An English manor home, an unsolved mystery, too many suspects to count… It’s the perfect holiday for romance novelist Sara Medlar. After solving two murder cases in their hometown of Lachlan, Florida, Sara Medlar, her niece Kate and their friend Jack need a change of scenery. Sara arranges for them to visit an old friend of hers in England. Upon arrival at Oxley Manor, a centuries-old estate … centuries-old estate that has been converted to a luxury hotel, Kate and Jack quickly realize that Sara is up to something. They learn that Sara has also invited a number of others to join them at Oxley.
When everyone assembles, Sara lets them know why they are there. Decades earlier, two people ran off together from Oxley and haven’t been heard from since–and Sara wants to solve the case. As the people who were there the night the two went missing, the guests find themselves cast in a live mystery-theater event.
In reenacting the events of that night, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide and no one is safe, especially when the discovery of a body makes it clear that at least one of the people who disappeared was murdered.
Sara, Jack and Kate are once again at the heart of a mysterious case that only they are able to solve. But someone is willing to continue to kill to keep the truth about Oxley Manor buried, and none of the guests are safe.
New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux has crafted another irresistible case in her bestselling Medlar Mystery series.
more
This was an entertaining murder mystery, the third book in a series. I haven’t read the first two, but had no problem picking up with the three main characters—Sara, her niece Kate, and Kate’s quasi-boyfriend, Jack (who is like an adopted grandson to Sara). Sara is a mystery novelist who books a stay at an English manor home which is currently being restored. Years ago, two people disappeared from the property and were never seen again. Both were part of a group of friends who were regular visitors to the house.
In an effort to discover what happened that night, Sara invites the remaining members of the group for a reunion weekend, then devises a play—yes, a play—about what took place. The characters are interesting and there are enough suspects with varying motives to keep the reader guessing. The setting of the old manor home is used to good effect, especially the grounds behind it. The three main characters have an easy chemistry that is enjoyable, and the many plot threads tie together nicely. A little slow in some spots for me, but still a well-told mystery.
Always love her books, have never read one I didn’t love. One of my favorite authors, can’t go wrong with one of her books.
For anyone who began reading romance in the 1980s as I did, Jude Deveraux is a well-known author. I cut my teeth on her romance books back in the day. And to be completely honest, it’s probably been years since I read one of her books because historical romance fell into a category for me that became the least of my favorites to read once I found Nora Roberts. So imagine my surprise at finding out that over the years that I wasn’t quite paying attention to what she was releasing, Ms. Deveraux has been writing more contemporary romance. And romantic suspense at that! A Forgotten Murder is book three in her Medlar Mystery series. I missed books one and two, but I’ll most definitely be going back to read them soon because while this book can be read as a standalone, I felt I was missing something where Jack and Kate are concerned. I’m a curious, sometimes nosey, person, so I have to know what I’m missing!
A Forgotten Murder was very much, at least in my head, like reading a modern-day telling of Clue. There’s a murder to solve and too many options for the who, the what, and the where. This murder happens to be a twenty-year-old murder that this trio of amateur sleuths happens upon when they are really hoping for a vacation from everything, including sleuthing. With some old fashioned detective work, and some rather unorthodox methods, as well, Sara, Kate, and Jack strive to figure out more than one whodunit.
NICUnurse’s Rating: It goes without saying that this author is a master storyteller. Her career speaks for itself. And I’m a huge romantic suspense/suspense fan, so combining those two factors had me fairly giddy as I began reading this story. With more twists and turns than a Colorado mountain road, this book had me turning the pages and not wanting to put it down until the very end. Needless to say, I’m still a big fan of Jude Deveraux’s writing!
I give A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux 5 out of 5 stars!
This follow-up mystery with Sarah, Kate and Jack begins as a change of scenery -aka vacation- to England. As I followed the first murder introduced, I actually didn’t have a clue as to the murder suspect. I thought I did –but I didn’t. Check it out.
I haven’t read a book by Jude Deveraux in quite some time but it was really nice to read her book again. A little romance mixed in with a little murder, what more can you ask for from a great book! Thanks Jude!
This is the third book in a series. I read all 3 within a week! I loved the characters, the plot and hope that there are further books in this series. I even had my husband read all 3 books and he enjoyed them as well. Well done!
I typically really enjoy Jude Devereaux’s novels, but this one missed the mark for me. I suspected the murderer almost instantly, but not the motive. I also completely distrusted the person responsible for the latter incident. (Being cryptic here to avoid spoilers)
I did enjoy the banter between Jack and Kate. Hope the next one is more fulfilling.
#AForgottenMurder #JudeDevereaux
I really enjoyed it
Love this author. Never disappoints!
Read the entire series. You feel like the author is putting alot of herself in the characters
Great book
Love how Jude develops her characters, they are believable and flawed, just like the rest of us.
Sara is a successful writer who has been looking for unsolved and forgotten murders to take as inspiration for her books. Upon arriving to visit her friend Bella at the luxurious Oxley Manor hotel, she comes across a very poorly explained case of a young couple missing on a fateful night many years ago. Her niece Kate and their friend Jack accompany her on this trip but Sara’s idea is to be alone at the hotel to unravel this mystery.
Of course, when the couple finds out about Sara’s plans, they decide to postpone their trip to Scotland and stay at the hotel a little longer to quell their curiosity in this case. To the desperation of cook Mrs. Aiken, all these people who were unexpected and some more ghosts from the past arrive at the hotel making her super angry.
I thought it was fantastic how Sara conducts her deductions and discoveries to present to the mystery for those interested, as everything is unfolding, I stay with my eyes wide open and anxious to know how the whole story would unfold.
The only thing I really missed was the epilogue, I would love to know what happened after that last surprising scene.
A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux is a compelling mystery novel. Sara Medlar is a retired romance author who is bored. She decides to journey to Oxley Manor in March with her niece, Kate and honorary grandson, Jack. Oxley Manor, a country house hotel, is closed for March so repairs can be made to the aging manor house. Sara’s money paid for the massive renovations that Isabella “Bella” Guilford made when she purchased Oxley Manor. Kate and Jack soon learn that Sara wishes to investigate a disappearance that happened in 1994. The earl-to-be, Nicky was having a party with his friends. Sean and Diane walked out of the house and were never seen again. Sara has arranged to bring back the remaining party members to recreate that night and get to the truth. A Forgotten Murder is a classic whodunit brimming with suspects, subtle clues, and red herrings. You do not know if the suspects are telling the truth or lying through their teeth (which is the fun part). The suspense built as the story progressed. You could feel the tension as the trio got closer to the truth. The story alternates between the past and the present. It all flowed together beautifully in this twisty whodunit. I thought the characters were developed and realistic. A Forgotten Murder is the third book in A Medlar Mystery series, but it can be read alone. After reading A Forgotten Murder, you will find yourself eager to go back and read the prior books. If you enjoy reading cozy mysteries, then I suggest you pick up A Forgotten Murder. A Forgotten Murder is captivating mystery with shady suspects, a cantankerous cook, a disconcerting disappearance, arguable auto accident, a thrilling theatrical reenactment, and remarkable revelation.
A Forgotten Murder, by Jude Deveraux, is available at booksellers on 3-10-2020. Forgotten is book 3 in Ms Deveraux’s Medlar Mystery series. Although a stand-alone story I felt that there was more I needed to know. We’re told very little about what brought these 3 sleuths together. I would have liked a little, just a little, more sense of what happened before Forgotten. I also felt the ending was abrupt. No lead into the next novel, not really satisfactory for me. I’ve rated 4 stars because the story is so darn good, I couldn’t give 5 because of my little disappointments.
Although the series is Medlar Mystery, Sara Medlar is an author, I thought Jack was the better main character. His lines were the best, like Ms Deveraux has a favorite character. He’s a good one, I was invested in his journey. Kept waiting for him to kiss Kate, Sara’s niece, but it never happened! Guess it’ll happen in a later book. Or will it? Kate was bland & didn’t have much to do.
A Forgotten Murder is a terrific “English” murder mystery. There’s an old, falling down manor house, efforts to keep it going, quirky English people, horses, and lots of stomping across fields. I think you’ll like it and, like me, want to know more. I look forward to the next book.
#JudeDeveraux #AForgottenMurder #MedlarMystery #Netgalley #MIRA #Harlequin
Great plot and wonderful characters. This whodunit has the markings of a cozy murder mystery with all the twists and sophistication of a dark murder mystery. The characters are great and the plot twisty enough to keep you guessing!
Because it’s my first book from this series and apparently it’s the third book, I kinda bit lost in the first few pages, but after I got the hang of it, I just can’t stop, the mystery is so intriguing, and the back and forth between the past and the present makes everything more fascinating, I suspect everyone and the more I read the more I’m hooked. Then add the interactions between Jack, Kate and Sarah, makes this book unputdownable.
Everything is in perfect proportion, the mystery, the suspense, the sweetness, yup all is perfect, therefore I love it a lot.
If you’re looking for easy-to-read mystery book, you have to read this book.
This is the first book in the Medlar Mystery series I read, and I feel that you can read the story without knowing what happened in the previous two stories, but if you want to know how Sara, Kate, and Jack all came to be together (and I do) then you might want to consider reading the series in order.
Sara, Kate, and Jack are leaving sunny Florida for a manor house in England. Drawn there by the unsolved disappearance of two friends over twenty years ago, Sara pulls Kate and Jack with her, telling them that she’s going to send the pair to Scotland for a few days while she stays at Oxley Manor with her friend Bella. When the arrive, they discover that a skeleton’s been found by the fairy like daughter of the cook. Now, more than ever, the trio is determined once and for all to solve the mystery of the disappearance and now murder.
When all the major players from that fateful night arrive, they realize that they all know certain things, but no one knows the complete story. Sara, using her power of writing, and Byon, the playwright that was a part of the group, pair up to write the script of the final scenes of a pack of friends that haven’t laid eyes on each other in over 20 years.
From the complete overhaul of Poorwilla, to Diana’s triumphant reappearance, the cast from that night come back to figure out what happened to Shawn, Mr. Howland, and eventually Nicky.
This is a good story, intriguing, and full of twists and turns. The reason I gave this story 4 stars instead of 5 was that there were times when it dragged. Extraneous information put out like red herrings, but you recognize that they hold no use to the overall story. I’d figured out the killers (yes, more than one) before they were announced, it was a fairly safe bet each time, with the clues laid out for you to pick from like a breakfast buffet laid out on a sideboard in the Oxley Manor dining room. My favorite character, by far, was Puck, the fairy like creature who seemed to be everywhere even as a child.
Definitely a worthy read if you’re a fan of whodunits!
**I was given an ARC of this story by the publisher and Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
First of all, I’m a big fan of Jude Deveraux’s books. I was excited to be given an ARC of this book! I haven’t read the two previous books in this series but this book did seem to stand alone. The characters were interesting with their stories and all the twistedness involved. It kept me guessing to the end! I was surprised by the twist at the end too. Definitely recommend!! Thanks to the publisher for the early copy
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux. This is my fair and honest review.
This is the third book in and series, but I believe if can be read as a stand alone. I have read this authors books in the past, and really enjoyed them. Although this book is well written, for me I just never could get into the book. It seemed to drag on and on, I am normally a fast reader but I kept putting this one down. Having said that I know everyone doesn’t enjoy the same things, so I always suggest others read the book for themselves and make their own decisions.