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The Murder Mystery: A totally gripping cozy murder mystery (A Beth Haldane Mystery Book 1) by [Alice Castle]

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Alice Castle

The Murder Mystery: A totally gripping cozy murder mystery (A Beth Haldane Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Alice Castle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

2,326 ratings

Book 1 of 8: A Beth Haldane Mystery

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Meet Beth Haldane: a historian with a taste for gardening, snug coffee shops… and solving mysteries?

It’s a crisp spring day in Dulwich Village when Beth arrives at Wyatt’s School for her new job, keen to impress and show off her research skills. Her boss Alan Jenkins seems a little shifty as he runs off for a mysterious appointment… but Beth puts it out of her mind until lunchtime when, strolling the five-hundred-year-old grounds, she is shocked to stumble over Alan’s dead body: spots of blood on his mustard-yellow tweed jacket, his face covered with a carefully-placed handkerchief.

Beth can’t resist joining the hunt for the killer and soon discovers Alan rubbed his fellow teachers up the wrong way… was it the handsome headmaster who’d planned a secret meeting? The gossiping receptionist who knows everything? Or the wily groundskeeper with a grudge?

When Beth returns from her sleuthing to find Alan’s wife rifling through the archives, it’s clear someone at this school had a deadly secret … But with parents and teachers panicking that the respectable reputation of Wyatt’s is under threat, will Beth find herself in the murderer’s sights before the school bell rings?

Wander down the cobbled streets of Dulwich, where nothing is as perfect as it seems! Fans of Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club and Faith Martin won’t be able to put down this deliciously gripping mystery.

This book was previously published as Death in Dulwich.

Read what everyone’s saying about The Murder Mystery:

‘I am crazy about this series!… The modern Miss Marple… witty and charming… The perfect blend of a fun cozy feel and a murder mystery that keeps you turning pages late through the night! #WorthIt!… I highly recommend this series… A definite 5+ out of 5 freakin’ fantabulous stars!’Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, cozy mystery… A very clever book and it kept me guessing all the way through… I loved the twist… I recommend this book highly.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A brilliant read… Beth is absolutely brilliant and so funny… The perfect amount of mystery and humour.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘What a great little murder mystery! Really enjoyed… kept you intrigued throughout… I personally had no idea who the killer was!’ @theneverending_toreadpile

‘Really enjoyed… Fabulous… Wonderfully eclectic cast of characters… Plenty of tension… Midsomer Murders vibe… Fun, pacy… Always intriguing story… Packed with mystery.’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews

‘A great mix of murder, mystery and humour… a fab read… Draws you in from the very first page and envelops you in a cozy mystery hug that keeps a hold of you right until the end…. I thoroughly enjoyed this book… Highly recommended, five shiny stars.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Edge-of-the-seat, hygge-style crime mystery! I absolutely loved this book… vivid and witty… You really will be chopping and changing your mind as to whodunit several times… you want to find out who the culprit was… yet never want the story to end!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The perfect novel for those who love cozy crime with a hint of dark and deadly undertones… intriguing… a thoroughly enjoyable read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I am hooked… kept me grinning… a must-read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A must for lovers of cozy crime fiction… This is a good old-fashioned whodunnit with a great cast of characters.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Print length

236 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

August 22, 2022
File size

2131 KB
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B5F85LQ3
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (August 22, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 22, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2131 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 236 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #380 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #11 in Police Procedurals (Kindle Store)
- #14 in Crime Thrillers (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
2,326 ratings

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Alice Castle

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Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. She writes the Beth Haldane Mysteries cozy crime series published by Bookouture. The ninth book in the series will be out in May 2023. She also writes psychological thrillers for HQDigital as A.M. Castle.

Click the yellow follow button above to get an email when Alice releases her next book :)

See Alice's website at: alicecastleauthor.com

Facebook: alicecastleauthor

Twitter: @AliceMCastle

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

2,326 global ratings

5 star		41%
4 star		32%
3 star		19%
2 star		6%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Abbigail Holmes

Agatha Christie's Kind of Murder

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 8, 2023

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Even though the title doesn't give us a hint about what kind of murder or anything we can expect in the book and I thought that the story would lack creativity in the same way but I was definitely positively surprised by everything.
The main character, Beth, is a very realistic character, and we all have one Beth in our lives which makes it easier to follow the story. Maybe we don't have some posh people in our lives like Beth has in her new job, a grand and very fancy school, but we can imagine them very well.
The victim of the murder is interesting enough to make you read further because there is no reason for him to be murdered. His wife acted strangely, too weird to be in grief, and her best friend grieving the victim's death...
So many well-combined details make this book a very good read, almost as good as Agatha Christie's books, and she was and still is a Queen of Crime Fiction. Looking forward to next Beth's adventure.

One person found this helpful

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Vicky Burkholder

Decent British Cozy Mystery

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 28, 2022

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This was an enjoyable read with realistic characters and setting in a small British town. Beth Haldane is a widowed mother of a 9 year old who consistently forgets to tell his mom that he has a project due at school. When freelancing doesn’t pay the bills, she manages to get a job at a nearby prep school as an assistant archivist. And before her first day is over, she finds the dead body of her boss.

The mystery is well-done with lots of suspects—including Beth—and she takes it upon herself to clear her name, which of course gets her into all sorts of trouble. I thought the ending was a little too…contrived, but it did tie up the mystery nicely.

Disclaimer: All thoughts are mine alone and are not influenced by anyone or anything.

3 people found this helpful

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ADM

fun predictable beginning to a series of entertainment

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 13, 2023

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Fun characters add a lightness to a fairly routine murder mystery plot. A somewhat unexpected villain elevates the orderliness and predictability of the story to a higher plateau.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 22, 2022

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Enjoyable mystery of widowed mom doing the best she can to make a life for herself and her son. The mediocre job she starts is an answer for her in many ways but after a first day discovery she is thrown into the middle of a murdered co worker. She works to solve the murder. May read more in this series.

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LeaRae Keyes

Surprised by the ending

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 10, 2023

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Enjoyed the female main character. She was determined and tenacious. I was surprised by the ending. Inspiring main character. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy interesting characters.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 15, 2023

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This was a good read, sometimes a little wordy but yet kept you turning the page. Give it a try.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 23, 2023

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Wow, I’ve just found another great series. Aside from the poor reviews, I read for the joy of reading. I’m not bothered about grammatical errors, punctuation & pesky nonsense. Enjoyed every page of this story, clean, no sex or gory descriptions. A truly great story which kept my mind off worrisome things. Aiming at getting the entire series read.

Helpful

Necklace

The Murder Mystery - A Beth Haldane Mystery Book #1

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 13, 2023

Verified Purchase

Beth Haldane is a widowed mother with her son Jake a typical 9-yr old in school. Beth works as an assistant archivist at Wyatt’s School in Dulwich Village when she discovers the body of her boss Dr. Alan Jenkins. Beth is seen as a suspect and must prove her innocence of her boss’ murder. As she delves deeper into the murder investigation both her and her son’s lives are in danger. I really enjoyed this fantastic cozy mystery novel.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Geoffrey West

Good mystery, likeable heroine, a ‘feelgood’ novel you cannot put down

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 5, 2022

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I really enjoyed this book, it’s a real page-turner, one of those ‘just a bit more’ books that makes you miss your bus stop or miss an appointment. It’s intriguing, easy-reading, with an extremely likeable heroine and a fascinating cast of characters. As an Old Alleynian (my old school was Dulwich College) I was able to recognise the feeling and atmosphere of Bath Haldane’s fictitious school Wyatt’s, which I’m guessing bears a passing resemblance to DC, apart from the fact that the rumour was that Dulwich was founded on the proceeds of Edward Alleyn’s father-on-law’s brothel! (this may be apocryphal). Alice Castle has really captured the feeling of Dulwich Village and it really is a ‘feelgood’ book, that has a very believable, likeable and tenacious heroine who manages to solve the mystery single-handed.

4 people found this helpful

D. Elliott

Cozy Circumstances

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 20, 2022

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Main protagonist Beth Haldane Is a historian but gets taken on as an assistant archivist at Wyatt’s School, a prestigious endowment secondary school in Dulwich Village. She is a widow struggling on her own with one child to bring up her son now at primary stage. On the first day of her employment she discovers the dead body of her boss, and immediately the ‘cozy’ features of ‘The Murder Mystery’ kick in.

Beth is the female amateur sleuth but circumstance are such that she looks guilty, and she believes she must be beyond reproach. As expected the investigating detective is handsome but not keen for Beth to pursue her own searches. Within the bounds of fiction the resultant plot is sort of plausible and the characters developed by author Alice Castle are more or less credible. This is an entertaining lightweight novel but amongst the gossip of fellow mother of school children there is social conflict and there is commentary on pushy mothers seeking advantage for their offspring.

The cast is quite small and it is easy for readers to follow and keep abreast of the action. The story is not too far-fetched, it is well-structured and it moves along at a nice pace. ‘The Murder Mystery’ has everything required for a compelling and gripping ‘cozy’, and it deserves at least a 4-star rating.

Kindle Customer

Quite a good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

An interesting storyline. I did however, find Beth a trifle annoying. Her belief that she had to solve the crime because she was the prime suspect was both illogical and unconvincing as she was never the prime suspect. Also, she often failed to think things through and could be quite "wet". As a heroine, she was somewhat lacking.

2 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

An easy, cosy read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 1, 2023

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A five simply because it was easy to keep reading.
Nothing off putting, profane or indecent!
Not particularly challenging but many challenging issues were there, beneath the surface.
An introduction to a new heroine who shows great promise. A potential relationship. A generous and caring friendship.
The opening of doors to a hallowed scholastic interior and the somewhat tentative introduction to intrigues afoot with potential for more to come.
Often light hearted with the underlying weight of indescribable horrors the author has created a world that I found appealing to explore.
A thoroughly enjoyable way to move from one year to the next. Tea, the sofa and this book!

J. Vance

Dull, lifeless, boring

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

Yet another amateur detective novel. The main character is very needed and full of doubts and paranoia - so why on earth does the author think this imbecelic person can solve a murder better than the police? Totally unbelievable. This is also not interesting. Lots of words that tell you nothing. I assume they are space fillers to make the word coount higher. I couldn't finish this and stopped caing who killed who.

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The Murder Mystery: A totally gripping cozy murder mystery (A Beth Haldane Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

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