Quite a complicated twisty plot, with family secrets, lots of lies and a great ending. Natalie is trying to find out what happened to her sister Sarah, but not everyone is prepared to help her - including her own family. A great read.

Fourteen years ago Natalie Grove found her older sister, Sarah, dead in a lily pond at Castle Vyne. The murderer was never caught and now Natalie, a best-selling author, has written a book based on the mystery. She wants to find the truth about what happened to Sarah. If you’ve read and enjoyed Marley’s other English Village Mysteries, this one, while it takes place in the same area, happens before the other book and features different characters. I thought I might find that disappointing, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The new characters are fully developed, if not all that likeable, and the setting still feels like a claustrophobic small town.

Natalie has certainly stirred a hornet’s nest by redrawing attention to her sister’s death. There are so many twists here. The town, her friends, her family are all holding on to major secrets, and just when you have some idea of what’s going on, there’s another surprise. It kept me engrossed and rooting for/worried about Natalie. The clues were well-placed and so were the red herrings. The story moves along at a good pace. The flashbacks chapters fit in well and help us see how the past and the present are connected. There were a lot of people and relationships to keep track of, but I only had to backtrack once to remind myself.

Overall, this was a good standalone mystery. The atmosphere, characters, plot and subplots all worked together well. I’m hoping we get to visit Raven’s Edge again soon.

Secrets and lies abound. The past comes back to hurt again and again. Tautly woven story, completely engrossing and well written. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Natalie saw her sister, sneaking out one day
Fourteen years later, for her murder no one has had to pay.
Natalie is a writer, determined the killer to reveal,
Something the killer is determined to conceal!

With her latest book release, Natalie takes a chance
And uses the publicity her desires to advance.
She suggests a diary could hold the missing clues
Will the killer take the bait, or will it be secrecy he'll choose?

Natalie never thought her actions would bring danger
Or connect her to someone who is a stranger.
Who can she trust to help her to search for what is true?
Someone she's known for years - or maybe someone new?

Lies, secrets, deceit and more
Should the warnings Natalie ignore?
Family dramas and things from the past
Maybe revealed at long last.

A fascinating story, brilliantly told
A page turner read as the events unfold.
Linking the past with what happens now
Can the truth be uncovered somehow?

For my copy of this book I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

This was a complicated murder/mystery that had me totally involved from start to finish. An interesting cast of characters that kept the story alive. What a conclusion when all the bricks came tumbling down. Great read!

Natalie Grove found her sister, Sarah, dead in a pond by her home 14 years ago. She is now an author that writes mysteries, and is trying to discover what happened to her sister. She discovers a lot of information about her family and the people in the town.

This began interesting, but soon unraveled into family drama that read like a tv drama series of dysfunctional families. There are many side plots introduced, but they came to nothing. The actual mystery, and the twists were good- but I had to struggle to keep my eye on that with everything else going on in the book.

Please read other reviews, because I am an outlier- most are 4 to 5 star ratings, so I think this just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I haven't read the Ravens Edge series but this did not matter. An unsolved murder of a young woman and a new book by her sister that stirs everything up again. It is a good murder mystery book.

Murder at Castle Vyne by Louise Marley

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

More than a decade ago, the body of eighteen-year-old Sarah Grove was found floating among the water lilies in the pond at Castle Vyne. The case was never solved. Now her sister Natalie is determined to finally uncover the truth.

But when Natalie appears publicly to discuss Sarah's murder, she never expects it to unleash a deadly chain of events. Within hours, bodies start turning up in the nearby village of Calahurst… it seems someone will do anything to keep the past buried. As Natalie delves deeper into her family's history – with the help of mysterious castle gardener Bryn Llewellyn – she finds that nothing is truly what it seems. Behind the charming castle walls and chocolate-box cottages, the respectable villagers of Calahurst are hiding some very deadly secrets indeed.

When another young woman is found dead in the very same lily pond where Sarah died, Natalie realises the killer has returned to finish what they started. But in a village where everyone has something to hide, who can she trust? And will she become the next victim of Castle Vyne's deadly legacy?

