Bodies and Battlements kicks off Elizabeth Penney’s new cozy mystery series with an atmospheric and thoroughly charming read. Set in a picturesque Yorkshire village, the story follows herbalist Nora Asquith as she launches a bed and breakfast inside her family’s historic Ravensea Castle. The excitement quickly turns to suspicion when a local opponent of the project, Hilda Dibble, is found dead in the castle’s knot garden—and Nora becomes the prime suspect.

Penney does a wonderful job blending cozy mystery staples with a unique setting and just a touch of the supernatural, thanks to Sir Percival, the resident castle ghost. The mystery unfolds at a steady pace with plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep readers engaged, while the developing rapport between Nora, her sister Tamsyn, and Detective Inspector Finlay Cole adds charm and depth. Although I would have loved even more exploration of the castle's ghostly history, this was a satisfying and entertaining read. A promising start to a series that cozy fans will surely enjoy!

Bodies and Battlements, a Ravensea Castle Mystery by Elizabeth Penney is a good beginning to a new series. It is a well written story full of castles, a ghost, smugglers, hints of romance, lovable dogs and of course a murder or two. In order to keep Ravensea, the family castle, in the family, Nora Asquith decides to turn part of the castle into a B & B. With help from the castle cook Janet and her husband Guy, her actress sister Tamsyn, her family historian father, Arthur and the most active castle ghost, Sir Percival, Nora has the castle ready for its first guests. She has even worked around the blocking machinations of the village complainer and control freak, Hilda Dribble. Unfortunately, when Hilda’s body is discovered in the castle garden, Nora and her father become suspects. Aided by Tamsyn, Nora sets out to discover the murderer. Unfortunately, she finds the body of stonemason, Joe Lumley, finds hints of smugglers working on their shore and a suspicious real estate developer. The story has several red herrings that add to the plot twists and turns and make the resolution more satisfying. Looking forward to more books in this series. Review copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillian Publishers. 5 stars

Bodies and Battlements starts a new cozy mystery series set in Monkwell, Yorkshire, at a renovated family-owned castle. Nora and her family decided to open the castle as a bed and breakfast despite the protests of some villagers. When one of the villagers, Hilda, ends up murdered in the garden of the castle on opening night, Nora and her sister Tamsyn decide they must get to the bottom of it. Thank goodness one of the guests is Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, and he is on the case.

I must admit, the cover of this novel drew me to it because who doesn't love dog and cat characters? Plus, there is a bonus house ghost! I found the characters charming, and the mystery was well-done. I'm hoping that as the series continues, it ramps up a little romance between Nora and Finlay. I definitely can't wait for the next book.

Herbalist Nora Asquith is a herbalist. She is happy to welcome Ravensea Castle’s first guests to the picturesque village of Monkwell, Yorkshire. After a thousand years of ownership, her family has decided to convert the castle into a bed and breakfast. Hilda Dibble, a self-appointed local luminary, is found dead in the knot garden the next morning, Nora’s business is not only at risk—she ends up being a prime suspect. Hilda had opposed the hotel plan every step of the way. Hilda.’s disagreements with Nora seem to only further her motive. One of Ravensea’s guests happens to be Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new to the area. He finds himself with a murder case in his lap. Nora and her actress sister Tamsyn decide to investigate for themselves. They look into the their newly arrived guests, while also getting hints from Sir Percival, one of the castle ghosts. As they learn, Sir Percival’s tragic death centuries ago sheds light on current day crimes. They figure that they can get to the bottom of this murder, but can they?

The author writes a murder mystery that includes the a hunky policeman, family, friends, pets and ghosts, making an appealing cast of characters. Included are misleading clues and complications that make this mystery intriguing.

This was a delightful foray into an English castle, now a bed and breakfast, complete with resident castle ghost.

Nora Asquith is determined to bring money into her family's home, Ravensea Castle, by adding a bed and breakfast aspect. Her first guests are due to arrive when the thorn in her side, Hilda Dibble, arrives to stir up trouble. Hilda is a pushy, rude, opinionated broad who has fought Nora every step of the way with her B&B, despite Hilda being new to the small town of Monkwell. When Hilda tries to crash their first wine social, she is deterred by the presence of one of the guests and leaves of her own accord. Unfortunately, she turns up dead in the castle garden and Nora's feud with her becomes a possible motive. However, lots of people seemed to dislike Hilda, and there was more to her that what met the eye. A 30-year-old murder and a smuggling ring round out this colorful plot.

