Murder at Buxley Manor

British Cozy Mystery #1

by Leena Clover

An English manor house, intrepid dowagers, spirited Bright Young Things ... and Murder!

England 1921. Lady Elizabeth Gaskins is throwing a big party to celebrate her birthday. But when an odious guest gets killed and steals her thunder, her father, the Earl of Buxley, becomes a suspect. After all, he came to blows with the dead man in front of several witnesses.
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Determined to find out who murdered his childhood friend, Lord Buxley summons a detective from Scotland Yard. Not to be outdone, Lady Bess and her spunky cohorts, the oldest Dowager Countess and great aunts embark on a hunt for the killer. Aided by servants, friends and villagers, fortified by copious amounts of Darjeeling and kedgeree, these feisty women will not let minor obstacles deter them.
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First in a thrilling new historical mystery series from Leena Clover, Murder at Buxley Manor will have you at the edge of your seat, turning the pages.
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A must read for fans of Agatha Christie, Downton Abbey and classic mysteries from the Golden Age of detective fiction.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Cozy

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 9, 2023

About the author

Leena Clover is a popular, bestselling author of cozy mysteries with heart.

You can expect fearless heroines, small town drama, quirky characters and friendships that last a lifetime in her books. Yummy food and a murder or two are guaranteed!

Visit her website at leenaclover.com to learn more.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 4.25 🌟 read rounded ⬇️ to 4 🌟.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoy this book very much and recommend it.

[Mike Watson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unreadable

I stopped reading on the first page. The formatting made the text almost unreadable.
1. No indent for the paragraphs. There was no clear delineation between sentences and paragraphs.
2. 1.5 line spacing. OK for drafts. Very much NOT OK for final, published text. Why? See number one.
3. No exr4a spacing or delineation between paragraphs.

It's not my job as a reader to spend time deciphering the writer's text. It's his/her/its job to do that, not the reader.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author included way too many characters and made it hard to remember who was who. That was bad enough but she had to give two of the aunts nicknames; going back and forth between their real names of Imogen and Gertrude and Momo and Bubbles. Unless I skipped over it, the Inspector from the Yard never interviewed the twins but when he stopped on the road they all seemed to know each other. The story was rather boring and the next in the series doesn't sound any more interesting. I think it was all rather disjointed and won't be reading another of her books.

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Elizabeth/Bess is smuggling someone into her home at Buxley Manor. Her 21st birthday ball is going to be a big surprise to everyone. Secrets are about to be exposed. Then, at the ball an obnoxious man manages to get murdered! Sadly Bess’s father, the Earl of Buxley is the main suspect. So, he asks Scotland Yard to send someone to investigate. The man is pretty useless according to Bess, her grandmother & great aunts. These ladies are very “with it” & they form a group to sort it all out. Which they do with much fun & games. A very enjoyable read.

[Reem Eisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story, I enjoyed every single moment. It’s well written and very fun, I especially enjoyed the old ladies and how amazing they are. I would recommend this book for everyone. The style of writing, the lively characters, the lost twin, and all the twists and turns.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a guest is murdered at her birthday party, Lady Bess is determined to get her father off the suspect list. This cute historical mystery was a fun read. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

[Kirsty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get engaged, ended up skip-reading so much I barely knew the character existed before finding out they did it, and as for introducing the motive only at the denoument (well I may be wrong there given the skipping, but the heroines, who were surprisingly childish and naieve given their back story, seemed not to know, and surely they should if they found out who did it). Just didn't hold together and a bit tiresome

[Carole Wynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Murder at Buxley Manor

Didn't enjoy this at all, found it to be overly long, and extremely drawn out, unnecessarily so. Not one character I had any feeling for, as they were all quite shallow. The way it was written was confusing, too many characters, which could have added to the story, but became annoying . The conclusion was crammed into the last few pages, as if the author had suddenly realised they were running out of space. Too much emphasis on the food they consumed.

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

Тази история може да ви се стори на пръв поглед напълно абсурдна и абсолютно недостоверна, граничеща с пародията, но и имаща сериозна обща граница с класическата семейна британска сага, нещо като Абатството Даунтън, но с убийства. Представете си рандъм британски лорд, втори син, което автоматично значи никаква титла, никакво богатство, най-много някой неангажиращ пост някъде в правителството или малко именийце някъде из нищото. Лордчето се жени за красива американска наследница, естествено с пари, и им се раждат две чаровни близначки. Само че на младата богаташка нещо не ѝ се нрави въздуха британски, и тя си взема куфарите плюс едно от децата, и изчезва зад Океана. И никой копче не ѝ казва. Лордчето, цялото му семейство, домакинството, слугите, братовчедите, съседите, съгражданите и съселяните се заклеват да не казват на малката подрастваща лейди, че има близначка, а за майка ѝ само любезно да се замълчава и въздиша. И вярвате или не номерът минава.

Така си откарват леко и безаварийно двадесетина години, докато почва голямата война, и порасналата ни лейди си вади рогата и тича на фронта да лекува ходещите трупове. А там – изненада, изненада, я чака нейната близначка, на която ѝ хрумва точно същата идея по същото време и при същите условия. Не, това не е спойлер – нищо от това не се случва в книгите, а се вади с ченгел цяла трилогия като една или две думи на разговор, докато разбитото семейство се събира, навсякъде е пълно с лели и учинайки, с толкова сложни роднински връзки, че не просто стенен гоблен, ами килим за бална зала трябва да се избродира, че да се покаже кой кой е и на кого какъв е. И вярвате или не – нищо от това не е в основата на поредицата на Лийна Кловър – това място е оставено на убийствата, които се случват смущаващо често на смущаващо малко разстояние едно до друго, което кара близначките пишман детективки да бръмчат със спортната си колица из всички регионални замъци в опит да разрешат сложни криминални загадки.

За което и двете са напълно неподготвени, неадекватни и неставащи по никой параграф. Ама нали искат децата, оставете ги да си играят и да тичат след убийци, по дяволите да върви и приличие, и възпитание, ясно е, че са нови времената. И вярвате или не – знам, че го потретвам това, ама наистина е важно – резултатът е история напълно нереалистична, но все пак грабваща вниманието читателско, и караща те да четеш, за да стигнеш до дъното на това блато псевдо детективско, в което нищо няма смисъл, и все пак логиката побеждава. Странно и чаровно, сякаш сериозно, ама как може да е, много класическо и твърде неортодоксално. Интересен експеримент във всеки случай.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at Buxley Manor is author Leena Clover's first venture into historical mysteries, and what a magnificent venture it is! In the tradition of Downton Abbey, we are treated to a stately manor, lively characters, and murder. Factor in three generations of family and friends, and imagine the secrets that are being hidden. It's no surprise that when murder comes to the manor, there are so many suspects! And the fun thing in this book is the creation of a multigeneration investigation team self named The Nightingales. Not only was substantial knowledge shared, but everyone was assigned specific information to flush out and confirm. Of course the youngest generation (Bess and Vicky) took the hardest and most difficult tasks. It was amazing at the potential murderers (and secrets) they uncovered!

Generations of shared details, family loyalty, and history shared made this a rich and enjoyable story. Some hints at past transgressions make me wonder what will be revealed in the next volume. If you are an Anglophile, a lover of Regency stories, or an historian who also loves mysteries, you won't want to miss this book.

[Cheryl Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a gift, I really wanted to like it, but the author referred to all of the characters by multiple names which was entirely confusing. There was a glossary of names in the front, but there were a bunch of party guests who were not on the list, but played a role in the book, and it felt like we were supposed to know them, all of their titles, their relationship to the main characters and their back history. I think this book although it's own mystery was a set-up for the books to come in the series. This book took me forever to finish because I spent too much time flipping back and forth trying to figure out who was who. Never did get a well-written reason Annie left with Vicky in the first place, very vague. Too many holes in the book, and a "twist" ending that just did not make sense.

[Laurie J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in a new series set in 1921 England. I love this setting and timeframe.

This was hard to listen to as the chapters were different POV characters and it was hard to keep them straight. Plus the story revolves around a large cast of interconnected characters with familiar relationships across many generation. Since I didn’t stop to keep crib notes, I got a bit lost and didn’t want to want to backtrack to start one.

I do like the premise of the detective team: sisters and their backstory, and others. They are strong women who are inquisitive and methodical about their search for the truth. At the same time, they are don’t act stupid even while though they do get in a spot of trouble.

I’ll be trying out the next in the series, and remembering to create a crib sheet of who’s who. Enjoy!

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this on one of the free Kindle sales that go around so I didn't know much about the author or the story before I started. Someone dies at a party and as the murder is investigated, many other secrets come to light, as well as what happened between Victoria and Elizabeth's mother and father that led to them being split up.

This was an interesting mystery, and I really did like the solution for it, as well as the crime-fighting team, but I did feel like we were thrown into a lot of family history without getting some context for it. I double checked whether this was the second in a series since it felt like we were supposed to care for the characters from the get go, rather than be introduced to them first. And I liked the characters well enough, especially in the world that they are set.

[Susan Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been 5 stars but wasn't

This coukd have been such a good book. The story itself was good, but somewhat difficult to follow at times. Unfortunately, the huge number of characters made them hard to keep up with. Overall, the main issue is I couldn't keep up with the family members. I have no idea how everyone is related to each other. I realize there are several Aunts, but I could not determine the family tree. And on top of everything, sometimes they are called by their first names and sometimes by their nicknames. It was very confusing! For the next book, please please put a page listing the family members and how they are related. Without that, I'm not sure I will try to wade through another book.

[Chanover55 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like a good cozy mystery but this is not it. Twins, separated when their parents separate, run into each other during WWI, not realizing tgeyvarevtwins. On their 21st birthday, they plan to spring it on their father that they are together want want the truth. Ok, The Parent Trap for adults. But...too many characters, alk with nicknames, a Scotland Yard inspector that did nothing for the story and way too much vernacular stubble, which was the supposed speech if the "gay young things" of the early 1920's. I thought the story would never end, it was so slow; well it doesn't end, with a new murder tracked into the end. In my opinion, don't waste your time with this book!

[Kylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should really be called The Case of Many Teas, because truly, this was surely insulting even to Brits. Wake up - tea. Breakfast - tea. Lunch/tea - tea. Dinner - tea. Dessert - tea. Visit someone - tea. Talk to someone - tea. Had tea just a moment ago but go to another room - tea. Really, I beg someone to tell me exactly how many times the word "tea" is used in this book. The mystery wasn't even cleverly done — no clues, too many people, the killer was barely mentioned at all and had no obvious motive until the reveal, and the twins were absolutely ninnies. This also didn't read as the 1920s whatsoever.

[Donna Beveridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cozy mystery

Don't read this book if you are hungry. Between breakfast, morning tea, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and tea and port after dinner, two of the most intrepid twin aristocratic young ladies, manage to solve 2 deaths, reveal an old scandal and begin to reunite their separated parents. Light and frothy, quick read, no angst and enough twists to keep your knickers in a knot! Highly recommend!

[Diane Crepeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but….

I did enjoy this book. The problem I had is that there were too many characters with too many names. I sincerely could not keep track of who was who. So the story line was interesting but it was very difficult to follow having to go back and forth to the list of characters multiple times.

[Dawn Ireland · Rating 2 out of 5]

An editor would have been helpful

At the bottom of the book description I read: Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, P G Wodehouse and Downton Abbey. Those esteemed authors would have been horrified to be compared to this author. The book is filled with errors and cliches. And those errors have nothing to do with the British vs. American English.

[Saundra J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, fun read, but the characters were always eating! Did the nobility really eat that frequently? The characters are well written and the culprit was not easily guessed. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Nona Mullens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book in the series.

I found that it was kind of hard to learn the family as there were so many, But the writing flowed and I was almost surprised by the ending. Thanks, enjoyed the read.

[Leanne Pazik · Rating 5 out of 5]

looking forward to the next book!

It had likable characters, even the cranky ones, the story was fast paced, until the very end. Everyone needs to be called by their nicknames or real names, not back and forth you get confused!!!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenceful

Entertaining, good three dimensional characters & interesting story. Settings well described & the guilty party remained a mystery to me until revealed. I’ll buy the next in the series!

[Mark Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spiffing read, what!

Murder mystery set in the beautiful Cotswolds. I loved the english-ness of the writing and the many characters from across the classes. Thank you to the author for an engaging and plot twisting read. I must read the rest of this series.

[Bryngel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's a tip for free: Read the enclosed list of names in the beginning, and there you have it. That's the biggest thrill you will get out of this book, and then there's the issue with loose ends...

(Please forgive my poor English, my excuse is I’m Swedish).

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the tightest of murder mysteries and not all bits and bobs made sense, but I love books set in an English country house, with a non gory murder and plenty of food descriptions and this fits the bill. A comfort reading when the outside world is burning you want to escape.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Elizabeth is throwing a big birthday party for herseld and she is sneaking something into the house. What could it be? Someone may be in for a big surprise. But then something bad happens. A man is killed and Lady Bess's father is suspected of doing the deed. He calls in Scotland Yard. Lady Bess and her spunky cohort's, the oldest dowager Dutchess and the great aunts decide to have their own investigation. How is this going to work? Will they get in each other's way? Who will solve the case? I enjoyed this story. It was fun to read and it kept you on your toes. I didn't want to put the book down. I'm looking forward to the next one.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from the author and I'm voluntarily posting a review. My opinion is entirely my own.

[dpmtoo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Confusing

Wow just really mind boggling. The names a lone are just confusing. Molo, Polo and who knows. I’m in to the plot not a great many characters with no useful purpose.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but felt that the characters spent an inordinate amount of time eating.