Death at the Auction: The Stamford Mysteries, Book 1

A fun start to what I hope becomes a long-lasting cosy crime series.Felicia Grant is reluctantly helping out with the family auction house, swearing never to do it again, and then a body turns up in a wardrobe, right in the middle of an auction. Everyone's a suspect, even her self, even though she was visible the whole time - so clearly Felicia has no choice but to stick her beak in and do a little investigating on her own...I enjoyed the way into this crime - the body in the middle of a busy room - the large cast of characters, the little niggles they had with one another, the voice of the author.The mystery itself kept me guessing (though the resolution for me was just okay) and it had just enough page-turnery quality to propel me full the pages.I felt like I was reading a story in a full, real world. And I'd like to return again one day!

This is my favourite kind of murder mystery; one with an amateur sleuth backed up by friends and family who all get dragged into events, together with run-ins with police. Our central figure in this case has been dragged back to her hometown after her father has an accident and becomes involved in the investigation following a murder during an auction she was holding.I have to admit I very nearly gave up on ths book on page 2 after one of the most cliched openings I've ever read but I'm so glad I carried on as this book is everything I hoped it would be. The family dynamics, interaction wth the police, tension and humour work to perfection and whilst the book feels a little clumsy or maybe just naive in its execution, I'll certainly be looking out for more adventures from this cast.

Death at the Auction is a great who did it book. It will keep you guessing until the end.Felicity has to go back to her hometown as her father has fallen. He is the local auctioneer and Felicity has to work at the next auction. The auction house gets a last minute sale and when a body falls out of it, everyone wonders who is the murderer.Enjoyed reading this book, I enjoyed Felicity digging about doing her own detective work. Loved the setting being in an auction house and learning more about the workings of one.A good mystery novel. 4 stars.

With thanks to NetGalley for my arc. Nice cosy crime book, with endearing characters and a lovely setting. You can tell the author knows her auction details by the depth of understanding. I hope there will be a follow up? My favourite character was the (fantastically named) son, who occasionally seemed to be the real grown up.

When an accident forces Felicia Grant back to her family’s auction house in Stamford, she vows it’ll only be a flying visit. But as the gavel falls on the final lot, a hidden secret is revealed—the body of her father’s business rival, murdered during the packed sale. Soon, Felicia is swept into a mystery that has everyone in the community as a potential suspect herself included. As the body count rises and with the people she loves under threat, Felicia takes matters into her own hands. But even the most picturesque place has its secretsA new author & a new series. A very enjoyable read with strong characters & a well paced story. I really liked Felicia. I was drawn in from the start & engrossed all the way through. There were twists, turns & red herrings before all was revealed. I look forward to more in the series & it seems I may have found another must read authorMy honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I like the original setting for this cosy mystery, which has plenty of suspects and twists as auctioneer Felicia and the local police detective attempt to find the killer of the rival antique dealer whose body reveals itself at the end of the auction. There is a cast of quirky characters, a twisty mystery, family drama, friendships and an increasing body count, giving this all requirements for an engaging cosy crime tale. I like the location in Stamford, which is well-described and adds authenticity to the story. The cast of characters is varied, believable, and vividly brought to life by the author. The auction room and antique dealing setting give the tale its uniqueness, and I look forward to the next Stamford mystery.I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The first in the Stamford Mysteries Series and a quaint cozy mystery set in Stamford in Lincolnshire. Well written this has got a great plot with so many twists and turns, and lots of suspects, it was very hard to guess who the killer was. The rather inappropriately named Inspector Heavenly was an interesting character as was Sergeant Pettifer, who gave Felicity rather more leeway than a member of the public should enjoy! But my favourite character was 12 years old Algernon.Briefly, Felicia Grant has returned from London to hold an auction on behalf of her Dad who has had an accident. However the auction is curtailed when a body is found in one of the auction lots. When more bodies are found, and long hidden secrets are revealed, and with everyone a suspect, including Felicia, she decides to investigate.The relationships between Felicia and her son Algernon and the local Detective Sergeant Pettifer are so well scripted and make the whole story a joy to read. A cosy and delightful crime novel, very enjoyable read.

A cosy mystery set in Stamford , based around an auction house and the people running it.Felicia‘s father owns an auction house in Stamford , he has broken his leg and Felicia returns home to take care of him .This is where the fun begins , a body is found in a piece of furniture in the auction that Felicia is in charge of .What follows after this is a story full of red herrings , plenty of twists and turns and a story that moves on at a fair pace with an ending I didn’t envisage.The characters all have their own quirks and foibles and some are more amiable than others but put together they make the perfect framework for this enjoyable story.Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK .