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Izzy Palmer Mystery #6
A Corpse in a Locked Room
Izzy is heading to a family reunion. Oops, someone’s going to die.
When private detective Izzy Palmer is summoned to a lavish party in a grand stately home, she must deal with a host of painful memories from her past. But have her bratty cousins and their vain mother really changed as they claim, or is it just another trick?
After a member of the party is murdered in a room locked from the outside, Izzy has to question all she thought she knew about her family to get to the truth. With so many duplicitous relatives around and her mother a suspect, it's impossible to know who she can trust. Dark secrets will be unearthed and old scores laid to rest before the truth of “A Corpse in a Locked Room” can be unpicked.
When private detective Izzy Palmer is summoned to a lavish party in a grand stately home, she must deal with a host of painful memories from her past. But have her bratty cousins and their vain mother really changed as they claim, or is it just another trick?
After a member of the party is murdered in a room locked from the outside, Izzy has to question all she thought she knew about her family to get to the truth. With so many duplicitous relatives around and her mother a suspect, it's impossible to know who she can trust. Dark secrets will be unearthed and old scores laid to rest before the truth of “A Corpse in a Locked Room” can be unpicked.
- GenresMystery
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2021
245 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Benedict Brown
52 books505 followersWriting has always been my passion. It was my favourite hour a week at primary school, and I started on my first, truly abysmal book as a teenager. So it wasn’t a difficult decision to study literature at university which led to an MA in Creative Writing. I spent a long time writing kids’ books, including funny fairy tales, dystopic adventures and serious issue-based YA, before switching to murder mysteries last year.
I grew up in a crime fiction family and spent a long time dreaming up the idea for my detective Izzy Palmer’s debut novel. A Corpse Called Bob is my first full-length book for adults in what is already becoming a long series.
I’m a Welsh-Irish-Englishman originally from South London but now living with my French/Spanish wife and slightly muddled daughter in Burgos, a beautiful city in the north of Spain. I write overlooking the Castilian countryside, trying not to be distracted by the vultures and red kites that fly past my window each day.
I grew up in a crime fiction family and spent a long time dreaming up the idea for my detective Izzy Palmer’s debut novel. A Corpse Called Bob is my first full-length book for adults in what is already becoming a long series.
I’m a Welsh-Irish-Englishman originally from South London but now living with my French/Spanish wife and slightly muddled daughter in Burgos, a beautiful city in the north of Spain. I write overlooking the Castilian countryside, trying not to be distracted by the vultures and red kites that fly past my window each day.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 14, 2023
Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰
Another will written British 🏰 murder mystery family and friends relationships adventure thriller novel by Benedict Brown The Lizzy Palmer Mysteries book 6 of 8. Lizzy Palmer and family are invited to a family reunion by the sister of her mother. It has been twenty years since they have seen the aunt. Lizzy invites Dean too be her date 📅. They drive 🚗 there in Dean's Bentley. The aunt is murdered in a locked room. The detective welcomes Lizzys help in the investigation. Lizzy uncovers the truth. I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of mystery novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa read books 📚. 2023 👒😀☺
Another will written British 🏰 murder mystery family and friends relationships adventure thriller novel by Benedict Brown The Lizzy Palmer Mysteries book 6 of 8. Lizzy Palmer and family are invited to a family reunion by the sister of her mother. It has been twenty years since they have seen the aunt. Lizzy invites Dean too be her date 📅. They drive 🚗 there in Dean's Bentley. The aunt is murdered in a locked room. The detective welcomes Lizzys help in the investigation. Lizzy uncovers the truth. I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of mystery novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa read books 📚. 2023 👒😀☺
December 30, 2024
Absolutely Delightful Read
Absolutely delightful read. So well crafted with fabulous characters you can't help but love. Great plot with a unexpected twist at the end. Highly recommend.
Absolutely delightful read. So well crafted with fabulous characters you can't help but love. Great plot with a unexpected twist at the end. Highly recommend.
April 25, 2021
Izzy and her family are fascinating! She is faced with a very difficult challenge this time and as always, the author does not disappoint. The killer in this book as in all his books is not who I expected it to be. Quite an enjoyable mystery!
June 21, 2023
Izzy and her parents have been invited to attend a family get-together at her relatives home, Castleton Manor. Izzy is reluctant to go, but a special letter from her mother's cousin, Elizabeth, helps her to decide to attend. Izzy has a lot of unhappy memories from earlier visits to Castleton Manor because of how she was treated by Elizabeth's children. When Izzy and her family arrive at the manor, Elizabeth seems to have changed her attitude and is more friendly, but also seems hesitant about something. One of the rooms Elizabeth shows Izzy is her library of mystery books. Later when Elizabeth takes Izzy to another private room, Izzy again feels that Elizabeth wants to tell her something, but hesitates to say anything. When Elizabeth is found dead in room that was locked from the outside, Izzy has her work cut out for her trying to solve the mystery. The main suspects include several members of her family, her assistant Fabian, and Izzy's mother.
Who killed Elizabeth? Why was she killed? Why was the door locked from the outside? Is anybody else in danger? Can Izzy unravel the mystery to expose the culprit?
Benedict Brown has another wonderfully crazy mystery with the latest Izzy Palmer story. There are great characters and realistic situations. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged clear to the end. i am looking forward to more stories in the Izzy Palmer series.
Who killed Elizabeth? Why was she killed? Why was the door locked from the outside? Is anybody else in danger? Can Izzy unravel the mystery to expose the culprit?
Benedict Brown has another wonderfully crazy mystery with the latest Izzy Palmer story. There are great characters and realistic situations. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged clear to the end. i am looking forward to more stories in the Izzy Palmer series.
June 12, 2025
A family affair
In an earlier book, we’d been introduced in passing to the posh branch of Izzy’s family. In book 6, we get a deep dive into the murder of Aunt Elizabeth, the manor’s matriarch. With a complete list of familial characters, this book gives you ample opportunity to rear back in gobsmacked incredulity at how truly horrendous they are to each other. You can love to hate each one of them to your hearts content—or hate that you love them, too—as Izzy uncovers motives, back stories, and clues.
The beautiful thing about the Izzy Palmer series is even though the suspects might be unlikeable, her entourage and ever-chatty brain are delightfully outrageous. This time, as she visits the relatives in a sprawling manor so large it requires using her phone’s GPS, she also has Dean, her rich spy tech tycoon friend, with her posing as her boyfriend. He’s a little more grounded than Ramesh, who’s busy constructing something at home with her birth-dad, which lends a different flavor than past stories.
All in all, it’s a fun whodunit with a great ending that proves karma can, indeed, be a beyatch.
In an earlier book, we’d been introduced in passing to the posh branch of Izzy’s family. In book 6, we get a deep dive into the murder of Aunt Elizabeth, the manor’s matriarch. With a complete list of familial characters, this book gives you ample opportunity to rear back in gobsmacked incredulity at how truly horrendous they are to each other. You can love to hate each one of them to your hearts content—or hate that you love them, too—as Izzy uncovers motives, back stories, and clues.
The beautiful thing about the Izzy Palmer series is even though the suspects might be unlikeable, her entourage and ever-chatty brain are delightfully outrageous. This time, as she visits the relatives in a sprawling manor so large it requires using her phone’s GPS, she also has Dean, her rich spy tech tycoon friend, with her posing as her boyfriend. He’s a little more grounded than Ramesh, who’s busy constructing something at home with her birth-dad, which lends a different flavor than past stories.
All in all, it’s a fun whodunit with a great ending that proves karma can, indeed, be a beyatch.
October 29, 2024
Annoying Characters ruin the plot
1 by 1 I've been reading the books in this series thinking the horrible side characters would be featured less and less.... Unfortunately they show up more and more and make the storyline unreadable. Unfortunately great mysteries and crappy characters don't mix, the actual murders and investigation are good but are overshadowed by all of the unnecessary characters acting stupid and idiotic during a murder investigation. Izzy's conversations with herself are even stupider (I have to skip anything italicized so I don't have to read that anymore) I'm truly disappointed in this whole series because of all the unnecessary garbage in between the actual mystery. Benedict Brown's other series are exceptional and he should stick to those instead of continuing with this waste of a good mystery!
1 by 1 I've been reading the books in this series thinking the horrible side characters would be featured less and less.... Unfortunately they show up more and more and make the storyline unreadable. Unfortunately great mysteries and crappy characters don't mix, the actual murders and investigation are good but are overshadowed by all of the unnecessary characters acting stupid and idiotic during a murder investigation. Izzy's conversations with herself are even stupider (I have to skip anything italicized so I don't have to read that anymore) I'm truly disappointed in this whole series because of all the unnecessary garbage in between the actual mystery. Benedict Brown's other series are exceptional and he should stick to those instead of continuing with this waste of a good mystery!
