This is the first book by this author that I have read. I have not read the other four books prior to this one but I still enjoyed it

The story takes place in the 1920s in England. It has strong female characters who are making a difference in spite of the barriers that society places on them. Iris Woodmore is such determined, opiniated and strong character but she can cause a reader to not be able to have empathy for her at times.

It was a solid story with good characters and a mystery that kept me guessing. I do think that I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read the previous books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this story.

3.5/5

I liked the setting of the book, along with the writing style, the not-too-good FMC, rising of women in power and business and representation of LGBTQ+ characters.

I would have liked it more if the case was solved through a series of clues, rather than a gut feeling. Also since I was new to the series, I would have loved it if the introduction of the characters was a little spaced as it became a little difficult to track everyone.

Though I can't comment on Iris' character growth, I would like to know what happens with her and Marc and Percy.

I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to the Publishers and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this book, which was hard to put down.

The story is set around the Christmas pantomime. On the same day that the Prince is visiting Winchester, the leading lady of the pantomime is found dead.

As you turn the pages and get hooked into the story, reading what happens next. the list of suspects changes. There’s lots of twists that follow too and Iris tries to get more clues, looking around, without getting herself into trouble. When someone that she was friendly with turns up, that causes chaos.

I highly recommend this book.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Christmas, 1923. When reporter Iris Woodmore is sent to cover the Prince of Wales’ visit to historic Winchester, she discovers more than just royal gossip.

The leading lady in Winchester Cathedral’s charity pantomime is found dead in mysterious circumstances. And the chief suspect is Cinderella’s handsome prince, played by Percy Baverstock’s younger brother, Freddie.

For the sake of the Baverstocks, Iris must investigate the murder, even though it means confronting an old enemy. And as the line between friend and foe blurs dangerously, she’s ensnared by someone she hoped she’d never see again…

This is book 5 in this series does not disappoint. It has improved from when I read the first book immensely. The characters go from strength to strength and the period detail and politics fascinating. The mysteries have always been twisty and interesting and while I did guess the answer to this one about the same time as Iris it was still interesting and entertaining. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the 5th book in the "Iris Woodmore Mysteries" series and I haven't read any of the previous books (although I discovered that I own most of
them).

The book has a solid plot and good development. The characters are interesting, but since the heroine Iris is the narrator, I found it hard to get a good sense of her and any empathy for her. Several other characters who may be familiar to regular readers of this series were just confusing names to me.

I expected this to be a cozy Christmas tale, but the holiday is only peripheral to the mystery. Don't get me wrong - it is still an interesting murder mystery which had me guessing throughout - it just didn't rise to the level of other mystery authors whose plot and main characters have grabbed me right from the beginning.

To be fair I will go back and continue the series from book 1 forward!

Having enjoyed the previous books in the series, I was eagerly anticipating A Corpse in Christmas Close. The alliterative title and the prospect of a Christmas-themed mystery in the middle of a heatwave seemed like a perfect escape.

Unfortunately, I found myself in the minority while rating this one. The pacing felt sluggish, and the mystery lacked the nail-biting tension I was hoping for. Instead, the story unfolded at a slow pace, sprinkled with red herrings that ultimately led to a rather underwhelming conclusion.

As the story reached its denouement, I felt a bit cheated. It wasn’t until the final three chapters that Iris realized the murder was more complex than she initially thought. While there’s nothing wrong with a character having a “light bulb” moment, it felt as though most of the clues Iris uncovered led her nowhere, and the resolution came down to a wild guess rather than a solid deduction.

Iris's tendency to get involved with handsome but questionable men has been a recurring theme in the series, and it casts a somewhat unfavorable light on her character. After five books, I would have liked to see more growth in Iris’s personal life, perhaps in the form of a stable relationship. Hopefully, this will be addressed in future installments.

The latest book in this series does not disappoint. The characters go from strength to strength and the period detail is excellent, and the politics fascinating. I love the descriptions of clothes and the fact that I learned a lot more about this period of history by the end of the book. I’m already looking forward to the next in the series!

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a few of this series already but it took me a little while to get into this one and remember who the characters were as I’ve not read one of them for a while. But after a couple of chapters it all came flooding back, there’s enough history scattered throughout to remind you and for these to be read as standalone.

This one is set around panto time, the leading lady is found dead outside the theatre on the day of the Prince’s visit to Winchester. What follows is a tale of multiple suspects, changing chapter by chapter, and more twists than you can imagine. Iris does her best at nosying about without getting herself in trouble, but an old enemy suddenly appears too, which throws everything in the air.

I really like these cosy mysteries, especially ones set in an age where the lady isn’t expected to be the heroine. I’ve read a couple of series with lady reporters and have enjoyed them all, this is becoming one of my favourites, and I can’t wait for the next instalment.

This was the first book by this author that I have read. I loved it and thoroughly enjoyed this 1920's murder mystery. I will definitely be reading the other books in the series as I could not put it down.

This was a solid historical cosy mystery that's well plotted and well rooted in its historical period. I will definitely head back to read the rest of the series as I think I'll have enjoyed it more if I already knew the characters and their interpersonal relationships.

Iris is a tenacious main character and I always appreciate when these historical cosy mysteries have an MC who isn't a titled lady as it gives a bit of a variation to the genre and gives a little different perspective on life during that time (I would also recommend Marty Wingate's The London Ladies Murder Club Series for this).

I was caught out by the culprit reveal and found it overall to be well paced and a fun read which is what I look for so for fans of this style of mystery I would recommend the book but maybe, like me, read the first few books in the series to enjoy it even more.

3.5*

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this digital review copy of "A Corpse In Christmas Close" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

I love a new Iris Woodmore 1920s mystery, and A Corpse in Christmas Close is as well-plotted and deeply grounded in the historical events of the day as the previous books in the series.

Iris is a great main character. She is tenacious and outspoken, aware of society's conventions but often keen to ignore them. She and her fellow cast members are all well-drawn and believable.

I almost always determine how much I love a mystery by whether I work out the culprit or not, and once more, I was caught out by the resolution for A Corpse in Christmas Close.

The pacing is great. I'm looking forward to Iris' next adventure.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

Brilliant read with a good storyline and a great cast of characters this story had me gripped and I was drawn in from the beginning can’t wait to read more from this author

Iris is back with a bang. Unfortunately, so are two of her enemies. It isn’t often that I genuinely dislike a villain and find them actually threatening, but in the returning antagonist I’ve added another to that short list. Although Gordon Tolfree is dead set against Iris and her friends, he strikes me as being by more akin to a stereotypical wealthy man of the era, used to power and lashing out when that power is threatened, particularly by those he considers his social inferiors. However, whilst I find him and his views distasteful, he never feels like anything more than this.

The other person, on the other hand, feels like a genuine threat from the moment they are introduced. I didn’t like them first time around. This time I loathe them. Not only are they incredibly mysoginistic, but like many men who are involved in domestic violence and coercive control, they are outwardly charming, making it incredibly difficult for their victims to convince people of the threat they pose. Fortunately for Iris, she has a network of people who know this person’s true nature but that is not enough to stop them worming their way into the Walden community.

Although the main plot is nicely resolved by the end of the book, there is a definite sense of threat and menace looming over Iris in the closing pages and I can’t wait to see what Salter has in store for her heroine in the next instalment.

This is a clever plot with red herrings left, right and centre and I had no idea what the resolution was going to be, but when it came it was perfect!

I obviously thoroughly enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next book. I’ve loved Iris from the first book. I predicted then that she would become a firm favourite in my reading pile and nothing in the series so far has made me change that opinion!

This was such an enjoyable read that made me feel a part of England in the 1920's. I loved the comradery of the main ladies and their discussions about the few options women had at this time, if they were without a husband. I also found this to be very unique in some of the topics it broached as you don't usually have that in most mysteries set at this time. The reveal was so cleverly done, quite the surprise. A great mystery, indeed.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

1920s, reporter, journalist, newspapers, historical-places-events, historical-mystery, historical-research, local-law-enforcement, friends, friendship, Winchester, family, relatives, relationships, investigation, drugs-issues, drugged, amateur-sleuth, secrets, lies, local-politics, drug-trafficking, women-s-fiction, women-s-rights, sociopath, soap opera, relationship-issues, murders, infidelities, intrigue, intimidation, family-dynamics, family-expectations, family-history, unpleasant-suspect, England****

Politics, murder, personal histories, and cocaine are the true main characters in this story. Iris and her cadre of friends and fellow sleuths plus the savvy local constabulary come together to work on a Gordian Knot of a murder mystery.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you! Available Aug 24, 2024
#IrisWoodmoreMysteriesBk5 #GoldenAgeMysteries