Murder at the Opera House is the first in the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe series. I am a huge fan of Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher, so I was excited to read a cozy with a band of seniors as our sleuths. Lady Marjorie is setting out on a vacation in Romania, accompanied by her cousin Edna. They meet up with a friend Horace, wh0m they met on a previous trip. They make the acquaintance of a Frederick Mackworth.

Our group meets a group of individuals travelling together, some of which family members to Delores, a diva from the past. They all seem unhappy and argumentative. After an evening at the local opera house, Delores is found dead. It appears she died of natural causes, or did she? She didnt seem to be on good terms with any of her traveling companions. Their new friend Frederick seems to have a past with Delores. Could he have been involved? Marjorie, Edna and Horace set out to unmask the culprit so they can get on with their holiday.

Marjorie and Edna are a female version of "the odd couple." I really enjoyed their banter and the fact that they really care for each other underneath all the grousing. I loved all the characters; they were so well written. There were several red herrings to keep you guessing until the end. It was everything you want a cozy to be... full of fun characters, a great mystery and leave you wanting the next book NOW!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read this ARC.

This is book one in the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mystery series and I was at first confused by all the mentions of a previous case and a river cruise to Amsterdam. Looking it up I see there is a prequel called Death of a Blogger: A Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mystery Novella which I have now grabbed from Amazon.

This is a story about a group of seniors who meet up on holiday trips each of which are livened up by a murder or two. When a fellow traveler on their trip to Romania is murdered, Lady Marjorie, cousin Edna, and friends Horace and Frederick try to discover which of their travelling companions is the murderer.

I very much enjoyed this one. The characters were well described, the mystery was good and there were plenty of suspects. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Dawn Brookes’ Murder at the Opera House is a delightful start to the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mystery Series, full of charm, intrigue, and quirky characters. Lady Marjorie, along with her cousin-in-law Edna, embarks on a relaxing vacation to Romania, but things take a dramatic turn when a fellow traveler is found dead after a night at the opera. What follows is a fascinating, cozy mystery that keeps readers guessing until the very end.

Marjorie, though often annoyed by Edna's company, is an endearing and resourceful sleuth. Their dynamic, which fluctuates between moments of annoyance and unexpected camaraderie, is reminiscent of classic comedic duos, adding a lighthearted touch to the mystery. Together with an eclectic group of travel companions, including a self-absorbed opera singer and a contentious family, the two senior sleuths must piece together clues to uncover the murderer.

The setting of Romania adds a layer of exotic charm, and the river cruise provides a perfect backdrop for the suspense. Brookes does a fantastic job of weaving in vivid descriptions of the locations while keeping the pacing brisk, making it an easy, yet engaging read. The book strikes a balance between humor and mystery, with plenty of twists and turns that will keep even the most seasoned mystery reader entertained.

While the book is enjoyable, there is a noticeable lack of character development beyond the core group of sleuths. However, this does not detract from the overall experience. The surprise ending is well-crafted, leaving readers both satisfied and eager for more adventures with Lady Marjorie and Edna.

Verdict: A delightful, quick-paced mystery with engaging characters and a satisfying resolution. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries looking for a charming read with a touch of suspense. Looking forward to the next in the series!

An easily disliked person is dead. Nobody, even people in her own family, seem to mind. It doesn’t seem like anybody is going to look too closely into the who, why, or how of it. But Marjorie and Edna, with their sidekicks in tow, happen to be on the same tour, and they can’t help themselves. This was a great whodunnit, with a list of suspects a mile long. I really enjoyed the story, the very different personalities from our two heroines, and the suspense. I can’t wait to read the next two books in the series. 4 ⭐️

This is a fabulous new classic! The lovely Marjorie is back on a gentle holiday with her cousin in law. The two octogenarians are not quite friends but every so often surprise each other with how much they like each other. This is just as well when a body turns up and their travelling companions are all suspects. The other travellers are a generally unpleasant, motley crew of liars, cheats and malicious individuals who spend their time moaning and groaning and fighting the police investigation. There is a great deal of action Ona sleep train in Romania which is well described and a brilliant eye view into space that seems so romantic and nostalgic and yet can harbour ill. A lovely read.

What a fun 'who done it' mystery!
Set in Romania, a fun, dysfunctional group of travelers are deep in a murder that took place at the Opera House. Apparently, Marjorie, or Marge and her cousin Edna have traveled together in the past and have encountered dead bodies. This seems to be their 'calling card'. The family and close friends of the deceased , who are all traveling together, will keep you guessing as to who is the murderer.
A fun, quick, read-perfect for a cold winter night.
This is the first book in the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe series, and I can't wait for more.
3 1/2 rounded up to 4
Thank you to NetGalley and Oakwood Publishing for this advanced copy.

I found this cozy mystery very enjoyable. The interactions between the main characters were amusing, and the cast of possible suspects were quirky and deliciously unlikable. I found the solution to the mystery itself a bit far-fetched, but as cozy mysteries go, this was a fast and fun read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Enjoyable little book. Written in the style of Agatha Christie. Fast moving. Lots of loose ends and possible solutions that all fall into place at the end. Good ending. Like the potential for “senior” sleuths to continue traveling and to continue solving murders.

Wonderful, delightful, cozy who dunnit murder mystery that will have you guessing till the end!

Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe is looking forward to some well deserved vacations with her cousin-in-law Edna Parkinton. The cruise is set to take them from Bucarest to Budapest. There they meet the Hagman family and a not so liked woman named Dolores Hagman who turns up dead after they attend the opera. Who could have killed this unlikeable woman and will Marjorie have enough time to uncover who the killer is before the end of the cruise?

Definitely pick up Death At The Opera House, you won't want to leave the cruise!

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this lovely gem.

I had fun with this whodunit-style mystery featuring the charming duo of Lady Marjorie and her cousin-in-law Edna. Their witty banter and the way their friendship shines through added a delightful touch to the story.

While the pacing felt a bit slow in some spots and character development was sparse for the supporting cast, the main four characters—especially Marjorie and Edna—were well-written and entertaining.

Overall, this was a light and enjoyable mystery that I’d recommend to fans of cozy whodunits.

Thank you to Storm Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Octogenarian friends Lady Marjorie and her cousin-in-law Edna are on a relaxing holiday to Romania. The trip turns deadly when a former opera singer is murdered. When suspicion falls on the diva’s ex-fiancé, Marjorie and Edna investigate to find the killer before they become the next victims.

This book is light-hearted and fun. The relationship between Marjorie and Edna is more adversarial than friendly. I recommend reading the prequel to orient yourself to the characters before launching into this book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I didn’t realize there was a novella before this book so the characters kept referencing a previous murder they solved that I didn’t know about. I wish had read that first. Overall a solid mystery with lots of misdirection and unlikeable characters who you want to be the murderer. It took me a while to wrap my head around all the relationships between the suspects. I can tell that Edna & Marjorie have a love/hate relationship but sometimes I felt like Marjorie was overly mean to Edna, which made me dislike her a little. I feel like there’s more of a backstory to Howard that we don’t know yet. More character development might be nice for the main players.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's not my usual genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a great cozy mystery that will keep you hooked throughout. I recommend it.

Murder at the Opera House by Dawn Brookes is book 1 in her Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe series about a group of seniors who travel the world, solving the murders that occur around them.

I really enjoyed Murder at the Opera House. The book had a great cast of characters, from our elderly sleuths, to the unlikable family members of the deceased, making determining the murderer a challenge.

My only real problem with the book was with the main character, Marjorie, and her relationship with her cousin-in-law, Edna.

In the very first chapter, I thought Edna was going to be super annoying, and I sympathized with Marjorie for having to put up with her. However, as the story rolled along and I got to know the characters better, I came to really like Edna.

Edna had been through some tough times, and seemed to just be trying to enjoy her life. I also felt a bit sorry for her because while she viewed Marjorie as a good friend, it was very obvious that Marjorie barely tolerated her, and in some cases was judgemental, and downright mean to Edna. Could Edna be annoying? Sure, but I don’t think she deserved some of the treatment she got from Marjorie.

Murder at the Opera House was an interesting murder mystery, and I will be looking forward to reading more of the escapades of this foursome of senior sleuths.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Title: Murder at the Opera House
Series: A Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mystery Book #1
Author: Dawn Brookes
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Genre: Mystery Thriller
re-release Pub Date: January 30, 2025
My Rating: 3.3 Stars
Pages: 260

This is the first of six in the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mystery Series

Lady Marjorie and her cousin-in-law (a very important distinction) Edna, travel to Romania when they will continue onto Hungary. In Romania, they meet the rest of their 10-person group. However, before they even get to the river cruise, one of the family group members dies. When suspicion falls on Frederick a member of their travel group – as the victim is an ex-fiancé abandoned at the altar years ago.

Lady Marjorie believes police aren’t on the right track! So it is up to her and Edna, with Horace and even Frederick himself, to solve this crime.
A light enjoyable read and as tease for next in this series states-
~ Don’t miss the next in this series as our favorite senior sleuths prove that age is just a number when it comes to catching a killer!.

Want to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for granting me this re-release eGalley
Publishing re-Release Date scheduled for January 30, 2025.

3.25 stars. A lighthearted, short cosy mystery featuring 4 older characters who meet up again on a holiday from Romania to Hungary, and encounter another death… it’s fun and light, and an easy and quick read for those who like their mysteries cosy and with quirky characters.

I received a free ARC copy of this book via NetGalley and Storm Publishing, in return for an unbiased review.

I received the copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

After a long time, I thought I’d give it another go at murder mystery novels, though I can’t say I’ve ever been particularly interested in the genre. ‘Murder at the Opera House’ by Dawn Brookes was a perfect novel to start with; a fast-paced, quick read that doesn’t require much focus to finish, I read the novel during my lunch breaks and my morning coffee.

In the first installment of ‘Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe’ series, Dawn Brookes, the author of many different murder mystery novels, introduces us to various entertaining characters in this intriguing novel, as we follow the main character Marjorie ‘Marge’ Snellthorpe on her vacation to Romania, soon to be interrupted by a sudden death during the Opera. Unlike the family of the victim, who care more about their paid vacation than the recently deceased family member, Lady Snellthorpe, along with her cousin-in-law Edna Parkinton, teams up with two other vacationers to find the perpetrator.

Each character has a distinguishable personality, and after a while it becomes somewhat predictable of how each of them would react. While personally I enjoy some surprises when it comes to character development throughout the story, for a short mystery such as ‘Murder at the Opera House’, not much space was left for many changes of the characters’ personalities or their personal growth. However, the story had some interesting and unexpected twists nearing the end.

I must say, while reading I kept a note open with clues of who the murderer could be, I was still surprised, as each suspect had a ‘good reason’ and suspicious background. Until the end I would not have predicted the outcome.

Overall, I enjoyed this light read, and might eventually pick up other books of the series to read. This was the first novel by Dawn Brookes that I had read, so I dived into it not knowing what to expect, and while it didn’t disappoint me, it hasn’t left much of an impression either. That being said, I recommend this book if you’re looking for a short and easy read.

Fun fact going into this review:

I fall asleep to episodes of "Murder She Wrote" every night.

I've often thought- what would happen if Jessica Fletcher created a geriatric investigative gang who went on scheduled exotic outings?

Well, here you have it.
Lady Majorie Snellthorpe organizes a trip to Romania with a few pals (eh, some are not exactly pals, but amateur sleuths who tolerate each other) and before you can say "Aunt Jessica" they are in a kerfuffle.

This is full of mishaps and laughs and if you love cozy mystery, I highly recommend you add this into your rotation soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read and review.

The first book from established author Dawn Brookes I have read. For me it was a combination of two of my favourite authors, namely Agatha Christie and Richard Osman. The humour of older people which is a feature of Richard Osman books coming through with that same clever way of writing about serious subjects in a humorous way. The same length of book as Agatha Christie books which I have always considered to be a good length. Looking forward to reading more books from this author. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Right off the bat i was LOL'ing and hooked on these two main characters, their banter is Hilarious! xD
There were a lot of characters to keep straight, but that wasn't a problem since they each have their own distinct voice which i highly appreciated; a Lot of Snark which i thoroughly enjoyed and am looking forward to Book 2 ... Such a FUN read, i've found another fave author with Dawn Brookes; Love her style! :D
Thank you to Storm Publishing thru Netgalley for this copy that i absolutely had a blast reading :)