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.

This is the fourth book in the Marius Quin Mystery series and the first I have read. In fact I see this author has written heaps of books including two other long series. I feel I have been missing out!

Marius is an author by profession as well as a private detective. When he is invited to give a talk on books at a luxury hotel he does not expect that it will be the detective role that he ends up playing the most.

My first attraction to A Body at the Grand Hotel was the setting in Torquay in England. I know it well having spent many summer holidays there in the past. Then I found I liked the character of Marius Quin very much as well as his friend and fellow sleuth, Lady Bella Montague. They work well together. A well written historical cosy mystery and I will look out for more of his books.

This cozy mystery is set in the late 1920s in the coastal holiday town of Torquay. The main character, mystery author, Marius Quin, is invited to the Grand Hotel to have an event held in his honor by the Torquay Mystery and Detection Society. In his excitement over the event, he invites his mother, aunt, uncle, and best friend and fellow detective, Bella, to join him. Once the event begins, he realizes that things are not exactly what he had anticipated and he is soon ruffled by the overbearing and rude head of the society and several society members. He soon gets his bearings and gives his hecklers a bit more than they anticipated. Little does he realize that the event itself is only the beginning of the unpleasantness that the weekend holds. Before too long, a dead body is found and it is up to Quin, Bella, and Inspector Lovebrook to find the killer. This story is wonderfully written with very interesting characters, red herrings, subplots, intrigue, and a healthy dose of humor. A truly wonderful cozy mystery! I have not read the others in this series, but will be remedying that now that I have enjoyed this book so much! I especially enjoyed the "Words and Phrases" section filled with definitions of words from the time and the "Historical Research" section that delved into all the author's detective work into the time period and more (from phones, to scones, to storks, and more!) that went into the book. Fascinating stuff! I appreciated the Character List as well. Just a delightful read from start to finish!
* I received an arc digital book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

In A Body at the Grand Hotel, the fourth entry in Benedict Brown’s captivating Marius Quin series, mystery novelist and amateur detective Marius Quin finds himself swept into another intriguing whodunit. Invited to speak at the Torquay Mystery and Detection Society, Marius expects a relaxing weekend on the English Riviera with his crime-solving partner, Lady Bella Montague, and his beloved basset hound, Percy. But things quickly take a darker turn when the body of a contentious local woman is discovered floating in the hotel pool. What follows is a delightful unraveling of secrets, half-truths, and red herrings as Marius and Bella attempt to navigate uncooperative witnesses, skeptical police, and the hotel’s opulent yet unsettling atmosphere.

Brown continues to shine with his mix of humor, charm, and engaging puzzles, providing readers with a cozy mystery that feels fresh while honoring the classic genre. Marius, with his newfound confidence and sharpened detective skills, teams up with the ever-sharp Bella, creating a partnership that’s both dynamic and heartfelt. The elegance of the Grand Hotel and the scenic coastal setting add a perfect touch of escapism, immersing readers in the charm and suspense of the English seaside.

As always, Brown’s cast of quirky, endearing characters steal the show, from Marius's family members to Percy, who revels in the hotel’s pet-friendly amenities. Brown's ability to balance mystery with character-driven moments brings warmth to the story, even as the tension builds. Fans of cozy mysteries and character-rich storytelling will find A Body at the Grand Hotel a wonderfully satisfying addition to the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Benedict Brown for this ARC! A Body at the Grand Hotel is out November 14, 2024. Cozy mystery lovers, you won’t want to miss this seaside escape with Marius and Bella!

In A Body at the Grand Hotel, Benedict Brown whisks readers to the charming English coast, where mystery novelist-turned-amateur detective Marius Quin finds himself unexpectedly entangled in yet another puzzling case. Invited to speak at the prestigious Mystery and Detection Society, Marius relishes the thought of a relaxing, glamorous weekend with his fearless partner, Lady Bella Montague. However, their getaway at Torquay’s Grand Hotel takes a sharp turn when they wake to a disturbing discovery: the body of a notoriously unpleasant local resident floating lifelessly in the hotel pool. What begins as an intriguing incident quickly unravels into a web of clues and conflicting testimonies that leave Marius and Bella—and readers—guessing at every turn.

As Marius and Bella dig into the mystery, they face obstacles at every corner: a resistant local police sergeant, witnesses who refuse to share the whole truth, and a series of baffling clues that seem to contradict one another. Brown’s portrayal of Marius is rich with wit and determination, showing a character who may still be new to sleuthing but is anything but timid. Bella’s sharp insights and strong-willed nature make her an indispensable ally, and their partnership brings a delightful balance of humor and tension to the story.

This fourth book in the Marius Quin Mystery Series is a classic whodunit, with all the right twists and red herrings to keep fans of mystery thoroughly engaged. Readers will appreciate the atmospheric setting, clever plotting, and the challenge of piecing together clues alongside the detectives. A Body at the Grand Hotel is a satisfying blend of suspense and character-driven storytelling that captures the best of classic mystery fiction with a fresh, modern touch.