The Perfect Murder Assignment: The first novel in an exciting new cozy mystery series

by Brian Finucane

Could YOU solve the perfect murder?

Five aspiring mystery writers stay at an old country house to attend a masterclass taught by a famous author. Among the guests is 26-year-old Belinda Boothby, who has been obsessed with murder mysteries since an early age.

Trouble is, she never expected this writing course to become a real-life murder mystery, which is exactly what happens when the teacher is found dead…

…Murdered to be exact. With a kitchen knife stuck gruesomely in her back to prove it! To make matters worse, the teacher is only the first victim.

Trapped in the house with her quirky classmates, and with a deadly stalker on the loose, Belinda takes on the role of amateur sleuth in her quest to catch the killer.

Can she solve the perfect murder?

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Ebooks, Mystery, Cozy, Amazon

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2022

About the author

Brian Finucane was born in Limerick, Ireland. He studied in University College of Cork where he earned a PhD. He came to the UK in 2015 to work for the NHS.

He currently lives in Cambridge. His debut novel is The Rumour Club. More recently, he has written "The Perfect Murder Assignment", the first book in the new Belinda Boothby series.

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A closed door mystery, cozy, at times silly, but I enjoyed reading it. Good plot but I would have liked some more character development/back stories.

[Kerrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a fun premise, but the book was so aggravating - ridiculous characters with awkward dialogue and frankly the big reveal was so blindingly obvious that I felt like screaming. At least it was an easy fast read.

[Kati Reads Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

How would you commit the perfect murder?

That’s the question the students at the writing masterclass in this story were pondering. But while they were thinking of all the possibilities actual murders started at the mansion.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery but the pacing was off causing some really slow spots. I also figured out the killer about half way through - I hate when that happens. 😕

I still recommend this one if you love cozies! And it’s on Kindle Unlimited 🧡

[oonagh cryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable murder mystery, along the lines of Agatha Christie

I really enjoyed The perfect murder assignment. Well written, and no graphic violence, which is so often in this type of book. I also enjoyed the sense of fun at times in it. Looking forward to book 2.

[Kristine Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book extremely predictable, not always a bad thing, sometimes it’s nice to get to the end and be proven you were correct in your thinking. I gave it 3 stars because the writing and editing could use some work but it was still a fun quick read which I needed in this moment.

[Kirk Weikart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bestselling mystery writer Edith Ramsey hosts five (5) amateur writers in a masterclass at a remote manor in the English countryside. Edith has some strange teaching methods. Will the "students" learn anything? What other surprises await?

The book is written from the viewpoint of aspiring writer Belinda Boothby. She attempts to solve the riddles that present themselves. The plot is a bit predictable; it seems a bit distressing to see how long it takes Belinda to solve the clues. It makes her more human and easier to identify with, but makes her ultimately shown skills seem a bit far fetched.

[Jake Rickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Perfect Murder Assignment” is a charmingly wicked cozy mystery that pulls you in from the very first page. Brian Finucane blends classic whodunnit intrigue with witty character dynamics, creating a story that’s both suspenseful and irresistibly fun. Belinda Boothby is the kind of amateur sleuth you instantly root for—smart, curious, and just unlucky enough to stumble into a real murder spree at a writer’s retreat. Every chapter delivers a fresh twist, a suspicious glance, or a quirky clue that keeps you guessing until the final reveal. If you love clever mysteries set in atmospheric country houses with a cast full of secrets, this one is a delight from start to finish.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I can't resist a murder mystery set at a manor house and I thought the twist of a group of writers being at a mystery writing retreat sounded so intriguing. Unfortunately, I don't think it was quite as good as I was hoping it would be. I did find the main character Bel to be an overall interesting character. Other than that, I thought the story just dragged in some parts and the ending felt overly long. The mystery itself was okay but it was fairly obvious who the murder was after the half.

[Anne Moncreiff-Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "couldn't-put-it-down" murder mystery

From start to finish full of twists and turns with the odd red herring thrown in. I did figure out the serial killer half way through. No spoilers given by me though. Some scary moments for the group of prospective writers. All in all, a fast paced "who-done-it" that doesn't disappoint.
Thank you and more please Brian.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this novel from a Goodreads giveaway for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel, but I wish there was more character development. I also did not like or understand why the local police were portrayed as so incompetent.

What I did love was the murder mystery part and I was trying to figure out the "who done it" like our main character, Belinda.

[Paris Núñez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in a giveaway. Overall I really really enjoyed this book! Great characters, especially the main character Belinda who gave off fun, Nancy Drew vibes. I thought the writing was very engaging and funny at times and the story never lost momentum. I highly recommend this book, it was very cute and fun.

[Jess Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I thought it was a fine story. Near the beginning I found it to be written similarly
to a Shirley Jackson short story. I thought there were some cute homages. But then by the middle, I knew what was happening and going to happen because it did in fact read Exactly as a compilation of Shirley Jackson, just toned down in every aspect. Bummer.

[Celest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Start To The Series

This was a fun adventure with a great cast of characters or maybe suspects. Belinda is a little to brave for my nerves, but becoming a good crime solving Sleuth. I loved this book and now I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Janette VanZanen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad read

Its definitely more a British bent than I prefer, almost like the author was going out of his way to prove knowledge of British slang, but all in all enjoyable with Interesting characters.

[Kami Corban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable - original and well written

I was pleased to come across this mystery and now look forward to reading more in this series and other books by this talented author.

[Nancy Muldoon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

This was just terrible. God bless the author, I know it was a lot of work. Too wordy, and knew the killer very quickly. There are folks that will enjoy it, however. Just not my "cuppa". Do they really say that?!?

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise was interesting but I didn’t like how this was developed. I wanted more from the characters and more from the story. I would have DNFed this if I wasn’t 63% through when I officially realized this book wasn’t for me.

[Whitney Durrwachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ebook

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars to me, but I rounded up rather than down...

[Jerry Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally like this story. However, I, like many others who have read this book, figured out who the killer was very early on.

[Tanya Dreke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a Kindle copy through Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads, the author and publisher. Fun read but very predictable.