A cozy mystery set in a castle turned Bed and Breakfast with a ghostly presence and a body found during their soft opening.. Yes please.
I had a lot of fun with Nora as she, her siblings, father, and trusty Janet welcome guests to a possibly slightly haunted castle for a good time. If only the body of the biddy who had been trying to stop the Bed and Breakfast from opening hadn't perished out in the garden..

I loved following Nora as she and her sister tried to figure out who wanted Helen gone, and let me tell you that lady attracted enemies like it flies to honey. I loved the little village of Monkwell and the residents who lived there, the possible budding romance between Nora and a certain police man, and the mystery was good. I didn't figure out who the killer was until it was revealed.

I will definitely be keeping up with this series and I can't wait to see whats going to happen next!

The premise of this story was very good and the Ravensea Castle made a nice back drop. Nora was a very relatable character and not just because she has a sister and I do too but also because she had a lot of fight in her. She was willing to step out of her comfort zone and embrace a job to help the family. Her family first attitude was a big plus for me even though her family was difficult. Right from the jump, Tamsyn, her relationship with her sister seemed strained and her brother was comping rooms in the hotel with no thought for Nora's work. However, things changed between the siblings as the story continued especially between Tamsyn and Nora. I felt like investigating together and working on a common task brought them closer.
I like some of the Castle descriptions but sometimes the book got a bit sluggish in its pace. For example. I didn't need to know about all the meals. It goes without saying that she fed her guests but I don't care what each time. It surprised me how little happened after the murder for a long period besides Nora and Tamsyn running around gossiping and hoping to catch something valuable. The end was pretty decent as the beginning had been. My suggestion might have been for the author to remove some of the filler in the middle of the story to improve the pacing. Sometimes I feel like by their nature cozy mysteries can be a little more sluggish because they are not listed as action and the romance is usually slow burning. However, I have seem it is possible to strike that perfect balance between being in the cozy space and still keeping the pace moving. This book has a bit of work to do if this turns into a series. I would give the book at 3 1/4 stars but since that is not an option that I must go with three.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A family castle sounds very romantic, but the reality is that maintenance and upkeep can be murder! When Nora Asquith decides to welcome guests into the family home turned bed and breakfast, she faces both encouragement and resistance. The most strenuous resistance comes from a newcomer to the village, Hilda Dibble, who Nora finds dead in the knot garden the morning after the B&B opens. Not only is the B&B threatened by the murder, but Nora is now a suspect.

This new cozy mystery series by Elizabeth Penney has plenty of atmosphere, set on the Yorkshire coast, with castles, ghosts, cliffs and a history of smuggling, a cast of fairly interesting characters (everyone is just a little bit quirky), two family pets (dog and cat), and interesting tidbits about herbs (a side business for Nora,)

The plot is tightly woven, if a little convoluted, but still thoroughly enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This is the first book I have read by this author, Elizabeth Penney. I enjoyed her writing style, the wonderful characters she created and the interesting, believable plot. I have not read many cozy mysteries, but I am trying to branch out of my comfort zone of reading in the same genre and read them more often. I definitely will look into her other books (which there are many I found out!) and read them in the future.

A sincere thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Ravensea Castle book #1

After a thousand years of ownership, Ravensea Castle became a bed and breakfast with herbalist Nora Asquith there to welcome guests. But things turn unexpected, when Hilda Dibble, a local, is found dead in the garden the next morning. Nora’s business is not only at risk but she is also the prime suspect…..Enjoy.

This is one of those cozy mystery that mosey along from start to finish. Not complicated at all to follow, my brain wasn’t taxed trying to figure what was happening. The author is clear on her intent and expresses well where she is going and where she wants us to be. By giving little bites one at a time and unwrapping slowly each layer with just the right amount of suspense and voilà I was easily grabbed till I reached the end. Of course, along the way we have all sorts of red herrings and complications. I love the setting, an old castle with beautiful gardens and a ghost roaming the rooms doesn`t do any harm either, although far from being original…castle do have ghost, I am told 😊. Nicely depicted. We have a panoply of eccentric characters: parents, family and friends, a hunky policeman and a heroine/business owner to entertain us.

Good story that investigates a suspicious murder in a haunted British castle-tuned bed and breakfast.

There is a good bit of wish fulfillment in this setting but since I could see myself wishing for this too I didn't mind. Case in point, Nora Asquith's family has been in this Yorkshire seaside castle for centuries, as the guardians of the town. Her family and Ravensea castle are chocked full of history and ghosts (yes, there are interactive ghosts in this) but of course now they have to find new ways of making money to keep this big pile of historic homestead going.

To that end, Nora and her father have turned parts of it into a B&B with just a few rooms at this point, mostly supplementing the renovations and start up with Nora's herbalist career using the castle gardens (see what I mean about wish fulfillment. Who wouldn't want to be able to live in a haunted castle and putter in the herb garden and somehow make enough to survive). It's now opening week and Nora has a few guests filling up all three rooms, Brian the birdwatcher, a wine merchant richie rich couple (installed for free by Nora's mead-making brother trying to get a wine contract) and Finlay Cole, new to town and waiting for his apartment to be ready for him.

