Set in idyllic Somerset, this book is centered around the real Cleeve Abbey in England (which I now want to visit). Married couple Libby (baker and chocolatier) and Max (internet sleuth) with their two dogs investigate crimes of the past...and present. Bones are discovered...could they be those of a monk or someone else? Ghastly and ghostly findings abound.

My favourite aspect of this book is the atmosphere...I enjoy reading books set in the UK, especially involving old manors, cathedrals, abbeys and so on. The cover is gorgeous! Descriptions of baking and chocolates are sublime. Who doesn't love food in books? The archaeological slant is interesting.

This book is perfect for those who wish a bit of cozy escapism. It is not very suspenseful but a nice easy read. Dog people like me adore dog descriptions in books but you needn't be one to appreciate this.

My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this charming book. I look forward to the next in the series.

I enjoyed this book so much,

Libby, a chocolate goodies maker and her new husband, Max, are enjoying a day out at Cleeve Abbey, Somerset.

It is the annual history society picnic. It is very fortunate that they also run a private investigation company

because skeletal remains are found in the riverbank, With great characters and clues, the inquiries start

leading to further complications involving money laundering, violence, ghost hunting and competitive academia.

There are so many twists and turns in this. lively cosy murder.

It is the sleuths dream.

What a wonderful addition to an already incredible series!

When Libby forest is once again faced with another murder and an incident that hit a bit too close to home for her liking, she is determined to solve not only an attack and a murder but a murder that happened over 400 years ago.

Frances Evesham has outdone herself with the latest addition to this book, I sincerely hope there are many more additions to the Exham on sea series to come.

*a huge thank you to the publishers and net galley for giving an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review*

I remember many years ago the excitement and delight of reading each new Agatha Christie mystery. Now I have the same excitement and delight every time Frances Evesham has a new book published. A worthy successor to the Queen of Crime's crown. Long may she reign.
Living in Somerset is a bonus as each new mystery happens in a location not far from my own doorstep. Frances brings all the beauty of Somerset's countryside and rich history to life to compliment clever plots.

Murder at the Abbey
by Frances Evesham
Pub Date 11 Nov 2021 |
Boldwood Books
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers



I am reviewing a copy of Murder at the Abbey through Boldwood Books and NetGalley:



The Exham-on-Sea’s History Society's annual summer picnic comes to an abrupt end when human bones are discovered in Washford River, beside historic Cleeve Abbey.



Excited about finding evidence of a possible centuries-old murder mystery, the members of the society organise a ghost-hunting night in the ruins of Cleeve Abbey, despite amateur sleuth Libby Forest's reservations.
Libby is a woman of many talents, a baker, chocolatier, even a reluctant sleuth, but she's no fan of the supernatural.and her doubts are justified when a friend is attacked under cover of darkness at the ghost-hunt.



Libby who is distressed and angry sets out with her new husband Max and their two dogs Bear and Shipley to uncover the connection between the murder of a sixteenth century monk and a present-day attack in picturesque Somerset.



Both friends and neighbors are suspects, Libby and Max close in on the culprit only to find that others are still in danger. There's no time to lose as the sins of the past threaten lives in the community.





I give Murder at the Abbey five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Libby and her husband Max are involved in another murder mystery. This time with a connection of several centuries in the past and the present. Book 8 in the series, but overall I was not lost. A good cozy mystery, and like the build up of clues as the reader follows the pair as they work to solve another mystery. Would recommend.

Nice English murder mystery with an archeological bend. Libby and Max are on a Historical Society picnic at the remains of an abbey when a friend discovers some bones. The mystery of the old monks murder leads to a paranormal investigation where another friend is attacked. It's up to Libby and Max to investigate the attack, the old murder, and subsequently the murder of the local fraud. Because it's the 8th book in the series, it took time to catch up with the multiple characters and their backgrounds, but overall an enjoyable read.

This is book eight in this series which I haven’t read any of the previous ones. I would recommend reading the previous ones in order. There seems to be a lot of characters in this book which made it hard to keep everyone straight. I do think reading the previous books in the series would help with that.
It was kind of an easy mystery which I did enjoy.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

The History Society picnic turns somber when human bones are found in the river. The bones are ultimately revealed to be those of a monk from the 16th century Cleeve Abbey and it appears he was murdered!
When a Ghost Night at the Abbey ends with an attack on Mandy, Libby and Max set out to find the attacker and to solve the murder of a local resident whose death is somehow related to that of the monk.
This is the 8th title in the Exham-on- Sea Mystery series and it doesn't disappoint. The pairing of an ancient and modern murder make for an interesting criminal investigation. The usual characters appear and details of their lives are nicely presented.

Finding old bones near a cemetery sets Libby and Max on a quest to determine if they are bones from one of the monks from long ago. When quirky ghosthunter Rosalind Barnstable proposes the historical society members stake out the abbey to look for ghosts, Libby wants to say no, but her curiosity gets the better of her. When someone attacks Libby's good friend Mandy and leaves her seriously injured, Libby knows no ghost committed the crime. Old bones, historic feuds and simmering university politics makes this a fascinating mystery.

When human bones are discovered in the river, Libby and the rest of the historical society are excited to learn they most likely belonged to a 16th century monk from the nearby abbey. They organize on overnight ghost hunt, which results in the attack of a friend. Now, Libby and Max must try to identify the culprit before someone else is injured.

Although this is the eighth book in the series, it is the first one I have read. The story contains a lot of background information, most of which felt as if it were from earlier stories, that continues through most of the book. Much of it felt irrelevant to the story, both while I was reading it and even by the end of the book. Some of the information is repeated multiple times during the first few times and was information I would have rather seen than be told upfront. Some of it was also introduced at awkward times, distracting from the flow of the story. Even many chapters into the book, it was still telling me about previous mysteries that did not feel like they related to the current story. For the information that was relevant to the story, it never felt as if it were introduced in the right place.

Similarly, the dialogue felt unnatural, as if the character was giving information for the reader's benefit, not as if they were speaking to someone they knew, especially Max and Libby, who are married.

I was about 2/3 of the way through the book before the book finally hooked me. I never reached the "I can't put this down" stage. As for the mystery itself, I wasn't really thrilled with the motive because, if I understood it correctly, it was over 500 years old. It felt like a very long time to hold such a grudge.

However, I did enjoy the characters and may try to go back to the first books in the series to see how they all met. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Murder at the Abbey by Frances Evesham in exchange for an honest review. Libby Forest and Max Ramshore are off on a picnic by Cleeve Abbey with friends. One of their group comes across a few bones and a skull in the Washford River in Somerset. The bones seem to be from a 30-35 year old monk from about 400 years ago. I enjoyed this story by Frances Evesham. I love reading these British mysteries with history thrown in. Thank you for a great story.

attempted-murder, married-sleuths, family, family-dynamics, friendship, skeleton, psychics, law-enforcement, England, pets, archaeology, archaeologist*****

Libby Forest (baker, chocolatier) and her second husband Max Ramshore (professional internet sleuth) are up to their necks in the latest weirdness. The publisher's blurb gives a great intro so no need to repeat, and spoilers are just wrong
Good sleuthing and interesting (and some really strange) characters backed up by some lovely dogs. I enjoyed this mystery very much and it was perfect for an afternoon of escapism!
It's part of a series that I like very much, but I do think any of them (especially this one) could stand alone.
I requested and received a free ebook from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

An entertaining mystery set in Somerset - but gosh, didn't the characters get about! They spent most of their time driving from one place to another. This was a read in one sitting book (if you can take the travelling), and had enough twists to keep it interesting.

Oh, I really loved this book, from the cover to the story. Even though the characters were new to me, it was like stepping into a warm hug, and I rarely get that from books nowadays. It's a special feat to make me feel that when stepping into a series that's been going on for some time.

The story is about Libby and Max, two people who tend to solve crimes they stumble upon. When they find bones in an Abbey, attacks start happening to people they know, and they want to figure out why. In between sleuthing for clues, we get to know more about their personal lives, and the small details make up both fun and lovely scenes. There were some instances where I felt I should have read the other books, but they didn't bother too much, and now that I've finished this one, the rest of the series definitely goes on my TBR-pile (in a pretty high spot!). I did suspect the killer from early in the book, but I can't for the life of me figure out how. Maybe my brain is wired on the same wavelength, or I heard something that I didn't fully register, but my subconscious did (scoff at me all you like, but I listen to text-to-speech; it's how I get things done while enjoying my favorite pastime).

Anyway, it's a nice and very cozy mystery and I recommend it to all who want to snuggle up in a blanket with a mystery and disappear from the world for a bit.

An Historic Find…?
The eighth in the Exham-on-Sea mysteries and the local History Society’s annual Summertime picnic is afoot. It’s not long before things take an intriguing turn and Libby is amidst the action once again.when human bones are discovered in the water adjacent to Cleeve Abbey. Is this evidence of an historic murder? When the group decide a ghost hunt should take place Libby is not so sure and her reservations turn out to be founded. An enjoyable and fitting addition to this long running series with likeable protagonists, a solid sense of place and an entertaining storyline. Relaxing, escapist reading.

I found this book rather rambling. I had difficulty sorting out all the characters. I managed to finish it but it didn't really grip me.

This was an enjoyable episode (book eight) in the Exham-on-Sea Murder Mysteries series. I particularly liked the way the links between the past and present murders were explored. It was well done. Libby, Max and the Historical Society all provide key clues to create an intriguing build-up to the resolution of the murder. Shipley and Bear are just adorable and have an active role in the story!

I found there to be a better balance between personal lives and the solving of the mystery in this one which made it a read more suited to me.

With thanks to #Netgally, Boldwood Books and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Another amazing addition to a already great and growing series. The storyline kept me drawn in. Hope the series continues

The Exham-on-Sea History Society, while on their summer picnic, manage to find human bones in the river beside the ruins of Cleeve Abbey.

Despite Libby Forest's reservations, everyone is soon dragged into a ghost hunting night.....

And she was right to be concerned.

One of her friends is attacked and left for dead.

The bones turn out to be historic, but is there a more modern connection??

Another great addition to this excellent series