Couldn’t hold my attention.

Cara is constantly gauging her co-workers for smiles and other facial expressions. Might have worked better if the had been first person narrative.

This is a great cozy mystery filled with interested and exciting characters and a great plot. I think readers will enjoy this second installment in the series.

Book Review: Murder in the Grotto by Amy Myers

Rating: 3 Stars

I picked up Murder in the Grotto mainly because of its charming cover and the promise of a cozy mystery set in a quirky British stately home—something I usually enjoy. The story centers on Cara Shelley, a café owner and single mom in her forties, who’s happily running her little spot, the Happy Huffkin café, on the grounds of Tanton Towers. Her routine is disrupted when Lady Izzy, an eccentric and flamboyant guest at the Towers, enlists her to cater a very unusual event: a ghost hunt to honor her nephew who died there ten years ago during a similar spooky adventure.

What follows is a mix of supernatural vibes and murder mystery when Cara discovers a chilling crime in the underground grotto the morning after the ghost hunt. Enter DCI Andrew Mitchem, the local detective who’s both handsome and a bit frustrating, as he investigates the case. Cara finds herself juggling her growing feelings for him while trying to solve the murder before she becomes the next victim.

While I appreciated the warm setting and some quirky characters, I found myself struggling to get fully engaged with the story. The book introduces quite a few characters, which at times felt overwhelming and made it harder to keep track of everyone. The plot execution also seemed a bit scattered, lacking the tight focus I usually expect in cozy mysteries. Despite these issues, there were moments that kept me turning pages, but overall, it didn’t quite live up to my hopes.

So, I’d say Murder in the Grotto is an okay read—pleasant enough if you like your mysteries light and atmospheric but not quite a standout in the genre for me. Three stars.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

How can a fan of cozy mysteries pass up one that calls itself “A British Stately Home Mystery”? When it involves a ghost hunt and a cafe called the Happy Huffkin Cafe? I was all in for Amy Myers’ Murder in the Grotto. Unfortunately, there was very little that appealed to me in the mystery, including the amateur sleuth.

Cara Shelley is forty-something, and runs the cafe at Tanton Towers. But, she answers to the Tanton Towers owners, Max and Alison Pryde. It’s even worse to answer to Max’s eccentric Aunt Izzy.

Ten years earlier, Izzy’s nephew Tom, was president of the Tanton Ghost and Phantom Society. He died of a heart attack after the group spent a night on the grounds looking for ghosts. Now, Izzy wants to recreate that night, and invites all of the group to spend the night in the grotto on the grounds, hunting for ghosts. She’s convinced Tom was murdered, and she hopes the ghost hunt will reveal his killer. Instead, another member of the group is killed.

Although DCI Andrew Mitchem has a full team investigating the latest death, Izzy recruits Cara to look into Tom’s death. So, Cara interviews members of the group, while trying not to get involved in the current investigation.

I’ll admit I didn’t care for the characters in the book, including Cara. And, Izzy drove me nuts with all her schemes. But, Murder in the Grotto also contained one of my pet peeves in cozies. Although Cara is manager of the cafe, she was never there to do her job since Izzy dragged her into one plot after another, and she was always interviewing members of the Society. Is that any way to run a cafe?

Murder at Tanton Towers is the first in the series, followed by Murder in the Grotto. One book is more than enough for me.

I was looking forward to the continuation of the story from book 1, and while I did enjoy this it wasn’t necessarily my favorite. It just fell in the middle of the road with the plot, characters, twist, etc. I couldn’t pin point exactly what about the book made me feel this way. That being said, I enjoyed book 1 so maybe this particular book wasn’t for me. Would still look forward to seeing what else the author has in store for the characters!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amy Myers for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder in the Grotto coming out May 6, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I haven’t read the first book in the series. I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries! I love that it was set in England. The supernatural aspect was interesting. I wasn’t expecting it in a murder mystery. But I enjoyed it. I would check out other books by this author!

This second installment in the British Stately Home Mystery series offers an intriguing setup. A ghost hunt in a Gothic grotto, a cold case from a decade prior, and a new murder that interrupts the eccentric event. There’s no denying the appeal of the setting and the cast of quirky characters, elements that every good cosy mystery should have.

However, while the concept is strong, the execution lacks focus. Much of the book leans into spooky atmosphere and ghostly suggestion, but this comes at the cost of real investigative depth. The eventual reveal feels abrupt and disconnected from the protagonist’s own actions, a key flaw for a mystery novel. It’s hard to feel satisfaction in the resolution when the sleuthing wasn’t what got us there.

Though the darker tone adds a different flavour, it also limits the lighter moments that typically give cosies their charm. The characters are colourful but shaded more toward the grim than the whimsical, and the series protagonist doesn’t seem to grow in any meaningful way. The inclusion of police protection for her felt oddly out of step with the book’s tone and genre logic.

What does still work is the setting. There’s a definite British feel to it all, and fans of shows like Midsomer Murders will likely appreciate the ambiance, even if the mystery itself lacks the polish to fully deliver.

Compared to book one, this entry felt like a step backward. I appreciated the effort to keep the mystery's premise fresh, but this time the path to the answer felt more like a stumble than a trail.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series was falls under the heading of a cozy mystery. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed it as far as the mystery goes. However it had so many characters packed into the story it really prevented them from being well developed and lots didn't really feel like they had to be there. The conversations didn't flow as well as they could have and the romance felt a bit of an after thought. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Catering for a ghost hunt turns into investigating a murder for Cara and DCI Andrew Mitchem in this second in a series. I struggled with the first book because there were just too many things and characters. Regrettably, Myers hasn't pared back much and this second is still crammed full of things and characters that might not always matter. I do like the setting and Cara is nicely intrepid. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I like the characters and the setting. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!
*all opinions are my own*

I always love a good murder mistery. Since childhood, its been one of my favourite setting for a quick read. It's really a must have for a perfect weekend at home!
'Murder in the Grotto' gives everything it was supposed to give. It felt a bit rushed at parts, could get a bit more development in some areas, maybe cut some dialogues from not so important characters, but overall was an enjoyable read. I liked the ending, my favourite part is always guessing the who-done-it and Jessa Grey delivered!

Overall I give it a solid 3stars.

A Deadly Hunt..
The second outing in the British Stately Home series of mysteries finds the usually content Cara becoming involved in a ghost hunt that turns deadly. Lady Izzy has arrived at the Towers and Cara has been roped in to cater for her distinctly unusual function. When a body is discovered after the event, it soon becomes clear that a murderer lurks among them. A warm and cosy mystery with a nicely drawn cast of eclectic and eccentric characters, a frothy plot and a narrative laced with gentle humour,

2.5 stars rounded up.
This was a cozy enough read and it had a lot of potential. The plot was interesting. I enjoyed it enough for what it was.
However, the story fell short for me. I think so many characters packed into a short book really prevented them from being well developed and allowed many to fall into tropes. The conversation often didn’t flow and the story would have benefited from some refinement. Especially, the love interest which felt very tacked on as an afterthought.

This was good and atmospheric. I enjoyed the mystery but it isn’t one of my favourite ones.
I realised too late that it’s a sequel so perhaps I should read book 1 then I’ll enjoy it a bit more.

Cara Shelley's quite happy running the cafe at Tanton Towers - until Lady Izzy arrives with plans for a very strange celebration...

Inevitably, a body is found.

Can ghosts kill?

Excellent

The premise sounded so promising but it fell a bit flat for me, to be honest. There were far too many characters for such a short book with the majority of them appearing once then disappearing just as quickly (under non-nefarious circumstances). Additionally, a lot of the conversations were a bit too convenient and clunky to feel real. Overall, it was fine but it may have benefited by being longer in order to convey the message and really get into the investigative side of things, rather than solely relying on dialogue to move the plot along.