The Castle Mystery, is #4 in the Jenny Starling series by Faith Martin and having read the previous three and really liked them I couldn't wait for this one for which many thanks go to Netgalley for me being approved.

Great plot, relatable characters and a thoroughly great cosy mystery series. I have just moved #'s 5 through 7 to the top of my Netgalley TBR.

The Castle Mystery is the fourth book in the 'Jenny Starling Mystery' series from Faith Martin which I have been reading from the beginning.

Jenny, a self employed cook and amateur sleuth, takes her dream assignment cooking for a Lord and Lady in a castle. It's not long, however, before events take a murderous turn. This is a hugely enjoyable, light mystery with an entertaining plot and great characterisation. With a little more humour than the previous instalments, the novel can certainly be read as a standalone.

One thing I really appreciated the most about this brilliant cosy series is that the investigations are furthered by good old-fashioned police work and there's a noticeable lack of forensics and science. Basically, it's all done by instinct and unshakeable slog and persistence. I think the reason that I adore this series so much is that I take great delight in things that make me feel nostalgic. A must-read series for those with a penchant for cosies and fun, entertaining mysteries.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Joffe Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thrilling story, great plot and characters that keep you guessing right til the end. Great for fans of this genre. Really enjoyable.

A comforting, comfortable who done it with a very likeable amateur sleuth, Jenny Starling at the centre. I really enjoyed this book, the characters were engaging, plenty of red herrings and a satisfying ending. Perfect for Agatha Christie fans, I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

The Castle Mystery, is #4 in the Jenny Starling series by Faith Martin.

Jenny has accepted a job as Lord and Lady Avonsleigh’s cook. They are a small family but live in a castle. She quickly settles in and enjoys the new job, but then there is a murder and as usual Jenny uses her quick, bright intelligence to help the police find the killer.

A brilliant, easy to read, murder mystery, with a light sense of humour and thoroughly entertaining.

Thank you to the publishers, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook and this is my honest and unbiased review.

I enjoyed The Castle Mystery but it hasn't stayed with me in the same way as Faith Martin's other series. This is the only Jenny Starling book I have read, though, so perhaps I need to catch up! If you're looking for a pleasant way to spend a few hours I think you'll enjoy this book.

It surprised me to see that this is book 4 in the Jenny Starling series. It is a stand alone read and I somehow missed the 3 previous books in the series. (Will change that soon.) Jenny is a cook that likes to move around her native England and accepts a new job at Avonsleigh castle. She fits in well with the family and servants and is taking mental notes of all the interactions. She is as shocked as the rest when the governess is found dead. (Set in present time in rural England where the old ways still exist) Her reputation proceeds her and the police ask for her help to catch the murderer. Good mystery, great characters and fun look at the modern day aristocrats. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The fourth book in an interesting cozy mystery series, while I did not find the mystery in this one as baffling as the previous books I would still recommend it

I love this authors works.. this was less gripping for me than others I've read .. in fact, she mentions it's a cosy, and so it's lost its edge. But I see this has been deliberate. A professional cook working new mansion, new job ... is thrown into midst of domestic politics involving long standing domestic help: romantic complications run hot. A governess to rambunctious daughter gets both her tutor and governess into trouble, a body is found: the governess! And our cook and local detective seek to find out who killed her! Lots of atmospheric rumblings, well pierced! Lots of well worked out characters and humour.

Traveling chef Jenny Starling gets her dream job cooking for Lord and Lady Avonsleigh and their staff in a genuine castle. But a few days later, the granddaughter's new governess, Ava Simmons is found stabbed through the heart in the conversatory. A fabulously jeweled dagger is the murder weapon. After hearing about Jenny's past success as an amateur sleuth, Lady Avonsleigh insists that Jenny help Inspector Bishop find the murderer.

This book was first published as “AN INVISIBLE MURDER” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Joffe Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

A well written and entertaining read. The characters were believable and gave life to the tale. Written in the style of Christie, this story had all the right elements, including a tortoise!
An enjoyable book

What an enjoyable cozy mystery this was!

Jenny is hired to cook for a couple who live in a castle. She has hardly begun her job, when the governess is murdered. Her body is found in the conservatory, her blood dripping from a valuable dagger on display on the wall.
The inhabitants have all alibis and there is no apparent motive for the murder. So who wanted the governess dead and why? And most importantly, how did they do it?
Warning! Do Not read the book if your stomach is empty. With all the delicious dishes Jenny cooks, you may want to eat the book.

Thanks to the author, Joffe books and the NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

This is the fourth story in the excellent new series from this author featuring travelling cook Jenny Starling, and was previously published as "An Invisible Murder" under Faith Martin's pen name Joyce Cato. Jenny is in her late twenties and stands an impressive 6 feet 1 inch. With her blue eyes and shoulder length black hair she cuts a curvy and attractive figure which captivates a lot of the gentlemen she meets. Believing that vegetarians and vegans are some sort of alien species not to be tolerated at any cost, she wants to bring back good English cuisine to the world (none of that foreign stuff that her "celebrity chef" father is so fond of). Unfortunately in her travels as a cook-for-hire she has become embroiled in several murder investigations. Her ability to read people has helped her root out the culprit much to the consternation of several CID departments!
In this story Jenny's ancient cherry red van is making its way to Avonsleigh Castle. Jenny has an interview and high hopes for what sounds like a dream job. She's not wrong as Lord and Lady Avonsleigh take an immediate liking to her and offer her the job on the spot. Once again the author demonstrates her ability to describe the various characters in a way that the reader very quickly feels they know them. It's an old fashioned set up, including a home schooled granddaughter with governess and art tutor, and an assortment of domestic staff who are surrounded by antiques and valuable paintings. Unfortunately it doesn't take long for one of these valuable artefacts to become the murder weapon - and the governess in the conservatory meets her end!! Her Ladyship insists that the local police enlist Jenny's help but with a very limited murder timeframe and several witnesses who saw absolutely nothing can she actually solve this baffling case? Once again a great murder mystery is delivered in an effortless easy manner. I am also loving the inclusion of an eccentric animal character in each book which the author has a real talent for describing. Henry in this story is no exception and a great addition, and I am already reaching for book five. Very enjoyable!

I am enjoying this series with Jenny Starling as a traveling cook. Jenny has landed in a position where it looks like she may stay. She finds Lord and Lady Avonsleigh very nice to cook for but she is only there a short time when the governess of the couple's granddaughter is murdered. At first no one has a reason to do the deed but then it looks like everyone has a reason to want her out of the way. Jenny has some twists and turns to get to the murderer but never fear in the end she works it all out.

I love Jenny Starling series! The Junoesque cook and her adventures are entertaining and interesting. I loved the first three books in this series. However, I felt book #4 (i.e. this book) was a tad slow when compared to the first three. Also, Jenny seemed to be less enthusiastic in solving the case. From a travelling cook to a full-time cook at the castle, I was wondering if this is the end of Jenny Starling series! I mean, Jenny is supposed to go places and cook for a week or a weekend and now here she is, as a cook for the Avolsleighs! I was happy to see that in the end, Jenny decides to leave. I wouldn't want one of my favourite series to end now, would I? Overall, it was an entertaining story. With all the red herrings and stuff, there were too many suspects. However, in the end, with all the clues, it wasn't difficult to identify the murderer.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

THE CASTLE MYSTERY
(Jenny Starling #4)
by Faith Martin

Kindle Edition, 183 pages
Published February 27th 2019 by Joffe Books mystery and crime



Goodreads synopsis:
Meet Jenny Starling: travelling cook and reluctant amateur detective. 

Please note this book was first published as “AN INVISIBLE MURDER” under Faith Martin’s pen name JOYCE CATO. 

Jenny Starling has her dream job cooking for Lord and Lady Avonsleigh in a genuine castle. 

Then one of the castle’s treasures, a fabulously jewelled dagger, is used to murder a staff member. The victim is found stabbed through the heart in the conservatory. 

Lady Avonsleigh insists that Jenny help the police find the murderer. 

But how can Jenny solve this case when the murder was committed in front of several reliable witnesses, none of whom saw a thing? 

This is the fourth of a series of enjoyable murder mysteries with a great cast of characters and baffling crimes which will keep you in suspense to the final page. 

Perfect for fans of classic whodunits by authors like Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, TE Kinsey, and J.R. Ellis. 

JENNY STARLING MYSTERIES 
Book 1: THE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY 
Book 2: THE WINTER MYSTERY 
Book 3: THE RIVERBOAT MYSTERY 
Book 4: THE CASTLE MYSTERY 

***

3 Stars

I want to start this off by saying this was not a bad book. The plot was intricate and well thought out. The characters were well built and the voice of the text flowed well.

My main problem was that I couldn’t really get into this book until about halfway through. I felt like the first half was akin to walking through quicksand. But when all the action started happening, that was when the story started for me.

Most of this was excellent. There were a few scenes that got left out that I couldn’t understand. As a mystery lover, the part at the end where they discover the killer and show you how that happens, that is key for me to loving a book. Here it was skipped as the detective and his co-hort hid behind a screen to hear all the revelations, but those revelations didn’t come in a way I could see. The detective refers to it at the end and that was all. I was let down. I didn’t get to experience the climax of the story and that is what forced me to rate this book as a 3.

As I said, outstanding mystery construction and character development. But if we don’t get to follow along and experience the “whodunit” I fear others besides me would feel let down and not want to check out other works this author has to offer.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
_____
Faith Martin has been writing for over 25 years and has had nearly 50 novels published. Born in Oxford, she has set most of her crime novels within sight of the 'dreaming spires'. And right now, Joffe Books are re-issuing all 17 of her DI Hillary Greene series in new updated editions!

This book was exactly what I hoped it would be from the description! A well written and edited cozy mystery murder (set in a castle) with some humour and a few contemporary twists. I am sounding a few klaxons here because it has become quite hard to find a mystery meeting all these criteria. Thank you to NetGalley and the author.

Chef and amateur detective Jenny Starling is hired by Lady Vee and her husband Lord Avensleigh the cook at their lovely castle, filled with expensive art. She makes wonderful meals for the family (Lord and Lady Avensleigh and their granddaughter, Roberta) and staff (Mr. Powell-Brooks, Roberta's very handsome art teacher, governess Ava Simmons, butler Meecham and his daughter/lady's maid Gayle, housemates Janice, and kitchen maid Elsa.

The Avensleighs have invited the Colonel and his wife for tea. He is a big admirer of the lavishly jeweled dagger hanging in the hall, so Meecham has just polished it. As the visitors were shown outside for tea at three o'clock, they admired the dagger. A half hour later when they walked back inside, the dagger was dripping blood. Meacham was sent to find everyone, and finds Ava dead in the conservatory.

The police are called in, and asked to consult with Jenny. She finds motives, especially for all the staff, but they all appear to have good alibis. Then when walking through actions at the reenactment of the tea party, they realize that they had a perfect view of where the killing took place; they would have had to have seen it if the determined time and place was correct. Jenny finally figures everything out.

Then the heir arrives with his new wife who insists everyone eat vegan. She also brought her American chef, so Jenny was off for new adventures.

The fourth in the Jenny Starling mystery series from Faith Martin (previously published as 'An Invisible Murder' under pen Joyce Cato). Jenny, a self employed cook and sometime amateur sleuth, takes her dream assignment cooking for a Lord and Lady in a castle. It's not long, however, before events take a murderous turn. An enjoyable, light mystery with some good characterisation, humour and an entertaining plot. Can be read as a standalone although there is a timeline in characterisation.

This is my first book by this author, and the 4th in a series about professional English cook and amateur sleuth Jenny Starling, but it reads well as a stand-alone mystery and I don’t feel I missed anything important by not reading the previous books. I don’t read a lot of cosy mysteries, as the tendency to treat someone’s death as a curious puzzle to be solved, rather than a heinous crime, bothers me, and this prejudice was completely reinforced here - Jenny takes pleasure in getting one over the police rather than apprehending the perpetrator as soon as possible. However, it is sometimes good to step away from the darkness of traditional crime thrillers to read something lightweight.

Jenny arrives for a job interview at a stately home and with a few well chosen menu suggestions to the elderly aristocrat owners, secures the position and is rapidly ensconced in the kitchen, to the delight of all concerned. Barely a day has passed before one of the other employees is found stabbed to death in the conservatory with a valuable ornamental knife. The police are initially apprehensive because of Jenny’s reputation for beating them to the solving of murders in other towns, but are soon charmed by her, and allow her to run a parallel investigation, but who could the culprit be when everyone has an alibi and no one has a motive?

Jenny is an engaging heroine although I got tired of the repeated references to her physical attributes - she’s tall and curvy with blue eyes, we get it. I guessed whodunnit, how and why pretty early on, there are a few too many clues for an avid crime reader, but sometimes the fun is in seeing if one is right. I’m not really a fan of traditional English cuisine, which is just as well, as the culinary descriptions would’ve left me salivating otherwise. There’s an amusing range of characters, and a tortoise with superpowers, the writing is smooth and it’s not overly long, so overall I would recommend this to fans of the cosy genre.

My thanks to NetGalley for the arc which allowed me to give an honest review.
The Castle Mystery is available now.