Victoria Walters' Murder At The House On The Hill was a fun murder mystery. The plot moves quickly and it is quite entertaining!

Right from the start of Murder At The House On The Hill I found myself delighted by its whimsical charm. The main character, Nancy Hunter, is named after Nancy Drew and, along with her grandmother, runs the Dedley Endings Bookshop, a book store that exclusively sells thrillers, crime, and mystery books. Come on, how can you not love that? It’s almost too cute, right? And it’s a good thing that Nancy is so fluent in the genre because when she and her grandmother are invited to an engagement party at the Roth mansion, the most well-to-do and typically reclusive family in all the Cotswolds, she finds they’ve walked into a real life murder mystery. This book featured a great cast of characters (you’ll absolutely love Nancy, her grandmother and her friends) and a solid mystery with plenty of twists and turns. Hopefully this is just the start of a new series because I know I wouldn’t mind returning to the village of Dedly End for another adventure.
Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Murder At The House On The Hill.

Murder at the House on the Hill, A Dedley End Mystery, was a new author and new cozy British mystery series for me.
Nancy runs a rather unique mystery/thriller bookstore in a small English village where nothing exciting ever happens. Her grandmother, Jane, and assistant, Penelope, seem to do most of the store keeping. Nancy is haunted by the questionable auto accident that took her father's life.
Nancy proffesses to prefer the simple, uneventful, quiet life not far from busy London. However, her passion for mysteries seeps into her sedate life with an invitation to a fabled mansion. The wealthy, reclusive Roth family is hosting an engagement gala. The whole village is gossiping, as no one has seen this snobby, high society family in thirty years. Her friend Jonathan, local paper reporter, is attending the event with her. In addition, her X-lover, Richard from university, reappears and wants to rekindle things.
Just as the celebration gets underway, a blood curdling scream, a fall, and a newlywed is dead at the bottom of the grand staircase.
What follows is the Roth family drama, secrets, and local police bumbling through the case. Nosy Nancy can't trust that they'll find the perpetrator. There are suspects galore and shady characters abound. Nancy stays on the case despite warnings and puts herself in harms way.
Just like the characters, brew some tea and settle in. The outcome might surprise you.
The book was an easy read as a stand alone, but left a good premise for the next in series.
Thanks to Netgalley, Victoria Walters, and Hera publishing for the advance digital copy. The opinions stated here are mine given voluntarily.

Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens…
That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in thirty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party. While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short when beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade. But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why? Being a huge fan of Nancy drew back in the day, this story really appealed to me. Fun location, Interesting characters and a great mystery...what more could you want. Well-plotted and immensely enjoyable. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

4 STARS

Definitely got Nancy Drew/Agatha Christie vibes from this one! It had a slow start but it really was entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This book will release on September 23, 2021.

Once Upon A Crime…
Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens…
I enjoyed this mystery. I did find that it was a bit slow to at parts.
#MurderAtTheHouseOnTheHill

The plot is absolutely brilliant and I loved Nancy and her grandmother, Jane. Jonathan is also a fabulous character and I loved his relationship with Nancy. This is a brilliant “whodunnit” which gave me some serious Miss Marple feels……and THAT ENDING!

Thanks to Hera books/NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

Not a massive fan of this book I'm afraid.

Maybe it's because I'd just finished Richard Osman's 'The Man Who Died Twice', so I was spoiled with the quality of that novel, and this one paled by comparison.

It was all a bit 'nice' for me, a bit too cosy, a bit dull to be honest.

The plot was plodding, the characters paper-thin, and I just didn't care enough about them to have any great reaction to the story.

Other reviewers seem to have enjoyed it, and that's great, it just wasn't for me.

It's a good cosy mystery that can offer some enjoyable hours for the readers. It has several elements that are typical to the genre, so it is not that original. However, the author uses these panels really well.
The story starts a little slow and I felt sometimes a little repetitive, but later it gains momentum and the solution is really exciting. There is also an unexpected turn at the end.
All in all it was an entertaining story and I can recommend the book to anyone who likes this genre.

Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane make a wonderful pair of sleuths in this great book by Victoria Walters.
I had a great time reading this book, and the murder investigation was well written and kept me guessing until the end.
The secondary story which focuses on Nancy and her ex, Richard, was quite good and it added a bit of intrigue to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#MurderAtTheHouseOnTheHill #NetGalley

I've been reading Victoria Walters' books ever since The Second Love of My Life. I was pleasantly surprised that her writing had taken a completely new direction with this book, breaking away from her usual chick lit, providing a refreshing change.
This was a compelling read. Situated in a small Cotswold village called Dedley Endings, Nancy Hunter runs a bookshop with her gran Jane. They get an engagement party invitation from the reclusive family who owns the local manor house. Cue the murder at the party. Nancy along with her best friend Jonathan become sleuths and fully immerse themselves into investigating and solving the mystery and motive behind the murder.
I look forward to reading the next installment of this series. I hope we get to see more depth of character when it comes to both Nancy and Jonathan (and please don't get them romantically involved).

Wonderful new cozy series.

I loved this brilliant cozy read. Set in the large house with a small group of people who are all suspects, it felt very Christie-esque. Nancy and Jane were fab, I loved their relationship. And I can't wait for more.

Thanks to the publishers, author, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Lovely start to a promising new series! This has been such fun to read and is a great mix of cozy and Agatha Christie. Set in a small village in the English countryside, a big house on the hill, and a warm and loving cast of family and friend, this has all the heart of a cozy. But, the mystery in the big house has me feeling all the Christie vibes, in the best possible way. I loved that there were subtle signs regarding Richard, which she didn’t overlook! I do hope that Jonathan isn’t end game though; I’d love to see for once besties can just stay besties.

It's Christmas season in the Cotswolds and Dedley Endings Bookshop is being prepped with delectable displays of crime and mystery books. Nancy and her grandmother happily run the shop and know almost everyone in their village. So, when they receive invitations to attend an engagement party at elusive Roth's house (ahem...mansion), they are surprised...no guests have been welcomed there for decades Villagers, agog with curiosity, show up for the event. What are the Roths like and more importantly, what is the mansion like? Nancy's best friend from childhood, Jonathan, works with the media so he is tickled to attend. While guests busily chat away with their hosts and gape at the sumptuous surroundings, a scream is heard and a body is found. And that body is dead.

The suspect list is long, including the Roths and the guests. Nancy does some sleuthing of her own as she is well read on mystery fiction and knows a thing or two. While inveigling, she discovers secrets. History has a way of creeping up on one.

My favourite aspect about this book is the library and book talk! I also enjoy the relationship between Nancy and Gran. If you are seeking a light and cozy murder mystery, you ought to read this charmer.

My sincere thank you to Hera Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this delightful book.

5/5 stars.
Murder at the house on the hill is the perfect read for thriller lovers. First of all, the cover is gorgeous and I think a pretty cover can get a lot of attention and for the good reasons, because this book was as perfect as the cover.
The story follows a grandmother and her granddaughter and they both run a shop named Dedley Endings and as reader, that’s one of the coolest names i’ve ever heard. Can I sign up so more bookshops will get cool names?. Because I would enter that one in a heartbeat (or should I?). Jane and Nancy’s library is specialized in crimes, thrillers and horrors and they are avid readers of this genre. They know everything about it and one day they get the invitation to attend and exclusive party organized by the Roth family. Everyone in town is going to attend and during the event, a young lady named Lucy who got married to one of the Roth members ends up dead and nobody knows who did it or what happened that night. Jane and Nancy find themselves living the story their books talks about and decide to use their knowledge about crime to find out who did it and what happened at the Roth mansion.
What I like about this book is the premise and the setting. I love small town thrillers because they give me that creepy feeling and all the chills. Who did it? Who might have a motive? Everyone knows everyone so it’s really fun to get to know all the suspects and Nancy and Jane are perfect because they are readers and they use all their knowledge to solve it. The dynamic between the two of them was so wholesome. There’s something so cute and warm about a grandma and a grandniece not only working together, but enjoying the same stuff and teaming up to solve everything. I don’t know any other books that have this dynamic and it was refreshing to see. This is a really compelling and unique thriller and I highly recommend it.

This was an enjoyable cozy mystery set around Christmastime in the Cotswolds.

I'll be honest a few times I was a little bored but I'm glad I kept reading b/c the whodunnit was great.

The epilogue sets us up for the next mystery and I look forward to reading it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Hera Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Hera Books.

Murder At the House On The Hill is a blast! It has everything you want in a thriller. It's fast paced, fun and it keeps you guessing till the end! Murder At The House On the Hill was like a modern day clue. I love a good murder mystery and this one delivered all the retro vibes of Clue! I loved the bookshop as a setting. I felt this was a such a fun twist and I'm a sucker for all things bookshop. The story is fill with lots of characters and unusual twists. I can't wait to read this again during spooky season

Murder on the House on the Hill
By Victoria Walters

Growing up, I always wanted to be Nancy Drew; I felt it was my right and obligation as a Nancy. I am so jealous of Nancy Hunter, owner of Dedley Endings Bookstore, as she lived out my dream in Victoria Walters debut book in her new Dedley End Series, “Murder on the House on the Hill”. What a delightful Christmas cozy!!

We meet Nancy a few days before Christmas with her best friend Jonathan, at the bookstore Nancy is running for her Gran called Dedley Ending, a bookstore selling only, what else, murder and mystery. I love the way the author has developed the relationship of Nancy and Jonathan; in fact, the author handles all the relationships in this book with an adept hand. These two are best friends with a strong competitive edge honed as only the years of childhood can do.

Nancy and Gran receive an invitation to a formal engagement party at the House on the Hill, owned by the wealthy recluse Roth family. Jonathan, the local town reporter was not invited and begs Nancy to be her Plus 1. At the party, the head of the family, Marcus is leading a toast for the newly engaged couple when screams pierce the festivities. Jonathan and Nancy rush forward to view Lucy Roth, the black sheep of the family lying dead at the bottom of a staircase, the apparent victim of murder!

The plot just glides on from there. This is a fast-paced British cozy, full of caring friends and family, wonderful quirky characters and a good dose of ho ho ho and holiday spirit. Get your tea and biscuits or mulled wine ready to enjoy as you settle down for a wonderful adventure in Dedley End; I award this book 4 stars.

An overall excellent cozy mystery! The characters are well written with depth that sometimes is unseen in these types of books. I’m looking forward to future adventures of Nancy Hunter!

DNF @ 15%

The constant exclamations of just how incredible Roth House was got to me. And the protagonist seems a tad bit too much like her literary namesake (for whom she is named). It was still going decently well until the ex showed up. Too much of the same to take.