Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Murder at Waldenmere Lake.” All opinions and comments are my own.

The prologue (I dislike prologues) lets us know there are going to be secrets (and soldiers) from World War I somehow involved. Since the novel takes place in 1921, we won’t have long to wait. Plans are afoot to do something with the land surrounding Waldenmere, and readers quickly learn that those plans are not necessarily welcomed by those that live on and near the body of water. And so “Murder at Waldenmere Lake” begins apace, complete with plucky reporter Iris Woodmore, helpful boyfriends, and a myriad of other characters (local villagers and otherwise) that all add up to the big finale that shows us what the prologue was all on about.

I think the author could have done more to establish her readers into the setting, into the time frame, into making us believe that her characters were from that era. Iris is okay as the protagonist, but she didn’t stand out for me, even as she experiences tragedy, secrets and betrayals that come very close to home. “Murder at Waldenmere Lake” does have some twists and turns and strives to illustrate how the Great War impacted lives years after the conflict ended. An easy read, but missing much of that sense of time and place that belongs in a historical mystery.

The second book in the Iris Woodmore Mysteries series is an absorbing and emotional read. After reading book one, I felt I knew the characters and was invested in their lives. The mystery has many twists and explores the aftermath of WWI and its effect on those directly involved. It's a poignant, well-researched story that immerses readers in the 1920s. Iris is an intelligent and likeable character, and the dynamic between her and her boss and friends is realistic.

I like the historical details, the setting and the twisty mystery that Iris solves.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I enjoyed Murder at Waldenmere by Michelle Slater- a historical murder mystery set in 1921 and the second book of the Iris Woodmore mysteries( link to review to the first book below)
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
Iris continues to be a woman out of her time- a woman who doesn’t want to settle down but wants to live her life on her terms but in 1920’s rural England has its own restrictive rules. Rules and ideas might lead to her being accused of murder.
The murder of General Cheverton and another resident of Walden is suitably mysterious with plenty of suspects, motives and red herrings. The murder of the second victim was unexpected and shocking which I think takes it out of the comforting, cosy crime genre and gives this an edge.
Like the first book in the series, the book touches upon the societal and political issues of the day such as corruption, bribery, the destruction of nature for profit and to a degree blaming women for being victims of crime.
Despite that heart-breaking murder, the book ends on an optimistic note when Iris makes a decision that may change her life.
Content Warning
References to domestic abuse
Perfect for Fans of
Historical murder mysteries, Death at Crookham Hall by Michelle Slater ( review here)

An interesting mystery set in early 1920s England. Memories of WW1 are still very much alive, and reporter Iris Woodmore gets involved in solving three murders, apparently interrelated. The second in the series but it reads like a standalone book. Well-drawn characters and a plot that moves along fairly well. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

4.5 upped to 5
I'm loving this series that mixes historical fiction with cozy mystery and it's both entertaining and compelling.
The author did a good job in describing the effects of the aftermath of WWI on an area and how different economical interest can affect the life of people.
There's a mystery but there's also some interesting social remarks and issues like environment.
Iris is growing and I'm loving the evolution of this well thought character, these characters are not static but they change and I like this.
The solid mystery kept me guessing and surprised me with the numerous twists. I couldn't guess the culprit and thoroughly enjoyed it.
My only note: there's some repetition and some parts are a bit too long and put the mystery on the backseat.
I highly recommend this series and this novel as they're well written and intriguing.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for this arc, all opinions are mine

3.8 Stars
One Liner: Enjoyable

1921, Walden
Local reporter Iris Woodmore is back in action, and this time she is intent on saving the beloved Waldenmare Lake from being destroyed in the name of progress.
The war is over, and the British Army can no longer afford to maintain the convalescent home or the lake. The Walden City Council wants to buy it for rehabilitation, while the railway company wants to convert the location into a tourist spot.
However, the old mansion on the site belongs to General Cheverton, who is determined not to leave him home. But when the General is found dead in his home, it becomes quite impossible for Iris to save the lake. But as new developments occur, Iris realizes that her fight isn’t limited to the land. There’s a lot more to uncover, and she needs to get to the bottom of it, come what may.
The story comes in the limited third-person POV of Iris.

My Thoughts:
Though this is the second book in the series, it works well as a standalone. At the same time, series readers will enjoy the new developments for the main character Iris.
The beginning is a little slow, but soon, the book picks up pace. It drags in the middle and goes in circles before finally moving ahead to the climax and reveal.
I like Iris more in this one. Her character arc is growing steadily while also keeping things realistic to a good extent. George is an interesting character, and I wish there’s more of him in the coming books.
The mystery is tied up well but takes time to unfold. Two tracks need to converge at a common point (the Waldenmere Lake), which meant the pacing is sacrificed. Some information is repeated multiple times in different conversations, further weighing down the narration.
However, the mystery here has a greater emotional connection to the characters than we normally see in this genre. This makes the plot more personal instead of something that needs to be solved and settled.
Though I like how Iris connects the dots, I wish the actual reveal was a little more detailed and came a bit sooner. That said, the red herrings were well done without going overboard.
The setting and treatment of women from that era are seamlessly woven into the plot. The observations, the changes, the resistance, etc., become a part of the story rather than taking the focus away from it.
I must admit that the author does endings very well. She somehow makes me enjoy the kind of endings I usually dislike. The same happened in book one too. I’m impressed!

To summarize, Murder at Waldenmere Lake is a strong continuation of the series with interesting characters and an attractive setting. I’m excited about book three (the cover has been revealed).
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This was a great read, very twisty and very readable. I finished it under a day as I just couldn’t stop reading it. I hope to read more by this author in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

3.5 Stars from me

I adore the cover of this book. So evocative of the era. And at for that little crow on the letter T, he's gorgeous!

The story centres around a drive to protect Waldenmere Lake and the efforts of the townsfolk from preventing it from being sold on to a developer. The residents of the town of Walden, largely led by the book's superb protagonist, Iris Woodmore, desperately want to save the lake. The more Iris investigates, however, the more she uncovers about this sweet, sleepy little town - and the darker side of some of the residents.

Iris is a wonderful character, I enjoyed following her and her feisty ways! She is a perfect heroine for the time and exactly the short of woman you would want on your side. The story takes some dark turns though and poor Iris is in for a turbulent time ahead.

There is such a theme to this story about the War and I really feel that an older generation, or fans of historical fiction, would get so much more out of this aspect of the story. 

Overall, the writing style was atmospheric, Iris was a delight and Murder at Waldenmere Lake was an entertaining read. I wonder if I am just a little too fond of the grittier style thrillers to fully have appreciated its gentler touch.

My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Michelle Salter and Boldwood Books for letting me be a part of this blog tour. #MurderatWaldenmereLake #NetGalley

Fitting Addition..
The second in the Iris Woodmore mystery series set 1921 and, now, the local reporter is determined to save her beloved lake from being destroyed but, along with the mission, murder is about to raise its’ ugly head. Along with an immersive murder mystery, the fallout from the war is greatly in evidence and various threads pull together for often emotional and unexpected sub plots with much attention to historical facts of the time. A fitting addition to this well written series.

So much better than the first book well done to the author. This was an enthralling murder mystery but was also so much more with saving the lake from being turned into a tourist resort and the shell shock suffered by soldiers from the first world war. There were plenty of suspects twist plots and red herrings resolving into 3 murders in the end and I couldn't out this down till the end which was a surprise also. Recommended, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

WOW!! Another fantastic addition to my favorite historical series by Michelle Salter. From start to finish, I was hooked. I read this book in one sitting - I had to, you see. So many unexpected developments, twists, shocking revelations, my god!!

Speaking of unexpected developments, there is one major twist that shocked me the most. This particular twist has brought a whole lot of changes to the series plot. I didn't see this coming and to be honest, it made me cry. I felt sad for Iris because it affected her a lot.

Coming the mystery behind the General's murder - we have handful of suspects here, with the main being General's nephew. Then we have another mystery regarding the tank found in the lake. I suppose this new development becomes more and more significant as Iris digs deeper into the case.

I love Michelle Salter's storytelling. The whole story felt like a movie playing in my head. Excellent plot-to-story development with unexpected and shocking developments. There's one more character who seems to be the only connection between these mysteries. Their role in the series was well portrayed.

I loved the character developments - especially that of George and Iris. With the decision that Iris makes at the end, I wonder what lies ahead for her. Poor thing had to suffer a lot and I certainly hope things get better in the near future.

If you are looking for an engrossing and unique historical mystery, I recommend you to give Murder at Waldenmere Lake by Michelle Salter a try.

I almost don't know where to start with my review for this book. There is so much packed into it that it's difficult to know what to comment on first. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and it kept me guessing right to the end. I correctly guessed that one character would turn out to not be quite what they seemed to be, but just as I was congratulating myself on being a good armchair detective, a curve ball was added to the mix and this totally threw me. It was an inspired move because suddenly I cared much more about what was going on and it opened up whole new possibilities with regard to the original incident.

However, this book is not all about crime and detection. There are an awful lot of sub-plots and themes going on as well and this serves the main drama very well. There are references to all kinds of wartime hangovers - people who cannot settle in one place, shell shock victims, officers who were unsuited for command, class snobbery, environmental concerns, big business vs the underdog.... The list goes on!!! All of these things combine to create a realistic portrayal of life in Britain post WW1 and to lift the book beyond a straightforward crime drama.

I also loved that the heroine, Iris, is not a detective. By casting her in the role of journalist, she has an excuse to go nosying around in places she shouldn't be and can legitimately claim she is simply doing her job. The book also deals with the fact that after the war, not all women wanted to go back to their previous roles - suffrage (both suffragist and suffragette) get a mention - and I cheered when Iris said she didn't want to get married because she didn't want to become the property of a man. She is absolutely of her time, as are the attitudes around her, but she still manages to embrace enough of the 21st century woman for me not to get annoyed with her.

This is a series I will definitely be coming back to and I look forward to seeing where Iris' adventures take her next.

1920s, greed, journalist, reporter, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, unputdownable, politics, ecology, conservation, local-politics, newspapers, shellshock, PTSD, secrets, lies, family, friends, friendship, betrayal, class-consciousness, grief, grieving, survivor's-guilt, suspense, relationships, relationship-issues, England*****

Very moving story and a diabolical murder mystery. All of the characters are clear and meaningful, the story moves along quite speedily and complete with surprising twists and some painful red herrings. Very interesting and memorable!
I requested and received an EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A small British town on the shores of a picturesque lake in the aftermath of World War II, what begins with concerns over the sale of that lake for it’s development into a tourist resort ends in murder. Iris Woodmore, an investigative journalist with close ties to Walden and it’s inhabitants, has serious concerns about the development of Lake Waldenmere and its affect on the town. But when murder occurs she soon uncovers secrets and lies implicating several members of this tight-knit community.

The greatest strength of this book is the character of Iris. With Iris, the author has created a female protagonist that is interesting and fully developed. She is intelligent, inquisitive, and very independent.

I found the plot quite interesting, especially as it began delving into the past, the effect the war had on certain characters, and how it resulted in murder. Unfortunately, the central plot was often overshadowed by the subplot of saving the lake. I also think the book could have been shorter. Some of the narrative was entirely too repetitive and I often found myself struggling not to skim, or skip entire sections, as time after time the same information was conveyed, question asked, or concern was raised.

Overall, Murder at Waldenmere Lake was entertaining, but just an ok read for me.

What a great book! It was a page turner and I ran through it having to know what happened next and how it ended! I loves this!!
I just reviewed Murder at Waldenmere Lake by Michelle Salter. #MurderatWaldenmereLake #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Set in rural England following the second World War we find young women reaching for more freedom, groups fighting to preserve nature, abusive men and people who's lives will forever be shattered from the war. An interesting look at this time.

I went into reading this book blind, didn’t know much about it or the author, didn’t even realize that this is a series.
Normally, I like to read a series in order, and I don’t usually like books that are too far back in history.
Particularly war time.
Well, this book changed my mind about those things.
I didn’t feel you had to have read a previous book for this one to make sense, and the writing style of the author is so engaging that it kept me interested regardless of it being a more historical setting. I looked forward to getting back to reading it each time.
It is so well written, so interesting, definitely a book I would recommend!
And I will definitely seek out other books by the author.

Thankyou to author Michelle Salter, Bolden Books amd Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
🌸📚🤗 Charlene @lastnownext

A really great story with a powerful character and overall message if stand up for yourself
Really enjoyed this one.

Possible spoilers

This was a pleasant read... I liked the forward thinking Iris and how she did not bow down to how women of that age could be treated.
The setting was lovely, and I can imagine being up in arms about it being developed.
It works well as a stand alone book, as I didnt feel I'd missed out on not reading book 2.
At times though, it felt to me, as if there had been a murder and nothing was done about it.
I know the pacing is different in these cosy crimes, but by the time we had a second body, things were still ambling along nicely.
Having said that, I enjoyed the writing style, and the time it's set in, so would happily read book 3.