Murder at an English Pub by Alice Castle - Book Review

Series: Sarah Vane Mysteries #1 

Publication Date: 03rd July 2024 

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

3 Stars 

One Liner: Interesting mystery; not-so-interesting MC 

Sarah Vane is a 60-something retired GP from London. She moves to the quaint seaside town of Merstairs with her dog, Hamish, looking for a fresh start (and to mourn the death of her husband, Peter). Her best friend Daphne already lives here and is a neighbor. However, what Sarah doesn’t expect is to find a dead body in a trunk among the contents already presented in a hut her friend recently purchased. 

Sarah is determined to solve the case, especially when she finds out that the dead man is Gus, a much-loved local pub owner. Soon, another body is added to the list. As she digs deeper into the cases, she finds secrets and links that connect the two deaths. Can Sarah solve the case before the killer targets her next? 

The story comes in Sarah’s third-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

You already know my love for cozies, so I won’t repeat it. ;) 

The premise and the beginning are fun. We meet a newly widowed Sarah who moves from London to a seaside small town. She brings her judgmental attitude along with her, which adds a realistic touch to her character but also annoys the readers at times. 

The setting is beautiful! I love the changing weather, the vast blue sea, the clear skies when the sun shines, and the near-constant breeze that turns windy in a blink. There are enough shops and eateries, too! 

The best part of the book is the pets (and their names). Sarah has a Scottie called Hamish. Daphne has a massive orange cat called Mephisto (wish it had a bigger role), and another character has a Chihuahua called… Tinkerbell! 

 The mystery is actually decent, but it’s hard to like it much due to Sarah’s sleuthing abilities (or the lack of them). Wasn’t a fan of her, so I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted. 

There are several side characters. Most of them seem to be colorful, even if their reactions and words seem off. Or maybe the MC’s POV makes them appear that way. 

Moreover, the repeated comments about Daphne’s ‘eccentricity’ got boring. I get it already! Also, as a supposed best friend, does it seem like the MC takes more than she gives? In this book, yes! It might change in the subsequent books. Can’t say. 

The actual reason for sleuthing wasn’t great, nor was the book’s ending. Let’s say that as much as I love mysteries, I do want my living space to be peaceful. I’d rather have other kinds of excitement. 

To summarize, Murder at an English Pub will appeal to some readers, though I can’t say whom. It’s not a bad book by any means. If you prefer judgemental MCs, you might enjoy this more than I did. 

Cozy mysteries are the author’s genre, so can’t say if this was a variation that didn’t come out as planned or if something else. I hope the series gets better as it progresses. I’ll have to say goodbye here. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for eARC. 

#NetGalley #MurderatanEnglishPub