Delitti a Fleat House

by Lucinda Riley, Leonardo Taiuti (Translator)

L'improvvisa morte di Charlie Cavendish, nell'austero dormitorio di Fleat House, è un evento scioccante che il preside è subito propenso a liquidare come una sfortunata tragedia dovuta a una crisi epilettica, malattia per la quale il ragazzo era in cura da tutta la vita. L'autopsia però stabilisce che si è trattato di uno shock anafilattico, di una reazione allergica a un farmaco di uso comune come l'aspirina. Ma Charlie ne era al corrente e sapeva di non doverla prendere... Un errore fatale o un delitto premeditato? Sarà la polizia a far luce sul caso e in particolare Jazmine "Jazz" Hunter, la tenace e volitiva ispettrice che si è appena trasferita in un cottage nella meravigliosa campagna del Norfolk, non lontano dalla scuola. Riluttante a tornare in servizio dopo un periodo sabbatico, Jazz accetterà solo per fare un favore al suo vecchio capo e si accorgerà subito che sono tanti i segreti racchiusi nelle mura di Fleat House, tra intrighi familiari, tradimenti e vendette, ma quello che non si aspetta è che nel giro di pochi giorni venga ritrovato un secondo cadavere e un alunno scompaia. È chiaro che la vicenda è molto più complicata di quanto potesse sembrare all'inizio e che non sarà facile per lei tenere separata vita personale e lavorativa. Un romanzo inedito, l'unico thriller dell'autrice bestseller Lucinda Riley. L'ennesima prova delle capacità di una grande scrittrice che riesce a spaziare tra generi diversi: dall'appassionante narrativa femminile al crime, con una protagonista carismatica e un'ambientazione suggestiva come nella migliore tradizione del giallo.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Fiction, Book Club, Detective

496 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 19, 2022

About the author

AKA: Lucinda Edmonds
Lucinda Riley was born in Northern Ireland, and after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged twenty-four. Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold thirty million copies worldwide. She is a No.1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller.

Lucinda’s The Seven Sisters series, which tells the story of adopted sisters and is inspired by the mythology of the famous star cluster, has become a global phenomenon. The series is a No.1 bestseller across the world with total sales of over fifteen million copies.

Lucinda and her family divided their time between the U.K. and a farmhouse in West Cork, Ireland, where she wrote her books.

Reviews

[Labijose · Rating 4 out of 5]

De esta autora, tristemente fallecida en el 2021, sólo había leído “La luz tras la ventana”. Me gustó, aunque no me cautivó. La serie de las siete hermanas no me atraía lo más mínimo, pero resulta que LR había escrito un policial, allá por el año 2006, que, por lo que sea no se atrevió a publicar. Ahora su hijo lo rescata y lo da a conocer a sus seguidores. Y me alegro.

Creo que LR hubiera podido sacar de esta primera entrega una serie dedicada a la detective Jazz Hunter bastante decente. Por momentos me ha recordado a Agatha Christie, y también me ha traído a la memoria a Ann Cleves e incluso a M.W. Craven, aunque estos tienen un nivel de enganche superior. “Asesinato en…” es en ese sentido bastante simplona. Nada que ver con J.D. Barker ni similares. Es una lectura relajada, donde no hay escenas escabrosas ni grandes giros. Para leer con una taza de té (al que le guste) y una mantita. Y si hay una chimenea cercana aun disfrutarás más de lo que aquí se cuenta. Pero no esperéis un policial que no os deje respirar. Aquí no lo hallaréis.

Me ha gustado la protagonista, así como las descripciones y los paisajes. Alrededor de Fleat House tendremos asesinatos, desapariciones, confesiones falsas, algo de bullying (nada escabroso, lo cual es de agradecer) y, ¿cómo no? secretos del pasado que vuelven a resurgir. Lo mejor es que la autora nos lo relata todo muy bien, de forma convencional pero atrayente, y con personajes muy de carne y hueso. No llega a enganchar de forma que no quieras dejar de leer, pero pasarás unas horas muy entretenido. Aunque si eres muy quisquilloso quizás descubras algún que otro posible error en cuanto a temas médicos y legales que te pueden sacar de quicio. Creo que es debido a que el hijo decidió no someter la obra a posterior revisión, sino publicarla tal como su madre la dejó, sin consultas forenses de por medio. Valga por esta ocasión.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucinda Riley sadly passed away in June 2021. Over the years, I’ve bought most of her books and only allowed myself to read a few, saving the others for later because I’ve loved what I read so far. Thankfully I read The Murders at Fleat House, and of course I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About the book: “The Murders at Fleat House is a suspenseful and utterly compelling crime novel from the multi-million copy global bestseller, Lucinda Riley.

The sudden death of a pupil in Fleat House at St Stephen’s – a small private boarding school in deepest Norfolk – is a shocking event that the headmaster is very keen to call a tragic accident.”

This story immediately felt different from the others I’ve read by Lucinda Riley because it’s an unsettling, tense mystery through and through. Once I dug in deeper into the story, I felt the absorbing storytelling and character development I’m used to, and then I was in awe of the twists and red herrings that kept me reading well into the night. This was so well-done, I’m going to check out her backlist to see if she wrote any other mysteries. It reads like a classic, timeless murder mystery.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: Outside Study Number Seven, the figure paused for a moment, listening. Being a Friday, the eight boys on this floor would have signed out and walked to the pub in the nearby market town of Fotlesham, but it was as well to be sure. Hearing nothing, the figure turned the handle and went in.

Closing the door quietly and switching on the light, the figure was aware almost immediately of the ingrained, musty smell of unwashed socks, sweat and raging hormones which had, over the years, permeated every nook and cranny of Fleat House.

Shuddering, the smell triggering painful memories, the figure nearly stumbled on a pile of underwear thrown carelessly onto the floor. Then, reaching carefully for the two white tablets placed on the boy's locker every night and replacing them with identical ones, the figure turned, switched off the light and left the room.

ABOUT 'THE MURDERS AT FLEAT HOUSE': The sudden death of a pupil in Fleat House at St Stephen’s - a small English private boarding school in deepest Norfolk - is a shocking event that the headmaster is very keen to call a tragic accident.

But the local police cannot rule out foul play and the case prompts the return of high-flying Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter to the force. Jazz has her own private reasons for stepping away from her police career in London but reluctantly agrees to front the investigation as a favour to her old boss.

Reunited with her loyal Sergeant, Alastair Miles, she enters the closed world of the school, and as Jazz begins to probe the circumstances surrounding Charlie Cavendish’s tragic death, events are soon to take another troubling turn.

Charlie is exposed as an arrogant bully and those around him had both motive and opportunity to switch the drugs he took daily to control his epilepsy.

As staff at the school close ranks, the disappearance of young pupil Rory Millar and the death of an elderly Classics Master provide Jazz with important leads but are destined to complicate the investigation further. As snow covers the landscape and another suspect goes missing, Jazz must also confront her own personal demons…

Then a particularly grim discovery at the school makes this the most challenging murder investigation of her career. Because Fleat House hides secrets darker than even Jazz could ever have imagined…

MY THOUGHTS: Although this isn't Lucinda Riley's normal genre, I rather enjoyed what was obviously meant to be the first book in a series featuring DI Jazz Hunter.

Jazz is a person who notices the human detail, tending to follow her instincts and take her time, learning the stories of those involved and exhausting every avenue of inquiry before arriving at a conclusion. These skills certainly serve her well in The Murders at Fleat House and make for an interesting story.

The start is slow, but the story picks up pace slightly as it moves along. The plot is twisty and at one point I would have loved for there to have been a family tree or list of characters, but on reflection after finishing the book, this may have been difficult to do without giving away too many connections and spoiling the mystery.

I didn't get the sense of place that I usually get with this author's novels, and there is an awful lot of dialogue, hence the four stars rather than five. BUT, the mystery itself is wonderful. Riley, as always, had me fully engaged trying to work out who had killed Charlie, for the suspects were numerous. He was not a nice young man!

Then there's a missing man or two, a missing child, another death, and a historical death. Jazz's gut tells her that all these incidents are connected but putting it all together is like doing a jigsaw puzzle with no picture and no edge pieces.

Although this is a 400+ page book, I read it overnight, totally engaged in the mystery and invested in the characters. Lucinda Riley wrote this in 2006, and it was published, largely as is, posthumously. I'm sad that we're never going to be able to read more of Jazz Hunter and her solid, capable, dependable and always cheerful sidekick DS Alistair Miles. It just goes to show, that even all those years ago, Lucinda Riley was an established storyteller. She will be greatly missed. Thank you to her family for sharing this previously unpublished work with us.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#TheMurdersatFleatHouse #NetGalley

I: @lucindarileybooks #authorbuzz

T: @lucindariley @AuthorBuzzUK

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery #mystery

THE AUTHOR: Lucinda Riley is an Irish author of popular historical fiction and a former actress. She spent the first few years of her life in the village of Drumbeg near Belfast before moving to England. At age 14 she moved to London to a specialist drama and ballet school. She wrote her first book aged twenty four. Lucinda died in June 2021.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to AuthorBuzz via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon,Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Mª Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novela escrita hace años por la autora y publicada de manera póstuma por su hijo. Para ser la primera y única novela policíaca escrita por ella, no está nada mal.

Dice la sinopsis:
En el tradicional colegio St Stephens, en la idílica campiña de Norfolk, un estudiante muere en extrañas circunstancias. Su cadáver es encontrado en Fleat House, uno de los internados, y el director se apresura a explicar que fue un trágico accidente. Pero cuando la detective Jazz Hunter se adentra en el cerrado mundo del internado pronto descubre que la víctima, Charlie Cavendish, era un joven arrogante y hambriento de poder que atormentaba a sus compañeros.
¿Fue su muerte un acto de venganza? Mientras el personal del colegio cierra filas y la nieve comienza a cubrirlo todo Jazz se da cuenta de que esta podría ser la más complicada investigación de su carrera. Y de que Fleat House esconde secretos más oscuros de lo que nunca podría haber imaginado.

Mis impresiones.

Me ha sorprendido para bien esta novela. Había leído otras obras de Lucinda y no vamos a descubrir ahora lo bien que escribe. En esta temática no me la imaginaba para nada. Lo ha bordado. Lástima que no haya podido escribir más. Hubiera dado para una serie y seguro que habría sido un éxito.

La trama está muy bien hilada. No es que nos descubra nada nuevo, pero ha sabido manejar los mimbres puestos en juego. Al estilo de Agatha Christie, genera intriga, todos ocultan algo y no sé si ha quedado alguno del que no haya sospechado.

No es una novela de conejos sacados de la chistera. Riley nos va dejando las piezas, juega al engaño y al despiste, pero nos permite ir armando el caso poco a poco, una pieza aquí, otra allá y la definitiva, no demasiado pronto.

El ritmo es bueno, no frenético, pero sí ágil. Entretiene y atrapa al lector.

