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The Ghostwriter's Study: a private investigator goes undercover
Private investigator Edie Fox gets a very novel assignment…Concerned that the live-in carers are stealing from his eccentric older sister, Dylan McCrimmon asks Edie Fox to keep an eye on her affairs.
Given that Suzie led a colourful and eventful life, the plan is for Edie to masquerade as a ghostwriter helping to write her memoirs.
Edie enters the bohemian Oxford household, wins Suzie’s confidence, and soon warms to her study.
But calamity strikes when, during a garden party, one of the carers falls from a balcony to their death.
Could they have been murdered? If so, given the layout of the house, only a few of the attendees could be responsible.
Edie will have to really get into the role and establish the full truth of Suzie’s past for the case to be wrapped up.
THE GHOSTWRITER’S STUDY is the third book in a series of hilarious standalone cozy mysteries by bestselling author Julie Highmore. The full list of books is as
1. THE MISSING AMERICAN
2. THE RUNAWAY HUSBAND
3. THE GHOSTWRITER’S STUDY
If you enjoy fiction by Richard Osman, Jesse Sutanto, Rachel Ward, and T E Kinsey, you’ll adore these books!
All books published by THE BOOK FOLKS are FREE with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback.
Given that Suzie led a colourful and eventful life, the plan is for Edie to masquerade as a ghostwriter helping to write her memoirs.
Edie enters the bohemian Oxford household, wins Suzie’s confidence, and soon warms to her study.
But calamity strikes when, during a garden party, one of the carers falls from a balcony to their death.
Could they have been murdered? If so, given the layout of the house, only a few of the attendees could be responsible.
Edie will have to really get into the role and establish the full truth of Suzie’s past for the case to be wrapped up.
THE GHOSTWRITER’S STUDY is the third book in a series of hilarious standalone cozy mysteries by bestselling author Julie Highmore. The full list of books is as
1. THE MISSING AMERICAN
2. THE RUNAWAY HUSBAND
3. THE GHOSTWRITER’S STUDY
If you enjoy fiction by Richard Osman, Jesse Sutanto, Rachel Ward, and T E Kinsey, you’ll adore these books!
All books published by THE BOOK FOLKS are FREE with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2024
18 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Julie Highmore
20 books65 followersAfter having her three children, Julie became a mature student at first Westminster College, then Oxford Brookes University, where she gained a degree in English. As part of the course, she studied creative writing with Philip Pullman, who encouraged her to continue with her writing after graduation. This she did, and her published work includes nine rom-com novels, and more recently, a crime fiction series for The Book Folks. The Missing American - the first in the series - features the somewhat flawed, Oxford-based private investigator, Edie Fox; a single mother and very young grandmother who inadvertently gets her precious family caught up in her first big case. Although her recent novels have ventured into some dark places, Julie manages to inject humour into the stories without diminishing the danger of situations Edie finds herself in.
Between graduating and becoming a published author, Julie taught English as a foreign language, and for several years was a reader for Oxford University Press’s Children’s Books.
She enjoys music, binge-watching a good TV series, country strolls, doing the New York Times crossword, and hanging out with her husband and ever-expanding family. With two Edie books now in production and a third following in Spring 2023, Julie is hoping to continue with the series while also exploring other crime-fiction paths.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 7, 2024
I cannot help but use the term adorable and relatable for Edie Fox, even though she is a sleuth that would give Angela Lansbury a run for her money (Seriously, no comparison. I could not abide watching Murder She Wrote, but love reading all types of Cozy Mysteries)
I digress. Edie Fox is asked by her friend, Dylan McCrimmon, to watch over his sister Suzie because he thinks the live-in carers are pulling a fast one. They devise a plan for Edie to come in as a ghost writer for Suzie, so as not to arouse suspicion
However, one of the carers meets an untimely end in a very public fashion, so who is pilfering Suzies cash?? Things are not as simple as they seem and Edie, along with her litany of wonderful side characters is on hand to solve the mystery (Maeve is a doll, Jesus, not so much, but loved Greg and Lily)
The writing style is not my usual pace, but that is a personal preference, and no shade at all to the author. The character developent and weaving of storylines is ecellent and certainly kept me guessing!
Thank you very much to Netgalley and the Book Folks for this lovely Cozy ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
I digress. Edie Fox is asked by her friend, Dylan McCrimmon, to watch over his sister Suzie because he thinks the live-in carers are pulling a fast one. They devise a plan for Edie to come in as a ghost writer for Suzie, so as not to arouse suspicion
However, one of the carers meets an untimely end in a very public fashion, so who is pilfering Suzies cash?? Things are not as simple as they seem and Edie, along with her litany of wonderful side characters is on hand to solve the mystery (Maeve is a doll, Jesus, not so much, but loved Greg and Lily)
The writing style is not my usual pace, but that is a personal preference, and no shade at all to the author. The character developent and weaving of storylines is ecellent and certainly kept me guessing!
Thank you very much to Netgalley and the Book Folks for this lovely Cozy ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
February 9, 2024
ARC for review. Published January 29, 2024.
Book 3 in the Edie Fox series. Reads fine as a standalone.
Dylan McCrimmon is afraid that live-in caregivers Joey and Delores are stealing from his older sister Suzie DuBarry who lives in Oxford. He hires Edie to pretend to be her ghostwriter while she investigates. Then, during a party, one of the carers falls from a balcony and dies. Accident or murder?
This was a fairly straightforward murder mystery, not a lot of bells and whistles here. It was fine.
Book 3 in the Edie Fox series. Reads fine as a standalone.
Dylan McCrimmon is afraid that live-in caregivers Joey and Delores are stealing from his older sister Suzie DuBarry who lives in Oxford. He hires Edie to pretend to be her ghostwriter while she investigates. Then, during a party, one of the carers falls from a balcony and dies. Accident or murder?
This was a fairly straightforward murder mystery, not a lot of bells and whistles here. It was fine.
February 8, 2024
A great third outing
Revisiting characters like Edie and her team feels like catching up with old friends. The mixture of humour, suspense and heartfelt moments kept me turning the pages. A series that keeps getting better
Revisiting characters like Edie and her team feels like catching up with old friends. The mixture of humour, suspense and heartfelt moments kept me turning the pages. A series that keeps getting better
March 10, 2024
I just loved the first of Julie Highmore’s Edie Fox mysteries, The Missing American. Edie was a fun Kinsey Millhone-type private detective, if Kinsey had been a rookie, a mother and grandmother, and a British former school teacher. The Missing American was a nice, twisty read with many quirky, loveable characters and a satisfying solution.
This is the third mystery in the series. Edie goes undercover as a ghost writer to a glamorous elderly woman with failing memory, Suzie, who wants to write a memoir of her life in the music industry. Edie’s real client is Suzie’s younger brother Dylan, and her assignment is actually to suss out whether Suzie’s live-in carers are stealing from her and to make sure that no salacious, scandalous facts about her life is ever published. From this set-up, we’re treated to many drinks, a glamorous party, some very old secrets being uncovered, and of course an inexplicable murder.
Despite loving the characters and Highmore’s world even more as it grows, I did have some reservations.
This is a continuing series that introduces new characters and builds on the earlier books, and since I missed no 2. in the series, The Runaway Husband, I was somewhat at sea when characters from that book popped up with no explanations and new relationships were alluded to.
I also got impatient with Edie, who was less than professional and often down-right stupid. When you’re undercover, you don’t drag your whole extended family plus some chance acquaintances that you know will blow your cover, to a party in the target’s house. When you’re a private detective, you also at least google the guy who has hired you and insisted on providing you with a fake ID. This time around it was less Kinsey and more of a slapstick cozy mystery with a ditzy heroine. However, I still very much loved Edie’s world, I had a fun read and the solution to the mysteries (yes, there is more than one) was surprising, so that is all good.
In disclosure, I received this as an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third mystery in the series. Edie goes undercover as a ghost writer to a glamorous elderly woman with failing memory, Suzie, who wants to write a memoir of her life in the music industry. Edie’s real client is Suzie’s younger brother Dylan, and her assignment is actually to suss out whether Suzie’s live-in carers are stealing from her and to make sure that no salacious, scandalous facts about her life is ever published. From this set-up, we’re treated to many drinks, a glamorous party, some very old secrets being uncovered, and of course an inexplicable murder.
Despite loving the characters and Highmore’s world even more as it grows, I did have some reservations.
This is a continuing series that introduces new characters and builds on the earlier books, and since I missed no 2. in the series, The Runaway Husband, I was somewhat at sea when characters from that book popped up with no explanations and new relationships were alluded to.
I also got impatient with Edie, who was less than professional and often down-right stupid. When you’re undercover, you don’t drag your whole extended family plus some chance acquaintances that you know will blow your cover, to a party in the target’s house. When you’re a private detective, you also at least google the guy who has hired you and insisted on providing you with a fake ID. This time around it was less Kinsey and more of a slapstick cozy mystery with a ditzy heroine. However, I still very much loved Edie’s world, I had a fun read and the solution to the mysteries (yes, there is more than one) was surprising, so that is all good.
In disclosure, I received this as an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2024
The Ghostwriter’s Study by Julie Highmore is a delightful foray into the world of cozy mysteries, where intrigue and humor intertwine to create a compelling narrative. Highmore’s protagonist, Edie Fox, is a private investigator with a knack for blending into her surroundings, which she does with aplomb in her latest assignment.
