"Murder at the Brightwell" reminds me of novels from the Golden Age of mystery. The characters are interesting and described in a way that makes them come alive to the reader. The main premise is a classic one: a group of people are on holiday at a seaside resort. One of them is murdered. The question is "Who is the murderer?" I enjoyed the interweaving of the different plot lines and how the personalities of the potential murderers are revealed. I also appreciated the subtle interplay between Amory, the main character and amateur sleuth, and her estranged husband Milo. The seaside setting adds drama to the plot.

I received this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver. In this cozy mystery, Amory Ames, is a wealthy young woman with what appears to be a philandering husband, Milo. Milo is frequently traveling, and stories circulate about his exploits. Amory is tired of it. She desperately loves her husband but is tired of him traveling and not paying attention to her. As the book opens, Milo has just returned home but Amory is not feeling very welcoming. Then a surprise guest comes to the door. It is Gil, the man Amory was engaged to when she met the dashing Milo. She feels bad about how she treated Gil. Gil has come to see her to ask if she would go to the Brightwell Hotel with him to join a group of friends. Part of the group is his sister, Emmeline and the man she is crazy about, Rupert Howe. Gil thinks that Amory can convince Emmeline that she should dump Rupert because of her experience with Milo. While there are some warning bells that this is not a good idea, Amory decides to go not as much to be of help and to get away from Milo. She finds that when she gets to the hotel that perhaps this was not a good idea because everyone thinks that she is back with Gil. She does try and talk to Emmeline but she can see that Emmeline is so taken with Rupert that she doesn’t think that she will be able to dissuade her.

And then there is a murder. And Milo arrives at the hotel. Why? And who committed murder?

Overall, it was not a bad story. This book is the first in a series of 5 Amory Ames mysteries. I would read the rest. Here is the part that I don’t understand – this book was given to me as an ARC (advanced reader copy) but it came out in 2014. Not exactly an advanced reader copy when the book has been out for 5-6 years and there are 4 books in the series that came out after this one. So, I am a bit befuddled by this and slightly irritated that I didn’t notice this. BUT overall, I think that if you are looking for an English mystery, this would be a good choice.

“Murder at the Brightwell” is an enjoyable, cozy whodunnit reminiscent of classic 1930s mystery books.

Amory Ames regrets marrying her playboy husband, Milo, and wonders how her life would have turned out if she’d married her ex-fiancé instead. When that same ex-fiancé and longtime friend, Gil, turns up after five years asking for her help in a delicate matter, Amory feels she can’t refuse.

She accompanies him to a seaside hotel for a party with several others, allowing the gossips to assume that she has left her husband and returned to Gil in an attempt to convince Gil’s younger sister, Emmeline, of the dangers of marrying in haste. Things get even more complicated when Emmeline’s fiancé is murdered, placing Gil as prime suspect.

When Amory’s husband, Milo, shows up at the Brightwell Hotel, Amory has to try to put her confusion aside and join forces with her husband to help solve the mystery.

This was a fun book full of charming characters and witty banter. The cast of characters and 1930s seaside setting were perfect for fans of Agatha Christie. The sleuthing couple reminded me of Nick and Nora Charles, or Tommy and Tuppence. It was a delightful read and I’m looking forward to the others in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

What an enjoyable book! This is the first book I've read by Ashley Weaver and I have to say I really liked it. The characters were likable and fun to get to know. I enjoyed reading a story in an older setting, 1930s in this case, and enjoying all the formal speech patters or the well-to-do of that era. It's great beach-reading. Nothing too involved or taxing, so it's a terrific story to read in between other, more intense books, I'd say!

The mystery itself was well-written for the most part but was conveniently closed at the end, meaning not much suspense. (Great if you don't want to be stressed out by the story itself such as in darker mysteries) Sure 1-2 of the characters were thought to be guilty for a while, but it had a clean closure at the end which made me think "Ok - that's over. Let's retire to the sitting room, shall we?". The end of the story could have had more depth to it..

I'm not sure what to make of the rocky relationship between our protagonist, Amory, and her husband, Milo. I like them both, but can definitely feel the strain of the relationship. We'll have to see how this progresses in future books. Her character though was fun and smart and considerate - all great qualities. I wish she didn't question herself so much when it comes to her husband - part of why I don't really know what to make of it. (Says I, the single person!)

If you're looking for something light that doesn't require too much thinking, I recommend this book. It's a great vacation book when your goal is to relax. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure what I think about this novel. I did enjoy reading it. It kept my interest throughout. But in the end, I was quite disappointed by the wrap-up.

What I liked the most, and what kept me reading was – more than the mystery – the relationship between Amory and her husband Milo.
The two find themselves in a profound crisis after being married for five years. Milo seems to have lost all interests in his wife and leads a life of amusement alone around the globe. Amory, though still in love, is embittered by his disinterest. When Gil, her former boyfriend, turns up asking her for help, things turn on their head.
The dynamic between Amory and Milo is fantastic, especially thank to Milo, who’s a complex character and one the reader, just like Amory, never know whether to trust. It’s obvious that there is alchemy between the two and that they seem to care about each other in spite of everything, but there is always also mistrust, especially on Amory’s part.
I did want to see them together again, still, when the story ended, a lot of questions remained unanswered, though it may be meant to. This is only the beginning of a series, after all. I enjoyed the evolution of the relationship a lot, but in the end, things seemed to settle a bit too nicely. For me, at least.

The mystery was a total mess. Amory asks questions around, but there never seem to be a strategy to her actions. As a reader, I never saw a design. Everything was very ramdom. And when the revelation came, I found it quite contrived and not really too logical. There were also a few red herring that were quite clumsily executed.
In truth, I found that the mystery was only there to spice up a romance, and the funny thing is that I don’t think the romance needed spicing since it was a lot stronger than the mystery.

The characters are a mixed bag. There are a lot of them, as it’s expected in a mystery, some are more interesting and complex than others. But they never created a community (of characters, I mean). They all seem to act independently from each other. Motives very seldom crossed or integrated. It was all very hazy, and in the end, I couldn’t tell everyone’s role or motive. Always unsatisfactory in a mystery, as far as I’m concerned.

So, it was a good read. I’m not at all sure it was a good mystery.

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver is the first book in Amory Ames mystery series.

Amory is a well to do, married woman of young age. Her marriage to Milo is not very happy as they barely spend any time together.
Her one time fiance Gil, comes to her for help for his sister Emmeline who is engaged to an unsuitable young man Rupert, and Gil hopes that Amory being an old friend of Emmeline's will manage to change her mind about her upcoming marriage. Amory immediately accepts to spend some time at the seaside with a party of friends and help Gil.
It soon becomes apparent that things are not what they seem, especially when Rupert ends up murdered.
To make matters even more complicated Amory's estranged husband shows up at the same hotel.
Battling her own problems and insecurities about her own marriage Amory also has to try and clear Gil's name after he is accused of murder.

Set in 1920 in the world of rich and privileged this is steady paced and easy to read historic cozy mystery.
It has a likable main protagonist, inquisitive and intelligent young woman whose sidekick in solving murder is her charming and infuriating husband. Their chemistry is undeniable and it is sizzling hot when they are together.
Both main and side characters are well developed and realistic. It is easy to get the feel of the setting and get into the story.
Many red herrings are well placed to confuse the reader while following clue that main protagonist finds out.

Really good start of a new series. Highly recommended.

This delightful historical murder mystery is a wonderful beginning to a series. Full of intriguing characters and set against the backdrop of the early 1930s, this novel truly is a great introduction to a new author.

This book took a while to get started, but I stuck with it and it picked up momentum after the first murder occurred. I listened to it partly as an audiobook, and the reader is really unfortunate in the way that she tries to mimic British accents. The cadence is completely off.

The mystery itself is interesting enough, but, as is usually the case with cozies like this, what's more interesting is the drama between characters. Most of the characters in Amory's circle at the hotel are forgettable, but the love triangle between Gil, Milo, and Amory is enjoyable. On her own, Amory is a likable character, and her persistence in investigating this case is delightfully annoying to the inspector assigned to it. The solution was a surprise, and it made sense. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.

DNF at 22%. It’s fine, just not for me. I didn’t like the marriage-in-trouble setup at all. I was irritated at how immature Amory would act sometimes and the lack of communication in the marriage.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. It was really well written and it just had you trying to solve the mystery. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

Murder at the Brightwell was overall a fun and engaging period murder mystery. Amory was a charming heroine, albeit one with plenty of romantic baggage and a proper British stiff upper lip about it. Her husband Milo is an utterly charming rogue, although I was frustrated that there weren’t more consequences for previous poor choices he’d made. Gil was sweet, a a good friend and a nice guy, with a slightly dark side, and a nice, gentle sister, Emmeline. Rupert Howe was a less charming scoundrel, and the rest of the cast slowly filled in the story. The police inspector was a surprisingly patient and very clever man (I guess he had to be patient with people as wealthy as he was dealing with?), who I liked a lot. Some of the other characters seem like they’re fully developed enough to be important, but never go anywhere. Others seem unimportant, and end up being pivotal to the story. They all kept me intrigued.

So I will certainly give this story credit for keeping me guessing as to whodunit until the very moment the killer was revealed. However, it wasn’t one of those frustrating resolutions that the reader would have had no way of guessing. When the killer was revealed, their identity made sense. It’s just that everyone else was so delightfully suspicious that I kept guessing and second guessing until the end.

The romantic tension between Amory and Gil and Amory and Milo was palpable and addictive. I knew who I was cheering for, but was on the edge of my seat about that until the end of the story too. I was a little disappointed in how the resolution happened–I felt like a lot of time was spent wrapping up all the loose ends, but yet not really leaving me satisfied. I especially didn’t feel like Amory’s rightful concerns about some issues were addressed, and were instead sort of shrugged off instead of dealt with.

Overall I enjoyed this story, though, and didn’t want to stop reading it. I plan to pick up additional books in the series and read them sooner or later, to see the further adventures of Amory and her chosen lover. The world Ashley Weaver has created is decadent and elegant, with an authentic feel to it, like Downton Abbey’s upstairs, with murder thrown into the mix. It is definitely fun and worth the read.

Love these books, they are so golden age of crime fiction, set in a world where the ladies all change their clothes at least 4 times a day (and look fabulous all the time), the men are dashing and the baddie is generally a bounder!What's not to like.

I have read all the books in the series and have enjoyed the writing style,, the repartee. But the never ending lack of confidence in Amory’s relationship with Milo has not moved forward. It is becoming inane. As this is the first it is a fun enjoyable mystery with a glimpse into the upper class of the thirties. Very enjoyable.

An old ex-fiancé asks for help to remove his sister from her fiancé.

Earlier this month I read A Dangerous Engagement (read my review), book 6 in the Amory Ames series, but I hadn't read any other books in the serious. Since I enjoyed it so I looked at Netgalley to see if there were any other books coming up from Ashley Weaver and I saw that book 1 in the series was available. I thought it was good to see how it all started, and I'm glad I did because it didn't start where I thought it did.

When I read A Dangerous Engagement, I assumed that the series started with Amory and Milo's wedding. But that is not when Murder at the Brightwell begins. In this first book, Amory and Milo have been married for 5 years, but from all appearances, it has mostly been a paper marriage.

We do get a bit of the backstory on Amory and Milo as jilted groom Gil shows up at Amory's country home to ask her help in persuading his sister that Robert Howe is not a good match. Milo has been away in Monte Carlo, and though he has just returned, Amory feels no guilt (okay maybe a bit) about packing herself off to the seaside hotel Brightwell. Deception is the name of the game during this holiday. More than one member of the holiday party has a secret.

Though there is mention of the economic turmoil plaguing the 1930s, life is still a rather gay event for those with money. Weaver highlights this with descriptions of the clothes, meals, walks on the beach, and dancing after dinner, yet there aren't any maids or valets. Though Amory has mentioned that her maid has recently left her employ and she hadn't taken the time to hire a new one.

