Murder at Wedgefield Manor

Rating: it was amazing

This is the second book in the Jane Wunderly Mystery series by Erica Ruth Neubauer. American WW1 widow Jane and her aunt Millie are staying at Wedgefield Manor in the picturesque English countryside so that Millie can spend some time with her daughter Lillian and Lillian's father Lord Hughes. When one of Lord Hughes' employees is found dead, and everyone staying at the manor becomes a suspect, Jane teams up with the dashing Mr. Redvers to find the killer.

I thought this was a wonderful addition to the series and my favorite of the two books. This installment has all the fixings of a great country house mystery. The characters are well-rounded, the English countryside setting perfect, and the murder mystery puzzling and filled with family secrets. Jane is a fun, likable, and intelligent protagonist. She's starting to feel like an old friend, and I look forward to solving more mysteries with her. I'm going to miss the English setting but I'm excited for the third book that will most likely be set in America. Redvers has hinted that he is going there as well, so I'm excited to see more development in his and Jane's relationship.
All in all, this was a fun mystery. If you like historical cozy mysteries, you should definitely give this series a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: really liked it

Twists and turns and intrigues galore make for a fine 1920s mystery set in the glorious British countryside. American WWI widow Jane Wunderly stops by Wedgefield Manor In Essex before a planned trip home. She’s come with her Aunt Millie, arriving after an eventful trip to Egypt, where Jane helped solve a murder in the series’ debut. Book 2 keeps you rapt as a suspicious car crash kills a Manor employee. Can Jane nose through scads of suspects to catch the killer? Will the mysterious Mr. Redvers, who arrives from Egypt, be able to aid her search here as he did there? Gentle reader, take heart. All will be revealed as you sit white-knuckled at the edge of your settee. Tea, anyone?

4 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 30 Mar 2021
#MurderatWedgefieldManor #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

Rating: really liked it

Loved this continuation of Jane Wunderly’s adventures! The characters, by far, are the best part of these novels. Instead of Egypt, this story finds us in a stately English manor when an “accident” appears to be more sinister than accidental– and the stakes get higher and higher as other things start to go awry.

I love Jane as a protagonist, and I think the story between her and Redvers is SUPER fun and compelling– my only complaint is that it is a bit too slow of a burn in this installment and feels like it barely moved along. The other piece that didn’t quite capture me as much as book one was the setting– I totally lost myself in the sense of place in Egypt in book one, and was a little less captivated by the English setting here, or rather– it just felt very familiar and less exciting.

ALL of that said– I thought the dynamics between touchstone characters (Millie, Lillian, Jane) were really captivating and I can’t wait to see where this goes next. And I love the sparks of modernity to be found throughout the novel– these stories aren’t content to fall into the same old tropes, and I LOVE that.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author (local to me!) for a chance to read an early copy!

Rating: really liked it

This is probably more 3.5. I enjoyed it, but I missed the Egyptian setting of the first book. It was nice to spend more time with these characters though.

Rating: liked it

Another good, easy to read book. Here's my review:
This i the second book in the new series by Erica Ruth Neubauer and featuring Jane Wonderly, an American widow visiting England in the years after World War One. This novel stands alone, with the story complete within the book. There are some relationships that began in the first book of the series and which continue on in this book. While Neubauer does a good job of giving enough information that the reader doesn’t feel confused about relationships, some readers may prefer to read the books in order so as to experience the development of the relationship.

In this novel, Jane, along with her Aunt Millie, is visiting Lord Hughes and his daughter, Lillian. In the last novel Lord Hughes' relationship to Lillian and to Milie was revealed. To say more would be to provide a spoiler for the first book, so this review will not share more about their relationship. Also visiting the house is Jane’s love interest, Redvers, continuing a relationship that was begun in the first novel.

Lord Hughes makes it a point to hire wounded veterans from WWI and one of them shows an interest in Lillian. He also has an anger problem, alluded to as being a result of the war and, when he gets upset one evening he takes a car from Lord Hughes’ garage, tears out of the driveway, and ultimately crashes and dies. The initial investigation reveals the possibility of murder, and the investigation begins.

