I didn't get the sense of place that I usually get with this author's novels, and there is an awful lot of dialogue, hence the four stars rather than five. BUT, the mystery itself is wonderful. Riley, as always, had me fully engaged trying to work out who had killed Charlie, for the suspects were numerous. He was not a nice young man! The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are vulnerable, troubled, and multilayered. And the plot is a suspenseful, twisty tale filled with manipulation, familial drama, deception, lies, neglect, jealousy, secrets, revelations, vengeance, mayhem, and murder. Then a particularly grim discovery at the school makes this the most challenging murder investigation of her career. Because Fleat House hides secrets darker than even Jazz could ever have imagined . . . My biggest problem with this book is the setting. For me it doesn´t fit the overall vibe. To think that this book was published in 2021 and is supposed to be set in 2005, it really does give of some "older vibes" with all it´s misogony, sexism and homophobia. Leave the phones out and it could easily be the 1900´s, the thinking and the tone/language just don´t feel modern. I hated the portrayal of psychologist and therapy, it fits the "older thinking" I mentioned above. I also hated the constant "Boys will be boys" as excuse for anything and everything. Cheating, bullying, etc. "Oh, boys will be boys you know." Stfu. This really made the book not enjoyable for me which is such a shame since the book had so much potential, the case was interesting and I liked the idea of it. I think if all the other stuff would have been left out it could have been a 3,5 star or 4 star book. What also bugged me is that somehow the requirement of confidentiality doesn´t reply to them....They go babbling off about case details to everybody and their mother. The pacing was okay, although it really felt slow for me at times. I liked some of the twists but most of them you could see coming with how the book was set up. Mum was hugely proud of this project. It is the only crime novel she ever wrote, but loyal readers will instantly recognise her unrivalled ability to capture a sense of place. I’m sure it will interest you to know that, at the time of writing, my family lived in the vast, mysterious landscape in which the story is set. What’s more, the Norfolk school featured in the book was heavily inspired by the one which we, her own children, attended. Thankfully, I can confirm that nothing so dramatic actually took place in the corridors of the boarding houses.

Lucinda Riley, who unfortunately died recently, has written some very popular historical fiction. This book, her only foray into crime mystery, was posthumously published by her son. Fue su muerte un acto de venganza? Mientras el personal del colegio cierra filas y la nieve comienza a cubrirlo todo Jazz se da cuenta de que esta podría ser la más complicada investigación de su carrera. Y de que Fleat House esconde secretos más oscuros de lo que nunca podría haber imaginado. Tenía ganas de darle una segunda oportunidad a esta autora ya que con el primer libro que leí de ella no conseguí conectar demasiado. Este me apreció ideal ya que es su primer y único libro de misterio y creo que he acertado porque la verdad es que me ha entretenido mucho y no puedo ponerle ninguna pega.The paramedic rules it as an accident and the headmaster is keen to sweep the incident under the carpet and avoid a media frenzy. This is a very enjoyable police procedural set in North Norfolk. It would make a great start to a series but unfortunately Lucinda Riley, best known for her historical fiction, sadly died last year and this was published posthumously with the help of her son.

De esta autora, tristemente fallecida en el 2021, sólo había leído “La luz tras la ventana”. Me gustó, aunque no me cautivó. La serie de las siete hermanas no me atraía lo más mínimo, pero resulta que LR había escrito un policial, allá por el año 2006, que, por lo que sea no se atrevió a publicar. Ahora su hijo lo rescata y lo da a conocer a sus seguidores. Y me alegro. Then there's a missing man or two, a missing child, another death, and a historical death. Jazz's gut tells her that all these incidents are connected but putting it all together is like doing a jigsaw puzzle with no picture and no edge pieces. In this latest novel by Riley, The Murders at Fleat House , she transports us to Norfolk, England, home to St. Stephen’s School, an elite boarding school that has all the usual fare, entitled students, unrelenting bullies, ghost stories, favouritism, and a history of scandals, violence, and death that may be about to repeat itself.Many thanks to Net Galley, AuthorBuzz, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.