My Opinion

Whilst Murder at Castle Vyne is part of the An English Village Mystery series, it can easily be read as a standalone as it set before the earlier books in the series. Within pages, I was hooked and I really enjoyed being able to follow Natalie’s story in both the past and present. Louise Marley has a lovely writing style making it easy to return to this series.

Rating 4/5

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. This is another excellent book from this author. in the series set in Ravens Edge. It is not essential to read the books in order. Natalie is looking into the circumstances surrounding the death of her elder sister, Sarah 14 years earlier. All the characters have backgrounds which raise questions. Who knew what? Who was involved? Natalie, is an author of 2 books which include incidents from Sarah's life and hint st her diary. These put Natalie at risk.
I enjoyed this boo, and it kept me guessing though to the end. A recommended read for those who e crime fiction. I look forward to the next book in the ser.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Murder At Castle Vyne' by Louise Marley.

This is the fourth book I have read by this author. It is also the third book in Louise's 'An English Village Mystery' series but can be read as a standalone.

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that leave you hearing the chickens clucking, Jake barking and it most definitely leaves you wanting to visit!!! The cover and synopsis suit the book perfectly.

Yet another fantastic success Louise Marley!! Such an easy, fun and addictive cosy mystery that had me hook, line and sinker!!!

This book is yet another brilliant addition to Louise's absolutely addictive 'An English Village Mystery'!! i absolutely fell in love with this series after reading the first book which is called 'Murder At Raven's Edge'. Each of the books in this series can be read as a standalone and although I would not typically recommend reading books out of order there is a silver lining of doing so!! If you end up reading a later book in a series prior to the previous ones when you have finished it means you can go back and catch up on the previous books while waiting for the next book to come out! Louise has ticked every single box in this series from absolutely stunning locations to an isolated house, gorgeous cats to authors and book lovers, murder to romance, there is nothing more you could ask for when it comes to brilliant cosy mysteries! To find out more about this gripping page turner then you will need to grab your copy today and I can promise you will not regret it!! You may even discover a new favourite book, series and/or author!! With a storyline ram packed with mystery, family, murder, romance, crime, books, stunning surroundings, coffee, twists and turns, a gorgeous cat called Binx, amazing and unforgettable characters and more what on Earth are you waiting for?? This book, and series, is truly addictive, intriguing and will leave you wanting more!! Louise is an incredible author whose incredible vivid and emotive writing skills and descriptions really brings Raven's Edge, the characters and drama to life in front of your eyes. She weaves the multiple protagonists and timelines together absolutely perfectly drip feeding the reader the information she wants without giving too much away! I absolutely loved reading this book and the previous books which take place in such a beautiful and unique village. It genuinely felt like I had disappeared on holiday for the day. It was a shame it was only a day but that's how long it took me to zoom through the pages after not being able to put it down. I genuinely felt like I was in the storyline and I was devastated to come to the end and have to "unpack my suitcase". This series is one of the best ones I have ever read and I love getting stuck into the mysteries with Harriet and Ben each and every time .The storyline is multi-layered with mystery upon mystery to keep the reader completely absorbed throughout without a moment to get bored. The fact that it was filled with books, book talk, mystery, an author and a cute cat was right down my street being a huge book and animal lover myself. It is one of those immense books that each and every time I told myself just one more chapter I just had to read yet one more to know what was going to happen next, and then another until before I know it I had devoured the whole book in just a few hours.

Although this is the fourth book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the first book. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

Grab your copy and join Harriet on her murder mystery, investigations, coffee drinking, banter and more where there's a mix of romance, secrets, drama, amazing characters, murder, mayhem and so much more mixed in!! You genuinely couldn't ask for anything else in a fantastic cosy crime!!! This is yet another fantastic addition to this addictive series! ! I was not expecting the killer twist so a huge congratulations there!!! I have read so many books it seems to be getting harder and harder to shock me but you definitely managed it after leading me down the garden path several times!! This is an absolutely fantastic, page turning and fun cosy crime series that can be read in any order. I would love to see them all turned into movies and I cannot wait to get into Louise's next fantastic success!!!

