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The Country House Murders
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26Welcome to wartime Britain, where even murder has to wait until after tea…
Polly Hope is an air raid warden by night and an amateur sleuth by necessity. Living through the Blitz in London, she expects her war work to involve sirens, shelters and the occasional unexploded bomb. What she does not expect is murder.
Each new case draws Polly into a different corner of wartime England. From requisitioned country houses to bomb-damaged streets, she finds herself asking questions others are too busy—or too frightened—to pursue. Because whilst Britain battles enemies abroad, some secrets closer to home refuse to stay buried.
Fortunately for Polly, she is not alone. With the help of the charming Freddie Fairbank and his marvellous hamper of emergency snacks, she turns wartime duty into clever detection. Between ration books, blackout curtains and the occasional dash to the shelter, long-buried truths begin to surface.
Witty, atmospheric and steeped in 1940s charm, the Polly Hope Mysteries are cosy historical crime stories full of wartime spirit, stately homes and classic whodunnits, where danger comes with a cup of tea and a stiff upper lip…
Polly Hope is an air raid warden by night and an amateur sleuth by necessity. Living through the Blitz in London, she expects her war work to involve sirens, shelters and the occasional unexploded bomb. What she does not expect is murder.
Each new case draws Polly into a different corner of wartime England. From requisitioned country houses to bomb-damaged streets, she finds herself asking questions others are too busy—or too frightened—to pursue. Because whilst Britain battles enemies abroad, some secrets closer to home refuse to stay buried.
Fortunately for Polly, she is not alone. With the help of the charming Freddie Fairbank and his marvellous hamper of emergency snacks, she turns wartime duty into clever detection. Between ration books, blackout curtains and the occasional dash to the shelter, long-buried truths begin to surface.
Witty, atmospheric and steeped in 1940s charm, the Polly Hope Mysteries are cosy historical crime stories full of wartime spirit, stately homes and classic whodunnits, where danger comes with a cup of tea and a stiff upper lip…
- GenresHistorical Fiction
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Our story begins amid an air raid, and we immediately meet Polly Hope, an air raid patrol volunteer, as she attempts to get an inebriated Freddie Fairbank, a former soldier turned government employee, into shelter. Over a rather decadent Thank You For Saving My Life breakfast at the Ritz the next morning, Freddie convinces Polly to join him in his work to requisition British estates to be used for the war effort. When they show up to their first estate, they quickly find themselves investigating not one, but two murders.
This is a cozy-ish murder mystery (there is a fair amount of carnage described, we are in the midst of a war after all), so I admit that I wasn’t expecting too much from this other than to be entertained, and in that regard, it was exactly what I expected it to be. In all the WWII books I have read, I have never read one that centered on this aspect of it (the requisition of homes for the war effort), so I found that intriguing, but that didn’t take up much of the plot overall. My initial impression from the first chapter was that there was quite a bit of telling rather than showing, and it had some pacing issues with both dialogue and plot progression that felt a little choppy and stilted, which continued throughout the book.
While I ultimately liked the dynamic between Polly and Freddie, it felt like they were all dialogue with very little emotion, description or details. The supporting characters felt more like props, and lacked depth. In general, they all seemed to just react to things and move along as the plot dictated, rather than having any true motivation for anything they did, which made it hard to connect to any of them.
*Light potential spoiler*
*End of spoiler*
The mystery itself was interesting enough, and I thought the unraveling of it was done satisfactorily, though at times there were developments that felt a little more convenient than clever. Despite my criticisms I did actually enjoy reading this. It was a nice, easy little mystery to spend an afternoon with, and I would recommend it anyone who is looking for a light, quick read. I will likely read the next in the series, if for no other reason than to satisfy my curiosity about Polly’s mysterious past.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.
3.5 stars rounded down to 3
This is a cozy-ish murder mystery (there is a fair amount of carnage described, we are in the midst of a war after all), so I admit that I wasn’t expecting too much from this other than to be entertained, and in that regard, it was exactly what I expected it to be. In all the WWII books I have read, I have never read one that centered on this aspect of it (the requisition of homes for the war effort), so I found that intriguing, but that didn’t take up much of the plot overall. My initial impression from the first chapter was that there was quite a bit of telling rather than showing, and it had some pacing issues with both dialogue and plot progression that felt a little choppy and stilted, which continued throughout the book.
