A gripping cosy murder mystery, which had me hooked from start to finish. The Royal Family have gathered at the Castle for a traditional Christmas during a violent snowstorm. There are also rumours that King Eric is going to announce his successor during his after-dinner speech. However, King Eric drops dead having taken a sip of his favourite whisky. When it looks like the King has been poisoned, and one of the royals could have done it, Jonathan Alleyne, the kings beloved head chef decides to play detective and find the murderer. This was a real page turner of a novel, and the storyline kept me happily turning the pages, whilst the plot twists kept me guessing as to the outcome of the story. Jon was a great amateur detective and I hope he will be solving mysteries again soon!

Thanks must go to Netgalley, the publisher and Chris McGeorge for the ARC of ‘A Murder at the Castle’.

Absolutely love anything written by Chris and again this one didn’t disappoint. A slightly cosier read than his norm, but well written, twisty and captivating as usual.

Would absolutely recommend.

Wow what a book thank you ever so much for the opportunity to review. I could not put it down. Would definitely recommend to others!

Thanks so very much to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for the tour invite and publishers Orion for the opportunity to read and review, 'A Murder At The Castle' the new novel by one of my favourite writers, Chris McGeorge which is out from November the 10th in all good bookshops!

The tricks and puzzles he uses to such great effect in his previous novels are on display in this tale set on Christmas Day,at Balmoral,a story with extra meaning since the sad passing of the Queen.

This alternate timeline is established from the reign of Edward VII and had King Eric as the elderly monarch who has dismissed all his staff (except his chef and head of security) and is planning a holiday with just his immediate family.

Beginning with a Kingly speech, that never finishes because Eric drinks poisoned whiskey, right at the beginning, we see the royal household through the eyes of Jonathan Alleyne,his personal chef.

His descriptions of the Royal household and how he,the son of an immigrant worked his way into the position of Eric's chef and crossword puzzle solver is so well done,he is the entry point into a world none of us can easily imagine.

And yet it gives us an intimacy extended beyond the isolated setting and reduced family members as a blizzard perfectly sets the scene for an Agatha Christie-esque whodunit.

The twists and turns are exactly what you would wish for and expect from Chris, he is a master at providing plausible explanations for what is initially inexplicable and has you going 'why didn't I see that coming?'

But what he does is not make the reader feel foolish for not seeing it,the denouement is a 'Ahhhhh....' situation,a momentous clarifying that makes you want to turn to the beginning and see where all the clues fit.

A perfectly timed release for the winter reading list,I thoroughly recommend this to lovers of satisfying mysteries.

Imagine a world in which Edward VIII had never abdicated and instead allowed the establishment to find him a suitable wife. It's this divergent timeline which gives us the Royal Family in A Murder at the Castle, and as the title suggests, their troubles are even worse than any our own Royals have had. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of Chris McGeorge's previous novels and knew to expect a clever puzzle but I must admit to being very pleasantly surprised by his latest book. I tend to be drawn to darker crime fiction and thought this might be a light-hearted cosy crime story which was an agreeable enough way to spend a few hours but not necessarily something I'd love. How wrong I was! Not only was I captivated by the search for the killer, I also became completely invested in the characters themselves and developed very strong feelings about some of them.
The book opens on Christmas morning but for the Royal Family, this most traditional of days is going to be rather different. They are gathered at Balmoral but King Eric has ordered most of the staff to leave, insisting he wants a true family Christmas. Only their long-serving loyal chef, Jonathan Alleyne and Tony Speck, the head of security remain with them. It quickly becomes apparent that these Royals have their fair share of secrets and scandals. They are not mirror images of their real-life counterparts and while this is definitely an exploration of what being part of the monarchy might do to a person, it's not a direct criticism of anybody. Nevertheless, I have a feeling Chris McGeorge had tremendous fun creating these characters. I particularly loved to hate the king's reprobate brother, David. The rumours about his sordid past have heaped shame and embarrassment on the Royals and although actions have been taken to keep things out of the public eye, relations are strained within the family...
Their lives are constantly under the spotlight, of course and there is also a popular television series, The Monarch, a dramatisation of the reign of King Eric which is drawing ever closer to the present day and is uncannily accurate at times. It's all a recipe for a highly fraught family Christmas but while many households might argue over Monopoly or the last roast potato, their day takes a far more sinister turn when Eric collapses and dies during his annual after-dinner speech. The main protagonist is actually Jonathan and while I don't know whether the insights we are given into what it's like having such a significant job are accurate, it certainly feels believable. Jon's concern about dinner timings will be sympathised with by anybody who has ever cooked for an important gathering but his role becomes even more pivotal when the blizzard conditions outside the 'Moral means nobody can be called on to help investigate what must surely be murder. He reluctantly agrees to take on the mantle of detective but doesn't have an easy time of it. It's widely believed that Eric had planned to abdicate and name a new successor and although he never had the chance to make his wishes known, he did hold separate meetings with his nearest and dearest on Christmas morning. Jon soon realises that each of the Royals present had the means to poison the king and most, if not all, seem to have had a motive.
As secrets are divulged, alcohol is imbibed and tempers become inevitably frayed, his quest to discover who murdered the man he considered a friend is challenging and emotional. A murder mystery in a privileged household with a limited number of suspects is bound to be compared to the Golden Age and Chris McGeorge strikes the balance between paying homage while not being derivative superbly here. It's genuinely suspenseful and although the characters are necessarily opaque, they are all distinct from one another. There are red herrings, of course, plus plenty of surprises and a few scenes which saw me raging, before a wonderfully inventive conclusion which wasn't what I expected at all.
A Murder at the Castle is a fabulous read. I loved it and was engrossed by this cleverly plotted, compelling, rather poignant mystery from start to finish. It's perfect seasonal entertainment and I highly recommend it.

A Murder at the Castle is great fun; it's very entertaining with a colourful cast of privileged characters who would kill to get their hands on the crown.

Set in Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, it's very atmospheric with snow falling heavily on Christmas Day. Chris McGeorge's writing is so vivid that I found it very easy to visualise the grounds and interior of the castle.

The cast of characters is brilliant and I loved the chef, Jon. Jon has a lot on his hands on the biggest day of the year as King Eric has given Christmas Day off to all of his staff except his chef and head of security. Jon has prepared King Eric's final meal as the King drops down dead after drinking his after dinner whisky. As they are completely isolated due to the snowstorm, the royal family turn to Jon to investigate.

It's very reminiscent of Agatha Christie with every character having a motive: the King was about to name his successor. I suspected all of them, as I was meant to, but I was still surprised as the full story was revealed. I liked the idea that the characters are supposed to be the descendants of Edward VIII, in an alternative history where Edward VIII was never forced to abdicate, but I didn't really feel this came through in the story and I quickly forgot about it.

A Murder at the Castle is an entertaining cosy mystery and a great book to read during winter as the snow falls and Christmas lights twinkle. I enjoyed it and could totally imagine it being made into a festive film in the future.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Locked room mystery meets the Royal family.

It’s Christmas Day, there’s a snow blizzard outside and the Royal family are gathered at Balmoral Castle to celebrate the holidays. They’ve sent all the staff home except the head chef, Jon and the security detail, Speck. As per family tradition, they’re tucking into their Christmas dinners. King Eric prepares to give his post dinner speech. He raises his glass of whisky, takes a drink and drops dead.

I enjoyed this book so much that I found it hard to put down. The chapters are incredibly short so you can fly through this book, which is what I did!

I love how descriptive Chris McGeorge’s books are as through these descriptions, you can picture the scene and characters, which I think helps to immerse you into the book.

Some of the characters I disliked, whilst others I absolutely loved (such as Jon). In the end, I did feel sorry for some of the Royals.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending as it’s left quite open but I think you are meant to draw your own conclusions.

⚠️ Content warnings: alcohol use, murder, poisoning, racism, death, drugs, mention of assassination attempt, cancer, car accident, animal death, pandemic, fertility issues, suicide, Stockholm syndrome and physical assault, profanity, grief, vomiting, derogatory language, blood, threat to kill, gun, passive bystander & cheating ⚠️

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher Orion Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book!

I have posted this review to my NetGalley and Goodreads accounts. I have also posted a review on my Instagram and TikTok accounts (@thearieslibrary).

A Murder at the Castle (it is already released in the US as A Murder at Balmoral) will be released on 10th November 2022 and will be will be available to purchase as a paperback for £8.99 and an e-book for 99p.

I love a whodunit, and this one did not disappoint, full of intruguing mystery, mayhem and, of course, some delicious red herrings, this was a perfect mystery and had me guessing up until the end. I always enjoy discovering new cosy mystery authors and Chris McGeorge has now become a new favourite.

Like many Americans, I am strangely fascinated by the British Royal Family - even fictitious ones as in this story! It was a good mystery and I enjoyed following Jonathan around the castle as he interviewed the family and tried to determine whodunnit. I liked the glimpse the behind the scene sook at the private lives of the Royal family as well and alternated between feeling sorry for them and genuinely disliking several of them. I was disappointed with the ending and would like to see at least an added epilogue telling us what happens next!

I don’t like giving negative reviews but I’m sorry to say that I could not finish this book.

I usually really enjoy murder mysteries but after reading a few chapters, it was clear that Murder in the Castle is not a book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Club Reviewer Group for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

A Murder at the Castle is a brilliant new take on the royal family and their reign. In this book, the abdication never happened and we have a new line of members of the Windsor royals. King Eric is currently on the throne and there are rumours he is to step down and name a successor. These rumours are only heightened when during their Christmas break at Balmoral, the King announces he wishes the celebration to be a strictly family affair, with only his faithful chef Jonathan Alleyne and a lone member of security at the castle. When things turn incredibly sour and seemingly on his own with an unknown murderer, Jon has to turn detective before the killer strikes again.

I really enjoyed A Murder at the Castle and loved learning about the family, King Eric does genuinely seem like a good monarch although the same cannot be said for some of his close family! I think the author has done a brilliant job in maybe using some of the characteristics of real members of the Windsor family, although it maybe up to you as the reader to work out who! To keep it balanced there are some nicer members of the family who almost feel overwhelmed about their family and duty and you do begin to feel just how daunting being a member of this family really is.

Jon, as our main character and detective is brilliantly flawed. A detective he is not but he does become more confident later on in the book. We do get little glimpses of his life as a young boy and how he came from very humble beginnings and was raised mainly by his grandmother and how he eventually became the head chef and somewhat confidant of the King. I think learning about his past explains his confidence issues.

The ending is something that I think will divide people but I found it very clever and made me want to read again to see if I could pick up any of the clues scattered!

Very enjoyable but I would expect nothing less from Chris McGeorge.

This was such an enjoyable read, it was well written with a compelling storyline, incredibly descriptive passages and vivid imagery and well developed characters that made me feel like I could jump into the pages. The book is so engaging which is ghelped by the short chapters.
There are some hard hitting issues within the book but I still found it to be an enjoyabel read,

Christmas Day at Balmoral Castle and the royal family are celebrating alone, apart from the royal chef. The rest of the entourage have been dismissed for the day. At 3pm, as the rest of the country is watching the King's speech on TV, the royal family are preparing to listen to a very different speech. Everyone is expecting the King to abdicate and announce his successor. Just as he begins to speak the King collapses and dies, all indications are that he has been poisoned. With only the royal family present and a blizzard outside everyone is a suspect and the chef has to investigate.

Having recently read Murder Most Royal by S. J. Bennett I was very keen to see how A Murder In The Castle by Chris McGeorge compares. While both are crime novels and feature the royal family they are very different. In the former The Queen is the investigator and all "real" characters are part of the establishment we know. In the later The King is murdered, a King and family from a completely different timeline.

Initially I liked the premise of the story. We're asked to consider what would have happened if Edward VIII hadn't abdicated and his heirs are now on the throne. King Eric would be our current King, he would have two daughters and two grandsons. Other than lineage very little else has changed.

At the grand old age of 85 King Eric has been a popular monarch but is ready to step down and the family fully expect him to announce his eldest grandson as his successor. When he dies during his speech suspicion falls on all the members of the royal family since they are the only people present. A blizzard has ensured that they are snowed in.

I really struggled with the writing style and the fact that absolutely everyone was a suspect. There were far too many red herrings along with huge parts of the novel were very little happened apart from reiterating what we already knew. This resulted in a stilted, slow pace. Some of the characters were thoroughly unlikeable and the rest were so insipid I really didn't care either way about them.

Overall a disappointing read considering the potential at the start of the book.

Rating: 2.4/5

I have been full of praise for the work of Chris McGeorge ever since I read his debut novel "Guess Who?" back in 2018. This is now his fifth book and although it contains some of the typically clever locked-room elements that are one the trademarks of this author, I have to say that it left me feeling a bit flat.

In "A Murder at the Castle" (Also known as "A Murder at Balmoral") Chris Mc George has imagined an alternative history where Edward VIII did not abdicate, but instead married someone other than Wallis Simpson and remained on the throne. That change in history has resulted in the current monarch being King Eric. As the immediate members of the Royal Family gather at Balmoral for Christmas, events take a shocking turn. King Eric drops dead - apparently the victim of a poisoning - and the other Royals fall under suspicion. There is only a skeleton staff on duty at the castle and the task of investigating the murder falls to the long-serving chef, Jon Alleyne.

I was not totally taken with the idea of reinventing the history of the Windsors. I was prepared to go with it and allow the author his creative licence, but with a little reworking this mystery could have essentially played out at any country estate with a significant inheritance of some sort at stake - after all, that has been the setting and premise for many a solid murder mystery over the years. Nonetheless, it was quite fun to see how Chris McGeorge imagined this alternative Royal Family, complete with its own version of "The Crown", entitled "The Monarch".

The plot and its eventual unravelling are cleverly conceived, as you might expect if you have read Chris McGeorge's work previously. The author also touches on some important socio-political themes along the way, which are thought-provoking and could form the basis of interesting discussions in book groups. However, there was something about the book as a whole that didn't quite hit the mark consistently enough for me. As in his previous book, "Half-Past Tomorrow" there were some elements that seemed more like a cosy mystery, but I didn't mind that. Perhaps more of an issue was the pace of the novel. It was only in the final third that I felt this really began to click into gear. Of course, the writer needs to set the scene and cover all the necessary bases for the subsequent solving of the mystery to hang together, but I found it dragging a touch at times - and that really isn't something I associate with Chris McGeorge's stories.

This certainly isn't a bad book, by any means - nor do I have any objection to the author experimenting with his style and approach - but this isn't my favourite Chris McGeorge novel. That said, I am sure I will still be back for book six.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

he royal family has gathered at Balmoral for Christmas, but this is no ordinary celebration. King Eric has dismissed all but a skeleton staff – one security guard and his chef, Jonathan Alleyne. Jonathan owes almost everything to King Eric, who he has served for decades. Even he doesn’t know what the King is planning and what he is discussing with each of his family one by one…

When the King falls dead after Christmas dinner, and the security guard disappears, the family finds themselves cut off by a savage blizzard. Jonathan is elected by the family to find the truth – with nobody else in the house, the murderer must be one of them. But what would be so important for someone to want to kill a King?

It’s Christmas mystery time, hurrah! Well, the first of two reviews of Christmas mysteries but the second one has barely a whiff of the season about it. This one has turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings, and a nice traditional mystery setting too.

To clarify who King Eric is, the book is set in the present day but in an alternate timeline where Edward VIII didn’t abdicate, so the author can say a few things about the Royal family without taking a direct pop at any individual. This is a well-thought-out set of characters as there aren’t any direct parallel characters to the existing Royals – it would have been very easy to have had a Prince Landrew character for example. The commentary is more in line with the nature of the monarchy in general rather than individuals’ specific flaws.


In case you’re wondering if this is a lecture on democracy rather than a murder mystery, rest assured that’s not the case. This is one of the best page-turners that I’ve read in a long while. Chris McGeorge does an excellent job of maintaining the classic mystery structure without falling into the pitfalls of the prolonged interview sessions that some books can fall into. The lead character of Jonathan is a great character, and his journey to the truth – he’s not the most capable of sleuths, but that’s not played for laughs – is engrossing to follow. The suspects – there are only about six or seven of them – are all nicely distinct and McGeorge also does something more than simply homage the Golden Age. As with A Fatal Crossing, the ending of the tale is far from conventional and all the more effective for it. Also there is one cracking bit of misdirection…

All in all, I think this is Chris’ best book yet. A highly entertaining mystery with proper Christmas decorations. Oh, but do ignore the “From The King Of The Locked Room Mystery” bit on the blurb because a) it’s not a locked room or impossible mystery and b) Chris McGeorge isn’t a pseudonym for John Dickson Carr…

A Murder In The Castle is out in the UK from Orion on November 10th in paperback and ebook – it’s already out in the US under the title A Murder At Balmoral. Many thanks to the publishers for the e-review copy.

Let’s start with the good:

•You don’t guess who/how they did it until the story tells you
•Unique characters (an alternative timeline with a different royal family)
•Action packed

The bad:

• Very slow moving in parts, to the point I almost lost interest and gave up reading
• The ending was so bizarre and was unfinished to the point I finished the book and wished I’d never bothered starting it

Overall there were some good bits to the story, and I felt the author had potential to make this a good story, for which I’ve rated it higher than it deserves, however I honestly wished I’d never wasted my time reading this, mainly due to the ending, sp if you want to read an unfinished book where the whodunnit is very strange, go for it, otherwise, find an author who didn’t just pen something they had a dream about one night