What do you think?
Rate this book
Medlar Mystery #5
An Unfinished Murder
Sara Medlar may be retired as a bestselling author, but her career as an amateur detective is facing one final mystery—and it’s a killer.
Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her “honorary grandson” Jack. It’s a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they’ve become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she’s been given the listing for the town’s storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that’s certain to haunt them all.
With little memory of her childhood, Kate doesn’t understand what the fuss is about—until the trio visits the house and makes a grim discovery. Flooded by memories of the past, Kate realizes she spent time there as a child. But stumbling upon a skeleton dressed in a rotting tuxedo—a murder victim with connections to her father—causes Kate to wonder if the childhood she can’t remember might be one she’d rather forget.
As Sara, Kate and Jack delve deeper into the dead man’s history, they learn he was last seen at a party held at Lachlan House in the late nineties—a swanky soiree attended by his many enemies. With more than one motive in play, every partygoer is a suspect, and Sara is determined to find the culprit, even if it means digging up past secrets she’s worked hard to keep buried.
Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her “honorary grandson” Jack. It’s a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they’ve become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she’s been given the listing for the town’s storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that’s certain to haunt them all.
With little memory of her childhood, Kate doesn’t understand what the fuss is about—until the trio visits the house and makes a grim discovery. Flooded by memories of the past, Kate realizes she spent time there as a child. But stumbling upon a skeleton dressed in a rotting tuxedo—a murder victim with connections to her father—causes Kate to wonder if the childhood she can’t remember might be one she’d rather forget.
As Sara, Kate and Jack delve deeper into the dead man’s history, they learn he was last seen at a party held at Lachlan House in the late nineties—a swanky soiree attended by his many enemies. With more than one motive in play, every partygoer is a suspect, and Sara is determined to find the culprit, even if it means digging up past secrets she’s worked hard to keep buried.
330 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2024
353 people are currently reading
4106 people want to read
About the author
Jude Deveraux
199 books7,051 followersJude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
February 19, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
An Unfinished Murder is the 5th-book in the Medlar Mystery series by veteran author, Jude Deveraux.
This is the 2nd-book I've read from this series, the other being A Forgotten Murder, the 3rd-book in the series. I enjoyed it a lot and hope to eventually get to them all.
This series follows Romance novelist, Sara Medlar, who along with her niece, Kate, and their friend, Jack, tend to solve a lot of mysteries.
Like many other amateur sleuths before them, this trio seems to be at the right place, at the right time, when it comes to mysteries, particularly murder mysteries.
At this point, the trio has built up quite a bit of a reputation for themselves due to their superior sleuthing skills. Now known as the Medlar Three, in their small town of Lachlan, Florida, there's no case they're afraid to tackle.
This latest mystery arises after Kate, a real estate agent, is given a listing for the storied Lachlan House, a local property with a dark past. Alarm bells may ring, but it's a substantial listing, one she has no intention of turning down.
Their first time visiting the property, the trio make a stark discovery, an actual skeleton in the closet. This one dressed in a rotting tuxedo. It's this shocking moment that causes Kate to realize, she did spend some time there as a child.
This skeleton seems to have connections to her father, and it makes Kate wonder if the childhood she can't remember may be one she'd rather not anyway.
As Sara, Kate and Jack dive deeper into the skeleton's history, they discover it was a man who was last seen attending a lavish party at the Lachlan House in the 90s. Apparently, he had many enemies and most of them were in attendance that very night.
With multiple motives and a suspect list as long as the party's guest list, the Medlar Three are determined to find the culprit and put an end to this decades long mystery.
I listened to this one on audio recently while embarking on a solo road trip. It was a great way to pass the hours and kept me fully-entertained while tackling Boston traffic.
I found it to be a little convoluted at times, with all the characters involved, some were hard to keep straight, but it could have just been my frazzled vacation brain.
I liked how the Medlar Three were pulled into the mystery at Lachlan House. It made sense to me how urgently they would want to solve it.
I also found their method, sort of recreating that decades ago lavish party, to be such a fun idea. The cast eventually assembled was vast and quite interesting. The culprit really could have been any of them.
Deveraux embraces the classic Cozy Mystery format that I tend to be drawn to and find to be so comforting. This type of book with keep you engaged, and on your toes, without requiring every single brain cell in your head.
This has inspired me to hunt down the rest of these books, because I do love this trio: Sara, Kate and Jack. I need more cases to solve with them.
As with many Adult Cozy Mystery series, these don't necessarily need to be read in publication order. Clearly, I'm not reading them that way and I've never felt lost, or like I wish I had more information.
From the synopsis, this could be the final intended book in this series, which makes me sad, but on the bright side, I still have three more to go, which I'm excited for.
I'd recommend this to any Cozy Mystery fan, particularly if you enjoy friends, or family, solving mysteries together.
Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm stoked to wrap-up the rest of the published books in this series!
An Unfinished Murder is the 5th-book in the Medlar Mystery series by veteran author, Jude Deveraux.
This is the 2nd-book I've read from this series, the other being A Forgotten Murder, the 3rd-book in the series. I enjoyed it a lot and hope to eventually get to them all.
This series follows Romance novelist, Sara Medlar, who along with her niece, Kate, and their friend, Jack, tend to solve a lot of mysteries.
Like many other amateur sleuths before them, this trio seems to be at the right place, at the right time, when it comes to mysteries, particularly murder mysteries.
At this point, the trio has built up quite a bit of a reputation for themselves due to their superior sleuthing skills. Now known as the Medlar Three, in their small town of Lachlan, Florida, there's no case they're afraid to tackle.
This latest mystery arises after Kate, a real estate agent, is given a listing for the storied Lachlan House, a local property with a dark past. Alarm bells may ring, but it's a substantial listing, one she has no intention of turning down.
Their first time visiting the property, the trio make a stark discovery, an actual skeleton in the closet. This one dressed in a rotting tuxedo. It's this shocking moment that causes Kate to realize, she did spend some time there as a child.
This skeleton seems to have connections to her father, and it makes Kate wonder if the childhood she can't remember may be one she'd rather not anyway.
As Sara, Kate and Jack dive deeper into the skeleton's history, they discover it was a man who was last seen attending a lavish party at the Lachlan House in the 90s. Apparently, he had many enemies and most of them were in attendance that very night.
With multiple motives and a suspect list as long as the party's guest list, the Medlar Three are determined to find the culprit and put an end to this decades long mystery.
I listened to this one on audio recently while embarking on a solo road trip. It was a great way to pass the hours and kept me fully-entertained while tackling Boston traffic.
I found it to be a little convoluted at times, with all the characters involved, some were hard to keep straight, but it could have just been my frazzled vacation brain.
I liked how the Medlar Three were pulled into the mystery at Lachlan House. It made sense to me how urgently they would want to solve it.
I also found their method, sort of recreating that decades ago lavish party, to be such a fun idea. The cast eventually assembled was vast and quite interesting. The culprit really could have been any of them.
Deveraux embraces the classic Cozy Mystery format that I tend to be drawn to and find to be so comforting. This type of book with keep you engaged, and on your toes, without requiring every single brain cell in your head.
This has inspired me to hunt down the rest of these books, because I do love this trio: Sara, Kate and Jack. I need more cases to solve with them.
As with many Adult Cozy Mystery series, these don't necessarily need to be read in publication order. Clearly, I'm not reading them that way and I've never felt lost, or like I wish I had more information.
From the synopsis, this could be the final intended book in this series, which makes me sad, but on the bright side, I still have three more to go, which I'm excited for.
I'd recommend this to any Cozy Mystery fan, particularly if you enjoy friends, or family, solving mysteries together.
Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm stoked to wrap-up the rest of the published books in this series!
May 3, 2024
I normally like the books in this series, but this one was lacking. It was just too confusing. There were too many characters. I believe even the author got overwhelmed at one point. She contributed a conversation to another character that wasn't even present at the time. That was one of the problems with the book. I often could not tell who was saying what as she would go several paragraphs without stating who said what.