Soon after she arrives at Brightwell and meets the other members of their holiday party, tragedy strikes. Robert Howe is found dead on the terrace at tea time. Of course, the prime suspect is Amory's ex-fiance Gil as he had come to the seaside with the expressed purpose to end the relationship between Robert and Emmaline. Amory uncovers more secrets than just who the murderer is.

If murder, and possible scandal, isn't enough for this tragic holiday, Milo shows up to provide more fodder for the gossip mill.

Except for Milo and Amory, none of the characters in Murder at the Brightwell appeared in book 6. Though the inspector and Gil were both mentioned. But that's okay as it still provides a good foundation of who Milo and Amory are.

The murder mystery is a good one and not one that is easily solved. I love the time period and the seaside provided a great backdrop. I'm not sure if I will read the other books in between book 1 and book 6 but I will keep my eye out for the next book in the series.

Published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2019/09/murder-at-brightwell-by-ashley-weaver.html

Murder at the Brightwell is a very well written novel. Thoroughly enjoyed reading

Description: Amory Ames, a wealthy young woman questioning her marriage to her notoriously charming playboy husband, Milo, is looking for a change. She accepts a request for help from her former fiancé, Gil Trent, not knowing that she’ll soon become embroiled in a murder investigation that will not only test her friendship with Gil, but also will upset the status quo with her husband. Amory accompanies Gil to the luxurious Brightwell Hotel in an attempt to circumvent the marriage of his sister, Emmeline, to Rupert Howe a disreputable ladies man. There is more than her happiness at stake, however, when Rupert is murdered and Gil is arrested for the crime. Matters are further complicated by Milo’s unexpected arrival, and as the line between friend and foe becomes less clear, Amory must decide where her heart lies and catch the killer before she, too, becomes a victim.

Historical mysteries are one of my favorites and this book did not disappoint. Based in the early 1930s, we see Amory Ames a socialite living a very unhappy life. Yearning for more, she accepts the invitation to the luxurious Brightwell Hotel from her ex-fiancé Gil. What ensues next is a murder mystery in which Amory must prove Gil is innocent. To make matters worse her husband shows up and complicates things for Amory.

Can she solve the murder before someone else gets hurt?

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. I definitely give this a 5 star!!!

This first book in the Amory Ames cozy series, which is set in 1930's England at a seaside hotel, has the feel of a "golden age" mystery, though it was published in 2014.

Interesting plot and a lead character, sleuth Amory Ames, is a person I would love to read more about. I'm not sure how many of the other characters, if any, will appear in future books, but they were well done.

If you enjoy reading a historical mystery about murder among the upper crust, and I do, this one's for you. In fact, I'm tracking down the other books in this enjoyable series in an effort to get caught up.

A fun read that I'd recommend to my cozy-loving friends!!

This novel was shortlisted for the Edgar Award for best first novel in 2015 and received critical acclaim. I found the premise fascinating and like to start with the beginning of a series. So I bring you the first in the Amory Ames mystery series set in the 1930s with a spunky heroine.

Amory Ames, hurting from her husband's neglect is developing a jaded view of life after a short time married. She thinks perhaps she should start living her life apart from Milo and takes this opportunity to not sit at home wondering when Milo will spend some time with her. She doesn't seek sympathy, rather she starts to live a little. Milo, the lackadaisical husband who can't seem to stop being the playboy is my least favorite character but at least he gets a smidgen jealous. Gil Trent, the former fiance has good and bad qualities and is the catalyst for Amory to re-evaluate her situation. Gil's sister, Emelline reminds Amory of her pre-married self as she is helplessly in love with a man who won't make her happy. Each of the characters, even Milo, are under suspicion at one point or another.

Bright and luxurious Brightwell made the mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "An Affair at Styles" only more stylish. It is an excellent setting and used to great effect. The pace keeps up between looking for a murderer and Amory's dealing with Milo and their complicated relationship. My interest was carried throughout to the end.

The climax has a deliciously tense killer reveal and the wrapup ties up threads while leaving just enough about Amory and Milo's situation to be continued in the next book "Death Wears a Mask".

There is wonderful sharp witty dialog, particularly between Amory and Milo. Amory is a well developed character that you can relate to on many levels. The running theme that money doesn't guarantee happiness is under the surface and simply demonstrated.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it, it had a good grip on me! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list.

I had bought this book quite a long time ago, mostly because I really like historical murder mysteries. At the time I bought it, it seemed as if it might be the same sort of thing as Rhys Bowen’s Lady Georgie series, which I very much enjoy. But somehow it slipped toward the bottom of my “to be read” list, and I only just now noticed it again when I was cleaning up some titles in my e-reader and the cover caught my attention again.

I’m very glad I noticed it again, and actually read it this time!

I found Murder at the Brightwell to be a fun, cozy period mystery. The book starts with the protagonist, Amory Ames, in a bit of a funk with her often-wandering husband, Milo Ames. Said funk prompts her to head off to the seaside Brightwell Hotel with her ex-fiancé, where, of course, a murder occurs. Also of course (!), her husband shows up and things get complicated, both on the investigation front and the relationship front.

Still, although all of this is rather predictable, it’s done with a big dose of humour (note the British spelling), a touch of tongue-in-cheek, a couple of plotlines that kept me reading, and a satisfying ending.

<<minor spoiler – skip to the next paragraph if you want to avoid>> My only issue with the book is that I’m not sure I would be quite as tolerant/forgiving of a wandering husband as Amory. But, there is some background provided to make this a little more believable, and in the end, it didn’t spoil the book. I’ll be interested to see how this goes in future books in the series, which I now intend to read.

I’m now looking forward to reading the next book in the series! Oh yeah, and it is very much the same sort of thing as Bowen’s Lady Georgie series, so if you like that series, you’ll probably like this series too…

NOTE: Please note that for me, four stars is a really good ranking. I reserve five stars for a very few absolute favorite books; probably no more than one in twenty or thirty books that I read gets a five star ranking. I like to leave a little room at the top!

What do I think of this book? Well I have to be honest I did quite enjoy this novel, it had a great deal of elements I love in a novel; like english people and their classy, elegant mannerisms. The author did a pretty good job with explaining the scenery and the place where the whole story took place, by the end of the novel I wanted to visit Brightwell Hotel.
As of the story, it wasnt bad, it was pretty light and enjoyable and as the name suggests theres a murder which happens in the start of the novel so obviously at times it felt dragged. Secondly I just didnt like the protagonist, I didnt hate her but she was a bit annoying, the way she felt she had to solve the mystery and then saw everyone as a suspect if they didnt exactly show surprise or shock or didnt fall to pieces was a bit irritating at times. She kept prying everyone for information and quickly became the detective's favourite too, so that was both a bit annoying and weird
I cant say I didnt like the twists and turns, I definitely did because everytime you thought you knew who the killer was, the writer would introduce another piece of information and you'd veer off course and start suspecting some one else. It was a tangled mess and you just couldnt guess who the writer will denounce as the killer. So I liked how I didnt know for certain who the killer was from the start which happens to me with alot of thriller novels.
I loved Gil Trent!! As much as I wanted to see him with someone else I knew that Gil didnt deserve someone like her (cant really reveal who that someone is) , he deserved someone better and XX ( the girl he does end up with) didn't have any character development so I wasnt satisfied that he ended up with her.

Amory was the kind of woman who couldnt decide what her feelings were for Milo and just couldnt let go of him. Milo wasnt anything close to an epitome of a husband but Amory would throw herself at him with a brush of his lips against hers, which is ironic because the last line of the novel is and I quote:" I am not like the silly girls in novels for whom rational thought flees at the first brush of the lovers' lips" ookaay Amory I think we've established that you're exactly that plus you actually confessed to it yourself a few pages back.
This novel is a perfect light read with romance, a tangled mess of a mystery which leaves you gripped, a love triangle and a treat for the hopeless romantics like me --- GILBERT TRENT!!!

I really liked this start to a new series and look forward to more of Amory’s adventures. The writing is superb and I love the era of the setting. There is a fantastic cast of characters.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.