I was eagerly awaiting this book as I have loved the previous books in this wonderful series. This book continues immediately on from the previous book so you will need to read these in order, but what a way to spend a few hours.
The author encapsulates the time period so well, Marius and Bella are back solving a cold case this time in their own wonderful way.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. The author deserves so much more recognition and to become a household name as the Markus Quin series and his Lord Edington series are absolute must reads for anyone who wants a dawn good read, in a gentle non violent way.

Please buy and enjoy.

I loved the characters in this book. They are a wonderful duo. In fact I liked pretty well everything about the book the characters, the plot and the sense of the time it engenders. I shall certainly be looking for more books by this author and look forward to more in this series. It is a gentle undemanding read a great way to spend a few hours.

What a fascinating story! This book continues on directly from the previous book. Marius walks into his writing room at home after returning from a weekend away to discover the body of Gilbert Baines, Bella's fiancè, in a chair. Very distressing for both Marius and Bella. Marius is warned off investigating the case by his friends in the police, so he tries to distract himself by looking for inspiration for his novels in old newspapers in the library. What he discovers instead, is an old case of a woman who murdered her husband by poisoning, but something in the reports doesn't ring true and he starts digging deeper into the 15 year old case. Bella gets involved and once again the two team up to solve the case. This had so many twists, with bodies piling up, and the most unlikely murderer. Also, the most unusual police detective I've read about in quite a while! A great, twisty and intriguing read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Benedict Brown for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

It’s been awhile since I read a murder mystery book, and this book perfectly scratched that itch for a Sherlock Holmes-esque British murder mystery with obscure clues and surprising twists. I liked the writing style well enough most of the time, but every now and then the character seemed to be addressing the audience which I didn’t love since the rest of it seemed to be more of an internal monologue which took me out of the story. But I enjoyed the book overall and definitely need to check out the rest of the series!

Storm Publishing very kindly invited me to read an advance copy of Arsenic and Old Lies, and after reading the synopsis I was only too happy to accept. That was a good decision on my part, because I adored this book. With a title like that, how could I not? (I love the play on that old classic, Arsenic and Old Lace.)
The main characters in the book, and indeed the series, are friends Marius Quin and Lady Bella Montague, who are private detectives. Marius also happens to write murder mysteries. The book opens with Marius returning from a weekend away, to discover a body in his study. The deceased is none other than Gilbert Baines, Bella's fiancé. 🗡
Finding himself shut out of the investigation into Gilbert's death, Marius returns to his writing, and it is while seeking inspiration from old newspapers at the library, he stumbles upon what he deems to be a miscarriage of justice. 🗡
The subsequent investigation undertaken by Marius and Bella makes for interesting reading, not least because the trial Marius read about is based on a real life one. Sadly, the outcome of both differed.
Set in the late 1920's, Arsenic and Old Lies is a fast paced, thrilling read. There's quite the cast of characters, all of them interesting, and all harbouring secrets. There's also a dog, an adorable Basset Hound called Percy, who is Marius's faithful friend. 🐶
There are twists aplenty, and some welcome humour of the dark variety. 🗡
It has become a habit of mine when reading ARCs, to come into a series somewhere in the middle. Arsenic and Old Lies is book 5 in this series. I haven't read the four books which precede it, but I didn't feel like I was missing too much information. I will circle back to read them eventually. 🗡
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

Not a bad story, and enjoyed it for the most part. Love the old movie of Arsenic and Old Lace, so expected a bit of light hearted like the movie. Keep in mind this is not the movie, although there is a Mortimer and poisoning involved. Would recommend, as there is a good story and lots of characters.