The police are called in; but play a small part in the book. Jane is determined to investigate with the help of Redvers. There are other happenings that look as though murder is being attempted and someone is trying to frame Lord Hughes. While the murder investigation is taking place, Jane is also taking flying lessons, a discovery is made that someone has been living in a room above the garage, several areas of difficulties crop up for the young people in the book including Lillian, her friend Marie, and her cousins Poppy and Allistair.

It is easy to follow the plot of this book and keep all the characters straight. The plot is fairly straightforward and, although there is a plot twist, the solution may also be discerned by many regular readers of mystery fiction. This is a good book to have as a beach or plane/train ride book. It can easily be interrupted and started again without the reader becoming confused or loosing track of the current events.

My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel for review. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

Rating: it was amazing

This is the second of Neubauer's mysteries featuring young widow Jane and her interfering aunt Millie. I enjoyed it, particularly the period details of the post World War I era in Britain. I enjoyed her Mena House book more, most likely because the setting in Cairo was so unique.

This is a standard country house mystery-- a young veteran has died while driving a motorcar at speed, and then various other attempts are made on people at the house. Aunt Millie encourages Jane to solve the crime, while still trying to get her married off for the second time to Redvers, a handsome, resourceful guy who works for some unnamed government agency.

Highly recommended for fans of Rhys Bowen's Lady Georgiana mysteries -- similar feel and background.

Rating: it was amazing

If you haven't read the first in series, you still won't have any trouble filling in the blanks (but you'll want to read it anyway!). It's 1926 in an English country house with a collection of friends, relatives, displaced war veterans, and a flight instructor. The interesting man from the foreign office turns up again just in time to help Jane and the too helpful police inspector with the murder investigation and other mysteries. The humor is understated, the characters vivid, the plot complex, and the whole thing entertaining! The publisher's blurb is a good hook so there's no need to repeat that. Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Rating: liked it

4/1/2021 3.5 stars. Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

4/2/2021 After the events at Mena House, Egypt, in the first novel of this 1920s-set historical mystery series, our heroine, the widowed American Jane Wunderly, and her (obnoxious) Aunt Millie decide to take up residence at Wedgefield Manor, an estate in the English countryside owned by Lord Hughes, a former and possibly future paramour of Aunt Millie's. But they aren't just there for the sake of Aunt Millie's romantic prospects. Lord Hughes' adopted daughter, Lillian, is actually Millie's child, and Millie wants to get to know her now-grown daughter a little better.

While Millie is working on her social life, Jane is taking advantage of the presence of a genuine RAF pilot and his Moth to take flying lessons, much to Millie's disapproval. But it's a far more mundane vehicle that causes tragedy for their household, when estate mechanic Simon Marshall goes for a nighttime drive and ends up the victim of a fatal crash. After the police discover that the car's brakes were cut and that evidence points to Lord Hughes being the culprit, Jane must solve another murder mystery, as her aunt begs her for help in clearing his name and protecting their daughter.

This is a tidy puzzle of a murder mystery with some excellent ace-aro and lesbian representation. And while I did side eye Jane asking the veteran with the West Indies accent if he didn't want to go "home" after the war, I thought the race and class consciousness throughout were pretty good. The main issue I had with this book is that it drags considerably in the middle third: fortunately, it picks up towards the end, even before I figured out whodunnit and why.

Overall, a decent cozy mystery that does the required job of cleansing my reading palate between books. Not too challenging, but better than half the stuff out there today (and I say that as someone who reads at least one cozy mystery a week.)

Murder At Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer was published March 30 2021 by Kensington Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop! Want it now? For the Kindle version, click here.

Rating: it was amazing

Erica Ruth Neubauer has written a marvellous second instalment in her Jane Wunderly Mystery series. American WW1 widow Jane and her Aunt Millie are staying at Wedgefield Manor in the picturesque English Essex countryside so that Millie can spend some time with Lord Hughes and his daughter, Lillian. Jane, who is currently enjoying taking flying lessons also spends some of her leisure time reading mystery novels. Lord Hughes makes a concerted effort to hire wounded veterans and after dinner and during drinks one evening, one of them, Flight Lieutenant Simon Marshall shows an interest in Lillian. When a disagreement ensues Simon loses his temper but calms down a little before abruptly leaving the room. The noise of a car engine, the beam of headlights and the spitting of gravel alerts the group in the drawing-room that one of Lord Hughes' cars is being driven at high speed away from the house and the driver is Simon Marshall. The next morning whilst Jane is eating her eggs, bacon and toast, Mr Redvers turns up with bad news; there's been a fatal car accident...

