Murder Most Haunted

Even hard-nosed thriller aficionados need a break occasionally, and want something fun and light. Cozies are fun, and don’t contain any graphic violence, but still have a murder to solve and a bit of suspense. Some even have ghosts and supernatural scenarios. One such novel is Murder Most Haunted, by Emma Mason. Midge McGowan just retired from the police force and received a retirement gift from her wife that she doesn’t want – a weekend ghost hunting tour at an isolated mansion. Besides not wanting to go, her wife can’t accompany her because she has cancer treatments at home, but is totally supportive of her going. The other tour guests include a rock star who is an addict, a doctor and his high maintenance wife, a podcast producer, as well as a gambler. Unfortunately there is a snowstorm, and they become stuck and unable to leave; their cell phones are confiscated as soon as they arrive, and none of the guests can locate them, so there is no way to get help. When one of the guests is found murdered, Midge investigates, knowing fully that she is in the mansion not only with a ghost which is cited by some of the guests, but also a murderer.The story is set in England, and the characters are English with English mores. Those listing to the audio book will find the narrator totally English, so that sets the stage even more. This is a good backdrop for the story, and makes the novel a bit unique and fun. The story is easy to follow, and Mason does a good job of developing the characters so that they seem real. While Midge is a believable, albeit strange LBGTQ character, most readers won’t be able to relate to her because she is so different. She makes a good protagonist, even though she is so different than the norm. The sub-characters are also well-developed, and seem real. They make a very interesting group of people, some believing in ghosts, and some not.There are plenty of twists and turns leading to a very unexpected dénouement, which comes at the very end. The prose is well-written and easy to follow. It is a fast read, and may appeal to most ages of cozy aficionados.Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

A good premise, but it was irritating to have the main character’s issues of problems of being overweight and having difficulty interacting socially being mention so very often during the story. Mentioned occasionally yes, but I put down the book and stopped reading it.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought i would in the beginning. The main character, midge, was pretty aloof but as you get to know her through actions with others, she grows on you. Definitely did not see the ending working out that way though. I liked the snippets of one of the characters podcast and the chapter music. Big bonus for a full cast audio! If you're wanting a murder mystery mixed with some paranormal and historical, give this book a shot. You won't be upset you did!

The maid character Madge is given as a retirement gift, a ticket to take part in a haunted house tour. She ends up having to solve a murder and exposing a ghost.I found that the audio edition of this book to be very well executed. The addition of more than one voice really made the story come to life. I felt like I was really there in the middle of the mystery. The twists and turns really kept me wanting to know for sure who the killer was.

This review is for Murder Most Haunted: A Novel Byron Emma Mason and narrated by Jacqueline King; Jonathan Case; Ayesha Antoine; Barnaby Edwards; Angus King; Anna Acton; Roy McMillan.Midge McGowan, a police detective, received a retirement gift of a ticket to a haunted house tour. She couldn’t have received a worse gift. She would have been happier at home with her embroidery than spending a weekend with a group of strangers. They find themselves trapped at the haunted house tour There is a death inside a locked room and Midge’s experience tells her it was murder. It was an interesting group of characters. I was completely surprised at the ending!The narration was excellent. I liked the multiple narrators and would listen to books narrated by any of them.Thank you to the author, HarperAudio Adult, and NetGalley for the Advanced Listener copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.