Foul Play

Bunburry #15

by Helena Marchmont

In the picturesque Cotswolds village of Bunburry, Alfie McAlister’s personal life is in turmoil. He’s finally admitted to himself that he’s fallen for Constable Emma Hollis. But while one moment, Emma was kissing him, now she’s ignoring him. And to make matters worse, with grumpy Sergeant Wilson still on sick leave, Emma is now working alongside the young, handsome, personable Sergeant Angel. Alfie’s relieved to have the distraction of exploring the private library of a Victorian mansion, along with his friend Marge and Gwendolyn, Bunburry’s Goth librarian. But the library contains a century-old secret linked to the writer Oscar Wilde. And the discovery of this secret results in murder. The only thing to do is call the police - and Alfie finds himself confronted by Emma and Sergeant Angel ...

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, Crime, British Literature, Contemporary, Novella

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2022

About the author

Helena Marchmont is a pseudonym of Olga Wojtas, who was born and brought up in Edinburgh. She was encouraged to write by an inspirational English teacher, Iona M. Cameron. Olga won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in 2015, has had more than 30 short stories published in magazines and anthologies and recently published her first mystery Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Golden Samovar.

Reviews

[♡ Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im 15. Band dieser Buchreihe ist eine gute Freundin von Marge gestorben. Marge ist Nachlassverwalterin und bittet Alfie um Hilfe. Die Bibliothek von Hallwood Hall muss aufgelöst werden. Hilfe bekommen sie außerdem noch von Professor Webb. Sie finden eine geheime Kammer mit einem unglaublichen Schatz, doch schon kurze Zeit später ist dieser Schatz verschwunden und der Professor tot...
❤️ Sehr gemütlich, sehr gemächlich, aber trotzdem sehr unterhaltsam und interessant! Ich mag diese Buchreihe sehr, und das Thema hat mir diesmal auch besonders gut gefallen.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite series is back on track! After the last episode was somewhat lacking, this episode was even more enjoyable. The characters, mystery, and especially the narration were all great.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escape to Bunburry. Bring your love of the absurdity of Oscar Wilde and your desire for quirky English village characters. Enjoy neat storytelling with ongoing unravelling themes, a hint of love, and a refreshing absence of gore. This is a mystery series to adore.

[Demeter Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fand den Fall jetzt mal wieder interessant und auch gut aufgestellt 😊

[Arnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun cozy mystery in this delightful series.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice way to while away 3 hours as I was doing some Spring gardening.

Audiobook BRK
Nathaniel Parker - Narrator
Duration: 02:57:17

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das war leider nicht ganz meins. Dann weiß ich, dass ich die anderen Teile gar nicht erst lesen muss

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Cotswold town of Bunburry, Alfie's life has become an unexpected soap opera. First, the younger woman he likes, a police constable named Emma, kissed him while drunk and now won't look at him--and he doesn't know it's because Emma knows her sister likes Alfie, and she's not going to get in the way of that. Meanwhile, Emma is free of her horrible sergeant while he's recovering from a medical emergency, and he's been replaced with the much younger, nicer, handsomer Sergeant Angel...which is not to Alfie's liking at all! But wait, this is supposed to be a murder mystery? Oh, right... Well, one of Alfie's elderly neighbors and part of their murder-solving triangle recently lost a good friend, and the neighbor is the executor. She recruits Alfie and the Bunburry Goth librarian to come help sort out the books in the Victorian manor house where her friend lived. There they find a mystery involving Oscar Wilde and a missing manuscript...and murder.

This is such a fun series, though it does delve into the deeper lives of the characters throughout the series, so it's not all light and fluffy. It does play to the folks who love classic English mysteries, with small, picturesque towns, beautiful old manor houses with secret passages, quirky characters, family secrets, and murders not motivated by drugs, Mafia, etc. Works for me!

[Maggie Mooha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another delightful addition to the cosy mysteries that take place in the village of Bunburry. Reading these books is like paying a visit to old friends. This particular story advances the budding romance of Alfie and Emma, although things are not going smoothly at all. The story revolves around a lost play by none other than Oscar Wilde, and an ensuing murder. The plot was intriguing and the characters vivid. I especially enjoy the references to the clever Oscar Wilde and his famous wit. I wish the books were longer, but then again, there always seems to be a new one in the works. If you would like a trip into a charming English village with a detour into the world of mystery, immerse yourself in this series. You won’t regret it. This book is a wonderful addition.

[Dark Chocolate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I was kind of hoping for a better end for that PhD student, like being banned from his university for thievery attempt or something else, suiting his hideous character but a girl can only hope... Aside from that it was another cozy murder story from Helena Marchmont, though part of me wishes it had less focus on the Alphy-Emma romance going than the actual murder but that is more of a personal taste. I see I now have only one book left from the series and I'm both enthusiastic and saddened about that fact.

[Kaija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lukijana Nathaniel Parker.
Parin kävely- ja kauppareissun tahdittajana kuuntelin tämän. Taas myös muut entiset hahmot olivat enemmän mukana tarinassa, löytyipä Emman uusi esimieskin. Alfien rakkauselämääkin sivuttiin. Juoni oli ihan viihdyttävä ja mielenkiintoinen, loppu oli jotenkin töksähtävä, ihan kuin olisi tullut kiire paljastaa syyllinen ja lopettaa kirja. Siitä huolimatta pidin tästä ja tietysti jään odottamaan jatkoa.

[Chautona Havig · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are too many to review, thanks to Goodreads' not-working sidebar, so I'm copying and pasting a series review on each one:

Marchmont has created a delightful village, hilarious characters, and interesting mysteries that kept me buying the next to find out what's up in the Cotswolds. An absolute delight.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oscar Wild was here!

Do you remember the book, Picture of Dorian Gray?
What a fantastic read. Foul Play has Author and story tied in it.
There of course is a murder and a big complication for Alfie and his policewoman.

[Sharon Draffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

an ok read

I’ve read all the Bunburry books but Foul Play is only average. I didn’t like the plot as much as I have the previous 14.

[Dorothy Bilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the series......

Always an interesting story. But it's the characters you will love. Always looking forward to the next book. A great cozy.

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

In honor of Oscar Wilde. Featuring a lost play and first edition plus a murder.

[Susan J. Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing with a surprise

Another well-written mystery with richly drawn characters. The secret room is intriguing, and Alvies romance may yet come to fruition. Wildaccord

[Lottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

( happy squeal ) love this!!!! These are soOooo Good!!!!!

[Caren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Neely Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marge is executor of an old friend’s will and Alfie go along so he and Gwendolyn can help sort and catalog books. Their discovery of a secret room leads to a murder mystery.

[Leserling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series. Short and sweet, funny and witty.

[Senator · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another charming book in the series. I do hope the newest character stays for a long while!

[Kataklicik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook : Spotify.

[Kelly Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler……Disappointed the author is dragging out Alfie and love interest Emma, really frustrating! Adding Laura to the miss is annoying. I love the Mysteries and everything else!

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this charming series. I listened to the audiobook with the incredible Nathaniel Parker narrating. He brings charm to the characters and town of Bunburry.

[Dana Crouch (Callaway) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Mystery was decent, still not into the emerging romance plot.

[Marguerite Czajka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot was good. But the romance subplot was annoying. The back and forth because of misunderstandings gets silly when the characters are older adults.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

a new DS is in town!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed story and did not guess the murderer.