While I ultimately liked the dynamic between Polly and Freddie, it felt like they were all dialogue with very little emotion, description or details. The supporting characters felt more like props, and lacked depth. In general, they all seemed to just react to things and move along as the plot dictated, rather than having any true motivation for anything they did, which made it hard to connect to any of them.
*Light potential spoiler*
*End of spoiler*
The mystery itself was interesting enough, and I thought the unraveling of it was done satisfactorily, though at times there were developments that felt a little more convenient than clever. Despite my criticisms I did actually enjoy reading this. It was a nice, easy little mystery to spend an afternoon with, and I would recommend it anyone who is looking for a light, quick read. I will likely read the next in the series, if for no other reason than to satisfy my curiosity about Polly’s mysterious past.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely given.
3.5 stars rounded down to 3
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Country House Murders got off to a fantastic start, opening during an air raid in London and immediately immersing me in wartime Britain. Freddie quickly won me over with his cheeky charm and good humour. He’s a wonderfully likeable character, even if he does have a knack for finding himself in trouble. I also loved Polly, a brave and capable heroine who was a perfect match for Freddie.
The story moves to a country manor house, where Freddie and Polly are assessing whether it would be suitable as a hospital for wounded soldiers. When their host is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the pair find themselves investigating the crime as more deaths follow. With the police stretched thin by the war effort, they must uncover the truth themselves.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its depiction of wartime Britain. The challenges of blackouts and rationing are woven naturally into the story, while also highlighting the resilience, camaraderie and determination of those left behind to keep the country running. A charming historical mystery with two protagonists I’m really hoping will appear in more books!
The story moves to a country manor house, where Freddie and Polly are assessing whether it would be suitable as a hospital for wounded soldiers. When their host is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the pair find themselves investigating the crime as more deaths follow. With the police stretched thin by the war effort, they must uncover the truth themselves.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its depiction of wartime Britain. The challenges of blackouts and rationing are woven naturally into the story, while also highlighting the resilience, camaraderie and determination of those left behind to keep the country running. A charming historical mystery with two protagonists I’m really hoping will appear in more books!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A pastiche of detective novels of the classic period of British crime fiction, set mainly in a country house which Polly and Freddie are checking out as a possible place for treating injured soldiers during World War 2. They find themselves investigating possible murders, perhaps in a bit too much of a Boy's Own Paper this-is-good-fun way.
The plot is interesting, with some good twists, though I guessed some of the answers to mysteries well before they were revealed. The World War Two background is excellently portrayed, and is probably the strongest aspect of the book. The country house itself is well described.
Most of the characterisation is a bit two-dimensional, as often in crime novels. The weakest dimension of the book is the incipient romance between Polly and Freddie: this is essentially described rather shown through dialogue, and feels rather like a bolt-on.
Overall though, an enjoyable read.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me have an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot is interesting, with some good twists, though I guessed some of the answers to mysteries well before they were revealed. The World War Two background is excellently portrayed, and is probably the strongest aspect of the book. The country house itself is well described.
Most of the characterisation is a bit two-dimensional, as often in crime novels. The weakest dimension of the book is the incipient romance between Polly and Freddie: this is essentially described rather shown through dialogue, and feels rather like a bolt-on.
Overall though, an enjoyable read.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me have an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely loved this story! I was immersed in the time period from the very first line. Polly's role as a volunteer air raid girl is such a unique perspective - she has seen a lot of suffering in a very short time. Her quick friendship with Freddie (she more or less saves his life) feels really authentic (I can see the potential for more between them but Polly is afraid to open up).
The mystery kept me turning the pages and I spent a few hours reading, quite unable to put the book down. The culprit came as a surprise (I thought it was someone entirely different).
The historical details were so well done that I thought I had been transported back to 1941.
Overall, a wonderful mystery set during very challenging times.
#NetGalley
The mystery kept me turning the pages and I spent a few hours reading, quite unable to put the book down. The culprit came as a surprise (I thought it was someone entirely different).
The historical details were so well done that I thought I had been transported back to 1941.
Overall, a wonderful mystery set during very challenging times.
#NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
New friends Polly and Freddie head to the country to requisition a house for the army. There they deal with two deaths and uncover a scheme to steal money from the government during WWII.
The Country House Murders was a slow paced read with just enough excitment to keep you turning the pages. Polly and Freddie work well together and are open to each other's ideas about what might have happened. I wasn't expecting the ending to happen the way it did but was overall satisfied with how things ended. I look forward to more of Polly and Freddie's adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon PublishingvUK and Thomas Mercer for the ARC.
The Country House Murders was a slow paced read with just enough excitment to keep you turning the pages. Polly and Freddie work well together and are open to each other's ideas about what might have happened. I wasn't expecting the ending to happen the way it did but was overall satisfied with how things ended. I look forward to more of Polly and Freddie's adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon PublishingvUK and Thomas Mercer for the ARC.
July 4, 2026
★★★★☆
Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer, and Friday Turner for this ARC.
This was a fun, easy mystery to get lost in. It gave me a lot of Nancy Drew vibes with the old country house, the clues, and the amateur sleuth trying to put all the pieces together. I enjoyed following along and trying to figure out who did it.
The story slowed down a little in the middle, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience. While I guessed a couple of the twists, there were still enough surprises to keep me interested. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a classic feel, this one is definitely worth reading. I’ll be checking out more from Friday Turner.
Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer, and Friday Turner for this ARC.
This was a fun, easy mystery to get lost in. It gave me a lot of Nancy Drew vibes with the old country house, the clues, and the amateur sleuth trying to put all the pieces together. I enjoyed following along and trying to figure out who did it.
The story slowed down a little in the middle, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience. While I guessed a couple of the twists, there were still enough surprises to keep me interested. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a classic feel, this one is definitely worth reading. I’ll be checking out more from Friday Turner.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
I’m not sure what I feel about this book. The characters are lovely and all but the writing is structured very weirdly. There is a lot of telling and not showing for both the mystery aspect of the book as well as the romance. I loved the WWII details placed in throughout the book though and the art details (with the paintings and the historical significances) were very interesting. If the tone was more my style, I think I would liked this better (would have been much like an Agatha Christie) but alas it was too clean cut and stony? If that makes sense. There wasn’t any emotion for the reader to latch onto.
I’m not sure what I feel about this book. The characters are lovely and all but the writing is structured very weirdly. There is a lot of telling and not showing for both the mystery aspect of the book as well as the romance. I loved the WWII details placed in throughout the book though and the art details (with the paintings and the historical significances) were very interesting. If the tone was more my style, I think I would liked this better (would have been much like an Agatha Christie) but alas it was too clean cut and stony? If that makes sense. There wasn’t any emotion for the reader to latch onto.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This wartime murder mystery lacks momentum, beginning with a somewhat somber tone that fails to evolve as the narrative progresses. While Polly is depicted with an almost frantic enthusiasm, Freddie remains frustratingly dim-witted, rendering both lead characters largely unengaging. The story's most compelling figure, Lord Dinkerfield, is unfortunately phased out too early, leaving the remainder of the plot feeling lackluster and devoid of genuine intrigue.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you like WWII home Britain murder mysteries (Foyle's War), you will like this lovely murder mystery. An isolated mansion in the country, the stuffy aristocrats trying to keep standards up in crazy times, a male lead who speaks like Bertie from Bertie & Jeeves, and a competent female lead-what more can a British murder mystery lover want? I look forward to the next book in the series.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It’s Downton Abbey meets Thursday Murder Club! Set during WW2 but doesn’t read as a dusty wartime book, instead it reads like a contemporary fiction. It was slow paced, had a hint of romance, and the ending was satisfactory. Would recommend to anyone moving from romance to crime.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Cosy murder mystery set in a stately home during WW2. Enjoyed the dynamic between the two leads, reminded me of some Agatha Christie characters but with more comedic elements. Enjoyable, easy read
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It was a joy to read The Country House Murders. Polly and Freddie are lovely characters and wonderful amateur sleuths: they don’t get everything right immediately, but they get there at the end. The writing was sharp and witty at the right times and flowed very nicely.
The perfect cozy mystery set at a country house in wartime England. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.
The perfect cozy mystery set at a country house in wartime England. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews