The Murder Ledger: A Welsh Mystery (Book 1)

by P L Handley

A murder? In the little town of Pengower? Surely not!

Alun Hughes loves a good spreadsheet. Being a local accountant is a lot more exciting than people might think — numbers, spreadsheets, tax returns… Life is quite straightforward until a murder mystery comes knocking on his door.

When the disappearance of a local lottery winner sets off a chain of sinister events, it’s up to Alun and Rhiannon (a local news reporter, and the accountant’s former high school crush) to solve the mystery.

Their investigation takes them to all corners of this rural, Welsh town and digs up a whole host of buried secrets that might best be left well enough alone. If you like a good mystery full of twists, turns and a healthy dose of humour, then prepare for a story that will leave you ravenous for more.

This is Book One in the Murder Ledger Mystery series, where numbers meet murder more often than you might expect…

Genres: Mystery, Contemporary

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2023

Reviews

[Kathy Hagen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good start

Book started out to be very interesting; stodgy accountant mixed up in a mystery, with a pretty journalist, maybe a romance? However clues that were dropped did just that, dropped and never picked up again. The ending came out of nowhere, like the author had to hurry up and end it any way possible. Disappointed I spent so much time on this book! The book started out well, witty dialogue and an intriguing plot. Went no where quickly.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Wales. Alun is a mild mannered accountant whose girlfriend of 9 years dumps him. In walks a former classmate--a single mom, risk taker--who is trying to find out what happened to one of Alun's clients who won a huge lottery and recently disappeared. Eventually, they find her--she is alive and hiding but yeah, someone wants her dead.

I guessed early on that the lottery winner was alive but did not guess the ending nor did I guess what she planned for the money.

I got bored with the book early on and only finished it bc we were discussing new series in Book Group. The characters were ok, the mystery was ok, the setting was ok but not much special here. However, there are several books in the series so I must have missed something--hence the 3 star rating

[Rebecca Gregory-Chifos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Develops a Bit Slowly

Perhaps the best part of this book are the well-developed characters. No one, even the smallest bit player, is two-dimensional; they all have background, quirks, foibles, perfections, and unexpected abilities. There is a bit of slapstick humor thrown into a few scenes. They mystery itself is well-plotted, and there are quite a few red herrings and a very surprising twist to the end.

The writing does contain quite a few small edit fails; i.e., glutinous, when gluttonous was meant. Overall, though, the writing itself was good, and the book enjoyable.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did find the book quite amusing and easy to read. A welcome change from dark murders and court room dramas. It was a little long, however I think this was more to establish the characters for future books. I have downloaded the second one will see how it goes.

[Freda Lawes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

The book was a bit slow to start but I was soon gripped with the story. I really hadn't any idea who the culprit was but looking back I can see the clues were there. Perhaps I didn't want it to be them?

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. The two main characters were opposites personality-wise but seemed to complement each other. They were fairly well developed and had some interesting quirks. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[cherine tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read

thoroughly enjoyed the book. kept me guessing till the end. any fan of who Dunnits will love it . funny and intriguing

[Mr Derek Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant.

An excellent read fast paced and very funny. The characters depicted came to life brilliantly. I definitely did not spot the culprit.

[Barbi · Rating 2 out of 5]

No one likes eachother, lots of complainers, small town where everyone is unhappy and pretty mean. Not rushing to read next in series....

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 star book for me, not quite four stars. It started very slowly, but towards the end the story really picked up.

[Cassie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy enough to read but the ending was a bit too far fetched for my liking…
Also didn’t like how the thoughts/comments/narratives between characters intermingled.

[Stuart Pretty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling. Kept me on tender hooks until the very end. Need to read more by this author. I can fully recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery.

[Laura Poppenwimer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book, I struggled to the end of the first chapter and gave up. The writing style seemed choppy. I don't often give up on a book, but this one did nothing for me.

[Betty Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Wales/Cymru mystery- local color, interesting characters, and a touch of whimsy.