In this third installment of the series, Edie goes undercover as a ghostwriter to keep an eye on the affairs of Suzie DuBarry, an eccentric older woman with a colorful past. The assignment takes a dark turn when a garden party ends in tragedy, and Edie must unravel the truth behind the incident.
Highmore’s writing is sharp and witty, with a narrative that is both engaging and easy to follow. The Oxford setting comes alive under her pen, with its bohemian vibe and quirky characters that are both endearing and suspicious in equal measure. The plot is well-crafted, with enough twists to keep readers guessing until the very end.
What sets The Ghostwriter’s Study apart is its blend of humor and suspense. Highmore has a gift for balancing the darker elements of the mystery with light-hearted moments, ensuring that the story never feels too heavy or grim. Edie Fox is a relatable and likable heroine, whose personal life and challenges add depth to her character and the story.
Overall, The Ghostwriter’s Study is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries. It’s a book that offers escapism, entertainment, and the pleasure of a mystery well solved. Whether you’re new to the Edie Fox series or a returning reader, this book is a charming addition to your bookshelf.
In this third installment of the series, Edie goes undercover as a ghostwriter to keep an eye on the affairs of Suzie DuBarry, an eccentric older woman with a colorful past. The assignment takes a dark turn when a garden party ends in tragedy, and Edie must unravel the truth behind the incident.
Highmore’s writing is sharp and witty, with a narrative that is both engaging and easy to follow. The Oxford setting comes alive under her pen, with its bohemian vibe and quirky characters that are both endearing and suspicious in equal measure. The plot is well-crafted, with enough twists to keep readers guessing until the very end.
What sets The Ghostwriter’s Study apart is its blend of humor and suspense. Highmore has a gift for balancing the darker elements of the mystery with light-hearted moments, ensuring that the story never feels too heavy or grim. Edie Fox is a relatable and likable heroine, whose personal life and challenges add depth to her character and the story.
Overall, The Ghostwriter’s Study is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries. It’s a book that offers escapism, entertainment, and the pleasure of a mystery well solved. Whether you’re new to the Edie Fox series or a returning reader, this book is a charming addition to your bookshelf.
July 30, 2024
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Ghostwriter's Study is the third cozy mystery featuring Edie Fox written by Julie Highmore. Released 28th Jan 2024, it's 202 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU.
This is a wryly humorous cozy mystery with an appealing and relatable protagonist, a private investigator. She's hired to investigate if the elderly sister of her client is being robbed by caregivers in her home. The case is complicated by the sudden very unexpected death of one of the carers in question.
This is a very well written series, and the author is wonderfully adept at clever plotting and comedic timing. It works well enough as a standalone, but as the third book in a continuing series, some spoilers should be expected for earlier books if read out of order.
Four stars. It's would be a good choice for public library acquisition, or a binge/buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
The Ghostwriter's Study is the third cozy mystery featuring Edie Fox written by Julie Highmore. Released 28th Jan 2024, it's 202 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU.
This is a wryly humorous cozy mystery with an appealing and relatable protagonist, a private investigator. She's hired to investigate if the elderly sister of her client is being robbed by caregivers in her home. The case is complicated by the sudden very unexpected death of one of the carers in question.
This is a very well written series, and the author is wonderfully adept at clever plotting and comedic timing. It works well enough as a standalone, but as the third book in a continuing series, some spoilers should be expected for earlier books if read out of order.
Four stars. It's would be a good choice for public library acquisition, or a binge/buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
April 11, 2024
3 stars - An enjoyable, but forgettable mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC
I genuinely wish I liked this more than I did. It might be that I have not read the books prior to this one, but I felt like I never learnt enough the cast to care about anything beyond the mystery itself.
To Ms. Highmore's credit, she writes extremely well. She balances dialogue to descriptions of the surrounding very well. I also saw the Richard Osman inspiration in the humor sprinkled through the book. It takes a skilled hand to weave comedy into something often as bleak as murder mystery; Highmore shines in this.
Unfortunately, I felt the book was paced very well until the final 1/5th. Highmore seems to have became lost in her own world a little, and the beauty of her writing dulls. If the final lap was a little better, I could have be convinced to take this to 4 stars.
I might not have learnt much about the cast, but I definitely know Highmore is someone I will read again when the mood strikes me. Keep writing Highmore, you have a talent.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC
I genuinely wish I liked this more than I did. It might be that I have not read the books prior to this one, but I felt like I never learnt enough the cast to care about anything beyond the mystery itself.
To Ms. Highmore's credit, she writes extremely well. She balances dialogue to descriptions of the surrounding very well. I also saw the Richard Osman inspiration in the humor sprinkled through the book. It takes a skilled hand to weave comedy into something often as bleak as murder mystery; Highmore shines in this.
Unfortunately, I felt the book was paced very well until the final 1/5th. Highmore seems to have became lost in her own world a little, and the beauty of her writing dulls. If the final lap was a little better, I could have be convinced to take this to 4 stars.
I might not have learnt much about the cast, but I definitely know Highmore is someone I will read again when the mood strikes me. Keep writing Highmore, you have a talent.
February 8, 2024
Edie has a busy home life, with her daughter and grandchildren living with her. Then there’s her relationship with Greg and her work as a private investigator. Her life is full of quirky friends and family.
Edie is approached to pretend to be a ghostwriter for the elderly mother (Suzie) of the client, Dylan. It’s all to be very secretive. Dylan says Suzie has dementia and she currently has a cook and a carer to watch over her. It all seems ‘off’, but things come to a head when a death occurs and the carer immediately takes off. Was it murder, suicide, or an accident?
The story is entertaining, though I was a little disappointed by the way the solution to the death is handled by the characters. All in all, this is a fun cozy mystery with interesting characters.
Thanks to The Book Folks and NetGalley for the ARC.
Edie is approached to pretend to be a ghostwriter for the elderly mother (Suzie) of the client, Dylan. It’s all to be very secretive. Dylan says Suzie has dementia and she currently has a cook and a carer to watch over her. It all seems ‘off’, but things come to a head when a death occurs and the carer immediately takes off. Was it murder, suicide, or an accident?
The story is entertaining, though I was a little disappointed by the way the solution to the death is handled by the characters. All in all, this is a fun cozy mystery with interesting characters.
Thanks to The Book Folks and NetGalley for the ARC.
March 1, 2025
So much fun. I love Edie! I wound up buying the second one in the series and read it before I started on this one as I wanted the continuity. The characters in this series are so well done, and in the time gaps between them, they have relationships, they lose relationships, they rekindle relationships, they move house, etc.
In this one, Edie is working undercover as a ghostwriter for Suzie, a woman with a story she's determined to tell. Whilst there, Suzie's carer Joey has a birthday party, during which the cook, Dolores, dies from a fall from a second floor balcony. Was it an accident or murder?
It's so much fun trying to figure out the puzzles along with Edie, Mike and Emily. They are so much fun and the dialogue really pulls you along.
I hope there are more of these to come, and I'm very much looking forward to the next!
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley to read and review. All opinions are my own.
In this one, Edie is working undercover as a ghostwriter for Suzie, a woman with a story she's determined to tell. Whilst there, Suzie's carer Joey has a birthday party, during which the cook, Dolores, dies from a fall from a second floor balcony. Was it an accident or murder?
It's so much fun trying to figure out the puzzles along with Edie, Mike and Emily. They are so much fun and the dialogue really pulls you along.
I hope there are more of these to come, and I'm very much looking forward to the next!
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley to read and review. All opinions are my own.
February 15, 2024
#theghostwritersstudy by Julie Highmore was just an ok read for me. I found it difficult to keep the characters straight. Lots has occurred in the previous books to bring the characters to this point, and I understand how difficult it must be to juggle that successfully in subsequent books. The writing was humorous, but the plot was a tad convoluted. Don't think I'm going to be picking up books 1 or 2.
P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.
P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.
July 27, 2024
This was my first introduction to this author and this series, and I will definitely read more. Edie is a private detective who takes on an assignment to help an older lady whose carers might be taking advantage of her.
The mystery isn't complicated and the characters are charming. I loved how seamlessly Edie's private life flowed with her work, even as she worked undercover with a different name. Friends and family are the most important here.
Thanks to NetGalley fore letting me read this.
The mystery isn't complicated and the characters are charming. I loved how seamlessly Edie's private life flowed with her work, even as she worked undercover with a different name. Friends and family are the most important here.
Thanks to NetGalley fore letting me read this.
February 11, 2024
The third book in a series which i read as a standalone.
A straightforward Murder mystery set in oxford. A simple plot and easy read I felt the characters weren't that well fleshed out. Maybe if I had read the first two books in the series that wouldn't be the case.
A straightforward Murder mystery set in oxford. A simple plot and easy read I felt the characters weren't that well fleshed out. Maybe if I had read the first two books in the series that wouldn't be the case.
March 21, 2024
An entertaining and well plotted story featuring likeable characters. It's a solid mystery. I found the end a bit rushed but the plot kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
February 1, 2024
A great third book in this series. Edie Fox and her ragtaggle crew do more sleuthing in Oxford. A clever and funny mystery.
August 18, 2024
Another fun, lovely, scary, good ending book in the Edie Fox Detective Series by Julie Highmore. Most enjoyable, read it in just a few days. I love the setting of Oxford and surrounding area like the village of Woodstock, Henley...really very nice areas of England. I love how things do not remain from one book to the other...you just never know what's up when you start on the next in this lively, very well done series. I hope the author won't keep us all waiting too long for book #4!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews