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An Iris Grey Mystery #1
Murder at the Mill
Murder at the Mill (The Iris Grey Mysteries) [Paperback] Shaw, M. B. and Bagshawe, Tilly
448 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2017
105 people are currently reading
2561 people want to read
About the author
M.B. Shaw
3 books95 followersM.B. Shaw is the pen-name of New York Times bestselling writer Tilly Bagshawe. A teenage single mother at 17, Tilly won a place at Cambridge University and took her baby daughter with her. She went on to enjoy a successful career before becoming a writer. As a journalist, Tilly contributed regularly to the Sunday Times, Daily Mail, and Evening Standard, before turning her hand to novels.
Tilly's first book, ADORED, was a smash hit on both sides of the Atlantic, becoming an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. She now divides her time between the UK and America, writing her own books and the new series of Sidney Sheldon novels.
Tilly's first book, ADORED, was a smash hit on both sides of the Atlantic, becoming an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. She now divides her time between the UK and America, writing her own books and the new series of Sidney Sheldon novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
December 11, 2018
Festive, cozy, and with a vintage-feel—I am in love with M. B. Shaw’s new series featuring the fantastic Iris Grey! In a mystery that is more driven by sleuthing and uncovering the truth than it is danger or gruesomeness, Iris will charm you with her perceptiveness and dogged determination to uncover what happened and who is responsible. A murder on Christmas Day will spark a journey with many reveals along the way. In the best version of a cozy, we learn that even in a small, charmed town, everyone has secrets.
See my full review on PhDiva.blog!
About the Book
A picture hides a thousand lies . . . And only Iris Grey can uncover the truth.
Artist and painter Iris Grey arrives at Mill Cottage in a picture-perfect Hampshire village, looking to escape from her crumbling marriage to playwright Ian. On the grounds of Mill House, Mill Cottage has it all—a quaint charm, beautiful scenery, and a view of the goings-on of Mill House’s famous family, the Wetherbys. When Iris is commissioned to paint a portrait of Dominic Wetherby, a celebrated crime writer, she knows that the portraiture process will give her even more of a glimpse behind the family’s perfect façade.
At the Wetherby's Christmas Eve party, the mulled wine is in full flow–but so too are tensions and rivalries among the guests. Something is not quite right about the Wetherby family, but Iris can’t put her finger on it. When Christmas Day rolls around, the youngest member of the Wetherby family, Lorcan, finds a body in the water. A tragic accident? Or a deadly crime?
With the snow falling, Iris enters a world of village gossip, romantic intrigue, buried secrets and murder.
Reflection
It is hard to know where to place this book in the pantheon of mystery/thrillers. It has elements of a cozy mystery—a charming small town, an amateur detective with a quirky hobby, and a dead body arriving on the scene in a most unexpected way. But there is a depth and intellect to Murder at the Mill that place it above and outside what many of us think of as the traditional cozy mystery. It has a vintage Agatha Christie feel to it, and the reveal is clever, shocking, and completely delightful for the mind.
The way Shaw weaves together the pieces of this story is masterful. Not a single clue or strange occurrence is without purpose. There are no overly gratuitous red herrings that are solely there to cause confusion. Every single moment is important, and the mystery itself is intellectually gratifying—a puzzle that I wanted to solve right along with Iris!
The characters are expertly created. Aside from Iris—who is as beautiful as she is quirky and intelligent, and a character who’s style of dress is described as “deranged jackdaw”—we have the Wetherby family who is a delightful mystery of their own. The mother Ariadne is angelic and talented and caring, but there is something hard to pinpoint about her. Dom is charismatic and magnetic, but does his attractive personality mask a darker side? And the boys, Lorcan, Billy, and Marcus, each have a distinct role to play with a unique personality. I can see why everyone is so obsessed with the Wetherby’s!
Let’s not forget some of the other characters… Jenna, the wife to Marcus, who simultaneously is an insider and an outsider in her own family. And then there is Rachel, the attractive, enigmatic producer who is drunk and upset at the Christmas Party. Ian, the angry ex-husband who is jealous of his wife’s success and desperate for her to stay with him. Graham, Dom’s late best friend’s younger brother, who is a successful attorney and quite taken with Iris Grey. All of the characters are magnificent! I could go on and on!
I don’t want to spoil the mystery, but I’ll say that the journey to the whodunit is fantastic, that by the time you get there you will be shocked by the reveal! At one point or another I suspected nearly everyone. And then even after the reveal, there is a completely delightful follow up sequence—a second mystery, if you will. I am just beyond thrilled with this wonderful book, and it is one you should definitely read this holiday season!
I want to thank the team at Minotaur for my copy of this book.
See my full review on PhDiva.blog!
About the Book
A picture hides a thousand lies . . . And only Iris Grey can uncover the truth.
Artist and painter Iris Grey arrives at Mill Cottage in a picture-perfect Hampshire village, looking to escape from her crumbling marriage to playwright Ian. On the grounds of Mill House, Mill Cottage has it all—a quaint charm, beautiful scenery, and a view of the goings-on of Mill House’s famous family, the Wetherbys. When Iris is commissioned to paint a portrait of Dominic Wetherby, a celebrated crime writer, she knows that the portraiture process will give her even more of a glimpse behind the family’s perfect façade.
At the Wetherby's Christmas Eve party, the mulled wine is in full flow–but so too are tensions and rivalries among the guests. Something is not quite right about the Wetherby family, but Iris can’t put her finger on it. When Christmas Day rolls around, the youngest member of the Wetherby family, Lorcan, finds a body in the water. A tragic accident? Or a deadly crime?
With the snow falling, Iris enters a world of village gossip, romantic intrigue, buried secrets and murder.
Reflection
It is hard to know where to place this book in the pantheon of mystery/thrillers. It has elements of a cozy mystery—a charming small town, an amateur detective with a quirky hobby, and a dead body arriving on the scene in a most unexpected way. But there is a depth and intellect to Murder at the Mill that place it above and outside what many of us think of as the traditional cozy mystery. It has a vintage Agatha Christie feel to it, and the reveal is clever, shocking, and completely delightful for the mind.
The way Shaw weaves together the pieces of this story is masterful. Not a single clue or strange occurrence is without purpose. There are no overly gratuitous red herrings that are solely there to cause confusion. Every single moment is important, and the mystery itself is intellectually gratifying—a puzzle that I wanted to solve right along with Iris!
The characters are expertly created. Aside from Iris—who is as beautiful as she is quirky and intelligent, and a character who’s style of dress is described as “deranged jackdaw”—we have the Wetherby family who is a delightful mystery of their own. The mother Ariadne is angelic and talented and caring, but there is something hard to pinpoint about her. Dom is charismatic and magnetic, but does his attractive personality mask a darker side? And the boys, Lorcan, Billy, and Marcus, each have a distinct role to play with a unique personality. I can see why everyone is so obsessed with the Wetherby’s!
Let’s not forget some of the other characters… Jenna, the wife to Marcus, who simultaneously is an insider and an outsider in her own family. And then there is Rachel, the attractive, enigmatic producer who is drunk and upset at the Christmas Party. Ian, the angry ex-husband who is jealous of his wife’s success and desperate for her to stay with him. Graham, Dom’s late best friend’s younger brother, who is a successful attorney and quite taken with Iris Grey. All of the characters are magnificent! I could go on and on!
I don’t want to spoil the mystery, but I’ll say that the journey to the whodunit is fantastic, that by the time you get there you will be shocked by the reveal! At one point or another I suspected nearly everyone. And then even after the reveal, there is a completely delightful follow up sequence—a second mystery, if you will. I am just beyond thrilled with this wonderful book, and it is one you should definitely read this holiday season!
I want to thank the team at Minotaur for my copy of this book.
October 31, 2017
This is a great festive crime read that is in the style of the golden era of classic crime. I understand it is the first in the Iris Grey series and I really enjoyed reading it. Iris Grey's marriage to Ian Mcbride is in the process of breaking down after numerous attempts to have a child. So it is a relief for Iris to escape to her rented cottage at Hazelford village in Hampshire. Iris is a portrait painter, and has been commissioned by Ariadne Wetherby to paint her famous crime novelist husband, Dominic. The Wetherbys live next door at the Mill, projecting the picture of the perfect family. Dominic comes across as a larger than life character, good looking, used to getting his own way, a habitual flirt, entertaining and full of bonhomie. Ariadne is a sculptor, the ideal mother, a forgiving wife, a wonderful cook and homemaker, who loves and adores Dominic. As Christmas approaches, the Wetherbys hold their annual Chrismas Eve party to which the entire village, along with celebrities and the media are invited.
Iris cannot help but be curious about the Wetherbys. She meets the rest of the family and other characters that are connected to the family at the party. However, she is disturbed by the screams of Lorcan, the teenage son, as he discovers the drowned body of his father, Dominic. At first, the death is perceived as suicide, only for it later to be revealed as murder. To distract herself from her personal misery, Iris is persuaded by Jenna to delve deeper. A myriad of suspects emerge, from sinister Russians to whom Dominic owed large gambling debts, to scorned ex-mistresses like Rachel, who was dismissed as a producer on the TV crime series. There are resentful locals, and Ariadne seems to be just a little too perfect to be true, and her son, Marcus, is rushing around to prop up the perception of them as the ideal family. Graham Feeny, a Scottish barrister and family friend takes a shine to Iris who is attracted to him, finding him a balm to her wounded spirits as her marriage heads for divorce. DI Roger Cant finds Iris a pest, and refuses to take her ideas seriously. As Iris visits Oxford to track down the killer, she comes across vital information that helps her piece together the mystery of Dominic's murder.
The author has penned a wonderfully plotted and entertaining crime story that easily draws in the reader. It is full of numerous red herrings, and a great central character in the vulnerable and observant Iris, a woman undergoing a personal crisis as her world falls apart with the breakdown of her long marriage to Ian. As readers, we see her take steps towards a new, more independent identity as she immerses herself wholeheartedly to find out who killed Dominic and the secrets, lies, corruption, abuse and more that lie beneath the facade of the Wetherby family emerge. Alongside this, her career flourishes with the notoriety attached to painting the murdered celebrity novelist. I would recommend this intricate crime mystery as a terrific read for this time of year and I cannot wait to read the next in the series. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
Iris cannot help but be curious about the Wetherbys. She meets the rest of the family and other characters that are connected to the family at the party. However, she is disturbed by the screams of Lorcan, the teenage son, as he discovers the drowned body of his father, Dominic. At first, the death is perceived as suicide, only for it later to be revealed as murder. To distract herself from her personal misery, Iris is persuaded by Jenna to delve deeper. A myriad of suspects emerge, from sinister Russians to whom Dominic owed large gambling debts, to scorned ex-mistresses like Rachel, who was dismissed as a producer on the TV crime series. There are resentful locals, and Ariadne seems to be just a little too perfect to be true, and her son, Marcus, is rushing around to prop up the perception of them as the ideal family. Graham Feeny, a Scottish barrister and family friend takes a shine to Iris who is attracted to him, finding him a balm to her wounded spirits as her marriage heads for divorce. DI Roger Cant finds Iris a pest, and refuses to take her ideas seriously. As Iris visits Oxford to track down the killer, she comes across vital information that helps her piece together the mystery of Dominic's murder.
The author has penned a wonderfully plotted and entertaining crime story that easily draws in the reader. It is full of numerous red herrings, and a great central character in the vulnerable and observant Iris, a woman undergoing a personal crisis as her world falls apart with the breakdown of her long marriage to Ian. As readers, we see her take steps towards a new, more independent identity as she immerses herself wholeheartedly to find out who killed Dominic and the secrets, lies, corruption, abuse and more that lie beneath the facade of the Wetherby family emerge. Alongside this, her career flourishes with the notoriety attached to painting the murdered celebrity novelist. I would recommend this intricate crime mystery as a terrific read for this time of year and I cannot wait to read the next in the series. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.
January 21, 2019
Murder at the Mill is a fantastic beginning to a new series featuring Iris Grey, an artist who happens to solve a murder mystery.
I picked up Murder at the Mill to fulfill the amateur sleuth category for the PopSugar Reading Challenge and thought I was going to get a cute cozy tale. While this is not a "thriller" by any means, it is definitely a good, old fashioned, well told mystery in the style of Agatha Christie. There are lots of twists and turns and red herrings that will keep you guessing until the very end. The characters are very well developed - some very likable and others are simply deplorable - but all very interesting and three dimensional.
I'm excited to have find a new author to love and cannot wait for the next in this series!
I picked up Murder at the Mill to fulfill the amateur sleuth category for the PopSugar Reading Challenge and thought I was going to get a cute cozy tale. While this is not a "thriller" by any means, it is definitely a good, old fashioned, well told mystery in the style of Agatha Christie. There are lots of twists and turns and red herrings that will keep you guessing until the very end. The characters are very well developed - some very likable and others are simply deplorable - but all very interesting and three dimensional.
I'm excited to have find a new author to love and cannot wait for the next in this series!
January 21, 2019
Iris Grey rents a cottage in Hampshire village. Her marriage is struggling, and she wants to go somewhere to regroup and work on her painting. The cottage is owned by the Wetherby family, and Iris is soon captivated with the family. On Christmas Day, the youngest Wetherby discovers a body in the water. A mysterious death, that leads to Iris playing amateur sleuth.
This book is classic crime mystery. The story has a great start with describing the setting and characters. Then a crime occurs. A murder. There is no shortage of suspects, and village newcomer Iris gets involved with discovering the killer's identity.
This is the first book in a new mystery series by M.B. Shaw. I look forward to seeing what mysteries are in Iris's future.
Lovely setting in an idyllic village. Interesting characters. Solid mystery with twists to keep the reader guessing. A great start to a new series.
This book is classic crime mystery. The story has a great start with describing the setting and characters. Then a crime occurs. A murder. There is no shortage of suspects, and village newcomer Iris gets involved with discovering the killer's identity.
This is the first book in a new mystery series by M.B. Shaw. I look forward to seeing what mysteries are in Iris's future.
Lovely setting in an idyllic village. Interesting characters. Solid mystery with twists to keep the reader guessing. A great start to a new series.
February 16, 2024
'She was a riot of contradictions: quiet but pushy, reserved but passionate, observant yet refreshingly slow to judge.'
Reviewing Murder at the Mill is also going to be a 'riot of contradictions' because I've gone from rating it a one star, 'this sucks' read to a near on four star 'ooooh I need some answers page-turner' read.
I have never felt so conflicted about rating a book as this one, I shall try my upmost to review this honestly and fairly without too much snark.
So, Murder at the Mill is a cosy mystery set in Hampshire, England, 'perfect for fans of Midsomer Murder and Agatha Christie'. Apparently.
To try and fathom out my star rating, I'm going to have to see how this review pans out, as I still haven't decided my final decision even at this point.
The plot itself deserves a solid 3 stars, possibly even 3.5 because the 'whodunnit' element was really very good. This, along with characters whose closet skeletons were being discovered left, right and centre was what kept me going.
The characters, in which there were many, all helped to build an intriguing mystery with their dodgy pasts and poisonous personas. A 3 star rating for sure here is deserving as I particularly liked Billy, the black sheep of the family. He was portrayed well in a sinister and menacing way. The main protagonist, Iris Grey was my least favourite, her quirkiness and terrible taste in clothes became rather tiresome as the story progressed.
The writing style. Oh god, this is where it gets awkward.
SIMILES. SIMILES. SIMILES. SIMILES. SIMILES. SIMILES.
I am so DONE with the countless, terrible, TERRIBLE similes in this book.
...'the spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind like the starved limbs of concentration camp prisoners pleading for escape.' (WHAT? WHY? Editor, why? Awful. Truly awful.)
...'tore at the wrapping on his gift like a starving child clawing at a bag of rice.' (No. Just no.)
And what's with all these animals? After the first two dozen, I was destined for eye-rolling moments throughout.
...'like a smug cockerel.' (Smug! Whaaat?!)
...'like a wounded fox.'
...'listening to the satisfying crack as they shattered beyond repair like the bones of tiny mice.'
...'as excited as two piglets on speed.' (What the...??!!)
...'staggering around like a newborn fawn.'
...'impale them like lambs on a spit.'
...'attached himself like a louche limpet...'
I could go on, it gets worse. Describing someone's anger pouring out ...'like pus from a lanced boil' was the final straw really. It was pretty damn dire.
Ok, maybe there's a bit of snark here, but I just can't help myself! Tell me, Ms Shaw, were you sponsored by all those brands you name-dropped throughout your book? Tesco, Smarties, Heinz, Next, H&M, Zara, Cath Kidston, blah, blah, blah. So much was described based on the brand alone, and it irritated the hell out of me.
It's also funny how so many different characters used the term 'whatnot' in their conversations. Must be a Hampshire village thing.
By now, you can probably tell why I'm still debating about this books star rating. My main problem is I really enjoyed the story, it hooked me in and I was overall impressed by the final revelations and conclusion. There was some pretty good red herrings in there too. But for me to rate a book above 3 stars, the writing style has to satisfy me. Towards the end I started to laugh and groan at some of the descriptive text and it took away my enjoyment and marred the seriousness of the story.
After all is said and done, I've decided, I'm giving Murder at the Mill 2 stars. And strangely, I would indeed read another cosy mystery about Iris Grey and her irksome sleuthing. Even if it was just to spot all the awful, and sometimes unintentionally comical similes that are scattered 'like dandruff on one's shoulders' throughout the book.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Orion Books and Goodreads for hosting a giveaway for which I was lucky enough to win!
Reviewing Murder at the Mill is also going to be a 'riot of contradictions' because I've gone from rating it a one star, 'this sucks' read to a near on four star 'ooooh I need some answers page-turner' read.
I have never felt so conflicted about rating a book as this one, I shall try my upmost to review this honestly and fairly without too much snark.
So, Murder at the Mill is a cosy mystery set in Hampshire, England, 'perfect for fans of Midsomer Murder and Agatha Christie'. Apparently.
To try and fathom out my star rating, I'm going to have to see how this review pans out, as I still haven't decided my final decision even at this point.
The plot itself deserves a solid 3 stars, possibly even 3.5 because the 'whodunnit' element was really very good. This, along with characters whose closet skeletons were being discovered left, right and centre was what kept me going.
The characters, in which there were many, all helped to build an intriguing mystery with their dodgy pasts and poisonous personas. A 3 star rating for sure here is deserving as I particularly liked Billy, the black sheep of the family. He was portrayed well in a sinister and menacing way. The main protagonist, Iris Grey was my least favourite, her quirkiness and terrible taste in clothes became rather tiresome as the story progressed.
The writing style. Oh god, this is where it gets awkward.
SIMILES. SIMILES. SIMILES. SIMILES. SIMILES. SIMILES.
I am so DONE with the countless, terrible, TERRIBLE similes in this book.
...'the spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind like the starved limbs of concentration camp prisoners pleading for escape.' (WHAT? WHY? Editor, why? Awful. Truly awful.)
...'tore at the wrapping on his gift like a starving child clawing at a bag of rice.' (No. Just no.)
And what's with all these animals? After the first two dozen, I was destined for eye-rolling moments throughout.
...'like a smug cockerel.' (Smug! Whaaat?!)
...'like a wounded fox.'
...'listening to the satisfying crack as they shattered beyond repair like the bones of tiny mice.'
...'as excited as two piglets on speed.' (What the...??!!)
...'staggering around like a newborn fawn.'
...'impale them like lambs on a spit.'
...'attached himself like a louche limpet...'
I could go on, it gets worse. Describing someone's anger pouring out ...'like pus from a lanced boil' was the final straw really. It was pretty damn dire.
Ok, maybe there's a bit of snark here, but I just can't help myself! Tell me, Ms Shaw, were you sponsored by all those brands you name-dropped throughout your book? Tesco, Smarties, Heinz, Next, H&M, Zara, Cath Kidston, blah, blah, blah. So much was described based on the brand alone, and it irritated the hell out of me.
It's also funny how so many different characters used the term 'whatnot' in their conversations. Must be a Hampshire village thing.
By now, you can probably tell why I'm still debating about this books star rating. My main problem is I really enjoyed the story, it hooked me in and I was overall impressed by the final revelations and conclusion. There was some pretty good red herrings in there too. But for me to rate a book above 3 stars, the writing style has to satisfy me. Towards the end I started to laugh and groan at some of the descriptive text and it took away my enjoyment and marred the seriousness of the story.
After all is said and done, I've decided, I'm giving Murder at the Mill 2 stars. And strangely, I would indeed read another cosy mystery about Iris Grey and her irksome sleuthing. Even if it was just to spot all the awful, and sometimes unintentionally comical similes that are scattered 'like dandruff on one's shoulders' throughout the book.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Orion Books and Goodreads for hosting a giveaway for which I was lucky enough to win!
May 8, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised by the time I finished Murder at The Mill. While reading the first few chapters I did a double take. I knew the story took place in 2017 but the atmosphere felt as if it was earlier in the twentieth century. The mystery had a vintage vibe and I liked it.
Iris Grey was a artist on a sabbatical from her marriage. She knew it was over but neither her husband nor Iris were prepared to sign the papers. Instead, she rented a cottage at The Mill. It was to be her “artistic escape”: a quaint bungalow that for six months she would call home. What she wasn’t prepared for was a path of knots, long-buried secrets and murder.
The plot began with a four page prologue. Be sure and read it. It was Christmas Day and Lorcan Wetherby discovered a body. After this, the story was divided into 3 parts. You may be tempted to skip some spots but don’t. What you will discover, as Iris did, was a Dysfunctional family with a capital D. On the outside, most everyone appeared perfect. Cracks, warts and backdoor cryptic perceptions bubbled immediately below the surface. It was difficult for anyone staying at or near The Mill not to be affected.
This was my first story that I have read by M.B. Shaw aka Tilly Bagshawe. I liked her writing style. I especially enjoyed that the author allowed Iris to have both strengths and weaknesses but she was not a doormat. I don’t think she ever intended to become an amateur sleuth. The mystery itself read like a standalone but I understand from a short Q&A at the end of the story that this is a series. I look forward to Iris’s next adventure.
Iris Grey was a artist on a sabbatical from her marriage. She knew it was over but neither her husband nor Iris were prepared to sign the papers. Instead, she rented a cottage at The Mill. It was to be her “artistic escape”: a quaint bungalow that for six months she would call home. What she wasn’t prepared for was a path of knots, long-buried secrets and murder.
The plot began with a four page prologue. Be sure and read it. It was Christmas Day and Lorcan Wetherby discovered a body. After this, the story was divided into 3 parts. You may be tempted to skip some spots but don’t. What you will discover, as Iris did, was a Dysfunctional family with a capital D. On the outside, most everyone appeared perfect. Cracks, warts and backdoor cryptic perceptions bubbled immediately below the surface. It was difficult for anyone staying at or near The Mill not to be affected.
This was my first story that I have read by M.B. Shaw aka Tilly Bagshawe. I liked her writing style. I especially enjoyed that the author allowed Iris to have both strengths and weaknesses but she was not a doormat. I don’t think she ever intended to become an amateur sleuth. The mystery itself read like a standalone but I understand from a short Q&A at the end of the story that this is a series. I look forward to Iris’s next adventure.
March 3, 2018
It’s hard to know exactly what to think of this mystery. There are so many things about it that bugged me, but I still wanted to continue reading it. This seems to be a first mystery by Shaw who, under the name Tilly Bagshawe, has a successful career writing chick lit and Sydney Sheldon follow-on books. I’m not at all familiar with those books, but I liked the look of this Golden Age-ish English village mystery. It seemed like just the thing for huddling inside with on a winter’s day.
On the plus side, it’s a very readable story if you’re just looking for something lightweight with a little bit of a sleuth-in-jeopardy element to it. Shaw is talented at quickly delineating characters and I felt set in the time and place immediately. The story spins out pleasantly enough, though I’d say Shaw’s prose is overwritten and her plotting is meandering.
The Iris Grey character is a clever young woman, but she tolerates being ill-treated by more than one man and puts herself in risky situations when she knows better. I grit my teeth at that kind of thing. I prefer a female sleuth who behaves intelligently and with self-respect.
Another issue I had with Shaw’s writing is her unfortunate way of crafting similes. Early on in the book, she describes a cold, gray fall day as including “spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind, like the starved limbs of concentration camp prisoners pleading for escape.” I was so aghast and angry at the callous idiocy of that description that I just blurted out “f__ you, lady.” Much later in the book, she likens the excited tearing open of a Christmas present to starving children scrabbling at a bag of rice. Can you believe that? This woman is a graduate of Cambridge University! I can’t even imagine how embarrassed her college tutor would be reading such writing.
There is also an element of Iris’s crime solving that made no sense at all. She claims to have figured out something that happened in the past, but you realize that there is no way for her to know what she claims happened. If Shaw plans to continue this series, I hope she has Iris solve crimes in ways that don’t involve what I can only conclude is clairvoyance.
Despite all my criticism, I continued reading the book because Shaw does know how to write a page-turner. So if you keep your expectations at that level and don’t fall for the blurb’s comparison to Agatha Christie, you might enjoy this one.
On the plus side, it’s a very readable story if you’re just looking for something lightweight with a little bit of a sleuth-in-jeopardy element to it. Shaw is talented at quickly delineating characters and I felt set in the time and place immediately. The story spins out pleasantly enough, though I’d say Shaw’s prose is overwritten and her plotting is meandering.
The Iris Grey character is a clever young woman, but she tolerates being ill-treated by more than one man and puts herself in risky situations when she knows better. I grit my teeth at that kind of thing. I prefer a female sleuth who behaves intelligently and with self-respect.
Another issue I had with Shaw’s writing is her unfortunate way of crafting similes. Early on in the book, she describes a cold, gray fall day as including “spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind, like the starved limbs of concentration camp prisoners pleading for escape.” I was so aghast and angry at the callous idiocy of that description that I just blurted out “f__ you, lady.” Much later in the book, she likens the excited tearing open of a Christmas present to starving children scrabbling at a bag of rice. Can you believe that? This woman is a graduate of Cambridge University! I can’t even imagine how embarrassed her college tutor would be reading such writing.
There is also an element of Iris’s crime solving that made no sense at all. She claims to have figured out something that happened in the past, but you realize that there is no way for her to know what she claims happened. If Shaw plans to continue this series, I hope she has Iris solve crimes in ways that don’t involve what I can only conclude is clairvoyance.
Despite all my criticism, I continued reading the book because Shaw does know how to write a page-turner. So if you keep your expectations at that level and don’t fall for the blurb’s comparison to Agatha Christie, you might enjoy this one.
December 30, 2018
Iris Grey has rented a cottage on the grounds of the grand Wetherby Estate. She has come to paint and contemplate the status of her marriage. Dom Wetherby, an acclaimed author, and his wife Ariadne, host an acclaimed Christmas Eve party, attended by locals, celebrities and the media. Iris reluctantly agrees to attend, more interested in people watching then socializing. Iris had been commissioned to paint Dom's portrait and was just getting a feeling for his larger than life personality.
Christmas day becomes a tragedy when Dom is found in the river by his son Lorcan, who has Down's Syndrome. Lorcan is devastated, haunted by Dom's image.
The drowning is ruled a suicide, but Iris has her doubts and begins her own investigation. The Wetherby family is not what they portrait to the public. There are secrets lurking behind the perfect family facade, leaving many suspects to consider. Iris is determined and dogged in her pursuit, drawing from her insight as a portrait painter.
A fun old fashioned who done it murder mystery. I'll be looking for the sequel.
Christmas day becomes a tragedy when Dom is found in the river by his son Lorcan, who has Down's Syndrome. Lorcan is devastated, haunted by Dom's image.
The drowning is ruled a suicide, but Iris has her doubts and begins her own investigation. The Wetherby family is not what they portrait to the public. There are secrets lurking behind the perfect family facade, leaving many suspects to consider. Iris is determined and dogged in her pursuit, drawing from her insight as a portrait painter.
A fun old fashioned who done it murder mystery. I'll be looking for the sequel.
December 12, 2018
3.5 stars
I love discovering new mystery series and new to me authors. M. B. Shaw is not a new author, but she is new to me and I was eager to check out a book that sounded like an Agatha Christie mystery.
An quirky protagonist solves crime at a country house party…..at the holidays? Yes and double yes! I was so excited to read this one, especially during the holiday season!
So the first thing that I thought when I put my eyes on this book, was that it was going to be a cozy mystery. The cover alone says cozy to me. But the description I had seen that some people had tagged it as crime fiction or thriller on Goodreads. For me personally I think it’s probably lands a little closer to cozy without firmly being placed in that genre. I definitely would’t call it a ‘thriller’. A simple ‘mystery’ would have been better as it borders between a couple of subgenera.
I liked reading this book but it was a little silly at times for me—-but that’s entirely ok. October and November found me jam packed with back to back reviews and by the time December 1st came up, I needed something silly and frivolous.
For me the plot was full of little side scandals that kept things interesting and moving along. Sometimes the mystery part would drag a bit but over all between the mystery and the scandals/secrets/lies, I felt like the plot made progress and held my interest.
I know a lot of authors like using the house approach when trying to solve a murder and honestly I love it too. It reminds me of the game and film Clue. It forces the reader to weigh each character and decide if they could be the murderer or if they are guilty of something else. I loved how Shaw deploys this device and I thought it worked well and kept things interesting.
Some of the descriptions were a little much for me. I think she could be a stronger writer by limiting some of her similes. I noticed one reader pointed out a couple of more colorful descriptions on Goodreads and while I wasn’t offended, I found that there might have been a better option in describing something and at times questioned the need for a lengthy description.
Overall I loved getting to know Iris. I found her quirky and fun and I would gladly read something with her again in the future. This was a nice ‘escape’ book that was easy to read and light hearted for a book about a murder. It was a fun little mystery to solve and read about and I am excited to see what comes Iris’s way in the future.
See my full review here
I love discovering new mystery series and new to me authors. M. B. Shaw is not a new author, but she is new to me and I was eager to check out a book that sounded like an Agatha Christie mystery.
An quirky protagonist solves crime at a country house party…..at the holidays? Yes and double yes! I was so excited to read this one, especially during the holiday season!
So the first thing that I thought when I put my eyes on this book, was that it was going to be a cozy mystery. The cover alone says cozy to me. But the description I had seen that some people had tagged it as crime fiction or thriller on Goodreads. For me personally I think it’s probably lands a little closer to cozy without firmly being placed in that genre. I definitely would’t call it a ‘thriller’. A simple ‘mystery’ would have been better as it borders between a couple of subgenera.
I liked reading this book but it was a little silly at times for me—-but that’s entirely ok. October and November found me jam packed with back to back reviews and by the time December 1st came up, I needed something silly and frivolous.
For me the plot was full of little side scandals that kept things interesting and moving along. Sometimes the mystery part would drag a bit but over all between the mystery and the scandals/secrets/lies, I felt like the plot made progress and held my interest.
I know a lot of authors like using the house approach when trying to solve a murder and honestly I love it too. It reminds me of the game and film Clue. It forces the reader to weigh each character and decide if they could be the murderer or if they are guilty of something else. I loved how Shaw deploys this device and I thought it worked well and kept things interesting.
Some of the descriptions were a little much for me. I think she could be a stronger writer by limiting some of her similes. I noticed one reader pointed out a couple of more colorful descriptions on Goodreads and while I wasn’t offended, I found that there might have been a better option in describing something and at times questioned the need for a lengthy description.
Overall I loved getting to know Iris. I found her quirky and fun and I would gladly read something with her again in the future. This was a nice ‘escape’ book that was easy to read and light hearted for a book about a murder. It was a fun little mystery to solve and read about and I am excited to see what comes Iris’s way in the future.
See my full review here
November 16, 2018
Iris, an artist, arrives to paint a portrait of Dom Weatherby, and finds him dead following a party on Christmas day. At first the local officers presume it to be suicide but when the toxicology report shows chloroform, she knows her hunch it was murder is correct. What follows is a rather convoluted plot. Although the book improves as it goes along, I failed to connect with the amateur sleuth and the official investigators seemed too far removed from the investigation. Another thread follows an older case which was determined to be suicide but provides motive for the current one. Iris also determines a wrong conclusion in that case, finding the guilty party. The similar circumstances make the plot too unrealistic. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2019
Oh dear! Crime fiction is by far my favourite genre, with cosy mysteries perhaps my most favourite sub-genre, but this one was a definite disappointment.
One of the general rules of a murder mystery is that the first corpse is bumped off within the first few chapters, while this one was still cavorting around, the life and soul of the party, over 140 pages in! The lengthy and tedious back stories, with a multitude of dead ends that didn't need to exist in the first place, almost made me abandon the book before the victim actually was one. Still, I persevered through a hideous collection of similes, some of which were beyond tasteless, such as:
'the spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind like the starved limbs of concentration camp prisoners pleading for escape.'
and:
'tore at the wrapping on his gift like a starving child clawing at a bag of rice.'
There were also a number of very strange assertions, such as the 'stubby pianist fingers' of one of the peripheral characters who was apparently a piano teacher - clearly the author is not familiar with the idea that pianists have long fingers and generally fairly large hands if they are to get to a high level, not least to be able to play an octave (something I've never been able to manage myself, but which wrought great angst among fellow musical classmates who were aspiring to top grades in piano exams). Then there was the obsession with the lead character being 'extremely short' and generally described in as diminutive terms as possible. Perhaps the author is enormous, because 5'2" is only a couple of inches off the average height of a woman of her age! I'm not even touching the fact that she suddenly started being referred to as a young lady towards the end of the book, despite being in her early 40's.
Other things that bothered me felt like things being ticked off a checklist of what characters have to do in a cosy mystery:
'hate the police and dismiss their abilities' - check! Although since the police barely got a look in or a mention, the professed hatred was very odd.
'interview all the suspects yourself without the police' - check! This was a very peculiar setup, since I couldn't think of a single reason why any of the people she turned up and demanded to talk to would agree to let her in - she was nothing to them and had no other reason to be there. Generally the investigating character has some kind of profession, be it a cook that gets to cater for people or a seemingly benign little old lady of the parish who visits with a variety of excuses, which means that they would be at the property or business of a suspect as part of their daily life.
Other irritations:
The lawyer that worked between Edinburgh and London - Scots and English/Welsh law are quite different, this seems an extremely unlikely setup to be qualified in both systems.
The very odd geography which I frankly couldn't get my head around (I think things moved around quite fluidly in the landscape!)
The timeline that was like a slinky, one minute you were in January, the next in March!
The amazing speed at which a more or less unknown artist suddenly got pride of place at the National Portrait Gallery. Also, her back catalogue apparently started selling well, but if she painted to commission, how did she have a back catalogue?
Fair to say, I won't be seeking out the next book in the series.
One of the general rules of a murder mystery is that the first corpse is bumped off within the first few chapters, while this one was still cavorting around, the life and soul of the party, over 140 pages in! The lengthy and tedious back stories, with a multitude of dead ends that didn't need to exist in the first place, almost made me abandon the book before the victim actually was one. Still, I persevered through a hideous collection of similes, some of which were beyond tasteless, such as:
'the spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind like the starved limbs of concentration camp prisoners pleading for escape.'
and:
'tore at the wrapping on his gift like a starving child clawing at a bag of rice.'
There were also a number of very strange assertions, such as the 'stubby pianist fingers' of one of the peripheral characters who was apparently a piano teacher - clearly the author is not familiar with the idea that pianists have long fingers and generally fairly large hands if they are to get to a high level, not least to be able to play an octave (something I've never been able to manage myself, but which wrought great angst among fellow musical classmates who were aspiring to top grades in piano exams). Then there was the obsession with the lead character being 'extremely short' and generally described in as diminutive terms as possible. Perhaps the author is enormous, because 5'2" is only a couple of inches off the average height of a woman of her age! I'm not even touching the fact that she suddenly started being referred to as a young lady towards the end of the book, despite being in her early 40's.
Other things that bothered me felt like things being ticked off a checklist of what characters have to do in a cosy mystery:
'hate the police and dismiss their abilities' - check! Although since the police barely got a look in or a mention, the professed hatred was very odd.
'interview all the suspects yourself without the police' - check! This was a very peculiar setup, since I couldn't think of a single reason why any of the people she turned up and demanded to talk to would agree to let her in - she was nothing to them and had no other reason to be there. Generally the investigating character has some kind of profession, be it a cook that gets to cater for people or a seemingly benign little old lady of the parish who visits with a variety of excuses, which means that they would be at the property or business of a suspect as part of their daily life.
Other irritations:
The lawyer that worked between Edinburgh and London - Scots and English/Welsh law are quite different, this seems an extremely unlikely setup to be qualified in both systems.
The very odd geography which I frankly couldn't get my head around (I think things moved around quite fluidly in the landscape!)
The timeline that was like a slinky, one minute you were in January, the next in March!
The amazing speed at which a more or less unknown artist suddenly got pride of place at the National Portrait Gallery. Also, her back catalogue apparently started selling well, but if she painted to commission, how did she have a back catalogue?
Fair to say, I won't be seeking out the next book in the series.
December 30, 2020
Sometimes impulse picks work out and sometimes they don’t. This one did.
Iris Grey is a skilled portrait painter, and finds herself in Hampshire near Christmas, on a break from her increasingly toxic marriage. Renting a cottage from the wealthy Wetherby family, she becomes involved in their seemingly perfect lives when contracted by the beautiful Ariadne Wetherby, consummate mother and wife of Dom Wetherby to paint his portrait. Dom is a famous author of a long-running mystery series of novels, which have also been dramatized on tv.
All looks well, but Dom has many detractors, and is found dead in the river by youngest son Lorcan on Christmas. The immediate verdict is suicide, and the family pulls together and puts on a public front for the villagers. When Ariadne’s daughter-in-law Jenna feels something just doesn’t feel right about Don’s supposed suicide, she enlists Iris’ help in figuring out what really happened, as the local police inspector seems actively uninterested in anything that doesn’t fit his narrative of the events.
Iris is deeply observant, and exhausted and worn out at the beginning of the book, but keeps noticing odd little things about the Wetherbys that don’t fit their story of a perfect, successful family. She’s also made of determined stuff, and keeps asking questions, despite the rest of the Wetherbys’ and the police’s resistance.
I found that I kept reading all day as even though I figured out who had done what. I found the story compelling, thanks to Iris’ persistence, her calm, and her ability to notice little details.
Iris Grey is a skilled portrait painter, and finds herself in Hampshire near Christmas, on a break from her increasingly toxic marriage. Renting a cottage from the wealthy Wetherby family, she becomes involved in their seemingly perfect lives when contracted by the beautiful Ariadne Wetherby, consummate mother and wife of Dom Wetherby to paint his portrait. Dom is a famous author of a long-running mystery series of novels, which have also been dramatized on tv.
All looks well, but Dom has many detractors, and is found dead in the river by youngest son Lorcan on Christmas. The immediate verdict is suicide, and the family pulls together and puts on a public front for the villagers. When Ariadne’s daughter-in-law Jenna feels something just doesn’t feel right about Don’s supposed suicide, she enlists Iris’ help in figuring out what really happened, as the local police inspector seems actively uninterested in anything that doesn’t fit his narrative of the events.
Iris is deeply observant, and exhausted and worn out at the beginning of the book, but keeps noticing odd little things about the Wetherbys that don’t fit their story of a perfect, successful family. She’s also made of determined stuff, and keeps asking questions, despite the rest of the Wetherbys’ and the police’s resistance.
I found that I kept reading all day as even though I figured out who had done what. I found the story compelling, thanks to Iris’ persistence, her calm, and her ability to notice little details.
February 3, 2022
MURDER AT THE MILL
M. B. Shaw
This is a new series with an amazing artist, Iris, who marches at her own pace. She has a quirky personality, is smart, has a sarcastic side, and likes to have fun. I also want to point out that this woman has the same problem as many women, she cannot pick a man. In the kick-off book, Iris, a portrait artist takes a job out of town mostly to avoid facing her failing marriage.
But while she is there painting the famous writer, he drowns and his body is found by his handicapped son. This is one strange family, Dominic and his wife and sons are extremely dysfunctional. But the death is considered suicide at the time despite very little investigation having been completed. This strikes the daughter-in-law, Jenna to ask Iris to assist her in investigating this death.
One thing I noticed about this book was that it did not have a steady pace. In fact, I thought it drug along. The action did not really start until 25% of the book had been consumed. This was a 400-page novel and the murder didn't happen until well past 100 pages. There was a great deal of conflict between the characters which added to the tension and brought the suspect to the reader's attention for consideration. Sinister Russians owed large debts, ex affairs, me too victims such as the TV producer that worked on Dominic's show, and family members.
Iris is getting a divorce for sure but feels the sparks of new love with Graham Feeny, a Scottish attorney, and friend of Dominic's family. The police are involved but there is conflict there as well as Iris pushes DI Roger Cant to do a better investigation. She is moving in front of the police and that is a problem, especially when they discover who has been watching Iris.
The story was interesting, the characters were well-drawn, but the pace could have been faster. Long descriptions, rabbit trails, and sidebars diverted the story from a direct route. But not enough that I wouldn't try another book in the series.
3.3 stars
Happy Reading!
M. B. Shaw
This is a new series with an amazing artist, Iris, who marches at her own pace. She has a quirky personality, is smart, has a sarcastic side, and likes to have fun. I also want to point out that this woman has the same problem as many women, she cannot pick a man. In the kick-off book, Iris, a portrait artist takes a job out of town mostly to avoid facing her failing marriage.
But while she is there painting the famous writer, he drowns and his body is found by his handicapped son. This is one strange family, Dominic and his wife and sons are extremely dysfunctional. But the death is considered suicide at the time despite very little investigation having been completed. This strikes the daughter-in-law, Jenna to ask Iris to assist her in investigating this death.
One thing I noticed about this book was that it did not have a steady pace. In fact, I thought it drug along. The action did not really start until 25% of the book had been consumed. This was a 400-page novel and the murder didn't happen until well past 100 pages. There was a great deal of conflict between the characters which added to the tension and brought the suspect to the reader's attention for consideration. Sinister Russians owed large debts, ex affairs, me too victims such as the TV producer that worked on Dominic's show, and family members.
Iris is getting a divorce for sure but feels the sparks of new love with Graham Feeny, a Scottish attorney, and friend of Dominic's family. The police are involved but there is conflict there as well as Iris pushes DI Roger Cant to do a better investigation. She is moving in front of the police and that is a problem, especially when they discover who has been watching Iris.
The story was interesting, the characters were well-drawn, but the pace could have been faster. Long descriptions, rabbit trails, and sidebars diverted the story from a direct route. But not enough that I wouldn't try another book in the series.
3.3 stars
Happy Reading!
February 9, 2018
Murder at The Mill
I am leaving this review in the early hours of this morning because I could not put this book down.
This is one of the best books that I have read and I now have a new favourite author.
I'm hopeless at solving mystery's and every time I thought I knew who the villain was I was proved wrong.
Their where so many twists and turns in this murder mystery the story kept me guessing till the end.
This is the very first time that I have read anything by this author and it will not be the last.
I was really impressed by this book and I would have given a much higher rating if I could.
Thank you to the author,publisher and of course Goodreads for a copy of this book it was a pleasure to read. Very highly recommended.
I am leaving this review in the early hours of this morning because I could not put this book down.
This is one of the best books that I have read and I now have a new favourite author.
I'm hopeless at solving mystery's and every time I thought I knew who the villain was I was proved wrong.
Their where so many twists and turns in this murder mystery the story kept me guessing till the end.
This is the very first time that I have read anything by this author and it will not be the last.
I was really impressed by this book and I would have given a much higher rating if I could.
Thank you to the author,publisher and of course Goodreads for a copy of this book it was a pleasure to read. Very highly recommended.
January 4, 2022
'Murder at the Mill' by M.B. Shaw is a cozy crime novel, the first in a series. Iris Grey, the reluctant sleuth and main character of these novels, is an award-winning portrait painter who is in demand from wealthy patrons all over the world.
Iris's marriage to husband Ian McBride, a London playwright, is wobbling, so she feels it necessary to get away from London to clear her head. She decides to rent a cottage owned by a wealthy author in the little English village called Hampshire.
The cottage is in the middle of a beautiful country landscape next to a mill and a river. The author, Dominic Wetherby, and his wife Ariadne, live nearby in a gorgeous main house with one of their children, Lorcan, who is a teenager with Down's Syndrome. Their other two children are adults. One of them, Billy is a ne'er-do-well who recently has been released from prison for stalking. The other, Marcus, is a successful lawyer, married to Jenna. They have a couple of little kids.
Iris doesn't really want to be drawn into whatever family dramas that are going on with the Wetherby's - she has enough ongoing personal misery in trying to decide whether she should divorce her husband - but inexorably she is pulled inside the main house with its secrets. On the surface, the Wetherby's are a perfectly lovely success story! But Iris accidentally sees a disturbing scene between Ariadne and her son, Billy. Later Iris hears gossip when she goes to the village for groceries that she can't unhear. Then, when she is invited to the Wetherby's for a Christmas party they are famous for in literary and celebrity circles, she cannot find a reasonable excuse to not come and meet the important folks who might want her to paint them. She becomes aware of tense undercurrents, but she also meets a man who is really attractive!
The next morning, Christmas day, Lorcan begins screaming and screaming and screaming. The Wetherby's and Iris rush to Lorcan's side! He is at the river! There is a body, a dead body, floating in the water...
Yikes!
I thought the book good enough - it kept my interest and aroused my curiosity. However, it seemed to me, like many first novels in many new series, to have extraordinarily revealing exposition by many of the characters when they are each accused by Iris of wrongdoing or murder! But this isn't the first 'first of a series' novel I've read with this failing. Most writers get better, and I believe Shaw will too. Two-and-a-half stars.
Iris's marriage to husband Ian McBride, a London playwright, is wobbling, so she feels it necessary to get away from London to clear her head. She decides to rent a cottage owned by a wealthy author in the little English village called Hampshire.
The cottage is in the middle of a beautiful country landscape next to a mill and a river. The author, Dominic Wetherby, and his wife Ariadne, live nearby in a gorgeous main house with one of their children, Lorcan, who is a teenager with Down's Syndrome. Their other two children are adults. One of them, Billy is a ne'er-do-well who recently has been released from prison for stalking. The other, Marcus, is a successful lawyer, married to Jenna. They have a couple of little kids.
Iris doesn't really want to be drawn into whatever family dramas that are going on with the Wetherby's - she has enough ongoing personal misery in trying to decide whether she should divorce her husband - but inexorably she is pulled inside the main house with its secrets. On the surface, the Wetherby's are a perfectly lovely success story! But Iris accidentally sees a disturbing scene between Ariadne and her son, Billy. Later Iris hears gossip when she goes to the village for groceries that she can't unhear. Then, when she is invited to the Wetherby's for a Christmas party they are famous for in literary and celebrity circles, she cannot find a reasonable excuse to not come and meet the important folks who might want her to paint them. She becomes aware of tense undercurrents, but she also meets a man who is really attractive!
The next morning, Christmas day, Lorcan begins screaming and screaming and screaming. The Wetherby's and Iris rush to Lorcan's side! He is at the river! There is a body, a dead body, floating in the water...
Yikes!
I thought the book good enough - it kept my interest and aroused my curiosity. However, it seemed to me, like many first novels in many new series, to have extraordinarily revealing exposition by many of the characters when they are each accused by Iris of wrongdoing or murder! But this isn't the first 'first of a series' novel I've read with this failing. Most writers get better, and I believe Shaw will too. Two-and-a-half stars.
December 22, 2018
It's December so I've been seeking out seasonal/holiday themed reads and this also had a cozy mystery thing going for it.
Iris Grey was an interesting character to watch get roped into investigating the dirty deeds of the Wetherybys of The Mill. All of the Wetherbys were well done and most had behaviours that made their innocence questionable in several instances of varying criminal import. Cant was almost tertiary to the investigation and felt fairly thin as a character. Ian, the estranged husband of Iris was trash from the start and while he ended up better than he began if he never resurfaces it'll be too soon. Iris took far too much ill-treatment from him and given how her other love interest went, she has some personal growth to get on with. Also in things I liked, was Iris's art and how that was shown to inform how she is able to see others and things around her. It was a refreshing perspective.
In things I wasn't crazy about here, the mystery lost a bit of forward momentum in the middle. There was a lot of restatement of secrets but not enough reveal and getting to the point. Also, in places, the writing was overwrought and in others downright florid, to the point that it completely threw me out of the story. Not good. Hopefully, that'll be toned down as the series continues as this was jarring and unnecessary.
I didn't think this was Agatha Christie clever but it was a good enough mystery to keep me engaged. The blurb also mentioned Midsomer Murders but Iris goes where her commissions take her and isn't confined to one village or county. As television shows are being mentioned, this much more reminded me of Rosemary & Thyme (without the partner in sleuthing). As to books, it reminded me of Beth Gutcheon's Maggie Detweiler and Hope Babbin series. I look forward to the next book. Recommended.
Iris Grey was an interesting character to watch get roped into investigating the dirty deeds of the Wetherybys of The Mill. All of the Wetherbys were well done and most had behaviours that made their innocence questionable in several instances of varying criminal import. Cant was almost tertiary to the investigation and felt fairly thin as a character. Ian, the estranged husband of Iris was trash from the start and while he ended up better than he began if he never resurfaces it'll be too soon. Iris took far too much ill-treatment from him and given how her other love interest went, she has some personal growth to get on with. Also in things I liked, was Iris's art and how that was shown to inform how she is able to see others and things around her. It was a refreshing perspective.
In things I wasn't crazy about here, the mystery lost a bit of forward momentum in the middle. There was a lot of restatement of secrets but not enough reveal and getting to the point. Also, in places, the writing was overwrought and in others downright florid, to the point that it completely threw me out of the story. Not good. Hopefully, that'll be toned down as the series continues as this was jarring and unnecessary.
I didn't think this was Agatha Christie clever but it was a good enough mystery to keep me engaged. The blurb also mentioned Midsomer Murders but Iris goes where her commissions take her and isn't confined to one village or county. As television shows are being mentioned, this much more reminded me of Rosemary & Thyme (without the partner in sleuthing). As to books, it reminded me of Beth Gutcheon's Maggie Detweiler and Hope Babbin series. I look forward to the next book. Recommended.
January 2, 2018
Portrait painter, Iris, has left her life behind for the quiet village of Hazelford. She is commissioned to paint highly successful author and village local, Dom Weatherby. But when a body is found on Christmas Day, Iris becomes entangled in the mystery and the Weatherby’s public façade soon crumbles.
This book for me was very reminiscent of an episode of my fave Murder, She Wrote and that made it very enjoyable for me to read. It is full of family secrets and lies, full of deception, full of good old red herrings and like all classic crime books, the local police force is pretty inept.
Iris is a great character. Who knew portrait painting could lead to solving crime?! I could easily see her in a second novel. She’s a unique dresser, she has a love of doll houses and she has that wonderful talent you need when solving crime - people talk to her, tell her things that all slowly build up to her discovering the truth.
I did clock the murderer just after half way through, but that didn’t take away from the story at all. It was a lot of fun seeing how things fall into place and how Iris stitches the truth together. If like me you enjoy a good cozy crime tale, then I recommend this. A pleasurable read, that let me play detective.
This book for me was very reminiscent of an episode of my fave Murder, She Wrote and that made it very enjoyable for me to read. It is full of family secrets and lies, full of deception, full of good old red herrings and like all classic crime books, the local police force is pretty inept.
Iris is a great character. Who knew portrait painting could lead to solving crime?! I could easily see her in a second novel. She’s a unique dresser, she has a love of doll houses and she has that wonderful talent you need when solving crime - people talk to her, tell her things that all slowly build up to her discovering the truth.
I did clock the murderer just after half way through, but that didn’t take away from the story at all. It was a lot of fun seeing how things fall into place and how Iris stitches the truth together. If like me you enjoy a good cozy crime tale, then I recommend this. A pleasurable read, that let me play detective.
February 15, 2019
I seem to be on a bad roll with the audio books I've listened to lately. This is the latest that I did not finish.
The reviews I read about this book made it sound Agatha Christie-ish, and that was certainly a draw for me. But I did not find that at all. Christie's books pulled me in almost immediately, with both characters and plots that I couldn't step away from. That was not the experience I had with this book at all.
First and most importantly, literally every single character in this book is either selfish and nasty, or sad and pathetic. There was nobody here - including main character Iris Grey - that I could relate to, like or root for at all. I got to Chapter 5 before I accepted that I was not into this in the slightest, and I simply could not justify taking any more time with any of these people.
Fortunately, I got this from the library, so it cost me nothing but a day of time before I gave up on it. On to the next. Here's hoping the next audiobook will be better for my interests.
The reviews I read about this book made it sound Agatha Christie-ish, and that was certainly a draw for me. But I did not find that at all. Christie's books pulled me in almost immediately, with both characters and plots that I couldn't step away from. That was not the experience I had with this book at all.
First and most importantly, literally every single character in this book is either selfish and nasty, or sad and pathetic. There was nobody here - including main character Iris Grey - that I could relate to, like or root for at all. I got to Chapter 5 before I accepted that I was not into this in the slightest, and I simply could not justify taking any more time with any of these people.
Fortunately, I got this from the library, so it cost me nothing but a day of time before I gave up on it. On to the next. Here's hoping the next audiobook will be better for my interests.
September 5, 2017
A perfectly cosy little whodunnit, packed with improbable coincidences and happenstance. For the first few chapters I thought I’d hate it, it was so overwritten, far too many adverbs but this settled down after a bit and gradually became less irksome. The plot is silly, predictable and derivative but so what? It was perfect for bedtime and kept me turning pages. If you’re looking for a pleasing bit of fluff of the Midsomer Murders stamp to while away a wet afternoon, you could do a lot worse than this. Both Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie are cited on the blurb; the first is spot on but this really is nothing like as clever or well written as an Agatha Christie, they are simply not in the same universe.
April 15, 2019
Arduous. The characters were annoying and the plot was predictable. I gave it two stars bc I finished it, hoping it would have some redeeming qualities. Nope. Finding out its part of a series made me cringe.
April 2, 2025
4.5 🌟
Mood/Seasonal Reading: Christmas Time
Mood/Seasonal Reading: Christmas Time
November 29, 2018
Murder at the Mill by M. B. Shaw takes us to charming village of Hampshire in England. Iris Grey, a portrait painter, has rented out Mill Cottage from Dom and Ariadne Wetherby. Dom is the charismatic author of the Grimshaw novels. Iris felt she needed time away from her playwright husband, Ian McBride whose career is on a downswing along with his attitude. Dom is retiring from writing and publishing his last Grimshaw book. Ariadne has requested Iris paint Dom’s portrait in honor of the occasion. During the sittings, Iris notices tension among the members of the Wetherby family. At the boisterous annual Wetherby Christmas Eve party, Iris meets Graham Feeney, lawyer and friend of the Wetherby’s. She is attracted to Graham, but Iris has yet to make a decision regarding her marriage. After a quiet Christmas day, Iris hears a scream down by the river. Lorcan, the Wetherby’s youngest son with Down’s syndrome, was playing with his boat in the river and it caught on a body. It looks like a suicide, but the victim had no reason to harm himself. Iris, with help from Jenna Wetherby, begins searching for the truth. The villagers are a curious and gossipy bunch who are happy to give Iris the lowdown on the Wetherby clan. Can Iris uncover the truth? Join Iris Grey in Hampshire on her inaugural investigation in Murder at the Mill.
Murder at the Mill is set in Hampshire, England which will please readers who enjoy English cozy mysteries especially those with a bit of edge to them. Hampshire is a small village where gossip runs rampant. Iris Grey is a portrait painter known for capturing the essence of her subjects. Doing a portrait of Dom Wetherby would be a feather in her cap and would greatly help her career. Iris has a colorful and quirky clothing style which some find garish. Dom is known for being charming and flirtatious which makes it hard to get to know the real man. Billy Wetherby, the middle son, is the villain of our piece. He has just been released from prison and a lack of funds has him living at home once again. Billy and Ariadne are frequently at odds. There are numerous characters in Murder at the Mill. It can be hard to keep them all straight. It is made more difficult since the point-of-view alternates between several of them including Iris, Marcus Wetherby, Ariadne Wetherby, and Jenna Wetherby. I think the novel would have benefited if the story had been told from Iris’ perspective or in the third person. It would have helped the flow of the story. The author has a descriptive writing style and likes to use similes. Some of the authors comparisons made me cringe (“the spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind like the starved limbs of concentration-camp prisoners, pleading for escape” or “Lorcan tore at the wrapping on his gift like a starving child clawing at a bag of rice”). Her descriptions, though, help readers imagine the scenes in the book and bring the story to life. There are two mysteries in Murder at the Mill with multiple suspects, good clues and red herrings. I like how the two whodunits tied together and all the threads were tired up at the end. I do want to warn readers that there is a significant amount of foul language and animal lovers will be offended at how Ariadne uses real animals as subjects for her sculptures (she uses anesthesia to put them to sleep while she sculpts). Murder at the Mill is a potboiler that will have you on the edge of your seat as you quickly turn the pages to the surprising ending.
Murder at the Mill is set in Hampshire, England which will please readers who enjoy English cozy mysteries especially those with a bit of edge to them. Hampshire is a small village where gossip runs rampant. Iris Grey is a portrait painter known for capturing the essence of her subjects. Doing a portrait of Dom Wetherby would be a feather in her cap and would greatly help her career. Iris has a colorful and quirky clothing style which some find garish. Dom is known for being charming and flirtatious which makes it hard to get to know the real man. Billy Wetherby, the middle son, is the villain of our piece. He has just been released from prison and a lack of funds has him living at home once again. Billy and Ariadne are frequently at odds. There are numerous characters in Murder at the Mill. It can be hard to keep them all straight. It is made more difficult since the point-of-view alternates between several of them including Iris, Marcus Wetherby, Ariadne Wetherby, and Jenna Wetherby. I think the novel would have benefited if the story had been told from Iris’ perspective or in the third person. It would have helped the flow of the story. The author has a descriptive writing style and likes to use similes. Some of the authors comparisons made me cringe (“the spindly tree branches swayed and shivered pathetically in the wind like the starved limbs of concentration-camp prisoners, pleading for escape” or “Lorcan tore at the wrapping on his gift like a starving child clawing at a bag of rice”). Her descriptions, though, help readers imagine the scenes in the book and bring the story to life. There are two mysteries in Murder at the Mill with multiple suspects, good clues and red herrings. I like how the two whodunits tied together and all the threads were tired up at the end. I do want to warn readers that there is a significant amount of foul language and animal lovers will be offended at how Ariadne uses real animals as subjects for her sculptures (she uses anesthesia to put them to sleep while she sculpts). Murder at the Mill is a potboiler that will have you on the edge of your seat as you quickly turn the pages to the surprising ending.
January 1, 2019
A Christmas Eve party with everything. Christmas Day begins with presents and stops with a death horrifically discovered! M. B. Shaw’s Murder at the Mill: A Mystery (Iris Grey #1) is a multi-layered mystery that is set in Hazelford, a Hampshire village, during Christmas. Iris Grey has moved into the guesthouse at The Mill Estate to escape her crumbling marriage, but she is drawn into the Wetherby family whose home is The Mill when all she wants now is solitude. Her search for solitude ends upon hearing an ungodly scream and then another as she tears out the door of the guesthouse into the mysteries of the Wetherby family. The author has created characters who are fascinating but flawed. The reader never truly knows what to believe, but Iris, the protagonist, decides that she will seek the truth. It is a Christmas that no one will ever forget! I found this book a bit too long getting to the ‘truth’, but it kept my attention - definitely! 4 stars.
February 26, 2020
I had trouble liking Iris . She wasn't very sharp when it came to being a sleuth. The novel was filled with contradictions. The whole book just didn't fit right . Not an easy read and I'm not sure why I finished it. Can't recommend.
October 26, 2018
Loved this brilliant story
February 25, 2019
A cozy mystery set in a quaint English village. The setting might have been the best part- I wanted to stroll the village and have tea and biscuits. All the characters were flawed and it was believable that any of them could have committed murder. I just wish that the author had condemned more of them. Only two? Can more go to jail? We had the cute, elfin protagonist who went from wearing baggy clothes to being a fashion plate, several adorable children, one with blonde braids, and several fat characters who were relentlessly fat shamed, over and over. Not sure how that moved the plot, but oh well. Speaking of the plot, one major twist was finding papers under a floor board that highly incriminated two characters. Seriously? In a cozy manor house with several roaring fireplaces that were mentioned over and over? Burn those papers and move on with your crimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2017
Now this is my kind of Christmas read - not too cheesy, not too overly christmassy and some good old fashioned murder amidst the tinsel. That might sound wrong said in the wrong context of course, but in a book review this means good stuff!
My copy was called Murder at the Mill but whatever its name, it's a good one and a fun fine read!
My copy was called Murder at the Mill but whatever its name, it's a good one and a fun fine read!
October 29, 2019
I try to cut an author some slack with the first book in a series, as they need to establish thd sleuth's background and such. Here, we deal with Iris Grey's failing marriage in addition to the criminal focus in which she becomes caught up.
However, during the first part of the story Iris seemed more like a Special Guest Star to me than a main character; more time is spent in the heads of several other characters. Later on in the book we get more of Iris, but by then I didn't have a solid idea of who she was?
At times, she seemed almost docile in terms of relationships. Also, frightened and hesitant. But, at others she was bold, almost to the point of obnoxious. Frankly, she got lost in the mix. Until I looked at some reviews later, I had no idea that she often dressed in an eccentric manner. If anything, she came across as conformist to me.
There are two murders resolved here: main one and a cold case, shall we say. I had a correct idea of the former situation before the confession. I had a feeling early on about the other murderer, though that one seemed almost an afterthought as a plot point.
I'd be interested in the sequel to see whether the author's writing gets tighter. Audio narration was fine, although the female narrator's male Scottish voice I found mildly grating, and her female American one a bit stereotypical.
However, during the first part of the story Iris seemed more like a Special Guest Star to me than a main character; more time is spent in the heads of several other characters. Later on in the book we get more of Iris, but by then I didn't have a solid idea of who she was?
At times, she seemed almost docile in terms of relationships. Also, frightened and hesitant. But, at others she was bold, almost to the point of obnoxious. Frankly, she got lost in the mix. Until I looked at some reviews later, I had no idea that she often dressed in an eccentric manner. If anything, she came across as conformist to me.
There are two murders resolved here: main one and a cold case, shall we say. I had a correct idea of the former situation before the confession. I had a feeling early on about the other murderer, though that one seemed almost an afterthought as a plot point.
I'd be interested in the sequel to see whether the author's writing gets tighter. Audio narration was fine, although the female narrator's male Scottish voice I found mildly grating, and her female American one a bit stereotypical.
January 8, 2023
well to be fair i didnt completely finish it, but this book was just like agressively average. For a murder mystery, it took a suspiciously long amount of time for the actual storyline to start, and the intro didn’t particularly add too much of the story anyways and then I just got a bit bored even when the murder had occurerd. Nothing was particularly riveting about the story. then again, I didn’t finish so don’t take my word completely for it. Still a decent read though if you love crime fiction.
June 3, 2018
This was a good, cosy mystery with fun characters and a reasonable plot. It was fairly obvious whodunit, but that didn't spoil the book for me as I kept reading to see if my idea was correct - which it was. There was a bit of a twist (again not totally unexpected) towards the end. All-in-all, a good read.
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