After all the plans Kat Stanford has made--from quitting her job on the TV series Fakes and Treasures, to deciding on the type of antique toys she and her mother would sell in their new shop--her mother was babbling on the phone about having moved to Devonshire of all places. While Kit could not quite get the why of the move part, she definitely caught the part about her mother breaking her arm. Knowing her mother would not admit to struggling with that situation, Kit loads up her car and drives the long journey from London to the Devon countryside.

Arriving in Devon, Kit is shocked to find that the lovely carriage house, previously part of Honeychurch Hall that Iris, her mother, had been raving about for its beauty, is in a far worse state of repair than expected. Not quite getting her mother's motivations, so different from the Mom she has known as a child, Kit directs her energies to try and get Iris to move from the dilapidated carriage house to a modern building and then Kit could head back to London.

After a series of unfortunate events like sorting out her feelings and relationship concerns about her fiancé, especially after realizing his ex-wife is still quite in the picture and in his car, and learning more about her mother and her secret interests, Kit is not so sure about leaving Devonshire. After stumbling across a murder and hearing the nanny has also gone missing, Kit decides she needs to stay with Iris. As they become the target for strange attacks, she has to wonder are their lives in danger?

MURDER AT HONEYCHURCH HALL is the first of a new mystery series by Hannah Dennison and it is off to a winning start. With a cluster of quirky characters, including TV celebrities, antique specialists, ex-travelling performers, a secret romance writer, and an isolated but very intelligent young boy, this story could easily have gone over the top, but with Dennison's deft hand at character development, their various stories and backgrounds come together in a very natural and authentic manner. While the story may be considered by some as a cozy mystery, I was appreciative of Dennison bringing to light a number of underlying themes, such as dealing with the death of a loved one, family and relationship dynamics and tax and other financial considerations.

Another strength is Dennison's knowledge and research on the Devonshire area and as a result she easily brings each scene very much alive, including Kit's surprise at opening a door and seeing cows. MURDER AT HONEYCHURCH HALL has lots of idiosyncratic characters with intriguing backstories, so the stage is set for many new adventures and mysteries for this crime-solving mother and daughter duo. MURDER AT HONEYCHURCH HALL is a treat to enjoy!

Book Summary

Kat Stanford is just days away from starting her dream antique business with her newly widowed mother Iris when she gets a huge shock. Iris has recklessly purchased a dilapidated carriage house at Honeychurch Hall, an isolated country estate located several hundred miles from London.

Yet it seems that Iris isn’t the only one with surprises at Honeychurch Hall. Behind the crumbling façade, the inhabitants of the stately mansion are a lively group of eccentrics to be sure—both upstairs and downstairs —and they all have more than their fair share of skeletons in the closet.

When the nanny goes missing, and Vera, the loyal housekeeper ends up dead in the grotto, suspicions abound. Throw in a feisty, octogenarian countess, a precocious seven year old who is obsessed with the famous fighter pilot called Biggles, and a treasure trove of antiques, and there is more than one motive for murder.

As Iris’s past comes back to haunt her, Kat realizes she hardly knows her mother at all. A when the bodies start piling up, it is up to Kat to unravel the tangled truth behind the murders at Honeychurch Hall.