This is the first book that I have read in this series I know that It wasn't essential to have read the previous books in the series as this story is totally a standalone but wished that I had so that I had a peep into their lives before Grand Hotel.
An all expenses paid break in Torquay's Grand Hotel for himself, his business partner, Lady Isabella Montague (Bella), his mother, his uncle Sam, aunt Elle and even his beloved Basset Hound, Percy was welcome.
Marius Quin is an author of mystery book but along with Bella, he runs a successful detective agency. Marius has been invited to speak at the Mystery and Detection Society's annual dinner at Torquay's majestic Grand Hotel, the hotel is more luxurious than they could ever have imagined, all was going well..........until it wasn't. Shortly after Marius began his talk he realised that no one wanted to hear what he had to say, he was heckled, his work was denigrated and the person responsible for inciting the crowd was non other than Angelica Thistlewaite, the same Angelica who had booked him, the same Angelica who was the self appointed leader of the community.
When the body of Angelica was found face down in the swimming pool the following morning Marius is determined to find the killer, but so any people had a motive, she was loved and hated in equal measure, as the police weren't very helpful it was down to Marius and Bella to seek out the killer.
There are so many suspects and they are all blaming each other, the story twists and turns until Marius finally has a lightbulb moment.
I really enjoyed this book although I found that it dragged a little in the middle, I loved the characters, I love how the author captures the style of speech of the era, I loved the witty banter, I loved the interaction between Bella and Marius (hoping that at some point she ditches fiance, Gabriel for Marius, the man who has always loved her), I love the way that the end leads neatly and amazingly into the next story.
Thank you Net Gallery for this ARC my review is totally voluntary.

Marius Quin is very pleasantly surprised when he receives a letter from the Torquay Mystery and Detection Society informing him that he has been chosen to become an Honorary Member. Not only that, the Society is holding a gala in his honor. Knowing Marius as we have over the course of the first three books in this series, Marius heads out to Torquay, bringing his basset hound, Percy and the rest of his extended family, plus Bella (Lady Isabella Montague) for the weekend.

And also, knowing Marius as we do, he finds a dead body and becomes embroiled in a neatly plotted mystery involving several mysterious characters, a suspect all but served up on a platter as the likely murderer, a love/hate relationship, a tangled family dynamic, and eventually the surprising conclusion.

And after all that, the final pages lead us into, sadly, a new murder and a perhaps a start in unraveling the mystery of Marius' father. I enjoyed this latest episode in the series and await the next book. 4 stars.

I am so excited to get into yet another Marius Quin mystery. I love this series so much. It’s entertaining, fun, full of surprises, and with a cast of quirky and unique characters. I also love that the story is narrated in first person by the protagonist himself, bestselling author and occasional private detective Marius Quin, who is quite charming and witty.

In this fourth adventure, Marius, who should be writing his third novel, is invited to give a talk at the Mystery and Detection Society in Torquay. As usual he is accompanied by his loyal hound Percy, his mother, his uncle and his aunt, and, of course, his first love and now close friend and partner-in-crime-solving Lady Isabella (Bella) Montague. The conference is not at all what he expected, but at least he gets to enjoy a luxurious weekend in what is considered the English Riviera. And while Percy seems to get a more special treatment than him, Marius and Bella get involved in another investigation when a body is found in the pool and it turns out that the victim was hated and loved in equal measure.

A Body at the Grand Hotel was another five stars for me. I loved the mystery, the humour, and the relationship between Bella and Marius and their easy banter. The story is well-written and intriguing. There is a victim of murder who used to bully all those around her, so the list of suspects is quite long; there are also an incompetent police detective, a group of amateur know-it-all detectives, and witnesses who keep secrets. It won’t be easy for Marius and Bella to figure out the truth. If you love cozy mystery and historical novels, then I can’t recommend this series enough. Also, the ending was quite unexpected and shocking and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

A mystery writer/private detective’s invite to attend a gala in his honour for The Torquay Mystery and Detection Society at The Grand Hotel in Torquay soon turns into a murder investigation.
The novel evoked the glamour, the charm and sophistication of all that jazz of the 1920’s. Set against the backdrop of one of the (still) most prestigious hotels in Torquay, The Grand Hotel, the period/ locale details were on point not to mention the plot fell effortlessly into place with the perfect line up of murder suspects. No easy guesses here folks! In fact, there was just enough intelligent misdirection woven in to the plot to make the reader do the hard work of unravelling the investigation. As soon as you thought you’d worked it out, the plot pulled the rug from underneath you. The novel had a lovely use of plot conventions with its own unique style.
Marius, our not so amateur sleuth, he’s a private investigator and mystery writer, knows his stuff when it comes to taking on a murder case. His gentlemanly like approach towards suspects gave the air of a 1920’s bachelor detective. Bella, his friend and former flame, played her Watsonesque part perfectly. I also found Marius to be of public school boy stock with traditional views, however, he was a man of his time. This is the fourth book in the series and my first but it was delightfully easy to dive straight into.

Benedict Brown certainly knows how to tell a very good story. A Body at the Grand Hotel is, told in the first person with great aplomb, for want of better words to describe this quirky Murder filled with a cast of people who would not be out of place on the Stage.
Successful author of two Murder Mystery novels Marius Quin, is invited to a Gala evening to be held in his honour at the Grand Hotel in Torquay. All he has to do is to give a speech to the Mystery and Detection Society and answer a few questions.
How hard can this be and as he is suffering for ennui, he decides that a weekend spent on the coast would be a great idea. As it is a rather a splendid Hotel, he invites his family, as well as his long-time friend and business partner, Lady Bella Montague along.
He and Lady Bella have a very successful Private Detective Agency, having assisted Scotland Yard in several of their recent cases. There is an issue on the train on the way to Torquay and it is apparent once they arrive, that something is not quite as it should be; something is simply off!
After a somewhat grueling evening, Marius goes for a morning swim only to find a body on the floor of the indoor swimming pool and a man fleeing the area. And so begins a larger than life murder mystery that seems to have more perpetrators than make sense, as well as a group of amateur detectives who believe they can solve the murder before either Scotland Yard or the local Police.
A Body at the Grand Hotel is a most intriguing, very tongue-in-cheek, romp through the world of cozy Murders, which will keep every amateur armchair detective trying to solve how so many people could have sound reason to want to commit murder and who really did do it!
A Body at the Grand Hotel is the fourth book in the Marius Quin series with more to come from this very refreshing amateur Detective.

Once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. Quite a quirky tasle with lots of strange occurences and situations. The charaters were quite amusing and well described. The unravelling at the end was great fun!

Private Detective Marius Quin has been invited to speak at a hotel in Torquay at the Murder and Detection. society. He looking forward to it, but when he arrives he knows something is not right. When a body turns up in the pool the following morning, the mystery begins.
This is a great whodunit and is fast paced, loved the characters and the period it is set. It’s a cozy mystery with amazing descriptions of the period hotel and setting. This is the 4th book in this series and can be read as a stand-alone. A cozy 4 star read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

At the end of the last book, Marius got some new information about what may have happened to his father. But he is trying not to dwell on that and is excited to be distracted by a letter inviting him to be an honorary member of the Torquay Mystery and Detection Society. They are inviting him to give a speech the night before the local October Ball. Marius decides, why not? Bella, Inspector Lovelace, and his family all decide to come along as well.
When he gets there, he discovers that the group is not exactly the fans he had supposed them to be. Instead, he is thrown to the wolves by their leader, Mrs. Thistlethwaite. The same Mrs. Thistlethwaite who Marius finds dead in the hotel pool the next morning.
This is a twisty turning mystery that is maybe a little overwrought. There was some time spent in a crossover with Brown's Lord Edgington series and that did feel a little forced. The ending was interesting but I'm not sure everything was sewn together successfully. Still, an enjoyable read, overall.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out November 15, 2024
Follows The Castleton Affair
Marius Quin Mystery #4
ARC kindly provided Storm Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

October 1928 Author Marius Quin is invited to give a talk at the Torquay Mystery and Detection Society, which does not go as he planned. The next morning he discovers a body in the hotel's swimming pool. A person who was hated by many and loved by a few. Thankfully Inspector Lovebrook is staying at the hotel, helped by Marcus and Lady Isabella in his investigation.
A well-written and entertaining historical mystery with its likeable characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
This was a lovely setting, in the town of Torquay, a place I’ve been to a number of times. To this place come Marius Quinn and Lady Isabella Montague, along with Percy, the dog. The descriptions of the hotel really took me there. There is a murder mystery to solve and there are multiple possibilities for the perpetrator. This had me wondering who it was until the end. Although, I did enjoy this book, maybe not as much as the previous one I read, it may have been there were a number of ‘famous’ names banded about. However, the ending left me wanting to read the next book. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Benedict Brown for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Body at the Grand Hotel coming out November 14, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoy this series! I’ve read the book right before this one. I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries. I really love Quin’s character. Grand hotels is one of my favorite settings for mysteries. The time period is perfect for me. I loved that he teamed up with Bella. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

I did not realize that this book was part of a series when I started it, which may have contributed to the slow start. But starting mid-series turned out to not be a problem; by the second page of chapter 2, I was all in. The mystery was sufficiently twisty, and the romantic tension between Marius and Bella was fun to watch. There is an overarching mystery also that I almost missed because it’s mentioned on the first page and then referenced in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of way at the very end, but I’m sure we’ll see more in upcoming books. I really enjoy 1920s cozies and that whole era, and this one was light, fun, and entertaining. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for the next one in the series.

This is a mystery set in the 1920s in England. This book is the 4th in a series, but you can understand this story without having read the previous books. The official detective's main role seemed to be to tell everyone to cooperate with Marius and to arrest whodunit when revealed. Bella's main role seemed to be to help Marius with the suspect questioning as they got much more information together than when Marius tried to question people by himself. They questioned people and poked around for clues, so it's a clue-based mystery and whodunit is guessable. However, the clues could have been made to fit several people, so motive and even the assistant was easier to identify before the end than the possibly changeable whodunit.

The main characters were likable enough and interesting. The author clearly put a lot of time into researching the historical details (and the last 10% of the book explained more about these details). There were no sex scenes. There were only a couple uses of bad language. Overall, the mystery was fairly interesting, but the characters didn't engage me enough for me to read the rest of the series.

When successful mystery novelist and fledgling private detective, Marius Quin, is invited to speak at the Mystery and Detection Society he jumps at the chance of a luxurious weekend away on the English Riviera. But arriving at Torquay’s Grand Hotel with his sleuthing partner Lady Bella Montague, there is the definite sense that all is not well. When they wake the next morning to discover the body of a cantankerous local in the hotel pool, things go from bad to worse.
The fourth book in the series & another well written, very enjoyable murder mystery. It’s easily read on its own but I love series & I’m loving the relationships & how they are developing & changing. There are of course twists & turns as well as red herrings. I was kept guessing which is always a bonus. I love how the author added a touch of humour & the banter was witty & made me smile. Roll on book five
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Really enjoyed this book, storyline was great and characters were good, plot was brilliant even I didn't guess who dun it until Marcus spilt the beans, well written and will definitely be reading more of these

I found the plot of this book to be if the Thursday Murder Club characters decided to use their powers for bad rather than good. The Torquay Mystery and Detection Society group were pretty awful, especially their leader Mrs. Thistlethwaite. It was hard to feel too bad for her when she turned up dead in the hotel swimming pool. But as always, it was fun to see how Marius's crime solving unfolded. I'm still not too much of a fan of Bella - she's not really supportive of Marius when she first hears that a group wants him to be their keynote speaker (but is perfectly happy to tag along on his big weekend), she does very little in helping to solve crimes, and his inability to start to get over her is growing tiresome. And for that reason I was a little disappointed to see the way in which her fiancé exited from the story. I would also like to see a legitimate alternate love interest for him. This author once again balances the seriousness of solving a murder and some humor very well and keeps things from getting too depressing and dark. There are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings and suspects you think are red herrings but turn out to in fact be the killer. I don't want to give anything away, but the final chapter of the book offers one last pretty big surprise that sets the tone for the next book. The big question is if the ending will end up connecting back to Marius's missing father. I certainly cannot wait to find out!

Easy to consume, quick read. A murder mystery as evidenced by the title, set in the early 1900s. The plot and characters are enviable enough, and I love that it had a glossary of the period’s terminology (though with context, you wouldn’t need it). This seems like a YA novel as there was nothing graphic (the murder was a drowning and zero “intimacy” scenes). A little cheeky humor but overall a straight forward, fast paced murder mystery in which an unpopular hotel worker if offed, and the list of suspects is plenty! I think the author could’ve skipped over some of the London backstory at the beginning - perhaps that was exposition more for the other books in the series? - as it didn’t add to this novel.

.... ...

I thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance reader copy of “A Body at the Grand Hotel.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Invited to a meeting of the Torquay Mystery and Detection Society, Marius Quinn, mystery writer, thinks it’s a great chance to talk about himself and his books. Not only that, it’s an all-expenses paid opportunity to take his friends (well, best friend Lady Isabella Montague) and family (mother, Uncle Stan, and Auntie Elle) and enjoy a little vacation at the luxurious Grand Hotel. Instead, he finds himself and his work for all intents and purposes attacked, by the event’s attendees. So much for a swell weekend. So, when the conference organizer, a Mrs. Angelica Thistlethwaite, ends up dead in the hotel’s pool, Marius isn’t overly upset. Come to find out she’s the one responsible for the “roasting.” And what about the man in black that ran off – and who’s been hovering around? Is he our murderer? Or is it someone who had it in for Mrs. Thistlethwaite, who, as Marius discovers, is not the guiding light of Torquay she purported to be. Well, mystery writers love a mystery, and Marius has a dozy on his hands here. With Lady Isabella -- Bella -- to help, and even though his heart is breaking, for Bella has announced that she is now affianced to Gabriel, he begins an investigation that will uncover an age-old motive for murder.

A lot of crazy things go on in “A Body at the Grand Hotel” (I think author Benedict Brown would agree --- read the Author’s Historical Research notes at the end). It all comes together under the author’s deft handling of characters, scene-setting, and plot twists. And speaking of plot twists -- that ending! Oh, dear. What a set-up for the next book.

With surprises that keep you guessing to the final pages, “A Body at the Grand Hotel” fits the bill for those who enjoy mystery tales with a solid story, plenty of suspects and two main characters that complement each other very well. And there’s plenty in store for Marius and Bella.

It’s that time again as we get to enjoy another Marius Quinn mystery in A Body at the Grand Hotel by Benedict Brown. Once more the dead bodies just seem to follow Marius as he’s invited to the Grand Hotel as a speaker at an award for his writing. When the host of this ceremony winds up dead we are brought right back into another fun mystery along with the fantastic character of Lady Isabella. As always with Benedict Brown’s writing I was deeply invested and needed to find out what happened next as soon as possible. At this point I think all I have to say is if you’ve liked his other books or if you’ve never picked one up and enjoy a good cozy mystery novel, A Body at the Grand Hotel is for you. I’ve always enjoyed the Marius Quinn series and that’s yet to change and as always I’m already wanting the next one.