At the first social, Hilda, a woman relatively new to town and huge in trying to prevent the B&B from opening, runs from the castle only to turn up dead in Nora's garden with her head stoved in. Naturally fearing being accused of murder (or her father being the same) Nora sets out to solve the case with the help of her tv star sister, Tamsyn.

And her guest Finlay who turns out to be a DI (no spoilers there, it's in the blurb). It does contain some nice twists and I did like that it didn't strain the suspension of disbelief you have to have to read cozy mysteries. I liked the characters and as I've said in many a cozy mystery review, these only work for me if the actual detective isn't hardcore anti-amateur sleuth or too stupid to be a detective. Finlay is neither of these things. He's naturally telling Nora to stay out of it but he's also sweet on her (cue romantic subplot) so it worked for me.

I had fun with this one and I'd gladly read more.

Although I enjoyed the author's Cambridge Bookshop series, I found I didn't care much for the characters here. The setting is lovely but I just couldn't get interested in anyone, their backgrounds, their relationships, or what was happening to them. DNF after five chapters .

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series. Nora Asquith has jumped through all sorts of hoops to open the castle her family has occupied since the 1100s to bed-and-breakfast guests. Village newcomer Hilda Dibble had led a campaign to get the village council to forbid Nora's plans. but Nora persevered and the first guests are arriving.

Nora is also an herbalist who grows plants for her tinctures, soaps and other products. The morning after her first guests arrive when she goes out to weed, she finds Hilda dead in her herb garden. Luckily but perhaps not completely coincidentally, one of her guests is Detective Inspector Finlay Cole who is newly transferred to the area. He is right on hand to assist with the investigation. Also, newly arriving is Nora's sister Tamsyn who is an actress in historical drama TV series.

Nora learns that she is not the only one at the castle who had a previous relationship with Hilda. Her birdwatching guest turns out to be the son Hilda's sister put up for adoption as an infant. And she has some connection to the couple Nora's brother comped to a night's stay in hopes of placing his mead with their chain of liquor stores. Also, there is the entrepreneur on the yacht who wants to add the castle to his chain of hotels made from stately homes who had a connection to Hilda too.

But Hilda is only the first body that Nora stumbles on. She also finds a local stonemason on the beach when she goes to gather seaweed from some concoction she's trying out for her herb business.

Nora and her sister begin investigating because Nora fears that having the castle associated with murder is going to ruin her fledgling business before it can even get off the ground.

I enjoyed this mystery. I look forward to more books in the series.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

This was.. cute? That sort of sounds condescending and I don’t mean it that way. I enjoy stepping outside or dark, twisty thrillers, to something cozy and sweet.

It was at times a little corny but I’ve come to expect that from the cozy mystery genre; it’s hard to avoid. But that’s fine too. The mystery itself was somehow both convoluted and easy to piece together but I was more invested in the castle and the family and the coziness of it to really worry as much on the mystery. There’s just something nice about the simplicity of people who like each other and get along and live in a cool, haunted castle.

Herbalist Nora Asquith decides to turn the family castle into a B&B. The first weekend she has guests, a local resident who was adamantly opposed to the project is murdered on the property. Nora (along with sister Tamsyn, a famous actress helping out for a few days) decides she needs to investigate to save the new business and her family's reputation. A good introduction to the series, as Nora ferrets out information about her guests, their relationships, and the victim's background. A friendly (or at least not hostile) castle ghost helps as well. I look forward to seeing the development of the recurring characters' personalities and relationships as the series progresses. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for the eARC.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC of Bodies and Battlements. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Converting a haunted castle into a bed and breakfast is no easy task. Nora and her family have worked very hard to meet all the requirements and someone in the town is not happy. When that someone turns up dead Nora is the prime suspect. Nora and a fellow guest work together (sometimes) to follow all the tangled leads to solve the murder. But....will they be too late to save their dream and reputation??
I really enjoyed this new sweet cozy mystery set in a seaside castle on the coast of England. It is the perfect read while sitting in your garden while enjoying the nice weather or cozy on the couch under a blanket next to a roaring fire.
It even has ghosts!!! and dogs and breathtaking seaside views.

I am looking forward to reading more of The Ravensea Castle Series.

Who doesn't dream of living in a castle? This was a reality for Nora, Tamsyn and Will at Ravensea Castle. It seems Nora stayed there and became an entrepreneur by creating Castle Apothecary with various products using things she's grown or collected herself. In an effort to keep Ravensea in the family, Nora tried to create a unique guest experience by becoming a bed & breakfast/inn. New Monkwell resident, Hilda Dibble, opposed the plans but had seemingly failed when it did finally open. Unfortunately, Hilda finds herself dead in the garden. Nora would seem a likely suspect or her father, but many others could also be suspects. Nora's actress sister Tamsyn has returned home for a spell and the 2 of them decide to become amateur sleuths. They not only are investigated Hilda's death but they wonder if the death of Hilda's sister years ago was also murder. Several townspeople are introduced as are the eclectric guests at Ravensea. There seems to be more than meets the eye. I love the idea of the small town, the beautiful scenery marred by the tragedy. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a free electronic advanced readers copy from NetGalley and leave this review voluntarily.

