Book Description
A murder shocks the small town of Walden. And it’s only the beginning…
Walden, 1921. Local reporter Iris Woodmore is determined to save her beloved lake, Waldenmere, from destruction.
After a bloody and expensive war, the British Army can’t afford to keep the lake and build a convalescent home on its shores yet they still battle with Walden Council and a railway company for ownership. But an old mansion used as an officer training academy stands where the railway company plans to build a lakeside hotel. It belongs to General Cheverton – and he won’t leave his home.
When the General is found murdered, it appears someone will stop at nothing to win the fight for Waldenmere. Iris thinks she can take on the might of the railway company and find the killer. But nothing prepares her for the devastation that’s to come…
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Murder At Waldenmere Lake' by Michelle Salter.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Michelle Salter, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Tours.
Publication date 21st March 2023.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the second book in the 'Iris Woodmore Mysteries' series but can be read as a standalone.
I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Boldwood Books. I have yet to read a book published by Boldwood that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 44 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Walden, Hampshire, England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧 . The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and had holidays in England on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Michelle has based the book on.
This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonist is Iris Woodmore. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.
This book is yet another successful unputdownable cosy mystery by the very talented Verity Bright. I'm always a bit dubious with books based historically as I worry about not being able to 'deal' with the language used but I absolutely love how Verity has written her books. The language used is perfectly suited to the era whilst being easy to read and making it quite humorous on several occasions. The atmosphere and descriptions were perfect. The synopsis and cover also suit the storyline.
The storyline had me hooked immediately and I love the way that Iris goes about her detective work. There was so much going on that it kept me entertained thoroughly throughout with mystery after mystery and clue after clue. It was filled with mystery, laughter, murder, clues, deceit. tension, suspense and so much more!! It is absolutely perfect to read either curled in front of the fire or lying on a beach which not many books can achieve. I never did work out who the killer was and was completely shocked when they were discovered. A great achievement as I am a huge crime fan and tend to work out who did what quite early on. The atmosphere was perfectly suited to the mystery. I enjoyed getting into this series and managed to read this book in one sitting and I absolutely loved all the shocks that Michelle filled the book with that managed to get me each and every time especially one in particularly which made my heartbreak for Iris. I wont say anymore about that as I don't want to spoil anything for future readers by giving too much away. I enjoy how we begin with the mystery of the General's murder and late discover the tank found in the lake which makes the reader question if they are linked and if so how. The storyline was intriguing and I enjoyed reading about the history of the war and how it effected the different characters along with the history of how women were treated. I would liken the speed of this book to a roller-coaster where it starts off slowly as it builds up and then once it hits a certain point you are at the top of the coaster and start travelling at speed with twists, turns, some slow parts and others faster until you hit the ending which is not quite what you would expect! I enjoyed the environmental angle to the storyline as I think it is important to bring awareness to how so many beauty and nature spots are being taken over by buildings and I also think the mental health awareness and the effects that the war had on people is also a very important topic that should be discussed in books more often to spread awareness so a huge well done for bringing these important topics to life Michelle!
Although this is the second book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
There was a fantastic selection of characters that I met in this book along with our main protagonist Iris. I was fascinated watching the character development from the start to the end of this book and I'm looking forward to how Iris started right at the beginning and to continuing to read this series to watch her character continue to grow. I also enjoyed George's character development and I am hoping to see more of him in the future books in this series. I'm particularly looking forward to watching Iris move forward after the decision she made at the end of this book. Cliff-hanger much? Iris is definitely a strong leading female protagonist who is full of character, inquisitive, brave, independent and intelligent and definitely a good role model in my eyes. I love seeing such strong female protagonists in book being female myself and Iris is definitely one to look out for! The fact that she is hard working with a job while many women around her are getting married and becoming housewives gives her a huge thumbs up for me!! Iris is definitely a woman you want on your side in life and one you definitely would not want to get on the wrong side of!! I really am looking forward to meeting her again in the third book in this series which is called 'The Body At Carnival Bridge' and looks just as good as this one was!!
Overall a fun and easy to read page turning cosy murder mystery with the perfect amount of crime and humour that will keep you turning the pages.
Genres covered in this novel include Historical Fiction, British & Irish Historical Literature, Historical Mysteries, Traditional Detective Mysteries, Cozy Mystery, Murder, Mysteries, Historical Thriller, Mystery & Suspense Fiction, Amateur Sleuths, Suspense, and Crime amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of T E Kinsey, Agatha Christie, Lee Strauss and anyone looking for a very easy, page turning and enjoyable read.
323 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £9.99 on paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#MurderAtWaldenmereLake #IrisWoodmoreMysteries #MichelleSalter #BoldwoodBooks #RachelsRandomResources #rararesources #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #NetGalley #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #NetGalley #KindleUnlimited
@MurderAtWaldenmereLake @IrisWoodmoreMysteries @MichelleSalter @BoldwoodBooks @Netgalley @RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R
https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/
https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86
Author Bio
Michelle Salter is a historical crime fiction writer based in northeast Hampshire. Many local locations appear in her mystery novels. She's also a copywriter and has written features for national magazines. When she’s not writing, Michelle can be found knee-deep in mud at her local nature reserve. She enjoys working with a team of volunteers undertaking conservation activities.
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleSalterWriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleASalter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellesalter_writer/
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/michelle-salter
Purchase Link
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vDssgr
Comments