Another problem I had was that there was 2 years since the last book in the series. I don't remember the characters from that book. I have read too many books in that span. I don't remember Lenny, Dora, and the other 2 men who lived with them. Maybe Ms Deveraux should have had a list of characters at the front of the book to refresh readers' minds. It would also help those who had not read the other books in the series.
Since when do cops let private citizens solve crimes instead of the cops? That seemed a little farfetched to me. The lead detective said let the trio solve the crime. He was too busy to bother since it was 25 years old.
The book had some twists that I did not see coming. But still, it was just confusing. I assume by the ending that this is the last of this series.
Another problem I had was that there was 2 years since the last book in the series. I don't remember the characters from that book. I have read too many books in that span. I don't remember Lenny, Dora, and the other 2 men who lived with them. Maybe Ms Deveraux should have had a list of characters at the front of the book to refresh readers' minds. It would also help those who had not read the other books in the series.
Since when do cops let private citizens solve crimes instead of the cops? That seemed a little farfetched to me. The lead detective said let the trio solve the crime. He was too busy to bother since it was 25 years old.
The book had some twists that I did not see coming. But still, it was just confusing. I assume by the ending that this is the last of this series.
May 9, 2024
Jude Deveraux is an accomplished author with many books under her belt; however, this is the first book I have ever read by her. It was about time I read one. I had been under the impression she wrote romance novels, but found out she also writes historical fiction and mysteries. I also found out she curently resides in North Carolina, as do I.
Description:
Sara Medlar may be retired as a bestselling author, but her career as an amateur detective is facing one final mystery—and it’s a killer.
Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her “honorary grandson” Jack. It’s a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they’ve become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she’s been given the listing for the town’s storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that’s certain to haunt them all.
With little memory of her childhood, Kate doesn’t understand what the fuss is about—until the trio visits the house and makes a grim discovery. Flooded by memories of the past, Kate realizes she spent time there as a child. But stumbling upon a skeleton dressed in a rotting tuxedo—a murder victim with connections to her father—causes Kate to wonder if the childhood she can’t remember might be one she’d rather forget.
As Sara, Kate and Jack delve deeper into the dead man’s history, they learn he was last seen at a party held at Lachlan House in the late nineties—a swanky soiree attended by his many enemies. With more than one motive in play, every partygoer is a suspect, and Sara is determined to find the culprit, even if it means digging up past secrets she’s worked hard to keep buried.
My Thoughts:
This book is the fifth in the Medlar Murder series, but it is easily read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the history of Lachlan house as it began to be revealed. The 'skeleton in the closet' was a shocking find and a setup to all that followed. Kate's triggered memories were revealing. The reenactment of the party at the house the night the man was presumed to have been murdered led to quite a few secrets being revealed. The characters were an enjoyable group.
The romance between Kate and Jack was interesting too. Since they had always been friends growing up together and living in the same house, treating each other as brother and sister for so many years, it seemed to surprise both of them when they started to feel differently. Sara was one of my favorite characters, and she had a secret of her own that is revealed. This is a good mystery as well as a romance that I would recommend to friends.
Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Description:
Sara Medlar may be retired as a bestselling author, but her career as an amateur detective is facing one final mystery—and it’s a killer.
Retired romance novelist Sara Medlar has been comfortably sharing her large home with her niece Kate and her “honorary grandson” Jack. It’s a convenient arrangement given the Medlar Three, as they’ve become known, are often working closely together to solve mysteries in their small town of Lachlan, Florida. But when real estate agent Kate announces she’s been given the listing for the town’s storied Lachlan House, it sets off alarm bells for Sara and Jack. The infamous house has a dark history, one that’s certain to haunt them all.
With little memory of her childhood, Kate doesn’t understand what the fuss is about—until the trio visits the house and makes a grim discovery. Flooded by memories of the past, Kate realizes she spent time there as a child. But stumbling upon a skeleton dressed in a rotting tuxedo—a murder victim with connections to her father—causes Kate to wonder if the childhood she can’t remember might be one she’d rather forget.
As Sara, Kate and Jack delve deeper into the dead man’s history, they learn he was last seen at a party held at Lachlan House in the late nineties—a swanky soiree attended by his many enemies. With more than one motive in play, every partygoer is a suspect, and Sara is determined to find the culprit, even if it means digging up past secrets she’s worked hard to keep buried.
My Thoughts:
This book is the fifth in the Medlar Murder series, but it is easily read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the history of Lachlan house as it began to be revealed. The 'skeleton in the closet' was a shocking find and a setup to all that followed. Kate's triggered memories were revealing. The reenactment of the party at the house the night the man was presumed to have been murdered led to quite a few secrets being revealed. The characters were an enjoyable group.
The romance between Kate and Jack was interesting too. Since they had always been friends growing up together and living in the same house, treating each other as brother and sister for so many years, it seemed to surprise both of them when they started to feel differently. Sara was one of my favorite characters, and she had a secret of her own that is revealed. This is a good mystery as well as a romance that I would recommend to friends.
Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA through Netgalley for an advance copy.
June 2, 2024
As a Jude Deveraux fan it is hard for me to write this review. Granted, I have read many other books in between the last one of this series. With that said, however, it was extremely difficult to follow the relationships and conversations between the main characters for the first few chapters of this sequel. I felt completely lost. I couldn’t even clue into the emotions between characters. The beginning of this book definitely made the reader feel that they were just dumped into a story. Since I was a Jude fan, I kept reading until the end. All I can say is that I am glad I finished this book but sad that I disliked it so much.
May 5, 2024
Hmmm. How to put this nicely. I love the mystery. Kept my interest peaked but somehow too much pov cluttering in one chapter. And the romance was kinda forced. I love how slow burn Jack and Kate's relationship was in last 4 books but in this book, all of the sudden we got an explaination about how Jack spent his time lockdown somewhere in Colorado and suddenly back and wanted to settle down. I don't buy it. I know, in past few books I want them to get together but this is too soon. No romance, just suddenly popped the question and she said yes and boom. Don't get me wrong. I love it for them but I need more. I hope there's more.
May 8, 2024
This book is so boring. The narrator on the audiobook could put you to sleep. I could not care less about the murder by the end. It’s a stretch to even call this a thriller or mystery
June 7, 2024
This was 10% mystery, 20% romance and 70% soap opera. I didn't feel like I was reading a cozy mystery. I felt like I was watching an episode of General Hospital.
So many characters. So convoluted, contrived, fantastical and... silly! Just like those soap operas in their heyday during the 90's that I watched when I was a tween. Well, I've outgrown soap operas so I did not enjoy reading this but like any soap opera, you stick around to see how it all ends. Most things were wrapped up nicely except...
Spoiler: Why did Reid go through all that trouble of sawing Oliver's skull open, remove his brain and then find Kate's toy hedgehog to fill in the gap? Did he know Rachel put jewels inside it? Why not remove the jewels greedy as he was? And if he didn't, why go through all that trouble? Was he just that insane with anger? The author didn't address it at all.
So many characters. So convoluted, contrived, fantastical and... silly! Just like those soap operas in their heyday during the 90's that I watched when I was a tween. Well, I've outgrown soap operas so I did not enjoy reading this but like any soap opera, you stick around to see how it all ends. Most things were wrapped up nicely except...
Spoiler: Why did Reid go through all that trouble of sawing Oliver's skull open, remove his brain and then find Kate's toy hedgehog to fill in the gap? Did he know Rachel put jewels inside it? Why not remove the jewels greedy as he was? And if he didn't, why go through all that trouble? Was he just that insane with anger? The author didn't address it at all.
May 11, 2024
I think Jude Deveraux is a tremendously gifted writer whom I’ve enjoyed reading for over 40 years.
However, I just wasn’t feeling it with this book.
I thought there were too many story lines, like trying to keep several plates in the air at once while juggling. I got lost with who was with whom and who had cheated on whom.
The most interesting part was finally the development of the relationship between Jack and Kate.
But even that I thought got lost in all the other story lines and was a bit lukewarm.
Thanks to HTP,and NetGalley for the advance copy.
However, I just wasn’t feeling it with this book.
I thought there were too many story lines, like trying to keep several plates in the air at once while juggling. I got lost with who was with whom and who had cheated on whom.
The most interesting part was finally the development of the relationship between Jack and Kate.
But even that I thought got lost in all the other story lines and was a bit lukewarm.
Thanks to HTP,and NetGalley for the advance copy.
March 27, 2024
This book was just so hard to get through with all of the unnecessary characters crammed in throughout the story and the author’s insistence of adding historical storylines within the plot.
I know this is part of the author’s writing style, but this one just fell flat.
The ending was rushed with so many plots points wrapped up within a few pages.
If there is another book in this series I most likely will pass.
I know this is part of the author’s writing style, but this one just fell flat.
The ending was rushed with so many plots points wrapped up within a few pages.
If there is another book in this series I most likely will pass.
May 30, 2025
✨ Esta autora nunca engana e esta série, muito menos. Um enredo muito original uma história um pouco macabra mas com muitos momentos de humor. Uma viagem constante ao passado das personagens que têm muito mais para contar do que aquilo que divulgam. Segredos, ódios antigos, e muita ganância dominam o enredo.
August 17, 2024
I have read many of Deveraux's books, but missed this series entirely. I was visiting the LA Central library (not to be missed if you are ever in LA. It is the library that burned and written about by Susan Orleans).
They have a huge new book section and I just walked through and took pictures of books I wanted to read, went home to my library, and found this book on the shelf. I didn't notice it was 5th in a series until I started it, but read it anyway.
I found this book incredibly confusing, and not just because I hadn't read the previous books. There were enough hints to understand all the characters.
Sara Meflar is a romance writer currently living with her niece Kate, a real estate agent. Her brother Randall, Kate's father has a criminal past, but now also lives in Lachlan, FL near them. Also living in the house is Jack, her "honorary grandson"
Jack becomes a major character and we find out a huge twist at the end.
Sara decides to recreate the house party where the murder took place 25 years before. Many, many secrets are revealed.
I am not planning to read the first 4.
They have a huge new book section and I just walked through and took pictures of books I wanted to read, went home to my library, and found this book on the shelf. I didn't notice it was 5th in a series until I started it, but read it anyway.
I found this book incredibly confusing, and not just because I hadn't read the previous books. There were enough hints to understand all the characters.
Sara Meflar is a romance writer currently living with her niece Kate, a real estate agent. Her brother Randall, Kate's father has a criminal past, but now also lives in Lachlan, FL near them. Also living in the house is Jack, her "honorary grandson"
Jack becomes a major character and we find out a huge twist at the end.
Sara decides to recreate the house party where the murder took place 25 years before. Many, many secrets are revealed.
I am not planning to read the first 4.
January 21, 2024
Oh, loved reading this book, loved this latest mystery, and all the developments!
April 10, 2024
This story begins when Kate is given the listing for Lachlan House. When she, Sara, and Jack go to look at it, Kate is overwhelmed with memories of having spent time there as a child. Trauma had erased many of Kate's childhood memories so this ease in Lachlan House rings alarm bells for Sara and Jack.
Things escalate when they find a skeleton sealed up in a closet in the playroom and escalate more when they find one of Kate's toys stuffed with jewels in the skeleton's skull. Things become interesting when the Medlar Three, along with Kate's father Randal, decide to try to recreate the weekend party that ended with the death of the man who is now the skeleton in the closet.
The story is filled with interesting characters, many of whom have connections with Sara, Randal, Kate and Jack, who all have their reasons to come back to a place they left twenty-five years earlier because there are secrets there.
I enjoyed this twisty plot filled with suspicious characters. I also enjoyed a resolution to the romance between Kate and Jack which has been brewing since the first book. And we finally learn the secrets hidden in Sara's romance with Jack's grandfather.
Things escalate when they find a skeleton sealed up in a closet in the playroom and escalate more when they find one of Kate's toys stuffed with jewels in the skeleton's skull. Things become interesting when the Medlar Three, along with Kate's father Randal, decide to try to recreate the weekend party that ended with the death of the man who is now the skeleton in the closet.
The story is filled with interesting characters, many of whom have connections with Sara, Randal, Kate and Jack, who all have their reasons to come back to a place they left twenty-five years earlier because there are secrets there.
I enjoyed this twisty plot filled with suspicious characters. I also enjoyed a resolution to the romance between Kate and Jack which has been brewing since the first book. And we finally learn the secrets hidden in Sara's romance with Jack's grandfather.
June 16, 2024
The story is set in Florida near Fort Lauderdale. An old mansion is maybe up for sale but the house did a guest disappear years ago and Sara, Jack and Kate investigate after discovering a skeleton in a closet. Lots of family secrets need to come out into the open to discover the killer. The book was an easy read.
May 23, 2024
An engrossing cozy mystery with a touch of romance. This one wraps up all the remaining questions so well. Another Jude winner!
April 11, 2025
This was my least favourite of the books. It felt too complicated and hard to follow at times. Too long - I was more than ready for it to end. I like the characters but this just didn’t give me the satisfaction I had hoped for. The romance part between Kate and Jack had been brewing for so long as was also just meh. So all in all this fell a bit flat for me. I got the sense the series was done but could be wrong.
August 20, 2025
This was a good change from my other books and just a classic mystery, I enjoyed it!
April 22, 2024
3.5⭐️s rounded up. I liked following the next murder mystery for Jack, Kate and Sarah, as well as the new members that have joined their group from the last couple books. It was an easy mystery - not dark, not super emotionally invested outside of the end with Sarah’s revelations - so I liked the little threads to unravel while still being relatively light.
There were some times it felt like there was little detail on what was happening - the settings were glossed over and all the sudden the characters were in another location or whatever. I would have liked it to be a little better described so I didn’t reread sections trying to figure out what just happened. The beginning I also couldn’t figure out if Kate was literally having a psychotic break or what was going on. The memory flashbacks were just weird.
And I still don’t get some of the timeline - the last couple books did the same thing where they keeps mentioning it’s been “years” of Jack and Kate being friends or that Randall was around after his release. But it just doesn’t make a lot of sense, given the actual timestamp of each book’s setting. Small pet peeve but still.
Overall, I liked the book and the easy mystery that it was, and I liked how it wrapped up with some of our MC’s.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are mine.
There were some times it felt like there was little detail on what was happening - the settings were glossed over and all the sudden the characters were in another location or whatever. I would have liked it to be a little better described so I didn’t reread sections trying to figure out what just happened. The beginning I also couldn’t figure out if Kate was literally having a psychotic break or what was going on. The memory flashbacks were just weird.
And I still don’t get some of the timeline - the last couple books did the same thing where they keeps mentioning it’s been “years” of Jack and Kate being friends or that Randall was around after his release. But it just doesn’t make a lot of sense, given the actual timestamp of each book’s setting. Small pet peeve but still.
Overall, I liked the book and the easy mystery that it was, and I liked how it wrapped up with some of our MC’s.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are mine.
July 4, 2024
I’ve loved the other books in this series, and was excited for this new one. Unfortunately, this was SO confusing all the way through.
At first I thought it was me, but it never got better. Too many characters and storylines that I couldn’t follow, and the dialogue is so weird. The characters are constantly making comments and asides that either feel forced, or completely random- none of their conversation flows naturally.
You know how good writing shows, rather than tells? There are numerous places where the author shows us something, and in the next sentence, proceeds to tell us what she just showed. Then the epilogue isn’t even creative writing- it’s just expository writing tying up the lose ends on each character. “Sara did this, Kate did that, Jack did this…” It’s like the author was tired of writing and just wanted to be done.
This needed a heavy edit. I know the author is very well published, but no one is perfect, she still needs an editor. I don’t want to make ageist assumptions, but this was so all over the place, I can’t help but wonder if she may be struggling with cognitive functioning?
The jacket indicates this is the final in the series, however the final sentence hints that there will be another. I dread the thought of another book of confused ramblings.
At first I thought it was me, but it never got better. Too many characters and storylines that I couldn’t follow, and the dialogue is so weird. The characters are constantly making comments and asides that either feel forced, or completely random- none of their conversation flows naturally.
