The story starts off at a good pace with Detective Inspector Ben Taylor driving home in a violent storm and accidentally hitting Milla Graham with his car. Refusing hospital treatment she accepts Ben’s offer and stays the night at his cottage. By morning though she has gone with little explanation of who she is. Next day a body is found in an abandoned manor house. The victim resembles Milla and also has her ID and credit cards. It’s down to Ben to solve the murder, unwrap the mysteries surrounding Milla’s identity and the murder of her mother 18 years earlier whilst also trying to save his own career. This has all the ingredients of an intriguing mystery.

The main characters and their relationships are fun and quirky. The extended Graham family is large and quite complex. I had to keep a note of who was who and had to draw a family tree to try to make sense of it. On occasions the family relationships were a bit confusing and difficult to interpret which detracted from the storyline to some extent.

Overall, there is a nice balance of drama, intrigue and romance with some unexpected twists throughout. This story held my attention and I am looking forward to book number two.

This book starts out with a bang within the first couple pages and had me hooked from the beginning. It was a little hard for me to follow the back and forth between who Milla was, but I think that was by design! I honestly had no idea if Milla was telling the truth about who she was or if she was just trying to capitalize off of the Graham family. There are a lot of secrets that are uncovered about the family, so it does have elements of family drama. I also see that this is the first book in the series, so I imagine it will be fun to see where the story takes Ben and the rest of the police force, as they investigate crimes in the quaint village of Raven’s Edge.

Milla returned to Raven’s Edge to find out who had killed her mother. She had been raised to believe she was Kiran Graham, but she insisted that she was Camilla Graham. Was she Kiran or Milla? Had her father killed her mother? He spent time in prison, but always claimed he was innocent. Only policeman Ben Taylor appeared to be totally trustworthy. As soon as I thought I knew who was telling the truth, things would twist around and I found myself unsure once again.

The story held my attention well, never knowing what twist would come next.

The characters were well written, with complicated relationships with one another. I did have trouble latching onto Kiran/Milla as a sympathetic character, since she was difficult to believe. That made Ben’s attraction to her challenging for me, since he was clearly honest and straightforward. With those caveats, I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys puzzling plots and suspense.

Police officer Ben becomes entangled in Milla’s case, a woman accused of murder and trying to solve her past.
My thoughts
The book opened like a dark, twisted fairytale coming to life, complete with a mysterious stranger turning up. I loved all the fairytale themes which connected back to the original murder and the central characters lives.
Raven’s Edge is a real cottagecore setting with quaint thatched roofed shops, a big posh house and the cutely named Rose Cottage – it was giving me all the Midsomer Murders vibes.
Police officer Ben is a very likable character who is willing to see the best in people and wears his heart on his sleeve. The plot really got going for me when the relationship between him and Milla started to develop and they began investigating together. I was quickly drawn into Milla’s story with her dark past which was rather intriguing. She investigated better than the police and they were inept at tracking her down.
While the police came up with many theories, they didn’t find a lot of clues. The murders tied in with the overall fairytale theme and whilst chilling, some of the motivations could have been a bit more explained. Also, I was left wondering what happened to Ravi. Maybe he’ll come back in book two.
I would read a sequel of this book to see where the characters storyline goes. The sequel Murder at Ravenswood House also comes out on the 7th of May. Whilst I received an advanced reader copy of this book, this review is left entirely voluntarily and all opinions in it are my own. 3.5 stars

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

This is the first in a series and I really enjoyed it. There were lots of twists and turns and many red herrings which made working out whodunnit rather hard. It was also not easy to distinguish between the characters which meant lots of reading back to find out who was who.

It was well written and involved a character going back to a childhood home with lots of secrets and mysteries.

Now to read book 2

A really enjoyable mystery which I thought was a cut above the average, although I must admit I was totally confused most of the time! Who was Milla really and who actually set the fire in the first place?

The plot was fast paced and I found Ben to be a very sympathetic character. Milla was obviously a liar and a thief but was still very charming and an excellent main character. I was wishing the whole way through that the two of them could hook up and make a second book. I was delighted to discover that such a book exists and I am off to find it right now. Five stars.

Who doesn't love a good cozy mystery?? Louise Marley has a home run with Murder at Raven's Edge. I loved every page and couldn't put it down.

Ooh I really enjoyed this, I love an unreliable protagonist. Great characters and some scary moments mixed with a little humour and a very good plot. Can’t wait for the next one.

When Milla Graham returns to her childhood home of Raven's Edge after eighteen long years away, nothing has really changed. Her visit takes a dark turn when the body of a local woman is discovered in an abandoned manor house on the edge of the forest. The murder scene is chillingly close to that of Milla’s own mother, whose death was never solved. As she begins to investigate the connection, Milla realises this adorable village is guarding some dark secrets. Handsome, grumpy local policeman Ben Taylor doesn't believe in coincidences, and he doesn’t think mysterious newcomer Milla Graham is as innocent as she seems. Then another body is found
A new series & a new author to me. A well written book with strong characters & a story that starts slowly but the pace gradually increases. I found the characters hard to relate to in the beginning & also found the Graham family hard to remember how everyone was related & to begin with I nearly left the book unfinished but as it a book I received form NetGalley I felt I should complete it & I’m glad I did. The more I read the more engrossed I became. There were so many secrets & the Graham family was drowning in them. There were twists & turns & the denouement was surprising. There were unanswered questions & hope they will be answered as the series continues

Detective Ben Taylor was on his way home from London, driving through the storm as he neared his home. It was difficult to see, he was beyond tired, and when suddenly there was something in the middle of the road, he swerved violently, ramming his car into a tree. The woman was alright, but furious and wet. Why was she walking in the dark and rain, and in the middle of a road? Milla Graham told Ben her story, but he wasn't sure whether to believe her or not.

Milla was home in Raven's Edge to find the murderer of her mother. It was eighteen years since she'd been in the village, but she was determined. But another woman was murdered in a style similar to Milla's mother and Ben and his team were struggling to find evidence. Ben was a loner, working through his thoughts and ideas - frustration by Harriot, his sergeant, was high. Ben had faith in Milla, but he was the only one who did. Was she the murderer?

Murder at Raven's Edge is the 1st in An English Village Mystery series by Louise Marley and it was too busy! Too many characters; too much going on. I had trouble keeping up with it all. The most endearing character was Sophie and we didn't see a lot of her. Plus the aloof Binx!

With thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The first adventures of Ben, Milla and Harriet in what promises to become a lovely series of books. Louise Marley loved fairy tales and gains inspiration from these and her love of film stars such as Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in the film 'Bringing up Baby' as influences in this book. A beautifully written book that tenderly deals with its gruesome plot. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Storm Publishing, for letting me read and review an advanced copy of this book, ‘Murder at Raven’s Edge’ by Louise Marley.

Policeman Ben Taylor doesn’t think his life could be any worse. He was supposed to be bringing home his daughter for a visit, instead he is driving, alone, in a rainstorm, after another argument with his ex-wife. That is when he, literally, runs into Milla Graham, which starts a relationship with a woman trying to discover the truth about her past.

When he is called out to the scene of a murder the next morning, Milla’s past life becomes enmeshed in his investigation. While frustrating his partner, DSHarriet March, Ben goes rogue, mainly because of his interest in Milla. Untangling the dark past of Milla’s family is the key to solving the mystery, but it is no easy task.

This book had interesting characters, a twisted plot, and plenty of intrigue. By the end, everyone has faced some danger and threat.

Was not overly impressed.

Story was a bit confusing. I couldn't keep the FMC family tree straight.

The inspector was kind of blah.

The mystery was decent but felt a bit drawn out.

Murder at Raven's Edge
by Louise Marley
Pub Date: May 07 2024

Murder at Raven"s Edge is the first book in An English Village Mystery series. It is a mystery within a mystery. The plots are complicated with many tangled twists and turns which moved at a good pace with a lot of well done red herrings!

I enjoyed this book and highly recommend the second book, Murder at Ravenswood House.

Synopsis: When Milla Graham returns to her childhood home of Raven's Edge after eighteen long years away, she finds the perfect English village looks much the same – all rose-covered cottages, nosy neighbours, and chintzy teashops full of scones and gossip. But her nostalgic visit takes a dark turn when the body of a local woman is discovered in an abandoned manor house on the edge of the forest. The murder scene is chillingly close to that of Milla’s own mother, whose death was never solved. As she begins to investigate the connection, Milla realizes this adorable village is guarding some dark secrets.

Many thanks to #MurderatRavensEdge #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for an E-ARC of this book.

This is atmospheric, twisty and dark! Milla Graham returns to the village that she left eighteen years previously when she was a young girl. She wants answers as to what happened all those years ago when her mother died. Initially she finds that nothing much has changed in the quaint village then things take a sinister turn when the body of a local woman is found in the ruins of an abandoned Manor House on the edge of the village. Milla starts to try and investigate the murder herself as it’s chilling similar to her own mother’s death. Ben Taylor is the policeman in charge of the case and he is suspicious of how similar the two deaths are. He is also distracted by Milla. This is a real page turner that has some comical moments as well as references to some fairy tales. I found this unputdownable and it kept me guessing right to the end.I loved how as the book progresses you find out how everyone is connected and the way the characters, locations and buildings were described made them very easy to visualise. Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC

Murder And A Gothic Tale

When Milla Graham returns to her childhood home in Ravens Edge after being away for 18 years her life takes a dark turn after a body is discovered of a woman who is found at the edge of the forest in an abandoned manor house. The murder scene is chillingly close to that of her mother who death has never been solved.
The story is more complicated by Ben Taylor the detective in charge of the murder after he had picked Milla up the night of her arrival after hitting her with his car as she was walking in the dark in the pouring rain. Ben takes her home due to flooding on the roads that night after Milla grabs the steering wheel and the car ends up in a ditch by Ben's home.
Ben does not believe in coincidences when Millies's bag and I.D. turn up at the murder scene so when he catches up with Milla at her flat and she runs away Ben is sure Milla is not as blameless as she tries to Petray.
The author finds the right kind of tone for the story. The isolation complete with the drafty old mansion on the edge of the woods is a fitting setting for a murder and a gothic tale. Sadly, I got bored with all the fairy tales the author kept repeating throughout the book it was more like a teenager's book so hence the 2 stars Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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

I love a good murder mystery and this falls into that category brilliantly. The beginning is just fab and has you page turning to find out what happens. There are secrets, old and new, and so much going on from the start that you can’t put it down. I loved Ben and Milla, what a great double act they made. And who can hate Harriet with her no-nonsense attitude towards Ben, trying and failing to keep him out of trouble.

There is so much going on in this book all the way through, and your mind is changed more than once as to who the murderer is. The family history is intriguing too, who is telling the truth. I really enjoyed this one and can’t wait to get stuck into the next one, review for that coming soon!

This story was really good with lots of history on the characters and plenty of unexpected twists, I’m excited to see what happens in the next book.

This was an amazing book. I highly recommend it to everyone. Great characters and a great plot. I will be looking for more books by this author. The book is superbly written. Lots of twists, turns and shocking turns of events. Quickly becoming a go to author for me!!!! If you love to read a book and be shocked by the ending then check out this author for sure. You will love this book and this author. Very enjoyable and I highly recommend this book

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Murder at Raven's Edge by Louise Marley is a dual-POV contemporary murder mystery with some flashbacks. Ben, a British member of law enforcement and a divorced dad, comes across Milla Graham, a young woman making her way to Raven's Edge to get some closure for her past. Milla and Ben are attracted to each other, but when another young woman who looks a lot like Milla with an idea claiming the same identity is found dead, they have more than seeing each other again to worry about.

Between the two, I really gravitated towards Milla’s chapters. Milla is half-Indian half-British and has spent much of her life under several identities. A lot of her POV is peeling back the layers of the story to who Milla was and how that made her into the woman she is now and how she's connected to Raven's Edge and the murder victim, Amita. The Graham family has power, money, and secrets of their own that Milla threats to upheave by coming to town.

The use of Alice in Wonderland, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and Red Riding Hood were darker takes on the classics. Amita was found dressed up in a gown identical to an illustration of Sleeping Beauty drawn by a member of the Graham family. Alice in Wonderland comes up often without feeling contrived.

Ben thinks about Milla quite a bit as the murder investigation goes on. From concerned that she was killed to questioning whether or not she's involved, Milla is always on the back of his mind in both professional and personal capacities. He doesn't fetishize her darker skin tone or her features but remarks that she is quite beautiful.

I would recommend this to fans of dual-POV mysteries with a strong romantic subplot, readers looking for male main characters in the MST space who are divorced fathers and their children are not forgotten by the narrative, and those drawn to mysteries in the English countryside that are not cozy