"Bodies and Battlements (The Ravensea Castle Series #1)" by Elizabeth Penney is the first book in a new series. Nora Asquith is an entrepreneur with her own apothecary style bath and body products but now she's also branching out into making the family's historical Yorkshire castle home into a bed and breakfast. She has the full support of her family, including her tv star sister, since it's all to try to keep the castle in the family. Kinda feel obligated to with some of their ancestors still hanging around in spiritual form.

Just a hint of the paranormal. Mostly just doors and windows slamming, cold winds and the occasional headless floating, see through body. Nothing too spooky.

The mystery kicks in when the village lady opposed to them turning the castle into a B&B is found in the garden with an apparent head wound from a bit of castle that has come loose. Luckily, one of Nora's first guests is the new village detective. He was staying while between his old apartment and new one. Between the two of them more than one criminal is caught and a relationship may be budding.

Herbalist Nora Asquith has expanded her lotion and soap business to converting the family castle into a bed and breakfast. Upkeep expenses drove the decision so Nora, her father, cook Janet and sister Tamsyn and brother Will have joined forces to welcome the first guests. All is going well at the welcoming event for the guests when a local trouble maker, Hilda crashes the party but then makes a quick exit after seeing the guests. When Hilda is found dead on the patio the following morning things look grim for the new business. Luckily, one of the guests is a police inspector and with help from Nora and Tamsyn, he uncovers lots of suspicious doings and hidden secrets dating back thirty years.
This is the first in a new series for Penney. I've read and enjoyed her Cambridge Bookshop series and the Secrets of Castleton Manor Library series. This one left me underwhelmed with the many characters and their past and present relationships. Oddly, for me the best character was Janet, the cook. I look forward to the next in the series in the hopes that it improves with age. Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Thanks to #NetGalley for this ARC of #BodiesAndBattlements in exchange for my opinion. I loved this book and found myself wanting more from both of the female main characters and their new suitors, so I hope a sequel is coming soon! The plot lines were equally developed and as interesting as the character development. I loved the setting and enjoyed the secondary characters as well, especially the Dad.

This was the quintessential cozy mystery. The plot was well thought out, and the characters were fun to spend time with. I really enjoyed this book!

Title: Bodies and Battlements  
Author: Elizabeth Penney        
Genre: Mystery/thriller    
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Herbalist Nora Asquith is delighted 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. But when 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’s a prime suspect.

Hilda had opposed the hotel plan every step of the way, and although she didn’t succeed in stopping the venture, her 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 and now finds himself with a murder case in his lap.

Nora and her actress sister Tamsyn decide to investigate for themselves. They look into the entangled dealings of 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 present-day crimes. Surely they can get to the bottom of this mystery while keeping their new business afloat . . .

This was a decent cozy mystery read, but nothing standout enough to keep me highly invested in continuing the series, if that makes sense. I didn’t feel like the characters were well-developed enough to carry a series, but that should grow with time. Like the each had one quirk that made them interesting, but were otherwise bland. So, a decent read, but not a great read.

Elizabeth Penney grew up in Maine. Bodies and Battlements is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 5/27).

Can't wait to read more books in this series as this entry was a delight! What do you do when you're trying to save your home and open it to a b&b and local council member? Supposed you? You do your best and carry on which is what the family has done. But now their prime antagonist ends up murdered in their garden. Who's to blame? And which of the gifts have the potential to be involved? Can the family figure it out before another murder happens? This cozy Paige Turner will keep you highly entranced and ready for the next in the series as the two sisters strive to solve the murder before the resident policeman and save their family home!

Nora Asquith is the responsible daughter who is attempting to financially save the family's castle. Besides her own herbal line of products, she has opened the family's historic home to a small amount of paying guests in hopes of keeping the property in the family.

Her sister, Tamsyn, is a popular actress home to lick her wounds after her show, Highland Lass, is canceled. Their relationship starts rough but turns to solidarity. Will, the brother who brews his own mead in town, is around sporadically. Arthur Asquith is their father who spends his time writing the family history.

Among the first guests is Detective Inspector Finlay Cole, who is new in town and hasn't found a place yet. He heads up the investigation into the murder. He is definitely romantic interest material. Janet Fagan, housekeeper and cook extraordinaire and husband, Guy are the regular staff and part of the family. English Mastiff, Rolf, and the gray tabby cat, Ruffian are ever present along with Sir Percival, the ghost of a knight make this a fun cast.

The setting is rich with old smuggling caves along the shore from the shady past, Sir Percival's ghost, and the small town at the base of the hill below the castle provide a great setting with atmosphere to spare.

The plot moves along well as more suspects are uncovered. The pacing kept my interest throughout. The killer reveal was only a little tense, but still good. Overall a solid mystery and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

Rating: Excellent - Enjoyed it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

Nora and her family are trying to save their family home by turning it into a bed and breakfast. When she finds a dead body out in her garden things take a dark turn. Luckily one of the guests is a police chief and together they work together to solve the murder. Liked this one and kept my interest throughout. Would be fun to read more in the series. Highly recommend.