Secrets and murder

I loved this installment of the historical whodunit series staring Marius Quin and Bella Montague. The book had a layered storyline, an intriguing mystery, surprising plot twists, and touch of suspense. I was equally desperate to read it all at once to solve the mystery but also to savor it and make it last. Marius Quin is a private investigator and an author of murder mysteries. When his ex-girlfriend’s fiancé is found dead in his home and he is unable to help the police, he turns to investigating the potential innocence of a woman’s 15 year old poisoning conviction. Despite her grief, Bella agrees to help solve the case and things only get more interesting when more bodies show up. The investigation leads Bella and Marius to unlikely places, dead ends, plot twists, secrets, and surprising revelations. There are smaller personal story arcs and social commentary which enrich the main plot line and give the characters even greater dimension. Despite this being the first book I’ve read in the series, I did not feel as if I was dropped into the middle of a plot and missing some back story. Since I enjoyed this book so much, I am so happy there will be more books to read in this series.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. In this installment in the Marius Quin series, he takes on the case of Felicity, a woman accused of poisoning her husband fifteen years prior, in an effort to detract him from the death of his friend. Marius begins to investigate Felicity's case and starts to believe she is innocent. He locates a key witness who then is murdered, furthering Marius' suspicions. Marius decides to investigate the estate where Felicity once lived, and brings his companion, Lady Bella, with him.

This installment remains within the same scope as the previous books, in that there is a solid writing of characters, a good mystery to solve with lots of fun twists, and then finally a great setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read the previous books in the series. I struggled to get into this book and wouldn’t have finished but for having been provided with an ARC in return for a review.

I found placing this novel in the correct time quite difficult to do. It often seemed more modern than the actual period being written about. I didn’t particularly warm to the characters, which also limited my desire to continue reading. However, there are some unexpected twists and more interesting sections.

I’m grateful to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me an ARC in return for this honest review.

Marius Quin writes mystery novels and is also a private investigator alongside his friend and one time sweetheart, Lady Bella Montague, and his basset hound, Percy. Having found a dead body he isn't permitted to investigate, he did find it in his own writing room, he looks for something else to fill his time. The case of Felicity Mortimer fires his interest and, convinced of her innocence, he begins to look closely at the evidence even though she has been incarcerated for fifteen years having been convicted of killing her husband. Determined to right what he sees as a terrible injustice he, Bella, and Percy head for the New Forest to see what new evidence can be unearthed. Not everyone is pleased to see them however, and as they begin to uncover secrets long hidden they may have unwittingly put themselves in a killer’s sights?

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Storm Publishing, but the opinions expressed are my own. The fifth book in the Marius Quin Mysteries was my first but it was a fun read, with twists, turns, interesting locations and an underlying mystery which is yet to be solved. The author's notes at the end were fascinating and added an extra level to the reading experience.

This was my first book by Benedict Brown and it was the cover and blurb that had me reaching for the request button. Meeting Marius Quin and Bella was a delight and the action began within the first two pages, which I really appreciated. Marius and Bella are childhood friends and Co-detectives. Having previously solved murders, it comes as no surprise they are working together again, although this time the murder hits very close to home.
Bella’s fiancé is found murdered in Marius’s flat…a calling card has been left by a devious character. Told to stay out of the investigation by by the police, Marius takes himself to the library for inspiration for his next book.
What he discovers is an old crime in which he believes the “murderess” is actually innocent. Over the course of a few days, Marius discovers more bodies and an interlinked set of mysteries. With Bella by his side, the pair find clues, information and surprises along the way.
This was a great book, and it kept me hooked throughout one evening as I marvelled at their deduction skills and clever ways of getting information out of potential suspects. The characters in this mystery were interesting and leapt off the page and I was kept guessing through to the end!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This is the 5th book in the Marius Quin Mysteries series and I didn't read the others before this one (Oops 🤭). However I really enjoyed it and didn't feel like I couldn't follow the story after missing 4 novels ( I am now going back to read them).

The series follows a myster writer and amateur detective Marius Quin in London 1928 who is dealing with his friends Murder in his home. I won't give spoilers in my review but what follows are twists and turns that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.
If you love Agatha Christie them you will love this!

5🌟 Highly recommend!



📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Benedict Brown and Storm Publishing📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