What do you think?
Rate this book
Death of an Englishman
A quest for a valuable manuscript turns into a hunt for its author’s killer. Meet Oxford’s Eve Brook, literary detective, as she tackles her first mystery.
David Morrow, Oxford don and controversial media pundit, is found dead in his college rooms. Eve Brook is recruited to complete his latest book, a dazzling takedown of "woke" history. But the manuscript is missing, and everyone Eve meets seems to have something to hide—and a reason to want Morrow dead.
Set against the backdrop of Oxford’s colleges, long train rides, quaint villages, and a tantalising cast of suspects, Death of an Englishman is—at first glance—a traditional murder mystery. But this is cosy crime with a very contemporary edge…
David Morrow, Oxford don and controversial media pundit, is found dead in his college rooms. Eve Brook is recruited to complete his latest book, a dazzling takedown of "woke" history. But the manuscript is missing, and everyone Eve meets seems to have something to hide—and a reason to want Morrow dead.
Set against the backdrop of Oxford’s colleges, long train rides, quaint villages, and a tantalising cast of suspects, Death of an Englishman is—at first glance—a traditional murder mystery. But this is cosy crime with a very contemporary edge…
Unknown Binding
Published April 28, 2025
3 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Anna Beer
13 books38 followers Anna's first book, type-written when she was 12, was 'Wuthering Claudia', written for, featuring, and strongly influenced by her classmates at Chiswick Community School. Now, several decades on, she continues to write about what interests her - and hopes will interest others. Her latest book, 'Sounds and Sweet Airs: the Forgotten Women of Classical Music' tells the fascinating and inspiring stories of eight female composers. It's a book that's been in her mind for years, and it's truly exciting to see it come to life.
Writing 'Sounds' has brought together a number of Anna's long-standing activities and passions - music, obviously; writing, even more obviously; thinking about women's lives in the past (which was the impetus for her book on Bess Throckmorton, wife to Sir Walter Ralegh); thinking about the material conditions necessary for the creation of 'great art' (which was one of the ideas behind her biography of John Milton).
Alongside her work as a biographer, Anna teaches English Literature and Creative Writing to undergraduates and postgraduates; contributes to the Oxford Student Texts series for Oxford University Press; and makes regular lecture and media appearances.
Anna's blog (www.shadowofthecourtesan.wordpress.com) reveals that research, writing and teaching are not Anna's only passions: she loves cycling (sometimes a long long way); good food and really good wine; and wandering around dirty, beautiful cities. Oh, and long-distance trains.
Writing 'Sounds' has brought together a number of Anna's long-standing activities and passions - music, obviously; writing, even more obviously; thinking about women's lives in the past (which was the impetus for her book on Bess Throckmorton, wife to Sir Walter Ralegh); thinking about the material conditions necessary for the creation of 'great art' (which was one of the ideas behind her biography of John Milton).
Alongside her work as a biographer, Anna teaches English Literature and Creative Writing to undergraduates and postgraduates; contributes to the Oxford Student Texts series for Oxford University Press; and makes regular lecture and media appearances.
Anna's blog (www.shadowofthecourtesan.wordpress.com) reveals that research, writing and teaching are not Anna's only passions: she loves cycling (sometimes a long long way); good food and really good wine; and wandering around dirty, beautiful cities. Oh, and long-distance trains.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 23, 2025
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Title and description of this book really appealed to me.
An literary detective sleuthing for a lots manuscript in an enchanting Oxford setting - what's not to like?
Unfortunately, somehow this book just didn't hit the spot.
Things I liked:
I liked Eve's character. She was smart and considerate, yet fallible. Her relationship with her daughter was lovely.
I enjoyed the nods to Oxfords hidden world of University traditions and language.
Eve's love of train travel and stationery was quirky and endearing.
The premise of a lost manuscript and the inner familial tensions of the author's family were all intriguing.
However....
Things I did not enjoy:
I don't quite think this book made up it's mind what to be.
Was it a cosy mystery?
Was it a veiled feminist commentary on academia and society?
Was it a showcase for Philip Sydney's lesser known sister?
Was is an examination of middle age female relationships and friendships?
Was it an examination of dysfunctional family dynamics and the repercussions of abusive relationships?
The story starts as a search for a manuscript after the death of an author. It's only half way through the book that Eve begins to suspect foul play. There's a lot of travelling back and forth on public transport and long walks in which the reader is presented with Eve rehashing her thoughts and theories.
The conclusion is obscure and disappointing.
I felt like the bones of this story had real promise but there was just too much going on and sometimes the segues were clunky and hard to follow. I'm not sure I'd follow Eve into another mystery.
The Title and description of this book really appealed to me.
An literary detective sleuthing for a lots manuscript in an enchanting Oxford setting - what's not to like?
Unfortunately, somehow this book just didn't hit the spot.
Things I liked:
I liked Eve's character. She was smart and considerate, yet fallible. Her relationship with her daughter was lovely.
I enjoyed the nods to Oxfords hidden world of University traditions and language.
Eve's love of train travel and stationery was quirky and endearing.
The premise of a lost manuscript and the inner familial tensions of the author's family were all intriguing.
However....
Things I did not enjoy:
I don't quite think this book made up it's mind what to be.
Was it a cosy mystery?
Was it a veiled feminist commentary on academia and society?
Was it a showcase for Philip Sydney's lesser known sister?
Was is an examination of middle age female relationships and friendships?
Was it an examination of dysfunctional family dynamics and the repercussions of abusive relationships?
The story starts as a search for a manuscript after the death of an author. It's only half way through the book that Eve begins to suspect foul play. There's a lot of travelling back and forth on public transport and long walks in which the reader is presented with Eve rehashing her thoughts and theories.
The conclusion is obscure and disappointing.
I felt like the bones of this story had real promise but there was just too much going on and sometimes the segues were clunky and hard to follow. I'm not sure I'd follow Eve into another mystery.
August 18, 2025
Altijd leuk om een boek te lezen dat zich afspeelt in een plaats waar je net bent geweest en die je daar ook hebt gekocht! Het verhaal is leuk, maar verzandt op een gegeven moment in allerlei gedachtenspinsels van de hoofdpersoon en dat haalt de spanning er wel uit.
March 30, 2025
A decidedly underwhelming read. I was hoping for an intelligently conceived plot, worked around sharply imagined characters and settings, and realized in distinctive and well-wrought prose. After all, the author is a university lecturer in English literature with a published monograph on Milton.
Instead I labored through a threadbare story involving the missing final manuscript of a dead white male (with all the unsavory associations of that term that the highly woke and progressive author is able to inflict on him). The suspects are initially presented as feisty and artsy women, with the obligatory gay couple thrown in to round out the stereotypes. By the end, of course, all liberal pieties will be honored and all fragile sensibilities soothed.
Beer evidently thinks that the way to the riches of bestsellerdom is to condescend to the unwashed by writing in flowing cliches. Nothing original here, no arresting phrases nor interesting diction. The reader is further disrespected by the author's occasional aggressive flashes of her own political agenda and woke attitudes. (Poor Jordan Peterson is name-checked.)
To adopt the author's own nakedly identitarian stance: if you are a college-educated woman of politically progressive inclinations, pleased to be catered to by a credentialled superior, this book will flatter you. If you are a thinking male (or, actually, person) who hopes for literary qualities and a clever plot from even genre-literature, this is not for you.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley.
Instead I labored through a threadbare story involving the missing final manuscript of a dead white male (with all the unsavory associations of that term that the highly woke and progressive author is able to inflict on him). The suspects are initially presented as feisty and artsy women, with the obligatory gay couple thrown in to round out the stereotypes. By the end, of course, all liberal pieties will be honored and all fragile sensibilities soothed.
Beer evidently thinks that the way to the riches of bestsellerdom is to condescend to the unwashed by writing in flowing cliches. Nothing original here, no arresting phrases nor interesting diction. The reader is further disrespected by the author's occasional aggressive flashes of her own political agenda and woke attitudes. (Poor Jordan Peterson is name-checked.)
To adopt the author's own nakedly identitarian stance: if you are a college-educated woman of politically progressive inclinations, pleased to be catered to by a credentialled superior, this book will flatter you. If you are a thinking male (or, actually, person) who hopes for literary qualities and a clever plot from even genre-literature, this is not for you.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley.
April 13, 2025
I was so interested in the description of this book and I was excited to wander around Oxford on this journey but I just could not get over all the woke vs. anti-woke pandering. Not only that, but it was a chore to read. The writing was hard to engage in.
While I did finish this book, it felt like an assignment.
Thank you NetGalley and The Book Guild for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
While I did finish this book, it felt like an assignment.
Thank you NetGalley and The Book Guild for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
March 29, 2025
We meet Eve on a train platform, which is just where she likes to be. She's thinking about how she'd rather be catching a train in a different location where it's not the tail end of winter, but maybe this journey will help her get there. She's on her way to meet a publisher so she can embark on a new project. Eve is a ghostwriter of sorts--her current project is all about pork. That is, she trying to make readable an autobiography of a rich guy who made his money from pork. This new project promises to be more interesting and perhaps lucrative enough to pay for a train trip in a sunny, warm location. She's been asked to do finish up a book by an infamous guy, recently deceased, who made his name by spewing his racist, misogynist ideas all over the place. His book--a diatribe against 'woke'-- is nearing the publication date. There's a problem though. The publisher and the literary executor don't actually have the manuscript. They want Eve to find it, polish it up, and get it back to them. Things get weird pretty quickly, though, and nothing is as straightforward as she thought it would be. Where is the manuscript? And did this guy really die of natural causes? Eve won't stop until she gets the answers she's looking for.
When I saw the description of this book, I was intrigued. When I read the book, I was delighted. It's a wonderful, unique, kind of quirky, cozy mystery. Eve is a woman who loves trains, travel, notebooks, and words. She's smart, compassionate, and self-aware. She's a vegetarian who bicycles, walks, and uses public transport instead of owning a car. She's built a life for herself on her own terms. I quite enjoyed spending time with her. The mystery aspect of the book was well done and unusual in the cozy genre in the sense that the primary mystery is about the book and the deceased person and how he met his end is somewhat secondary to that. I enjoyed the literary aspect of the plot and how the various people Eve meets in the course of her investigation fit into into the web of relationships around this odious individual. The setting has a bit of a traditional mystery vibe, but it captures the current moment exceptionally well. I'm so glad I discovered this book. The description mentions that Eve is embarking on her first mystery, so I hope that means there will be a second mystery at some point. If there is, I'll snap it up.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC.
When I saw the description of this book, I was intrigued. When I read the book, I was delighted. It's a wonderful, unique, kind of quirky, cozy mystery. Eve is a woman who loves trains, travel, notebooks, and words. She's smart, compassionate, and self-aware. She's a vegetarian who bicycles, walks, and uses public transport instead of owning a car. She's built a life for herself on her own terms. I quite enjoyed spending time with her. The mystery aspect of the book was well done and unusual in the cozy genre in the sense that the primary mystery is about the book and the deceased person and how he met his end is somewhat secondary to that. I enjoyed the literary aspect of the plot and how the various people Eve meets in the course of her investigation fit into into the web of relationships around this odious individual. The setting has a bit of a traditional mystery vibe, but it captures the current moment exceptionally well. I'm so glad I discovered this book. The description mentions that Eve is embarking on her first mystery, so I hope that means there will be a second mystery at some point. If there is, I'll snap it up.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a DRC.
March 30, 2025
This is a cozy mystery set in and around Oxford, investigating the death of a professor who was writing an anti-woke book. The setting and topic appealed to me, but unfortunately, this was a huge miss for me for many reasons.
Most importantly, the writing in this book is not good. It's choppy to the point of incoherence, with the author jumping from one thought to the next without any kind of transition or logic. Sentences are often too long and incredibly convoluted, with lots of parentheses and dashes to insert or add information. There are even instances where the author uses parentheses and dashes in the same sentence, creating a paragraph-long nearly indecipherable word soup. On top of that, many words and phrases are used incorrectly. The dialogue is clunky. The inner monologue of the main character feels unnatural. Overall, the writing is so poor that it made it impossible for me to feel immersed in the story at any point.
Almost all of it is also telling rather than showing. The first chapter, for example, is a dense and inelegant infodump, with an enormous amount of names and backstories being thrown at the reader in a short amount of time. The rest of the book isn't much better. We are constantly told things about Eve and other characters, but we rarely actually see those things manifest in the story.
My last complaint is the blatant soapboxing. The author beats you over the head with her messaging over and over again. The worst thing is that I actually agree with everything the author is trying to communicate (about feminism, abuse of power, anti-wokeness, etc.), but it was done in such an unsubtle way that I only felt annoyed. Many of the statements were incredibly basic, like telling the reader that women have been oppressed by men for millennia, without adding anything new or any fresh insight. Moreover, I read fiction in order to see this kind of commentary illustrated in the narrative, not given as a lecture.
Two stars because I appreciate the author's intention for this book. Sadly, I did not enjoy the execution. However, if the summary appeals to you, by all means check it out for yourself.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest opinion.
Most importantly, the writing in this book is not good. It's choppy to the point of incoherence, with the author jumping from one thought to the next without any kind of transition or logic. Sentences are often too long and incredibly convoluted, with lots of parentheses and dashes to insert or add information. There are even instances where the author uses parentheses and dashes in the same sentence, creating a paragraph-long nearly indecipherable word soup. On top of that, many words and phrases are used incorrectly. The dialogue is clunky. The inner monologue of the main character feels unnatural. Overall, the writing is so poor that it made it impossible for me to feel immersed in the story at any point.
Almost all of it is also telling rather than showing. The first chapter, for example, is a dense and inelegant infodump, with an enormous amount of names and backstories being thrown at the reader in a short amount of time. The rest of the book isn't much better. We are constantly told things about Eve and other characters, but we rarely actually see those things manifest in the story.
My last complaint is the blatant soapboxing. The author beats you over the head with her messaging over and over again. The worst thing is that I actually agree with everything the author is trying to communicate (about feminism, abuse of power, anti-wokeness, etc.), but it was done in such an unsubtle way that I only felt annoyed. Many of the statements were incredibly basic, like telling the reader that women have been oppressed by men for millennia, without adding anything new or any fresh insight. Moreover, I read fiction in order to see this kind of commentary illustrated in the narrative, not given as a lecture.
Two stars because I appreciate the author's intention for this book. Sadly, I did not enjoy the execution. However, if the summary appeals to you, by all means check it out for yourself.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest opinion.
April 25, 2025
It took a while to get into this book. It’s third person past tense and uses the past perfect a lot. Not my preffered narrative form. But after the past perfect was dropped, it got easier to read.
Eve Brook is hired as manuscript doctor for a biography on an Elizabethan hero. First, she has to find the manuscript. The author is dead and his widow doesn’t have it (or care where it’s gone off too). Eve sets out of a quest to find the missing manuscript. After a few meetings with people who might know more, I started to wonder: why bother? The author doesn’t seem to have been a pleasant man to be around and the biography would probably be more of a coat rack for his anti-woke world view, than an honest biography of Philip Sidney. I believe Eve would have a hard time sloughing herself through that manuscript.
It seems, though, there is no manuscript. Hurray for that. Then Eve is asked it arrange the memorial service for the author. And she decides to accept.
I decided I had read enough. Arranging events is not her usual job and she neither knew nor liked the man. She decided to accept because it would give her another chance to talk to the people the author left behind.
I don’t want to know.
I read an ARC through NetGalley.
Eve Brook is hired as manuscript doctor for a biography on an Elizabethan hero. First, she has to find the manuscript. The author is dead and his widow doesn’t have it (or care where it’s gone off too). Eve sets out of a quest to find the missing manuscript. After a few meetings with people who might know more, I started to wonder: why bother? The author doesn’t seem to have been a pleasant man to be around and the biography would probably be more of a coat rack for his anti-woke world view, than an honest biography of Philip Sidney. I believe Eve would have a hard time sloughing herself through that manuscript.
It seems, though, there is no manuscript. Hurray for that. Then Eve is asked it arrange the memorial service for the author. And she decides to accept.
I decided I had read enough. Arranging events is not her usual job and she neither knew nor liked the man. She decided to accept because it would give her another chance to talk to the people the author left behind.
I don’t want to know.
I read an ARC through NetGalley.
April 24, 2025
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Anna Beer for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Death of an Englishman coming out April 28, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
A quest for a valuable manuscript turns into a hunt for its author’s killer. Meet Oxford’s Eve Brook, literary detective, as she tackles her first mystery.
David Morrow, Oxford don and controversial media pundit, is found dead in his college rooms. Eve Brook is recruited to complete his latest book, a dazzling takedown of "woke" history. But the manuscript is missing, and everyone Eve meets seems to have something to hide―and a reason to want Morrow dead.
Set against the backdrop of Oxford’s colleges, long train rides, quaint villages, and a tantalising cast of suspects, Death of an Englishman is―at first glance―a traditional murder mystery. But this is cosy crime with a very contemporary edge…
This is a debut novel. I really love cozy mysteries and I’ve read a lot of them. I really love mysteries set in England. Unfortunately, this one didn’t feel as cozy to me. I wasn’t really into the mystery. I felt like some elements were lacking. I just wanted more. The characters didn’t really do it for me. I would check out other books by this author.
A quest for a valuable manuscript turns into a hunt for its author’s killer. Meet Oxford’s Eve Brook, literary detective, as she tackles her first mystery.
David Morrow, Oxford don and controversial media pundit, is found dead in his college rooms. Eve Brook is recruited to complete his latest book, a dazzling takedown of "woke" history. But the manuscript is missing, and everyone Eve meets seems to have something to hide―and a reason to want Morrow dead.
Set against the backdrop of Oxford’s colleges, long train rides, quaint villages, and a tantalising cast of suspects, Death of an Englishman is―at first glance―a traditional murder mystery. But this is cosy crime with a very contemporary edge…
This is a debut novel. I really love cozy mysteries and I’ve read a lot of them. I really love mysteries set in England. Unfortunately, this one didn’t feel as cozy to me. I wasn’t really into the mystery. I felt like some elements were lacking. I just wanted more. The characters didn’t really do it for me. I would check out other books by this author.
March 29, 2025
3.75 stars
An intelligent and thoughtful mystery, featuring Dr. Eve Brook, an academic writer who has been hired to finish a manuscript by a recently deceased writer. But nothing is simple in this plot. As it turns out, no one knows where the manuscript is, or if it even exists. And the dead author was a controversial figure, an uber conservative anti woke zealot who may or may not have died of natural causes.
Eve is intrigued. She is a bit of a loner and likes to have things neatly finished up. So she begins investigating, supposedly to find the manuscript, but along the way she talks to the victim's wife, son, long lost daughter, colleagues and doctor. More and more questions arise. Who would have wanted him dead?
Eve is a quirky character who mostly keeps to herself but somehow is pretty skilled at drawing information out in interviews. There are lots of surprises and Eve's original task shifts into something altogether different as she follows the trail to the end. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
An intelligent and thoughtful mystery, featuring Dr. Eve Brook, an academic writer who has been hired to finish a manuscript by a recently deceased writer. But nothing is simple in this plot. As it turns out, no one knows where the manuscript is, or if it even exists. And the dead author was a controversial figure, an uber conservative anti woke zealot who may or may not have died of natural causes.
Eve is intrigued. She is a bit of a loner and likes to have things neatly finished up. So she begins investigating, supposedly to find the manuscript, but along the way she talks to the victim's wife, son, long lost daughter, colleagues and doctor. More and more questions arise. Who would have wanted him dead?
Eve is a quirky character who mostly keeps to herself but somehow is pretty skilled at drawing information out in interviews. There are lots of surprises and Eve's original task shifts into something altogether different as she follows the trail to the end. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 26, 2025
I bought this book at one of the author's launch events and enjoyed reading it. It is a clever book, with a strong plotline also subtle themes. For example, the main character reflecting on Elizabethan Sir Sidney and the women in his life shines a (slightly uncomfortable ) light on the present day experiences of the characters, showing the perpetuation of systemic issues in our society. I also think the book successfully brings nuance to each character - they are not superficial, their inner psyches are explored, the best and worst thoughts are revealed... All ties into a slow (but why rush? The best journeys are slow, as shown by Eve's train rides!) discovery of the mystery behind David Morrows death. In this day in age, we all want quick, dirty reads. This is still dirty (uncomplicated sex and sugar daddies anyone?) but gives time for the reader to process what is going on, feel reactions and really be on Eves journey with her. These views are my own, entirely honest and I am excited to read the next book.
July 24, 2025
I devoured this book. I listened to the audiobook version and the authors narration is brilliant. It’s Eve’s world and I want to live in it.
Beautiful descriptions and language. If you have ever been to Oxford or have a connection to the university there are many moments where the descriptions, situations, and explanations are just spot on.
I was hooked from the first introduction. The eeerie silence of an Oxford quod in the evening.
“Like any good master worth their salt, she was not going to let a thing like a dead body risk doing any damage to the colleges reputation. Not when there were major donors being wooed.”
Read it. Read it. Read it. You won’t be disappointed. Less of a whodunnit and more of a mystery with a focus on the complexities of relationships and the morality of those involved. It is a rare thing - a cosy murder mystery which sheds light on contemporary society without judgement.
Very different from a Thursday Murder Club or similar, but I think that’s the point. It’s a bit more intellectual, a bit more feminist, a lot more gratifying.
Plus there’s trains. Lots of trains.
Beautiful descriptions and language. If you have ever been to Oxford or have a connection to the university there are many moments where the descriptions, situations, and explanations are just spot on.
I was hooked from the first introduction. The eeerie silence of an Oxford quod in the evening.
“Like any good master worth their salt, she was not going to let a thing like a dead body risk doing any damage to the colleges reputation. Not when there were major donors being wooed.”
Read it. Read it. Read it. You won’t be disappointed. Less of a whodunnit and more of a mystery with a focus on the complexities of relationships and the morality of those involved. It is a rare thing - a cosy murder mystery which sheds light on contemporary society without judgement.
Very different from a Thursday Murder Club or similar, but I think that’s the point. It’s a bit more intellectual, a bit more feminist, a lot more gratifying.
Plus there’s trains. Lots of trains.
April 1, 2025
Book doctor Eve suspects murder after the death of a controversial Oxford don and the disappearance of his manuscript.
This book is written in a literary style, which is unexpected for a murder mystery. The tone is bleak—not atmospheric, just dull and lifeless. The pace is excruciatingly slow. A lot of time is spent on trains moving from place to place, rather than dramatizing the investigation. Murder isn’t really suspected until the second half of the book—the first half is the search for the manuscript.
Mostly, the book seems like a vehicle for espousing the author’s political views. Even a reader who agrees with those views is likely to find their expression inept. The characters are stereotypes, the emotion utterly lacking, the plot thin, the resolution unsatisfying. Fortunately, the book is relatively short.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This book is written in a literary style, which is unexpected for a murder mystery. The tone is bleak—not atmospheric, just dull and lifeless. The pace is excruciatingly slow. A lot of time is spent on trains moving from place to place, rather than dramatizing the investigation. Murder isn’t really suspected until the second half of the book—the first half is the search for the manuscript.
Mostly, the book seems like a vehicle for espousing the author’s political views. Even a reader who agrees with those views is likely to find their expression inept. The characters are stereotypes, the emotion utterly lacking, the plot thin, the resolution unsatisfying. Fortunately, the book is relatively short.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
July 26, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I am sad to say that I struggled with this one. I really wanted to like it, the premise seemed so fun and I do like mystery books. But it just felt like it was taking itself too seriously at times.
Eve is a good character, but having almost whole chapters where she is just pondering the mystery and going in circles became quite boring. The book itself is just over 300 pages long but halfway through I felt like I had read at least 500 pages as there is so much packed onto every single page.
It also reminded me a lot of the TV-show Magpie Murders, so much in fact that I for a minute thought the show was based on this book. Alas, it isn't. This kind of had me stumped as I couldn't help but comparing the two as they are quite similar.
However, there were absolutely bits that were intersting and enjoyable, this book just wasn't fully for me.
I am sad to say that I struggled with this one. I really wanted to like it, the premise seemed so fun and I do like mystery books. But it just felt like it was taking itself too seriously at times.
Eve is a good character, but having almost whole chapters where she is just pondering the mystery and going in circles became quite boring. The book itself is just over 300 pages long but halfway through I felt like I had read at least 500 pages as there is so much packed onto every single page.
It also reminded me a lot of the TV-show Magpie Murders, so much in fact that I for a minute thought the show was based on this book. Alas, it isn't. This kind of had me stumped as I couldn't help but comparing the two as they are quite similar.
However, there were absolutely bits that were intersting and enjoyable, this book just wasn't fully for me.
October 11, 2025
Bought this book after hearing a talk by Dr Bear in Oxford. She was a delightful speaker so I hoped for the same from the book, particularly as it was based around Oxford.
In the end I could only give it 3 stars, pretty much the same as other readers. I'm very much out of sync with the social conscience that permeated the book being an elderly white male but that was only a mild irritant.
I just found the lengthy introspection throughout held up the plot's progress. I did persevere but by the end wasn't convinced that the development of the plot held up nor that the actual reveal and denouement (no spoilers) were likely.
I did enjoy the bus and train journeys and glad to see different parts of this country and France explored.
In the end I could only give it 3 stars, pretty much the same as other readers. I'm very much out of sync with the social conscience that permeated the book being an elderly white male but that was only a mild irritant.
I just found the lengthy introspection throughout held up the plot's progress. I did persevere but by the end wasn't convinced that the development of the plot held up nor that the actual reveal and denouement (no spoilers) were likely.
I did enjoy the bus and train journeys and glad to see different parts of this country and France explored.
April 13, 2025
Dr. Eve Brook is hired to finish a biography by author/right-wing media personality David Morrow who died . . . or was he murdered? Eve searches for the unfinished manuscript, the secrets of Morrow's life, and the answer to whether he was murdered. "Death of an Englishman" has the bones of an interesting book, but I found myself skimming through long passages and chapters filled with Eve's musings on what had possibly happened, the nature of biography and memory, and the motivations of the various suspects and family members. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher The Book Guild for the eARC.
June 28, 2025
A murder mystery with historical links and a feminist lead
Eve Brook is a literary investigator who’s drawn into the hunt for a manuscript following the death of it’s author
Found the story was mainly focusing on Eve trying to track down the manuscript and was a bit unclear of the plot - didn’t read like a cosy crime and was a bit too much on the feminism and Oxford college politics, but keep with it better in the second half
Thanks @anna_beer_author @thebookguild & @netgalley for the debut novel
Eve Brook is a literary investigator who’s drawn into the hunt for a manuscript following the death of it’s author
Found the story was mainly focusing on Eve trying to track down the manuscript and was a bit unclear of the plot - didn’t read like a cosy crime and was a bit too much on the feminism and Oxford college politics, but keep with it better in the second half
Thanks @anna_beer_author @thebookguild & @netgalley for the debut novel
June 23, 2025
Fabulous cover! And...that's about it.
I expected to be the target audience for this mystery novel, but the writing lacked depth and was almost pandering. The "anti-wokeness" that is continually brought up is very in-your-face but never discussed with any level of value. "Death of an Englishman" is not good for escapist reading, nor does it offer valuable discourse on feminism or the current political landscape.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
I expected to be the target audience for this mystery novel, but the writing lacked depth and was almost pandering. The "anti-wokeness" that is continually brought up is very in-your-face but never discussed with any level of value. "Death of an Englishman" is not good for escapist reading, nor does it offer valuable discourse on feminism or the current political landscape.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
May 6, 2025
An absolute joy to read. I read my copy in two sittings!
August 15, 2025
Was getting a bit annoyed by some of the medical details (with being a dr and all! 😂) but redeemed itself at the. End. An enjoyable light read
September 14, 2025
Genuinely found this so hard to read. Was so relieved to finish!
May 8, 2025
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
This started out well for me: I like an Oxford setting, and I thought the character of the protagonist Eve was well-drawn and fully rounded. She had actual friends, an interesting job, a relationship with her daughter, feminist principles, and persevered in taking public transport wherever she went. But... then, instead of doing her job (which had initially been to finish off and get ready for publication a book by a sort of Jordan Peterson type, the recently dead David Morrow, and which then morphed into discovering if he had indeed written a word of the book before his death) she decides there is something off about Morrow's death and that it is her responsibility to get to the bottom of things. To this end she travels all around England and to France, stirring things up with all Morrow's family and contacts, keeping secrets and spilling secrets and suspecting everyone of nebulous things.
Even setting aside the strangeness of what she is doing, at about the 50% mark the narrative got really bogged down. Eve would go on a journey and thrash things out in her own mind and then she would do it again, and then again and so on. The ending was an anticlimax and also the sort of ending of which I disapprove. A pity, as I liked the writing and I liked Eve.
This started out well for me: I like an Oxford setting, and I thought the character of the protagonist Eve was well-drawn and fully rounded. She had actual friends, an interesting job, a relationship with her daughter, feminist principles, and persevered in taking public transport wherever she went. But... then, instead of doing her job (which had initially been to finish off and get ready for publication a book by a sort of Jordan Peterson type, the recently dead David Morrow, and which then morphed into discovering if he had indeed written a word of the book before his death) she decides there is something off about Morrow's death and that it is her responsibility to get to the bottom of things. To this end she travels all around England and to France, stirring things up with all Morrow's family and contacts, keeping secrets and spilling secrets and suspecting everyone of nebulous things.
Even setting aside the strangeness of what she is doing, at about the 50% mark the narrative got really bogged down. Eve would go on a journey and thrash things out in her own mind and then she would do it again, and then again and so on. The ending was an anticlimax and also the sort of ending of which I disapprove. A pity, as I liked the writing and I liked Eve.
September 17, 2025
This story felt like I was reading a text book instead of a novel. The writing style is not for me. It is not written in the typical murder/mystery style, instead it is sloth paced, dull, bleak and lifeless. I did not care about any of the characters. At times I even forgot this was supposed to be a mystery, it felt more like literary fiction with a touch of mystery. The FMC spent so much time just traveling from place to place that I lost interest in where she was going next.
I also felt lost through most of the story, when there wasn't an extreme amount of unnecessary information to read, there were numerous characters just appearing. It was too much and not enough at the same time. Honestly, if this is the start of a series, this was a one and done for me. I won't be picking up any other books in this series or by this author.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I also felt lost through most of the story, when there wasn't an extreme amount of unnecessary information to read, there were numerous characters just appearing. It was too much and not enough at the same time. Honestly, if this is the start of a series, this was a one and done for me. I won't be picking up any other books in this series or by this author.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2025
I should have DNF'd. This flat piece of prose hammers on about important things that are not fully relevant to the story. It's a mystery yet it takes over half the book to get to the crux of the point. Also, I know it's on the cover, "an Oxford mystery," yet so many of the readers are not of the Oxfordian culture and will have to break their reading to look up terms and colloquialisms that are not natural to them and have no further context clues to aid the aforementioned readers.
May 6, 2025
An absolute joy to read. I read my copy in two sittings!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews