It was rich in historical details and educational on the after-effects of the war on the soldiers and also the nurses that were on the battlefields as well. An examination of both the physical and mental effects and how these were dealt with in a hospital setting.

Nurse Helen Hopgood is the last nurse at Merewood Hospital and along with the doctor is in charge of a handful of patients, as the hospital is about to close. The owners of nearby Merewood Manor are needing the sell the building the hospital has been housed in during the war. Sadly, the year before a young nurse was found dead in the nearby woods in suspicious circumstances and the crime was never solved. When one of the patients is found drowned in the lake on the estate, Helen wonders whether it is related the the murder last year.

Michelle manages to create nuanced and well-balanced characters. I might not have found them likeable, although I warmed more to Helen as the story progressed. The mystery aspect of the story was interesting and held my attention and I certainly didn't work it all out. The author manages to create suspicion and the differing POVs mean that you are kept guessing all the way through.

Let me know if you pick this one up!

I thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy of “Murder at Merewood Hospital.” All opinions and comments are my own.

The patients are dropping dead like flies at quiet Merewood Hospital in Michelle Salter’s latest historical mystery, set in the years following World War I. The rehabilitation hospital, staffed by Dr Samuel Bingham and Sister Helen Hopgood is due to close, its few inhabitants shipped off to other places. The place already has a history; a murdered nurse, dead a year past. But who’s done these new murders? That’s the dilemma, and there’s plenty of suspects for readers to sort through.

There’s a lot of explanation of the patients and the reason for their still being in the hospital. And subtle hints as to how some of it is related to the death of the young nurse. Characters from the nearby manor house figure strongly in the story. Dr Bingham wants to buy the hospital and run it as a sanitarium, and folks aren’t too happy about that. But time has run out for Merewood Hospital, just as it has for a killer. And lives, past, present, and future, are shattered.

I found “Murder at Merewood Hospital” to be a competent mystery, although it didn’t catch that much of my imagination. The main character, Helen Hopgood, is rather a cold fish, rather one dimensional, and those around her don’t fare much better. I did appreciate the details author Michelle Salter used to bring attention to the effects of the war on the mind and body of the patients. The story is the better for that.

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

We all like a psychological thriller/mystery, and this is a great one. Kept me guessing most of the way through and making me change my mind several times too.

Helen is a nurse in a country hospital after the war tending to 5 soldiers still there. The farm the hospital is based in is being sold, and Helen is trying to find new homes for the guys left. Then the curse strikes.

As the characters diminish through murder and new homes, Helen is drawn into the hunt for the culprit and does her best to save the men. I read most of this in one day, really easy to read and kept me gripped throughout. I’ve read books by Michelle before and always devour them, can’t wait for more.

IN 1919 England, most of the wealthy homes that were taken over for injured WWI servicemen were closing down. In fact, Merewood is reverting back to a building on the estate…it only has 5 patients, one doctor and one nurse in residence and the Red Cross wants all its supplies back. When it had been a large, fully staffed hospital, a terrible tragedy occurred when a pretty, young nurse was found murder and the crime was never solved. The remaining doctor has delussional dreams of buying the property to establish his own private clinic where he believes he will be able to cure former servicemen’s of “war psychosis” (PTSD) in its bucolic setting. He also has his sights set on the remaining nurse as his clinic partner and wife. Close to the one year anniversary of the nurse’s murder, strange things start to happen and when they do, one of the five remaining patients dies. The local police confirm that, like the nurse, these men were murdered for apparently no reason. Everyone is a suspect, and most of the main characters have something to hide. Is Merewood Hospital cursed? Have the spirit of the murdered nurse come back to seek revenge on her killer? An atmospheric and well told who-dunnit, I couldn’t put it down.

I really enjoyed this historical mystery. I haven't read anything to my knowledge from this author before so didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. I was gripped

Murder at Merewood Hospital (ARC)
Michelle Salter
4.25⭐️

Pub Date: 1/13/2024

This book was very interesting. I do love historical fiction and even though I'm not a huge fan of war and post-war plots, this actually kept me engrossed the whole time. It didn't linger on the war itself, rather, it focused on the medical/recovery of the soldiers and the current mystery. The writing style is not complicated and it's easily follow-able. The "threats" scattered around were very misleading and engaging. I was thrown into several theories about what really happened, or if it's even an actual murder or potentially suicide. A lot of the characters had motive. This book had twists x however many characters there are! I thought everybody was a suspect at one point. I did not expect how it ended. This book was a surprisingly good read for me!

I really wanted to like this mystery set in WWI England, in an emptying manor turned hospital. I like the author’s other series and generally like books set in that time period. I just couldn’t quite get into the characters, and the dialogue felt forced and awkward at times. I will also confess that I read novels partly as an escape so like things resolved at the end, even if the book forms part of a series. I felt that so many elements of the main characters’ lives were unresolved that I just didn’t get that sense of satisfaction from the end of the story. That said, all of these elements are subjective and this may be an ideal read for others. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the historical mystery elements to this novel, it had a great overall story and I enjoyed getting to know Sister Helen Hopgood. Each character worked in this story and I was invested in the mystery going throughout this book. Michelle Salter has a great style for the mystery genre and I wanted to solve the case with them.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in turn for my honest opinion.

I had not read any other books by this author , however the blurb said it was a standalone book and the ending certainly tied up all the loose ends but I suppose there is always a way to re-open a theme.

I would hardly describe this as a cozy mystery - it had some very dark themes being set in post WW1 England on a farm turned into a hospital. The patients had some physical injuries but also 'war neuroses'
There were only 5 patients, one nurse and a doctor and the book explored the patient's treatments, how the hospital might close or could there be another outcome?

It was well written and well researched but for me, there was one murder too many. The final one - and it made no difference whoever it might have been, seemed unnecessary to me.

I had worked out who the perpetrator was - and like all books of this genre there were wrongful arrests and accusations before the culprit was found
But there was a twist at the end - I had wondered what this unstable character might have got up to.

All in all a great change from the historical fiction sagas I often read.
A great book

Murder at Merewood Hospital was a change of pace for me as I haven’t read a murder mystery in awhile. I enjoyed the story and was left guessing about the ending until the very end of the novel. There were numerous plot twists which made guessing what would happen next confusing at times. I would be interested in reading more by the author.

Merewood Farm was turned into a military hospital during the First World War. Now the war is over but five patients, one doctor and one nurse remain. Time is running out and Sister Helen is determined to find safe havens for her remaining souls. However everyone doesn’t see it quite the way she does.

Dr Bingham wants the farm himself. He wants to convert it into a clinic and sees Helen as an ideal partner. There are others also interested and the owners want to just sell it. Undercurrents galore, relationships real and imagined, but those are trivial against the body count, the cruel pranks and the very twisted, clever mind of a manipulative person.

Very much a page turner, because very obvious suspects have to be discarded when a more suspicious one starts appearing on the scene.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: A darkish cozy mystery

1916, Merwood Farm, Hampshire
Sister Helen Hopgood is a nurse at the temporary military hospital at the Merwood Farm. It has only a handful of patients left after the rush of the war.
The owner, Joseph Wintringham, wants to sell the farm but can’t find buyers due to the rumors that the place has been cursed. Some time ago, a beautiful young nurse, Isabel Taplin, was murdered. No one knows who the killer is. Rumors say that her ghost is haunting the place. With more deaths occurring, it’s up to Helen to find the killer(s).
The story comes in the third-person POV of Helen, Dr Samuel, and Richard.

My Thoughts:
I wanted to try this since I enjoy the author’s Iris Woodmore Series. Right now, this book is a standalone. I’d prefer it that way since the ending suits the book (though the publishers might turn it into a series).
Set after WWI, the book deals with the aftermath of war and what it did to the soldiers. The make-shift hospital has only a few patients who have almost recovered physically but have psychological scars.
The setting (based on a real place, as mentioned in the author’s note) is bleak, grim, and part sinister. Though we get some lovely descriptions of the moon, lake, and birds, it’s hard to shrug off the dark tone. However, this suits the plot.
The characters are flawed and hard to like in some cases. It took me a while to warm up to Helen despite being impressed by her efficiency. In the end, I was more than happy to support her decision, so she won me over.
The mystery is solid. It has many twists- some predictable, some not. But they make sense in the bigger picture. I didn’t fully figure out the killer(s), so that’s good too. And for a change, the superintendent in charge of the cases is quite sharp and competent. I wouldn’t say Helen is the main sleuth. Others also contribute and make it a team effort.
The book also deals with themes like obsession (different types), PTSD, trauma, anger, secrets, dysfunctional family, financial troubles, rumors, superstition, etc. My favorite is the various types of obsession the characters display and the extent to which they go to achieve what they want.
The pacing is a bit uneven, though. The first quarter is slow, and there isn’t much to like about those we encounter. Also, given the multiple POVs, we don’t really know any of the characters. While it helps maintain the suspense, it’s hard to root for any of them.
There’s a minor love track and a touch of what could have been a triangle without all the angst and drama. The focus stays on the mystery most of the time.

To summarize, Murder at Merewood Hospital is a worthy read if you are looking for a post-WWI cozy mystery with some intriguing themes. It is a bit heavy and may not be appropriate if you want a light and humorous read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #MurderAtMerewoodHospital

With the great war over, Sister Helen Hopgood faces a new peril at Merewood Farm. Now the sole nurse, she works tirelessly to find new homes for the remaining patients as the farm must be sold. Cruel pranks and death encourage the local superstition that the place is cursed. As Helen grapples with whether the hospital is haunted or if someone is behind the mysterious deaths, she races to uncover the truth before it's too late.

This was a suspenseful read. The author does a phenomenal job of keeping the tension high. Even with Helen developing feelings for two different men, she is never sure whether they can be trusted or if they have something to do with what is going on. The narrative jumps from person to person, so the reader is left unsure which one they can trust.

This is both a benefit and a detriment. On the one hand, it keeps the suspense active. But it also means that I never felt like I knew any of the characters. So by the end, I wasn’t hoping for any one person to be innocent and to survive. I didn’t trust any of them.

Still, it kept me interested, and I didn’t have it solved before it ended. I would recommend this to readers looking for a murder mystery.

cottage-hospital, post-WW1, veterans, historical-fiction, historical-novel, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, cold-case, social-changes, amateur-sleuth, friendship, friends, rehabilitation, relatives, relationships, disability, discord, Hampshire, local-law-enforcement, curse, multiple-murder, investigations, secrets, lies, red-herrings, rivalry, closed-circle-mystery****

A nurse was murdered in the woods near the veterans' hospital a year ago. A skeleton was dressed and sitting in the bathtub of the only remaining nurse in the declining time of the cottage hospital,
Nursing sister Helen Hopgood. Then a roue of a patient was found in the pond. Now the police were involved despite the likelihood there was no foul play. But when another one was found with wrists cut in a suspicious manner, all bets were off. This is either a standalone or the beginning of a new series. Either way it is a good read.
I requested and received an EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I thoroughly enjoy the Iris Woodmore series by the same author, so was intrigued when I was told she was releasing a standalone book, especially when I saw the premise, as it looked (judging by the cover design) to be slightly darker in tone. One of the things I love about the Iris Woodmore books is that they don't shy away from the realities of life in post WW1 Britain and the aftermath of that conflict: I wanted to see what the author would make of this, without the usual constraints of the cosy crime genre.

By the end of the book, with the list of possible suspects inevitably running out, I'd worked out what had happened and why, but as this was mere pages before the truth was revealed, a) I couldn't be too smug and b) it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

However, just as I thought I'd worked out how everything was going to be resolved, the author threw a final curveball in. Initially, I wasn't sure I liked how the book ended, but having reflected on it, I came to the conclusion that it was absolutely the right way to resolve matters. It also meant that the one aspect of the book that I realised had been niggling at me all the time I was reading it, had - as a result of that ending - become a non-issue, which confirmed that the conclusion of Helen's story was spot on. (I apologise for being particularly vague on this point, but to explain why the ending was so satisfying, would necessitate including huge spoilers!)

In terms of style, this book reminded me very much of Jacqueline Winspear's excellent 'Maisie Dobbs' series and the comparison is by way of a compliment. In the same way that I have continued to be a loyal reader of the Maisie books, were Michelle Salter to decide to bring Helen Hopgood back for a series, I would be first in the queue to read them.

The war is over and Helen Hopgood works as a nurse at a small farm turned hospital, only five patients are left and she’s the only nurse. Most patients are ready to leave and the hospital is packing up, Sister Hopgood is more than a nurse and tries to help the patients move forward.

Hanging over the farm is the death of a nurse a year prior and as it happens, tragedy strikes again. Is the place haunted?

The small farm turned hospital for the war is a perfect setting for a murder mystery, and of course there’s a manor nearby. Plenty of suspects and twists and turns until the last chapter.

Did I solve it? No.

There’s multipul POV

I’ve been thinking of picking up Michelle Salter’s Iris Woodmore Mystery series but never got around to it so when I saw this on Netgalley it was perfect timing. Going to give the Iris Woodmore books a try now as well.

The book is set in an England still managing the aftermath of World War 1 on its young soldiers and how to manage not just the physical but psychological injuries. Helen Hopwood is the dedicated nurse trying to help the last few patients from Merewood back into a more normal life. But the men, the owners’ family, and the staff at Merewood Hospital are still coping with the murder of a popular young nurse and strange things start to happen ending in murder- derailing her plans.

Helen is a strong, independent woman ahead of her times and I loved her character, she carries the story with her strong personality. She tries to solve the underlying mysteries as well help the patients under her care as well as deal with men who have suddenly become interested in her.

I love a cosy crime book that has plenty of suspects and motives and this book doesn’t’ disappoint. The ultimate reveal of who did it and why took me completely by surprise. Merewood Hospital lurks in the background overshadowing everyone’s motive.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion