‘Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie with a touch of Wodehouse and a dog of distinction.’ Couldn’t put it down’. Humorous – did I say humorous?’ ‘And there’s even a dog!’ ‘Cozy murder mystery at its best!’ ‘Love the setting, old country house, eccentric guests, snow and murder’. ‘It’s always the last one you thought – who dun it!It’s 1920 and Christmas is coming. Major Lennox finds a body on his … and Christmas is coming. Major Lennox finds a body on his doorstep – why on his doorstep? Was it to do with the Countess? Was it about the ruby necklace? Lennox goes to Melrose Court, home to his uncle, Lord Melrose, to uncover the mystery. But then the murders begin and it snows and it all becomes very complicated….
Major Heathcliff Lennox – ex WW1 war pilot, 6feet 3inch, tousled dark blond hair, age around 30 – named after the hero of Wuthering Heights by his romantically minded mother – much to his great annoyance.
Murder at Melrose Court is the first book in the Heathcliff Lennox series
KIRKUS REVIEW – RECOMMEND – It’s 1920, and Major Heathcliff Lennox, a veteran of the First World War, receives distressing news from his butler, Greggs: There’s a dead man lying on his doorstep—truly an uncommon circumstance in sleepy rural England—which kicks off Menuhin’s often humorous story.
BOOKLIFE REVIEW- RECOMMEND – Fans of English interwar mysteries will delight in this whodunit, which is replete with eccentric gentry and servants, a drafty manor house, and plenty of witty exchanges.
Amazon Reviews
Old Bindlestiff 5.0 out of 5 stars
Rollicking good read
Intelligent and engaging protagonist surrounded by an unusual collection of eccentric suspects. A good book for a cold evening with the cat in your lap and a suitable libation at your elbow.
Sudha Raghavan 5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the most riveting mystery novels
Like other reviewers have said, it is Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle etc rolled into this novel. The Russian Revolution throws in an added twist.
Cathy Holmes 5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful main character, dry humor, and detailed historical settings Did I say humorous? I hope this is the first of many.
Cheryl Leaf 5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious!
One of the best books I have read in a long time. The writing is witty and laugh out loud funny. Major Lennox is part genius and part goofball.
Kindle Reader Ann 5.0 out of 5 stars
Menuhin is close to genius.
Although I buy way too many Kindle books, and generally enjoy them greatly, I am far too slothful to write reviews. However, I simply had to make an exception for MURDER AT MELROSE COURT. A brilliant work! Witty, sardonic, sweet, clever. Wonderful plot, superb characters, very very clever, hilarious and touching at the same time. This work compares well with the British classics of the golden age. I hope that the author will continue to delight us with many more Lennox mysteries of this exceptional caliber.
Rick Wilson 4.0 out of 5 stars
Well-structured, very period correct, with cleverly drawn characters.
Mrs. Menuhin has produced a thoroughly enjoyable, clever, highly engaging story. Peopled with both likable and despicable characters, she evokes thoughts of strong work from Cyril Hare, Patricia Wentworth, George Bellairs, and other gifted British authors.more
1920, and as Christmas approaches a body is discovered at the door of Major Heathcliff Lennox’s home at Ashton Steeple. This prompt him to accept his uncle’s invitation to Christmas at Melrose Court. Unfortunately surprises await him, and then another body. As he is the prime suspect he attempts to find the real killer.
A really enjoyable mystery and a good start the series
A cracking 5* read. Brilliantly written whodunit in the style of Agatha Christie. Highly recommended.
I picked this up in Kindle Unlimited. The narrator is likable and a bit goofy, somewhat like Bertie Wooster in the Jeeves stories by PG Wodehouse, but more intelligent. The mystery was complicated and puzzling. The 1920s setting adds some fun elements, like challenges with phone lines or driving in poor weather. I’ll keep reading the series.
A Fine Whodunit
No sex
Very limited strong language – British readers may be aware of more than Americans
No gory violence
It’s a whodunit, so of course there’s a murder
Setting: 1920’s England
At first I didn’t like the main character. I thought he was a bore. Wrong. As the story progresses I came to like him more and more, and not just because his dog is a delightful, eccentric, and necessary addition to the story.
Plot no spoilers
Lennox, a man used to the life of the idle rich is actually living beyond his means. As the story unfolds he discovers, of necessity, that he is actually quite a good detective.
Why was there an obese dead man in his own porch? Why has a suspicious murder taken place at his uncle’s house making him the prime suspect?
Amusing characters
Clever dialog
Good, light reading
Appropriate for teen – adults, though I imagine adults will enjoy it more.
Nicely done who-dun-it! I almost figured it out : )
1920s, England, situational-humor, verbal-humor, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, lawyers
Think Mel Brooks with Agatha Christie performed by John Cleese! What a hoot! And the mystery progression with all it’s red herrings and plot twists is very good as well. The characters certainly are, what with a book club between the household butcher and the Butler, the (probably) Asberger’s wife of the slimy lawyer and her habit of absconding with small items.
Narrator Sam Dewhurst-Phillips really brings it all over the top with his droll way of interpreting the text. Perfect match!
The story was more or less what it was billed to be: a stereotypical murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie. I am not a huge Christie fan, but the description made me think it would be more tongue-in-cheek than it turned out to be. Instead, I got the formula: a countess is set up as being terribly unlikeable, and it’s clear everyone has a motive to kill her, so it’s no surprise when she turns up dead. The main character is the prime suspect, and thus, he’s forced to solve the crime himself or else hang for it. We get a series of interesting characters, clues that may or may not be important, and eventually at the end, the least likely character turns out to be the culprit. Interesting enough, though it would have been much better if it were slightly less formulaic and if I’d cared about any of the characters.
My rating: ***
Language: none
Violence: none to speak of; it was a “polite” murder
Sexual content: none
Political content: none