“Thoroughly entertaining, tense, suspenseful, and so well-written. Don’t miss this one. Highly recommended reading!” – John Nicholl – bestselling author“A triumph of a mystery, a good cosy crime to entertain everyone – Betsy Reavley has done it again!” – Anita Waller bestselling author Without a motive, how do you identify the killer?Imagine a quaint little bookshop. Outside the snow is falling. … killer?
Imagine a quaint little bookshop. Outside the snow is falling. Inside the shelves are stacked with books by authors waiting to be discovered. What could be better?
When Tilly Edgely lands a position working at Ashton’s bookshop in Cambridge she thinks she’s found her perfect job. But one winter’s morning, when she arrives to open up, she discovers the body of her boss suspended from the ceiling, hanging by a rope around his neck.
DCI Barrett and DI Palmer are called to the scene and quickly find themselves searching for a twisted killer whose identity and motive are nearly impossible to trace.
But just when they think they have the murderer in their sights, another body shows up throwing the case wide open…
Who is behind the killings and why?
The police have their work cut out and the key to unlocking the gruesome mystery might be found right under their nose.
But one thing is for certain, this killer will leave you hanging…
What everyone is saying about Murder in the Dark:
“Another great cozy crime from Ms Reavley. Perfect for those dark winter evenings…” – J.A. Baker bestselling author
“Once again this author has written a thrilling read with a totally unexpected outcome!” – Susan Hunter reviewer
“An amazing twisted story that sends chills down your spine” – Sarah Hodgson reviewer
Betsy Reavley is the international best-selling author of multiple thrillers, including The Optician’s Wife and Frailty. Murder in the Dark is the follow-on to Murder at the Book Club, though can equally be read as a stand-alone. It’s a gripping mystery thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like Joy Ellis, Faith Martin and LJ Ross.
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One of my favorite settings …. a quaint little bookshop. My favorite season … winter.
Tilly loves her job working at a small bookshop .. it seems perfect for her. It allows her to save money so she can go to school .. her co-workers are pleasant … her boss is a nice man to work for.
But this morning when Tilly goes to work, she finds her boss hanging from the ceiling with a rope around his neck.
DCI Barrett and DI Palmer are called to investigate. The first assumption was suicide, but the detectives and medical examiner put paid to that idea. This was a murder, plain and simple. Well .. maybe not so simple.
When other murders occur in the same fashion, Barrett and Palmer look diligently for some kind of connection among the victims.
Who would want these people dead … and why?
This is a police procedural wrapped in a cozy mystery with likeable characters and a story premise that keeps the reader turning pages leading to an unexpected ending.
Murder in the Dark is the follow-up to Murder at the Book Club, though can equally be read as a stand-alone.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of MURDER IN THE DARK. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Trad murder in a Cambridge bookshop in the snow. The police were mostly a good team, though I felt there was plenty to be developed in future books; the bereaved families were interesting and well portrayed, and the resolution of the puzzle was satisfying. I like a good trad series and hope to return to this one.
I didn’t finish it. I didn’t like any of the characters; they were all very unlikeable and it’s hard to read about characters you don’t like and actually wish they would all get killed.
Well done mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. Well formed characters and surprise ending.
The painful subject of child abuse presented in an unpredictable and disturbing murder mystery that kept me guessing and wondering to the end.
Loved it
Palmer and Barrett make a good pair of cops as do their staff. Solid procedural mystery in England. And to have someone done in at a bookstore…perfect.
Nice atmosphere and more like a cozy type even though modern police techniques are used.
It was nice to see the thoughts of the bereaved and not just deal with the case or the victim ..people have to informed and questioned and comforted and their worries presented.
The first victim found in a bookstore just terrorizes the girl Tilly. Tilly is studying and working at the bookstore. ….I felt for her.
Two more victims are found and the case is carefully studied as are the limited clues. The fact one victim is a woman, threw me off a bit.
I do wish more of Palmer and Barrett were shown as I couldn’t really like or dislike them.
The clues are presented and the ending explains it but I wish more clues were dropped occasionally rather than the one big clue after the third death.
A nice read for an afternoon…..3.6 stars
Afterthought: in real life, clues aren’t always helpful or relevant and the reasons “why” are never known or pop up later on. The author presents a case where the reason is not known till near the end….as is often the case.