Do not pick this up until you have cleared your schedules as you will not be able to put it down!!

I absolutely LOVED meeting Harriet again along with several of the villagers and new characters such as Iris and everyone else who makes this cosy mystery series perfect the way it was again. I became completely invested in each of the characters and Louise portrays village life and characters into the first book in this series 'Murder At Raven's Edge' and they all, well almost all, quickly became friends that I miss each and every time I finish the book. I really clicked with Ben and Harriet immediately who were a perfect choice for this cosy mystery. I have loved watching all of the friendships and relationships develop and I'm looking forward to watching them continuing to do so. I am looking forward to meeting them all again in the next book in this fantastic series and seeing how all the friendship and relationships with the characters develop!!! An amazing group of string and realistic characters that jump out of the pages and I look forward to meeting time and time again. A fantastic group of unique and strong personalities!!

Congratulations Louise on an yet another absolutely addictive book in this absolutely page turning series!!! Here's to a fantastic and many more successes 🥂

Overall an addictive cosy mystery set in a stunning area that you won't be able to put down!!

#MurderAtCastleVyne #AnEnglishVillageMystery #LouiseMarley #StormPublishing #RachelsRandomResources #rararesources
@LouiseMarley @StormPublishing @RachelsRandomResources @rararesources

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I hadn't read this author before, the publisher granted me an arc and I'm so glad to discover a new to me author
The story begins 14 years before when Natalie's sister was found murdered. In the present day Natalie is a published mystery novel author and doing well. However her sisters murder will not leave her mind and she's determined to dig up clues. Her interviews had people wondering and could have brought danger into her path.
There were a lot of players in this story and I kept thinking aha it was him ...nope it was her.
The setting of the castle and village gave the story a wonderful back drop.
I couldn't put it down and how it played out was very twisty.

If you're a fan of thought-provoking murder mysteries, then MURDER AT CASTLE VYNE by Louise Marley is definitely the book for you.

When a young Natalie watched her sister Sarah sneak out, she had no way of knowing then that that would be the last time she would see Sarah alive. Now, ten years later, Natalie is no longer willing to sit on the sidelines while her sister's murderer roams free. Natalie is determined to uncover the killer, but it isn't long before the charming village of Calahurst becomes the scene of more murders. As Natalie delves deeper into her family history, the village, and the legacy of Castle Vyne where Sarah's body was found, she soon realises that dark secrets lie waiting, but will she survive long enough to expose the truth?

Compelling characters, a great mystery plot, and a fantastic setting all combine to make MURDER AT CASTLE VYNE a wonderful read from beginning to end. With plenty of twists and turns, there is ample opportunity for you to don your Agatha Christie hat and try to piece together the truth, all while enjoying the quirky characters of Calahurst. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading more from Louise Marley.

'Murder At Castle Vyne' is an evocative, menacing and twisty murder mystery set in the gothic world of Raven's Edge. Natalie is forever haunted by the discovery of her sister's body. Fourteen years later, she is a successful crime writer but cannot shake her need to bring her sister's killer to justice. It defines her life, and in the present day, she has written a controversial fictional book to provoke the killer. Past occurrences inform the present events, as the reader gradually learns what happened and why Natalie feels as she does. There is an increasing sense of danger for Natalie and others involved, and the suspense increases as the story reveals its secrets. There is a satisfying balance of action and introspection, and unexpected twists that keep you reading. I like the characterisation, the intrigue and solving the dark mystery, which has a gothic ethos.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Murder at Castle Vyn is a thrilling about a young woman named Natalie. 14 yrs ago, Natalie saw her sister Sarah sneak out at night to meet a mysterious man. While she couldn't see the mans' face, she did see Sarah and even called out to he before she ran off into the darkness hand in hand with the man. But the next morning, when Sarah hasn't yet returned, Natalie knows something is wrong. Natalie ends up being the one to find her sisters body, floating in a pond. Thus begins her search to find out who too her sisters life. Natalie refuses to give up, even when everyone else has. She even lays out a plan and sets herself up as bait to try to lure the murderer in.
The story is fast paced and intriguing. It does flip back and forth from the past to the present, but it's not confusing at all. I recommend this if you're looking for a little murder mystery.