Los personajes esbozados lo justo según los cánones del género. Me ha gustado, Jazz, la inspectora protagonista, sus dotes como investigadora, la familia que tiene, así como sus circunstancias personales y cómo las afronta.

La ambientación en la costa de Norfolk buena. El final muy correcto.

Me han quedado dudas acerca de si se puede establecer la paternidad con el ADN, que se extrae de un mechón de pelo cortado, es decir sin raíces. Si no hay raíces, el ADN extraíble es el mitocondrial, el que se hereda exclusivamente por vía materna. Si tenemos dos mechones de pelo cortado, el del hijo y el del posible padre, cada uno con el ADN mitocondrial de sus respectivas madres que no tienen parentesco entre sí, no tengo claro si se podría filiar paternidad o parentesco entre ambos. Ahí dejo la duda.

En conclusión. Una novela policíaca muy correcta. Entretenida y de fácil lectura. Recomendable.

[NZLisaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleat House – One of the eight boarding houses of St Stephen’s School. Old, dank, dark, eerie, and foreboding, its cellar is rumoured to be haunted by the ghost of a student who died tragically in 1979.

At a prestigious private school in the Norfolk countryside, a six-former, Charlie Cavendish has been found dead in Fleat House. At first glance his death is ruled accidental – the result of an epileptic fit. Until it is discovered that the Epilim pills Charlie took to control his epilepsy had been replaced by aspirin, a medication Charlie was deadly allergic to – a fact that was well known among the staff and pupils of St Stephen’s. Due to Charlie’s unlikeable, spoiled, smarmy nature, and the fact that he had a reputation as the school bully, means the suspect list is endless.

Then, another body is discovered. And the person also has a connection to Fleat House. What is going on at St Stephens?

In the past couple of months I’ve tried reading this twice, and have been unable to make it past the first chapter, and I couldn’t understand why, as everything about it sounded right up my alley. Out of desperation, and knowing I had to give it a good go since it was a Netgalley e-ARC, I purchased the audiobook with one of my audible credits. And it paid off, I had no issue with the audio, and raced through the 480 pages over a day and a half. The narrator – Gemma Whelan – used an even tone which was the perfect choice, as to be honest the writing was rather wordy, old-fashioned, and somewhat droll, likely because the novel was largely unedited (more on that later). I really enjoyed the accents she used too.

The crime plot was excellent – well-crafted, twisty, and surprising. It was an Agatha Christie style murder mystery with a cosy feel as well as a police procedural. Definitely reminded me of an episode of Midsomer Murders. It also had a creepy gothic feel which I loved, and I’m a sucker for a boarding school setting. For those who are worried this might be too YA, rest assured there was little teenage angst and few teen characters, and all the POV’s (police/suspects/victim/s) were adults. Furthermore, I like how the author used a snowstorm to stall the investigation and separate characters. Made for some tense reading, knowing the murderer was likely to strike again with everyone distracted. The protagonist, DI Jazmine (Jazz) Hunter was an interesting, compelling character – not my favourite female detective by any means – but I enjoyed her POV, and cared about what happened to her. Although, I would’ve preferred there to be less focus on her personal life, as it really took away from the central mystery and meant this book was a tad too long. But, I understand why, as the way the book ended it was obvious that this was supposed to be the start of a series featuring DI Jazz Hunter, and her team.

Sadly though this was not meant to be as the author Lucinda Riley passed away last year following a four year long battle with cancer. Known for her successful historical contemporary drama novels, this was the only mystery Riley ever penned, and I think she did a wonderful job creating a unique, memorable, multi-layered mystery. Lucinda Riley wrote the manuscript back in 2006, and even though The Murders at Fleat House did utilise cell phones and modern technology, it was few and far in between, giving this murder mystery a timeless quality. To preserve Lucinda Riley’s original manuscript, when her son Harry Whittaker chose to publish The Murders at Fleat House this year, he applied the briefest of editing.

It’s a shame there will be no continuation to this series as I’d have loved to read more. If Harry Whittaker ever does decide to extend this into a series on his mother’s behalf, like he intends to do with The Seven Sisters series, I’d be keen as.

I’d like to thank Netgally US, AuthorBuzz, and Lucinda Riley/Harry Whittaker for the e-ARC.

Available Now!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable police procedural set in North Norfolk. It would make a great start to a series but unfortunately the author, Lucinda Riley, best known for her historical fiction, sadly died last year and this was published posthumously with the help of her son.

Jazmine (Jazz) Hunter was formerly a DI in the Met but after her husband, also a DI cheated on her she filed for divorce, handed in her resignation and fled overseas. Now, seven months later her boss, Commissioner Norton has asked her to come back to work, to lead the investigation into the suspicious death of a school boy at a local boarding school.

The twisty and engaging plot takes some time to untangle as there will be further deaths that don't at first seem connected. However, Jazz is tenacious and has good instincts and begins to suspect the events that connect the murders are firmly based in the past. Even the reappearance of her handsome, Irish ex who wants a quick and easy result doesn't distract her from following the leads she has sniffed out.

With thanks to Author Buzz via Netgalley for a copy to read

[Susan (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this complicated Who Dunnit and the boarding school trope is one that I never seem to tire of.

The story revolves around the death of a seventeen year old bully with a female Detective Inspector easing back into the workplace after resigning earlier in the year.

A cross between a police procedural and a murder mystery but not quite a Cozy, the likable characters out number the unappealing ones. No overt details or descriptions either. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a maze type book without much bloodshed and the parameters fit perfectly here.

I also loved the detailed plotline and wondering how everything would piece together.

Thank you to the Estate of Lucinda Riley, Pan Macmillian, and NetGalley for my advance review copy. Available now.

[Maria Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

TE VOY A CONTAR UN PEQUEÑO SECRETO🤫, pero para eso necesito que te acerques un poquito más...

🤫(Una vez leí un libro de esta autora y no me enganchó)🤫

Sí, sé que debes de estar poniendo los ojos en blanco y rezando a santa Cachucha en busca de la paciencia perdida que, por cierto, ande andará🤔, pero era necesario decirlo para poder gritar: ESTE LIBRO ME HA ENCANTADO😍!

Y es que tiene de todo: intriga, asesinatos, misterio, amor, desamor y amistad! Eso sin hablar de nuestra protagonista, una mujer fuerte y con carácter que sabe muy bien lo que quiere y lo más importante, lo que no quiere. Pero no te creas que la cosa termina aquí, qué va!, todo al contrario, porque la historia se desarrolla en un colegio tradicional inglés, repleto de secretos y de...

[Natalia Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primer libro que leo de esta autora, el único que escribió de esta temática y publicado póstumamente por su hijo. Y me ha gustado, está realmente bien.
La autora nos plantea el supuesto asesinato de un alumno en un prestigioso colegio donde los sospechosos son pocos pero todo señala a uno. Acabas sospechando de casi todos y eso siempre es divertido.
Muy bien elaborados los personajes y también la descripción del entorno. Un buen libro para relajarse y disfrutar de una intriga sin grandes giros pero con mucho misterio.

[Malin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is fine, the writing is awful.

Lengthy info dumps in the form of both unrealistic dialogue and just straight up small biographies of the characters. It's also very obvious that it was written over 15 years ago when the characters talk about things like "this is how women are", "that's a man thing" and the horrible "boys will be boys" attitude when talking about bullying. And none of this is challenged in any way.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+

Lucinda Riley, who unfortunately died recently, has written some very popular historical fiction. This book, her only foray into crime mystery, was posthumously published by her son.

I loved the story. Although I would call it a cosy in that there is no overt violence and it is not dark, it is nevertheless an engaging and complex mystery that challenges the police at every step of the way. It is set in a somewhat prestigious boarding school in Norfolk.

A senior pupil, Charlie Cavendish, has been found dead in his room one morning, ostensibly from an epileptic fit. It was known he suffered from the illness and he took regular medication for it. It was deemed a tragic accident - until the autopsy revealed he had aspirin in his system. It was well known that Charlie was severely allergic to aspirin. A murder enquiry is launched headed by Detective Inspector Jazmin (Jazz) Hunter who was on sabbatical from the Met for personal reasons. Her boss Superintendent Norton encouraged her to go back to work on this case.

It is not long before another death occurs at the school. One of the masters, Hugh Daneman, is found dead in his study. This one is clearly a suicide but it is still unsettling. One of the younger pupils, Rory Millar, is clearly distressed and frightened. His parents have just divorced and Rory is desperate to see his father, David, who has embraced alcohol again. To top it all off, Julian Forbes, a lawyer who has moved in with Rory’s mother is found dead in the cellar at the school, the same cellar where a young boy killed himself 25 years ago. This one is clearly a murder and greatly muddies the waters!

As Jazz investigates further things start to look increasing related. The characterisations were outstanding and were really well portrayed. Some were very relatable and others - not so much. It was also clear that many of the characters had secrets and things were indeed very related and the answers lay in the past. The plot was immersive and the reveals kept coming. This was not so much an action book, the policing was more cerebral in nature, but the pace nevertheless kept up a good clip and I found the story very compelling. Many thanks to Netgalley and AuthorBuzz for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

[Aitor Castrillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hemos leído Asesinato en Fleat House en el Club de lectura Se ha escrito un crimen y hemos disfrutado de una LC muy entretenida haciendo cábalas sobre quién mató a Charlie Cavendish.

En esta novela me hubiera venido bien hacerme una lista de personajes porque no era fácil hacer conexiones mentales con tantos parentescos a la vista (y ocultos), con una herencia de por medio y con las relaciones existentes entre unos y otros en el pasado y en el presente.

La inspectora Jazz Hunter me ha gustado mucho. Pienso que Lucinda Riley había creado un buen personaje para una saga futura. Una pena que el futuro de Jazz terminó con el de su autora.
DEP, Lucinda Riley 🙏.

Me identifico mucho con la frase del hijo de Lucinda Riley: "Aprovecha el día, vive el momento y saborea cada segundo de la vida, incluso las partes difíciles" 💝.

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I would like to thank the family of Lucinda Riley for deciding to release this forgotten work by the author without many editions. The author is a household name for fans of historical fiction, but The Murders At Fleat House is her first foray into crime fiction and it is so painful to know that she wouldn’t be able to continue writing this genre as her central protagonist DI Jazz Hunter seems like someone who needs a series by her own. Essentially Lucinda Riley’s historical fiction always carries a thread of mystery intertwined thru its story, the few books I have read had a dual timeline narrative added to the bargain providing a new dimension to the unraveling of the family dynamics at the end.

The Murders At Fleat House is the author at her best, weaving a crime thriller in the past to the events in the present. DI Jazz and her teammates Miles and Izzy are characters that gave “not completed yet” vibes. There is a small background of DI Jazz and the return of her ex in the story but as a reader, I felt that there is much history and many stories waiting to be explored by the author which sadly will never be done now.

Fleat House of the St Stephen’s boarding school finds itself at the center of mayhem when a child is discovered dead in his room. The investigation that proceeds with the arrival of Jazz and Miles reveals the secrets that have connections to events in the past. Effectively talking about the bullying and psychological trauma suffered by some students, the author has also highlighted issues of alcohol addiction thus creating a twisty page-turner. The characters are well-crafted and even the pathetic Angela Miller and the incompetent headmaster of the school evoke pity at the turn of the events that rock their respective lives.

The Murders at Fleat House is not an adrenaline-rush thriller but at no point in the story, does the reader feel any lapse in pacing. The police procedural that shows the inquiries leading to more than one murder inside Fleat house is a ‘one thread leading to another puzzle’ type that untangles in a steady manner. I had guessed the culprit in the beginning but was happy with the author’s jumbled yarn that linked the past and present into one engrossing narrative.

Many thanks to Net Galley, AuthorBuzz, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Book Bub, ##Medium.com, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.

[Leonie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Nice man, although he was misguided."
"Misguided?"
"Oh I am sure you know about his sexuality."

This is an 11 POV book, told by so many POV´s that I will get to that in the next paragraph.

Since there were so many main characters in here, it hardly felt like any side characters were present, so I will mosh what would normally be my two paragraphs into one. With so many characters I gave them all nicknames to have a better overview. We have Jazmine, Jazz (the head detective), Robert (the headmaster), David (the father), Hugh (the teacher and tutor), Angelina (the mother), Jenny (the secretary), Julian (the shitty new husband), Thora (the inn keeper), Sebastian (the headmaster of the hosue), Isabella (the psychologist) and Adele (mother of the first victim). First of all I have to say that I sadly hated most of them. David is a good father, great even, but wasn´t always the best husband. Isabella, Izzy, is a shitty friend for telling her best friend´s cheating ex husband where to find her without telling her that she told him, and also a shitty psychologist for excusing the cheating and telling her friend "Boys will be boys." I think the only person in this book I kind of liked was Jazz. She always tried to stand her ground and dig deeper and find the truth. But when one of the other characters died, I literally celebrated, that should tell you enough about how much I disliked them.

My biggest problem with this book is the setting. For me it doesn´t fit the overall vibe. To think that this book was published in 2021 and is supposed to be set in 2005, it really does give of some "older vibes" with all it´s misogony, sexism and homophobia. Leave the phones out and it could easily be the 1900´s, the thinking and the tone/language just don´t feel modern. I hated the portrayal of psychologist and therapy, it fits the "older thinking" I mentioned above. I also hated the constant "Boys will be boys" as excuse for anything and everything. Cheating, bullying, etc. "Oh, boys will be boys you know." Stfu. This really made the book not enjoyable for me which is such a shame since the book had so much potential, the case was interesting and I liked the idea of it. I think if all the other stuff would have been left out it could have been a 3,5 star or 4 star book. What also bugged me is that somehow the requirement of confidentiality doesn´t reply to them....They go babbling off about case details to everybody and their mother. The pacing was okay, although it really felt slow for me at times. I liked some of the twists but most of them you could see coming with how the book was set up.

Overall it was a pretty disppointing read and it´s such a shame with how good the idea of the book seemed to be.

trigger warnings: cheating, domestic abuse, alcoholism/addiction, suicide, bullying, grooming/relationship with a student (mentioned), drugs (mentioned), kidnapping, sexual assault of minors/pedophilia, homophobia

[Laura y sus libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tenía ganas de darle una segunda oportunidad a esta autora ya que con el primer libro que leí de ella no conseguí conectar demasiado. Este me apreció ideal ya que es su primer y único libro de misterio y creo que he acertado porque la verdad es que me ha entretenido mucho y no puedo ponerle ninguna pega.

Esta historia la escribió en 2006 y ha sido recuperada por su hijo junto con otras dos. Una pena que no la publicara antes y que no haya escrito nada más de este género.

Aunque no cumple todos los requisitos para ser un “cozy mistery” ya que la investigadora pertenece a la policía y aunque hay amor, la dosis es muy leve, para mi encaja en este término. Es un asesinato limpio, nada de escenas gores ni escabrosas, muy al estilo Ágata Christie.

Tenemos un escenario principal que es el internado inglés St.Stephen, enmarcado en una zona rural de Inglaterra. Una muerte que investigar y una serie de personajes que iremos conociendo a lo largo de los capítulos.

Tiene prácticamente todos los ingredientes para mantenerte enganchad@ y el final es más que correcto. Todo se va entretejiendo para llegar a la resolución sin cabos sueltos, el ritmo es ágil y los personajes no están mal. Tiene cierta dosis de denuncia social, un poquitito de romance y la cantidad justa de personajes para poder seguirlos sin coger papel y lápiz.

La protagonista Jazz es una policía que ha pasado una temporada retirada del cuerpo de policía debido a un problema personal. Me ha parecido bastante real, con problemas cotidianos y una forma de pensar y actuar coherente con el desarrollo. Los demás personajes son satélites a su alrededor, ninguno es destacable desde mi punto de vista. Quizás la psicóloga es la que merece mención ya que es bastante peculiar.

En definitiva, un fantástico libro para el verano que aun no siendo un 5* no os podéis perder.

[simona.citeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toată lumea a fost curioasă să citească un thriller scris de Lucinda Riley. M-am alăturat mulțimii și am citit cartea care mi s-a părut asemănătoare cu ce am mai citit de la autoare doar că aici avem câteva crime.

O carte încărcată de detalii, nu foarte alertă, cu multe personaje și multe fire de urmat.

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 Stars

One Liner: Elaborate but engaging

There has been a death at the Fleat House in St Stephen, a private boarding school in Norfolk. The Chief gets Detective Inspector Jazmine (Jazz) to work on the case. Jazz takes up reluctantly. After all, she has just moved to Norfolk and pretty much left her job with the Yard.

The case should have been easy but isn’t as things start to happen around them. More suspects join the list as Jazz and her Sergeant Miles try to fill the gaps. Life gets complicated when personal issues force Jazz to divide her attention between her life and the case. It doesn’t help that she has to deal with some pricks from her near past.

With so much happening, can Jazz uncover the truth and find the killer before it’s too late?

The story comes in third person POV.

The author wrote the book in 2006. It was published posthumously in May 2022.

My Observations:

I’ve read only one book by the author but understood that she liked elaborate plots. This one is no different. Multiple tracks run in parallel, though some are not connected to the main plot.

The pacing is slow to medium, with no progress in some places. Things happen on and off, which is probably because the book wasn’t thoroughly edited (as mentioned in the foreword).

Jazz is a great character, and it saddens me to think she may not have more books. I love the multiple shades in her arc.

The story is set in 2005/ 2006 and uses modern technology but has a historical feel to it. It suits the laidback Norfolk setting and keeps things authentic.

This isn’t exactly a cozy mystery or fully police procedural. It’s a blend of two, which I find very interesting.

I guessed most of the twists (including the murder), but I like books where my guesses are correct, so that’s a bonus. It means the plot is logical (or as much as it can be). ;)

To sum up, The Murders at Fleat House is an engaging mystery with an elaborate plot and a capable main lead. I enjoyed this one.

Thank you, NetGalley and AuthorBuzz, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Murders at Fleat House is a standalone police procedural by prolific author Lucinda Riley. Fleat House is a small boarding school in Norfolk, England and the unexpected and tragic death of one of the school’s pupils raises serious questions. Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter is requested to investigate and so her resignation is temporarily suspended and the leads reveal more puzzling facts. Then the disappearance of another pupil and the untimely death of the elderly classics master, further complicates the case. Soon Jazz is faced with her most perplexing investigation, unaware Fleat House hides dark secrets involving the past she could not have imagined. An enjoyable standalone crime saga with an intriguing unfolding investigation making for a four star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tę powieść Lucinda Riley napisała w 2006 roku. Planowała do niej powrócić, zredagować na nowo, ba, planowała rozpocząć nowy kryminalny cykl, jak tylko zakończy serię Siedmiu Sióstr. Życie i ciężka choroba zweryfikowały te marzenia. Rodzina autorki zdecydowała się jednak wypuścić powieść w takiej formie, jak zostawiła po sobie Riley.

„Tajemnice Fleat House” byłyby doskonałym wstępem do nastrojowej serii kryminalnej jednej z ukochanych, bestsellerowych autorek. Jazz Hunter to bohaterka, której poczynania śledzi się z prawdziwą przyjemnością, której przeszłość chcielibyśmy zgłębić, towarzyszyć jej w kolejnych sprawach. Lucinda Riley wyważyła napięcie, dosypała szczyptę czarnego brytyjskiego humoru, sprawiając, że po zakończonej lekturze czujemy się zadowoleni i przepełnieni nadzieją, bez tego poczucia nadchodzącej klęski. Dostrzec można w tej powieści ducha obyczajowego, życiowego, ten ciepły sznyt, który tak charakteryzuje serię Siedmiu Sióstr. Na koniec nie pozostaje nic innego, jak westchnąć z żalu, że nie będzie więcej.

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good mystery! The author entwined excellently the suspects and their connections with the past and what motive each could have with the murders!

Jazz is likeable and relatable, and her ex is a total tosser who irritated me, but his presence gave Jazz the closure she needed to move to the next chapter in her life! I only wish there was more, but the last chapter is a pretty good indicator as to how things will go for her.
Her relationship with her parents is very touching, and I liked Jonathan sadly after a point he wasn't present since the events from the case took the focus of the story!

I liked David and his bond with his son Rory, and I was sad about how unworthy his ex-wife was, but at least in books, karma makes its appearance and I hope David's future is brighter than the present!

Miles is also a likeable character, and I hope he made the right decision to Jazz's proposal!

Even though at first I wasn't impressed at some point, the story gripped me, and I couldn't put it down!

Well written, complex characters, and intriguing, well plotted mystery! I totally recommend it, and I would read the next book if it was series because the author got me invested in her characters!

[Dana Cristiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God, this book is officially my 2023 favourite!
And I'm planning to read all of Lucinda's books.

Bookstagram Review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtTZ4FlrqdH/

The murders at Fleat House is a thriller that kept me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end!
We follow a murder that happened to a boy and we get through some tangled nets, leading to a following suicide and another murder.

This time I didn't try guessing the killer, I just wanted to enjoy the story as it progressed.
Jazmine Hunter is one of the best detectives and we follow both her progress with the crimes and also her personal life.

I admired her and her parents a lot! Tom, her father, was one of my favourite side characters in this book. Such a humorous man.

In the end, everything was explained, the pace was right where it should have been and the epilogue was the most satisfying.

Five full stars for this one!

[Monica (Recenzii carti bune) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi-a placut foarte mult aceasta carte, m-a tinut in suspans, a stiut sa ma duca pe piste false si sa ma convinga ca am descoperit deja cine este criminalul si apoi m-a surprins, de mai multe ori. Mi-a placut mult conturarea personajelor si cel mai mult mi-a placut cum toate personajele au avut finalitate. Suspansul a fost mentinut pana la ultimele pagini.
Dupa ce a avut toate motivele sa renunte la meseria ei de politista, Jazz primeste o vizita neasteptata de la fostul ei superior care ii propune sa il ajute cu un caz dificil in estul Angliei. Jazz accepta si totul se dezlantuie. Un caz care incepe cu o moarte accidentala a unui baiat din internatul St Stefan, ajunge sa devina un caz variat, dificil, unde piesele de puzzle nu se potrivesc sub nicio forma. Moartea accidentala a lui Charlie se dovedeste a fi intentionata iar el este stiut de toti din scoala ca fiind un baiat cu probleme, un hartuitor arogant care nu a platit vreodata pentru greselile comise si deci multe persoane au avut motive de crima. Totul se condimenteaza cu o sinucidere si mai tarziu inca o crima apare la orizont. Tocmai atunci cand toti credeau ca au descoperit criminalul, dovezi noi apar la suprafata si tot cazul se modifica intr-o directie absolut opusa. Criminalul m-a surprins!🔪
Mi-a placut foarte tare suspansul creat, de la mine are 5✨♥️

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so sad that Lucinda has passed on. Her books are so good. I really loved the foreword and afterword by her son.

This was another great book, with lots of mystery. Liked it!

[tris_bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

So che lo avete visto già tanto online e nelle librerie, ma sono qui per convincere chi come me non era interessato e ne potrebbe rimanere sorpreso, anche perché è un giallo che secondo me può essere apprezzato un po’ da tutti!

Lucinda Riley è un’autrice molto famosa ma io non avevo letto nulla di suo. Non so per qualche motivo, le sue storie pensavo non facessero per me... poi però è arrivato un romanzo giallo, unico di questo genere scritto da questa donna che ci ha lasciato troppo presto, un peccato perché è stata una lettura molto bella e c’era il potenziale per una nuova saga crime con i fiocchi!
.
Delitti a Fleat House è un titolo azzeccato perché la storia ruota tutta intorno alla costruzione adibita a dormitorio di questa scuola esclusiva nella periferia inglese. Un ragazzino viene trovato morto per aver ingerito delle aspirine a cui era allergico, sembra un atto voluto ma qualcosa stona...
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La trama è articolata, abbiamo vari pov, storie che sembrano non avere alcun collegamento, ma che in realtà si intersecano in una vicenda fatta di omicidi, suicidi, tradimenti, eredità, segreti, amore, famiglia, fantasmi del passato...
L’ho trovato davvero ben costruito, non mi ha annoiato mai ed è stato interessante ricollegare tutti i pezzi del puzzle insieme alla investigatrice del caso; qualcosa avevo intuito come tropos tipici del genere, ma non avrei mai azzeccato il colpevole finale e tutti i piccoli dettagli che l’autrice ha seminato nelle pagine
.
I personaggi sono abbastanza sviluppati e sopratutto mi è piaciuta molto la protagonista,Jaz,una donna forte, intelligente, molto reale anche negli errori che commette e da cui si rialza; tradita dal marito suo collega, ha deciso di mollare il lavoro in polizia, ma il capo decide di smuoverla e farla tornare in azione, essendo una detective talentosa e trovandosi anche nella zona del reato che sembra essere di secondo piano ma che si rivela invece un caso da primo piano
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[Nadine Schrott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spannend und wirklich flüssig zu lesen...Schade, dass es durch den frühen Tod Lucinda Rileys wahrscheinlich keine Fortsetzung mit der symphatischen Ermittlerin Jazz geben wird....

Im Internat Fleat House kommt es zu einem tragischen Todesfall....ein Schüler stirbt an einem anphylaktischen Schock....
Doch es tauchen Fragen auf...und es werden weitere Mordopfer gefunden....

Gut konstruiert konnte mich dieser Krimi mit seinem ausgefeilten Setting begeistern...manchmal holperte der Spannungsbogen etwas, da sehr viele Nebenhandlungen sehr ausführlich beschrieben werden...

Wirklich lesenswert!

[Mihaela Abrudan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cartea este singurul roman polițist al autoarei și este publicat post-mortem de fiul ei. Este povestea trecutui care te bântuie, a greșelilor care se plătesc, a secretelor care ies la suprafață în condiții neașteptate așa cum se întâmplă în comunitățile mici.

[Audrey Dry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo que más me ha gustado de este libro ha sido que apenas ha sido editado, es decir, que prácticamente uno está leyendo el manuscrito que un día esta autora escribió y nunca publicó. Y se nota. Se nota que apenas ha sido tocado por una editorial. Se nota en la falta de ambientación y en el desarrollo de personajes, y aun así ha sido un placer poder leer algo casi inédito.

El caso, por otro lado, me ha gustado, pero tampoco es algo que sobresalga. La trama está bien planteada, pero muy intrincada. Y, personalmente, creo que los personajes han sido muy numerosos, aunque sí es cierto que cada uno tenía su papel bien definido.

En definitiva, es un libro muy diferente a lo que Riley publicó después, pero tampoco hay que quitarle mérito al trabajo que hizo. Quizá este libro le sirvió para coger práctica y soltura a la hora de escribir sus posteriores historias. ¿Y no es así como siempre comienza un buen escritor?

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

3.5 stars

The book world lost a literary star last year when popular fiction author Lucinda Riley sadly passed away. Thanks to her children, Lucinda Riley’s work can continue to be enjoyed thanks to The Murders at Fleat House. This crime mystery release from the global publishing sensation was written by the author in 2006. Now this manuscript has been released the world as The Murders at Fleat House, a twisty police procedural mystery.

An exclusive boarding house in Norfolk is rocked by the death of a pupil. When the police are called in to investigate this suspect death, they find a whole host of secrets, lies, withheld instances and inappropriate movements at this elite school. With everyone surrounding this space preoccupied with preserving their reputation, the resulting murder investigation into the tragic death of this student proves difficult to close. As soon as Detective Jazz Hunter begins to work on the perplexing case she suspects foul play. Trying to forget her own personal issues, Jazz throws herself into the case, hoping to make some much needed headway in this trying investigation. But the deeper Jazz digs the more she discovers about the sense of revenge, expectation, alliances and malicious intent of those who operate at Fleat House. Will Jazz be able to stop any further tragedy from occurring at this boarding house?

Best known for her epic The Seven Sisters series, Lucinda Riley is not an author you associate with crime fiction. However, The Murders at Fleat House represents the author’s first foray in this category of fiction. I was incredibly excited and grateful to publisher to receive this book for review. I’ve loved Lucinda Riley’s work for over ten years now, so the opportunity to read a new book from this treasured author in wake on her loss last year was very much appreciated on my part.

The initial mystery element of Lucinda Riley’s first crime tale was presented well. This boarding house murder mystery was intriguing and the first few chapters played out well, casting plenty of suspicion. Riley does a good job of setting her scene in the Norfolk surrounds, this location had a misty and creepy vibe. Additional tension from bullying, allegiances, privilege, power, deception, betrayal, lies, the rumour mill and even ghost stories extend the conjecture element of this tale. Riley ensures that this book contains a distinct air of tension, suspicion and mounting danger. The characters appeared to be quite a troublesome bunch and they kept me on my toes. My sense of trust, concern and blame shifted as the novel made its way from the beginning through to the end. However, I did feel that the plot was slightly bumpy in places, unclear at times and complicated. A glance at the additional notes by the author’s son reveals that The Murders at Fleat House was left fairly unchanged, with the family opting to keep the novel as close as possible to original manuscript penned in 2006. I have the utmost respect for Riley’s family in keeping this novel as close as possible to Lucinda’s voice. I do wonder if this was ever intended to be the start of a possible series continuation for Detective Jazz, who is quite an engaging lead character.

I absolutely love Lucinda Riley’s work but I’m not entirely convinced that I enjoyed The Murders at Fleat House as much as I’d hoped. However, it is a great gift to Lucinda Riley fans in the wake of her sad passing.

*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 4 out of 5]

The death of Lucinda Riley from cancer at the age of only 56 last year truly is a tragedy - not just for her family, but for the Bookloving World - she was at the height of her success with the Seven Sisters series, and who knows what else she would’ve gone on to write. This, her only crime novel, was written in 2006, and while complete, was not “finished”. Her son, Harry Whittaker, a writer himself, explains in the foreword that his dilemma was whether to publish it as it was, or rewrite and update it. He chose to honour his mother by leaving it unchanged, which I respect, but it means that this is not as good as it could’ve been with comprehensive editing and correction of various mistakes. She was such a compelling story-teller however, that this was still a very enjoyable mystery.

DI Jazz Hunter has quit the Metropolitan Police after the break-up of her marriage to a fellow detective, and moved to the Norfolk countryside to renovate an old cottage and contemplate her future. When her former boss requests that she investigate the sudden death of a pupil at a posh local boarding school, she relishes the opportunity to take the lead without her annoying ex undermining her. Charlie Cavendish, a notorious bully, appears to be the victim of a tablet substitution, but was it accidental or intentional? Then a member of staff is found dead, and one of Charlie’s victims disappears. The more Jazz learns, the more complicated the case becomes, when everyone she interviews has a secret - and one of them is a killer…

If you’ve read any of the Seven Sisters historical drama novels, you’ll recognise elements of the plot here - love affairs forbidden by the constraints of the past, secret babies, thwarted relationships & complicated family dynamics. This is an elaborately constructed murder mystery with multiple suspects but mostly hidden motives. I guessed relatively early who the perpetrator would turn out to be, and had worked out many of the twists - some rather painfully obvious to a crime thriller junkie like me - far ahead of our intrepid DI. For this reason, I would recommend this most to fans of Riley’s who don’t usually read much crime. While not what I would call a cosy mystery, it’s got minimal gore or violence, but plenty of intrigue. The romance is similarly low-key, but it’s there, and I liked that most characters got the endings they deserved.

As mentioned, there are various mistakes, legal, forensic and medical, which should’ve been picked up by beta readers or the editor, and some rather glaring plot holes around who should’ve recognised whom, and what should’ve been obvious to the detectives much earlier on. It’s also about 100 pages too long for a thriller - if you took out all the mentions of coffee - characters thinking about it, offering it, making it, and drinking it, you’d be halfway there, and there was also an unnecessary and uninteresting illness in the protagonists family that went on too long. Jazz was an appealing main character, as were her sidekicks, and it is a shame they won’t get further adventures unless Harry decides to continue this as a series - I’m sure there are plenty of lesser known crime writers who would happily collaborate to make the most of Riley’s name on the cover. Speaking of covers - the one shown on GoodReads, of an isolated stone hut, while not unattractive, bears no relation to the plot! 3.5 rounded up for good writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and AuthorBuzz for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily. The Murders at Fleat House is published on May 26th.

[Alberto Avanzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

La parte gialla, senza essere un capolavoro, è decisamente bella. Credibile, leale, con un bel movente. Purtroppo l'autrice esagera con le storie di contorno, specie quella della detective, che risulta ricca di stereotipi e logorroica. Anche lo stile non è di quelli che ti incollano alle pagine . Sufficiente, ma ci sono in giro un sacco di gialli migliori