I enjoy this author so much and what a wonderful new series!

Set in the 1920's, which is my favorite, provides plenty of history and time period perfection!

Full on engaging characters and a fascinating mystery that will keep you turning the pages. Cannot wait for more!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Michelle Salter for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Murder at Mill Ponds coming out March 9, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I forgot to upload my review! I really enjoyed this book. I’ve read one other book by this author. I definitely need to go back and read the other books in the series! I think this one had a really fun setting. Iris is a really strong character and think she made some progress from the last book. I’m really enjoying the way things are going in the series. I would definitely read more books by this author!

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

Another great book in this series that has improved more and more over the series. The characters have developed over time which is nice and mystery itself is intriguing, with plenty of twists and unexpected developments. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was happy to be back with Iris! If you’re new to the series, this does work as a standalone, although I think it would be helpful to have read at least one other in the series, because characters and themes from previous books appear here.

While I agreed with Iris that Archie was an awful person, I knew she didn’t kill him. She used her journalistic eye for details to unearth several secrets and clues. I did not guess the true culprit and I felt the tension of the mystery and the rush to resolve the case as I turned the pages.

As with other titles in this series, writing was vivid, bringing to life both the time period and the characters. The details are cozy and the mystery perplexing.

This is the 6th book in the "Iris Woodmore Mysteries" series.

The book has a solid plot and good development. It is a very interesting murder mystery which had me guessing throughout, but I was still confusing some of the main characters. Even after reading book 5 and 6, I still have a hard time feeling empathy for Iris, who is also the narrator, however she does a good job solving the mystery.

I might go back sometime and read the first books in the series to find out who Alice is, but I'm in no hurry.

It's a cosy mix of murder mystery and 1920s politics and society. Iris Woodmore is a provincial journalist and an unconventional woman who epitomises the social and political change in England in the 1920s. Iris is surrounded by a diverse and supportive group of friends, but she is less successful in her romantic relationships., Her latest proves to be the source of scandal in the small Hampshire town where she lives and works. This story draws on earlier events in the series and reintroduces familiar characters alongside new ones. The suspicious death puts Iris in the suspect role, and investigating the death becomes essential to save her liberty and reputation. I like Iris, a trailblazer and compassionate protagonist with a vulnerable heart. I enjoyed the 1920s world the author creates and the twisty mystery. The suspense builds to a climactic conclusion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This is an Iris Woodmore mystery; a cosy mystery set in the 1920s. The protagonist, Iris, attends the opening ceremony of Mill Ponds hostel. She and Archie, the person employed to run the hostel, have a mutual dislike for one another. Archie knows something personal about Iris that he could use against her. When Archie is shot dead, Iris knows that she may be considered a suspect.

I've read all the previous books in the series, and followed Iris and the other characters. I really like Iris, as she's a strong protagonist, and every time I read about her, I feel a connection with her narrative. I appreciate the bonds Iris shares with the other characters, like Elijah and Marc. Although I disliked Archie’s treatment of Iris, I wanted to know the truth about what happened.

This latest instalment was another entertaining mystery that kept me guessing. If you haven't read the other books in the series, I'd say there's enough background information for it to work as a standalone, but if you enjoy cosy mysteries, I would recommend the previous books in the series as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

It’s 1924 and Iris Woodmore is doing what’s she’s always wanted to do - working as a reporter and living in her beloved home town with friends and family around her. But the reappearance of her nemesis Archie Powell makes her wonder if she should flee to London and avoid the menace he brings. It is no secret she hates him and the pair are seen arguing more than once. When he is found murdered Iris becomes a serious suspect. Can she clear her name before the police arrest and charge her with his murder?

I adore the 1920s setting of this story. We get to find out what life was like for young women after the First World War - and the changes in society brought by the conflict. Not everyone has adjusted to the new normal though, and Iris continues to fight to be respected as a reporter.

Iris didn’t make it easy for herself. Her relationship with a married man, although chaste, was still a secret and she was unwilling to open up to anyone about it. This made her seem even more suspicious and she couldn’t really blame the police for suspecting her. Even her friends were baffled at her behaviour. I like the continuity on this latest mystery, with faces from the village continuing to be a part of Iris’s life. The ties of the community worked well and allowed the reader to understand Iris better.

An enjoyable mystery.

The suspects were all nicely lining up, and I did not see that ending coming!

So we’re back following Iris in this sixth book as she navigates fighting for her independence as a working woman in the world of the 1920’s and solving crimes.

I liked that we knew almost straight away Iris was going to be the main suspect – this made for an exciting storyline. There were plenty of other suspects, too, with motives and a couple of reasonably interesting red herrings.

All in all, it offered what I’d expect from the genre with added extras. For starters, the world building made you feel like you were living and breathing the 1920’s. At the same time, the novel also kept the feel of a small town through the characters surrounding Iris.

Whilst there is a continuation of Iris’s life and friends, I had only read the previous book (see my review here) and picked up the characters easily. I also liked that not everything is rosy or easy for Iris in her personal life. It added more realism to the story.

The ending was really memorable for me and gave the feel of a traditional whodunit, which I loved. I thought this was really well executed.

I’d had half a thought as to why the murder took place in the book, but I could not guess the killer. I’ll leave it to you to puzzle this one out…

In 1924 England, reporter Iris fears blackmailer Archie will reveal her potentially scandalous secret. When Archie is murdered after arguing with her, Iris must find the real killer while hiding the identity of the one person who can provide her alibi.

Another fun cozy mystery in the series! I’m glad Archie is gone. I’m eager to see how Iris’s character will grow now that she’s free of him. The mystery is high stakes and kept me guessing. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

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

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

Another ‘20’s cosy mystery from Michelle with Iris as the main character and this time, murder suspect. Her volatile relationship with Archie is the focus this time, and when he turns up dead, she’s the main suspect. Witnesses see her slap him and hours later, he’s dead. Now it’s her turn to clear her name.

As usual, her friends rally round to help prove her innocence and clear her name before she flees for good to London. Should she leave her home town or stay and fight? There’s a few suspects throughout and some secrets that people would prefer to remain hidden that have a nasty habit of revealing themselves.

Brilliant cosy mystery series that gets better with each book, and I can’t wait for the next one.

The small town of Walden never asked for a bad man like Archibald Powell. A misogynist who attempted to kill businesswoman Constance Timoson and Mrs. Siddons, MP with a riffle. Stripped of his ecclesiastical office and after serving time in prison, he has been given a new chance and is back at Walden behaving like the awful nasty man he is. He has set his eyes on Iris, the local journalist and someone he may have had feelings for in the past. He also hates her because she is the one who turned him in when he went on his killing spree. Archie believes to have information on Iris that if she doesn't leave him alone and support his cause, he will release Iris' secret. However, Archie doesnt get a chance to cause much harm because he is immediately found dead, killed with his own rifle. All witnesses and circumstantial evidence point to Iris. It is now up to Iris, Elijah her editor and Sergeant Ben Gilbert to find out who of all the residents of their small town hated Archie the most to see him dead.

Deliciously suspenseful, A Murder At Mill Ponds will have you wondering how the death and murderer were connected and why!

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this cozy small town murder mystery.

Michelle Salter delivers another compelling historical mystery with Murder at Mill Ponds House, a gripping whodunit set in 1924 that keeps you turning the pages.

Iris Woodmore, a tenacious reporter, is ready to leave her scandal-ridden hometown behind—until her long-time enemy, Archie Powell, is found murdered shortly after a heated argument with her. Suddenly, she’s the prime suspect, with both the police and society closing in on her secrets. To clear her name, she must find the real killer before her carefully guarded past is exposed.

Salter does a fantastic job blending historical atmosphere with a suspenseful mystery. Iris is a strong, complex protagonist, and the stakes feel incredibly personal as she navigates danger, social expectations, and moral dilemmas. The 1920s setting is richly drawn, capturing both the glamour and the rigid constraints of the era.

While the pacing slows in the middle, the twists and turns make for an engaging read. Fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Verity Bright will love this smart and immersive mystery. Murder at Mill Ponds House is an enjoyable addition to the series, with an ending that leaves you eager for more of Iris’s adventures.

A Cosy mystery set after WW1. Iris seems a headstrong but sensible woman that doesn't always make the best choices were romantic partners are concerned. Her past with Archie comes back to haunt her and we follow her journey into solving a murder in what seems a normally decent little community - well, with the exception of Archie.

I liked the slow pace as we were introduced to characters and their backgrounds/connections. Many could have had a motive for being the killer but on the whole many seemed too decent with some naively thinking the victim had reformed.

Murder at Mill Ponds House is a cosy crime story based after WW2. It had all the hallmarks of cosy crime which I loved and made for an easy enjoyable read. The only thing is I wish I'd of realised this book was part of a series as would of read previous book prior to this and as such sometimes I lost the placing of each character in the story.. However in comparison to many other cosy crime reads this does stand up as a standalone wanting of read the previous book is a personal preference. The storyline it's self was very easy to follow. I had thought it was going to be an ending with the murderer being easy to predict but was surprised by the actual ending. All in all a great read and an easy way to spend a day or two reading.

Iris has had it with Archie Powell's insinuations and snide remarks, and she's contemplating leaving home for London. Her friends know something is up, and Millicent and Ursula, her roommates and friends, also know that Iris has an out-of-town boyfriend, but nothing more about the man. Iris knows that Archie's threat of revealing the man's identity will ruin not only her reputation, but also harm her friends reputations, and likely her relationship with them, and her family.

Archie has managed to garner a lot of support in town for his work at the Mill Ponds House in preparation for providing a hostel for fellow veteran soldiers. There are already three vets there, and they're putting in the work on the grounds as best they can.

When Archie is found dead in the Mill Ponds garden, everyone is shocked, and Iris immediately comes under suspicion as she was out the same night of the murder (and meeting her London boyfriend), and people know she does not like Archie. Steadfastly refusing to reveal the name of her romantic interest to protect his reputation and family, Iris does herself no favours, but is determined to dig into the lives of the vets, Gordon and Jennifer Tolfree (who own Mill Ponds House and are busy repairing the Tolfree name after an earlier situation in town), and anyone else who might benefit by Archie's death.

Though it's not necessary to have read the previous novels in this series, it helps a lot as characters from these books feature to varying degrees, and previous relationships and investigations are referenced.

Iris has already proven she's good at snooping, and she does suss out the murderer, but it's her maturing here, and finally caring how her actions could and have affected those close to her that deepened my enjoyment of this story.

I liked the way author Michelle Salter uses the connections between characters, as well as previous incidents (from other books) to explore how Archie has wormed his way into the affections of the town. Salter also shows the contradictions in the man, and how though vindictive with Iris, he genuinely cares for his fellow vets and wants to help them as much as possible.

The mystery was compelling, but I keep returning to this series because of the characters and the historical details. I hope Salter writes more in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This cosy murder mystery series goes from strength to strength. Iris is such a strong, modern woman at a time when women were not equal at all; I can only imagine how frustrating that must have been. The descriptions of life in that period are excellent, (the clothes, houses, transport), one particular picnic scene with croquet on the lawn stands out for me as particularly good. This could be read as a stand alone novel but it is satisfying to know the backstory of the characters and how their relationships have developed. I hope there are many more mysteries for Iris to solve in the future.

I really enjoyed this book, the story was so good and it has such an amazing characters.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you like a good mystery.

I would like Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

I enjoyed this Agatha Christie-feeling the book gave me. I trusted the author immediately because the well written research was so perfectly executed. This was my first book by the author and I loved how her writing just jumped off the page and captured me.

I did NOT see that reveal coming.

I am going to buy this book for my mother because this is just perfect for her. I feel that this wonderful female main character can stand tall beside Miss Marple, and that is not easy! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy!

May, 1924. Reporter Iris Woodmore plans to move to London to avoid a shocking hometown scandal. Longtime enemy, Archie Powell has been threatening to reveal her darkest secret. - and she's desperate to flee before he does. But when he's found murdered after a violent argument with her, there's no escape. Iris must stay and clear her name even though the truth could ruin her reputation. With the police closing in. Iris has to find the real killer if she's to keep her secret.

Iris Woodmore is a reporter for the local paper. She lives with her friends Ursula and Millicent. The characters are all back with the addition of some new. When Archie is found dead, the prime suspect is Iris. The pace is steady. there were twists and red herrings, and the characters are well-fleshed out. Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Published 9th March 2025

I woujld like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #MichelleSalter for my ARC of #MurderAtMillPondHouse in exchange for an honest review.