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Penny Brannigan #8
Murder is for Keeps
Local artist Penny Brannigan has been spending her summer painting Gwrych Castle and its surrounding landscapes. A privately owned, castellated Welsh country house, Gwrych has been sadly neglected for decades and is in a heartbreaking state of disrepair. So when she learns architectural historian Mark Baker is leading a team of enthusiastic volunteers to restore the castle grounds and gardens to their former grandeur, Penny is thrilled.
But it’s not long before disagreements over the restoration turn deadly, and Penny is horrified to discover the body of a volunteer hidden in a castle outbuilding. Penny enlists her friend Gareth Davies, recently retired from the North Wales Police Service, to help investigate. As the two dig deeper into the castle's history, including its glamorous heyday in the 1920s, they find startling connections between an old, unsolved murder and Gareth's own family, and as they solve the present-day murder, Penny recovers a stunning piece of the castle's architectural heritage.
Murder Is for Keeps is the latest book in the charming, traditional Penny Brannigan mystery series.
But it’s not long before disagreements over the restoration turn deadly, and Penny is horrified to discover the body of a volunteer hidden in a castle outbuilding. Penny enlists her friend Gareth Davies, recently retired from the North Wales Police Service, to help investigate. As the two dig deeper into the castle's history, including its glamorous heyday in the 1920s, they find startling connections between an old, unsolved murder and Gareth's own family, and as they solve the present-day murder, Penny recovers a stunning piece of the castle's architectural heritage.
Murder Is for Keeps is the latest book in the charming, traditional Penny Brannigan mystery series.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 2, 2017
40 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth J. Duncan
23 books399 followersAfter graduating from Carleton University, Ottawa, with a BA in English, Elizabeth J. Duncan worked as a writer and editor for some of Canada’s largest newspapers, and as a public relations practitioner.
A two-time winner of the Bloody Words Award for Canada's best light mystery, she is the author of two traditional mystery series, Penny Brannigan set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills featuring costume designer Charlotte Fairfax,
Elizabeth divides her time between Toronto, Canada and Llandudno, North Wales.
A two-time winner of the Bloody Words Award for Canada's best light mystery, she is the author of two traditional mystery series, Penny Brannigan set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills featuring costume designer Charlotte Fairfax,
Elizabeth divides her time between Toronto, Canada and Llandudno, North Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
September 8, 2021
This is, unfortunately, in in the "against" column for cozy mysteries. It wasn't horrible. But for a three-hundred-page cozy, it was one heck of a slog, and seemed to take me forever.
One of the most important things in a cozy is the cast of characters, and … the characters in this book did nothing for me. I actually found most of them mildly off-putting. Main character Penny was strangely amorphous, never leaving any kind of strong impression on me at all. She's an artist, of enough impact that when she offers a set of paintings for a fund-raising auction they are happily accepted, and they set off a bidding war – but that's not what she does. (One highlight I made: "My paintings will never do it justice. It’s got something that’s impossible to capture." Not if you're a decent artist, it doesn't.) Her income apparently derives from a spa of sorts she and a friend own and operate – though it sounds more like simply a hair and nail salon than a spa, unless I wasn't paying enough attention (absolutely possible – there was much skimming involved in finishing this book). (This could have been revealed better, for someone who hasn't read – and won't read – the preceding seven books: it took some figuring to realize her position – I had assumed she painted for a living. It's a challenge, providing exposition in a series that will orientate the newbie while not boring the regular reader – and the author failed, I think.) The fact that at one point Penny needs to literally count on her fingers to figure out a date just made me sad.
And then, of course, as another sideline Penny investigates mysteries, for which her partner at one point gives her the sort of talking-to I would expect from a mother to a naughty child, not one middle-aged business partner to another, ticking her off for taking time away from the business to investigate a murder. And yet a little while later she had a complete reversal, and not only encouraged Penny to take a day off to go investigate but volunteered to go with her.
Her one-time (almost?) lover Gareth, now a retired DCI who is having trouble entirely letting go of the job, is also having trouble adjusting to the friendzone Penny has put him in. It was extraordinarily awkward to read about these two people who love spending time with each other, do all sorts of things together, rely on each other in every way, and then kind of clumsily fumble through do-I-kiss-you-or-what-I'll-just-leave-now moments. This might be a good one for my "Just TALK TO EACH OTHER" shelf. They do, talk that is, a little – but it's all … well, stupid. My notes on the Kindle featured such things as "A MAN HAS NEEDS, PENNY"… And then, a few pages later, "NEEDS, I TELL YOU." All caps and everything. When I take the trouble to go all caps and put in the comma on a Kindle note, you know I'm serious. ("'Still, I thought he was devoted to me, and I didn’t really expect this.'" My God, woman.)
Det. Inspector Bethan Morgan, who took Gareth's job when he retired, was another yo-yo character. She absolutely did not want Gareth's help with the investigation, nor Penny's – despite the fact that the latter found the body … until she absolutely did want their help, and then she all but turned the case over to them. It was completely unconvincing.
I felt that the writing was strangely uncertain for something that is the eighth book in a series; it seemed to me like some sections were feeling their way toward where they needed to go. Sentences were badly constructed, commas popped up where they shouldn't and failed to appear where they should, and – oh, look, there's Captain Obvious. "…A rusty red blur emerged from the dense woodland behind the castle. It moved with a swift, agile gait, carrying its bushy whitetipped tail horizontal to the ground, as it headed in the direction of the stable yard. A fox, she thought with delight." And here I thought it might be a wildebeest. That's actually kind of typical. The author doesn't seem to trust her readers much, and I found it annoying to be taken by the hand and led through situations baby step by baby step. I don't know if this is an issue of the uncertainty I mentioned, or an inability to write decent exposition, or that desire to make absolutely, completely, and utterly sure that the picture in the reader's head is exactly the same as the picture in the author's. Maybe it's all of the above. It doesn't make for a fun read.
Or maybe it's just sloppy writing. Like this: "… passed round sandwiches, cheese, and biscuits from the cooler.
'Have we got any biscuits?' 'We do,' said Penny, holding out a packet."
That would be those things that were just passed around with the sandwiches and cheese.
Oh, and "'I’d hate for this paint to fall into the wrong hands.' 'No, I’m sure you wouldn’t,' said Penny" … Um. That doesn't mean what you meant it to mean.
When one young man appears on the scene, his introduction is … well, not to put too fine a point on it, it's a failure. The initial description is perfectly ordinary. And then suddenly in the midst of talking to our heroes he shuts down and demonstrates behavior that makes it obvious that he is mentally and/or emotionally handicapped – but it was so out of the blue that I was completely knocked out of the story. It's later made clear that this character's challenges are obvious to anyone who meets him, but the only indicator the reader is given is that he stumbles over a long-ish word in one of the first bits of dialogue he's given.
As soon as I read that Gareth was being sent in to clean the debris out of a fireplace in the mansion where he's volunteering, I had a horrible feeling that some priceless piece of evidence would be found stuffed up the chimney. And so it was. That's much the way the whole mystery is solved – through "why, look what I have found!" and coincidence, and a fourth-hand account of something that happened (*counts on fingers like Penny*) ninety years ago, of which they have no real proof.
The setting is something else that should be very strong in a cozy – I mean, these things are pretty much the point in this subgenre, aren't they? But apart from names like "Eirlys" and "Bethan" and "Gwrych", and a smattering of Welsh … this could be picked up and set down in any English country village without disturbing a stick or stone of the story. Which is not, of course, to say that I wanted everyone's speech written out to reflect the dialect, or for anyone to burst into Welsh more often than happened – but there had to be a reason the series was set in Wales, no? I'd have liked to have seen it.
Something that could be considered very much a cozy mystery "thing" – and which became really tiresome before long – was the fact that just about every passage – not every chapter, every passage – seemed to begin with, end with, or otherwise feature food. I may not know much about these characters, but I sure know what they ate.
Finally, I was just deeply annoyed by what was a clever pun the first time I saw it, over five years ago, but … really, "Game of Thorns" has been done.
No – one more thing. I wonder what the connection is between Elizabeth J. Duncan and Jeanne Dams, author of the Dorothy Martin mysteries – because Dorothy and her husband Gareth make a really odd and rather pointless-seeming cameo appearance in this book. It was weird.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
One of the most important things in a cozy is the cast of characters, and … the characters in this book did nothing for me. I actually found most of them mildly off-putting. Main character Penny was strangely amorphous, never leaving any kind of strong impression on me at all. She's an artist, of enough impact that when she offers a set of paintings for a fund-raising auction they are happily accepted, and they set off a bidding war – but that's not what she does. (One highlight I made: "My paintings will never do it justice. It’s got something that’s impossible to capture." Not if you're a decent artist, it doesn't.) Her income apparently derives from a spa of sorts she and a friend own and operate – though it sounds more like simply a hair and nail salon than a spa, unless I wasn't paying enough attention (absolutely possible – there was much skimming involved in finishing this book). (This could have been revealed better, for someone who hasn't read – and won't read – the preceding seven books: it took some figuring to realize her position – I had assumed she painted for a living. It's a challenge, providing exposition in a series that will orientate the newbie while not boring the regular reader – and the author failed, I think.) The fact that at one point Penny needs to literally count on her fingers to figure out a date just made me sad.
And then, of course, as another sideline Penny investigates mysteries, for which her partner at one point gives her the sort of talking-to I would expect from a mother to a naughty child, not one middle-aged business partner to another, ticking her off for taking time away from the business to investigate a murder. And yet a little while later she had a complete reversal, and not only encouraged Penny to take a day off to go investigate but volunteered to go with her.
Her one-time (almost?) lover Gareth, now a retired DCI who is having trouble entirely letting go of the job, is also having trouble adjusting to the friendzone Penny has put him in. It was extraordinarily awkward to read about these two people who love spending time with each other, do all sorts of things together, rely on each other in every way, and then kind of clumsily fumble through do-I-kiss-you-or-what-I'll-just-leave-now moments. This might be a good one for my "Just TALK TO EACH OTHER" shelf. They do, talk that is, a little – but it's all … well, stupid. My notes on the Kindle featured such things as "A MAN HAS NEEDS, PENNY"… And then, a few pages later, "NEEDS, I TELL YOU." All caps and everything. When I take the trouble to go all caps and put in the comma on a Kindle note, you know I'm serious. ("'Still, I thought he was devoted to me, and I didn’t really expect this.'" My God, woman.)
Det. Inspector Bethan Morgan, who took Gareth's job when he retired, was another yo-yo character. She absolutely did not want Gareth's help with the investigation, nor Penny's – despite the fact that the latter found the body … until she absolutely did want their help, and then she all but turned the case over to them. It was completely unconvincing.
I felt that the writing was strangely uncertain for something that is the eighth book in a series; it seemed to me like some sections were feeling their way toward where they needed to go. Sentences were badly constructed, commas popped up where they shouldn't and failed to appear where they should, and – oh, look, there's Captain Obvious. "…A rusty red blur emerged from the dense woodland behind the castle. It moved with a swift, agile gait, carrying its bushy whitetipped tail horizontal to the ground, as it headed in the direction of the stable yard. A fox, she thought with delight." And here I thought it might be a wildebeest. That's actually kind of typical. The author doesn't seem to trust her readers much, and I found it annoying to be taken by the hand and led through situations baby step by baby step. I don't know if this is an issue of the uncertainty I mentioned, or an inability to write decent exposition, or that desire to make absolutely, completely, and utterly sure that the picture in the reader's head is exactly the same as the picture in the author's. Maybe it's all of the above. It doesn't make for a fun read.
Or maybe it's just sloppy writing. Like this: "… passed round sandwiches, cheese, and biscuits from the cooler.
'Have we got any biscuits?' 'We do,' said Penny, holding out a packet."
That would be those things that were just passed around with the sandwiches and cheese.
Oh, and "'I’d hate for this paint to fall into the wrong hands.' 'No, I’m sure you wouldn’t,' said Penny" … Um. That doesn't mean what you meant it to mean.
When one young man appears on the scene, his introduction is … well, not to put too fine a point on it, it's a failure. The initial description is perfectly ordinary. And then suddenly in the midst of talking to our heroes he shuts down and demonstrates behavior that makes it obvious that he is mentally and/or emotionally handicapped – but it was so out of the blue that I was completely knocked out of the story. It's later made clear that this character's challenges are obvious to anyone who meets him, but the only indicator the reader is given is that he stumbles over a long-ish word in one of the first bits of dialogue he's given.
As soon as I read that Gareth was being sent in to clean the debris out of a fireplace in the mansion where he's volunteering, I had a horrible feeling that some priceless piece of evidence would be found stuffed up the chimney. And so it was. That's much the way the whole mystery is solved – through "why, look what I have found!" and coincidence, and a fourth-hand account of something that happened (*counts on fingers like Penny*) ninety years ago, of which they have no real proof.
The setting is something else that should be very strong in a cozy – I mean, these things are pretty much the point in this subgenre, aren't they? But apart from names like "Eirlys" and "Bethan" and "Gwrych", and a smattering of Welsh … this could be picked up and set down in any English country village without disturbing a stick or stone of the story. Which is not, of course, to say that I wanted everyone's speech written out to reflect the dialect, or for anyone to burst into Welsh more often than happened – but there had to be a reason the series was set in Wales, no? I'd have liked to have seen it.
Something that could be considered very much a cozy mystery "thing" – and which became really tiresome before long – was the fact that just about every passage – not every chapter, every passage – seemed to begin with, end with, or otherwise feature food. I may not know much about these characters, but I sure know what they ate.
Finally, I was just deeply annoyed by what was a clever pun the first time I saw it, over five years ago, but … really, "Game of Thorns" has been done.
No – one more thing. I wonder what the connection is between Elizabeth J. Duncan and Jeanne Dams, author of the Dorothy Martin mysteries – because Dorothy and her husband Gareth make a really odd and rather pointless-seeming cameo appearance in this book. It was weird.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
June 10, 2017
I have enjoyed all 8 Penny Brannigan books. Penny was hiking through Wales many years ago and fell in love with the country and moved there. She now co-owns a spa with a friend.
The grounds of Gwrych Castle are being recovered after years of neglect. Volunteers are working to bring back the fabulous gardens. Penny is on site doing 4 water colors of the Gwrych grounds to auction off for charity to help offset the costs of the work being done on Gwrych grounds. While there she discovers a body of a man. It is not known for awhile if it is a natural death or murder since the cause of the death has not been discovered.
I always enjoy the secondary characters of Mrs. Lloyd and her companion Florence. Retired detective chief inspector Gareth Davis works with Penny on the case. Gareth makes a decision in this book that I was glad to see. Maybe it will change things in upcoming books.
The was a current death and a murder from the past. A lost magnificent marble staircase is mentioned often as to what happened to it when it was stolen and dismantled many years ago. This is a good series and I am looking forward to the next book. I enjoy the characters and each mystery is always different.
The grounds of Gwrych Castle are being recovered after years of neglect. Volunteers are working to bring back the fabulous gardens. Penny is on site doing 4 water colors of the Gwrych grounds to auction off for charity to help offset the costs of the work being done on Gwrych grounds. While there she discovers a body of a man. It is not known for awhile if it is a natural death or murder since the cause of the death has not been discovered.
I always enjoy the secondary characters of Mrs. Lloyd and her companion Florence. Retired detective chief inspector Gareth Davis works with Penny on the case. Gareth makes a decision in this book that I was glad to see. Maybe it will change things in upcoming books.
The was a current death and a murder from the past. A lost magnificent marble staircase is mentioned often as to what happened to it when it was stolen and dismantled many years ago. This is a good series and I am looking forward to the next book. I enjoy the characters and each mystery is always different.
October 16, 2017
I have traveled through Wales and have been to Conwy Castle, but I do not know North Wales that well. Murder for Keeps (Penny Brannigan #8) by Elizabeth J. Duncan intrigued me with Gwrych Castle, the main setting for this particular cozy mystery, which is an actual castle in North Wales. Thus, I checked it out on The Internet, and it is truly something to see. It was built as a private home which spreads out quite a bit. When I saw the pictures, I could just imagine how it looked in its heyday. It must have been absolutely stunning. Personally, I would have loved to live there. I can certainly see why the author had volunteers cleaning up the site & had Penny continually stating how sad it is that so much had been stolen because w/o security, people would come to the Castle’s site and steal whatever they could including parts of the interior. Dr. Mark Baker is in the story and heads up the volunteers, but there is a real Dr. Mark Baker who is the “chairman of the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust”, and he and the volunteers are cleaning up the Castle’s site as well as restoring some of the outside areas. It is fun reading a cozy mystery where characters are actually people working on a true site. Enjoyable!
April 8, 2017
A long-running cozy mystery set in the Welsh countryside. This is the second book I have read of this series, both out of order but I had no trouble following along. The Gwrych grounds are being restored after years of neglect. Volunteers are working in gardens. Penny Brannigan is painting the castle grounds for a fundraiser when she finds the body of a man. The manner of his death is undetermined. Penny and retired Inspector Gareth Davies look into the matter. Later a grave is found located in the castle rose garden. Gareth's Grandmother worked at the castle in the 1920's. Looking through her belongings, Penny discovers a clue to help solve the mystery. I recommend this book.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from St. Martin's Press for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from St. Martin's Press for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
October 9, 2017
#8 in the Penny Brannigan series. Average series entry. Not much activity at Penny's spa, and only one scene has her working (folding towels). Much of the book takes place at the ruins of Gwrych Castle where Penny is busy painting (watercolors) and finding bodies. The book will appeal mostly to series fans who will recognize the villagers, seen here in cameos.
Penny Brannigan series - Penny finds a body in the grounds of Gwrych Castle, near her home in North Wales. The dead man volunteered with a crew renovating the castle, and after his developmentally challenged son disappears, Penny pieces together a connection between their family, the renovation's site manager, and a 20-year-old theft. Meanwhile, a skeleton turns up in the castle garden, and Penny's friend Gareth Davies, recently retired from the police force, investigates.
Penny Brannigan series - Penny finds a body in the grounds of Gwrych Castle, near her home in North Wales. The dead man volunteered with a crew renovating the castle, and after his developmentally challenged son disappears, Penny pieces together a connection between their family, the renovation's site manager, and a 20-year-old theft. Meanwhile, a skeleton turns up in the castle garden, and Penny's friend Gareth Davies, recently retired from the police force, investigates.
July 27, 2017
Wonderful how the characters intertwine. And the recurring characters. Interesting plot with Penny.
August 23, 2024
Nice easy to read cozy series.
March 15, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books. Thank you.
This number eight Penny Brannigan cozy mystery was a solid 3.5 star read for me. It was my first time to read the series and I was impressed with the good writing and plotting I found here. There were just enough location and character names to firmly establish the action taking place in Wales. The clues were well concealed within the story and I did not have the solution completely figured out until it was revealed by the author. While the manner of death was not unusual, the length of time it took to establish that the victim had even been murdered was very well done because of how that death was accomplished. I also liked the way the author established the relationship between Penny and recently retired Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies. Taken all together, this was a very pleasant reading experience which I enjoyed.
This number eight Penny Brannigan cozy mystery was a solid 3.5 star read for me. It was my first time to read the series and I was impressed with the good writing and plotting I found here. There were just enough location and character names to firmly establish the action taking place in Wales. The clues were well concealed within the story and I did not have the solution completely figured out until it was revealed by the author. While the manner of death was not unusual, the length of time it took to establish that the victim had even been murdered was very well done because of how that death was accomplished. I also liked the way the author established the relationship between Penny and recently retired Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies. Taken all together, this was a very pleasant reading experience which I enjoyed.
April 11, 2017
Murder Is For Keeps is the eighth book in the A Penny Brannigan Mystery series.
It’s a joy to venture to Wales and it’s beautiful countryside and visit with Penny Brannigan and Murder is For Keeps is not an exception.
Gwrych Castle, at one time, was very elegant with its marble staircase and expensive appointments. But over the decades it has fallen into disrepair and most of the items of any value have been looted by caravan people. Andrew Warburton, an architectural historian, and author has been raising money and volunteers to at least bring the gardens back to their former glory
Penny enjoyed coming up to the castle sketch and do watercolors of the old castle. One day as she realized all the workers had left for the day and she was packing up to go home, she notices a pick-up truck still parked on the sight. She is sure everyone has left for the day and begins to search the area where something had caught her eye. When she comes to what she guesses used to be the kennels, she finds the lifeless body of John Hardwick, a landscape architect, and volunteer. Once the police do a little investigation they find that Hardwick and Mark Baker, who is in charge of the project, were constantly at odds with just about everything concerning the restoration. Penny feels that Baker is not a murderer and soon convinces her friend and Detective Chief Inspector, Garth Davies, to volunteer to work on the restoration and to watch for clues as to who the murderer was. As Penny and Garth pursue the various avenues in their search they find that the death may have had more do with the ransacking of the castle than disagreements about the current work being performed.
Another well-plotted and written story from Elizabeth Duncan. As in the other books in the series, the cast of characters are equally enjoyable. This reader hasn’t given up hope that Penny and Garth might decide to give each other another chance.
Will eagerly be watching for the next book in the series.
It’s a joy to venture to Wales and it’s beautiful countryside and visit with Penny Brannigan and Murder is For Keeps is not an exception.
Gwrych Castle, at one time, was very elegant with its marble staircase and expensive appointments. But over the decades it has fallen into disrepair and most of the items of any value have been looted by caravan people. Andrew Warburton, an architectural historian, and author has been raising money and volunteers to at least bring the gardens back to their former glory
Penny enjoyed coming up to the castle sketch and do watercolors of the old castle. One day as she realized all the workers had left for the day and she was packing up to go home, she notices a pick-up truck still parked on the sight. She is sure everyone has left for the day and begins to search the area where something had caught her eye. When she comes to what she guesses used to be the kennels, she finds the lifeless body of John Hardwick, a landscape architect, and volunteer. Once the police do a little investigation they find that Hardwick and Mark Baker, who is in charge of the project, were constantly at odds with just about everything concerning the restoration. Penny feels that Baker is not a murderer and soon convinces her friend and Detective Chief Inspector, Garth Davies, to volunteer to work on the restoration and to watch for clues as to who the murderer was. As Penny and Garth pursue the various avenues in their search they find that the death may have had more do with the ransacking of the castle than disagreements about the current work being performed.
Another well-plotted and written story from Elizabeth Duncan. As in the other books in the series, the cast of characters are equally enjoyable. This reader hasn’t given up hope that Penny and Garth might decide to give each other another chance.
Will eagerly be watching for the next book in the series.
August 29, 2017
My first Duncan, so did not know Penny Brannigan -- STILL don't know her. Is she a spa owner/worker, an artist, or an amateur detective? And who cares? I know this was a "cozy" mystery, but it was too silly for me. Good enough for her that her nice boyfriend has moved on to greener pastures, so to speak. She didn't deserve him anyway. And the story lacked any semblance of being possible -- picky picky, I know. Good for those who love such drivel.
August 12, 2017
What a disappointment. This is the eighth Brannigan title I have read and they have been getting less interesting as the series goes on. Little mystery involved and change with Gareth's relationship was telegraphed loud and clear. Sad to see a good series loosing its way.
September 2, 2017
I really liked the story line...but the prose is so "basic" that I found it boring to read.
I finished just to find out who had "done it", but I don't think I'll waste my time with this author again.
I finished just to find out who had "done it", but I don't think I'll waste my time with this author again.
October 25, 2018
Not terribly impressed I'm afraid. Prose is pedestrian, plot is weak and characters not well developed.
October 10, 2022
I'm not really impressed with Penny Brannigan.
February 27, 2020
Between 3 and 4 stars. Read through this one quick as this series is always a good read and gets me motivated to read more books. I missed this one when it came out, and after reading the latest book in the series, I backtracked to this one.
The main plot, the death of John Hardwick, felt like it stewed in the background until the AHA moment came. I also liked the side plot of the 90 year old cold case of the skeleton unearthed on the property. And I enjoyed it but it seemed a bit...off. Maybe because Garth is newly retired, so Penny wasn't exactly in the thick of things. Maybe because the characters seem to be growing and progressing. But it all took a backseat to Penny's cold dark heart and her seeming indifference to Gareth finally giving up on her and taking off to be with a woman he'd just met. While it could be perceived as making Penny a bit unlikable, I think it uncovers how little Penny has been fleshed out as a character. She has stagnated, but the other characters haven't. Hmm.
And am I the only one who thinks of Mrs Lloyd as Hyacinth from Keeping Up Appearances? And Florence as Hyacinth's neighbor Cynthia? Can never shake that image.
Anyway, an enjoyable book but one that highlighted the shortcomings of the series. And frankly Gareth, I think you're better off.
The main plot, the death of John Hardwick, felt like it stewed in the background until the AHA moment came. I also liked the side plot of the 90 year old cold case of the skeleton unearthed on the property. And I enjoyed it but it seemed a bit...off. Maybe because Garth is newly retired, so Penny wasn't exactly in the thick of things. Maybe because the characters seem to be growing and progressing. But it all took a backseat to Penny's cold dark heart and her seeming indifference to Gareth finally giving up on her and taking off to be with a woman he'd just met. While it could be perceived as making Penny a bit unlikable, I think it uncovers how little Penny has been fleshed out as a character. She has stagnated, but the other characters haven't. Hmm.
And am I the only one who thinks of Mrs Lloyd as Hyacinth from Keeping Up Appearances? And Florence as Hyacinth's neighbor Cynthia? Can never shake that image.
Anyway, an enjoyable book but one that highlighted the shortcomings of the series. And frankly Gareth, I think you're better off.
October 8, 2024
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This book is a part of the Penny Brannigan Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone though you can tell there are characters that span books in the series. Events are referenced but explained. It is the first book I read by the author.
Penny is an artist and also a co-owner of a spa. She has volunteered to do pieces of art for a charitable auction to benefit Gwrych Castle in Wales. While she is at the castle, she discovers a body. Her friend, Gareth is a newly retired policeman and they work together to solve the mystery and brainstorm ideas.
I like the history and culture of Wales that comes through in the book.
The story is an easy read. The dialogue is realistic. The pace is good. It is told mostly from Penny’s point of view but includes a few scenes told by others.
Gareth and Penny have a turning point in their relationship during this book.
The book could have used a bit of editing. The paragraphing is iffy in spots.
Spoiler...There is a skeleton found at the castle and this part of the story is incompletely resolved.
I would read more books in the series.
This book is a part of the Penny Brannigan Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone though you can tell there are characters that span books in the series. Events are referenced but explained. It is the first book I read by the author.
Penny is an artist and also a co-owner of a spa. She has volunteered to do pieces of art for a charitable auction to benefit Gwrych Castle in Wales. While she is at the castle, she discovers a body. Her friend, Gareth is a newly retired policeman and they work together to solve the mystery and brainstorm ideas.
I like the history and culture of Wales that comes through in the book.
The story is an easy read. The dialogue is realistic. The pace is good. It is told mostly from Penny’s point of view but includes a few scenes told by others.
Gareth and Penny have a turning point in their relationship during this book.
The book could have used a bit of editing. The paragraphing is iffy in spots.
Spoiler...There is a skeleton found at the castle and this part of the story is incompletely resolved.
I would read more books in the series.
December 24, 2025
I stumbled across this series years ago and have enjoyed it since the first book took Penny, the MC, from Canada to Wales. After all these books, she has settled in quite nicely, and it's been fun tagging along on her journey.
I like Penny's character - not only is she artistic, she is resourceful, intelligent, compassionate and logical. She can't resist investigating whatever crimes come to her attention, but she reports her findings to local law enforcement, and she doesn't knowingly put herself in harm's way. She has a good group of people around her, although after this book, there may be one less person in that circle. Time will tell :)
The primary focus in this book is on the renovation of a nearby castle - until, of course, a body is found. While investigating the death, questions arise that don't appear to be related, but Penny chases down answers just the same. I probably should have been surprised by the identity of the culprit, but I wasn't, and the motive was to be expected as well.
I do not yet own a copy of the next book in this series, either audio or ebook, but it's on my list of books to watch for during book sales.
I like Penny's character - not only is she artistic, she is resourceful, intelligent, compassionate and logical. She can't resist investigating whatever crimes come to her attention, but she reports her findings to local law enforcement, and she doesn't knowingly put herself in harm's way. She has a good group of people around her, although after this book, there may be one less person in that circle. Time will tell :)
The primary focus in this book is on the renovation of a nearby castle - until, of course, a body is found. While investigating the death, questions arise that don't appear to be related, but Penny chases down answers just the same. I probably should have been surprised by the identity of the culprit, but I wasn't, and the motive was to be expected as well.
I do not yet own a copy of the next book in this series, either audio or ebook, but it's on my list of books to watch for during book sales.
June 6, 2017
A restoration of an old country house leads to a murder of one of the male volunteers. It was soon found that there was no cause of death, but Penny is approached by his wife because she believes he was murdered. In the meantime a woman's skeleton is uncovered in the garden that is being restored. Gareth and Penny vow to help the police solve the murder as well as find out the name of the woman skeleton found. I have to admit that when the book ended, I didn't feel that all the questions were resolved. What were the circumstances regarding Lane's mother? Did Gareth research the history on the woman's skeleton and find if the family was still around? Maybe that is going to be in the next book. What was the relationship between Ifor and Angela? Why was she afraid of him? Was Angela helping Ifor? Didn't quite understand why Penny resorted to violence as it appeared she was free to go. Will read next book in series, but felt this one needed more closure on events.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2017
This was a light and easy read...
The main character (see I don't even remember her name) is an artist. Her male friend is the former CID of the town.
They are volunteering together in the ruins of the local Castle Keeps when she discovers the body of a well known garden expert & renovator. He was working there in order to get to know his special needs estranged son.
His son makes friends w/ the protagonist & the former CID, then he disappears....
Meanwhile there comes the question: "What happened to the marble staircase?" The staircase was the focal point of the castle, w/ 55 steps, 2 landings, & a red carpet ending at a stained glass window.
It took me a while to get into the book, because it is a semi-cozy, but when I did, I found it enjoyable.
There isn't gratuitous violence, but there is a back story about the castle and its destruction by "new age travelers" and the nifty solution of the staircase
The main character (see I don't even remember her name) is an artist. Her male friend is the former CID of the town.
They are volunteering together in the ruins of the local Castle Keeps when she discovers the body of a well known garden expert & renovator. He was working there in order to get to know his special needs estranged son.
His son makes friends w/ the protagonist & the former CID, then he disappears....
Meanwhile there comes the question: "What happened to the marble staircase?" The staircase was the focal point of the castle, w/ 55 steps, 2 landings, & a red carpet ending at a stained glass window.
It took me a while to get into the book, because it is a semi-cozy, but when I did, I found it enjoyable.
There isn't gratuitous violence, but there is a back story about the castle and its destruction by "new age travelers" and the nifty solution of the staircase
February 17, 2020
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book since I haven’t read any other Penny Brannigan books before, but I really enjoyed this. It’s what’s called “a cosy”, I believe, and I found it refreshing and soothing at the same time. I had to deduce a lot since I haven’t been in on Penny’s adventures before so I worked out she’s Canadian, as I am, and she lives in Wales because she loves it. I learned about the nature of her relationship with Garett and Victoria, and I started to learn who the people in her village are. I have never really taken to mysteries where the main character is in danger and people are threatening him/her all the time, they trigger my anxieties, so I was happy to find this book had moments when I thought something bad was going to happen to a main character but nothing ever did, for which I am profoundly grateful. I can’t handle that level of stress. Anyway, all this to say, I enjoyed the book and I’ll look for others at the library, for sure.
May 26, 2017
As much as I like this series and I am a fan of Elizabeth J. Duncan, I had to force myself to finish this book for the fact there is not much of a story line and most of the book is about a historical manor in Wales and the restoration projects handled by volunteers. Don’t get me wrong I like it when stories use historical backgrounds, but while reading the book, it felt like the whole book is about the landmark. (I guess the creative process can’t be forced with deadlines and such.) Also there is hardly any interactions or feelings between the characters, making the book lacking any warmth. I understand the main character has baggage like everyone, but I don’t like her not having any emotional bond with anybody, especially with Garret Davis. I hope the next book will be mostly about relationships. Three stars.
May 12, 2017
Penny Brannigan offered to donate paintings of Gwrych Castle for a fundraiser to bring the neglected grounds and gardens back to their former glory. She is packing up her equipment to head home when she realizes one of the volunteer's truck is still there after everyone else had left for the day. Her curiosity leads her to discovering the body of a man - John Hardwick. While there is no evidence of foul play, Hardwick's widow is convinced her husband was murdered. Gareth Davies, now retired from the police, becomes involved with the case. He has some family ties to Gwrych Castle. Gareth's grandmother had worked as a seamstress there before she was married. Another satisfying book in this series. Many familiar characters appear, and personal relationships begin changing among some of them.
June 5, 2017
enjoyable read
consistent with Duncan's previous Penny Brannigan mysteries. The solution hinges on some little remembered/known fact --in this case -oil paint pigmentations which are poisonous have been banned; therefore the finding of those pigments can validate a paintings history.
The placement of the great staircase in plain sight is a further indication of the villain's state of mind.
As with many of these classic mysteries the romantic life of the heroine does not go smoothly. In this book, her partner decides he wants more from a relationship than they have and breaks off the relationship with her.
consistent with Duncan's previous Penny Brannigan mysteries. The solution hinges on some little remembered/known fact --in this case -oil paint pigmentations which are poisonous have been banned; therefore the finding of those pigments can validate a paintings history.
The placement of the great staircase in plain sight is a further indication of the villain's state of mind.
As with many of these classic mysteries the romantic life of the heroine does not go smoothly. In this book, her partner decides he wants more from a relationship than they have and breaks off the relationship with her.
May 22, 2019
2019 bk 166. If I found a dead body, I'd be a little shaken and upset, not Penny, the heroine of our book. She takes visual notes, goes back and packs up her paints, and calls the police from her mobile phone. Ah - this is not the first of the series and one of her best friends is the newly retired Chief Inspector of their small Welsh town. Work is being done on the local castle, known for its beautiful marble staircase that has been missing since the 1980's. Encounters with the directors of the renovation project, the volunteers, and the wife of the deceased lead Penny and her friend in all sorts of directions before the murder is solved. A good read on a rainy evening.
December 29, 2019
Penny Brannigan is doing a series of four paintings of the Gwrych Castle to be sold at auction to raise money to restore the castle grounds. While she is there one afternoon she discovers the body of one of the volunteers who had been helping with the restoration. Then a young man, who is apparently, son of the murder victim, disappears. And while digging in the garden some of the volunteers discover the bones of a young woman. Are all three mysteries tied together in some way? And what about the castle itself? Can anything be learned about the theft of the clock, the marble steps, and other items from the castle? There is a nice tie-in to Gareth Davies' family history.
April 3, 2022
Another wonderful story in this long running series. Penny Brannigan is painting Gwrych Castle and it’s surrounding landscapes, the castle is in a terrible state of disrepair. Penny is thrilled when Historian Mark Baker has a team of volunteers working to restore the castle and surrounding gardens.
But all is not well, Penny discovers the body of a volunteer hidden in one of the outbuildings.
Penny asks retired DCI Gareth Davies to assist her. Bones are later discovered on the Castle property that date back to 1925. They also discover a connection to Gareth’s grandmother and the bones that were found. An engaging mystery, I loved the audiobook.
But all is not well, Penny discovers the body of a volunteer hidden in one of the outbuildings.
Penny asks retired DCI Gareth Davies to assist her. Bones are later discovered on the Castle property that date back to 1925. They also discover a connection to Gareth’s grandmother and the bones that were found. An engaging mystery, I loved the audiobook.
June 29, 2017
Volunteers are working to restore Gwrych Castle, a real, and historically significant, estate in Wales. Penny Brannigan offers to do some watercolors of the buildings, to be auctioned off at a fund-raiser. But she finds a dead body on the grounds, involving local police and also her discouraged suitor retired detective Gareth Davies, whose grandmother, it turns out, had been a seamstress at the Castle. When workers find a skeleton buried in the rose garden, it makes one too many a case for the understaffed local police to undertake, so they farm that problem out to Penny and Gareth.
June 7, 2017
Gwrych Castle in North Wales is run-down and neglected, but still features the regal beauty of its architecture. Penny Brannigan loves to paint it and spends many of her free hours doing just that. When she discovers the dead body of a man in a castle niche, she can't help but try to put together clues that might help Bethan, the local detective inspector.
I continue to enjoy this series of mysteries which are enriched by the author's descriptions of the lush beauty and rich history of Wales.
I continue to enjoy this series of mysteries which are enriched by the author's descriptions of the lush beauty and rich history of Wales.
August 15, 2017
This book was an enjoyable read. The mystery was well thought out. The characters are still growing and evolving. The setting sounds lovely. I enjoy that 2 characters of the Dorothy Martin series by Jeanne Dams showed up. They’ve been running into each other for several books now and it is fun to watch for them. There is an unexpected twist regarding Gareth near the end. You’ll be surprised!
November 27, 2017
Penny has been spending her summer painting the Gwrych castle, a beautiful place that has been neglected for decades and is in ruins. A group of volunteers is trying to restore the castle but trouble breaks out and Penny finds a body of a volunteer. Penny gets her friend a retired policeman to help her figure out what happened. They find several mysteries that started in the past before figuring it out.
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