You know how good writing shows, rather than tells? There are numerous places where the author shows us something, and in the next sentence, proceeds to tell us what she just showed. Then the epilogue isn’t even creative writing- it’s just expository writing tying up the lose ends on each character. “Sara did this, Kate did that, Jack did this…” It’s like the author was tired of writing and just wanted to be done.
This needed a heavy edit. I know the author is very well published, but no one is perfect, she still needs an editor. I don’t want to make ageist assumptions, but this was so all over the place, I can’t help but wonder if she may be struggling with cognitive functioning?
The jacket indicates this is the final in the series, however the final sentence hints that there will be another. I dread the thought of another book of confused ramblings.
October 15, 2024
I really enjoy author Jude Devereaux’s books but found this once missed the mark. The concept of the story was good but the excessive number of characters required a spreadsheet to manage. Additionally, the dialogue between the characters was juvenile and borderline stupid but overall unnecessary to the plot of the story.
The concept of the story was good… a skeleton with a skull filled with jewels is located in a mansion that is being listed for sale in a small town in Florida. Lots of family drama and dark secrets surface as the mystery unravels. Is the skeleton the missing man from the family mansion during a party decades ago?
Overall the plot is good, characters confusing and disjointed, pace very slow to the point of distraction and boredom. Unfortunately it had the potential to be a winner but it missed!
The concept of the story was good… a skeleton with a skull filled with jewels is located in a mansion that is being listed for sale in a small town in Florida. Lots of family drama and dark secrets surface as the mystery unravels. Is the skeleton the missing man from the family mansion during a party decades ago?
Overall the plot is good, characters confusing and disjointed, pace very slow to the point of distraction and boredom. Unfortunately it had the potential to be a winner but it missed!
June 22, 2024
DNF. This book felt poorly and quickly written. It seems like it wasn't because the author had another story to tell but because she had a contract to do so. I promised myself to stop reading books that aren't enjoyable to me. That was this book. I stopped after 100 pages. However, I did read the epilogue, which gave me closure with this series.
I usually enjoy this author and had been looking forward to reading this book. I will not be reading any other books in this series.
I usually enjoy this author and had been looking forward to reading this book. I will not be reading any other books in this series.
August 17, 2024
I’ve been reading Jude Deveraux books for decades and have literally read every single one of her books. And I really liked the other books in the series. This one was so freaking confusing. I definitely needed a cast of characters in front of the book. And that really took away from the pleasure of reading this book. It was just too confusing. Even the whole ending where you find out who did what I feel like it was too convoluted.
November 8, 2024
I had no idea this book was a series, it was a New book in the library. This is the absolutely the most confusing book I have ever read. There are way too many characters to keep straight. I was continually going back to reread to double check which character is this? I remained confused even more by almost at the end because more characters are added! And at the end to me it wasn’t clear of who has did what! Will not read any more of this series. Not enjoyable at all!
August 28, 2024
Way too many characters. Too many family members connections. Every time you turned the page, another character showed up. You couldn't keep who was related to whom and why straight. Too many clues and not enough explanation. You don't know the whole story until the last five or six pages. Confusing is an understatement!
June 25, 2024
There's a terrible rushed unromantic proposal (in the 5th book, I know), the typical diet culture propaganda, shoehorning of the pandemic into the storyline like it had to be there for some reason, a confusing mystery, and a whole lot of coincidences.
June 29, 2024
I enjoyed the previous books in this series, but the characters of Kate and Jack were just sort of flat in this one. The plot was ridiculously complicated and the solution relied on dreams! Not a good mystery.
July 14, 2024
An Unfinished Murder was almost an unfinished book. I rarely write reviews, but this book is so bad I felt compelled. Too many characters, too many loose ends, confusing plot and writing, reads like a soap opera. I love a good mystery but this really disappointed.
May 19, 2024
Too confusing for me.
June 5, 2024
Almost did not finish. Too many characters.
October 11, 2024
It’s an unfinished book. Very hard to follow. I gave up. Maybe if I’d read books 1-4 it might have made sense but I doubt it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews