I had a hard time getting into this book. I’m more of a romance/mystery girl, and I had convinced myself that maybe the main character would find a romantic interest, so I was slightly let down with the plot. I will say, though, that the author did a good job keeping the identity of the murderer hidden for most of the story.

Huge thanks to the authors and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this, it is gorgeously narrated, a different take on a historical mystery, slower more suspenseful but in the best way. Eliza’ is brilliant, I wasn’t a fan of her father, or the assault storyline but, overall it was a great read.

Eliza Mace is a historical mystery by Sarah Burton and Jem Poster. I requested it from Netgalley based mainly on the cover which suggested, at least to me, a fun historical cozy mystery but this definitely ain’t that. The story is set in 1870s Wales and Eliza Mace is a 16-year-old daughter of gentry who chafes at the rules of behaviour expected of Victorian women. Her father is a spendthrift ne’re do well who has spent, not only all his own money but that of his brother and many of the local villagers, making him very unpopular. The property belongs to her mother and, for obvious reasons, won’t allow her husband to touch it. As a result, when he goes missing, there’s a surfeit of suspects. Eliza joins forces with police constable, Dayfidd Pritchard to find out what happened to him but, with so many suspects, it won’t be easy.

I found this a hard story to review. For one thing, there are a lot of glaring historical inaccuracies including the fact that married women in Great Britain couldn’t own property until the 1880s. Granted, this probably won’t bother most readers except history nerds like me. But, it was also the slow pacing and, when I say slow, I mean slooooooow, as in, nothing happens for about the first 30%of the book when the father finally goes missing and even after that, it never moves beyond a stately stroll. Add to that, the fact that most of the characters are unlikeable and not particularly interesting in their unlikability and this made for a hard slog read. Eliza, herself, isan interesting character although she seemed more like a present day teen than a Victorian lady, except for occasionally remembering proper Victorian etiquette when dealing with those of a lower rank. Don't get me wrong, I didn’t hate the book, it did have some good moments, but I doubt I’ll read any future books in the series. The audiobook was narrated by Karen Cass who does a great job of bringing some life to the tale.

2.5

I received an advanced audiobook of this novel from Netgalley and Bolinda Audio in exchange for an honest review

Set in 1870s Wales, the titular character, Eliza Mace, is the 16 year old daughter of landed gentry dealing with her parents' shortcomings and crumbling marriage, as well as the resulting set of circumstances, including the eventual disappearance of her father. She is both head strong and a keen observer, surprisingly insightful, at times, but often judgmental as only a teenager can be. (That said, it is important to understand this is not a YA read nor a coming of age tale.) I found Eliza more interesting than likeable, but at the same time, she has the potential to grow on me as the series continues. Constable Dafyyd Pritchard, with whom she develops a bond, of sorts, is the likeable character, but he has more to reveal. Two things to consider about Eliza. First, absolutely no one has control over her. actions She does what she wants, when she wants, and goes to some extreme lengths to get her own way, with respect to her desire to solve problems and investigate. I will grant that this is often how main characters are written, regardless of age, but as a parent, I did get exasperated. Second, some may question a 16 year old girl teaming up with a 27 year old police officer to investigate a crime. Her family certainly did, but as a long time mystery reader, while I would be hard-pressed to make a direct comparison of Eliza to Nancy Drew or several other more modern teen sleuths, there are some qualities that may be familiar. It's just something to keep in mind.

This is a compelling story filled with complex characters and not at all what I expected. I usually prefer likeable characters, loyal cohorts, witty dialogue, humor, slow burn romance, and a happy ending, yet this book had none of these. Nevertheless, once I began listening, I did not stop, finishing the book in the wee hours of the morning. The authors skillfully wove sub-plots into the story that not only provided suspects once the crime was revealed, and that was well into the book, but they maintained the pace. I did identify the culprit before the reveal, but there was much more to it. While I cannot say there was a happy ending, because there was not, I can say there was resolution. Readers are not left hanging, except of course, for what more there is to learn about Eliza and Dafyyd. I will read the next book in the series to see if it fulfills the potential I see in this book.

While I cannot speak to the accuracy of a Welsh accent that I believe is the goal for Dafyyd Pritchard, I can say it is distinctive from the other characters. The narrator does a pleasing job of voicing all the characters.

I love Eliza and I am so happy this is a series! Also her family kind of suck but especially her father. I am so glad that we don't live during that time. I would have burned as a witch b/c I can't or won't be controlled or told what to do! I can't wait to see more of her taking action and not caring that her "people" don't care for it!

#ElizaMace
#NetGalley

Thank you to @Bolindaaudio, @netgalley and @duck_books for my ARC and audiobook copies of 'Eliza Mace' by Jem Poster and Sarah Burton. Described as a twisty Victorian mystery, I was intrigued at first but, the longer I spent with Eliza, I found her quite annoying by the end of the book. I struggle with crime because this genre always has me questioning the likelihood that this would happen. Would the police really divulge that information and involve the daughter in her father's murder? It seems far fetched and I struggle to engage with crime for that reason.
I'm always intrigued by dual authors and it really wasn't obvious that two people had written this as they shared the same voice.

Eliza Mace is an impressionable and opinionated 16 year old going on 17. Her father, Robert Mace, is a business man who has a lot of debtors and, by all accounts, a lot of enemies. Robert often arrives home drunk and unable to account for his whereabouts as his 'business' is never really identified. When Robert goes missing for a number of days, it is his youngest, headstrong daughter, Eliza who finds him in the most distressing of ways. Working alongside PC Daffyd Pritchard to uncover the murderer, there is no shortage of suspects who wished him harm.
For me, this book was a slow burner and didn't pick up until Robert's murder. While I've mentioned the likelihood of Eliza's involvement in the case, I did appreciate the red herrings. The tale is carefully woven to make you think one way and, although I didn't guess the murderer this time (a rarity for me), I was surprised by the reveal which is one thing I do like about a crime novel.
Themes: crime, murder, death, highway robbery, adultery, missing person

I love historical fiction cozy mysteries and was excited to read Eliza maze by Sarah Burton in Jim poster. Let me start by saying in my opinion cozy mysteries are supposed to be light fun with a dash of murder this book was dark dysfunctional and although they had murder the book had an overall feeling of macabre that I’m fine with and horror stories but not cozy mysteries. Not to mention I did not at all like a Liza maze or anyone in her immediate family with the exception of uncle Jim. The book was historically ina accurate something I find unforgivable in this age of Google, The narrators voice also sounded like she was reading something more severe than a cozy mystery and although she had a nice voice I think she would do better with Gothic or thrillers. There was some great aspects to the book like uncle Jim, the Morgans in the great twist at the end but it took forever to get to the main mystery and not only that when the mystery did occur despite the fact this man old in the state they said they regular old policeman in davit someone else Eliza didn’t agree with The only thing that made me give this book 2 stars instead of one was the twist at the end because OMG totally didn’t see that coming and uncle Jim. I don’t think I would read another book in this Siri‘s I’m sure there will be those who like it but I just did not. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

With a more adult feel but at the same time a similar feel to the YA series Enola Holmes is the new Eliza Mace series. Eliza is a force to be reckoned with and she at 16 is pushing for her own independence throughout the story against her overprotective mother . — I do agree with other reviews that many aspects of her and other female characters behavior seem out of place for the timeframe 1870s in Wales, but for me it did not detract from the story.
The book for me had a dark gothic feel and I can imagine the atmosphere and scenery clearly from the narrative and descriptions. The audiobook narrator was very good and brought the story to life for me — the male and female voices felt distinctive — as well the characters and story were engaging and held my interest all the way to the end — I quickly went through this fast paced story — the interactions between the characters and the mystery of what happened to Eliza’s father kept me intrigued as to what drama and outcome would unfold. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series .

Thanks to NetGalley and Belinda Audio for this ARC . This is my honest review.

I received a copy of the audio version of this book from the publisher; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Eliza Mace is a very engaging story featuring Eliza Mace, a young woman on the verge of adulthood leaving in the 1870s near the England-Wales boarder. Her parents have a marriage marred by conflict and her father is a spendthrift who makes enemies wherever he goes. As Eliza nears her 17th birthday, she is chaffing against her mother's edicts about what a young lady can and cannot due including her rambles through nature with her uncle. Eliza's world is turned upside down when her father disappears; she is driven to found out what exactly happened to her father no matter where the truth leads or what her mother says. I listen to this book, and I definitely think that the narration added to my enjoyment of this title. The mystery was good and the supporting characters well crafted. Eliza might seem a little young to some readers, but I think that there is a lot of potential and this title is a promising start to a new series.

I do love an uppity teenager, determined to get to the bottom of a mystery against the wishes of parental/authority figures under the auspices of protecting her.

Great read, and a fabulous plot, brilliantly reflective of the period in which the book is set.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Eliza Mace follows the story of 16 year old Eliza as she's on the cusp of growing up before she's quite ready for it. After the disappearance of her father, fowl play could be on the cards. A man who's disliked by most of the village due to the debts he owed. Eliza takes it upon herself to investigate where her dad is, but may uncover hidden dark family secrets, which will change her life as she knows it.

I have to be honest and say this left more to be desired than expected. Eliza was quite an irritating character, potentially deliberate on the account of her being immature compared to her peers. I found her selfish behaviour to be so intolerable; yes she has a good heart in wanting to right wrongs, but when she's so hellbent on doing so at the risk of damaging/hurting her own family, it was infuriating. As this is a series I hope to see in the next book she's a bit more mature, as the premise of the series sounds promising, a mixture of historical fiction with a cosy mystery - a genre I love. I loved the narrator giving different voices to all the characters and even the Welsh accents to match the locals, I think she did a fantastic job at bringing the book to life. I'm not sure what it would be like reading in physical form without the audiobook. As I said, I wasn't fond of the main character. I would say it is worth a read for fans of historical fiction and cosy mystery, but I'm not sure I'll continue the series or recommend this book to others.

3.5 Stars Rounded Up
This audiobook was made available to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator had a nice voice, with a nondistracting pitch and tone. I found that as the novel moved on, the narration faded into the background, leaving just the story.

I really love cozies and adore this cover. I requested this on the cover and genre alone. I was not disappointed. Cozy mysteries are usually more about the characters, setting and mood than the mystery. So I need to like the main character in a cozy in a way I don't in a different type of story. Lucky for me, I found Eliza spunky and charming. Eliza, 16 and newly considered an adult, is the daughter of minor land-owning gentry. It's just her still at home with her parents as her older sister, Charlotte, married primarily to get away from their desperately unhappy household. Her parents argue often, and her father's younger brother, Uncle James, seems to be her protector and confidante.

The family's finances are ruinous, which leads to stress in their village and with the family's servants. Amidst this family drama, her father leaves home angry one evening, and he fails to return by the following morning. Eliza hooks up with the village Constable, Pritchard, to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance. I found the interactions between Eliza and Constable Pritchard to be overly familiar with regard to how unmarried women moved in Victorian society. She repeatedly meets with him alone. He sends her notes to meet him, and she actually goes. This seems truly odd for the times she lived in. Now, if she had a ladies' maid passing notes between them or acting as a chaperone, maybe. Eliza's level of freedom off her family's Estates doesn't seem period appropriate. Eliza ventures off on her own more than I think would've been allowed at that time period for an unmarried woman of her class. This novel somewhat ignores period appropriate class rules. It feels off for the Victorian Era, which is the height of British class divisions. It made the story feel modern but didn't impact my enjoyment overall. I didn't like that the reveal happened 'off page', so to speak. None the less I found this story very charming and look forward to the next novel in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read/listen to and review this novel. All views expressed in this review are my own.

I tried but I DNF’ed at 57%. It’s too slow and nothing is happening. Unfortunately the characters are uninteresting for a character driven story. The narrator is great. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for approving my request.

Love love love! The heroine is a different age group than my usual Victorian Cozy Sleuths, but Eliza Mace is absolutely fantastic despite being just 16!

Eliza is strong willed in the best way and not about to allow herself to be dragged along by the dysfunction of her parents or the dramatic events in her life. Albeit naiively, Eliza jumps head first into investigating the disappearance of her father, meeting a new friend on the way. Tact however, is not our Eliza's strong point!

Wonderfully accurate in social norms and well researched, but also reflective of thos women (and girls) who chose to fight against those norms and led toward the suffrage movement

I loved the book so much, I just had to listen to the audiobook narrated by the wonderful Karen Cass and what a delight! Brilliantly read and every nuance illuminated wonderfully!

Brilliantly written, very entertaining and I have a feeling this will become an enduring series!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bolinda Audio the outstanding authors Sarah Burton and Jem Poster and the phenomenal narrator Karen Cass for this fantastic ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own