Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read "Murder at Everham Hall" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first book in the new Marius Quin Mystery series. The story starts off on Christmas Eve 1927 in London where Marius is meeting with his publisher Bertrand Price-Lewis. He's not pleased with Marius (who appears to have forgotten how to write) as he's been paid his advance on his new book but he has only written one chapter in a year and only seems to have a vague outline of what he's going to write about. He's spent his advance buying a flat in St. James where he lives with his mother, aunt and uncle.

He runs into an old friend (he's actually laying on the pavement when he sees her), Lady Isabella Montague whom he hasn't seen for 10 years. She invites him to a New Year's Eve party at the pile of Cecile Sinclair the actor. Soon after arriving there is a murder and there is a small circle of whom the murderer could be. The story has a sort of locked room feel to it because the weather has turned and the police can't even make it to Everham Hall. Anton and his wife Alma are a director and actress, Ross (65) is Cecil's father, Edith (20) is Ross' incredibly young fiancée, Poppy is Cecil's girlfriend, Carl is a clerk at the same firm where Bella's boyfriend Gilbert works. The group decides that since Marius is a mystery writer and the police are not coming - he should solve the murder. Cecil married an elderly widow by the name of Hortensia Alcott and inherited everything when she passed away. Could that have something to do with his murder? As someone is stabbed and someone else is knocked out in their car, the list of suspects grows ever smaller.

The best character by far is Percy Anderson II - Marius' adorable basset hound.

Once Marius figures out who is really who because not everyone in this story is whom they claim to be - they learn why Cecil was killed and the reasons behind it.

The end of the book has some very interesting historical research notes and a list of words and references that the reader might not be familiar with. There is also a list of characters at the end of the book which would be better before the first chapter so that the reader could familiarize themselves with who everyone in the story is.

Marius Quin the main character teams up with his children hood friend to solve a murder at Everham Hall over the Holidays.
I like the fact it was something that I could switch off to and that Marius learnt about himself during the process. I also liked who turned out to be guilty.
I did not like that at the start of the book it took a little too long for me personally to get into.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC! This book was so fun. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot! I loved the setting, the characters, the dialogue…I personally found the ending a bit anticlimactic, but it was still a great read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Murder at Everham Hall.” All opinions and comments are my own.

“Murder at Everham Hall” is the first in a new 1920s-era series by Benedict Brown, author of the Lord Edgington and Izzy Palmer historical mystery books. This new series features Marius Quin, mystery writer, who’s about to be out on the streets if he doesn’t produce a second book. He can’t even come up with a new chapter, poor dear. Alas, writer’s block has reared its ugly head. So, when he’s invited to a New Year’s Eve party by childhood sweetheart Bella – Lady Isabella Montague -- surely it will help him forget all his troubles, and maybe, he’ll recapture what was lost. In fact, he’s so happy he does some writing, which makes his publisher happy.

Off, Marius goes, to Everham Hall. Cue the foreboding music, for it doesn’t take long for the home’s owner, loud and flashy leading man Cecil Sinclair to be sent to the big movie palace in the sky. And since there’s a terrible storm raging outside and the police can’t get to the Hall, who’s delegated as the perfect candidate to investigate? Well, our crime writer, of course. And in the course of that investigation, he even gets in plugs for one of the author’s other series characters. Fancy that.

Being a writer, Marius is only too happy to let readers know what he thinks about everybody and everything, and that’s where Benedict Brown excels. You won’t lack for description, of people or of places. And that gift of description fits the plot and settings in an “old-fashioned” way, and I mean that in a good way. Everything is thoroughly time and place appropriate.

The investigation takes place, lurching a bit, with a lot of little twists and turns and the “suspects” all glaring malevolently at each other; not the jolliest way to ring in the New Year, that’s for sure. A big finish with a drawing room scene, where Marius makes his declaration – a bit of a hiccup there, he’s rather new at this, don’t you know -- but all comes right in the end.