This instalment has everything required for a perfect country manor estate mystery. The characters are well created and layered, and the English countryside setting is beautifully described. The protagonist Jane, a war widow, is full of fun, intelligent and very engaging. I enjoyed the mystery aspect which was a puzzle, the family secrets and the understated humour. I'm planning on reading the first book that I've missed, Murder at the Mena House and I'm very much looking forward to solving more mysteries with Jane as well as satisfying my curiosity as to where she'll wind up next. I have no hesitation in recommending Murder at Wedgefield Manor and if you favour historical cozy mysteries, you should definitely give this series a try.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Rating: it was amazing

I requested this book from Kensington on Netgalley because it sounded good; I love books set in the 1920s and this one sounded like it was right out of a Christie novel. After a couple of chapters, I realized this was the second book in the series, so I went back and read the first book before I read this one. And I'd have to say, it probably wasn't necessary, there were very few mentions from the first book and none of them impacted this story but it was well worth the read. This series is definitely now very high up on my must-read list! The books are so easy to sink into, with great characters, a dash of romance and amazing twists to keep the plot moving quickly.

I enjoyed this one a lot, I've come to love the characters and look on them as friends. Jane is easy to relate to; equal parts strong, sassy and vulnerable, you just want to be her friend. The dashing and mysterious Redvers adds some spice and watching (well, reading) their chemistry and tenacious investigating makes it easy to "fall" into the story quickly. I also liked that it picked up from where the last book left off, with many of the same characters and giving us more of a look into who they are.

While I figured out "whodunit" pretty quickly (there weren't many suspects, which made it pretty easy,) I enjoyed watching the story unfold and all the twists and turns. I could've done with a bit less of the rehashing that happened throughout the book, but I didn't feel that it slowed the plot down any; the pace moved along steadily and it really didn't take much to draw me in and keep me there. But the ending! Absolutely smashed it, loved the thrilling North by Northwest chase at the end and the last chapter left on an open note makes me salivate for book 3.

If you enjoy Agatha Christie, great characters, lovely scenery and riveting plots, this series has it all.

Rating: it was amazing

A delightful historical mystery-great characters, well constructed mystery and even a bit of romance. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. I read the first book in the series and thoroughly enjoyed it but I think this is even better.

Jane and her aunt Millie are visiting Wedgefield Manor in England on their way back to the States from their trip to Egypt. While there, the estate's mechanic, Simon Marshall, a vet with a bit of an anger issue as a result of PTSD, storms off in one of Lord Hughes's cars. The next morning, a car accident is discovered and Simon has died. Jane and another guest at the manor as well as the newly arrived Redvers, go to the accident scene and have questions. Simon was an excellent driver who knew the area well and there were no skid marks to indicate that he had tried to brake. Sliced brake cables prove it was no accident.

But was Simon the intended victim-it wasn't his car after all. Jane is asked by her aunt to help discover the culprit, and then by her cousin as well. What follows are a slew of clues, sightings of strangers, locked rooms that were inhabited by someone, sabotaged planes and more. And we follow along with Jane (and Redvers) as they investigate all and weed through to what is really applicable to the murder. And the ending is thrilling as Jane and Redvers try to apprehend the killer and prevent harm to another victim.

I don't want to wait a year for the next installment!

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher but the opinion expressed is my own.

Rating: really liked it

After really enjoying the first book in this series, I was so glad to get the ARC for this second one, and I was not disappointed! Picking up from where the last one left off, Jane, her Aunt Millie and Millie's daughter Lillian are back in England with Lillian's Uncle/Father [that bit is a little confusing and I am not really sure who knows what, but for now, everyone seems happy with the status quo] and Lillian's friend Marie on Sir Hughes estate. Jane is taking flying lessons [MUCH to the dismay of her Aunt] from a former RAF pilot and generally loving life. The only thing that is missing is the man she cannot [even when she really wants to] stop thinking about, Mr. Readvers. And then one of the staff is killed, Mr. Readvers shows up and the game is on. Again. As Jane and Readvers rush to find the killer before they strike again, they also must contend with their growing attraction to each other and Jane needs to decide if she can, finally, let someone else into her life.

