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Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library #1
A Novel Murder
Faith Newberry and her cat Watson in the town of Lighthouse Bay on Cape Cod. She lands her dream job of librarian at Castleton Manor an upscale literary retreat. Faith is forced to read between the lines and solve the mysteries she finds among the stacks of books.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
Elizabeth Penney
96 books560 followersElizabeth Penney lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she pens novels and tries to grow things. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. After spending early years in England and France, she grew up in Maine, settings that are reflected in her books.
Elizabeth is the author of the Apron Shop Series and Cambridge Bookshop Series from St. Martin's as well as over twenty novels, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She's also written screenplays with her musician husband.
She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.
Elizabeth is the author of the Apron Shop Series and Cambridge Bookshop Series from St. Martin's as well as over twenty novels, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She's also written screenplays with her musician husband.
She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
March 24, 2024
About 3 days ago, someone had donated to my Little Free Library Shed the first 15 books in this series, which is called, “Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library.” I had never heard of this series, but I loved the creative book covers, and they all featured a cat, which I have since learned, reading this one, is named ‘Watson’ after the infamous Dr. Watson of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
So, what are the secrets? And what and where is this Castleton Manor Library?
This first cover certainly was intriguing to me, as was the title, “A Novel Murder.” Well, the best way to find out, was to read it. And, of course, this little cozy was an easy-read. After all, I picked it up and finished it in one sitting.
And I was definitely relieved that this was the first book in the series. Yes, Darla, I did it right this time!
Readers are introduced to Faith, and her new job as a librarian/archivist, at the Castleton Manor Library in Lighthouse Bay, a “quaint village on Cape Cod.” As part of her position, she is also provided with a FREE one-bedroom gardener’s cottage on the estate. (How many jobs get this sweet benefit with an ocean view?)
Now Faith wasn’t the first one hired for this prestigious job. Doris Lincoln was, but apparently, after six months, she “supposedly” decided she didn’t like it and left to travel the world. So, that opened the door for Faith to happily accept the position.
The Castleton Manor Library is a seaside estate (it isn’t a castle) owned by handsome, Wolfe Jaxon, but it can be considered a mansion. It hosts retreats, and/or vacationing book lovers with its 29-bedrooms overlooking the ocean. And yes, the view is spectacular. Let alone the inside libraries – oh my! A bibliophile’s dream!
And on Faith’s first day, she encounters quite the challenge when she is giving a lecture on Sherlock Holmes books, and pulls out one of the first SH edition books to show the audience, and realizes it is a fake. She doesn’t let on to this knowledge, and continues with her lecture, but knows she must say something to Wolfe Jaxon, who hired her.
Now another strange thing happened on Faith’s first day on the job. Her cat Watson, who plays a prominent role in this story (look for the paw prints 🐾 throughout), decided to take his own stroll around the grounds, went exploring and discovered something hidden in the garden and brought it to Faith’s attention. He is that kind of a cat. What is Doris Lincoln’s purse with all her identification doing still here, if she is in Europe?
So, as Sherlock Holmes would say, a mystery is afoot! Pawprints and all.
As I said earlier it is an easy-to-read cozy mystery, that is fairly predictable. But cute. Especially Watson. 🐾And Faith and Wolfe are so likable. Will a romance be in their future?
The question is, am I willing to read all 15 of them? I am so conflicted. Tell me what, do you think I should do?!!!! 😉
So, what are the secrets? And what and where is this Castleton Manor Library?
This first cover certainly was intriguing to me, as was the title, “A Novel Murder.” Well, the best way to find out, was to read it. And, of course, this little cozy was an easy-read. After all, I picked it up and finished it in one sitting.
And I was definitely relieved that this was the first book in the series. Yes, Darla, I did it right this time!
Readers are introduced to Faith, and her new job as a librarian/archivist, at the Castleton Manor Library in Lighthouse Bay, a “quaint village on Cape Cod.” As part of her position, she is also provided with a FREE one-bedroom gardener’s cottage on the estate. (How many jobs get this sweet benefit with an ocean view?)
Now Faith wasn’t the first one hired for this prestigious job. Doris Lincoln was, but apparently, after six months, she “supposedly” decided she didn’t like it and left to travel the world. So, that opened the door for Faith to happily accept the position.
The Castleton Manor Library is a seaside estate (it isn’t a castle) owned by handsome, Wolfe Jaxon, but it can be considered a mansion. It hosts retreats, and/or vacationing book lovers with its 29-bedrooms overlooking the ocean. And yes, the view is spectacular. Let alone the inside libraries – oh my! A bibliophile’s dream!
And on Faith’s first day, she encounters quite the challenge when she is giving a lecture on Sherlock Holmes books, and pulls out one of the first SH edition books to show the audience, and realizes it is a fake. She doesn’t let on to this knowledge, and continues with her lecture, but knows she must say something to Wolfe Jaxon, who hired her.
Now another strange thing happened on Faith’s first day on the job. Her cat Watson, who plays a prominent role in this story (look for the paw prints 🐾 throughout), decided to take his own stroll around the grounds, went exploring and discovered something hidden in the garden and brought it to Faith’s attention. He is that kind of a cat. What is Doris Lincoln’s purse with all her identification doing still here, if she is in Europe?
So, as Sherlock Holmes would say, a mystery is afoot! Pawprints and all.
As I said earlier it is an easy-to-read cozy mystery, that is fairly predictable. But cute. Especially Watson. 🐾And Faith and Wolfe are so likable. Will a romance be in their future?
The question is, am I willing to read all 15 of them? I am so conflicted. Tell me what, do you think I should do?!!!! 😉
October 22, 2018
Faith Newberry takes a job in Lighthouse Bay, MA. The librarian position at Castleton Manor is a dream job for her. The Manor is a literary retreat, offering bibliophiles the chance to talk about their favorite genres, meet authors and relax in an upscale, resort atmosphere. The resort is also pet-friendly so Faith's kitty, Watson, can make himself right at home. She almost didn't get the job. Another candidate, Doris Lincoln, was hired for the position but didn't even stay six months before quitting to take an exotic vacation. Just as Faith arrives to take over, things start to go wrong. She finds a purse buried under some bushes outside her cottage, and then discovers something even more alarming inside a hidden passageway. Maybe her dream job is more of a nightmare? Faith, her Aunt Eileen, and the members of the Candle House Book Club start their sleuthing adventures in this first book in the Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library series!
A very generous reader donated most of the books in this series to my local library. The series is published as part of a subscription service by Annie's Fiction (part of Annie's Attic). I'm glad the books were donated so I can read them. Each book costs $14.99 plus shipping, tax, etc and I'm just not going to spend that much on short, light, hardback cozies....mostly because once I've read the story and know whodunnit, I really don't want to re-read the book. These mysteries average about 170-190 pages, so they are short, quick reads. The publisher pads the page count a bit with blank pages after each chapter...so while this first book is listed at 205 pages, it's really about 180 pages of actual text. These are attractive books. The cover art is colorful and engaging. The set would look nice on display.
The story was fun to read and engaging. I like Faith as a main character. She loves her new job and jumps right into exploring the mysteries of Castleton Manor. Things get off to a pretty rough start for her, but she hangs in there. I love her cat, Watson. He is handsome and has a great deal of cattitude. The plot is definitely cozy -- no cussing, no spurting blood, no sex. This would be an appropriate read for all ages. At only 180 pages, it's pretty light reading, but enjoyable and well-written. I wish Castleton Manor was a real place....I would definitely consider booking a retreat week there!
I had a hard time finding the reading order for this series because it's part of a subscription, but did finally find a link (thank God for google search! ha ha) that gave me the book order. It's a bit difficult to find a complete listing for the series as well....but there are at least 18 books available with more in the publishing process. The novels are written by an assortment of authors who also write books in other Annie's Fiction cozy series such as the Amish Inn Mysteries and the Antique Shop Mysteries. I'm going to stick with the ones available at the library....otherwise I would bankrupt myself buying all these books! :)
Great start to a fun, engaging cozy series! I'm definitely going to read more of this series!
A very generous reader donated most of the books in this series to my local library. The series is published as part of a subscription service by Annie's Fiction (part of Annie's Attic). I'm glad the books were donated so I can read them. Each book costs $14.99 plus shipping, tax, etc and I'm just not going to spend that much on short, light, hardback cozies....mostly because once I've read the story and know whodunnit, I really don't want to re-read the book. These mysteries average about 170-190 pages, so they are short, quick reads. The publisher pads the page count a bit with blank pages after each chapter...so while this first book is listed at 205 pages, it's really about 180 pages of actual text. These are attractive books. The cover art is colorful and engaging. The set would look nice on display.
The story was fun to read and engaging. I like Faith as a main character. She loves her new job and jumps right into exploring the mysteries of Castleton Manor. Things get off to a pretty rough start for her, but she hangs in there. I love her cat, Watson. He is handsome and has a great deal of cattitude. The plot is definitely cozy -- no cussing, no spurting blood, no sex. This would be an appropriate read for all ages. At only 180 pages, it's pretty light reading, but enjoyable and well-written. I wish Castleton Manor was a real place....I would definitely consider booking a retreat week there!
I had a hard time finding the reading order for this series because it's part of a subscription, but did finally find a link (thank God for google search! ha ha) that gave me the book order. It's a bit difficult to find a complete listing for the series as well....but there are at least 18 books available with more in the publishing process. The novels are written by an assortment of authors who also write books in other Annie's Fiction cozy series such as the Amish Inn Mysteries and the Antique Shop Mysteries. I'm going to stick with the ones available at the library....otherwise I would bankrupt myself buying all these books! :)
Great start to a fun, engaging cozy series! I'm definitely going to read more of this series!
November 18, 2021
This is a cozy mystery, and this is the first book in the Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library series. The main character is Faith Newberry and she has a cat Watson. She just moved to Cape Cop because she landed dream job of librarian at Castleton Manor. Shortly after she starts there is a died body found in a secret hiding place in the manor. Which Faith has to help solve because she is suspected of doing the crime. I found this a cute and fast pace cozy mystery. It was a fun read. If you like cozy mysteries then you should give this one a try.
Did Not Finish
December 3, 2022I really didn't get far into this book at all before I decided that I was extremely bored of it and had no desire in trying to finish it. So this is a dnf for me and honestly I see it staying that way.
April 9, 2026
New to me author and series. Charming and delightful. Have already borrowed the next book. Great narration. Highly recommend!
April 2, 2026
Faith Newberry and her cat Watson are happily settling into their new home in Lighthouse Bay on Cape Cod. Faith loves her cozy cottage and is eager to start her new job as librarian/archivist for Castleton Manor, which hosts themed retreats for wealthy guests. Faith's first assignment is to brush up on her Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for a Sherlock Holmes retreat but during her first lecture, Faith is shocked to realize the first edition Sherlock Holmes book she's holding is a fake! Then Watson digs up a purse from under the hydrangea bushes - a purse that belongs to Doris Lincoln, the woman who previously held Faith's position and left quickly. That's weird. How and why would she go off on a cruise around the world without her purse, wallet and ID? Faith's question is answered when Watson makes another shocking discovery! Faith then becomes a suspect in Doris Lincoln's murder! Faith turns to a local book expert to help her figure out what happened to the first edition book. Did the book's disappearance have anything to do with Doris's death? Not knowing who to trust at Castleton Manor, Faith includes her beloved Aunt Eileen, also a librarian in the mystery and Eileen introduces Faith to her bookish friends. As Faith begins to investigate the mystery of the missing book, she notices something else odd in the collection and has a strange feeling she's being watched. She also wants to research her family history and their ties to the original Castleton Manor property. Is there a tie between a long ago crime and today's murder or just a coincidence?
This story was just Ok for me. It was a little too "twee." As much as I adore when pets uncover clues and find dead bodies, this one was a cat with some kind of uncanny ability to know where to look to help his human. Some scenes are from Watson's point-of-view. The mystery portion was decent. I didn't guess whodunit at all. I liked the books but just because a book is OLD doesn't make it VALUABLE. If a book is RARE and in excellent condition, THEN it's valuable. Doesn't matter if it's antique or just old. In this case, a first edition of Sherlock Holmes stories seems to be rare and valuable. The Cape Cod setting didn't sound like the Cape Cod I know. Has this author actually ever been there? Provincetown is a town at the tip of the Cape and Providence is a city in Rhode Island. Where does Eileen's family live? I've seen plenty of weathered shingle houses on Cape Cod but no mansions. I was about to question the accuracy of a wealthy 19th-century shipping magnate building a summer "cottage" on the Cape when I turned to my friend Google and lo and behold! https://highfieldhallandgardens.org/
(Different part of the Cape from where I grew up.)
I didn't quite click with Faith or any of the characters. There's not a lot of character development. Faith seems like a nice person - at least until the end when I was blindsided with an invitation to church and the Grace of God. That was random and unnecessary. I can't forgive Faith for forgiving a liar, an accessory to crimes and accessory to murder. No. Sorry even if that person is repentant they still lied a LOT. Faith is just too NICE. She seems to have a good relationship with her aunt
Doris Lincoln, the previous librarian, seemed to be good at her job. She was a dedicated library employee and champion. She worked hard to get money funneled from the main public library to the branches to balance the budget, she probably noticed the first edition forgery and it possibly got her killed. Or she was just too tough and unyielding and locked horns with Marlene. She didn't deserve to die but hey Faith has her dream job now, right? Weird. No one questioned Doris suddenly quitting her new job and taking off? No one saw her leave or knew where she was going? No one is trustworthy. They're all lying. They HAVE to be. There's no way ... The IRS would want to know where she was eventually!
Faith's boss, Marlene Russell, is the retreat assistant manager. She is HIGHLY unlikable. A type A, citified, *itch, Marlene judges Faith unfavorably, makes way too many demands on a brand new employee who doesn't even know the collections or the retreat center yet and hates animals! Watson doesn't like her very much, understandably so. I hope Marlene is the murderer. She seems like the type who would kill an unsatisfactory employee and also another woman. She's just awful. Wolfe Jaxson, owner and general manager of Castleton Manor, inherited the lot through the generations when Faith's ancestor died?/was killed?/ had financial difficulties and had to sell. Wolfe, unlike Marlene, doesn't act rich. He seems genuinely kind and welcoming to Faith and tries to help her feel more comfortable. But can he be trusted? Who has access to the books? Who else besides Faith would know if a book was the original or not? I would expect Wolfe would know his great-grandfather's collection thanks to his early training under his grandfather. Faith is cautious in dealing with Wolfe. She also seems to be developing romantic feelings for him which would not do AT ALL. He's her boss, for one thing, and she doesn't know if he's trustworthy. She's unsure if he's into her but I think he's just being nice and is a genuinely kind man.
Benedict Sinclaire seems to be the most dedicated of the Sherlockians. He wears the stereotypical cape and deerstalker hat (from the movies) and is the only one who actually asks to see the books up close. He notices a discrepancy in one of the antique books. Why? Did he know in advance and want to draw attention to it or was it a surprise to him too? Benedict does seem to know more than he's telling Faith. He suddenly becomes sick when it's his turn to give a lecture which sounds suspicious to me. His dog was sick before that and I was left wondering if someone was poisoning him and his dog thinking he knew what was going on with whatever it was that got Doris murdered? Benedict is a conference leader, along with Deb Cabot and Sandra Baker. Deb is into cosplay like Benedict. She's independently wealthy and is known as a philanthropist but doesn't have an actual job. Sandra is a library director at the public library. Or rather she was until Doris got her fired for mismanagement. Neither of them are super likeable but they're friendly enough with Faith and not UNlikable either. Sandra is more tough than Deb. She threatens to move the conference back to Boston over the scandal with Doris's body but Deb acknowledges this crowd is a bloodthirsty bunch. Well, yeah! It stands to reason a conference of Sherlockians/mystery buffs would LOVE to solve a real life murder! I expected them all to get nosy and start looking for clues and trying to figure it out. I don't want Deb to be the murderer because she has a sweet Irish Wolfhound.
Franklin Woodbury is the local antiquarian book dealer. He does appraisals but he isn't much help when Faith presents her problem. She's somewhat suspicious of him. He sounds like a phony to me. An antiquarian book dealer in a town that will be inundated with people obsessed with ONE particular writer SHOULD know the ins and outs and everything of the first editions and where and how to find them. He SHOULD know what a first edition Sherlock Holmes book looks like, feels like and all the little details. FAITH knows it's a fake, I would know too for the same reasons and because I learn a lot from Gemma Doyle (Elementary, She Read). Maybe he's innocent and I'm reading too much into his incompetence and like Faith, I should trust that because he deals with lots of book, he isn't an expert on any one author. (Then you go find Gemma ;-) )
Watson is a highly intelligent cat. He loves his human and does his best to keep her safe. His new BFF is an adorable little miniature Dachshund, Molly, who belongs to one of the Sherlockians. Molly seems to be drawn to Faith's cottage for some reason other than wanting to see Watson but she's not as much of an important character as I had hoped.
Brooke Miller, sous chef, makes amazing food and she's an avid reader too. She will soon be Faith's best friend, I think. Brooke has a bubbly, open personality. Faith's Aunt Eileen is a librarian too and she's curious about Faith's problem but allows Faith to handle it her way. Aunt Eileen is a fun librarian who enjoys solving mysteries from the comfort of her chair. She and her friends have a book club at the library and invite Faith to join. Brooke is also a member of the book club. Midge Foster, the concierge vet for the Manor is also newish in town and very friendly. Midge is a super animal lover, she even owns a pet bakery! She has a very cute little Chihuahua, Atticus. Another member, Jane McGee, is the best baker on Cape Cod. Even reading about her treats makes me gain weight! She doesn't seem as friendly as the others but puts her love into her baked goods. It's her passion. Another new friend is Laura, the Castleton cleaner. She's klutzy but earnest. She loves books and reading as much as Faith does and knows the library collection well.
Police officer Bryan Laddy is by-the-book and very suspicious of Faith. Why would she kill Doris, a woman she didn't even know, for the job she didn't get the first time? Faith is a librarian! Why would Faith bring attention to the buried purse if she was the killer? The chief, Andy Garis, seems to set the tone and everyone else follows his lead. Officer Rooney, a woman Faith thinks she could be friends with in a different situation, is aloof. She's tough, intelligent and not cutting Faith any slack. Young Officer Tobin is friendly and tries to help Faith in any way he can without getting into trouble.
I prefer the Gemma Doyle series with a Sherlock Holmes theme set on Cape Cod. This one was too short to make the characters and setting well developed and the details about the books were thin.
This story was just Ok for me. It was a little too "twee." As much as I adore when pets uncover clues and find dead bodies, this one was a cat with some kind of uncanny ability to know where to look to help his human. Some scenes are from Watson's point-of-view. The mystery portion was decent. I didn't guess whodunit at all. I liked the books but just because a book is OLD doesn't make it VALUABLE. If a book is RARE and in excellent condition, THEN it's valuable. Doesn't matter if it's antique or just old. In this case, a first edition of Sherlock Holmes stories seems to be rare and valuable. The Cape Cod setting didn't sound like the Cape Cod I know. Has this author actually ever been there? Provincetown is a town at the tip of the Cape and Providence is a city in Rhode Island. Where does Eileen's family live? I've seen plenty of weathered shingle houses on Cape Cod but no mansions. I was about to question the accuracy of a wealthy 19th-century shipping magnate building a summer "cottage" on the Cape when I turned to my friend Google and lo and behold! https://highfieldhallandgardens.org/
(Different part of the Cape from where I grew up.)
I didn't quite click with Faith or any of the characters. There's not a lot of character development. Faith seems like a nice person - at least until the end when I was blindsided with an invitation to church and the Grace of God. That was random and unnecessary. I can't forgive Faith for forgiving a liar, an accessory to crimes and accessory to murder. No. Sorry even if that person is repentant they still lied a LOT. Faith is just too NICE. She seems to have a good relationship with her aunt
Doris Lincoln, the previous librarian, seemed to be good at her job. She was a dedicated library employee and champion. She worked hard to get money funneled from the main public library to the branches to balance the budget, she probably noticed the first edition forgery and it possibly got her killed. Or she was just too tough and unyielding and locked horns with Marlene. She didn't deserve to die but hey Faith has her dream job now, right? Weird. No one questioned Doris suddenly quitting her new job and taking off? No one saw her leave or knew where she was going? No one is trustworthy. They're all lying. They HAVE to be. There's no way ... The IRS would want to know where she was eventually!
Faith's boss, Marlene Russell, is the retreat assistant manager. She is HIGHLY unlikable. A type A, citified, *itch, Marlene judges Faith unfavorably, makes way too many demands on a brand new employee who doesn't even know the collections or the retreat center yet and hates animals! Watson doesn't like her very much, understandably so. I hope Marlene is the murderer. She seems like the type who would kill an unsatisfactory employee and also another woman. She's just awful. Wolfe Jaxson, owner and general manager of Castleton Manor, inherited the lot through the generations when Faith's ancestor died?/was killed?/ had financial difficulties and had to sell. Wolfe, unlike Marlene, doesn't act rich. He seems genuinely kind and welcoming to Faith and tries to help her feel more comfortable. But can he be trusted? Who has access to the books? Who else besides Faith would know if a book was the original or not? I would expect Wolfe would know his great-grandfather's collection thanks to his early training under his grandfather. Faith is cautious in dealing with Wolfe. She also seems to be developing romantic feelings for him which would not do AT ALL. He's her boss, for one thing, and she doesn't know if he's trustworthy. She's unsure if he's into her but I think he's just being nice and is a genuinely kind man.
Benedict Sinclaire seems to be the most dedicated of the Sherlockians. He wears the stereotypical cape and deerstalker hat (from the movies) and is the only one who actually asks to see the books up close. He notices a discrepancy in one of the antique books. Why? Did he know in advance and want to draw attention to it or was it a surprise to him too? Benedict does seem to know more than he's telling Faith. He suddenly becomes sick when it's his turn to give a lecture which sounds suspicious to me. His dog was sick before that and I was left wondering if someone was poisoning him and his dog thinking he knew what was going on with whatever it was that got Doris murdered? Benedict is a conference leader, along with Deb Cabot and Sandra Baker. Deb is into cosplay like Benedict. She's independently wealthy and is known as a philanthropist but doesn't have an actual job. Sandra is a library director at the public library. Or rather she was until Doris got her fired for mismanagement. Neither of them are super likeable but they're friendly enough with Faith and not UNlikable either. Sandra is more tough than Deb. She threatens to move the conference back to Boston over the scandal with Doris's body but Deb acknowledges this crowd is a bloodthirsty bunch. Well, yeah! It stands to reason a conference of Sherlockians/mystery buffs would LOVE to solve a real life murder! I expected them all to get nosy and start looking for clues and trying to figure it out. I don't want Deb to be the murderer because she has a sweet Irish Wolfhound.
Franklin Woodbury is the local antiquarian book dealer. He does appraisals but he isn't much help when Faith presents her problem. She's somewhat suspicious of him. He sounds like a phony to me. An antiquarian book dealer in a town that will be inundated with people obsessed with ONE particular writer SHOULD know the ins and outs and everything of the first editions and where and how to find them. He SHOULD know what a first edition Sherlock Holmes book looks like, feels like and all the little details. FAITH knows it's a fake, I would know too for the same reasons and because I learn a lot from Gemma Doyle (Elementary, She Read). Maybe he's innocent and I'm reading too much into his incompetence and like Faith, I should trust that because he deals with lots of book, he isn't an expert on any one author. (Then you go find Gemma ;-) )
Watson is a highly intelligent cat. He loves his human and does his best to keep her safe. His new BFF is an adorable little miniature Dachshund, Molly, who belongs to one of the Sherlockians. Molly seems to be drawn to Faith's cottage for some reason other than wanting to see Watson but she's not as much of an important character as I had hoped.
Brooke Miller, sous chef, makes amazing food and she's an avid reader too. She will soon be Faith's best friend, I think. Brooke has a bubbly, open personality. Faith's Aunt Eileen is a librarian too and she's curious about Faith's problem but allows Faith to handle it her way. Aunt Eileen is a fun librarian who enjoys solving mysteries from the comfort of her chair. She and her friends have a book club at the library and invite Faith to join. Brooke is also a member of the book club. Midge Foster, the concierge vet for the Manor is also newish in town and very friendly. Midge is a super animal lover, she even owns a pet bakery! She has a very cute little Chihuahua, Atticus. Another member, Jane McGee, is the best baker on Cape Cod. Even reading about her treats makes me gain weight! She doesn't seem as friendly as the others but puts her love into her baked goods. It's her passion. Another new friend is Laura, the Castleton cleaner. She's klutzy but earnest. She loves books and reading as much as Faith does and knows the library collection well.
Police officer Bryan Laddy is by-the-book and very suspicious of Faith. Why would she kill Doris, a woman she didn't even know, for the job she didn't get the first time? Faith is a librarian! Why would Faith bring attention to the buried purse if she was the killer? The chief, Andy Garis, seems to set the tone and everyone else follows his lead. Officer Rooney, a woman Faith thinks she could be friends with in a different situation, is aloof. She's tough, intelligent and not cutting Faith any slack. Young Officer Tobin is friendly and tries to help Faith in any way he can without getting into trouble.
I prefer the Gemma Doyle series with a Sherlock Holmes theme set on Cape Cod. This one was too short to make the characters and setting well developed and the details about the books were thin.
November 14, 2021
I thought this was a fun mystery though the cats perspective threw me off a bit at first but once I got use to it it was fine.
February 13, 2020
This was a light cozy mystery that introduces this series by Ms. Penney. Faith is a likable protagonist and her cat, Watson, is a perfect sidekick. The narrator did a credible job of individualizing each character throughout the story.
September 26, 2022
Faith is the head librarian in the library when a rare book disappears. A group of friends in the Candle House Book Club and her cat, Watson, help solve the mystery of what happened!
A fun and popular series that many of our patrons enjoy. We have 24 in the series.
~Judy
A fun and popular series that many of our patrons enjoy. We have 24 in the series.
~Judy
March 28, 2021
Faith gets a new job as a librarian at a resort, only to discover that several of the first editions appear to be fakes. Is that why the old librarian suddenly disappeared? Had she discovered the same thing, planned to tell someone and then had something happen to her? As Faith investigates, it is apparent that someone is trying to stop her. Luckily she at least has her cat Watson, and he helps ferret out some clues.
October 13, 2024
Oh I'm sad to say this wasn't a successful read for me!!! :( I was SO excited to read a cozy mystery and get into the autumnal spirit!!! This book was full of promise with a great start! But after about 100 pages of being bored in the middle, and a rushed ending with a bad guy that we barely even knew, I was quite disappointed.
April 2, 2025
3 stars (Audible). Entertaining cozy mystery.
January 20, 2020
A Novel Murder" by Elizabeth Penney is an awesome murder mystery and the 1st book in the Secrets of Castleton Manor Library series.
The manor is located in the fictional town of Lighthouse Bay on Cape Cod. The manor holds literary retreats and the theme for this retreat is Sherlock Holmes. Some of the enthusiastic attendees even dress up like Mr. Holmes.
The new librarian, Faith, and her tuxedo cat, Watson, are fun characters for this clever and nifty mystery (That is Watson on the cover.). Can you imagine living in a home that has enough books to have a need for a librarian? They even have rare first edition books that are so valuable that you need to wear white gloves when handling them.
I best get busy!
A friend recommended this series to me and there are 24 books already for this series. This series has different authors, so we will see how that quirky uniqueness goes.
If you are like me, you have to read them in order, so here they are in order for you:
SECRETS OF THE CASTLETON MANOR LIBRARY
1) A Novel Murder #1 (Jan 1, 2017) by Elizabeth Penney
2) Bitter Words #2 (Jan 1, 2017) by Jan Fields
3) The Grim Reaper (Jan 1, 2017) by Margaret Welch
4) A Deadly Chapter #4 (Jan 1, 2017) by Jan Fields
5) An Autograph Mystery #5 (Jan 1, 2017) by DeAnna Julie Dodson
6) Second Edition Murder #6 (Jan 1, 2017) by Elizabeth Penney
7) A Crime Well Versed #7 (Jan1, 2017) by Marlene Chase
8) A Murder Unscripted #8 by Elizabeth Penney
9) Pride and Publishing #9 (Jan 1, 2018) by DeAnna Julie Dodson
10) A Literary Offense (Jan 1, 2018) by Elizabeth Penney
11) Up to Noir Good #11 (Jan 1, 2018) by Jan Fields
12) For Letter of Worse #12 (Jan 1, 2018) by Margaret Welch
13) On Pens and Needles (Jan 1, 2018) by Sandra Orchard
14) Ink or Swim #14 (Jan 1, 2018) by Catherine Dilts
15) Tell No Tales #15 (Jan 1, 2018) by Marlene Chase
16) Page Fright #16 (Jan 1, 2018) by Elizabeth Penney
17) A Fatal Yarn #17 (Jan 1, 2018) by Allie Pleiter
18) Read Between the Crimes #18 (Jan 1, 2018) by Lucy Averill
19) From Fable to Grave (Jan 1, 2019) by Marlene Chase
20) A Fateful Sentence #20 (Jan 1, 2019) by Lucy Averill
21) Cloak and Grammar #21 (Jan 1, 2019) by Allie Pleiter
22) A Lost Clause #22 (Jan 1, 2019) by K.D. McCrite
23) A Thorny Plot (Jan 1, 2019) by Catherine Dilts
24) A Scary Tale Wedding (Jan 1, 2019) by K.D. McCrite
The manor is located in the fictional town of Lighthouse Bay on Cape Cod. The manor holds literary retreats and the theme for this retreat is Sherlock Holmes. Some of the enthusiastic attendees even dress up like Mr. Holmes.
The new librarian, Faith, and her tuxedo cat, Watson, are fun characters for this clever and nifty mystery (That is Watson on the cover.). Can you imagine living in a home that has enough books to have a need for a librarian? They even have rare first edition books that are so valuable that you need to wear white gloves when handling them.
I best get busy!
A friend recommended this series to me and there are 24 books already for this series. This series has different authors, so we will see how that quirky uniqueness goes.
If you are like me, you have to read them in order, so here they are in order for you:
SECRETS OF THE CASTLETON MANOR LIBRARY
1) A Novel Murder #1 (Jan 1, 2017) by Elizabeth Penney
2) Bitter Words #2 (Jan 1, 2017) by Jan Fields
3) The Grim Reaper (Jan 1, 2017) by Margaret Welch
4) A Deadly Chapter #4 (Jan 1, 2017) by Jan Fields
5) An Autograph Mystery #5 (Jan 1, 2017) by DeAnna Julie Dodson
6) Second Edition Murder #6 (Jan 1, 2017) by Elizabeth Penney
7) A Crime Well Versed #7 (Jan1, 2017) by Marlene Chase
8) A Murder Unscripted #8 by Elizabeth Penney
9) Pride and Publishing #9 (Jan 1, 2018) by DeAnna Julie Dodson
10) A Literary Offense (Jan 1, 2018) by Elizabeth Penney
11) Up to Noir Good #11 (Jan 1, 2018) by Jan Fields
12) For Letter of Worse #12 (Jan 1, 2018) by Margaret Welch
13) On Pens and Needles (Jan 1, 2018) by Sandra Orchard
14) Ink or Swim #14 (Jan 1, 2018) by Catherine Dilts
15) Tell No Tales #15 (Jan 1, 2018) by Marlene Chase
16) Page Fright #16 (Jan 1, 2018) by Elizabeth Penney
17) A Fatal Yarn #17 (Jan 1, 2018) by Allie Pleiter
18) Read Between the Crimes #18 (Jan 1, 2018) by Lucy Averill
19) From Fable to Grave (Jan 1, 2019) by Marlene Chase
20) A Fateful Sentence #20 (Jan 1, 2019) by Lucy Averill
21) Cloak and Grammar #21 (Jan 1, 2019) by Allie Pleiter
22) A Lost Clause #22 (Jan 1, 2019) by K.D. McCrite
23) A Thorny Plot (Jan 1, 2019) by Catherine Dilts
24) A Scary Tale Wedding (Jan 1, 2019) by K.D. McCrite
July 30, 2017
This is the first in a series from a book club. It is a light cozy mystery. Faith Newberry is in her late 30's, gets a job as librarian and archivist at Castleton Manor. Faith has a cat, Watson, that plays an important part in these mysteries. His thoughts are included in the story at important points, which I found interesting and amusing. The characters are likable. There are times when the main character in cozies irritates me with their behaviour. Mostly Faith is a pleasure to be with. Of course, she keeps insisting she and her handsome boss are just friends which I do find irritating and they are going so slowly in the relationship that anyone who cares about the relationship will find this series disappointing I think. The series does a good job in providing a reason why Faith would be involved in solving these mysteries. Castleton Manor is a resort for literary events. There is charm in these literary events and the discussion of the authors and related book topics which I love. I think those who like light cozy mysteries will enjoy this book and the series. This is the first book in the series and introduces us to Faith, the people she works for and with, and gives us some background on Faith's reasons for moving to Lighthouse Bay.
October 18, 2020
3.5–Faith Newberry is excited to begin her dream job as librarian at historic Castleton Manor but discovers someone had killed her predecessor. When she is suspected of the crime, Faith decides to do a little sleuthing with the help of her cat, Watson. I enjoyed this cozy mystery as an audiobook.
April 15, 2020
Fun romp of a mystery set in a bibliophile's paradise. Filled with lots of nerd-winks to book lovers (though a few too many side-smiles at cat lovers). I was pleasantly surprised by A Novel Murder. Looking forward to venturing back into Castleton Manor Library for book 2!
**BONUS for Hoopla users: This book will not count against your 10 books if checked out during the COVID Pandemic. Can't beat a free trial!
**BONUS for Hoopla users: This book will not count against your 10 books if checked out during the COVID Pandemic. Can't beat a free trial!
April 14, 2017
I enjoyed reading this light cozy mystery. The characters are charming, and the setting is the kind of place you wish was real, so you could book a stay at one of their literary retreats. Watson the cat helps his owner Faith Newberry solve a mystery at the plush Castleton Manor, a Cape Cod mansion.
February 17, 2018
A very nice cozy read. The story has the cat involved in it and you see his point of view, not much but I wonder if there are more chances for this cat to be heard. I picked this copy from the little book loan case at my local coffee shop and I'm going to bring it back there. Nice story, so I hope someone else will pick it up.
August 21, 2017
This was cute. I am looking forward to reading more from Faith and her faithful kitty companion Hamlet.
August 30, 2019
Such a cute, quick read. Who doesn't love a cozy mystery with a cat named Watson. Plus it's a librarian snooping around trying to solve a mystery in an old school Manor. 💙💙💙💙
January 28, 2021
A fun little mystery.
June 15, 2025
It's rare that I enjoy the first book in a cozy mystery series but this was a fun read. I really liked the characters and the town it is set it. I look forward to reading more in this series.
October 14, 2025
This charming cozy mystery captured me from the get-go! A smart, determined sleuth, a cat named Watson, and a castle library harboring hidden rooms and deadly secrets made this an intriguing and satisfying read. Highly recommended!
March 8, 2026
An entertaining read but it makes me cringe when the character is a librarian yet referred to an Edgar ALLEN Poe event. Auuugghhh! Come on
June 10, 2022
Easy read, but it was way too fluffy and quirky for me. Its like one of those movies you put on for some background noise.
First of all, I never knew there could be so many librarians in one little town.
Second, I feel like this ending made me want to deduct a star. It's sad to say that the ending was too cliché and randomly predictable that it wasn't even good.
First of all, I never knew there could be so many librarians in one little town.
Second, I feel like this ending made me want to deduct a star. It's sad to say that the ending was too cliché and randomly predictable that it wasn't even good.
October 11, 2024
This was such a cute cozy mystery. The characters were likable, I can see a romance brewing. I love the coastal town setting and the big castle manor used for book retreats! And there’s a little side kick cat named Watson - staaaahhpp it.
April 4, 2020
This could not have been more cliched and predictable if you had cut and pasted snippets from other cozy mysteries however that's not as harsh a criticism as it seems. After all, I don't generally read cozy mysteries for their originality but more for their charm. This one had a nice setting and set up and mystery was okay. The element that truly knocked it down to two stars was that the characters were cardboard without a spark of life - even the narrator/protagonist. I'm not sure I'll pick up another in this series but I might because I think it has potential that just wasn't realized in this first book.
ETA - I've just looked at the series list of books and was surprised to see that the books are written by a number of different authors! And that there are 24 books in the series (*gulp*). I'm curious now about what the deal is and probably will read book 2 just to see if what a different author does with the setting and characters.
ETA - I've just looked at the series list of books and was surprised to see that the books are written by a number of different authors! And that there are 24 books in the series (*gulp*). I'm curious now about what the deal is and probably will read book 2 just to see if what a different author does with the setting and characters.
May 31, 2018
A fun cozy mystery with all the right touches!
Faith finds the perfect job when she gets hired as the librarian at Castleton Manor, an exquisite estate and library that holds tons of retreats. Oh, and let's not forget the best part, her job allows pets...in fact, all the guests are allowed to bring their furry friends. Of course, the job comes with a dashing owner, Mr. Wolfe...and a not so dashing boss, Marlene.
Faith gets herself into a bit of trouble when she has to decide how to report a fake in the library's lovely book collection. Ignored by her boss, who seems to hate her more by the minute...Faith finds she is getting trapped in the middle of a mystery that only keeps getting deeper.
For me, this book kept me guessing until the end and was filled with charm. I fell in love with the characters and will certainly be reading the entire series...they've made me a lifelong fan on this one.
Faith finds the perfect job when she gets hired as the librarian at Castleton Manor, an exquisite estate and library that holds tons of retreats. Oh, and let's not forget the best part, her job allows pets...in fact, all the guests are allowed to bring their furry friends. Of course, the job comes with a dashing owner, Mr. Wolfe...and a not so dashing boss, Marlene.
Faith gets herself into a bit of trouble when she has to decide how to report a fake in the library's lovely book collection. Ignored by her boss, who seems to hate her more by the minute...Faith finds she is getting trapped in the middle of a mystery that only keeps getting deeper.
For me, this book kept me guessing until the end and was filled with charm. I fell in love with the characters and will certainly be reading the entire series...they've made me a lifelong fan on this one.
February 2, 2025
"A Novel Murder (Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library #1)" by Elizabeth Penney has Faith Newberry starting a new job at a semi-private library in the Castleton Manor after the last librarian suddenly went on a indefinite leave to travel the world. Faith has a cat named Mr. Watson aka Rumpy for his lack of a tail. There is the occasional parts of the book from his point of view, but not in a paranormal kind of way.
Things get a little odd when Mr. Watson accidentally discovers a dead person at the manor. Faith starts digging to what happened to the person and to some very valuable books. She doesn't want to get the blame put on her since she really likes her new job and she didn't do either crime.
Things get a little odd when Mr. Watson accidentally discovers a dead person at the manor. Faith starts digging to what happened to the person and to some very valuable books. She doesn't want to get the blame put on her since she really likes her new job and she didn't do either crime.
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