Murder in Mistake

by Anne Cleeland

Doyle couldn’t stop thinking about that one little boy who’d been in the audience during the school’s Career Day event—the one who kept asking the troubling question. Strange, that the boy’s father seems to have disappeared—and even more strange that there was a connection betwixt the father and her own household. Nothing made much sense, though, and it seemed fairly clear that a terrible mistake had been made—or at least, she hoped it was a mistake. . .

Genres: Mystery, Crime

202 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 25, 2026

About the author

Anne Cleeland writes a contemporary Scotland Yard mystery series that is featured in the Amazon top 100 best sellers. She also writes a historical series of stand-alone books set in the Regency period. A member of International Thriller Writers, The Historical Novel Society, and Mystery Writers of America, she lives in California and has four children. www.annecleeland.com; @annecleeland.

Reviews

[Tamara Rickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

can’t get enough …

Some people have said this series is patronizing and misogynistic but some people have no sense of humor and wouldn’t know irony and satire if it slapped them in the face. Don’t listen to some people, this series is a rollicking good time but you must start at book one so you know what the mackerel-snapping ‘shant’ means when she calls her husband a ‘nob’. They are quite a pair Lord and ‘not ready for prime time Lady’ Acton and they always solve the crime even if they have to pull the Range Rover over for a quickie on the way to interview a suspect. What a life!

[Ez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another good but highly repetitive read. There's another ghost, another mystery that Acton is two steps ahead of everyone on, another series of clues Doyle practically falls into due to her intuition rather than any demonstrable skill (which is always a shame because Doyle deserves so much more) and more questions than answers given throughout the book. This time the backdrop takes a slight veer to the right with the case centring around a little boy Doyle met at Careers Day at school. When his questions about killing people stay on Doyle's mind, they're drawn into a plot around a murder in mistake (massive clue in the title once again).

I was really excited when the case seemed to be adding a bit of new blood to the much-regurgitated plots and tropes...however the ghost was a familiar one and the case went straight back to the fraudulent art case. There wasn't too much movement with this so expect it to be dragged out yet again in the next book because while there were one or two revelations and arrests (with seemingly little effort from our lead couple), the actual case didn't move much at all. When you think the key players are tied up or the case is coming to an end, you can trust this author to keep it dragging on to squeeze out another dozen or so books with it.

Fans of the series will probably like this and I found it a good read but again, the repetition and lack of variety with tropes is still getting really tired. I don't know if I'm still reading the books because I like the series or because I've stuck with it so long I have FOMO. They're definitely not one-clicks on release for me anymore as the story is basically the same with the names of the ghosts and suspects changed to match the title that's been picked. A lot of readers might guess who the culprit is in this as there were hints here and there but it's not actually 'solved' and readers aren't clued in properly until the last few pages. Savoie doesn't make an appearance (boooooo!) and a good chunk takes place at Trestles which was a nice change. The author still needs to do some decent editing for typos and general errors as well. On a positive note, the baby Mary is finally here :)

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: A Doyle & Acton Mystery
Publication Date: 2/25/26
Period: Contemporary London
Number of Pages: 202

I always look forward to each new entry in this quirky, well-written, and excellently paced series. The characters are unique, engaging, and simply fun to get to know. Doyle is a by-the-book, working-class member of London’s police establishment who also happens to be just a touch fey. Acton, on the other hand, is an aristocrat with a title who wields authority with confidence—and occasionally takes justice into his own hands. When these two marry… well… Katie bar the door!

In this delightful installment, we are introduced to Mary, the newest addition to their family—and, at last, one of the children seems to have taken after Doyle. I loved that touch!

During her latest pregnancy, one of Doyle’s light-duty assignments is speaking at a school Career Day. One young boy stands out to her, as he asks each speaker the same unsettling question: have they ever killed someone? Intrigued—and more than a little concerned—Doyle decides to follow up with a visit to the child, setting a tangled investigation in motion. With twists, turns, and plenty of red herrings, the mystery keeps you guessing about the who, how, and why. This case proves to have many layers, including corruption, cover-ups, and carefully hidden truths.

I highly recommend this fun and quirky series, which blends satire and humor with a well-paced mystery. As always, there are intriguing hints about future character developments and mysteries yet to come. While the central mystery in this book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, readers will get the most out of the humor, relationships, and ongoing story arcs by starting with the earlier books in the series.

Happy reading!

[Huldie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Many Twists and Turns

Anne Cleveland is a master at writing mysteries that can be difficult to solve. And this is even more difficult than the others in the series. A little boy asks every speaker at Career Day at his school if they've ever killed anyone. Kathleen Doyle decides to speak with the child to find out about the reason for the question and this sets in motion an investigation that reveals many layers of corruption.

[Picheo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of a super fan.

I have read the whole series. It keeps me guessing as to "who done it". I am not a fan of the talking to ghosts part but I can understand why the author chooses to use the plot line.
I have enjoyed the journey so for with Kathleen and Michael but the first book in the series was my absolute favorite. I have probably read that book more than 20 times. As they say, " try it you'll like it ".

[Lilly Hi Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Mystery

Sometimes authors get stale when they've written multiple books about a particular character but not Anne Cleeland. This book is fresh and interesting. It has could on maternity leave carrying for her newborn baby girl and discovering crimes involving her family and the Tressles servants. It was fun to read and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

[martha m.fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great mystery with Acton and Doyle's usual results

Another offering in this exceptional series. It kept me reading until it's conclusion. As always this mystery was not complete because it is just part of the complex overall picture. Can't wait for the next installment. I highly recommend this series.

[Cherie de Waal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely boring!

This is a very good series and I have bought all the books in the series, however I am sorry to have bought this one. The book was just boring with very boring subject.

[Mate Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a treat!

Delightful tale, as always well told. Impossible not to adore both Acton and Doyle and their children add delicious layers to the stories. Can’t wait for the next one!

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ***

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story.

I liked it, but I have the same complaint as the last few times. The amount of backstory necessary to understand the current story is getting dense.

[Elizabeth Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleeland never disappoints me.
Her stories are solidly constructed with fascination characters.
This one is particularly complex.

[Ira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read selected few of a long series, Kathleen and Michael sries is one of them.
The others? Eve & Roarke and Sebastian & Hero.

Never tired to read their stories 😘

❤️❤️❤️

[HatGirl8]

3/4/2026

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always enjoy the complicated lives of this interesting couple and the surrounding cast of characters.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series!

[AliciaJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel so lucky that we continue to get new books in this series. Doyle and Acton have turned out to be one of my very favorite detective couples.