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Francis Meadowes #1
The Festival Murders
"A marvellous set of unsavoury suspects"
Mail on Sunday, Thriller of the Week
"A rollicking read" Evening Standard
Bryce Peabody is ready to give a scandalous talk at the annual literary festival in the pretty English town of Mold-on-Wold. Scathing in his reviews and unseemly in his affairs, Bryce is known to have many enemies. So when he is discovered dead in his hotel room festival-goers are desperate to know what happened. Could one of the numerous writers he insulted have taken revenge? Or perhaps one of his scorned lovers? As more festival-goers meet their ends, Francis Meadowes is drawn into a role he knows only from his own fiction; that of amateur detective.
"A rollicking read" Evening Standard
Bryce Peabody is ready to give a scandalous talk at the annual literary festival in the pretty English town of Mold-on-Wold. Scathing in his reviews and unseemly in his affairs, Bryce is known to have many enemies. So when he is discovered dead in his hotel room festival-goers are desperate to know what happened. Could one of the numerous writers he insulted have taken revenge? Or perhaps one of his scorned lovers? As more festival-goers meet their ends, Francis Meadowes is drawn into a role he knows only from his own fiction; that of amateur detective.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
November 21, 2019
This COULD have been such a great book. It really could have. Alas, it was not.
It starts out very slow, at a Literary Festival [think Hay-on-Wye Literary Festival] where you have an aging, cynical, not-so-nice, harsh literary critic, who is about to drop a bombshell, along with his MUCH younger "new" girlfriend {not his open marriage "wife" or the girlfriend he has on the side when he is with her <--are you confused and lost yet? You should be} and an entourage of some pretty crazy characters, and you wonder just what is going on. Enter a middle aged writer, who has known some minor success [and is a speaker at said literary festival], who just HAPPENS to be "at the wrong/right place at the wrong/right time" when the murder occurs. And literally, one paragraph later, I knew who the killer was. And fast forward 4 chapters and I knew why. Fast forward to the end [and it takes a V E R Y long time to get there] and I was right. 100%. THAT is how transparent this writing is. Along with long. And sometimes, tedious.
There were moments, in the middle, when the "investigation" by Mr. Meadowes was just starting, that it was actually fairly interesting. And then, it goes into overdrive and falls flat. The author just tries to cram W A Y to much into this book [did we really NEED that many obvious red herrings? I think no] and it just bogs down as it moves forward. And I really think that the end is rather ridiculous. It was so trying to be a Hercule Poirot ending, but he was a "true detective" and the character of Francis Meadowes is just a writer, writing about a detective. I seriously doubt the DCI would have let him do what he does. SO. MANY. EYEROLLS.
So, what could have been a good read/book, turns out to be just a meh, mediocre book that anyone who has read any amount of mysteries will figure out fairly quickly and then have to suffer through a whole lot of nonsense to see if they are right [chances are, you are correct and you may be smart and skip to the end - I wish I had].
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Thorn Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It starts out very slow, at a Literary Festival [think Hay-on-Wye Literary Festival] where you have an aging, cynical, not-so-nice, harsh literary critic, who is about to drop a bombshell, along with his MUCH younger "new" girlfriend {not his open marriage "wife" or the girlfriend he has on the side when he is with her <--are you confused and lost yet? You should be} and an entourage of some pretty crazy characters, and you wonder just what is going on. Enter a middle aged writer, who has known some minor success [and is a speaker at said literary festival], who just HAPPENS to be "at the wrong/right place at the wrong/right time" when the murder occurs. And literally, one paragraph later, I knew who the killer was. And fast forward 4 chapters and I knew why. Fast forward to the end [and it takes a V E R Y long time to get there] and I was right. 100%. THAT is how transparent this writing is. Along with long. And sometimes, tedious.
There were moments, in the middle, when the "investigation" by Mr. Meadowes was just starting, that it was actually fairly interesting. And then, it goes into overdrive and falls flat. The author just tries to cram W A Y to much into this book [did we really NEED that many obvious red herrings? I think no] and it just bogs down as it moves forward. And I really think that the end is rather ridiculous. It was so trying to be a Hercule Poirot ending, but he was a "true detective" and the character of Francis Meadowes is just a writer, writing about a detective. I seriously doubt the DCI would have let him do what he does. SO. MANY. EYEROLLS.
So, what could have been a good read/book, turns out to be just a meh, mediocre book that anyone who has read any amount of mysteries will figure out fairly quickly and then have to suffer through a whole lot of nonsense to see if they are right [chances are, you are correct and you may be smart and skip to the end - I wish I had].
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Thorn Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2019
If you go into this book expecting it to be ridiculous, then you'll probably come out with a higher star rating than I'm affording it. It's not that it's bad. Some of it I enjoyed. But it just fell on too many points for me.
1. The female characters. They're really not great. And the male characters' reactions to them & treatment of them is also not great.
2. The writer turned detective - I sort of liked Francis, but honestly, there is no way any detective would give so much information, or access, to a bumbling crime writer. Every time he received any news I rolled my eyes.
3. Plot. It's okay, but there are too many red herrings. And the finale is very Hercule Poirot. I guess it's meant to be, but still, Hercule is better.
If you're just looking for a light & easy crime story then go for it, but if you like a little more depth to your investigations, look elsewhere.
With thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
1. The female characters. They're really not great. And the male characters' reactions to them & treatment of them is also not great.
2. The writer turned detective - I sort of liked Francis, but honestly, there is no way any detective would give so much information, or access, to a bumbling crime writer. Every time he received any news I rolled my eyes.
3. Plot. It's okay, but there are too many red herrings. And the finale is very Hercule Poirot. I guess it's meant to be, but still, Hercule is better.
If you're just looking for a light & easy crime story then go for it, but if you like a little more depth to your investigations, look elsewhere.
With thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
December 2, 2019
A snarky mystery packed with famous literary names, set at a book festival. A famous critic dies, followed by a journalist, and a mystery novelist decides to play detective. Lots and lots of mostly tedious confessional passages by the other characters and an extremely long monologue by the author-cum-detective at the denouement. Catty and misogynist and ageist; not something I'd recommend.
July 2, 2022
It took a while to get into, but once the murder tool place 40 pages later, I was hooked!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2023
2,5⭐️
January 7, 2020
A good start to a new mystery series. 4/5 stars.
This review was originally posted on my book blog.
This is an entertaining whodunnit. Francis Meadowes gradually becoming the centre of the story, in the role of crime-writer-turned-sleuth, worked well because it gave him a plausible reason to know the details of police procedure. When pondering the circumstances of the murders he tries to imagine they are in one of his plots, particularly when it comes to drawing up a list of suspects. This reminded me slightly of Castle - if any of you are familiar with that TV series - although Francis is far more low key and self-effacing than Richard Castle!
The plot twists and turns nicely, getting you to change your mind regularly about who did it. I was very pleased with myself when my suspicions were correct! I must confess I didn't manage to figure out the motive(s), but it's nice that some things are kept back as surprises.
The characters are an interesting bunch and the literary festival setting allows for amusing satire of the publishing world which never turns mean-spirited. And some of the more outlandish surnames, often only mentioned in passing, made me chuckle.
The main character, Francis, is likeable and copes well with all the situations he finds himself in. That said, I did think his decision to go the full Poirot at the end of the case (gathering everyone in a room for the big reveal) happened quite suddenly and his speech was a little lengthy. However, it was perfectly in keeping with the type of resolution you'd expect in this sort of classic murder mystery.
Overall: this is a good start to a new whodunnit series which introduces a likeable amateur sleuth.
This review was originally posted on my book blog.
This is an entertaining whodunnit. Francis Meadowes gradually becoming the centre of the story, in the role of crime-writer-turned-sleuth, worked well because it gave him a plausible reason to know the details of police procedure. When pondering the circumstances of the murders he tries to imagine they are in one of his plots, particularly when it comes to drawing up a list of suspects. This reminded me slightly of Castle - if any of you are familiar with that TV series - although Francis is far more low key and self-effacing than Richard Castle!
The plot twists and turns nicely, getting you to change your mind regularly about who did it. I was very pleased with myself when my suspicions were correct! I must confess I didn't manage to figure out the motive(s), but it's nice that some things are kept back as surprises.
The characters are an interesting bunch and the literary festival setting allows for amusing satire of the publishing world which never turns mean-spirited. And some of the more outlandish surnames, often only mentioned in passing, made me chuckle.
The main character, Francis, is likeable and copes well with all the situations he finds himself in. That said, I did think his decision to go the full Poirot at the end of the case (gathering everyone in a room for the big reveal) happened quite suddenly and his speech was a little lengthy. However, it was perfectly in keeping with the type of resolution you'd expect in this sort of classic murder mystery.
Overall: this is a good start to a new whodunnit series which introduces a likeable amateur sleuth.
October 18, 2019
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
I quite enjoyed this, I suppose. It dragged occasionally, but did a good job of setting up the various characters so you remembered who they each were and what their backstory was. The identity of the murderer was satisfactory and clued enough for the reader to have their suspicions.
On the other hand, the author didn't really address why the various suspects were happy to answer Francis' questions, or why the police were so happy to work with him. That was just how it was. The closing Poirot-type scene was ponderous and went on too long and was a bit of a precis of the entire novel, where Francis basically betrayed the trust of every one he had spoken to and revealed all their secrets to each other.
(While referring to Agatha Christie, surely the revelation of the plot twist in a certain one of her novels is a serious literary no-no...)
It was a little odd that many of the referenced speakers at the festival were actual real-life authors (spoiler: Alan Titchmarsh was not the murderer!)
I quite enjoyed this, I suppose. It dragged occasionally, but did a good job of setting up the various characters so you remembered who they each were and what their backstory was. The identity of the murderer was satisfactory and clued enough for the reader to have their suspicions.
On the other hand, the author didn't really address why the various suspects were happy to answer Francis' questions, or why the police were so happy to work with him. That was just how it was. The closing Poirot-type scene was ponderous and went on too long and was a bit of a precis of the entire novel, where Francis basically betrayed the trust of every one he had spoken to and revealed all their secrets to each other.
(While referring to Agatha Christie, surely the revelation of the plot twist in a certain one of her novels is a serious literary no-no...)
It was a little odd that many of the referenced speakers at the festival were actual real-life authors (spoiler: Alan Titchmarsh was not the murderer!)
June 25, 2022
Ugh, too many people, none of whom I cared about, even the victim or who bothered to bump him off. I couldn't warm to Francis, not least because I knew nothing about him beyond the fact that he was mixed race (the fact of which was dropped in in a rather distasteful way during his 'talk' at the book festival) had been brought up by a white family (thereby excusing the white author from actually knowing what it was like to be mixed race or how people might react to you) and had a wife that had died years ago. The latitude that the police extended to him was frankly baffling, and that they didn't know more than he did about the suspects' backgrounds given their somewhat vast resources, was incredulous.
In the acknowledgements the author said he'd got the idea at the Shetland book festival from some Scottish crime writers. I'd rather they'd attempted to write this book!
In the acknowledgements the author said he'd got the idea at the Shetland book festival from some Scottish crime writers. I'd rather they'd attempted to write this book!
October 26, 2019
The middle aged critic was not well loved, especially by his women, but there was no evident reason for him to be murdered. If it was a murder. The second death was assuredly murder but, again, where was the motive? The mystery writer becomes his own chief character and potters around investigating in his own way. While it does get a bit draggy occasionally, it's still a good whodunit!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Black Thorn via NetGalley. Thank you!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Black Thorn via NetGalley. Thank you!
July 21, 2023
Middle aged book critic Bryce Peabody, described as the “literary world’s number one hatchet man”, is discovered dead in his hotel room by his new and much younger girlfriend Priya when she returns in the early hours from a party with others attending the Mold-On Wold Literary Festival. The man was no stranger to making enemies and there are suspects a-plenty – jilted lovers and affronted authors for starters. Fellow speaker at the festival (albeit in the much smaller tent) Francis Meadowes, staying at the same hotel, is woken by Priya’s scream and just can’t help taking an interest when the local CID turn up to check the body and interview the guests. After all, Francis writes crime novels and wonders, what would his super sleuths George and Martha do next? Walking in their footsteps, and aided by DCI Julie Morgan, a self-confessed fan of his works, can he help to prevent any more deaths amongst the festival-goers and unveil a murderer?
This introduction to a new series was incredibly easy to dive into and stay glued to the pages through the twists, clues and red herrings strewn in the path of the reader right to the end with its classic Golden Age denouement. There were plenty of characters to get to grips with early on, but they were excellently portrayed and easy to identify. Francis himself is very likeable, with a friendly and empathetic manner which makes people simply open up to him and spill their secrets. I am already looking forward to book two, Cruising to Murder, out next month. 4.5*
This introduction to a new series was incredibly easy to dive into and stay glued to the pages through the twists, clues and red herrings strewn in the path of the reader right to the end with its classic Golden Age denouement. There were plenty of characters to get to grips with early on, but they were excellently portrayed and easy to identify. Francis himself is very likeable, with a friendly and empathetic manner which makes people simply open up to him and spill their secrets. I am already looking forward to book two, Cruising to Murder, out next month. 4.5*
July 20, 2023
Another new author for me but a genre I know and love - a cosy mystery with an interesting setting.
Preparing to give yet another scandalous talk at the local literary festival, Bryce Peabody is found dead in his hotel room. Not one to hold back in his scathing reviews, he's definitely not short of haters and they're all gathered at the festival waiting to find out what happened to him.
Francis, who writes novels starring an amateur detective - tries to get to the bottom of things before anyone else gets hurt.
This took a little while to get going but a few chapters in I started to get into the who's who and the pace ramped up.
The characters were pretty colourful and I loved Francis. A classic sleuth. I really got misdomer murders vibes.
I loved the setting. Being a literary festival and full of authors really appealed and will to any avid reader. It gives us a little insight into the world of the real author, both good and bad (...but not down to murder of course!)
Once this got going, I really enjoyed this read and flew through it - kept me guessing to the end too.
I can't wait to see what adventures await in book 2 which I think is coming soon....
Preparing to give yet another scandalous talk at the local literary festival, Bryce Peabody is found dead in his hotel room. Not one to hold back in his scathing reviews, he's definitely not short of haters and they're all gathered at the festival waiting to find out what happened to him.
Francis, who writes novels starring an amateur detective - tries to get to the bottom of things before anyone else gets hurt.
This took a little while to get going but a few chapters in I started to get into the who's who and the pace ramped up.
The characters were pretty colourful and I loved Francis. A classic sleuth. I really got misdomer murders vibes.
I loved the setting. Being a literary festival and full of authors really appealed and will to any avid reader. It gives us a little insight into the world of the real author, both good and bad (...but not down to murder of course!)
Once this got going, I really enjoyed this read and flew through it - kept me guessing to the end too.
I can't wait to see what adventures await in book 2 which I think is coming soon....
July 28, 2023
A really good murder mystery that kept me guessing right until the very end!
Francis Meadowes was such a likeable, unlikely detective taking all of his knowledge from his fiction writing and drawing upon it when he accidentally got involved in an unexpected death which wasn’t all that it seemed. When a second person dies, Francis is sure that both people were murdered and takes it upon himself to do his own investigation before he goes and tells the police what he knows.
Francis asks all the right questions, and it was fun to go along on the ride with him. I can see the Francis Meadowes series being a fun and interesting one!
Mark McCrum made all of the characters interesting, and most of them were quite likeable even if they weren’t at first glance. A great start to a murder mystery series!
Francis Meadowes was such a likeable, unlikely detective taking all of his knowledge from his fiction writing and drawing upon it when he accidentally got involved in an unexpected death which wasn’t all that it seemed. When a second person dies, Francis is sure that both people were murdered and takes it upon himself to do his own investigation before he goes and tells the police what he knows.
Francis asks all the right questions, and it was fun to go along on the ride with him. I can see the Francis Meadowes series being a fun and interesting one!
Mark McCrum made all of the characters interesting, and most of them were quite likeable even if they weren’t at first glance. A great start to a murder mystery series!
July 25, 2023
These days I don't tend to read Cozy crime novels. They don't do anything for me and a couple of recent well known bestsellers I found utterly pointless. I liked the blurb of this one, and the setting of a literary festival, and also that the author is so versatile, swopping between genres, and even switching from fact to fiction. Could he breathe new life into an overcrowded, tired genre for me?
Yes!
I loved the well observed jealousies of the literary world with all its little grudges and supersensitive egos. The plot is complex with a vast array of dubious characters and a splendid denouement that even Hercule Poirot would have approved of.
Yes!
I loved the well observed jealousies of the literary world with all its little grudges and supersensitive egos. The plot is complex with a vast array of dubious characters and a splendid denouement that even Hercule Poirot would have approved of.
October 13, 2023
Francis Meadowes is at the annual literary festival of Mold on the wold.
He is due to give a talk as is the much disliked Bryce Peabody who is poised to also give a talk, a scandalous one as usual.
But before he can he is found dead in his hotel room by his much younger lover, Priya.
Francis as the writer of detective novels swings into action to try to find the killer.
This was an enjoyable murder mystery set around the world of a literary festival.
Great fun and a good read, hope to read more by this author.
He is due to give a talk as is the much disliked Bryce Peabody who is poised to also give a talk, a scandalous one as usual.
But before he can he is found dead in his hotel room by his much younger lover, Priya.
Francis as the writer of detective novels swings into action to try to find the killer.
This was an enjoyable murder mystery set around the world of a literary festival.
Great fun and a good read, hope to read more by this author.
July 19, 2023
This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed reading and look forward to seeing what is next for him. This is a well written cozy mystery that is engaging and hard to put down. A story that is fast paced, easy and entertaining to read. The characters are fun, creative and add to the story. I enjoyed watching the growth of the plot throughout the story. This is a cute mystery that I highly recommend.
August 27, 2025
Started and finished date - 20.08.25 to 23.08.25.
My rating - Three Stars.
This book was okay but I found it to be bit boring and I think it would be a good book for summer also I think people who like Murder at the book festival by Jane Bettany or seeds of murder by Rosie Sandler may like is book. The cover of book was simple but stunning. The writing was okay and the writing was easy to follow also I think the ending of book was fine.
The atmosphere was okay but it was a bit bland and mystery was fine also I didnt feel the cozy feeling while reading is book. The paced of plot was well structured and steady paced. The characters was okay and they needed to flash out bit more.
My rating - Three Stars.
This book was okay but I found it to be bit boring and I think it would be a good book for summer also I think people who like Murder at the book festival by Jane Bettany or seeds of murder by Rosie Sandler may like is book. The cover of book was simple but stunning. The writing was okay and the writing was easy to follow also I think the ending of book was fine.
The atmosphere was okay but it was a bit bland and mystery was fine also I didnt feel the cozy feeling while reading is book. The paced of plot was well structured and steady paced. The characters was okay and they needed to flash out bit more.
July 16, 2023
At a writer's convention where all authors hoping to win some award or other and all the same contenders so they all know each other, and it was at this convention that Bryce Peabody a literary critic often quite rude to his critics, was murdered or was he.? It seems only a post-mortem will tell, so nobody must leave, etc, etc say by the police. With all the writers that have congregated, it seems one author is doing the investigating going around asking all the questions and then the girlfriend of Bryce joins in and the police are around only just. While Francis is asking all these questions some obviously take offense as he is not police others just answer the questions very odd. Put Murder She Wrote, Father Brown, and Midsummer Murders all rolled into one.
Another Murder or was she pushed a not-very-inspiring read but more of a beach read when you don't have to exert yourself an easy read?
I would like to thank Bloodhound Books for a copy to read and review.
Another Murder or was she pushed a not-very-inspiring read but more of a beach read when you don't have to exert yourself an easy read?
I would like to thank Bloodhound Books for a copy to read and review.
July 18, 2023
If you like classic whodunnits, with lots of clues and an amateur detective on hand to solve the mystery, you will love this. The story moves at a good pace and holds the reader’s interest. The clues are sprinkled throughout the narrative at regular intervals, interspersed with multiple red herrings. Various sub plots run alongside the main thread, with interesting characters from the world of literary festivals. The final denouement is classical Agatha Christie, with the various suspects revealed, examined and eventually eliminated. There is no great surprise at the final solution, if the reader, like the amateur detective, has paid heed to the clues. I will be honest, it was not really my sort of book, but, as a light read it was acceptable. If you are a fan of the whodunnit genre, there is much to enjoy.
July 18, 2023
An easy mystery read that built as the story went on getting a little more fast paced and interesting. Enjoyable and entertaining it is more of a classic mystery read then some others I’ve read lately but enjoyed! Thanks to Bloodhound books for my ARC!
August 19, 2023
It took me longer than I expected to get into this book, it wasn’t quite what I expected. I found many of the characters were a bit too stereotypical and not likeable, and the story dragged out a little too much. Not a bad story once I got into it, but not one of my favourites either.
January 9, 2024
This is a perfect January read for me. In Jan I just want easy escape novels to handle the dreary winter. This was an easy, fun murder mystery. Likable lead character/detective. Lots of fun, pretty clean if I’m remembering right. I’ll read more of this series in Jan!
May 27, 2025
I wasn't sure at all I'd like this in the first few pages, but after that I had no doubts. A cracking read, a flawed writer/amateur sleuth, a wide range of characters who were much more than cardboard cutouts, and a denouement which probably takes most by surprise. Good work.
July 31, 2023
I received this book for free from Bloodhound Books.
This was a very well written mystery that kept me guessing until the end.
I am excited to read more in this series.
This was a very well written mystery that kept me guessing until the end.
I am excited to read more in this series.
August 17, 2023
An enjoyable enough ‘whodunnit’ in a classic vein.
September 1, 2023
Quite enjoyed it. A number of characters of which I'm not sure all were needed! Enjoyed it overall
September 5, 2025
Quite enjoyed this book, good mystery book. Predicted the killer early on, then changed my mind so it was a surprise again at the end.
November 14, 2025
A lot of self absorbed egos not my cup of tea..!
July 18, 2023
I enjoyed this book, and am grateful to Bloodhound books for sending me an advanced copy to read and review.
Set against the backdrop of a literary festival, a critic is found dead and a writer of police procedurals fiction turns detective to solve the case.
At times I felt the story dragged a little, but there was enough to keep me interested and I finished the book. Although I did spot the twist at the end it was still an enjoyable read, and I think if you like crime fiction you will probably enjoy this one.
Set against the backdrop of a literary festival, a critic is found dead and a writer of police procedurals fiction turns detective to solve the case.
At times I felt the story dragged a little, but there was enough to keep me interested and I finished the book. Although I did spot the twist at the end it was still an enjoyable read, and I think if you like crime fiction you will probably enjoy this one.
July 20, 2023
In true Christie tradition amateur sleuth works with police to establish who did it! In the middle of the Cold Literary Festival Bryce Peabody is discovered dead in his hotel room by his girlfriend, fellow guest and Festival participant Francis Meadowes, a crime writer, rushes to take charge. Something he sees on the body makes him think this is not a straightforward death and his investigation begins.
A good read in the classic whodunnit style.
A good read in the classic whodunnit style.
July 16, 2023
The Francis Meadows Mysteries Book 1,
I am so pleased that I persevered with the slow start to this book. It certainly built up to a revelation of a finish.
After a few chapters, I was totally captured into a very clever and different slant into investigating murder.
The storyline and plot are very cleverly written, with strong characters, revelations, and many a twist and turn.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it kept me guessing all the way through.
I very much look forward to the next book in the series.
My thanks to Bloodhound books for the advanced copy. This is my honest and unbiased review.
I am so pleased that I persevered with the slow start to this book. It certainly built up to a revelation of a finish.
After a few chapters, I was totally captured into a very clever and different slant into investigating murder.
The storyline and plot are very cleverly written, with strong characters, revelations, and many a twist and turn.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it kept me guessing all the way through.
I very much look forward to the next book in the series.
My thanks to Bloodhound books for the advanced copy. This is my honest and unbiased review.
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