I really enjoyed this book for the most part, even when I realized I knew who the killer was and then I knew the why, as the story is entertaining and keeps you on your toes as it moves towards the conclusion. And the reveal, while a familiar sad tale, was very well done and I think that one will be satisfied with it. A really good read and I will absolutely be looking forward to book 3!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erica Ruth Neubauer, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: it was amazing

MURDER AT WEDGEFIELD MANOR by Erica Ruth Neubauer
The Second Jane Wunderly Mystery

After their trip to Egypt Jane Wunderly and her Aunt Millie decide to spend some time in England, staying at Wedgefield Manor. Millie is getting reacquainted with her old friend, Lord Hughes, while Jane takes flying lessons, much to Millie's dismay. Yet it's an automobile that proves deadly when the estate's mechanic is killed in a crash. His death was no accident, however. With a household full of suspicious people, Jane, assisted once again by the mysterious Redvers, is involved in yet another murder.

I absolutely loved MURDER AT WEDGEFIELD MANOR. The characters, the setting, and a perplexing mystery make this historical mystery a treat. I love Jane's zest for life, whether it be learning to fly or rushing headlong into another murder investigation. As for her relationship with Redvers...their understanding of each other, the uncertainty, and the desire just under the surface is compelling and addictive. I can't wait to watch their relationship unfold and see where it leads.

The second Jane Wunderly Mystery has the feel of a country house party with an interesting mix of people staying together in a posh isolated estate. The upperclass mingle more freely with the workers, a practice that is not to everyone's liking. Pretty much the entire household of Wedgefield Manor was acting suspiciously leaving me unsure of who to trust while I attempted to deduce who the murderer was as well as the motive. Yet I enjoyed having so many possibilities as much as it frustrated Jane.

Incorporating veterans from the Great War, a golf mad young woman, and a simmering romance just waiting to come to the boil MURDER AT WEDGEFIELD MANOR is a top notch mystery. I adore this series and can't wait to see where Jane winds up next!


FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.

Rating: it was amazing

Jane Wunderly and her aunt Millie are spending some time at Wedgefield Manor as the guest of Lord Hughes on their way home to America. Jane is enjoying the quiet after their trip to Egypt, but she’s especially enjoying learning to fly. However, things get complicated quickly when the estate’s mechanic, Simon, dies in a motorcar accident. It is quickly ruled a murder, and Millie asks Jane to investigate. It seems everyone she talks to is hiding a secret. But who is the killer?

I enjoyed the first visit to 1926 with Jane, so it was a pleasure to meet up with her again. Jane is a strong lead, and I was impressed with how many of the characters from the first book were logically included here. All the characters are fun with great growth. The many secrets kept the plot moving and did a perfect job of keeping me confused until we got near the end. I did feel that the characters had some modern attitudes to some situations that came up, but it was a minor issue for me. If you haven’t read the first book, some of the character’s backstories are spoiled here, so if you care about that, you’ll want to read the books in order. I enjoyed my second visit with Jane, and I’m curious to see where she will wind up next.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

Rating: really liked it

Murder at Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer is the second installment in the A Jane Wunderly Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

Jane and her aunt Millie are at Wunderly Manor with aunt's daughter Lillian and her biological father Lord Hughes.
They are enjoying the country side when one of the man who works at the manor ends up dead. The victim is a Air Force veteran and it appears that the brakes on the car that he was driving were deliberately cut.
All of a sudden Jane's interest and friend Mr. Redvers shows up. While Jane is delighted to see him she also can't help wondering what exactly is going on.

This is another delightful read in this series. It is gentle without gruesome details. It's steady paced with a nice flow and quite captivating.
Characters are real and believable, with relatable characteristics and flaws, although I wish there were more dimensional and I wish that we would soon learn more about them.
Mystery as always is compelling, very interesting. I like how readers are able to follow the clues and figure out the mystery for themselves .
I also very much like the period it is set in and I really like that it doesn't paint a pretty picture of that time but gives out very realistic portrayal of those days.
This is a must read!

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.