Bella is back in his life, for better or for worse, we will have to see. Marius will make sure of it, solving more mysteries, writing more books; his writer’s block seems to be gone. If you like your amateur detective stories with a touch of romance and a plot that keeps you guessing, then “Murder at Everham Hall” will definitely appeal.

Oh, and a “Historical Research” chapter relates, among other interesting facts and tidbits of note, that there was “no such term” as writer’s block in 1927. Obviously writers of the time suffered from it, I’m sure, and probably had some very colorful names for it. Many of them probably unprintable.

It was December 1927 when Marius Quin, struggling writer, was invited by his old friend, Isabella Montague, to Everham Hall for the New Year's Eve celebrations, hosted by famous actor, Cecil Sinclair. Marius and his basset hound, Percy, drove to Everham Hall, where they settled in, and then met the other guests. When everyone saw Cecil, it was obvious he was very drunk, but full of himself, and immediately tensions rose, and discomfort rippled through the guests.

It was when the host was murdered, and the police were unable to travel to Everham Hall because of the abundance of snow, that Marius and Bella decided to investigate and oust the killer. But obviously, finding a real killer was much more difficult that creating one in his fiction books. Would they solve the case, or would there be more deaths?

Murder at Everham Hall is the 1st in A Marius Quin Mystery series by Benedict Brown and it was very ordinary. Right from the first few pages, I didn't like the writing style, I didn't like Marius Quin's character, and sadly it continued in this vein for me. I've read other books with the same set up - trapped in an estate house by snow, with a killer roaming amongst the guests. Unfortunately, Murder at Everham Hall was not for me.

With thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Marius Quin is a bestselling author. He is now working on "Glimpse of a Blood Moon." Well, he's trying to work on it. The first chapter has been written but he's now struggling with a massive case of writer's block. His publisher won't advance him any more money (he has to be guaranteed of a product, after all) but has invited Marius to a Boxing Day party.
Outside the office, Marius slips and falls. It is then that his childhood sweetheart, Lady Isabella "Bella" Montague shows up. He falls again - instantly back into love. It's been ten years since they've seen each other. In that time, Marius's father has gone missing, the war happened, and he has slipped into some financial distress.
With some surprise, he accepts an invitation from her to a party at Everham Hall, where a friend of hers, Cecil Sinclair, a famous actor, is throwing a party on New Year's Eve. He goes and takes his basset hound, Percy, with him.

Marius realizes almost instantly that this party will be as awkward as all heck. It seems that this Cecil is a diva of the first order becoming childish and petulant when drunk. His paramour, Poppy, is someone that no one likes. There is a film director, Anton, and his wife, an actress called Alma. There is also Bella's beau, Gilbert, whom Marius instantly dislikes. Cecil's father, Ross, and Edith, who Marius pegs as Ross's innamorata.
Marius pulls Bella aside to ask why she invited him to this house. He had hoped to reignite their romance; she says that she wanted to help reignite his imagination. She is more successful than he is at the end.
Of course, there is a murder and, since the police can't get there, Marius is elected to solve teh crime. As a mystery writer, he is (according to the other characters), the most likely to be able to solve the crime.
I haven't made it to that book yet but it appears that Marius has crossed paths with Lord Edgington, another of Brown's mystery series. If you like that series, I believe that this one will be enjoyable as well.

Four stars
This book comes out November 3, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Storm Publishing
Opinions are my own

I struggled a bit to get into the writing style here. At times it felt farcical and other times it was played more straightforward/traditional cozy mystery, which made it feel uneven to me. Marius's internal thought process was a little tedious at times, too. Overall, not necessarily my cup of tea, but I could see it appealing to others.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. Although the mystery is really well done I also found that I wanted to be sure that Marius was able to finish his book. Marius is the perfect down-on-his-luck hero that you really want to root for. I wasn't as big a fan of Bella's and it will probably take a few books before I change my mind about her. I didn't particularly like the way she treated Marius - it was not very kind of her to invite him to this house party where he knew no one and then leave out the little detail that her boyfriend would also be there. She had to have known what at awkward position she was putting him in. As for the mystery itself, it works in large part because all of the characters are unknown to the reader so it really could be just about anyone. I thought having Marius get it wrong the first time around was a nice touch - it actually made the whole story a little more believable. I'm curious to see how Marius continues to get caught up in crime investigations and looking forward to following along as he solves them. If the entire series is as good as this first book it should be quite enjoyable!

Now, you may suspect that this is veering on the cosy side of the genre. That specific part of the cosy genre that is aping the Golden Age, by setting things between the wars and embracing the tropes of the genre, rather than concentrating, a la Frances Brody for example, on what life was actually like then. And you would be right with that suspicion, and you may recall that this sort of thing doesn’t sit desperately well with me. Usually.
Because usually, this is the sort of thing that concentrates on the love life/career of our bright young sleuth who goes around bothering people, rather than investigating, until the murderer gets cheesed off with them and gives themselves away by trying to kill them. And if this hadn’t been a good candidate for my current deluge of Christmas festive mysteries, that’s what I would have assumed to. And I would have been wrong.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the sort of book that could pass for being written in the Golden Age, such as Tom Mead’s Joseph Spector mysteries, as there is something of a modern style about the narration and its sense of humour. But nonetheless, Benedict Brown clearly understands the things a detective story needs – an entertaining sleuth, a good collection of suspects, and clues. Lots of clues, in fact, including a big honking one staring you in the face that you almost certainly won’t spot. There are red herrings too, including one that I fell for. In fact there is something that occurs that I am sure is put there for readers to think “ah, he’s doing that trick” only for it to prove to be something different.
Marius is a strong lead – his narration is humorous without being flippant, especially when dealing with some of the darker aspects, such as his backstory. His hope against hope that Bella’s new boyfriend is guilty of something adds a little something to the narrative, as does the relationship with Bella which feels like it’s got some legs on it for future books – it reminds me a little of John Grey and Amanita Pole from L C Tyler’s books, which is a good thing. There are a couple of oddities here – can a person really be shot three times in the head and “look at peace”? – with a couple of what felt like modern turns of phrase, but nothing that should actual bother any but the pickiest reader.
All in all, this book is nothing revolutionary, but very enjoyable. It’s the sort of thing that people who write books with a similar setting (between the wars, none too serious) should take a good look at. Because this is how to do it properly. It’s an entertaining and satisfying “proper mystery” that I couldn’t put down.

I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters are lively, the setting is gorgeous, and the mystery is a fun romp with two old friends. I enjoyed going along for the ride as our intrepid detective and his friend solved a crime together, and in the opposite way he was used to doing it.
I did find the relationship with the police officer toward the end a bit unrealistic, but that can be forgiven.
Overall, this was full of witty dialogue, told a heartfelt story, and was self-deprecating in the best possible way. I loved it.
I listened to the audiobook and looked over the ebook as well. The narrator was great, and I love the layout of the ebook.

As a longtime fan of author Benedict Brown's fictional Lord Edgington, I was intrigued by his release of a new historical series - and it did not disappoint! Just as charming, witty, and fast-paced as I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Marius Quin and look forward to (hopefully!) many more mysteries to solve! Hurrah! A+++

I would like to thank Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy of Murder at Everham Hall, the first novel to feature author Marius Quin, set in 1927/8.

Marius bumps into his childhood sweetheart Lady Isabella Montague, whom he hasn’t seen for ten years. She invites him to a New Year’s party at film star Clive Sinclair’s home, Everham Hall. Not long after he arrives Clive is shot dead and with the house now snowed in it is up to Marius to find the killer.

I found Murder at Everham Hall to be a bit of a mixed bag. There is a good mystery and a neat twist at the end and I even quite liked Marius, which seems to be a minority opinion, but I didn’t like the romance element, which didn’t even make an effort at authenticity, or the lack of depth in the characters.

The novel is fairly simple in its approach. Marius, ably assisted by Bella, asks questions, discovers that most of the guests have secrets and have had arguments with the disagreeable Clive Sinclair, so then he looks at opportunity and there is a case for most of the suspects. One piece of evidence finally gives him the aha moment and leads to a Christie-esque showdown in the ballroom.

Marius is struggling with his second novel and unrequited love for Bella. He seems smart and resourceful, ideal qualities for a first time amateur sleuth. The murder investigation unblocks his mind for the novel, and reintroduces Bella into his life, although any potential unblocking of their relationship is TBC.

Murder at Everham Hall is a pleasant, if bland read. I don’t think I would read the sequel, but it’s all about taste and I can see many readers enjoying it.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I enjoyed this cosy mystery book. Great storylines, great characters and basically a really good read.

When a down-on-his-luck writer is invited by a former girlfriend for a weekend away at the home of one of her friends, he is hoping that maybe inspiration will strike. Trying to write his second novel, Marius Quin has hit writers block, and the words are not coming. His editor is breathing down his neck, and nothing seems to be going well.

When their host is murdered, Marius teams up with his former sweetheart, Lady Isabella to solve the crime. There is a mass of potential killers, any one of whom could strike again. With the guests under suspicion, Marius is determined to get to the bottom of what happened.

What a great book! I had a hard time putting this one down. It was a great read, and although I wrongly guessed the killer, (I was rooting for Gilbert), it unfolded in such a way that was fantastically mesmerizing. I look forward to reading more from this author, and hope for many more books in this series!

Although I wasn’t familiar with author Benedict Brown, I was intrigued by the book’s description and decided to give it a try since it was the first book in a series. Once I started reading it, I looked up Brown and was surprised to see that he has written 20 previous mysteries (all published between 2019 and 2023, presumably all self-published?). If I have one word for Murder at Everham Hall it’s "basic." It’s a basic historical cozy mystery in the mold of Agatha Christie, the kind a new writer might write as an homage to the great master.

That’s not to say it was bad, but it was not new or groundbreaking. Our main character is a writer who is having trouble writing his next novel and who is a Great War veteran haunted by memories. The great love of his life, a childhood friend from who he has been estranged since *something* put an end to their romance before the war, invites him to a swanky New Year’s Eve party after she encounters him in the street after a fall outside his publisher's. “She was even more beautiful than I remembered. I know novelists are supposed to be good with words, but that doesn’t mean I can capture the true, unfathomable magic of a person. She had doe-eyes, porcelain skin, silky black hair that shone to turn the dull morning bright and so on and so forth, etc. etc.” (p. 15 of the advance reader copy) I am seriously not even sure what I am to make of a sentence like that.

There’s a carefully crafted set of guests at the party, each with hidden secrets, and an adorable basset hound to round off the cast of characters. I found parts of the story very slow moving, but every now and then a passage made me smile. (The novelist investigates when the party’s host is inevitably murdered, and a fellow guest asks if he has identified the killer yet. “[A]t that moment, I wished for nothing more than to roar, Have none of you ever read a mystery novel? Detective work takes time!" (p. 116 of the ARC)

One thing I found annoying was multiple references by the Inspector who comes to investigate having had the opportunity to work with “the great Lord – " before being interrupted so that he could not finish. I finally figured out those are references to the main character in one of the author’s other series, which I have not read. While I am not motivated to read any of those other books, I might pick up the sequel to Murder at Everham Hall when one comes out. We'll see.

I read an advance reader copy of Murder at Everham Hall from Netgalley.

It's true that I don't usually read a lot of cozy mysteries, but I do love a 1920s setting and there was something about the blurb of Murder At Everham Hall that intrigued me. Add a comparison to Agatha Christie and I couldn't resist adding this first book of a new series to my shelves. Now that I've had the chance to read it, I'm sad to say that I ended up struggling quite a bit with this story and it wasn't the positive reading experience I thought it was going to be. I'll try to explain briefly what did and didn't work for me.

First of all I do have to say that I still like the premise of this story, with the 1920s Everham Hall setting, the locked room vibe and the fact that the characters are snowed in and decide to investigate the murder while they wait for the police. This all had such an Agatha Christie feel to it, and it's probably the main reason I kept reading. Sadly the plot twists and 'surprise' suspects were actually all quite predictable though, and as a result the story fell rather flat for me. I was also disappointed to hardly find any 'real' investigating going on; instead it was mostly clumsily performed interrogations/conversations.

My main issue is with the main characters though. I never warmed up to Marius Quin, and having to spend time with his thoughts as well as his actions started to irritate me more and more. I didn't feel the chemistry with Bella either, and as a result this amateur duo wasn't able to charm me nor were they able to convince me they were up to the task. The worst part is probably the romance itself, with both the very present love triangle, jealousy and pining. It's such a shame there was so much focus on the romance instead of the mystery, because it really ruined the story for me.

I did like the bookish element, with the main character being an author and trying to write his next book. The Everham Hall setting is also well described, and the winter weather added the right atmosphere for this story. The dog Percy was likewise a nice touch, although he was a bit too passive to add much to the story. The rest of the characters were mostly built out of cliches, and I wish they would have been fleshed out more to help add more dept to the story. As it is, I felt like I never got to know any of them.

In short, unfortunately Murder At Everham Hall and me didn't get along as much as I hoped. There were elements I liked, but between the romance, characters and disappointing plot twists there were too many things that somehow didn't work for me. I seem to be in the minority so far though, so it might just be the pesky reading slump acting up again.

Great mystery! Gripping stuff. Great plot and characters. Love the era it is set in. Kept me reading. Definitely a fan.

cozy-mystery, 1927, writers, country-house, England, historical-novel, historical-research, situational-humor, verbal-humor, sly-humor, first-in-series, closed-circle-mystery, snow-season, amateur-sleuth, murder, investigation, unpleasant-guests, unputdownable*****

A WW1 veteran/ mystery writer with no plot to offer, an old flame, a drunken film idol, and odd assortment of guests on the New Year holiday weekend. Then there's the murder.
Let the sleuthing (and more hilarity) begin! Great fun!
I requested and received an EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley.

Murder at Everham Hall
by Benedict Brown
Pub Date: 03 Nov 2023

My first book by this author, I absolutely loved it! It was a very enjoyable read.

This was a clever whodunit set in the 1920's. Marcus Quin is a mystery writer looking for second book inspiration when he is invited by his childhood friend and ex-girlfriend, Lady Bella to a party at a country house on a snowy New Years Eve.

This is a perfect book for those who enjoy crime and murder mystery stories. The first in a new series.

Thank you to #MurderatEverhamHall and #NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC of this 5 star book.

Murder at Everham Hall by Benedict Brown is the first of a splendid new series called Marius Quin Mysteries. What a start! Set in 1927, this story is jam packed with lively wit, quirky characters, red herrings and cleverness. I felt an instant connection and was riveted to each page, even giggling out loud at times. Spellbinding books such as this are pure joy!

Recently flush with success from his bestseller, author Marius Quin now has spent every penny and his only feasible earning potential is to write another. However, writer's grip has a firm grip and Marius needs inspiration. Quite by accident he spots his dear childhood friend and ex-girlfriend he last saw a decade ago. Lady Isabella Montague invites him to a New Year's Eve party at Everham Hall. Well. When the host is murdered, as a mystery writer Marius is naturally drawn to the body and along with Bella scrutinizes the crime scene. The team of two inveigle and investigate. Layer upon layer of secrets are discovered but the freshly-minted amateur sleuths are undeterred and discover the killer lurking in their midst.

Benedict Brown's writing always, always grabs my attention. It is quick, smart and funny, very appealing to sink one's teeth into. What a pleasure to be privy to the believable historical bits, deceptions and resolution. Brown is an auto-read author for me and has proven himself yet again with this new series. Do be sure to read his notes which include his research and inspiration. Compelling stuff!

My sincere thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this delightful novel. I adored it and cannot wait to see what the author has in store next!