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A solid 4-star mystery. I loved the characters, I was supposed to love, and hated those who I was supposed to. Now, when I look back, I feel like this puzzle is pretty solvable for the reader if they want to, but I just enjoyed the ride this audiobook took me on. The mystery didn't feel isolated from the rest of the world, even though the most of the action took place in the Marchfield Square.


Thanks to NetGalley, the author, the audiobook narrator and the publisher for providing me with the audio arc

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10 Marchfield Square is an excellent cozy mystery. I understand the comparisons to Only Murder in the Building. Set in London, a house cleaner and hr recruiter are hired by the owner/landlady of their building to investigate a murder. I was hooked from the very beginning until the last sentence and really enjoyed the quirky characters.

This is Nicola Whyte debut novel and I can’t wait to read her future books. Nneka Okoye did an excellent job with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for letting me read this ARC.

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Thank you NetGalley for providing this audiobook, this is my honest review.

Celeste owns a square and the surrounding apartments. She chooses the people that live in 10 Marchfield Square very carefully. She collects them in a way. The Gleeves seem to have been an oversight on her part, but when Richard Gleeve turns up dead she can't fathom that any of the other tenants might be the killer. As the case progresses she enlists the help of Lewis and Audrey, two of her tenants. Two people that have absolutely nothing in common.

This was my first audiobook and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The narrator was amazing, each character had a distinct voice and tone. The story itself was also great! The plot was complex but not hard to follow, and the end felt very satisfying. A cozy mystery with a really interesting cast of characters and all the twists and turns you could hope for in a mystery. Quintessentially British, sassy, funny and overall a great time!

Would absolutely recommend to any cozy mystery, and also just general mystery enthusiast. It's also a good entry point for newer audiences and/or people who have never tried audiobooks.

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Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for an eAudio ARC of this work in exchange for my review.

10 Marchfield Square is very well-crafted mystery with plenty of twists and clever misdirections. The characters, who are the heart of the story, are well-developed, with compelling details woven throughout the work. The reader is left guessing frequently.

Interestingly there are multiple POVs, which allow the investigation to deepen as it is shown through different eyes, personalities and points of view.

Additionally of note is Nneka Okoye’s narration, which was fantastic. She has a steady clear voice and differentiates well between characters as the POV switches.

Overall, this was an enjoyable debut by author Nicola Whyte.

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This felt like I was reading a Thursday murder club novel combined with an Anthony Horowitz story. In other words near perfection. It was cute and funny with interesting characters and a charming setting but with real and gritty criminals and crimes.

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I can kinda see how this book is likened to Only Murders, but it's loose at best. The characters here are quirky and suspicious, with a rich woman pulling all the strings. We have an odd-couple pairing of hired amateur detectives digging up dirt on the most hated neighbor who was suddenly killed in their posh, gated community. Their own quirks get in the way and bring the other out of his/her shell in a charming way that makes them extremely likable. As secrets are revealed and the real cops point fingers at them, the heat is turned up on all sides, leaving them equipped with just their wits to survive and solve the murders. It's cozy, amusing, dark, mysterious, and all kinds of other crimes are involved in what once seemed to be a clear case of self defense. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will recommend it with abandon.

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I really enjoyed this cozy “locked room” mystery set in a small residential square in London.

Celeste Van Duren is the owner of the buildings where an unlikely murder takes place. Celeste keeps a close eye on her tenants and chooses them carefully.

Richard Glead, the murder victim, was disliked by everyone in the Square. The police seem intent on finding his wife Linda guilty of the crime, until the next murder takes place.

Celeste is impatient with the police’s investigation and wants answers!! She enlists Audrey, the housecleaner, who knows everything about everyone along with Lewis, a mystery writer who apparently has writer’s block, to work together to solve the crime (and then crimes!).

The POV’s switch between these two as they get to know each other and discover clue after clue until all is revealed.

The dynamics between these two characters was probably my favorite part!! Getting to know all of the quirky residents was fun and they were well described.

I thought the plot was very clever and multi-layered. The twists kept coming and I definitely would never have guessed at the ending.

The narration was great and this was an easy listen that kept my interest throughout!

I received the audiobook from the publisher and Dreamscape Media through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to listen to and review this title.

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I only made it about halfway through. I just couldn't get into the story or the characters. The suspense of the mystery got muddled under all the explanations of neighbours. And rather than letting the story draw out info along the way, the descriptions seemed more like rattling off introductions. Overall, it felt stilted and I just couldn't continue. The idea was interesting, so I might check in on her next book.

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10 Marchfield Square is a charming, cosy mystery that invites inevitable comparison to the hit TV series 'Only Murders in the Building' . The story centers around the private residence of wealthy Celeste van Duren, who rents rooms to carefully selected tenants — many of whom couldn’t otherwise afford a London apartment. Celeste spends much of her time spying on her residents through binoculars. Real drama ensues when tenant Richard Glead is found murdered in his kitchen and his timid, abused wife Linda, is suspected by the police. Determined to uncover the truth and come to Linda's defense, Celeste enlists two of her tenants to investigate the murder: Audrey Brooks, who has a mysterious past now works as a housecleaner for Celeste, and Lewis McLennon, a socially awkward writer clings to the success of his lone crime novel while stuck in a dreary day job as a recruiter. As Audrey and Lewis follow clues and interview a host of quirky characters inside and outside the building, they both aid — and frustrate — the official police investigation. This story follows the trope of unwitting private detectives who stumble upon a solution. Snappy dialogue and a refreshing give and take between the detectives keeps the story humming. If that isn’t enough there is a twist at the end that suggests this story isn’t the last time we will see this quirky set of characters working together. This was enjoyed as an audiobook with an excellent narrator; fast paced and delightful to listen to

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A solid mystery -- which might sound like damning with faint praise, but I read a lot of mysteries, so . . .



Review copy provided by publisher.

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If you reference OMITB and you set your book in my favourite city in the world, I will always give it a try. And as I expected, I loved it! We have Celeste, the landlord of the smallest square in London, who is dealing with multiple murders in her building and a few tenants who are willing to help her solve the mysteries. As you would expect, the characters are at the heart of the mystery, and we get a real range- they feel like actual people (not wholly good or wholly bad). In many mystery novels, characters are rather stock figures that you can reasonably predict what they will do; in 10 Marchfield Square, you are left guessing often. (Which, quite frankly, is what I want!)

One aspect that I found more unique for mysteries is that there are multiple POV- you don’t get that a lot in mystery novels, and I very much enjoyed it. It allows you to investigate more (through our main characters) and to look at the murders through different eyes.

Nneka Okoye’s narration was also fantastic. She has a fairly steady voice, meaning that you aren’t distracted but she also clearly differentiated between characters. She has been added to my list of narrators to keep an eye out for!

I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the Thursday Murder Club series or Only Murders in the Building!

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Landlady Celeste has a situation on her hands: one of her tenants at 10 Marchfield Square was murdered. She recruits two other tenants, her cleaner Audrey and reclusive mystery writer Lewis, to crack the case. As Audrey and Lewis dig deeper, they stumble into more murders and unearthing secrets from all the other tenants in the building. Could one of their neighbors be the murderer?

I sought this book out because it’s being advertised to those who love Only Murders in the Building - and I have to agree that this is the perfect descriptor! It’s a #CozyMystery for those who like the True Crime-ification of podcasts that Only Murders in the Building so excellently weaves in. It may not be the most fast-paced thriller, but that’s partially because the author takes care of developing her characters beyond just the one-dimensional suspects that they could have otherwise been. It was pleasant to read, and I think Only Murders in the Building fans will love the change of scenery this book provides.

Nneka Okoye narrated this book to perfection! She was a perfect match for the cadence and storytelling, and her various inflections/tones for the different characters helped to distinguish them in a story with several key characters. Great choice on having her as the narrator and I can’t wait to listen to more of her narration!

Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media/Union Square & Co. for the opportunity to read and review.

===
This review will be posted to Instagram @AutobiographiCole on or around the release date!

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This is a fun cosy murder mystery which would make excellent light television. It is set in London, principally in a gated residential square whose owner selects her own tenants. The murder of the least popular tenant cascades into a series of events which initially flummox both the police and the two unofficial detectives, both residents of the square, who were appointed by the owner to investigate. I hope this is the first in a series.

The audiobook is expertly narrated by Nneka Okoye, and is very easy listening.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read and review 10 Marchfield Square. I enjoy a fun mystery with twists I didn’t see coming. This book was a fun read. The owner of 10 Marchfield Square apartments requests two of her tenants to help solve the murder of one of her tenants because one of them is a mystery writer, the other is her smart cleaner and she thinks they will work well together, Lewis and Audrey begrudgingly begin working together and begin their detective work. The story is a little twisty with a couple twists I didn’t see coming. The characters were well developed. The story kept me interested until the very end. I found myself caring about the characters and cheering the two amateur detectives on as they continued to the conclusion of what actually happened.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery with normal people trying to solve a crime within their community. The audiobook was very well narrated. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this charming mystery set in a square of apartments in London. The banter and growing friendship between Audrey and Lewis kept me listening, as they worked to solve the mystery under the guidance of Celeste. I loved all the quirky characters in the neighborhood, as well as the twists and surprises in the plot. This is a captivating debut, and I hope there will be a second book.

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Rating: 5/5

10 Marchfield Square is a smart, emotional, and character-driven mystery. Told from three perspectives, each voice adds something meaningful to the story. The characters are flawed and complex, but easy to connect with.

The setting (a compact, enclosed square) adds great tension and feels vividly real. While there’s a large cast that can be a bit hard to keep track of, it doesn’t take away from the experience.

The audiobook, narrated by Nneka Okoye, is excellent. She gives each character a unique voice without sounding overdone. If you enjoy thoughtful mysteries that focus more on people than plot twists, this one’s for you.

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4stars for story and narration
10 Marchfield square audio book written by Nichola Whyte
Thanks to NetGalley from advance copy
Cover of book interesting

A solid cosy crime mystery set in a London apartment complex with the elderly owner Celeste overseeing ( snooping on them with binoculars )
At the start she is viewing the body of one of her tenants waiting for it to be discovered , as it soon is , the police are not solving the murder as fast as she would like so she tasks her cleaner Audrey and Lewis a crime writer to investigate.
The assortment of characters living in the apartments are a varied bunch but perhaps lack depth , the setting of Marchfield place is a good one .
Audrey and Lewis make an interesting partnership and I feel there is potential for further development in future books , the mystery was engaging , although I knew who was the murderer of the first victim from the onset this didn’t distract from my enjoyment .

I will look out for more works by this author.

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The residents of 10 Marchfield Square are each vetted by landlady Celeste van Duren before being allowed to take up residence there, which is why no one expects a murder to happen on the property. When it does, Celeste asks her cleaner (and resident) Audrey to investigate with the help of failed writer (and guess what? resident) Lewis. They are an unlikely pair as they have such different personalities, but they play off each other to bring the investigation to a satisfactory conclusion.

Without spoiling the end, I found this debut novel fun to listen to on audiobook and engaged right till the end. I thought I had it figured out, dismissed my idea, and then found out I was kind of right! Ha. A fun, yet taut mystery that will keep you guessing! Very enjoyable.

I received a free audiobook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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I listened to 10 Marchfield Square in record time. It was fun and exciting and truly mysterious. I did not see the killer coming as there were so many suspicious characters and twists. Once they pieced it all together for me, I couldn't believe I missed the clues! It was truly a lot of fun to listen to.

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Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

This was a light whodunnit mystery set around a London apartment building. We learn details about some of the other tenants in the building. They all fit fairly well together for an enjoyable listen.

4 stars. Recommend.

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