April 25, 2021
Izzy is back after solving a missing cat case. This time she is going to a family obligation (a party given from a distant relative) and the mere thought brings dreadful memories of visiting when she was 11 years old. A good friend goes along (as a fake fiancé) in order to act as a buffer for Izzy. A huge and beautiful mansion-what could go wrong? Plenty!
New readers and old Izzy fans will be charmed by Izzy and the characters in the book. The book made me shake my head in amazement, laugh at some characters, dislike some characters, and in general appreciate Izzy and her supportive friend and family members. The mystery was superb, and I definitely didn't figure it out ahead of Izzy!
Fun, fabulous book you won't want to miss
New readers and old Izzy fans will be charmed by Izzy and the characters in the book. The book made me shake my head in amazement, laugh at some characters, dislike some characters, and in general appreciate Izzy and her supportive friend and family members. The mystery was superb, and I definitely didn't figure it out ahead of Izzy!
Fun, fabulous book you won't want to miss
April 30, 2021
Izzy rises above her backstabbing relatives!
Anyone who loves cozy mysteries, old English manors and quirky modern characters will love this book! As a fan of the whole Izzy Palmer series, I especially liked this one where we get to learn more about Izzy's family history and their dysfunctional family dynamics. And Izzy's relationship struggles make her all the more endearing. But don't worry; you'll still enjoy trademark Benedict Brown light-hearted read with a clever plot and plenty of chuckles. Give it a go!
Anyone who loves cozy mysteries, old English manors and quirky modern characters will love this book! As a fan of the whole Izzy Palmer series, I especially liked this one where we get to learn more about Izzy's family history and their dysfunctional family dynamics. And Izzy's relationship struggles make her all the more endearing. But don't worry; you'll still enjoy trademark Benedict Brown light-hearted read with a clever plot and plenty of chuckles. Give it a go!
February 17, 2022
Another brilliant Izzy Palmer mystery
Izzy and her mother are invited to visit their wealthy but horrible relatives for the first time in years. Surrounded by a group of back stabbing snobs, Izzy "the murder magnet" has to solve the murder of one of her relatives. Which one of her money hungry relatives committed the crime? I enjoy each of the Izzy Palmer mysteries even more than the previous one. No matter how hard I try to solve the mystery along with Izzy, I am always kept guessing until the end.
Izzy and her mother are invited to visit their wealthy but horrible relatives for the first time in years. Surrounded by a group of back stabbing snobs, Izzy "the murder magnet" has to solve the murder of one of her relatives. Which one of her money hungry relatives committed the crime? I enjoy each of the Izzy Palmer mysteries even more than the previous one. No matter how hard I try to solve the mystery along with Izzy, I am always kept guessing until the end.
February 21, 2022
Another great entry in the Izzy saga. Invited to the palatial family home of her aunt, the mother of two beastly children who tormented Izzy as a child, she finds herself on the road with her mother, step-father and a best friend substituting for her boyfriend. As often happens, a death occurs and Izzy gets caught up in trying to solve what really happened. There are very few exempt suspects, including Mum. Another fabulous twisty tale from Benedict Brown. If you have not met Izzy yet, I suggest you start at the beginning and get to know all the characters. And then, read on.
July 21, 2024
A Corpse in a Locked Room
Izzy is invited to a big family gathering at the home of her cousin Elizabeth (first once-removed). A stately house in Derbyshire that holds very unpleasant childhood memories. When Elizabeth is discovered dead with a knife in her back in a locked room a mystery as convoluted as any Christie plot evolves.
What ensues is dark tale of deception, intrigue and manipulation.
The Izzy Palmer mysteries are filled with the usual red herrings and Izzy’s amusing, witty and dry self deprecation and self reflection.
Izzy is invited to a big family gathering at the home of her cousin Elizabeth (first once-removed). A stately house in Derbyshire that holds very unpleasant childhood memories. When Elizabeth is discovered dead with a knife in her back in a locked room a mystery as convoluted as any Christie plot evolves.
What ensues is dark tale of deception, intrigue and manipulation.
The Izzy Palmer mysteries are filled with the usual red herrings and Izzy’s amusing, witty and dry self deprecation and self reflection.
March 8, 2022
Did not see that coming!
Izzy is back with her quirky crew but this time her case is personal! After arriving to her mom's cousin grand estate for a family gathering, the host ends up murdered. It is up to Izzy to sort through the clues and figure out who killed Elizabeth. With a host of characters that will make you realize that your family really isn't that bad. Really enjoyed this one! Highly recommend!
Izzy is back with her quirky crew but this time her case is personal! After arriving to her mom's cousin grand estate for a family gathering, the host ends up murdered. It is up to Izzy to sort through the clues and figure out who killed Elizabeth. With a host of characters that will make you realize that your family really isn't that bad. Really enjoyed this one! Highly recommend!
January 23, 2025
Very intriguing!
This plot had so many possible villains and so many red herrings that the ending was a total surprise! At one point, I thought I had figured it out (and was right) but then became convinced it was one of the prominent figures. I loved how justice prevailed in the end. Although, the family dynamics, which were mentioned in an earlier book, were extremely sad, poisonous, and simply evil, making this the culmination of years of perverted villainy justly rewarded!
This plot had so many possible villains and so many red herrings that the ending was a total surprise! At one point, I thought I had figured it out (and was right) but then became convinced it was one of the prominent figures. I loved how justice prevailed in the end. Although, the family dynamics, which were mentioned in an earlier book, were extremely sad, poisonous, and simply evil, making this the culmination of years of perverted villainy justly rewarded!
April 25, 2021
In this fantastic mind-boggling mystery Izzy Palmer is set out to find the killer of a woman who was found in her bedroom...... with the door locked from the outside.
If you, like me, have read all the other Izzy Palmer Mysteries, but also if you are new to the series, you’ll enjoy this well-written novel beyond measure.
If you, like me, have read all the other Izzy Palmer Mysteries, but also if you are new to the series, you’ll enjoy this well-written novel beyond measure.
January 10, 2023
Can it be called a locked door murder?
Izzy was summoned to a family party where she always was made to feel unwelcome. Why now? When the guests all arrived their hostess greeted them as a new woman. Quite the opposite of who she had been. Then she was DEAD.
Filled with a load of twists and turns, can Izzy discover the killer?
Izzy was summoned to a family party where she always was made to feel unwelcome. Why now? When the guests all arrived their hostess greeted them as a new woman. Quite the opposite of who she had been. Then she was DEAD.
Filled with a load of twists and turns, can Izzy discover the killer?
April 25, 2021
The Best Izzy Palmer Mystery So Far
I've been waiting (not too) patiently for this book for a while and I'm super glad it lived up to previous adventures. A Twisty Turny ending I wasn't expecting. Brilliant.
I've been waiting (not too) patiently for this book for a while and I'm super glad it lived up to previous adventures. A Twisty Turny ending I wasn't expecting. Brilliant.
September 13, 2021
Whoa!
An unexpected denouement with a wealth of viable, suspicious characters on hand, including Izzy’s own mum (but only momentarily).
Looking forward to the next Izzy investigation.
An unexpected denouement with a wealth of viable, suspicious characters on hand, including Izzy’s own mum (but only momentarily).
Looking forward to the next Izzy investigation.
January 10, 2023
Good mystery, interesting characters
Izzy revisits the past and extended family and a murder happens. She and the police each try to solve it. The book reminds me of books from the golden age of detective stories. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Izzy revisits the past and extended family and a murder happens. She and the police each try to solve it. The book reminds me of books from the golden age of detective stories. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 12, 2022
Who killed Elizabeth Castleton and why – AND how??? Isobel will figure things out though, won’t she??? You will never guess the who and how!!! I enjoyed this story and recommend the book.
January 19, 2023
A bit of a twist
Surprise ending in this one, but plausible! I love Izzy and her compatriots. Benedict Brown is a master at the mystery!
Surprise ending in this one, but plausible! I love Izzy and her compatriots. Benedict Brown is a master at the mystery!
July 1, 2023
Another easy to read quirky detective novel. I enjoyed this one a little more than the others because of the family element.
August 8, 2025
good
Enjoyable and twisty! I love the quirky characters and the mystery was challenging! Well done! I am off to read more.
Enjoyable and twisty! I love the quirky characters and the mystery was challenging! Well done! I am off to read more.
December 6, 2025
Izzy Palmer is a private detective trying to solve who killed her mum’s cousin, could it be her uncle?
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews