This was the first time I've read a work by Sam Blake, and it was a real thrill! It did start a bit slowly, but all the twists keep the curiosity at high levels, and it's a hard one to let go of. The narrator was fantastic, and a big reason why I found myself so immersed in the narrative.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to listen to this advanced copy!

I listened to the audio version and the narration throughout is excellent. The narrator has a soft lilt that was entirely in keeping with the characters and style of the story. There’s a strong nod to Agatha Christie in this take; even a character by Christie’s pen name, Westmacott.

It’s an idyllic setting; a restored country castle in the Wicklow area. Very strong sense of location and I could easily visualise the property . There’s a large cast of characters and a feline and they’re all very plausible. Much like Christie, these are superficially ordinary people going about their daily lives, but all is not as it seems. Even though it’s quite slow in pace, the narrative draws you straight in and there are twists and turns where the listener is drawn the wrong way. It takes huge skill by a writer to misdirect a reader and for me, it’s a sign of writing talent. Really enjoyed this story and as it’s the first time I’ve listened to by this author, I’ll be looking for more. A brilliant 5* read

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I found The Mystery of Four by Sam Blake to be an interesting mystery/thriller book.

The book follows Tess Morgan who returned from living and working in Dubai to Northern Ireland, moving to the same town as her best friend, buying a Kilfenora house in County Wicklow. During the time between the start of the book and her renovating the house she is harassed through social media, and is still grieving the loss of her fiance after what we're told was a drunk driving accident. The house seems to be cursed as the rehearsals for the opening of the house's play were affected by an actor being seriously injured by a falling light. After which more murders begin to occur, leaving Tess and the reader wondering if the house really is curse by it's past, if the uncaught local serial killer was at fault, or if something else is going on.

I enjoyed the main character, though at times I did find it hard to distinguish her from her best friend as they have fairly similar personalities, I liked how they showed that she was deeply affected by the death of her fiance and her parents years prior. Most of all I enjoyed her relationship with Mark, the likeable Australian with a dark past of his own. I liked the setting in Northern Ireland, and how living in a village affects how accidents happening can be seen, especially with the local gossip.
The best character by far was Merlin the cat, who is based on the author's own cat, and is written very realistically, and is, frankly, the hero of the book.
Another character who comes close to Merlin's high standard, is Clarissa, the actress with several deceased husbands, and with a fond spot for Tess who is her daughter's friend, I thought she was really funny, and at the end... she was amazing.
I found the writing to be fairly slow, focusing on details, and going off on a few tangents. There was a few plots I would have enjoyed being explored, such as The Radio Snatcher, and the doctor who is mentioned as being fairly uncaring even at the death of his daughter, as well as the doctor's wife who was said to be a shut in, I was waiting for something more mysterious to be at play.
Overall it was a low-stakes mystery, an easy read, especially to have on in the background (the narrator being Aoife McMahon who did a superb job), it wasn't amazing, but it wasn't terrible either.

EXCERPT: Almost midnight. The garden is ink black, as though it's been washed with a brush, details of marble statues and sweeping steps picked out by the week moonlight.

Below, a bronze fountain cast in the likeness of Apollo splashes water into the lake, disturbing the stillness of the hour. Accompanied by the distant scream of a fox, the hoot of an owl, the night sounds meld into backdrop of what is to come.

"The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike."
Skirting the high granite wall, careful footsteps crunch on the gravel to the end of the path where towering gates stand open, wrought-iron flourishes picked out with golden ivy leaves, visible even in the darkness.

Now cutting across the neatly mown grass in front of the glasshouses, and through another set of matching gates.

Beyond, a series of rose beds and square ponds are linked like gems in a necklace along the formal Rose Walk, leading to the wishing well and the yew maze. On either side, crowded flower beds wait for the morning sunshine, their scent heavy, trapped in high walls covered in more roses, their stems entwined, thick with thorns.

A black shape slips into the foliage unseen, green eyes watching.

Almost there. This will be the last trip.

It's been a long journey, the planning detailed, but there's been a lot of time for that. Now, the last act will be easy.

ABOUT 'THE MYSTERY OF FOUR': Tess Morgan has finally made her dream of restoring beautiful Kilfenora House and Gardens into a reality.

But during rehearsals for the play that forms the opening weekend's flagship event, her dream turns into a nightmare when a devastating accident looks set to ruin her carefully laid plans.

There are rumours that Kilfenora House is cursed, but this feels personal, and becomes increasingly terrifying when more than one body is discovered. Could someone be closing in on Tess herself?

Clarissa Westmacott, ex star of stage and screen, certainly believes so, particularly when she learns that purple-flowered aconite has been picked from the Poison Garden. And Clarissa will stop at nothing to protect the friend she has come to see as a daughter...

Four tragic accidents. Or four brutal murders? Unravel The Mystery of Four . . .

MY THOUGHTS: I enjoyed this quiet but engaging murder-mystery. I loved the atmosphere of Kilfenora House, and the characters involved, particularly Clarissa Westmacott, who turns out to be a star in more ways than one.

Now I have to admit that I guessed who was behind all the 'accidents' by the time I was a little over halfway through the book. But that didn't impact on my enjoyment at all. I loved the journey to the rather satisfying end.

The characters are vividly portrayed. Tess is still grieving over the death of her fiance, and I could feel her grief, also her frustration and anguish at the endless stream of incidents that seem set to derail the grand opening of Kilfenora House to the public. On top of all that she has a true crime television crew wanting to dig up the grounds because they believe a serial killer may have buried at least one body there. I loved her response to the news - 'This just keeps on getting better.'

Merlin the cat is another character of importance. He certainly has personality in spades and has a pivotal role in the solving of this slow-burn mystery.

Great characters, a setting oozing with atmosphere, and an engaging mystery makes this a no-brainer for mystery fans. This is the first book I have read by Sam Blake, and I'll certainly be snapping up any more that come my way. I see she also has an impressive array of backtitles for me to get my teeth into.

I have listened to other audiobooks narrated by Aoife McMahon and always appreciate her talents. The Mystery of Four is another feather in her cap.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheMysteryofFour #NetGalley

I: @samblakebooks @bolindaaudio

T: @samblakebooks @Bolindaaudio

#contemporaryfiction #crime #friendship #murdermystery

MEET THE AUTHOR: Sam Blake has been writing fiction since her husband set sail across the Atlantic for eight weeks, and she had an idea for a book.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bolinda Audio via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Mystery of Four, written by Sam Blake and narrated by Aoife McMahon, for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage.

Good mystery and enjoyed the narration however I did find this a bit slow in places. Worth a listed through a nice cozy mystery fir a rainy day.

If you enjoy character-driven, cosy mysteries, then <em>The Mystery Of Four</em> is most definitely a book that you will enjoy. Brilliantly written and highly engaging, it's an intriguing crime drama with a host of likeable characters.

I personally found the story too much of a slow-burn and felt that it dragged in places, but that's only because I like my thrillers more action-packed and fast-paced. <em>The Mystery Of Four</em>, instead, is very focused on characters and backstories to give you plenty of motives to try and pick apart, just like a classic mystery should.

The ending is great and I really enjoyed the plot overall. Had I been more in the mood for what I call a "cosy armchair mystery", this would have fit the bill perfectly, though, and there is no denying Blake's talent as a writer!

The audiobook is narrated by Aoife McMahon who is one of my favourite audiobook narrators so she held my interest throughout.

Tess has returned from living abroad to take over Kilfenora House in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, with the intention of restoring it and opening it to the public. A play is being staged for a grand opening night, and it is the setting for the first of numerous startling incidents. It becomes clear that someone is determined to derail Tess' grand opening.

A slow-burn, murder-mystery the story is told through the eyes of three people - Tess herself, her best friend Gen, and Gen's mother Clarissa, all of whom have their own bits going on. The book takes a while to get going because there are so many characters to meet, but I enjoyed the gradual build-up. I actually also quite enjoyed the multitude cast of characters and wasn't sure initially where things were going - which may be a problem for another reader but worked for me. Things do pick up after halfway and become more gripping for those feeling that a murder-mystery should have more pace. I definitely listened to the second section faster than the first.

If you're looking for a domestic, cosy all-happening-under-one-roof type of mystery this would suit you well!

Story very well written, great world building, good mystery, & great narration.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

I was really looking forward to this narration set in Ireland promised to deliver an Agatha Christie feel.
Although Aoife McMahon made a wonderful job of the narration, the storyline itself was too slow paced for my liking with too many characters and too much meaningless dialog between characters with no use whatsoever for the mystery plot.
Sorry, I wish I could get into it but I found myself really losing the will to finish it even with a good narrator....

The blurb for this book really drew me in, seeming reminiscent of Agatha Christie's country house mysteries, but unfortunately I found this book to be quite a slog to get through. There are lots of characters and I found myself getting mixed up about who was who, and I couldn't really warm to any of them except for Merlin the cat! The pace did pick up in the latter part of the book and I did enjoy the ending.

I did enjoy the lovely Irish accent of narrator, Aoife McMahon.

An interesting audiobook that although slow at times gives the listener an engaging experiences allowing them to enjoy it from start to finish

This one was a bit of a slow slog and didn’t really get going till the last 1/4 of the listen. There are a lot of characters to get to grips with but some are extremely likeable and quirky in there own way. The introduction of the characters is needed to get you acquainted and build the storyline and give you an idea of the dynamics of the cosy town and the people that live in it. But when it came to the storyline itself it felt like you were left with never ending incidents that Tess found herself in but not much in the way of a story. It didn’t really grip me until the pace picked up and felt it was actually going somewhere. Enjoyed the narration and the Irish accents and the references to Ireland itself but the storyline fell short for me…

Thanks to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for the opportunity to read #TheMysteryOfFour

A cozy mystery inspired by Agatha Christie, sign me up!

Tess is renovating a manor house for public use in her small Irish village and has pinned the economic hopes of the town on it's success.
There are rumors of a curse however, and when an actor is injured early in the story, the thrills begin. It's a bit of a slow start, but you truly need to meet and get to know all of the characters that will add to this fun story!

The Mystery of Four is an intriguing crime novel
with a host of interesting characters and intertwined plot lines. Tess has recently returned to Ireland from Dubai after she fled there following a personal tragedy. She is restoring the 16th Century Kilfenora House with a plan to open it to the public. The grand opening will feature a craft fair and play along with other attractions. During the frantic last week of preparations a series of murders as well as the possibility that previous murder victims are buried there threatens to bring everything crashing down.
I absolutely loved the characters in this book and although I found the pace of the story slightly too slow at times, they definitely kept my interest. The narrator was fantastic and certainly added to my enjoyment of the book.

Tess Morgan buys Kilfenora House and restores it. On opening weekend Tess plans a theatre performance to entice visitors. However tragedy happens and then the bodies start piling up.

The setting in this was very atmospheric, I loved the country house setting and the gardens and you can imagine yourself there from the description.

There is also a whole host of characters which despite the amount you hear from all of them so you do get to know them all and it means it makes it more difficult to guess which I like.

The ending was also clever so it ended strongly which is sometimes where mystery’s can fall down.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me, but if you’re a fan of Agatha Christie style books this could definitely be for you.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for gifting me a copy of this book for review.

*Many thanks to Sam Blake, Bolinda Audio, and NetGalley for a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
Set in the Irish countryside, with a beautiful 16th century manor in the background, the book rather nicely connects the historic place and modern mystery. I enjoyed the idea though did not warm up to any of the characters. The restauration of the manor and its dark secrets made a pleasant weekend listen. The narrator does a wonderful job, just the kind of accent for this tale.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Modern country house mysteries always appeal to me - as well as the whodunnit aspect of the story, I like seeing how the author has updated and played with the tropes of the sub-genre. Sam Blake really ticked a lot of boxes, and managed to bring an international flavour with her Australian PhD-student-come-publican, who always reminded me that this was very much a 21st century novel.

The character of Tess Morgan was interesting. I'm not sure why setting up a venue of this kind was her dream, but it certainly turned into a nightmare pretty quickly, leaving her scurrying to avoid the bad publicity that lots of bodies turning up could bring to her new venture.

The one element I did not like - and this may be controversial - was Merlin the cat. He was a lovely cat. But his reactions to the characters just gave too much away. It was a shame, because normally I like animals in crime novels. This one was just too transparent!

Otherwise, this was a great listen and I would definitely recommend it to other crime fiction readers.

I listened to this over the last couple of days. It was in the most part a cosy winter listen set in a county house.. Tess has returned to Ireland and bought then renovated a country house in Wicklow. The book is set in the week before its grand opening. As last minute preparations are underway, bodies keep showing up on the grounds.

I enjoyed this, for the most part. I have read several of Sam Blake books and I think this is one of her best ones. The house , its descriptions and the small village where its located was a great setting and I enjoyed reading about it.

There are a vast array of characters, some of which blend into each other so it took a while to work out who was who but the main players were drawn well. There were old school crime vibes to this one and while it was evenly paced, the ending felt a little tell don't show. A big clunky which let the book down, overall.

I really enjoyed the narration of this one. Id recommend the audiobook of this one. Listening to it made the number of characters easier to track Id imagine than reading and the narrator does an excellent job in bringing the setting to life.

My thanks to Bolinda Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Mystery of Four’ by Sam Blake. It is narrated by Aoife McMahon.

Tess Morgan has been restoring the beautiful Irish 16th Century Kilfenora House and Gardens, nestled high in the Wicklow Mountains. She is planning a grand opening including a reimagining of Kit Marlow’s Doctor Faustus. Then during rehearsals there is a devastating accident that could ruin all of Tess’ plans.

There are rumours that Kilfenora House is cursed, yet to Tess it feels more personal as she’s been dealing for some time with an internet troll on local forums. Tess enjoys a close friendship with Genevieve, whose glamorous mother, Clarissa Westmacott, is a former star of stage and screen. When Clarissa learns that purple-flowered aconite has been picked from Kilfenora House’s Poison Garden she becomes very protective of Tess, who she considers another daughter.

Then Jerry Lynch, a tabloid journalist, contacts Tess with questions about the disappearances of several Wicklow women, attributed to a suspect nicknamed the Radio Snatcher. Lynch is also involved with a true crime podcast that has received a tip that several bodies are buried on her estate! Is it true? I loved Tess’ response: “‘Several?’ Tess felt her knees go a little weak. This just kept on getting better.” She is concerned that her beautiful estate is going to end up as a murder tourist attraction rather than what she imagined.

Poor Tess is facing quite a number of threats; with plenty of bodies, suspects, and twists along the way. Added to this is the stress of the upcoming opening and play.

This novel had everything that I look for in a whodunnit including relatable characters and the atmospheric setting of this beautiful historical property and grounds. I also appreciated the involvement of Merlin, the cat, whose personality is based on a real feline in the author’s life.

With respect to the audiobook, Irish actor Aoife McMahon has narrated many titles including a number for Sally Rooney and Marian Keyes. She has a soft, Irish lilt that was a pleasure to listen to.

Overall, ‘The Mystery of Four’ proved an engaging slow burn of a mystery that I very much enjoyed.