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! It’s a great way to add books to your TBR! There is also a Rafflecopter Giveaway for a signed paperback copy of Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor by AJ Skelly. US only for paper copy, please. International winner, a digital copy of Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor by AJ Skelly. Enter here!

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
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1957899786
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1957899787
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D2VJKH2B

About the Book:

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:

I am a huge fan of historical mysteries and am always on the hunt for a new favorite. When I saw the cover for Murder at Mistlethwaite Manor by AJ Skelly and then read the first line of the book summary (“Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None meets The Gilded Age in this delicious, suspenseful murder mystery.”) I knew I had to read this so I loaded it up on my kindle intending to read it right away. Well, you know what happens with the best laid plans…summer, driving kids everywhere, etc and suddenly I am needing to read this in a far shorter time table than I had intended. I should not have worried though, because when I sat down to read this page-turning mystery I could not stop reading! I read this in one giant gulp, ignoring everyone and everything around me (let’s all pretend we don’t see those big dust bunnies in the corner). 

This was SO good. I mean…so so so good. First, there’s the intriguing cover that captured my attention immediately. Then the author includes a character sheet, but just not a list – a page of pictures of characters in fancy frames. Sprinkled throughout the mystery there are more pictures (such as a picture of an invitation) and these touches elevated my reading experience. It’s the perfect amount that it doesn’t disrupt the reading. 

This locked room mystery kicks off almost right away, and hold onto your hats, because it is a wild, mysterious ride with murder almost around every corner. Similar in plot structure to the movie Clue, but with a more serious vibe. The winter/Christmas time setting and being trapped by a snowstorm added to the drama of the story. I think I suspected everyone in this story as I tried to follow the clues, but then something else would happen and I’d throw all my theories out the window. I loved following Emma Grace through the manor house, holding my breath as she was trapped with an eclectic group of citizens. Who could she trust? There was also a little bit of romance here for our Emma Grace and it mixed perfectly with the mystery. This was so well done – such an entertaining read. My first read by AJ Skelly, but not my last! 

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 ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~

Purchase Links:

~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ Bookshop.org ~ 

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 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
• 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

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Want to Book a Tour?
Click Here