Miss Ashford is invited by an old friend to a family river cruise in the Rhine when death strikes and she is once again called upon to solve the mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and mystery and found each of the characters to be unique and charming, lending their own twist to the tale. I have to say, I was drawn to read to the very end, and when the plot twist began to appear and the truth began to reveal itself, I was definitely taken by surprise and shock! I am definitely adding the rest of the books in the series to my TBR!

If you are looking for a cozy murder mystery that gives Carmen Sandiego meets Benoit Blanc, then this is definitely the series for you!

Thank you @netgalley and @onemorechapter for providing me with an e-arc. All thoughts are my own.

Slow and just didn't capture me at all. It felt predictable from the beginning and I had a hard time accepting the actions/personalities of a few characters, especially Lisl.

The whole time I thought it was the person who did it and it felt like this was a beginner mystery book, to dip your toes into the genre. Or maybe I am simply just judgmental and curious of people in mysteries, who knows.

Death on the Rhine marks another outing for Vivian Conroy’s keenly intelligent heroine Atalanta Ashford to a beautiful landscape where she will be forced to investigate a crime, and like its predecessors, this novel does not disappoint. This time, Atalanta decides to take a luxury river cruise along the River Rhine, accompanied by her close friend and romantic interest, the dashing racing driver Raoul. When Raoul rejects Atalanta yet again, she is only too happy to spend more time with fellow cruise passenger Otto Rabenhorst, the brother of an old acquaintance. But once she becomes more and more familiar with his complicated family, and the webs of lies and deceit that the various members spin, Atalanta finds herself in danger – and with an explosive mystery to investigate that belies the sedate, placid settings of the riverboat cruising along one of Europe’s most majestic waterways. Perhaps the clues are in the name of this unusual male character – with ‘Otto’ meaning wealth, ‘Raben’ hinting at the mythological ravens that foretell doom, and ‘Horst’ as the raised land between two fault lines?
Just as enjoyable as its predecessor novels set in equally iconic locations such as Provence and the Alps, this novel kept me entertained with its waves of humorous entertainment and witty observations. I wish to thank the publishers as well as NetGalley for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this honest book review. And one thing is for sure – I cannot wait to see where Atalanta will travel to next!

Death on the Rhine by Vivian Conroy is another foray into the world of Atalanta Ashford, heiress and investigator. One of the enticing things about this book is how letters from her grandfather arrive at precisely the moment she needs them. Not odd at all, you say, until you realized her grandfather is dead and has been for several years. In fact, her current lifestyle, both financially and professionally, is due to that fact, as is the fact that she also inherited his butler, Renard, who has proven invaluable. She is in Bonn, arriving to spend the day with erstwhile love, Raoul, who is a race care driver and a man who will not commit. While together they run into a man that Atalanta had meet once, the brother of a previous colleague, Otto, who invited them to dinner. It turns out it was small family dinner; a precursor to a cruise they were to depart upon the following day. He promptly invited Atalanta to join them on the river cruise, ostensibly to help with his daughter. Knowing her time with Raoul was short at best, she accepted. Then things went haywire.

They were an odd family: an overbearing grandmother; an eleven year-old daughter who was spoiled at best; her former colleague engaged to a man she didn’t seem to want. All excellent characters and all of whom contributed to the eventual mystery, Otto and Gertrude’s parents had died when they were young: a tragic accident? And, had Otto been a witness? Then grandmother’s lawyer, who claimed to be the long-lost and far from dead son, turned up dead. It strained Atalanta’s investigative chops until she met a police officer; one it turned out who had worked with her grandfather and had a letter for her. The solution turned out to be one I didn’t see coming. It was a complex and interesting story, one that stretched Atalanta’s capabilities and those of the reader. Quite good.

I was invited to read Death on the Rhine by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HarperCollinsUKOneMoreChapter #VivianConroy #DeathontheRhine

A deftly plotted mystery with plenty of suspects and red-herrings that kept me guessing until the end. The writer did a wonderful job describing the scenery and the folklore that gave it a wonderful atmosphere.

This is the first I have read in the series (I could understand what was going on without reading any of the others), so I don't know if Miss Ashford normally dwelled this much on her relationship or regoing over motives for people but it felt repetitive. A particular comment about someone seen leaving a room with scissors just got annoying.

But other than that, I felt it was an enjoyable mystery and I would read more in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

An enchanting historical mystery that is sure to grab your attention from page one!

Amateur detective Atalanta is on a cruise on the Rhine, going to Bonn for her birthday. Glamour, mystery, murder and suspense. What more can you ask for?

Take a fun journey and find out what happens!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Vivian Conroy for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Death on the Rhine coming out April 4, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am obsessed with historical mysteries. I have read a ton of them. I love the author. Her writing is amazing. I really love the subject matter. I thought it was fun that this was a vacation murder mystery. I would definitely read more books in the series. The characters are really fun and I’m excited to see what happens next.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical cozies!

A great cozy mystery which although I hadn't read the others in this series, this read as a standalone book. Twisty with great clues and in a beautiful setting I really enjoyed this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Atalanta has inherited a fortune and also a sleuthing business for the elite which provides her with travel opportunities around Europe. For her birthday though she has a surprise trip planned that doesn’t involve work, organised by Renard, her butler. Although determined to enjoy herself she is distracted by an ongoing case and also by the recent arrival in Paris of M. Gispot who had set up a rival detective agency.

Raoul, a racing car driver and close friend of Atalanta, makes a surprise appearance on her birthday tour. Despite a mutual attraction there is a tension between them and true feelings and concerns that remain unspoken. Atalanta’s anguish over her uncertain relationship with Raoul and her own holiday plans are interrupted when she is persuaded to join a cruise on the Rhine where murder and mystery quickly unfold. The scenery and places of interest on the cruise prove an interesting backdrop to this period murder mystery. The characters are well developed and the relationship between Atalanta and Renard and Raoul provides the basis for some interesting dialogue. Overall an enjoyable mystery in a delightful setting.

An exciting, fast paced who done it read. Set mostly on a cruise on the Rhine. It’s an atmospheric read with characters, all of whom appear to have their own agenda.

I love this series! Atalanta Ashford has natural detective instincts and can solve any complex case. I enjoyed the complex plot of this mystery. The Robenhorst family was full of drama and everyone had a plausible motive so it was hard to pinpoint who the killer was. It was like putting together an intricate puzzle. I got lost in the story and the landscape descriptions along the Rhine River. I also enjoyed all the historical facts and myths about the region. The book ended with a cliffhanger so I can’t wait to read the next book coming out in the Autumn of 2025!

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Atalanta is in Bonn, Germany, on a birthday holiday break organised by her faithful butler, Renard, who she inherited from her grandfather, along with his high-class sleuthing business. Raoul, her glamorous racing driver friend, makes an appearance, but it does not end well. Her fragile emotional state forces her to accept an unusual invitation to prevent a possible death at the request of a man she hardly knows. What follows is a river trip with unpleasant characters, who all have secrets and motivations for what happens. Atalanta questions her abilities in such a toxic ethos, but her sleuthing skills prevail. It's an immersive, cosy mystery with vivid characters, a lovely setting and a complex and courageous amateur sleuth.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Death in the Rhine is a solid entry in the Miss Ashford Investigates series. This entry finds Atalanta visiting Bonn to celebrate her birthday. Despite how they parted, Raoul surprises her to spend the weekend with her. While visiting a museum, Atalanta runs into Otto Rabenhorst, the older brother of a girl she taught with at the girls' school she worked at prior to becoming a detective. They had one conversation together several years prior that had stuck with her so she readily agrees to attend a dinner at the hotel where he and his family is staying. When Atlanta and Raoul arrive, they quickly experience the tension that exists between members of the family including Otto, his sister Gertrude, his precious daughter Lisl, and his grandmother, the family matriarch who raised the siblings after the tragic death of their parents years ago. Otto confides in Atalanta his fears that his daughter may be trying to kill his grandmother and convinces her to come on a boat trip down the Rhine that has been arranged to celebrate his grandmother's birthday and determine if there is actually any danger. Unfortunately, death follows and Atalanta must figure out the murder's identity before it is too late.

I really enjoyed the mystery even though I was able to guess the identity of the murderer as well as a key piece of the puzzle. Atalanta is such a fun character and I love the secondary characters in the series such as her butler Renard and Raoul. There has been a side storyline related to Raoul and his racing that sees development in this one that will carry over into the next book. I really appreciate how the locations in Europe are almost a character in the book and the author does a great job of describing the locations in every book. The only downside is that my pocketbook isn't big enough for me to take a river cruise down the Rhine to see the places mentioned in this book. Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC of this title.

Atalanta is having a break in Bonn to celebrate her birthday. Raoul surprises her there and has a day planned. The day is spoiled in a couple of ways, the first being the appearance of Otto, whom she had met once as he is the brother of one of her colleagues at the school. She doesn't reveal that her circumstances have changed and he invites her to join his family for dinner that evening as he is worried that someone is trying to kill his Grandmother.. Raoul returns to his commitments and Atalanta is asked to join the family on a cruise on the Rhine.
Various things happen and all of it makes her question her abilities.
I went to the area when I was at school and the descriptions of the places mentioned are what I remember. A nice story with a twist or two.

A birthday trip to Bonn sees amateur detective Atalanta Ashford drawn into the scandalous will of a wealthy grandmother during a scenic cruise down along the Rhine. But growing tensions lead to a sudden and shocking death. Facing suspicion all around, Atalanta must unravel a deadly web of family secrets as treacherous as the river they voyage on, to find the killer.
The fifth book in the series & it could easily be read on its own. I do like Atalanta who became an heiress when she inherited her Grandfather’s fortunes also she has his sleuthing abilities. This time we see her enjoying a birthday treat. Another well written entertaining cosy mystery with twists, turns & red herrings & a river cruise as the location
voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

I do not read too many mysteries so despite this being part of a series, it was great non-committal murder mystery for a beginner like me! It was a bit predictable though. I would recommend this to my friends who are just getting into mysteries as well but someone who is more well-seasoned in the genre may not like it.

Death on the Rhine is the fifth book in the Miss Ashford Investigates series but the first I have read. There is sufficient background information is provided to follow along but I did find this mystery a bit easy to follow and the character's didn't really grab me. Not sure if this is down to not having read the earlier books buts that's how I felt. Enjoyable and pleasant enough but a bit forgettable for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Miss Ashford Investigates #5

A birthday trip to Bonn sees amateur detective Atlanta Ashford drawn into the scandalous will of a wealthy grandmother during a scenic cruise down along the Rhine.But growing tensions lead to a sudden and shocking death forcing suspicion all around. Atlanta must unravel a deadly web of family secrets as treacherous as the river they voyage on to find the killer.

This time Atlanta is investigating a sudden and shocking death as she travels down the Rhine. She was on holiday with Raoul when she saw Otto, the brother of a former friend and teacher associate.

I really quite like this series and the love interest between Atlanta and Raoul. Everyone seems to have a secret. The characters are well-developed, and I like the how the murder mystery played out.

Published 4th April 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #ViaianConroy for my ARC of #DeathOnTheRhine in exchange for an honest review.

This time we find Atalanta on a river cruise on the Rhine with an old school colleague. As usual she finds herself caught up in a murder and the detective on board had previously known her grandfather who via letters which he has written before his death, tries to help Atalanta. I love how she tries to be this independent woman of means however still would love to have a relationship with her friend Raoul. The story goes to and fro making the reader work to guess who the culprit is !!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review

The setting and genre of this novel was what appealed to me, and it didn't disappoint. I would definitely reread this book, especially if I was going on a Rhine cruise. I liked the lead character Atalanta, and was pleased to see that this is in fact the fifth book in a series. Good plot and characters, I didn't see the plot twists at the end.