Murder at the Manor House is the 3rd installment of Faith Martin’s Monica Noble series, also the first one I’ve ever read. It tells the story of a murder during a conference of clergy being held in the same town as the main character, Monica Noble, and her husband, the town’s Vicar, Graham Noble. During the conference, one of the vicars is killed and many of the fellow vicars who, despite their line of work, had motive to harm the victim. The murderer must be found before they kill again and the Nobles are in the thick of things as they, too, are among the suspected.

A wonderfully-written story, the one thing that stood to me the most was how much of an Agatha Christie-esque feel the writing had. With a large number of characters, Martin skillfully weaves their backgrounds and personalities together in such a way that the reader is just positive they know “whodunnit” but then is absolutely surprised at the end when all the clues are brought to light to reveal the true killer. It was wonderful and I couldn’t put it down because I just had to know what happened next!

This mystery stands well enough on its own as a stand-alone story, so any reader can jump in without feeling like they’re missing anything. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book despite not already having read the first two books in the series but look forward to going back and reading the first two as well as other series by Martin.

I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily writing an honest review.

Faith Martin has established herself as one of my favourite writers. I love the light touch she brings to her cosy crimes and this book was no exception. Well written, with rounded characters, I have no hesitation in recommending this.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Manor House Murder is the third book in a series of cozy mysteries by Faith Martin. I have not read the previous books but had no difficulty understanding this one. Like most series, I have no doubt that the characters grow in depth with each new book, and that references to earlier connections enhance the plot.
This book was a classic, almost Christie-like murder mystery, taking place in a large English manor house with a multitude of possible suspects. It is a quick read that keeps the reader interested and engaged. The characters were not silly and did not employ foolhardy methods to solve the crime. I think that makes this book stand out in a genre that is fun, but often unbelievably silly.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I'm delighted to be introduced to this author and look forward to reading many of her books in the future.

The Manor House Murder was a fun and cozy mystery. Set in the English countryside during a church conference, the internal politics of a seemingly pious group of people is put on full display. With a large cast of characters, the author opens windows into each person and shows the internal struggle within even the most devout among us. This was a quick and fun mystery!
Thank you for a copy of this book!

Who knew vicars, bishops and other church types could harbor such murderous hearts? Monica Noble and her husband are once again drawn into a murder, this time of a not very likeable vicar.

Having read all of the previous Monica Noble stories by Faith Martin I knew what to expect with The Manor House Murder and I was not disappointed.

In her usual style, Faith Martin's protagonist finds herself caught up in a murder only this time her husband is one of the suspects.
Can she prove who really committed the crime and can the dashing detective Jason Dury stop his feelings for our amateur detective from compromising his investigation?

Another great book for an easy read on a cold winters night.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Faith Martin, a popular writer best know for her series featuring DI Hillary Green. As many know, Faith Martin is a pseudonym, used by Jacquie Walton. She also writes using the pen names Maxine Berry and Joyce Cato. Originally the 3 books in this series used the Joyce Cato pen name. They have been re titled and reissued with Faith Martin.. Book 3 The Manor House Murder, was originally titled An Unholy Mess.

This title reads comfortably as a stand alone. The book opens with a carefully planned murder that is set to look like a suicide. We then jump to the idyllic village of Heyford Bassett, where Monica and Graham are sharing their day, Graham tending to his parishioners, Monica finding clever ways to promote cat food. Their conversation is redirected when Graham shares the information pack for the pending conference. The Manor House has been converted into a successful hotel and conference center. The success of the enterprise has helped other villagers and is very highly regarded. Thus the murder that happens at the conference also becomes a threat to the town. Concern for Graham and for the town's well being draws Monica into the mystery.

Martin is skilled in developing engaging effective characters. She easily produces suspects with believable motives for murder.` Here even Graham is a logical suspect. Harking back to Christie's cozies, the murderer is still on hand. The killer, increasingly frenzied, continues to murder putting everyone involved in peril. This leads to a heart stopping conclusion,. Many will be bleary eyed the next morning, This is a late night read.

Martin wrote a trilogy but left a few strings untied. One hopes she may be enticed to visit Monica and Graham again.

Recommended

Full disclosure: I received this ARC copy from netgalley and Joffe Books in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

This third book in the series, and I must say the series is getting better and better. This one had a very complex story line with lots of twist and turn and a very surprising ending which came out from left field.
Faith Martin book are really enjoyable, easy to read and have good storylines. I have read a few of her series and none so far has disappointed.

This is the 3rd book in the series Monica Noble I think it is the best in the series yet, perfect for a quiet read on a winter's day.

The local manor house, which is also a hotel and conference centre, is the venue for a weekend gathering of clergy. Attendees from various parts of the country are there along with some of their wives. One of the clerics is taken ill at dinner, she's not a popular lady and unsurprisingly turns out to be the murder victim, the evidence shows her cause of death to be a peanut allergy. Our old friend Chief Superintendent Jason Dury is sent to investigate, leaving Graham as one of the suspects..along with quite a few others.

Of course Monica cannot leave the investigation to run its course without getting involved, she feels compelled to prove her husband's innocence even though this places her in a dangerous position.

There are lots of clues, a great selection of characters throughout the book to keep you guessing and a nice and somewhat surprising twist at the end! I loved it!

thank you Netgallery for an advance copy for an unbiased review

The Manor House Murder by Faith Martin is the third book in this "Monica Noble" murder mystery series. Monica Noble is the wife of a local vicar but is also drawn into being an amateur detective. Monica and Graham her Husband have been invited to a conference and dinner which was being held at the village manor house, which has been converted into a hotel. It is owned by Sir Andrew Courtenay. There's an incident there. They have a nut allergy. She is the ambitious female cleric called Celia Gordon and she tragically dies.

Chief Superintendent Jason Dury is called to the scene,

Was this an accident or was it a murder?

Monica Noble was there and is very willing to help the local Police again.

Chef Superintendent Jason Dury quickly discovers that it's a case of murder.

There are lots of red herrings in throughout this book and even Monica's Husband is a suspect. Exciting!

It is a was a lovely quick read.

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

Big Thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Faith Martin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A religious group is meeting at a Manor House for a convention. Revered Celia Gordon is poisoned by peanuts being in her dessert. Which person in the group killed the unpopular Revered?
This is the third in the series with Monica Noble. I had not read the other two but had no problem. A good mystery to read fast

I can't add much to the many reviews, so I'll just say that this is a solid mystery. Faith is a talented, experience author who knows how to spin a good tale. Recommended.

I really appreciate the copy for review!

The Manor House Murder by Faith Martin is the third and last book in Monica Noble series.

In this installment Graham and Monica are invited to a church conference where many important colleagues of Graham's will be. Graham is a bit apprehensive as he has to give a speech and Monica is as always doing her best to support him.
Graham's old acquaintance cleric Celia is murder at dinner. Celia is not very liked and there are many who find her abrasive, but is it possible that one of clerics has killed someone?
Inspector Dury is sent to investigate the case due to its high profile and he is not very happy to encounter Noble's again.

Author is very crafty as she is able to set the atmosphere and describe protagonists remarkably well with only a few cleverly used words.
I especially enjoy the fact that at the beginning of the book we have a chance to get to know protagonists well and take a look into their lives.
As always it has that old classic mystery vibe which I really like even though it is contemporary story.
I also enjoy reading about interviews and policeman's thought process and investigative skills as they are being used to identify the killer.
Somewhat different than the previous books is the fact that main character isn't so involved into talking to possible suspects and we mostly get our perspective from Inspector Dury's point of view.

A great addition to the previous book and I for one am sorry it is to be the last installment in this series.

This is the third in the Monica Nobel Mystery series by Faith Martin and is just as entertaining as the first two in the series. In this book, Monica’s husband Graham, who is the local vicar, has been invited to speak at a conference being held at a nearby estate that the owner has turned into a successful venue for retreats. When Monica accompanies Graham to the facility on the opening day, she meets Reverend Celia Gordon who makes an immediate play for Graham, making it clear that she would welcome the opportunity to pick up where they left off so many years ago.
Graham is embarrassed by this public display of interest and works to distance himself from Celia. Monica has confidence in Graham and their relationship, but she still recognizes Celia as someone who would like to be a rival for Graham’s attention. As such, she goes out of her way to get a new dress and step up her appearance for the formal dinner they will be attending. When they arrive, she is feeling comfortable, although Celia, an attractive woman in her own right, make sure she is sitting across the table from Graham where he will have to see her and acknowledge her presence.
Shortly after dessert is served, Celia goes into distress and dies while everyone is still at dinner. The police are called, although everyone is trying to convince themselves the death was due to some form of natural causes such as a heart attack. A doctor who is present suggests the police be called as he has his concerns. When the police arrive, Graham and Monica once again find themselves being interviewed by Chief Inspector Jury who was called in for two previous murders where Graham and Monica were present, both of which Monica solved before Jury.
To complicate matters further, Jury has a strong attraction to Monica, one she also experiences for Jury. Neither of them have spoken of these feelings, as Monica is completely devoted to her marriage and to Graham, Things become more tense as it becomes apparent that Jury recognizes Graham as a suspect in the murder, even though he doesn’t believe the man could actually be guilty of murdering anyone.
The underlying feelings that ripple through Monica, Graham, and Jury serve to add a slight level of tension, although they never boil over into more than that and don’t impede the telling of the murder itself. In this book they serve to act as a catalyst for Monica to get involved and work to unmask the killer.
As with other Faith Martin novels, the characters in this book are well-drawn and interesting as well as having their own individual personalities. From the owner of the manor who has recently experienced a major tragedy that has a connection in some way to Celia, to the young female cleric who is there to promote her programs for young mothers and who is worried about a friend who hasn’t been in touch for a while.
All these stories fold together to provide either clues or red herrings to the solution of this murder. Martin includes all the information throughout the book the reader needs to reach the correct solutions. There is a well-constructed sleight of hand that, upon denouement, will leave many readers slapping their foreheads at the same time they mumble “of course”.
Martin has written yet another book that is engaging from the start, well plotted, and perfectly paced. It stands alone in terms of the mystery itself, although knowing the history of previous meetings between Jury, Monica, and Graham make the story more enjoyable. My thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Digital Reader copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is available to purchase now.

Disclaimer: I haven’t read the first two books in this series. I was able to pick up on things very easily, however.

This is one of those fun and cozy mysteries that are good to pull out on a rainy day. A simple read, it held my attention and made me smile. The characters aren’t all that developed, and I called the ‘who dunnit’ before the reveal, but it didn’t dim my enjoyment of the book. In a story like this, the fun is how you get to the end.

I didn’t love the setup: the multiple uses of the words “whore” and “prissy bitch” in the prologue grated on me. I do understand that the whole purpose was to point out how bad the baddie was. It still irked me, though. It didn’t jive with the feel of the rest of the story.

It’s a small complaint, and the rest of the book was highly enjoyable. I kind of loved the glossary of English terms that was added for us Americans. I found it helpful and a ton of fun to see the differences in language.

Have you read this? What did you think?

This is the third book in the series and was slightly different in terms of the style of writing.

I enjoyed that they had the main characters however I felt this one was a little more obvious and didnt have quite as many red herrings to throw me off the chase. I guessed straight away who had done it!

Overall and enjoyable and quick read. A good cosy murder mystery.

Thank you providing me with an arc.

This murder mystery gets off to a cracking start with an inside story of a mystery killer at work.
A few months later and we are in the idyllic, picture postcard Oxfordshire village of Heyford Bassett.
Vicar Graham Noble and his wife Monica have created a home for themselves in the local community and are looking forward to attending a major Ecclesiastical conference at a local Manor House hotel.
When one of the female vicars at the conference is murdered, it is clear that not only is the murderer at the conference, but they are ready to kill again to get what they want.
The clergymen and their families, including Graham and Monica, are soon under police investigation.
One of them is a serial killer. As the stakes increase, so does the tension in the group. What could drive someone to kill?
The treatment of female clergy was well handled and used to drive several plot lines.
I enjoyed the setting and structure of this mystery but somehow it felt flat and the language was both stilted and far from contemporary.
The rather sexist descriptions of some of the characters were also a real problem for me. For example. Monica's 'figure was still pleasantly trim.' Really?
Sorry that overall this story did not work for me.

I really enjoy Faith Martin's books when I'm in a certain mood. They are very easy to read and almost the epitome of cosy mystery – there is always murder, but it's never distasteful! Martin writes very much in the tradition of Agatha Christie: an omniscient narrator revealing the information she chooses, skipping from POV to POV with happy abandon. The writing is pedestrian; the plot is key. And although Martin's books are set in modern times, their sensibility always feels very old-fashioned to me. It's all good fun and a quick read when one isn't in the mood for anything taxing or emotionally draining.

In this one, I guessed the murderer almost straight away but didn't put together all the pieces of their motive until the end, so it was well done.

I'd recommend this series to cosy mystery fans.

Another chapter in Monica Noble's amateur detective investigations. This one is a little different to the previous two; It takes time to set the scene, with a long prologue, it soon draws in a cast of characters attending a conference for clerics at a manor- house hotel close to Graham Noble's parish.

There is much back-biting among the clerics, many of whom are ambitious, female clerics also feature and these are the subject of some male derision because of the status they have achieved. This story deals with the ongoing battle of women in the church, and echos the battles of women everywhere to further their careers. The victim appears to be the subject of many people's dislike, and her previous relationship with Graham Noble, bring him and Monica right into the centre of this murder mystery.

Monica and detective Jason's relationship is an interesting dimension to this story, and it seems they may be on opposite sides for the first time since they met. Sub-plots give unlikely individuals possible motives for murder, besides, those who have a more obvious motive.

The story picks up pace in the final half and ends fittingly for this type of murder mystery. An enjoyable way to spend a Winter's afternoon.

I received a copy of this book from Joffe Books in return for an honest review.

When an ecclesiastical conference including Reverends and Bishops is being held at the Manor House the local Reverend Graham Noble is asked to give a talk. On arriving at the Manor House there are a few surprises as a face from the past is seen by Graham and within less than a day he finds himself a suspect in a Police investigation. The Police arrive to investigate and before long Graham No0ble's wife Monica is called to assist with the investigation.
Faith Martin has such talent for writing murder mysteries with many red herrings and the murderer being not who you would expect.