I enjoyed all the core characters almost immediately. Nora is charming, her sister and actress, Tamsyn, is quite lovely and down to Earth despite her fame. Their father is a delightful curmudgeon who uses old Middle English insults when he is angry (Loved this bit!). The addition of the local constable and Nora's possible love interest sealed the deal. Of course, no cozy mystery is complete without a few critters and Rolf and Ruffian are cute supporting cast.

This book was very enjoyable and would be a lovely beach read with all the references to the salty air and the cry of seagulls.

I look forward to more adventures at Ravensea.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this ARC. I liked it so much I bought a copy.

A delightful story about a newbie B & B proprietor whose family happens to own a haunted castle. Ravensea Castle in Yorkshire has been in the hands of the Asquith family for generations. The current generation is struggling to keep their heads above water and have just welcomed their first bed and breakfast guests. Nora is a herbalist and now in charge of making a go of their new enterprise. Things get off to a bad start when she keeps stumbling upon dead bodies.
This is a charming cozy romance mystery with an idyllic setting and appealing characters. You’ve got to love Nora, her sister Tamsyn and brother Will. They’re trying so hard to make things work. If you enjoy murder mysteries with ghosts, dogs and a bit of romance, you’re sure to love this book. 4 stars

“Bodies and Battlements” is the nicely done first book in Elizabeth Penney’s Ravensea Castle Cozy Mystery Series. Sometimes first books in a new series can be a bit clunky as they try to establish characters and setting but this first book hit the ground running and I found myself immediately drawn to the characters and setting. The main characters (Herbalist Nora Asquith and her actress sister Tamsyn are nicely done including their relationship) as is the setting as they convert the castle that has been in their family for thousands of years into a bed and breakfast (complete with a ghost of course). The supporting characters (family, friends, and a couple of potential love interests) are also well done. The mystery is equally well done – while it is not too hard to figure out who the bad guys are there are still a few surprises and the scene where all is revealed is nicely done with just the right amount of tension. All in all a good start to what looks to be a fun series.

I received this book from NetGalley.

Bodies and Battlements is a cozy mystery set in the English countryside. The author creates an engaging story with some many different characters. It's the perfect escape for reading with a cup of tea. If cozy mysteries are your thing give this book a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced review copy.

An excellent start to a new cozy series that I am already calling a new favorite! I’m a fan of Elizabeth Penney and the different mysteries she writes, they are always well plotted, highly engaging and completely enjoyable. “Bodies and Battlements” is a superb start this new series. I loved the premise with the centuries old castle, a resident ghost ancestor and the England setting, couple that with a great cast of characters and this is series I am here for! The mystery is compelling and I like the developing relationship possibilities for some of the characters. I hope this series has a nice long run!

This is such a fun new mystery series! I loved the English castle setting, and all the little towns around, the interesting characters, and a mystery that came directly from that setup. I'm really looking forward to more in the series!

Nora's family has owned the charming Ravensea Castle on the English coast for decades. To keep it in the family, Nora is launching the castle as a small bed and breakfast alongside her existing herbal apothecary business with plants grown on the grounds. When a local troublemaker who tried to block the project shows up at the welcome social for the very first guests, Nora, her dad, her brother Will who owns a mead company, and her actress sister Tamsyn are worried she'll cause a scene and ruin everything. She unexpectedly runs out of the gathering and then the real trouble begins. Everything about Bodies and Battlements is charming and cozy. The main characters are likable and quirky, and the castle and nearby town are adorably quaint. The castle has a resident ghost, Sir Percival, and his history is interesting, but his inclusion mostly feels clunky.

Cozy readers may already be familiar with Elizabeth Penney's Cambridge Bookshop series. With Bodies and Battlements she begins a new one. Fans of hers will undoubtedly want to give this book a look.

I gravitate toward mysteries set in Britain so the fact that this takes place there grabbed my interest. Add to that a castle, murder, suspects, animals, a good story and present are all of these elements that cozy readers seek.

I enjoyed spending time with Nora and those around her. I look forward to her next outing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press-Minotaur for this title. All thoughts are my own.

I really loved all the different parts of the castles and the grounds that we get to see, the beaches, caves, chapel, gardens, and then the rooms themselves. Plus we got to see the surrounding countryside as well. The cozy part was very well done!
The mystery and investigation parts were pretty well done also. There were so many secrets to uncover! Some of them were obvious and some were pretty surprising. So they all kept me turning pages. The people that helped out the murderer was an interesting choice and not sure what I think about that. But in the grand scheme of things that’s a small issue.
If you are looking for a hospitality cozy with lots of secrets, you will love this one.

Paranormal cozy mysteries are my favorite and this first book in a new series by Elizabeth Penney is superb! Set in Monkwell, Yorkshire, Nora Asquith has her first guests at the family owned, recently converted B&B. When Hilda Dibble is found dead, Nora is a prime suspect since Hilda opposed the plans to convert the castle. She and her sister Tamsyn put on detective hats and investigate the murder.
This is such a great first book. I love the storyline in the castle. It's a nice change of location for me. The writing described the location so well that it was not hard to imagine what the castle and surrounding areas look like. The characters are fleshed out well even the ghost, Sir Perceval. I'm happy that there are dogs and a cat in the story as well.
I can't wait to see where this series will go and how many interesting ghosts the castle can hold.

A delightful blend of cozy mystery and historical intrigue, Elizabeth Penney's Bodies and Battlements introduces herbalist Nora Asquith and her charmingly chaotic attempt to transform Ravensea Castle into a bed and breakfast. When a local resident is found dead, Nora finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation, with the help of her sister and a rather helpful ghost. Penney expertly weaves together the present-day mystery with the castle's intriguing past, creating a captivating narrative that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Fans of Agatha Christie and historical mysteries will find much to enjoy in this well-crafted and engaging novel.

I don’t usually go for supernatural elements, but Elizabeth Penney keeps it light with just a touch of ghostiness without turning into a full-on spookfest.

Bodies and Battlements has a strong sense of place. It’s easy to imagine yourself at Ravensea Castle, with its history, charm, and financial headaches. When people look at castles and grand estates, they see beauty and wealth, but forget what goes into upkeep and preservation.
Nora Asquith is doing her best to keep the castle where she was raised in the family by turning it into a bed and breakfast. Her dad isn’t thrilled at first, but warms up to the idea once he realizes he’ll have a new audience for his endless stories.

Nora still faces some pushback from her sister and a few people in town, but she persists. Opening week seems to be going well, until… murder! Of course. That’s what makes it a mystery. (There may have also been just a bit of budding romance.)

I really enjoyed the story. The pacing felt just right, each character was unique, and a few of them showed clear growth. Bodies and Battlements is the first in a new series, and it sets the stage nicely for future books.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries set in the UK or Ireland with a little bit of history and a strong female lead, this one’s worth checking out.

I received this advance copy of Bodies and Battlements from Minotaur Books / St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A good start to a new series. I appreciate that the ghost aspect was subtle, appearing only a couple of times and as helpful. Nora is a good main character. She cares a great deal for the castle and its continuing existence. The support characters are good too, especially Finlay, a guest at the castle who turns out to be a police detective just transferred to the area. He brings the possibility of a potential romance.

The setting near the ocean was good as that played in part of the later plot. I liked Nora's interest in gardening and creating beneficial combinations of plants, even considering the possibility of including kelp.

Since this is a cozy mystery, there is not a great deal of suspenseful action. But there is the methodical work of figuring out who committed contemporary murders. I think there will be more adventures for Nora and those helping her, including a delightful dog.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Elizabeth Penney for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Bodies and Battlements coming out May 27, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was intrigued by the cozy storyline. Ravensea Castle sounds awesome! I would love that! I thought the characters were really interesting. I loved cozy books featuring fresh starts. I would definitely check out more books in this series and other books by the author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

The author is new to me. I really liked the idea with a haunted castle being turned into a bed and breakfast. Nora and her sister are easy to follow characters. I was hoping for a bit more ghost sitings and hauntings. The mystery itself was interesting. I liked how it tied into a possible mystery from the past. I did have a few times where I felt like it was hard to keep my attention. I would be interested in reading more from this series to see if we get a little deeper into a few things.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for a review.

The Asquith family are the owners of Ravensea Castle. It takes a lot of money to keep up with a castle though so Nora and her family are turning it into a bed and breakfast. Nora also has a small herbalist business on the side.

As the first guests arrive the festivities are marred by Hilda Dibble , a local woman who has been a troublemaker for Nora. Not long after Hilda is found dead in the garden. Now Nora is a suspect and the new business is at risk. Luckily, or not, Nora's actress sister Tamsyn is there to help. So is the resident ghost.

The castle setting is fun and I liked the idea of the guests being stuck there during the investigation. Tamsyn and their Dad are fun characters. I found it harder to like Nora. This might be because of the way the story started. I felt as if I needed more of an introduction to the dynamic of the characters and their background. It made it harder to get into the storyline.

There are some fun things happening and I love the idea of a ghost in a castle. It's kind of a lot happening at once though. I think a lot of readers will like this. It just didn't quite work for me.
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