From the first page, I fell in love with Raven’s Edge and its fabulous residents. The houses are all ancient, there’s that kind of eerie yet friendly atmosphere. After finishing the book, I dare say I love the series as much as I love Cormoran Strike’s adventures by Robert Galbraith, and that’s saying something!
The Blurb
Beneath the ruins of a Victorian greenhouse, a skeleton is unearthed – and with it, years of buried secrets in Raven’s Edge…
When decades-old human bones are discovered beneath the old glasshouse behind Foxglove & Hemlock, the local florist, DS Harriet March and DI Ben Taylor find themselves digging into Raven’s Edge’s murky past. As a frosty wind whips down the cobblestoned lanes of the village, the two detectives feel an ominous chill that has nothing to do with the weather…
The discovery coincides with the arrival of enigmatic novelist Iris Evergreen at Raven’s Hollow, a gothic monstrosity of a mansion that’s been sitting empty for years. Harriet is shocked to uncover a web of hidden secrets connecting the skeleton, Raven’s Hollow and, most alarmingly, her own family history.
Just as Harriet begins to piece together the puzzle, a heavy snowfall blankets the village. And there, half-buried in a snowdrift outside Raven’s Hollow, lies another body – this one still warm. As sirens wail in the distance, Harriet realises with a shiver that this killer is anything but history. The past and present have collided in Raven’s Edge, will DS Harriet March be the one to pay the price?
Relatable characters
I wanted to get on a plane and travel to Raven’s Edge – maybe not Raven’s Hollow – as soon as I started reading this book. I wanted to meet the barista of The Crooked Cookies, or whatever crunchy name the cafe has. All shops and restaurants in Raven’s Edge have a halloweenesk feel — something I can appreciate.
The characters draw you in. Harriet, of course, but Ben too, and Milla. Even Harriet’s bizarre mother, if only to tell her to please be a bit nicer to her special daughter. I think the somewhat wrought relationships in the book make it so relatable, and maybe that’s what made me think of the Strike series when I read it because Robin, but certainly Cormoran regularly has to deal with tiring family and personal relationships. Robert Galbraith’s books are a lot scarier, though. Murder at Raven’s Hollow belongs in the cozy mystery corner. It never got to the point that I felt the need to check if the front door was locked. Although I love, love, love the Cormoran Strike series, my nerves do get battered as you can read in my review of The Running Grave.
Number three
Maybe I fell in love with this series even before the first page. The cover is so cool. It oozes mystery and intrigues behind closed doors. As the third in a series, it can definitely be read on its own. Although if you are anything like me, you will swiftly move onto the first and second book. I must say that I thought the first book Murder at Raven’s Edge was far scarier. I listened to the audioversion and was actually glad to already know some of my favourite people made it to book three.
For me, this book is five out of five stars
About Louise Marley
Louise Marley was born in the UK, and now lives in Wales. Until she left home, she lived in Southampton, in a Victorian house with her parents and two younger brothers. The house had its own well, which was kept boarded up just in case the children took it into their heads to explore it. They had a couple of dogs, called Elliott and Lewis, who feature in some of her stories.
Louise used to work as an admin officer for Hampshire Constabulary, which is why the characters in her books are often police officers.
Thank you, Storm Publishing, for providing Murder at Raven’s Hollow for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
You will find more reviews of cozy mysteries from me coming to your mailbox if you are subscribed. I am writing The Luxembourg Debacle. The synopsis of the 30 chapters is done; sleuths Jill Needlemore (67) and her unlikely assistant and partner Jim Jensen (66) are also well on their way to discover whodunit, and in the meantime, I like to read other cozy mysteries, and through my reviews spread my love of the best ones I come across.
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