While this book is set in the same world as the author’s Raven’s Edge series, it stands alone perfectly well, occurring before the events in the series and with (mostly!) different characters.

The story alternates between main character Natalie’s adulthood attempts to finally flush out the person who murdered her sister a decade earlier, and glimpses into the earlier timeline of teenage Natalie when the traumatic event actually occurred. And it was definitely traumatic – adult Natalie is clearly suffering from PTSD along with an unhealthy obsession in uncovering the truth, which is preventing her from living any kind of life of her own.

It only took a few pages for me to be completely swept up in Natalie’s story (past and present) and I found myself as obsessed as she was in working out what happened. In other words, I stayed up all night to finish this story all in one go because I couldn’t find a reasonable place to stop! It’s not just about who killed Sarah either: what happened to Geraint? Why did Natalie’s dad have his car accident, and could really be faking his injuries? Why has her mum cut her off? There are so many interesting mysteries, all interlinking and sparking further questions as you read.

Not everything is wrapped up in a neat bow at the end either. While the big mysteries are clearly solved, the motivations for some of the character’s actions kept me pondering and mulling over long after I read the final page (to the further detriment of my sleep schedule… seriously, only start this book if you’re happy to disappear into it with no regard for frivolities such as eating or sleeping!)

I thought it was the characters and setting of Raven’s Edge that kept me eagerly coming back to those mysteries, but this book proves that Louise Marley has me thoroughly hooked and I will read as many of these stories as she can write, regardless of which village she sets them in!

A nicely paced, twisty murder mystery, with a really satisfying ending. This would make an excellent tv programme, as it has several very strong characters, story plots that are downright sneaky at times and enough action to keep most readers/viewers hooked. I couldn’t put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sarah Grove was murdered and her body was found in a lily pond at Castle Vyne. Fourteen years later, her sister Natalie Grove is an author, and while doing press for her book, she lets some old secrets put in regards to her sister's death. Mainly, Sarah left a diary, and in it, she exposed men who had a relationship with her while she was a minor, allegedly.

Natalie is such a strong, resilient character. She is chastised for wanting to find her sister's murdered, while her father is carrying out his own personal agenda. Her mother is of no help, and her cruel behavior towards Natalie saddened me. Overall, most of the people in this story are very unkind to Natalie, and only one acquaintance from the past seems to believe her and want to help her. Loved the story, the complex characters, and the main character.

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

When I saw the title of this book I had assumed it was a historical mystery, but in spite of it being contemporary fiction, it quickly grabbed my interest with the 14-year-old cold case which the main character Natalie is trying to solve: who killed her older sister Sarah? Until about half-way through, it was a fairly typical story-line, but then the pace picked up dramatically with more murders. Then I couldn't put the book down!

I like the author's writing style - it's never dull or too wordy. The occasional flashback chapters aren't overused. There were quite a few people/relationships to keep track of, but she handled it OK with various reminders. I was really surprised at the unveiling of the various mysteries, and some of the latter scenes were quite suspenseful. And the heroine Natalie is very smart and likable.

Highly recommended!!

Wow, there were so many twists and turns I came away feeling battered and bruised! Although this is the fourth book in the English Village Mystery series, it’s actually set in time before the first one and it was fun to see one of the characters pop up. It was a great page turner and my chin did hit the floor a few times. I liked all the characters and thought they were a good mix. I’m looking forward to more in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for letting me read and review this book.

It is described as a cozy crime novel and that is exactly what the reader gets. When a historic murder that was never closed is now chased up by the deceased's sister, things begin to unwind for both her family and friends. The author has you constantly guessing at who is telling the truth but moreover, why certain people are lying to her. Good easy summer read.

Thanks to Netgalley / Storm for the ARC to review.