Murder at the House on the Hill: A gripping, twisty, delightfully cozy mystery that you won't want to put down!

Victoria Walters

Sept 2021 · The Dedley End Mysteries Book 1 · Hera books Ltd

About this eBook

‘Superb sleuthing! I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Dedley End and can’t wait to go back!’ Heidi Swain, author of The Cherry Tree Café

Once Upon a Crime...

Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens...

That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in thirty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party.

While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short when beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade.

But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why?

Nancy and Jane decide to investigate – after all, not only do they own a crime themed bookshop, they were also both named after famous literary detectives – but soon wonder if they’ve taken on more than they can handle. Especially when it seems the killer has worked out that they’re hot on their heels...

Can they catch the murderer before the murderer catches up with them? Or will there be a deadly ending to this story?

Praise for Murder at the House on the Hill:

‘Such a fab book - really puts the cosy in cosy crime!’ M. A. Kuzniar, author of Midnight in Everwood

‘This is a brilliant ‘whodunnit’ which gave me some serious Miss Marple feels...it’s absolutely brilliant and a pleasure to read’ Head in a Book18

‘I loved this brilliant cozy read...it felt very Christie-esque. Nancy and Jane were fab, I loved their relationship. And I can’t wait for more.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘Even gave me some Murder, she wrote vibes... I truly enjoyed reading this funny, cosy mystery’ Tizi’s Book Review

‘A cosy crime story with lovable characters and a gripping storyline, perfect for curling up with’ Kelly T’s Space

‘I really enjoyed this cosy crime, I was hooked with the storyline but also charmed by the characters’ Kraftireader

‘A very well written story with a crime to solve but also with characters that the reader really starts to care about.’ Reader Review

‘What an absolute delight this was to read... I was still guessing whodunnit until the end.’ Wrong Side of Forty UK

‘I loved the characters of Nancy and Jane...a gripping read, which certainly held my attention and kept me guessing.’ Ginger Book Geek

‘A delightful detective duo, a charming and clever cosy mystery.’ Diane Jeffrey, author of The Silent Friend

‘A cosy, satisfying and enjoyable murder mystery full of intrigue...and even better, with a bookshop too!’ Ella Allbright, author of The Last Charm

‘A well-executed murder mystery...I loved every second of it.’ Reader Review

‘A blast! It’s fast paced, fun and it keeps you guessing till the end!...The story is filled with lots of characters and unusual twists.’ Reader Review

Ratings and reviews

I read this book as one of my first murder mysteries and loved it, I read it as a physical book and had got it in a shop and I got told by family members that I wouldn't like it and they were completely wrong because I loved it so much I stayed up late and woke up early just to read it, whenever I had any free time I would read it and I'm considering re reading it because of how great it was, from reading this book I have read many other murder mystery books and they have been good but not as good as this one, and I could be bias because it was my first murder mystery book but it is definitely a book I recommend reading even if it isn't something you would normally read. I'm not going to try and make this seem like an advertisement but more of a recommendation if you have liked this book because I just finished the book (who killed miss finch?)And i'll be honest I didn't even figure out who it was, but it was so good and I don't want to spoil it incase anyone wants to read it. Enjoy =D

Murder at the House on the Hill by Victoria Walters is the debut of The Dedley End Mysteries. I liked the two main characters in this new British cozy mystery. Nancy Hunter and her grandmother, Jane own Dedley Endings Bookshop which only carries mysteries, thriller, and crime novels. There is a cast of secondary characters that includes Nancy’s friend, Jonathan who is a local reporter. Jonathan is more about himself and his career, but you can tell that he does care for Nancy and Jane. The village of Dedley End sounded quaint. It is a small town that relies on tourist trade in the summer. The author’s vivid descriptions allow readers to picture the charming village and its residents. The death of Lucy Roth at an engagement party at Roth Manor is startling. Nancy is basically goaded into investigating by Jonathan. Of course, Nancy is curious, and she does not believe the local constabulary are up to the task. Nancy with help from Jane and Jonathan set out to ask questions and search for clues. Several people seem to have a motive to kill the victim. The mystery is straightforward and avid mystery readers will have no problems identifying the guilty party. There is a secondary plot involving the death of Nancy’s father. He died when she was ten in a car crash. She has wondered what really happened that night. Another thread involves the disappearance of Nancy’s mother. She took off when she was a small child and has never been heard from again. I am sure she will appear in a future book. At the end of novel, there is a teaser chapter for the next book in The Dedley End Mysteries. I had a hard time wading through this story. The pacing is slow, there are many repetitive details, and the writing is a little too detail oriented. I ended up skimming through part of the story to make it to the end (the book seemed to go on forever). There are several unlikeable characters with my least favorite being Nancy’s ex-husband, Richard. I really wanted to like Murder at the House on the Hill. I enjoyed Nancy’s love of books and that their bookshop caters to mysteries. Murder at the House on the Hill is a British cozy mystery with a toffee-nosed family, an eager reporter, a curious crime, suspicious suspects, and a probing bookseller.

About the author

Victoria Walters is a full-time author living in Surrey. Victoria writes the bestselling women’s fiction series GLENDALE HALL, and the cosy crime series THE DEDLEY END MYSTERIES. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent and shortlisted for two RNA awards. Victoria was also picked as an Amazon Rising Star.