Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor by AJ Skelly. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor by AJ Skelly
Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor
Historical Cozy Mystery
Setting – Mistlethwaite Manor, Christmastime, in 1895 England
Publisher : Quill & Flame Publishing House (June 26, 2024)
Hardcover : 252 pages
Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None meets The Gilded Age in this delicious, suspenseful murder mystery.
When Lady Emma Grace Hastings receives a much-coveted invitation to the most auspicious Christmas party of the season—one that comes with a 10,000 pound prize for the winner of a mysterious game—she cannot believe her good fortune.
But as the guests are assembled at Mistlethwaite Manor, the chilling intent of the game is revealed. Each guest has cause for alarm, because all of them have secrets, and to win the prize money, those secrets must be exposed.
Things take a sinister turn when Emma Grace finds herself caught between her old love and her soon-to-be betrothed. Suspicions abound, and old wounds are opened. The dead body in the study does not help. Nor does the raging winter storm that prevents escape from the manor. Emma Grace must battle her heart, use her wits, and put her sleuthing skills to the test to survive the weekend alive.
Because there is a murderer among them.
And no one with secrets is safe.
My review of Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor
If you love a good closed room mystery, you’ll love Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor by AJ Skelly. It’s a Victorian era cozy mystery set during a Christmas season snowstorm at Mistlethwaite Manor. Mistlethwaite Manor is where everyone who’s anyone wants to be invited for the party. No one who has been to a party there says anything about it. Outsiders don’t even know who the Master of the Manor is which makes this an even more sought after party invitation.
I love this type of mystery because you’ve got a small pool of suspects from whom to choose, and those start dropping like flies, which gives it the And Then There Were None vibe. Since the point of the game that the master has insisted they play is to figure out who each line of a scathing poem relates to, that puts everyone in the spotlight. Some secrets…well, the murderer has decided his or hers is scandalous enough to kill to keep quiet.
Like Lady Emma Grace Hastings, I’d definitely want an invitation to this party if I didn’t know any better! You’d expect good food and entertainment! Who goes to a party where the host is a monster who loves to play with people’s lives?! No one. Hence, the secrets. I love the time period, the manor setting, and the snowstorm! I thought that everything about the set up for this mystery was brilliant, and the pacing was very good. I enjoyed trying to figure out who the murderer was and why this person was killing people.
I highly recommend Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor for its interesting and well-written characters, closed room-like setting, and suspenseful mystery!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Author Guest Post
I’ve discovered I’m a trauma writer.
I do my very best work when I’m under immense pressure and stress. I’ve done some research into this, and I think it’s because when the world around me goes insane (as it’s wont to do with kids with special needs), and I can’t control the outcomes of things, I create worlds and characters inside my head that I CAN control.
Last Christmas, we had huge plans. My entire family was going to come up (we live several states apart), and they were bringing my children a much desired PUPPY. We’d been putting off getting a dog for awhile (because of all the special needs, we really didn’t need more things to manage), but we agreed that it would be good for our children to have said dog, and my parents had found the perfect one for us.
Then we all got sick. All the plans got cancelled, the Christmas puppy would have to wait. We were all crushed. And sick. And feel poopy.
I was browsing images for some holiday social posts, and came across the image of the woman on the front cover of Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor. I loved the whole image, and as I looked at it longer, the entire story for the book just started spinning out in my head.
I did some quick plotting and jotting of notes, and then I set to write. Within thirteen days, I had completed the first draft of Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor.
The image I’d see and that had inspired the book did, in fact, eventually become the cover image.
And I could not be more pleased with it and the story.
About AJ Skelly
AJ Skelly is an author, reader, and lover of all things fantasy, mystery, and fairy-tale-romance. And werewolves. She has a serious soft spot for them. As an avid life-long reader and a former high school English teacher, she’s always been fascinated with the written word. She lives with her husband, children, and many imaginary friends who often find their way into her stories. They all drink copious amounts of tea together and stay up reading far later than they should.
You can read more of her short stories at www.ajskelly.com.
Author Links
Website www.ajskelly.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/a.j.skelly/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aj.skelly.71/
Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Bookshop.org
Enter the Giveaway
Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 29 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
July 29 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
July 30 – Ruff Drafts – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 30 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 31 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
July 31 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 1 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
August 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 2 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
August 5 – The Editing Pen – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 7 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
August 8 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
August 9 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 10 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW
August 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 11 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
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Lovely cover
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed the book! 🙂
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by today!
Pretty cover and the book sounds like a great read.
I would love to be your winner! Thanks for the chance!
This book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!